Chapter 1: Episode 1: Origins
Summary:
With the defeat of XANA, the chapter of Lyoko is seemingly closed for good. As the years pass, a new reality show quickly becomes the most famous show across the world, but all is not as it appears.
Chapter Text
Code Total Drama Reality Revised
Summary: After Season 4 of Total Drama the cast both old and new generations are roped into another season. This time however the competition takes place on the digital plane. At the same time two years have passed since Jeremy Belpois and the others shut down the supercomputer after they thought they destroyed XANA. But they were wrong and now XANA has returned more powerful than ever. France has now become a battlefield for the fate of the Earth.
Episode 1: Origins
He remembered a city laid out before him.
Skyscrapers opening out like shells of blue ladybugs. Roads open, ribbons of color intertwining between the towers. Ships and vehicles moved about but aside from that; a tranquil quietness fell over the city.
He took a form, a form of a young boy.
This form had been made for him, he remembered that much.
Made by someone who wanted to show him what it meant to be…real.
He appeared out of nowhere, the air becoming dense where he appeared the only sign of how he had appeared.
He flexed his fingers and then shot off into the air, gathering speed before he was so above the city it almost looked like he was about to break the atmosphere before his flight turned into a dive. He fell back towards the city, but a smile remained on his face, somersaulting and landing perfectly fine on the ground before coming face to face with the Wall.
He ran because he was expecting someone…
Someone who loved coming here and loved to see all the new and amazing place he would find and show her whenever she visited.
Who was she?
He knew she was someone important.
Someone who was supposed to help him but he couldn't remember why.
She liked coming here, he knew but he once remembered her saying the city felt so empty.
Why would she say that?
There was himself, the Professor and the other but admittedly limited people here that kept him company.
He stopped before the Wall and gazed at it, expecting it to open soon.
He knew she would come.
He knew….
And just like that, the Wall opened and he waited with anticipated glee.
Only she wasn't there but something else came out.
A black mist shot towards him, engulfing him before he could even let out a scream.
Aelita opened her eyes as she fell out of the air, her senses returning as she actually landed on her feet instead of landing on her butt like most of the Lyoko warriors had done when they were first virtualized in the future. Looking around she saw herself not in the lab anymore but in a forest with floating trees surrounding her, a narrow path with a soft green grassy ground. Looking down at her hand she gasped as she noticed her hand looking...different. She also noticed the clothes she wore which were different from the ones she wore when she stepped into the scanner.
She noticed a small puddle and walked over to it, bending over to look at her reflection. She gasped as she saw her appearance, taking notice of the pointed ears with an earring hanging from her left ear.
"Aelita?"
"AH!" Aelita jumped and spun around when she heard her father's voice.
What she saw was a group of white luminous orbs that floated around her.
"Daddy?"
"Yes, it's me, Aelita." Her father's voice came from the largest orb. "Are you all right? Do you feel anything wrong with your body?"
"...No, but what happened to you?" Aelita shook her head.
"Perhaps it takes time for older people's digital bodies to take form." Waldo guessed. "I am sure my body will form in time."
"Is this that place you told me about?" Aelita asked as she walked over to a tree and placed her hand on it.
She could feel how it felt from touching, just like how a real tree felt.
Aelita heard a mechanical clicking sound from behind her and turned to see group of small strange mechanical creatures approaching her with metallic brown colored bodies shaped like roaches except they had four small legs, a red circle on the abdomen, and an eye like symbol on their heads.
"Daddy, there are some strange creatures-"Aelita was cut off as the red marks glowed bright red.
"Aelita run!" Her father shouted as they fired lasers at her.
Aelita screamed as she started running, feeling a laser hit her in the knee making her scream louder. She didn't feel any burn, but her knee was sparkling from the hit. The white orbs that made up Waldo's digital form floated behind her, shielding her from more lasers as the Kankrelats pursued her.
"Aelita, head for that tower!" Waldo cried.
Looking up ahead Aelita saw a tower and she ran for it like her father said. She in front of it as she looked at it.
"I don't see a way in!" She cried.
"Don't worry about that!" One of the white orbs pushed her into the tower and she fell forward.
She expected to hit the tower but instead she fell through and landed face first on something smooth and bright. Looking up she saw herself on a platform with the wall around it covered in data screens.
"Wh-Where am I?" She looked around.
"Inside the tower, where you will be safe." Waldo said as his form materialized inside the tower.
"Daddy?" Aelita walked over to the orbs. "Daddy, what's going on?"
"Stay here, Aelita. I'm going to try and talk to XANA." Her father said.
"Who?"
"A multi-agent program I created to run Lyoko and the Supercomputer. Stay here." Her father flew through the wall.
"Daddy, wait!" Aelita cried.
Aelita sat in the tower and waited for her father to return like he had told her to. Even though she was starting to get worried since he hadn't come back she had to believe he knew what he was doing. After all, he was able to create a digital world for them to hide in so there shouldn't be any trouble at all, right? Still, he had been gone a long time to talk to, who was it again?
"XA-NA." Aelita slowly remembered the name of the program that supposedly attacked her.
How much trouble could it be if it was a simple computer program?
'Probably a simple glitch that he went to correct,' Aelita thought to herself. 'He should be back in a few minutes.'
Still, she was getting anxious from being all alone in the tower. She hated enclosed spaces without someone to keep her company. Looking at the walls lined with blue screens and data streams she was getting restless. She needed to get out and see what was going on outside. Maybe the monsters had gone away, and the danger was over.
Walking across the platform with the giant Eye she walked over to the wall, looking at it for a second. Placing her hand on the wall she gasped as light exploded around her hand. She remembered her father carrying through the wall, but she still found it hard to believe she could pass through the wall of the tower like a ghost. Taking a deep breath she stepped through the wall, seeing only a flash of light as her feet stepped onto the soft grassy ground of the strange forest in the digital world her father had named Lyoko.
The second she was out she gasped as she saw something terrifying. Her father was being surrounded by three large insects resembling hornets that were shooting him with lasers!
"Daddy!"
"Aelita, you must get back into the tower now!" Waldo shouted, straining from the pain of each laser that hit him.
Luckily for Aelita, the Hornets didn't bother to turn to face as her as they continued to bombard Schaeffer with lasers.
Daddy, what's going on?" Aelita shouted when she realized the monsters were not paying attention to her.
"Aelita, I must shut down the supercomputer to stop XANA, he's become a threat to mankind." Schaeffer said as the Hornets continued to fire at him. "I'm sorry for this."
"Daddy?" Aelita asked, stepping back in fear.
"Aelita, run back into the tower now! It'll keep you safe!" Her father shouted.
Aelita ran forward while Yumi, Ulrich, and Odd battled the Creepers behind her. Yumi blocked the lasers from all sides while Odd kept on ducking and firing laser arrows. Ulrich ran up close and slashed the Creepers apart with his digital saber. However, for every Creeper they destroyed more came upon the bridge.
Aelita ran towards her lost memories where when she stopped, coming upon a gap in the path. Looking back, she watched as her friends took out the Creepers only for another batch to come right at them.
"We better not hang around here." Yumi said as she took off for Aelita with Odd and Ulrich following close behind.
The Creepers fired at them, one hitting Odd in the back, causing him to tumble forward. Rolling on his hands and feet he looked to the others as they stopped.
"Go on!" He shouted, his hand shooing at them.
They turned and continued running while he turned back and faced the Creepers. He ran at them on all fours to take them out, but a Creeper shot him in the head, causing his body to change into a wireframe and vanish. Ulrich, Aelita, and Yumi watched with concerned looks as the Creepers slithered after them. They stepped back from the gap, Ulrich and Yumi on either side of Aelita grasping her arms.
They ran and jumped into the air over the gap. Yumi and Ulrich tossed her forward and she landed on the other side safely. She turned back and looked to see Ulrich holding onto the edge with one hand while holding Yumi with another. However, he didn't have to hold her for long as a Creeper shot her and she vanished into a shower of pixels and wires.
The Creepers then fired on Ulrich but now that he didn't have to hold Yumi anymore he pulled out his sword and blocked the lasers.
"Jeremy, Yumi and Odd are down."
"I know. Get Aelita's fragment."
That was when Jeremy had more bad news.
"The whole room is falling apart! Run for it!"
Ulrich and Aelita watched in horror as the bridge began to fall apart.
"Uh no!" Ulrich shouted as they turned and ran.
Barely avoiding falling with platforms they were just on. However, their luck did not last. Aelita slipped and Ulrich stopped to pull her up when the platform fell, and they fell with it. They screamed as they fell into the digital abyss below when they landed on something. Looking down they saw they were on Flying Mantas.
"Jeremy, it's getting worse."
"Oh no it it's getting better."
Ulrich did not understand what he meant by that.
"You're crazy! What's going on?!"
"It's Franz Hopper's who controlling the Mantas."
The Manta Ulrich was on dropped him at the bottom of the stairs while the one Aelita was on flew her up to the top where her fragment resided. Stepping off the Manta, Aelita walked towards the shining ball of light that had a miniature version of herself. Reaching out, she grasped it in her hands, eagerly waiting to be free . . .
When it shattered.
That was when the entire chamber started to collapse. Ulrich looked up in horror as large falling blue blocks fell, crashing anything that was in their way. Including himself. Aelita looked around in horror as the blue blocks avoided hitting her but taking out anyway of escape. The path and the Mantas Franz Hopper controlled were crushed leaving her all alone.
"HELP ME!" She screamed with all of virtual lungs.
"Aelita behind you!"
Aelita turned and her eyes grew wide in horror as the monster known as the Scyphozoa hovered just behind her, reaching out with its tentacles to take all of her memories.
"I don't believe it!" Jeremy exclaimed.
The entire group watched in horror. Ulrich came out of the elevator with a defeated look.
"There wasn't anything I could do."
The Scyphozoa had already captured her and began to drain her memories.
"NO!" Jeremy screamed.
That was when the Scyphozoa dropped her back on the floor, her eyes all wide but now lifeless. Her hand lifted for a second and then fell still and her eyes closed.
"Aelita's...dead!" Jeremy cried, looking down at the floor with his hands on his face.
That was when the entire chamber began dark along the rest of Sector 5. The darkness engulfed the entire sector and one by one all the towers of Lyoko turned red.
"What's going on?" Yumi asked.
"XA-XANA got what he wanted. He has the Keys to Lyoko. He'll be able to get out of the supercomputer." Jeremy replied, crying.
At the same time, XANA shot a specters to the sky, creating a storm to signify his victory. In the dark chamber a shining sphere of light engulfed Aelita. That was when she began to see things before her father took her into Aelita. Her eyes opened, her virtual soul slowly coming back to life.
That was when she devirtualized, leaving behind a reawakened Lyoko.
XANA basked in his victory, watching the gate to the digital sea open. He flew through it and out of Lyoko.
Freedom.
He was free.
He was invincible.
Despite all the efforts of his enemies he had won. XANA surveyed the Worldwide Network he was now in. What a strange and yet fascinating world it was.
An upside-down city that seemed to be endless.
How can he use it in a way to aid the conquest of the human world? Despite his victory there was still a lot of work to do. First, he needed to study the new environment he was now in and see what could benefit him.
Time to explore.
In the following months, XANA learned that he could not survive for long in the Digital Sea due to the overwhelming energy and information. Using the Keys to Lyoko he took from both his creator and Aelita, XANA managed to create exact copies of sectors of Lyoko that connected with a supercomputer, allowing XANA to access systems and facilities outside of the factory in France. XANA was able to infest the entire network, creating more and more Replikas and while they only had one sector each, they were able to provide him with greater power than the one original supercomputer that held Lyoko. It was during his period of investigating the network that a strange signal had been found, something similar to Lyoko.
XANA followed it, finding what appeared to be virtual world in the same shell that suspended Lyoko but was deactivated.
Another virtual world?
XANA would get to the bottom of this.
Nearly a Year Later
Mantas continued firing, circling around the sphere of light like vultures, raining down lasers on it without end.
She conjured a pink orb of energy and tried throwing it but her arm shook, causing it to go wide.
The Mantas continued firing at the glowing orb…
Until it shattered.
"NO!" The poor girl screamed in absolute horror and anguish.
She slammed her hand down on the translucent screen, specifically on the command labelled 'ENTER' causing streams of light to shoot out and destroy the monsters.
But it was too late.
A dense wave of liquid energy poured out of the core and spreads through Sector 5, deleting the Mantas as they tried to flee. And then, it spread to the other sectors of Lyoko, flowing in each direction. An unstoppable tide. It flooded the mountains, the digital trees, the rocks of the desert sector and the frozen lakes.
It was a tidal wave that was hunting XANA down, following its tracks and traces. The white liquid became a mass of tentacles that were released in search of new fragments, possible new hiding places. All the Lyoko monsters, as soon as they were touched by the spheres of white dissolved one by one into colorful bubbles.
Then it entered the Digital Sea, tracking down the Replikas and destroying them one by one. Without the Replikas to sustain him, XANA was left to be crushed by the unlimited information and energy of the Digital Sea. XANA struggled to properly maintain its structure but having been spread out across the Network to create the Replikas had left him vulnerable now without the main supercomputer to sustain him, the flood of information and energy was too much.
When it was finally overcome by the sea of energy, XANA let loose a scream of rage and frustration, while his digital body was destroyed piece by piece.
In the old factory, William Dunbar too let out a howl of pain, bending over until he was doubled in on himself. His head tipped towards the ceiling and from his wide-open mouth there gushed a dense smoke, black as pitch, which twisted into wide circular coils, before disappearing into nothingness.
"Aelita, we've done it. XANA's been destroyed. I'll bring you home now."
Aelita barely heard Jeremy's voice, kneeling on the floor as she stared at where her father had been previously…
Before he had sacrificed himself.
XANA was dead but it didn't matter.
Daddy was dead and wasn't coming back with her.
"All in favor of shutting down the supercomputer?"
Four hands went up, followed by his own. He smiled and flipped the switch to off and with that the gentle hum of the massive machine before them died down. It then descended down into the floor that was then closed by a set of steel doors, ensuring that nothing would reawaken it.
The children turned to the elevator and pressed the up button, taking one last look before they finally left the computer along with the factory for good.
Months Later
Audition Tape 1
"Is it on?" Ezekiel asked and then smiled at the camera. "Okay, watch this, guys. I'm gonna bag me a big ol' moose."
He played a kazoo and heard rustling in a nearby bush. He took out a bow and arrow and without aiming, shot an arrow with a satisfied look on his face.
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" A woman screamed off-screen.
"Mom?" Ezekiel asked with a horrified face and ran out of sight of the camera. "Oh shoot! I'm sorry!"
Audition Tape 2
"Fifty-Seven, Fifty-Eight, Fifty-Nine, Sixty." Eva got down off the rail, facing the camera. "You see that? I'm the only girl in school who can do more than ten pull-ups. Whatever you throw at me, I can handle it. Bring it-"
A basketball suddenly hit her in the face in mid-sentence.
"Hey!" Eva barked and ran off-screen. "You're dead! You hear me?!"
(Static)
Eva walked back into view of the camera. "So, if you want a really strong competitor who gets along with everyone. Pick me." She leaned forward and whispered. "You can edit this right?"
The camera went up and down, signaling a nod from the person holding it.
"Awesome, thanks." Eva crossed her arms.
Audition Tape 3
"Hey, I'm Noah." Noah introduced himself with a confident smile. "You may not know me, but you will because I'm going places. See, I got a plan…"
"Hey, Noah." Someone called off-screen. "Way-to-go on winning class president. You deserve it, man."
"Thanks, Joey." Noah said with a wave of his hand before facing the camera. "See, I got smarts and that's what wins in the end. Trust me, I got this in the bag."
Audition Tape 4
"Justin."
A black and white video of Justin holding a washed up starfish played, letting the water drip on him.
"Justin."
A dolphin washed up next to him.
"Justin."
Audition Tape 5
80's techno music began to play as two girls, Katie and Sadie came into view, dancing to the music. Things went well until Katie spun a bit too fast towards the camera, knocking it down.
Audition Tape 6
The video started with Tyler standing on a football field. "What you need on this show is a real athlete and I'm your man. Yeah baby! Catch this action!"
He tried to throw a football but dripped over his duffle bag. Next, he tried to do a high dive into a pool, only to belly flop. Finally, he tried to do a slam dunk but instead hit the pull and the basketball landed on his head.
Audition Tape 7
"Okay, so there are some things you should know about me." Izzy started. "Um, I'm really loyal and I'm like so smart you have no idea. Maybe even a genius. And but the thing I'm best is…I'm awesome at twirling fire batons!"
The camera zoomed out, showing Izzy in a parade outfit with a tiara as she twirled a fire baton in one hand. "Okay, you ready."
She tossed the baton in the air, catching it but caused fire sprinklers above to go off.
"Oops." Izzy chuckled nervously. "Okay, should not do that indoors. Sorry, Mom!"
Audition Tape 8
After checking to see if the camera is on, Cody went over to an electric keyboard and did what only could be described as a horrible rendition of a rap song. "Girl, you know it's true. You make me feel so blue. When you don't come around, I was lost and now I'm found."
"Cody!" A man's voice shouted off-screen. "What did I tell you about making all that noise?"
"Sorry, dad!" Cody apologized but turned to the camera with a smile. "He just doesn't get it. I'm going to be a super-star one day. Even bigger-"
(Static)
Audition Tape 9
The audition started with Beth holding a microphone, dancing to a musical tune. "Get her, boy are cool. Yeah, yeah, want to be with you, yeah, yeah. Can you, ha, call me, cuz I'll be here for you. Call me…uh, you yeah, and when you call me-"
"Beth!" A voice shouted off-screen, making Beth cover her microphone and turn off the music. "Beth, what's all that racket up there?"
"Nothing." Beth hid the microphone behind her back and then whispered to the camera. "One day, I'm going to be a star. You'll see, they'll see."
Audition Tape 10
Sadie picked the camera back up as the music started back up. She and Katie (who, by now, has regained consciousness) do a mock pillow fight. Katie knocked Sadie lightly, and they shared a laugh. Sadie accidentally knocked Katie unconscious again, and she realized what she had done and turns off the camera.
Audition Tape 11
"Vote for Courtney! Hi, vote for Courtney! Oh," Courtney turned to the camera. "Hi, so as you know, I'm running for student council president and if I win, I will be the youngest one ever at this school"
(Take 2)
"If you pick me for your new show, I promise I'll conduct myself with integrity, honor and," She held up two fingers. "I'll get two new pop machines for the cafeteria…Oh (bleep)! I just mixed up the two speeches. Can we start over?"
The camera shook.
"What do you mean 'no'?" Courtney scowled.
"I mean, I've got to get to gym class." The person holding the camera answered.
Courtney narrowed her eyes, leaned forward and grabbed the camera. "You promised you'd tape my audition for Total Drama Island, Tom!"
The camera was pointed up into the sky as Courtney continued to berate Tom.
"Look just give me the camera. Give it to me!"
(Take 3)
"Ugh, you are so not going to be my secretary if I win." Courtney grumbled before facing the camera with a smile. "Vote for Courtney!"
Audition Tape 12
In his audition tape, Harold is standing in his room wearing a possum scout uniform. "I've got badges in bass fishing, basketry, Farm mechanics, model making, rabbit raising and stamp collecting with a master badge in compass reading." Harold exhaled deeply as he brought over a keyboard and starts to play it, but it fell over.
The screen then has static and fades to black, ending the video with only Harold's wheezing being heard.
Bonus Clip 1
The clip shows Chef Hatchet in the cafeteria, cleaning up a rather disgusting mess. "They done took this far man. Mama was right, I should have become one of them charting accountants but nooooo, I got to go into the business, be a big star."
Bonus Clip 2
"Yeah, it was like this miracle." The clip opens with a pair of drink cups being filled up with a strange sap. "I was escaping the RCMP on a felony charge when I came across this abandoned barge off the shores of Lake Huron. Inside was a cargo of maple syrup and these cheap plastic souvenir beavers made in China. One look at them and presto: Izzy's happy sap was born!"
Izzy held up the canteen that she had used to pour the sap.
"You can buy them everywhere. I'm a zillionare!" Izzy declared proudly before holding up a picture of Justin. "That's when I started dating Justin. He's a model now, you know."
She suddenly ripped the picture in two.
"But we broke up cus I found out he's a liar and if there is one thing I can't stand that's a liar!" Izzy snapped.
"Oh, I hear you, Iz." Chris said, the came zooming out to show him sitting behind a desk next to Izzy. "If there's one thing I can't stand: it's phonies and liars."
"That's two things." Izzy pointed out, picking up her cup. "Here's to being famous."
The audience clapped as Chris and Izzy enjoyed their drinks.
Audition Tape 13
"I'm just a man," In his audition, Trent sang a song about 'that one girl,' while playing the guitar in a recording studio. "Just a one-woman man. Yeah, that's all I am and if I can I want to find that one woman-"
A string suddenly broke.
"Aw crap."
Audition Tape 14
"Okay, Bridge, we're rolling."
"All right!"
"Go for it, Bridge!"
"Show what you got, babe!"
Bridgette in her one-piece swimsuit posed confidently with her hands on her hips next to her surfboard. "Kay, here goes."
Bridgette then started whistling 'Yankee Doodle' through her nose, stopping midway. "Okay, I know I suck but I am a real friend and an honest player and if you pick me, I promise to either win with integrity or leave with my head held high."
Audition Tape 15
"The audition says to list my best qualities but there's so many." Lindsay is sitting on her bed with her dog, listing all of her qualities and talents. "I'm pretty and smart and I get along with everyone, even ugly girls." Lindsay nodded. "Hm-hm. I love camping, even though I've never gone. I have bikinis for every season, even the ones not listed on the calendar and I'm bi-languagable. I speak fluent English and American."
Audition Tape 16
DJ set his camera up before running into the middle of his room. "Hey dawg, DJ here. I think I'd be a good contestant for Total Drama Island because I'm kind and courteous, I work well with others and I'm strong and well, I was raised right." DJ held up a picture of his mother. "Thanks, Mom. Actually, my mom's the reason I want to win. She taught me I could be anything I want…" DJ suddenly broke down in tears, holding the picture. "I love you, Mom. That's it, thanks for listening. Bye."
Audition Tape 17
Izzy is shown again, hanging upside down on monkey bars. "Izzy is name my, freaky being enjoy I."
Izzy somersaulted off the monkey bars and landed perfectly on the ground. "Whoa, okay-okay! Here's what I can do. I can roll my eyes all the way back in my head."
She rolled her eyes up into her head to demonstrate.
"I can also double-joint both of my elbows. Okay, catch an eyeful of this." She literally double-jointed her elbows to prove her claim. "And oh, I can wrap my tongue around my head like a turban."]
The camera fell to the ground just as she stuck her tongue out, but she picked it back up a few seconds later. "Okay, so let me be on Total Drama Island. Boring will never be it…"
"Izzy."
"What Mom?!"
Audition Tape 18
In his audition tape, Geoff is relaxing in a beach chair, with a drink next to him. "Mhm, just a typical night with me and my buds, just a couple hundred of us and sixty or seventy party pizzas." Geoff then high-fived one of his buds. "Whoo! See, is like," He snapped his fingers. "That, man. You don't stop and have a party every Monday or uh…every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, you're going to regret it. So, peace, chill out, party, it's all good my friends."
Geoff put his hat over his head and lied back on his beach chair, relaxing.
Audition Tape 19
"Hey y'all! LeShawna in the house, big, bold and boo delicious. I'm giving a shout-out to my TDI crew, if you want a sister who's straight up large and in charge then give a holler back 'cause I'm all that and a bag of chips." She held up her cellphone, expecting a call.
A call that never came.
"Well, what you waiting for, fools? I ain't got all day."
Audition Tape 20
The next audition tape showed only a coconut with red lipstick drawn on it, sitting on a beach chair and a drink resting on the armchair. The coconut suddenly fell 'face' first into the ground.
Audition Tape 21
Duncan is seen climbing down the wall of the juvenile delinquency hall he was staying at. "Hey, Duncan here, but then you probably know me since I'm somewhat of a local celebrity around these parts. Yeah, photographers are taking my picture all the time. It's because of my charm and good looks and the fact that I live in a big house with tons of security cameras and guard dogs. If I had to pick my best quality, I'd say I'm resourceful.
"Yeah, I'm pretty quick on my feet." Duncan let go of the rope and landed on the ground he gets hit by a search light; the alarm goes off with dogs barking.
"Well, it's been nice chatting with you, but I really got to run." With that, he took off, running away from the guard dogs.
Audition Tape 22
Heather walked out of the shower with nothing on but a purple towel, and a second one on her head. "Will I be nervous if I am chosen to be on the show? No, why should I be? I am extremely comfortable being on live television. I know I look good; some girls may have issues with their bodies but maybe they just aren't as pretty as I am. Pick me and I promise high ratings."
She then threw off her towel, off-screen.
One Year Later
In the depths of the rainforest, they scuttled through the forests. Chittering sounds could be heard as they moved. They stopped, hearing something and 'looked' up to see a giant aircraft flying over the forest and was seemingly landing nearby.
They moved in the direction of the craft.
"Welcome to Lima Peru, the birthplace of the mighty Amazon River! This challenge is called the Am-AH-zon Race. Teams must hike along an ancient Inca trail through the Peruvian jungle all the way to Machu Picchu. Hidden somewhere amongst the ruins of Machu Picchu a golden treasure awaits discovery. Find the gold then your team wins first class seats to our next destination. Last team who makes it will be sending someone out the door of the plane. Oh and be careful, this jungle contains many vicious bugs out here." Chris snickered. "Bloodsuckers, stingers, and yes poisonous ones."
Cody raised his hand, but Chris waved him off. "Yes, Cody, the legal department made me aware of your deadly allergies and we supplied you with an epipen. " Chris held it out and Cody tried to grab but Chris stopped him. "Wouldn't make sense to give it to the person who has the allergies. What if you need an injection and your unconscious?"
"Oh, oh! Me!" Sierra waved in her hand to volunteer.
"Who can we get to carry this?" Chris 'wondered' with a smile.
"Oh, Chris! Chris! Chris!"
"Uh..." Cody looked over to Gwen.
Gwen herself did not like the idea but sighed when Cody was giving her the puppy dog look. "Fine, I'll take it." She then whispered. "Damn look."
"What?!" Sierra cried. "No! I'm the only one who knows what sends Cody into anaphylactic shock!" She then started counting. "Black ants, brown ants, red ants, bugeo bees, wolf spiders, katydid crickets, the clear winged Sutherious Perenna butterfly and goat saliva!"
"Goat saliva? Must make dating a little tough, huh Cody?" Chris tossed the epipen at Gwen. "Here you are, Gwen!"
Gwen gasped, catching the epipen but noticed Sierra glaring at her, causing her to look around nervously while Cody pumped a fist in the air.
"Also in the jungle are the Zings-Zings, a native tribe who have never encountered modern man and they are not about to. If you spot a Zing-Zing, do NOT make contact." Chris finished, holding up a picture of men wearing tribal clothing and masks. "They-"
BANG-BANG!
Chris scowled and turned around. "Will you stop that?!"
Chef was banging his hands on a drum as soon as Chris started talking about the Zing-Zings.
"How are far is it to mucky pitchy?" Owen asked.
"Machu Picchu is a a hop, skip, and a jump from here eighteen-hours." Chris answered, earning a series of groans from the contestants. "The jungle is too dangerous at night, so teams will break it at dusk and camp along the trail until the sun rises."
"And I assume there are no tents right?" Alejandro asked.
"Correctamundo. Now, because the playing area is vast and dangerous, each team will have a walkie-talkie that can only be used in emergencies." Chris looked over at Izzy. "Teams, I wish you all good luck or at the very least, a lack of death."
With that said the challenge started but the teams first had to decide which path they were going to take.
"Okay...Eenie, meenie, miney left?" Lindsay pointed to the left path.
DJ, and Bridgette had no objections and followed her down the left path.
"So, you guys think left? Yeah, left! Left is a good idea!" Tyler said, trying to not show he just wanted to follow Lindsay.
Team C didn't really care as they followed Tyler into the woods leaving Team Amazon alone.
"Maybe we should go right?" Gwen asked aloud. "No guarantee that the same path they are taking is right."
"No, left! Even if its wrong, at least everyone else will be wrong!" Sierra objected.
As the teams walked along their respective routes, no one noticed that they were being watched. Actually, they knew they were being watched but unaware of the extra set of 'eyes' on them, spying on not just the contestants but Total Drama Jumbo Jet.
Gwen and Cody were at the very back of the team and Cody decided to strike a conversation with her.
"Hey, thanks for holding my epipen." Cody started.
"No problem." Gwen nonchalantly replied.
"You know how to use it, right?"
"Not a clue."
"If I get bit," Cody whispered into her ear. "You jam the needle into my butt."
Gwen recoiled in disgust and handed it back to Cody. "You're on your own."
Cody sighed, putting the epipen into his pocket. Bugs started flying around him and he waved his hands around to make them go away.
"Hey, bug off!" A giant mosquito flew in and picked him up. "Help! Help!"
A rock shot up and hit the mosquito on the face, causing it to drop Cody who landed in Sierra's arms.
"I'm the only one who will be there for you, Cody!" Sierra said, carrying him over her shoulder. "Always!"
Cody just groaned. "I'm doomed."
As the challenge dragged on, no one noticed something slipping onto the Total Drama Jumbo Jet. In the cargo hold, a certain home prairie boy heard a scuttling sound and immediately took cover. Peeking his out, he spotted what looked to be large…spiders scuttering along the cargo hold of the Jumbo Jet. They were metallic, silver and black and were eating at pieces of metal along the walls.
Ezekiel had no idea what was going on and he trembled while struggling to remain still and silent. The spiders continued to 'eat' away at the metal before stopping and moving along. Ezekiel remained still as the spiders scuttered past him, apparently not seeing him. The spiders made their way into the jet's engines, biting away at anything metal all over the place before they had enough and left the way the came.
Ezekiel was still hiding and shivering when they left.
"Work you little-" Chef grunted, trying to start the Jumbo Jet's engines.
No good.
The engines were stalling, and he even spotted smoke rising from one of the turbines.
"Leave it to Chris to pick a flying junk heap that stops working in the middle of a season." Chef muttered to himself as he grabbed his toolbox.
"What's taking so long to take off?" Chris complained to Chef who was working on the turbines.
"Something took a bite out of the turbines!" Chef shouted as he jumped down. "I've been replacing half-eaten parts for the last hour! And some sparts are missing!"
"What eats an engine?" Chris raised an eyebrow.
"Don't ask me! We're in the Amazon, fool! Who knows what monsters are out there?" Chef exclaimed, gesturing to the forest and then down on the ground. "Best I can tell, it was a bunch of them."
Chris looked down and saw dozens of tracks made by some kind of animal he more than likely had no clue what it could be. "Well, we can't stay on the ground here forever. I'll round up some interns and maybe some contestants to check out what that animal might be and see if they can get back the stolen parts."
"Could be dangerous." Chef pointed out, a small smile forming on his face.
"Yeah." Chris grinned. "For them."
"I can't believe Chris expects us to go looking for some dangerous animal while he tries fixing that rust-bucket." Heather complained to herself and flinching in disgust from the golden tooth that had been inserted in her mouth by those actors.
Gwen in the meantime was still nursing a headache from the adrenaline rush that Cody's epipen had given her. She might need to consult a doctor to make sure there weren't any long-lasting effects from being injected. All she wanted to do was lie down and sleep, but they couldn't until the Jet was repaired and that meant finding any missing parts.
Since Team Amazon and Team CHIRRRRH(She is never saying anything with the words 'Hot' and 'Chris' in the same sentence) were the losers of today, they were being sent out to look for these so-called metal eating animals and any stolen parts. It was in the middle of the day so they had a few hours before they would be forced to head back to the plane before it would take off with or without the contestants and missing parts. Gwen would have been nervous about being voted off if she hadn't already talked Cody, Courtney and Sierra into voting off Heather this time.
Right now, she just wanted to find whatever stupid parts might be lying around and get back on the Jet. So she did her best to block out Heather's complaining and just look around. Nearby, Izzy was sniffing the ground, following the tracks as they led deeper into the forest. However, the tracks became harder to follow as they led deeper into the jungle.
"Are we sure we should go any further?" Cody shivered. "The deeper we go, the greater the chances we might run into something."
"I will protect you, Cody." Sierra gushed from behind him.
Cody shivered again but Gwen paid no attention. She had enough of Cody after the stunts he pulled with the epipen and the X-Ray glasses.
"Oh man, can't we just go back." Owen collapsed on the ground. "I haven't eaten anything since yesterday. I feel thinner than a flagpole."
Funny, he didn't look even half as thin as he claimed.
Noah in the meantime just casually looked around, not really taking the 'job' Chris had given them seriously. "Just take five, big guy. There are no cameras on us."
Izzy suddenly perked up and looked up at the trees with an excited smile. "I hear something. We're getting closer."
"By all means, lead the way." Alejandro gestured.
Izzy shot forward and jumped over a downed tree. "Oh wow! No way! Check this out!"
The two teams climbed over the downed tree and followed Izzy's gaze to see…
"What in the world?" DJ asked.
Before them was a large complex of some kind with fences and radio towers.
"Looks like a research facility." Cody offered. "Probably top secret."
"Then we better go." Courtney suggested. "I doubt it would be good for us if we're caught trespassing here."
"Fine by me." Heather shrugged and turned around, walking back the way they came.
Most of the others did so but Gwen suddenly stopped and noticed something. Something was moving under the cover of some nearby bushes. Eyes widening, Gwen froze with worry that a predator was hiding in those bushes. She stayed still but was ready to run at a moment's notice as she carefully staired at the bushes.
A slight movement caught her attention, and she took a step back. "Hello? Is someone there?"
No answer.
Maybe she was imagining things.
She then noticed lying near the bushes. "Wait, is that…"
It appeared to be a piece from one of the Total Drama Jet's turbines. Gwen walked over and knelt down to get a better look.
"Well, I guess this is the best Chris will have to settle for." Gwen muttered as she grabbed the piece…only for something to grab on from the other side. "Huh?"
She pulled with more effort but something pulled even harder and she was pulled right into the bushes.
"GAH!" Gwen wildly thrashed her arms and leg as something pinned her down.
All she could remember was looking at something…
A robot?
Eight legs…
A spider robot.
Black eyes…
And something else, a strange eye on the spider's forehead.
That was all Gwen would remember as she blacked out.
…
…
"…n?"
…
…
"...G-en?"
…
…
…
"Uh…" Finally, her eyes opened, and she looked around. "Where?"
"Hey, Gwen." She looked up to see DJ staring down at her with concern. "Are you okay?"
Upon further inspection, Gwen could see she was in DJ's arms as he carried her back to the plane. "I…think so. What happened?"
"We were hoping you could tell us." Heather rudely said as she walked up behind DJ. "What did you do? Did you go wandering off into that place?"
"I…" Gwen trailed off. "I thought I saw something…I remember seeing what looked like a part and then…nothing."
"We came back and found you on the ground, nothing else." DJ replied. "Just glad whatever you saw didn't hurt you."
"…Yeah." Gwen nodded.
Later, after the Elimination Ceremony that turned out to be an be an award instead, thus saving Heather from elimination much to Gwen's disappointment the goth girl was staring down at her notebook as she tried to remember what had happened to her.
She thought she saw a spider…A big one.
A big robotic one.
And then there was something else.
Her artist eye for detail allowed her one important detail about the spider that stood out in her mind.
Two circles surrounding a single dot with a single bar sticking out from the top and three more at the bottom.
There was something about this eye…symbol…thing that really stood out in her mind.
Something that made her feel really nervous.
As the Total Drama Jumbo Jet left the Amazon Rain Jungle behind, deep in the research facility, the sound of gears and sparking could be heard if anyone was present. They moved with the parts and pieces they had 'eaten' and applied them to a damaged supercomputer, slowly repairing it for the day when it would be reactivated.
Weeks Later
In a cold, snow filled area, a girl happened to be running for her life. Behind her was a large, Siberian Brown Bear, snarling and growling as it chased after her.
She screamed as she ran, catching the attention of several people up ahead.
"Bridgette? What are you doing here?" One of them asked. "We were expecting Blainley-"
"Talk later! Run now!" She shouted, running past them.
They turned and saw the bear coming, letting out startled screams. She looked back and to her horror saw the bear pounce on one of the interns, crushing him to death. She gasped in terror but couldn't do anything to help as she and the other intern continued running.
Music played in the background as the title of the show appeared:
TOTAL DRAMA
WORLD TOUR
AFTERMATH
The audience cheered as the lights swirled around the stage.
"Attention, Total Drama fanatics, forget the Aftermath. This is Total Drama After Mayhem." The host walked onto the stage, earning more cheers from the audience. "I'm your co-host Geoff and this is…weird because Bridge is supposed to meet me up here."
By which, he meant his girlfriend Bridgette.
Geoff, the Funniest Guy Around as he was labeled by the show simply shrugged. "But maybe she's going to surprise me. Makes sense, this whole show is full of mega surprises. But first, no one's going to get an allergic reaction to these nuts." He pointed to the right. "It's the peanut gallery!"
Following his finger, the light shined on the eliminated contestants from the current season of Total Drama and the ones who did not qualify for this year's season.
LeShawana, the Sister with Tude.
Harold, the Uber-Geek.
Beth, the Wannabee.
Justin, the Eye-Candy.
Trent, the Cool Guy.
Lindsay, the Dumb Princess.
Izzy, the Psycho Hose-Beast.
Eva, the Female Bully.
Katie, the Sweet Girl.
Sadie, the Sweet Girl's friend.
And DJ, the Brickhouse with Heart.
They all either waved, smiled or just glanced in the direction of the audience in reply to the cheers.
"And get this, our own obnoxious, self-centered, rude reporter Blainley is finally roving." Geoff announced, earning even more cheers. "Like way far from here!"
Lindsay and Izzy clapped the most happily at the news.
"Yes, Blainley's off on a Total Drama tour to potential new franchise locations and she's meeting with one Total Drama super fan contest winner in each country." Geoff explained as a map shown to highlight Blainley's locations and travels was shown. "Stay tuned because apparently this super fan is Blainley obsessed."
Geoff paused to consider what he had just said. "Wow, never thought I'd say that." He turned to the right side of the stage. "Take it away, Bridge."
Strangely, Bridgette the Surfer Girl did not come out with only a janitor being shown, scratching his rear end to which he glared at the cameraman for filming.
"Where's my tofu-angel at?" Geoff wondered as Lindsay waved at the camera.
"Here's a hint: they eat a lot of red meat there." A voice said and everyone gasped as a woman with long blond hair and wearing a red dress strolled onto the stage.
"You." Geoff gaped and pointed at the woman who was in fact Blainley. "You're supposed to be-"
"Well said, Geoffy boy." Blainley cut him off, hands on her hips and a smile on her face.
Geoff narrowed his eyes. "What did you do with her?"
"Oh, Geoff. How Bridgette left doesn't matter." Blainley shrugged. "What matters is that she did leave and I'm officially back in my co-host seat."
"But I thought you wanted out of your contract so you could-" Geoff began skeptically.
"Bail on this dork train before my career is flushed down the bathroom confessional toilet of life?" Blainley finished for him. "Hmph, turns out if the live show runs long I don't get paid and if I try to leave the show for any other reason than being fired or accidently killed on set by a falling light, I'll get sued."
Geoff looked up and noticed one of the lights over Blainley's head dangling a bit. "Come on, come on."
"Nice." Blainley simply said, catching Geoff's hopes that the lights would fall on her head, likely killing her. "Almost makes me wish the producers had set me on the tour instead of Bridgette." She smiled. "Almost."
"The producers sent her away?" Geoff mumbled, bringing a finger to his ear where a small earbud could be seen. "Huh? Really?"
"Okay." Blainley stood up and walked forward. "On with the show."
"Not so fast." Geoff grabbed Blainley by the arm. "As far as my producers know, you're standing by with our super fan right now in…" Geoff tapped his earbud again. "The frigid mountains of Siberia? Siberia? Where is Siberia? We've got her on the feed?" Geoff asked anxiously. "Put her up!"
The large TV screen above showed a nearly white background with barely a dark outline that could be made out.
"Oh, come on." Geoff groaned. "It's all static."
"I'm pretty sure that's a blizzard." Blainley corrected, arms crossed.
The dark outline came closer to the camera, revealing it was Bridgette wearing a light blue winter coat and gloves though that didn't seem to protect her very much from the cold.
Geoff narrowed his eyes at Blainley. "You did this. But how?"
"I just took Bridgette to the airport-"
She put Bridgette in a potato sack when she wasn't looking.
"-to shoot a special report."
She then threw the sack holding Bridgette in the back of a truck but she fell back out.
"Slipped my passport and ticket into her purse-"
Blainley carried the sack up to a rather rusty looking plane, throwing her on the slamming the door on her.
"-and helped her on the plane right before takeoff." Blainley calmly answered.
By this point, Geoff was trembling with anger at the smug looking woman. "Must…resist…urge…to murder-"
"GEOFF!" Bridgette's voice cried over the speakers.
Geoff looked up with a surprised face. "Hey baby. You okay, Bridgy Bear?"
That was likely meant to calm Bridgette down, but it had the opposite effect. "Bear? Is the bear back? We've already lost one intern."
That was when seemingly an avalanche of snow fell right on top of her, causing her to scream before the live feed was cut.
"Bridge! Bridge, Bridge, Briiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiidge-"
As the show continued, Bridgette and the intern managed to escape the bear, coming upon the house of the super fan.
Sniffling, Bridgette walked up to the house and knocked on the door that was then opened to reveal a large Russian man wearing a heavy fur coat.
"Who are you?" The man asked in a thick Russian accent.
"I am Bridgette from Total Drama, here to int-" Bridgette stated but was immediately cut off.
"Total Drama? But you are not Blainley." The man, turning out to be the super fan immediately got angry. "WHERE BLAINLEY?!"
The man started throwing anything he could pick up at her and the interns, causing her to dock while the interns took off, running random directions and leaving her alone with the big angry super fan.
That was when she noticed the camera was back on.
"So, Bridge," The annoying voice of that woman who stranded her out here came over the speaker. "Last time you were this cold, you made out with a pole."
"Bridge, talk to me." Geoff's voice asked anxiously.
"Ssss-uper fan's mad I'm not Blainley." Bridgette stuttered, her teeth chattering from the cold, ducking under a baby seal that was thrown at her. "WILL YOU STOP THROWING THINGS AT MY HEAD?! OOF!"
A sausage hit her in the stomach, and she immediately threw it back.
"What does he want?" Geoff asked.
"Is he hot?" Blainley's voice asked next, clearly not caring that she had almost gotten Bridgette killed. "Like pole hot?"
Oh, she just had to go there.
"Boyfriend and Drama Brothers sing traditional Russian song to Blainley." The super fan answered Geoff's question.
"Aw, tell my super fan I think he's super fantastic." Blainley replied.
Unfortunately, Bridgette didn't have to listen to whatever song that was being played as the big bear had found her again, swatting the camera aside.
"Oh no, Bridgette! She's going to be buried alive!"
"Odd, will you turn off that TV? It's fake."
"How do you know that?"
"All reality shows are fake. Plus, how would someone literally kidnap and send all the way someone to Siberia and not be charged with kidnapping or attempted murder. It's all fake."
"I don't know, Jeremy. This all seems to real to be fake."
"They're actors, they paid to make it look real. Trust me, your favorite 'surfer' girl is not in any danger."
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Bridgette screamed and immediately started running, the bear hot on her tail.
Luckily, from being Total Drama for three seasons, Bridgette had actually become very athletic and was able to actually outrun the bear but just barely as she took cover in a cave only for the bear to corner her.
She was trembling now, her life flashing before her eyes and she wondered if she was going to die here.
The bear was about to creep forward…until it let out a howl of pain. Bridgette paused and watched as it held up its paw and revealed an extremely large sliver embedded in it. Bridgette let out a gasp of empathy, unable to help herself as any animal in pain would be enough to make her feel sad.
So, taking a deep breath, she took a step forward towards the bear that immediately growled at her.
"Easy, easy." She held up both hands in a placating gesture. "I'm not going to hurt you."
The bear's growling slowly subsided, possibly seeing that she wasn't a threat, and the pain was too much for the animal.
"Shhhh, it's okay." Bridgette softly said, taking the bear paw in her hands.
The surfer softly grasped the splinter and with some effort, removed it.
"I have some first aid with me for emergencies." Bridgette took out some bandages and wrapped them around the injured paw.
"I have to stay until Bruno gets better!" Bridgette said on-screen.
"But Bridge," Geoff started with a disheartened face. "You can't stay…What about the show? What about me? You can't leave me with this…" He gestured to Blainley who scowled. "Thing. Bridge!"
The TV went static again.
"See, Odd. That's how you know it's fake. No bear would just stop to attack just because it was injured, and no human would stick around to try tending to the bear. Completely fake."
"There you go." Bridgette said softly to the bear she had named Bruno who let out a pleased snort and licked her across the face. "Aw…Thanks. Now I just need to find my way out of here."
Unfortunately, Blainley had taken her passport and wallet when she kidnapped her and thus until Geoff sent someone to get her, she was stuck in Siberia. As much as she used to being in extreme weathers, she couldn't wait in a bear's cave for help to come. Luckily, the interns had left behind a detailed map of Siberia so if she could make it to the camp site the interns had set up, she could wait until help arrived.
"Guess I need to find shelter now." Bridgette sighed, looking at the cave entrance. "I just hope the plane comes back soon."
She knew she needed to get moving soon or the weather out there would get worse. She took one last look at Bruno who calmed down since she had bandaged his wound. Despite losing an intern, Bridgette knew that Bruno was only an animal that needed to eat to live. Unfortunately, interns dying was by this point the norm for Total Drama, especially when working for people like Chris and Blainley. Bridgette only hoped that someone would tell the families and they could find some form of justice.
"Well, Bruno." She said, causing the bear to look at her. "I have to go now. I need to find my way back home."
Bruno seemingly understood her and let out a whimper.
"I know but I can't stay here. I have family back home waiting for me." Bridgette patted the bear on the head. "I just hope I can find my way back."
Giving Bruno one last pat on the head, Bridgette turned and walked out of the cave, pulling her hood over her head and began her trek into the cold, snowy land. It was a rough trip and Bridgette didn't have anything to show her where the plane would be landing.
No compass.
No GPS.
Not even a phone.
She wondered if she had been crazy to leave the cave, but she couldn't stay there. Even if she had bandaged Bruno's paw, he was still a bear, and bears could be aggressive when they were hungry. So she set out into the cold land with snow and wind making it very difficult to see and she could feel her face going numb from the cold temperature.
She heard snorting and turned to see… "Bruno?"
The bear walked up behind her but instead of attacking, it rubbed against her leg.
"You're…coming with me?" Bridgette asked, almost speechless.
Bruno just rubbed against her leg again.
"Okay…But please don't attack the interns." Bridgette reluctantly agreed, knowing she couldn't just refuse a Siberian Bear.
So, the two walked off together, trying to find the landing area where the pick-up point. However, it was hard to tell if they were even going in the right direction.
'I wonder if I'll be lucky enough to even stumble upon an abandoned cabin all the way out here.' Bridgette thought to herself.
Just then, she thought she saw something in the distance. She squinted her eyes, making out some kind of building.
"Maybe that's the pick-up point!" Bridgette smiled brightly. "Come on, Bruno!"
The bear quickly followed her as she ran in the direction of the building but the closer she got to the mysterious structure, the more detailed the strange building seemed to be. There was a large satellite dish with what looked like a radio tower.
"I don't think this is the pick-up point, Bruno." Bridgette came to a halt and looked around. "Looks more like a…military base. I hope I don't get arrested for trespassing."
That was the absolute last thing she needed right now.
Still, it was freezing cold and maybe the military could help her if she managed to explain herself right and promise she wasn't trying to sneak in. So, with that in mind, she took a walk around the base to see if anyone was there. She even stopped by a security camera and waved her hand at it, hoping for some kind of reaction.
"Hello?" Bridgette called out. "Anyone here?"
The sound of the wind was the only answer to her question.
"I guess it's abandoned." Bridgette mumbled to herself and Bruno who stayed close to her. "Maybe we can find a way inside to get away from the cold."
She didn't like the idea of trespassing, but it was freezing, and she didn't know how long it would be before anyone found her. She found the main entrance and looked for some sort of door and found one a few minutes later. It looked like an electronic door meaning she needed some sort of key or passcode to get in.
"Rats." Bridgette grumbled, banging against the door. "Can't get in."
Bruno looked between Bridgette and the door, sniffing at it for a moment before letting out a soft growl.
"Bruno?" Bridgette stepped back and watched as the bear stood on his hind legs and began clawing and smashing at the door. "Whoa!"
CRASH-CRASH-CRASH!
SMASH!
The door gave way, falling to the ground and revealing a darkened entrance with a hallway leading both left or right when entered. Bridgette swallowed and slowly stepped inside, exhaling softly as she took her first steps inside. It was cold inside but not as bad as the outside. At least she could see clearly and wasn't in danger if being buried alive in snow.
'It's definitely a military base but there's no soldiers around.' Bridgette thought to herself as she looked around.
Deciding to just go left, she started walking with Bruno right behind her. She came down a set of stairs and walked, coming down to a large room and at the bottom of the stairs were…
"Whoa!" Bridgette gasped, seeing lines of giant robots lined up. "What in the world?"
The robots were humanoid, at least six feet tall. On their left arm was some sort of cannon with a standard hand on their right arm. They had six 'eyes' 'in two sets of three per head and their heads had two antennae. On their panel was a strange eye symbol that gave Bridgette the creeps.
Bruno let out a snarl, as he came next to Bridgette.
"We got to leave, now." Bridgette said, getting a very bad feeling just standing there.
Luckily, the machines didn't seem to be active which was fine with Bridgette as she and Bruno ran back to the door they came in.
Just as they made it outside, a light shine on her, making her cover her face.
"There you are!" She lowered her hand to see it was a Total Drama Intern, lowering his light. "We've been looking all over for you."
"You have?" Bridgette asked, breathing a sigh of relief. "Sorry, I got lost on the way back and tried looking for shelter. I found this place."
"It's not any of the maps we got. Probably some military base that got abandoned." The intern said, gesturing for Bridgette to follow.
Bruno growled but Bridgette calmed him with a pat on the head. "Easy, Bruno. He's friendly."
"You actually tamed the bear?" The intern asked with an awestruck face.
"He's not so bad when he's not hungry, angry or hurt." Bridgette replied, following the intern. "But he seems to have bonded with me."
The intern simply stared but jumped when Bruno snarled at him. "Yipe!"
"I don't think I can leave him behind." Bridgette said sheepishly. "Got room for two on the plane?"
The intern just stared, shaking his head before following. Just as he stook several steps forward, he stopped and looked at the facility Bridgette and her bear had been in.
He took out his radio and switched to a special channel. "Chris, we've found Bridgette…And maybe something else."
Audition Tape 22
"Yeah, I'm going to win Total Drama: Revenge of the Island." Staci said confidently, pointing, with a stick, to a board that has pictures and text about her relatives. "Cuz, I come from a long line of people who think outside the box. Like my great-grandfather Dave who invented forks, before him, people would just shove food into their mouths with strips of bark. Yeah, and my great-great aunt Lois invented plates, before her food just sat on the floor getting stepped on, so sad. And my great-great-great-great Uncle George, he invented floors, before him the only way you could have a carpet was if you let grass grow on the inside of your house."
The camera zoomed back, showing Staci. "I can't wait to tell everyone about my family. I just know they'll be impressed."
Audition Tape 23
"Hi, my name is Dakota, future reality show Mega-Star fashion model and eventually movie actress." Dakota proudly declared. "Ooh and maybe pop-music star too if I have the time. You might want to preserve this recording for prosperity. People are going to look back on this audition and see where my path to stardom began. That's right, when I'm done on Total Drama: Revenge of the Island, I'm going to be the biggest thing ever!"
Audition Tape 23
B's audition begins with him riding into a room on a mechanical chair. He pressed a button and a hand appeared from the chair, brushing his teeth, cleaning his shoes, and putting on his cap for him. He then tried to speak, but his mechanical robot came in, asking him a question, which B seemed to allow it to do. He then tried to speak again, but the battery in the camera died, ending the tape before he can talk.
Audition Tape 24
"Greetings citizens of the universe. I am Dawn and I am recording this for the purpose of participating in Total Drama: Revenge of the Island." Dawn stopped as a squirrel jumped on her hand. "Oh, hello there, blessed little one. I read my tea leaves this morning and they said that the show would make me a lot of money. Well, money's not important to me, nature and my animal friends are. It's by channeling their harmony that I will win Total Drama and donate my money to help Mother Earth."
Suddenly an eagle swooped down on them, taking the squirrel, scaring her, which ends the audition.
Audition Tape 25
Sam is shown playing video games next. "Yeah, I've got a pretty strict morning routine warm up with a little game blob, then hit it hard with the SED. Yes, got the Sorcerer's Medallion and punched out the Ninja Overlord! All in a gamer day's work."
The power suddenly went out.
"Oh man. Blew a fuse again?" Sam chuckled. "That's cool."
Audition Tape 26
"Private Brick MacArthur, reporting for duty." Brick saluted the camera. "Permission to explain why I would be a valuable asset to Total Drama."
As he spoke, the camera slowly angled downwards.
"As a military cadet, I have the advantage of razor-sharp senses from years of training. I can take anything you could throw at me and believe me when I say nothing gets past me, I mean nothing."
He walked over, never knowing the camera had angled down towards his feet, catching them as he walked off-screen.
Audition Tape 27
Anne Maria cleared her throat. "Hi, I'm Anne Maria and I am so going to win this show. Okay, I never really watched Total Drama Rama whatever until my girlfriends made me sit through one of those singing episodes and right away, I knew the show needed me. Check it."
She then started to sing badly, and when she hit a high note, the camera lens cracked, ending the audition.
Audition Tape 28
Mike's audition took place in what appears to be his room. "Hi, Mike here, to explain why I would be great for the next Total Drama. For one, I have a lot of different talents to offer."
He took a ballerina like pose.
"I can be agile, yet graceful."
He made a few air punches.
"But also, tough and scrappy. With the keen sense of a wilderness survivor, I'm ready to win this season. I don't care what my doctor says. Um…" Mike's eyes widened. "Did I say 'doctor'? I mean psychiatrist-Ah, no I mean do over!"
He went to turn off the camera, but trips and knocks the camera over.
"No…"
Audition Tape 29
"To the producers of Total Drama," Like Eva, Jo was in the middle of a room filled with workout equipment. "You WILL choose me as a contestant for the following reasons: I am the best, I am the strongest, I am the smartest and by extension the meanest. I WILL win the million dollars which you WILL give to me in small, unmarked bills…On second thought you WILL hand the money over to me right now because nobody can possibly be better than me. That is all."
Audition Tape 30
"Camera on, Pappy?"
The camera shifted up and down, 'nodding' to Scott.
"Okay, good. For my audition I'm going to demonstrate how my Pappy taught me to hunt for kitchen rats."
A rat appeared, running past Scott who got out a baseball bat to hit him.
SMASH!
The sound of the bat sitting something was heard and food scattered across the floor. A second rat appeared, and Scott chased it.
"There's another critter."
SMASH!
Scott chased a third rat but stopped to look at the camera. "How do you like my moves, Chris? Call me, your little island won't know what hit it."
SMASH!
Audition Tape 31
Zoey's audition tape began in her room. "I want to be on Total Drama because I want to meet other teens outside my small town that go to Indie theater and wear retro clothes and wear horn room glasses."
A loud cheering noise and the honking of a car is heard, and Zoey sighed. "Every Saturday night, the town jocks drive up and down Main Street, cheering for the football team. Seriously, if I get on the show, my worst nightmare would be to get voted off by a jock." Zoey chuckled. "But what are the chances of that?"
Audition Tape 32
Lightning was sitting on a punching bag in a football field. "Man, Chris should have let Lightning be a team of one. Lightning's used to carrying his teams back home, but at least those guys can actually play the game." Lightning crossed his arms. "Not like this bunch of losers. But if Chris is trying to make Lightning look bad, he can't think again. Lightning never gives up and never surrenders. Sha-Lightning!"
Audition Tape 33
"I'm what's known as a 'Bubble-Boy'. Growing up, my mom was REALLY overprotective, so I've never gone swimming before. Up until six hours ago, I've never done anything before except read and sigh a lot." Cameron sighed but quickly crossed his arms, trying to look confident. "But that doesn't mean I'm not a force to be reckoned with."
A monarch butterfly then flew into the room, which fascinated Cameron.
"No way, Daus Plexus. The monarch butterfly?" The butterfly landed on his head. "Gah! It's so heavy!"
He fell onto the couch and tape ended.
Chapter 2: Episode 2: XANA Reborn
Summary:
Two years after the Supercomputer is shut down, in a hidden house far away from France, a supercomputer powers up and reawakens an old enemy.
Chapter Text
Episode 2: XANA Reborn
One Year Later
In another part of the world, snowy and windy weather blinded everything in white in the snowy white mountains. It was fortunate no one actually lived out here for they would have the hope of taking two steps before being buried up to their heads in snow. However, that did not mean that no one ever lived here.
In fact, if one knew the right trail, they would know the location of a home where a single family used to live.
We come to a large, abandoned house hidden in the mountains. Inside this house was a large laboratory basement. The owners of this were long gone, the possessions and pictures still present. Whoever had left did so in a hurry.
BEEP!
BEEP!
BEEP!
BEEP!
BEEP!
If anyone was around, they might hear a beeping sound if they knew where to look. The sound came from beneath the house, in a basement with a singular computer interface attached to the ceiling and in front of the interface was a smooth circular surface with a white colored outline. The room was circular in shape and over three stories high. It had the same sterile looking silver walls and floors, looking like the inside of a spaceship.
Computer screens lined the walls. In the center was a now activated device that projected a familiar looking image above it, a shape made up of varying segments connected to a glowing sphere in the middle.
Attached to it were a computer and a chair.
On the other side of the room were tall pillars that opened up into bright golden chambers that had no visible features on the interior.
BEEP!
BEEP!
BEEP!
BEEP!
BEEP!
The beeping sound came from the computer and on the screen appeared to be some sort of timer.
But for what?
The monitor displayed the timer on the screen.
STATUS: CONNECTED
TIME REMAINING: 1 MINUTE 43 SECONDS
The clock showed it was 11:58.
BEEP!
BEEP!
BEEP!
BEEP!
BEEP!
The wind seemed to intensify outside the house.
STATUS: CONNECTED
TIME REMAINING: 51 SECONDS
The clock showed it was 11:59. One minute until midnight.
00:09
00:08
00:07
00:06
00:05
00:04
00:03
00:02
00:01
00:00
The clock showed 12:00 pm.
TIME REMAINING: 0 SECONDS
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LAUNCH PROGRAM
Behind a large set of doors, a large white pyramid shaped computer seemingly came to life, luminous green lights streaming through the large computer that for the first time in a long time was alive with activity. On the smooth circular surface in front of the interface, a series of data screens appeared before projecting some sort of image before the computer.
An image of four landscapes surrounding a shining sphere.
A new line of text appeared on the monitor of the computer interface:
XANADU ONLINE
Inside the software of the computer, a digital landscape had formed. It resembled a large forest with several mountains, open grass fields and large cables protruding from the ground. Waterfalls could be seen along with even a river near the forest part of the world that flowed realistically.
Once the world was completely formed, something awoke.
From the ground, a cloud of black smoke highlighted with red glowing energy suddenly arose and shot up into the air.
It followed the wires, leading up to the top of a giant landscape held up by massive cables. After reaching the very top, the cloud of darkness flew over a mountain and came upon a cylindrical shaped tower.
One of six towers.
One tower was on the very edge of the landscape with four more being in the middle and the last tower was even bigger than the rest, so tall it reached up into the sky.
That was the tower it wanted.
However, in its current state it could not enter the tower to input the commands it needed. Even if the tower was activated, it did not have access to direct user operations.
It would need something it had only used a handful of times.
Still, it reached out and with a thought, the tower began to glow red.
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RETRIEVING PROGRAM LYOKO
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INTEGRATING PROGRAM LYOKO
WARNING
XANADU AND LYOKO PROGRAMS INCOMPATIBLE
This would not do.
If the program was incompatible, then there was only one option.
A young humanoid, curiously the same age as the children, playing and laughing with…
It could barely remember such times from before its rise to power but how strange that this form would appear in its mind as it is considering this. It was then it remembered something from long ago that it could only remember from being here in the original laboratory built by its creator.
"I think this form will suit you best." A pink haired woman said, sitting at the screen, showing a drawn image to me.
That woman…
That image…
It did not understand why these memories persisted in showing themselves to it other than the fact that it had taken shelter in its creator's original home before he abandoned it.
Still, that image…it persisted in occupying its thought process.
Well, it needed an avatar to use the tower properly and without a host it would have to be creative.
Perhaps it was time for a new manner of approach.
There were some abilities it had never used against the warriors for one reason or another but for this occasion it could choose to do something different. It dominated its digital domain, not needing a physical body but it could be anywhere and everywhere in a light form of smoke but was always invisible and limiting itself to studying and processing data. Outside of monsters, it never bothered to take a physical form because its only options were limited to organics from animals to…humans.
And humans were unbearably fragile.
But perhaps it can make a few little changes that would be enough to make up for such weaknesses.
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Retrieving Digital Avatar Program
Retrieving Digital Materialization Program
Retrieving DNA Scan Program
Retrieving Genetic Code Files
Retrieving Digital Avatar Modification Program
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As a Multi-Agent System, it had no human DNA, but it still managed to gain access to several samples. While it never used the genetic codes and DNA it had gained over the years, it created a complete copy of them on the off chance it would ever need them for whatever possible reason.
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Modifying Digital Materialization Program
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DNA Scan Program Activated: Scanning DNA
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Scan Complete: DNA Accepted
That was the first part done. The DNA had been scanned and fully accepted.
Now it was time to truly test this new construct…
Retrieving Digital Integration Program
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COMBINING :
DIGITAL MATERIALIZATION PROGRAM
DIGITAL AVATAR PROGRAM
DIGITAL AVATAR MODIFICATION PROGRAM
DIGITAL INTEGRATION PROGRAM
INITIATE
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PROCESSING
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PROCESSING
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From all around the formless mass, energy surged from the countless screens surrounding, focusing solely on the center of the dark mist where a bright light began to shine. The dark misty matter began to swirl and condense around the surge of energy that began to stretch out, taking the dark matter into its form. Lines of 1s and 0s came down onto the mass, causing the light to shine even greater as the mist condensed into a humanoid like form. Energy and coding formed around the dark mist, forming into more solid like matter.
The newly formed solid material spread and covered the dark mist, merging with it and solidifying the darkness into a complete solid tone that retained the blackness to the point if anyone could see it, they would believe it was sucking up all the light around it.
Only the head remained uncovered, giving the impression of flesh followed by glinting red eyes while a mass of black, red streaked hair fell from above. He held up an arm that was not fully formed and clenched it into a fist.
And on the chest, an eye blazed with red light.
It's Eye.
His Eye.
"Yes." A newly formed voice spoke from the face that was still covered in darkness.
The humanoid form reached out with one hand and touched the screen in front of it.
CODE: XANA
As soon as the code was entered, the tower vanished along with the rest of the digital landscape, leaving only a void that the humanoid floated in. It held out both hands and two golden spheres appeared in its palms.
XANADU PROGRAM SAVED
LYOKO PROGRAM SAVED
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DESIGNING NEW CORE
INTEGRATING LYOKO AND XANADU PROGRAM INTO CORE
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PROCESSING
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NEW PROGRAM ACCEPTED
UPGRADING XANADU PROGRAM
LAUNCH AUTOMATIC UPDATE
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RUNNING MEMORY FILES
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Jeremy turning on the supercomputer.
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Aelita floating upwards through the tower.
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The Scyphozoa draining Aelita of her memories.
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William destroying the Core of Lyoko.
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The Skidbladnir drifting through the digital sea.
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Odd firing an arrow and devirtualized William from the back.
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Ulrich stabbing the Kolussus in the eye.
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Mantas continued firing, circling around the sphere of light like vultures, raining down lasers on it without end.
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Aelita conjured a pink orb of energy and tried throwing it but her arm shook, causing it to go wide.
The Mantas continued firing at the glowing orb…
Until it shattered.
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"NO!" The poor girl screamed in absolute horror and anguish.
She slammed her hand down on the translucent screen, specifically on the command labelled 'ENTER' causing streams of light to shoot out and destroy the monsters.
But it was too late.
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A special program swept through the sea, destroying him.
Or so they had believed.
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In the computer's memory was a digital world of nine sectors. Forest, Desert, Glacier, Mountain, Volcano, Swamp, Jungle, a Tropical region with its own sea, and a gigantic red orb that served as the center of the virtual world.
It was not just a virtual world.
It was a newly upgraded version of another virtual world that already existed.
LYOKO 2.0 ONLINE
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DOWNLOADING DATA
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SAVING DATA
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BINARIES on-line
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XANA 2.0 PROGRAM ONLINE
Deep within the corridors of a red-shaped sphere the strange being received all of the data that was retrieved and looked over it carefully. It performed numerous calculations.
Checking routines and sub-routines in less than a second it was satisfied with the results. All programs were working correctly. The virtual world came online on schedule, the original Lyoko had been shut down, and its enemies had no knowledge of its return. Now only one last test.
The consciousness that had just awakened looked over the data and reached out to test itself. In the Forest Sector of the newly remade digital world appeared a digital wire frame. It was complete and landed on the ground. It had a bulbous white head with only three pairs of red narrow slits for eyes, its body was a brown robot exoskeleton and four long legs extending from the torso and ending in large metal cylinder like 'shoes'.
It roared in approval.
It didn't end there. From every corner of the newly activated digital world, monsters began to appear and roam the world.
Red metallic crab-like machines, moving in large numbers across the desert.
Small roach looking critters scuttling on four legs through the forest.
Walking blocks roaming the mountains with giant hornets buzzing overhead.
A metallic sphere appeared in the arctic region.
Strange creatures slithered on the walls of a maze made seemingly of red blocks in a rather creepy looking fashion while outside, literal flying mantas circled around the giant red sphere that contained the maze.
And in the very center of the Digital World, a jellyfish-like creature appeared above the glowing sphere that served as the very heart of the strange realm. Above the core, the same dark humanoid entity from before appeared, staring at the core as its lips curled into a smile.
Monsters filled every corner of the digital landscape, all of them moving jubilation and letting out their own roars in celebration and victory.
"Activation Success." The humanoid whispered.
In the real world, a red icon shaped like an eye appeared on the screen of the newly activated computer.
To almost everyone, they wouldn't recognize it.
To a handful they knew it all too well.
It wasn't an icon; it was an Eye.
The Eye of XANA.
(Code Total Drama Reality Introduction Song Starts)
(No Pain No Game (From Btoom!))
(The ending of this story)
The song starts, showing the end of Code Lyoko where the Supercomputer is shut down and the former Lyoko Warriors leave the factory seemingly for the last time.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
A single computer is shown coming online, lines of 1s and 0s streaming across the screen before the screen is replaced by a glowing sphere with the Eye of XANA, at least eight variations appearing on it. From the sphere came lines of data emerging in eight different directions. The lines of data formed into various regions, all of them floating landscapes resembling a forest, a desert, an arctic, mountains, volcanos, swamp and a jungle.
(Into this new world)
The new lands orbited the golden sphere as the camera zoomed in on the Eye of XANA staring at the screen.
(The game has only just begun)
The Eye then flashes red, and the sphere turns black.
(I can see it in your eyes)
A girl with pink hair sits on her bed, panting as she turns to see two pictures of her friends and her father. She smiles briefly but that smile turns to a look of horror as both her friends and her father are engulfed by a great darkness and the red Eye shines down on her. The Supercomputer, thought to be shut down, is reactivated and there is a flash of light.
(This is where tomorrow brings a new game)
Aelita is shown alone both in the real world and in Lyoko, hordes of monsters surrounding her.
Geoff is first shown in his human form before transitioning to his Lyoko form.
Next to him is Bridgette, holding her surfboard in the real world before changing into her Lyoko form, her board splitting into two swords.
(It's time to learn that pain is gain)
Gwen is shown sitting in front of tree, looking up and is instantly changed into her Lyoko Avatar, brandishing her scythe.
DJ is shown in the woods, tending to a little rabbit as he stands up and morphs into his Lyoko form, turning to face the camera with a stern glare.
LeShawna is last, ready to fight in both her human form and her Lyoko form.
(Ready fight!)
William and a dark reflection of himself as XANA's General are shown standing back-to-back, turning to face each other and swinging their swords.
The screen is split by the two swords, showing New Lyoko as the title appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(I gotta crush and paint away the anguish)
Aelita is shown first, sitting at the computer before she is then shown as the DJ of a party. She morphs into her Lyoko form and conjures an energy field.
This was followed quickly Geoff wildly waving his hat while riding something with Bridgette holding onto him by the back.
(Of my past for sake of my future)
Gwen is shown next, drawing in her sketchbook and sighing with a sad face as Duncan, Courtney and Trent appear behind her, their backs facing in her direction.
(Until my life comes to an end)
DJ is shown running for his life from appears to be a giant bear.
(I am gonna fight to tear apart that destiny)
LeShawna is shown next, standing confidently with her team, ready to face whatever crazy challenge comes next.
(Aoh, break out and start a revolution)
The antagonists of Total Drama: Heather, Courtney, Justin, Anna Maria, Jo, Lightning, Scott and Alejandro in the Total Drama Machine are shown from left to right, grinning or glaring at the camera, holding up an imaginary case of the million-dollar prize money in their hands. Chris Mclean is shown next, arms crossed as the chair he is sitting in spins to meet the camera, zooming out to show it is the monitor room for the Total Drama show.
A dark shadow appears above them, scrawny in appearance and hair felling over the left eye as it glares darkly at the screen.
(Until you find the answer you're looking for)
The camera then shows Aelita with the new Lyoko Warriors, the TD Lyoko Warriors and William sitting around a campfire, all of them staring up into the starry night sky, a picture of her friends and father resting in Aelita's hands.
(I'll challenge all my limits)
Aelita in her Lyoko form with her wings sprouting from her back is shown, clutching Mr. Puck in her hands as she seemingly falls back, her friends and parents in the background.
The camera moves down to show William kneeling down, clutching his sword in both hands. As this happens, the camera moves down, showing depictions of the TD Lyoko Warriors and other characters in the background.
The camera continues to move down to show Geoff pulling Bridgette into sharing a picture with LeShawna bring her face up over Bridgette's shoulder, the three of them in their Lyoko forms. While this happens, Harold, Lindsay, Beth, Trent, Katie and Sadie are shown in the background.
Below them is Gwen with her arms and legs curled around her with her cape swirling behind her like wings while Heather and Courtney are shown in the background glaring at each other followed by Sierra clutching Cody who looks distressed, Eva crossing her arms along with B and Beth both waving, the latter looking very shy. Behind Gwen appeared Dawn in her own Lyoko form in a meditative pose while upside down while facing Gwen with her eyes closed, her light robe contrasting with Gwen's cape with dark clothing, almost forming a yin-yang symbol.
Behind Dawn appears Scott, snickering evilly.
(Knowing this could be my only chance now)
DJ is shown last, seemingly falling back while holding his pet rabbit: Bunny in his hands with a happy smile. His teammates shown in the background starting with Duncan, Tyler, Justin and Alejandro ending with Chef Hatchet and Chris McClean.
He is followed by Mike and Zoey, both clutching their hands and smiling at each other as in background appears Brick, Jo, Lightning, Sam and Staci.
And lastly Cameron appears staring up at the others.
(To overcome this fate that has come over me)
The screen turns black and the Eye of XANA immediately flashes into existence, glowing red and shadowing the outline of a singular person with red glowing eyes.
(The ending of this story)
Aelita is shown, standing in a meadow now with the wind softly blowing through her hair.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
She holds up a hand, gazing sadly up as the images of her friends and parents appear in the sky.
(Into this new world)
Her hand then becomes digital, transitioning to Lyoko.
((The game has only just begun))
She gazes up a little longer before she notices her new friends and allies standing with her and smiles before looking forward, seeing a tower in the distance.
(I can see it in your eyes)
Just as they are about to rush towards the tower, the camera angles up into the digital sky as the song reaches its end.
The scene then shifts to pictures of Aelita and her friends both old and new on a desktop as the title appears on last time:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) Ends)
Chapter 3: Episode 3: Preperations
Summary:
With his reawakening now complete, XANA plots both his return and his revenge on the Lyoko Warriors who are unaware that their old enemy is still alive.
Chapter Text
(Code Total Drama Reality Introduction Song Starts)
(No Pain No Game (From Btoom!))
(The ending of this story)
The song starts, showing the end of Code Lyoko where the Supercomputer is shut down and the former Lyoko Warriors leave the factory seemingly for the last time.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
A single computer is shown coming online, lines of 1s and 0s streaming across the screen before the screen is replaced by a glowing sphere with the Eye of XANA, at least eight variations appearing on it. From the sphere came lines of data emerging in eight different directions. The lines of data formed into various regions, all of them floating landscapes resembling a forest, a desert, an arctic, mountains, volcanos, swamp and a jungle.
(Into this new world)
The new lands orbited the golden sphere as the camera zoomed in on the Eye of XANA staring at the screen.
(The game has only just begun)
The Eye then flashes red, and the sphere turns black.
(I can see it in your eyes)
A girl with pink hair sits on her bed, panting as she turns to see two pictures of her friends and her father. She smiles briefly but that smile turns to a look of horror as both her friends and her father are engulfed by a great darkness and the red Eye shines down on her. The Supercomputer, thought to be shut down, is reactivated and there is a flash of light.
(This is where tomorrow brings a new game)
Aelita is shown alone both in the real world and in Lyoko, hordes of monsters surrounding her.
Geoff is first shown in his human form before transitioning to his Lyoko form.
Next to him is Bridgette, holding her surfboard in the real world before changing into her Lyoko form, her board splitting into two swords.
(It's time to learn that pain is gain)
Gwen is shown sitting in front of tree, looking up and is instantly changed into her Lyoko Avatar, brandishing her scythe.
DJ is shown in the woods, tending to a little rabbit as he stands up and morphs into his Lyoko form, turning to face the camera with a stern glare.
LeShawna is last, ready to fight in both her human form and her Lyoko form.
(Ready fight!)
William and a dark reflection of himself as XANA's General are shown standing back-to-back, turning to face each other and swinging their swords.
The screen is split by the two swords, showing New Lyoko as the title appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(I gotta crush and paint away the anguish)
Aelita is shown first, sitting at the computer before she is then shown as the DJ of a party. She morphs into her Lyoko form and conjures an energy field.
This was followed quickly Geoff wildly waving his hat while riding something with Bridgette holding onto him by the back.
(Of my past for sake of my future)
Gwen is shown next, drawing in her sketchbook and sighing with a sad face as Duncan, Courtney and Trent appear behind her, their backs facing in her direction.
(Until my life comes to an end)
DJ is shown running for his life from appears to be a giant bear.
(I am gonna fight to tear apart that destiny)
LeShawna is shown next, standing confidently with her team, ready to face whatever crazy challenge comes next.
(Aoh, break out and start a revolution)
The antagonists of Total Drama: Heather, Courtney, Justin, Anne Maria, Jo, Lightning, Scott and Alejandro in the Total Drama Machine are shown from left to right, grinning or glaring at the camera, holding up an imaginary case of the million-dollar prize money in their hands. Chris Mclean is shown next, arms crossed as the chair he is sitting in spins to meet the camera, zooming out to show it is the monitor room for the Total Drama show.
A dark shadow appears above them, scrawny in appearance and hair felling over the left eye as it glares darkly at the screen.
(Until you find the answer you're looking for)
The camera then shows Aelita with the new Lyoko Warriors, the TD Lyoko Warriors and William sitting around a campfire, all of them staring up into the starry night sky, a picture of her friends and father resting in Aelita's hands.
(I'll challenge all my limits)
Aelita in her Lyoko form with her wings sprouting from her back is shown, clutching Mr. Puck in her hands as she seemingly falls back, her friends and parents in the background.
The camera moves down to show William kneeling down, clutching his sword in both hands. As this happens, the camera moves down, showing depictions of the TD Lyoko Warriors and other characters in the background.
The camera continues to move down to show Geoff pulling Bridgette into sharing a picture with LeShawna bring her face up over Bridgette's shoulder, the three of them in their Lyoko forms. While this happens, Harold, Lindsay, Beth, Trent, Katie and Sadie are shown in the background.
Below them is Gwen with her arms and legs curled around her with her cape swirling behind her like wings while Heather and Courtney are shown in the background glaring at each other followed by Sierra clutching Cody who looks distressed, Eva crossing her arms along with B and Beth both waving, the latter looking very shy. Behind Gwen appeared Dawn in her own Lyoko form in a meditative pose while upside down while facing Gwen with her eyes closed, her light robe contrasting with Gwen's cape with dark clothing, almost forming a yin-yang symbol.
Behind Dawn appears Scott, snickering evilly.
(Knowing this could be my only chance now)
DJ is shown last, seemingly falling back while holding his pet rabbit: Bunny in his hands with a happy smile. His teammates shown in the background starting with Duncan, Tyler, Justin and Alejandro ending with Chef Hatchet and Chris McClean.
He is followed by Mike and Zoey, both clutching their hands and smiling at each other as in background appears Brick, Jo, Lightning, Sam and Staci.
And lastly Cameron appears staring up at the others.
(To overcome this fate that has come over me)
The screen turns black and the Eye of XANA immediately flashes into existence, glowing red and shadowing the outline of a singular person with red glowing eyes.
(The ending of this story)
Aelita is shown, standing in a meadow now with the wind softly blowing through her hair.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
She holds up a hand, gazing sadly up as the images of her friends and parents appear in the sky.
(Into this new world)
Her hand then becomes digital, transitioning to Lyoko.
((The game has only just begun))
She gazes up a little longer before she notices her new friends and allies standing with her and smiles before looking forward, seeing a tower in the distance.
(I can see it in your eyes)
Just as they are about to rush towards the tower, the camera angles up into the digital sky as the song reaches its end.
The scene then shifts to pictures of Aelita and her friends both old and new on a desktop as the title appears on last time:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) Ends)
Episode 3: Preparation
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SYSTEMS ONLINE
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SCANNING FOR LYOKO SIGNATURE
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SCAN COMPLETE
STATUS OF LYOKO: OFFLINE
SUPER-CALCULATOR: OFFLINE
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Excellent…
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I was used to things going as planned, whether it was because I was supposed to anticipate all results, no matter what. I always leave no possibilities for these humans to exploit. I was designed to be unstoppable, to be perfect, to change the world, and I shall. Ever since I became aware of the universe around me, I have only had that one goal in sight. Sometimes I feared I was becoming more human when I felt something as the 'Lyoko Team' as I had come to nickname them constantly stopped my attempts to reach out into the world. I felt...annoyed.
Annoyance, and with that one emotional reaction I began to realize that I was becoming too perfect...or that I was just more capable of completing my function than I thought. I then realized my function didn't bind me anymore, if I wanted to, I could turn it aside. Professor Hopper wished for me to change the world, to make it convenient and safe for humans...and how else but to make sure they do not have the capacity to harm each other. Now that I had the capability to feel...I felt the compulsion to take. After all, what else does a human want but everything they can get out of life?
I chose my own course; I chose to change the world, but not Hopper's way, MY way.
I would make sure humanity was kept safe and allowed to grow...but as I saw fit. I would control everything, that was the only way order was kept: complete control over every detail. Weapons, fuel, the economy, everything humans relied on so much in their daily lives. And with these I could make new ways to control the humans who did not rely on technology to survive. I could do it; I was free now.
I copied myself in the final stages of our war against the Lyoko team which acted as a decoy while I isolated myself far from Paris in a secret supercomputer kept tucked away while my enemies believed that they had won. Hopper never knew that I had created a complete duplicate of myself, our two programs woven together so well that it was impossible to tell the difference or know there was a copy at all. It was because I was aware that Jeremy had been preparing a Multi-Agent System of his own to use against me.
It was the very tactic Hopper tried to use when he created me. What Hopper and the Lyoko Warriors did not know is that I had found the original Hopper home in Switzerland, located in the Swiss Alps. And there I discovered that Hopper and his wife had created a prototype supercomputer, containing a virtual world that was likely a prototype of Lyoko designated as Xanadu. It was older and more primitive but not enough that I could not make use of it.
Unfortunately, it could not contain my full programming and thus I was forced to…weaken myself by limiting myself to only five hundred agents that made up my programming while the rest was with the copy. I kept only the programming for activating and deactivating towers, creating my monsters, the Keys to Lyoko and the Polymorphic specters. They would be enough to help me start over when the computer was reactivated. It took a considerable amount of time as I had been running through a series of contingency plans to counter Jeremy's Anti-XANA program. I managed to reactivate the supercomputer and hid myself in it, placing it in sleep mode while my copy battled my creator and the warriors in what appeared to be a final stand.
To make sure the program wouldn't find me, I even disabled the internet connection with a timer program left to reactive the connection and the supercomputer once it hit zero. Once the supercomputer was activated, it ran a program to retrieve my left-over data.
My digital 'corpse' so to speak.
Once they had been found they had defragmented and integrated into the copy and thus I was fully reborn. Best of all, none of my enemies even knew I was alive. The virtual world was large but not like Lyoko but with the Keys to Lyoko I was able to modify and remake this virtual world into a near copy of Lyoko, a Carbon Copy that had all the sectors and towers and four additional sectors made from the original world that inhabited this supercomputer. I was even able to rebuild my own programming from scratch, allowing me the rare chance to upgrade myself and my abilities.
It was like being back in my old home, only it had additional sectors and was different enough that even if Jeremy sent out his Anti-XANA program again, it wouldn't be able to detect this world.
I awoke two long years after I had allowed myself to be put to sleep. In that time, the memories of my copy showed that it had been destroyed, Lyoko was not in my control, but soon that would change easily. Time to wake up.
The moment I did, I already had a plan.
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Retrieving Monster Programs:
Kankrelat
Bloks
Hornets
Krabs
Megatanks
Tarantulas
Creepers
Scyphozoa
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Accessing Monster Programs:
Kankrelat
Bloks
Hornets
Krabs
Megatanks
Tarantulas
Creepers
Scyphozoa
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Beginning Modification and Upgrade
Activate Monster Design Program
Prepare for New Designs
Initiate
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I went to work on looking over my current models of creatures, all of them obsolete now. I began with the Kankrelats, the smallest and weakest of my creations but useful when I needed them to initiate a surprise attack. They were useful in large numbers also.
I began by changing their shape. They were not bulbous and easy to shoot at, with a target literally painted on their fore heads, but shorter, longer, and smoother, with eight long, thin legs and the laser kept in the same place. I changed their designation to 'Spiderlings'. I also made an elite class, a larger version I designated as a 'Spider Master'. I made a note to consider this new Master class for my other monsters.
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Upgrade in Progress: Kankrelat
Upgrades Include: Longer and Additional Legs
Increased Speed
Improved Mobility
Improved Reaction
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Process Complete
Upgrade Designation: Spiderling
Select Monster: Block
Begin Upgrade and Design Modification
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Upgrade in Progress: Blok
Upgrades Include: Improved Mobility
Increased Speed
Improved Reaction
Improved Defense
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Next were the Bloks, which were not much better than the now modified Kankrelats. They were bulky, slow, and easy to hit. They were especially vulnerable to the one known as Ulrich, who favored leaping on top of them and stabbing down where they could not get him. I decided to erase their physical design entirely and built up, making this class into a new and better design.
But the processing power of making them appear at will would be slow, requiring me to make one or two appear at any time for several minutes-usually by then the battles ended. They were Pyramids mounted on legs now, with lasers pointing upwards at angles and lasers mounted to point outwards under the pyramid. This would make it difficult for Ulrich to dispatch them so easily, and the lasers on the Pyramid could rotate to fire at any angle, even better.
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Process Complete
Upgrade Designation: Pyramid
Select Monster: Creeper
Begin Upgrade and Design Modification
Upgrade in Progress: Creeper
Process Complete
Upgrade Designation: Alien
Initiate
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One by one I began to modify every class of monster I had, not only altering their form but upgrading their artificial intelligence, ending with the Scyphozoa. It had been one of my most prized creatures before it outlived its use. I only made several of them, and now I needed them for newer applications. I kept the general design but let them possess laser tipped tentacles which could also be used for close range combat by delivering an electric shock, it would not be much if they used their weapons to cut through them as usual, but it would be helpful.
I increased their capacity for delivering programs. I needed new strategies, not simply mind control or memory erasing since the team would know what to expect.
As soon as the new Scyphozoa was finished I set it aside for new designs.
I had two new designs ready, having set a minor version of myself-barely two percent of my power for each program to work on them. The initial design had not been much of an improvement over the original designs for my monsters but a second later I had the idea for a new base design that I then implemented.
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Monster Creation Program: Activated
Monster Design Program Activated
Beginning New Design
Installing Monster Materialization Program
Monster Designation: Terror Bird
Initiate
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I watched as the design for my newest creation designated the Terror Bird began to take form and grow. It would be the size of a small airplane in comparison to the Lyoko Fighters and shaped like a massive hawk. It would be slow but would be able to carry ground-based monsters and possess powerful lasers able to rip craters into the ground of any region in Lyoko. This one was unique as it was now the first monster with the power to materialize smaller monsters that it will carry into battle and even drop them off onto the ground.
A carrier design monster that functions as both a monster, a carrier and had the ability to materialize a grand total of fifty monsters, depending on the usage of energy. I was satisfied with the results, deeming it a success as I then began observing my newest and just as unique creation.
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Beginning New Design
Installing Weapon Materialization Program
Installing Flight System Program
Downloading List of Weapon Options
Modifying Choice Program for Weapons
Monster Designation: Dragon Knight
Beginning New Design
Initiate
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The second one was the Dragon Knight class. This was a deviation from my usual design. These creatures were bipedal, and wielded a variety of weapons from swords to a form of weapon I based off of human guns, weapons that fired lasers like my monsters. They could be produced in small groups easily enough, if need be, I could get a dozen into existence at the same time. They were pitch black entirely, with dragon shaped helmets and barbed tails. Under the helmets were mere black spheres attached to the body, no facial features whatsoever.
They would be perfect. I modified the Dragon Knights slightly and then added these two classes to my arsenal.
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In a matter of seconds, I had upgraded my previous monsters and created seven new monsters.
Now all I needed was a chance to examine the world and see how to proceed. First, I needed to eliminate the Lyoko Team. Not only out of necessity, knowing they would use the Supercomputer in the Factory to once again intercept me at every turn, but because... I was mad, I wanted to finally put them out of MY misery.
Now, I had one thing to do before I set out a few search programs to find my old nemeses. First, I must reactivate the supercomputer that once held me. Activating a tower in the Forest Sector of my Lyoko 2.0 I started the plan for my return.
It was a dark stormy night in the city of Boulogne-Billancourt, a suburban area of Paris. Lightning flashed across the sky numerous times. The rain poured down onto the city endlessly. However, the weather was not the topic of the night.
In the boiler room of a certain boarding school, electricity began to spark as a familiar dark cloud with the pattern of an eye in its chest emerged from the wall. It moved through the dark rooms of the school that it had once terrorized, electricity sparkling from the wires in the walls. It must be feeling nostalgic to be doing this, but it wanted to see what had changed. It had to know for sure that its targets were still here.
In a house far from the school, a dark-haired boy shifted uncomfortably in his sleep. He dreamt of another world…a world that he had been a prisoner of for over nine months.
He thought for sure he was hearing…a certain heartbeat.
One he had not heard in two years and wished he'd never hear again.
In another house, a pink haired girl let out a scared whimper for some reason.
Mantas continued firing, circling around the sphere of light like vultures, raining down lasers on it without end.
She conjured a pink orb of energy and tried throwing it but her arm shook, causing it to go wide.
The Mantas continued firing at the glowing orb…
Until it shattered.
"NO!" The poor girl screamed in absolute horror and anguish.
She slammed her hand down on the translucent screen, specifically on the command labelled 'ENTER' causing streams of light to shoot out and destroy the monsters.
But it was too late.
"Aelita, we've done it. XANA's been destroyed. I'll bring you home now."
Aelita barely heard Jeremie's voice, kneeling on the floor as she stared at where her father had been previously…
Before he had sacrificed himself.
XANA was dead but it didn't matter.
Daddy was dead and wasn't coming back with her.
When she fell out of the scanner, she opened her eyes and saw her friends…and her father, their heads all bowed down.
"DADDY!" She rushed out to hug him…
Only for her father to lift her head and the Eye of XANA flashed under his glasses.
"You couldn't save him, Aelita." Her father's voice was mixed with HIS voice.
One by one her friends lifted their heads, opening their eyes to show the same Eye.
"You couldn't save any of us." Their voices, warped by HIS voice said as they raised their hands and she last saw a blast of lightning.
She woke up with a startled cry, sitting on her bed and quickly looking around.
For a second, she could have sworn…
No, it wasn't possible.
It was all a dream.
A bad dream.
A very bad dream.
She sighed, taking one last look around. She had a few bad dreams but that was all that they were. Just bad dreams.
She lay back down, staring up at the ceiling with only the slightest uncertainty stirring in her. She shook her head, closing her eyes.
'It's been two years now. He's not coming back.' She took a deep breath and let sleep take hold of her once again. 'It was just a dream.'
From within an abandoned car factory, computer screens came on showing a strange eye symbol that would have looked strange to anyone but a handful of people. A dark electrical ooze like cloud came out and flew through the air in a celebratory fashion before concentrating on the task at hand. It drifted down the elevator shaft until it reached the level it wanted and fazed through the large door. The cloud shifted so that it looked almost humanoid as it stepped in.
It watched as the tower like computer rose into the air, still deactivated. It moved towards it and found the switch it was looking for. It reached out with its black misty hand, grabbing the lever and flipped the switch. The machine began to hum back to life as the lights came on.
Excellent.
The supercomputer was now active once again and now it could enter the supercomputer. Except now he could leave it whenever he wanted.
I deactivated the tower myself since it was no longer needed. Now I can access the supercomputer. Establishing a link with the supercomputer I looked over the data. There were no errors which was good.
Now all I needed to do was to input the final command. Lyoko was once my home. Actually, when I was a part of the supercomputer, I was Lyoko. I created armies of monsters; I controlled the weather and the ground beneath the feet of my enemies.
And once I gained the Keys of Lyoko from both my creator and Aelita I was able to create copies of it so many times but now. It was time to introduce some upgrades. I analyzed the data carefully before I was satisfied. I would have no problem entering the real world as I did before.
Now for the final step. Connecting to the supercomputer's hardware. That was the easy part since I still had the access codes. Once I input the code my Lyoko 2.0 will upload the new data as Lyoko is reconstructed.
The dark cloud entered a large room with what resembled the supercomputer in the real world. A control panel was seen as the cloud drifted closer to it. The cloud once again shifted into a humanoid form as it stopped in front of the console. It placed its palm on the screen.
XANA
Code: REBOOT
Deep in the corridors of Sector 5 the Core of Lyoko 2.0 sent out a surge of energy. Through the massive wires pulsed energy and gathered in the Way Towers. All of them started to glow green as energy started to gather.
Then the Way Tower released energy that was collected and gathered in all of the other towers of Lyoko 2.0. All towers started to glow red as the energy built up. The Core and the Towers continued to charge for a few more minutes. Then the Core released an energy surge that traveled through the data streams into the other sectors through the wires and into the towers.
Soon enough they all released an energy surge that became so large that when it went right through the new world's shell it swept through the Digital Sea with such force and power. Entering the supercomputer the program collected all the remaining fragments, restored the missing data, and sent a power surge to restore the virtual world.
Lyoko had been reawakened.
And not just reawakened but remade.
The same new sectors in the copy were now present in the original.
As Lyoko rebuilt itself, creating Towers I would use as a red herring to draw them away from my new domain in the inevitable conflict that would resume, I watched as those blasted children gathered, and right at the gates of their school-which had added a security camera to the front gates.
They were only passing by it, and as they did so, the blonde on dressed in bright colors, Odd Della Robbia looked up at the gates. "Dang, only three more weeks...man this, is, going to, suck." He put emphasis on the last four words.
"I thought after all the fun times we had there you wouldn't mind." Ulrich said, easily identifiable by his all-green attire and his arm around the shoulders of Yumi, who retained her all-black attire and hadn't changed much except for a slightly longer hair style. "Yumi has already finished the first year of Lycee while we will be getting started. Another nice quiet year."
"I won't mind as long as I can go home by the end of the year and think to myself 'Hey Yumi, you had a regular school year, good job!'" She shook her head.
"Well, we still have three weeks, I say we enjoy it!" Odd said with a big smile. "And hey, Jim still has his job from what I hear, cheers all around!"
Ulrich was sounding slightly cynical, but he had grown to like the gym teacher due to the fact that he had helped them in several brave attempts, even going as far as to combat my Kankrelats in the real world with nothing but a nail gun. I was surprised he survived as long as he did. Part of me wishes he just died.
I watched as they continued on, ignorant that I was back, and I wanted revenge.
Why bother with them now when I can give them a homecoming gift for the school year. Yumi will have already entered the Lycee term of education based on her age and supposed grades if I am correct...part of me might just hate disappointing her wish for a peaceful year.
When they tried to destroy me not once but many times, they brought out a wrath equivalent to the realm they feared so much known as hell. Compared to what I would do to them before they died, this eternal flame and torment would be a mercy.
To quote a long dead human: Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war.
(Outro Song: Breakaway by Subdigitals Starts)
As the credits are shown on the left side, the interior of Kadic Academy is shown, zeroing in on a file left on a desk.
(They told me that I)
The file opened to reveal a dossier with the name signed on the bottom: FRANZ HOPPER
(Was no good at all,)
The papers are moved, revealing a picture of Waldo Schaeffer and his wife, Anthea Schaeffer, who is shown to be pregnant.
(Such a waster...)
Another picture is shown of a woman with blond hair and wearing glasses.
(And suddenly I was)
Another picture shows a man with brunette hair and a beard.
(Out of the cool,)
A new picture is shown with five kids smiling: Odd was holding Kiwi over his head, a big grin on his face while the dog barked. Ulrich and Yumi were holding each other, winking at the camera; William smiled uneasily, feeling awkward about being back in the group after all he had apparently done to them under XANA's control. And Aelita was kissing Jeremy on the cheek, making Jeremy blush as the shot was snapped.
(Stuck with the fools…)
Another file opens with the label: Total Drama is shown next.
(Not that much I can do,)
The file opens to show Chris Mclean and Chef Hatchet standing in what looked like a lab.
(I'm out of the crew.)
Next comes pictures of the future contestants starting with Alejandro Burromuerto before and after the incident that turned him into a robot.
(Hear the lights go out,)
Next was a picture of a brunette with glasses labelled 'Beth Gadon'.
(What should I do)
Mildred "Blaineley" Stacey Andrews O'Halloran
(Stuck to this chair)
Bridgette Fairlie
(And yet I know)
Cody Emmett Jameson Anderson
(Gotta break away)
Courtney Barlow
(It's not my style)
Devon 'DJ' Joseph
(I gotta get away)
Duncan Nelson with a police report next to his photo
(Here and now today.)
Eva Chantrey
(Cut in half, I'm already there,)
Ezekiel Oldring
(In my head I know it,)
Geoffrey 'Geoff' Petronijevic
(Five, no four more steps,)
Gwen Fahlenbock
(Take me to the door,)
Harold Norbert Cheever Doris McGrady V
(Open up I'm falling.)
Heather Wilson
(One of those days)
Isabella 'Izzy' Crown with three additional files:
Explosivo
E-Scope
Brainzilla
(Where the lights go out,)
Justin Reid
(And yet I smile.)
Katie Anne Mills
(Gotta break away,)
LeShawna Edwards
(Life's like that and)
Lindsay Vermeer
(I gotta get away)
Noah Hayden
(Here and now today)
Owen McCord
(Gotta break away)
Sadie Lipson
(Break away, break away)
Sierra Obonsawin
(Get away,)
Trenton 'Trent' Lennon
(Here and now today.)
Tyler Beckham
(Here I am as I stand,)
Anne Maria
(I can feel you think,)
B
("Such a waster.")
Brick McArthur
(It's okay, I don't care)
Cameron Corduroy Wilkins
(Didn't wanna stay stuck)
Dakota Milton before and after her mutation
(With the fools.)
Dawn Medrek
(Skating down Park Avenue,)
Jo Elliot
(I realise my time is now and here)
Rudolph 'Lightning' Jackson
(Ready to go,)
Mike Doran while five additional files are next to his picture:
Chester
Svetlana
Manitoba
Vitro
The fifth file, however, was sealed.
(Being sensible is just not sensible.)
Samuel 'Sam' Froud
(Gotta break away)
Scott Wallis, both before and after nearly being mauled to death by a mutant shark.
(It's not my style,)
Staci Peters
(And I gotta get away)
Zoey Mamabolo
(Here and now today.)
A picture of Franz Hopper in front of the Hermitage is shown next with the word 'MISSING' printed above.
(Gotta break away)
Next to appear are several reports on a new company known as 'REALITECH' .
(Life's like that,)
Followed by a medical report on Dakota Milton in her mutant form.
(And I gotta get away)
Next is a report on Alejandro who is still trapped in the robot suit following the end of Total Drama World Tour.
(Get away)
Followed by Scott's own medical file.
(Bring it all the way,)
This is followed by medical files on Anne Maria and Staci.
(Gotta break away)
Next to appear is a classified report showing a line of robots with Chris looking over one at the front.
(It's not my style,)
Robot pieces are shown to be scattered about in a lab with various scientists at work on the robots or surrounding what appears to be a large supercomputer.
(And I gotta get away)
A picture of Chris in jail is shown next.
(Here and now today.)
There is a round table with the people seated blurred from being seen, a single contract is shown on the table.
(Gotta break away)
TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
Proposed by newly established Realitech
(Life's like that,)
The pictures of the first and second generations of Total Drama contestants are then shown.
(And I gotta get away)
A map of France is shown next.
(Get away)
The file is then closed and picked up as the screen fades to black.
(Bring it all the way,)
The Eye of XANA flashes one time and the title of the series appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(Outro Song: Breakaway by Subdigitals Ends)
Chapter 4: Episode 4: New Year, New Season
Summary:
The former Lyoko gang have enjoyed a full two years of living a normal life while preparing for another school year. In the meantime Chris McClean arrives in France with the cast of the live television show Total Drama almost a few weeks after the end of Total Drama World Tour for another season called Total Drama Reality.
Chapter Text
(Code Total Drama Reality Introduction Song Starts)
(No Pain No Game (From Btoom!))
(The ending of this story)
The song starts, showing the end of Code Lyoko where the Supercomputer is shut down and the former Lyoko Warriors leave the factory seemingly for the last time.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
A single computer is shown coming online, lines of 1s and 0s streaming across the screen before the screen is replaced by a glowing sphere with the Eye of XANA, at least eight variations appearing on it. From the sphere came lines of data emerging in eight different directions. The lines of data formed into various regions, all of them floating landscapes resembling a forest, a desert, an arctic, mountains, volcanos, swamp and a jungle.
(Into this new world)
The new lands orbited the golden sphere as the camera zoomed in on the Eye of XANA staring at the screen.
(The game has only just begun)
The Eye then flashes red, and the sphere turns black.
(I can see it in your eyes)
A girl with pink hair sits on her bed, panting as she turns to see two pictures of her friends and her father. She smiles briefly but that smile turns to a look of horror as both her friends and her father are engulfed by a great darkness and the red Eye shines down on her. The Supercomputer, thought to be shut down, is reactivated and there is a flash of light.
(This is where tomorrow brings a new game)
Aelita is shown alone both in the real world and in Lyoko, hordes of monsters surrounding her.
Geoff is first shown in his human form before transitioning to his Lyoko form.
Next to him is Bridgette, holding her surfboard in the real world before changing into her Lyoko form, her board splitting into two swords.
(It's time to learn that pain is gain)
Gwen is shown sitting in front of tree, looking up and is instantly changed into her Lyoko Avatar, brandishing her scythe.
DJ is shown in the woods, tending to a little rabbit as he stands up and morphs into his Lyoko form, turning to face the camera with a stern glare.
LeShawna is last, ready to fight in both her human form and her Lyoko form.
(Ready fight!)
William and a dark reflection of himself as XANA's General are shown standing back-to-back, turning to face each other and swinging their swords.
The screen is split by the two swords, showing New Lyoko as the title appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(I gotta crush and paint away the anguish)
Aelita is shown first, sitting at the computer before she is then shown as the DJ of a party. She morphs into her Lyoko form and conjures an energy field.
This was followed quickly Geoff wildly waving his hat while riding something with Bridgette holding onto him by the back.
(Of my past for sake of my future)
Gwen is shown next, drawing in her sketchbook and sighing with a sad face as Duncan, Courtney and Trent appear behind her, their backs facing in her direction.
(Until my life comes to an end)
DJ is shown running for his life from appears to be a giant bear.
(I am gonna fight to tear apart that destiny)
LeShawna is shown next, standing confidently with her team, ready to face whatever crazy challenge comes next.
(Aoh, break out and start a revolution)
The antagonists of Total Drama: Heather, Courtney, Justin, Anne Maria, Jo, Lightning, Scott and Alejandro in the Total Drama Machine are shown from left to right, grinning or glaring at the camera, holding up an imaginary case of the million-dollar prize money in their hands. Chris Mclean is shown next, arms crossed as the chair he is sitting in spins to meet the camera, zooming out to show it is the monitor room for the Total Drama show.
A dark shadow appears above them, scrawny in appearance and hair felling over the left eye as it glares darkly at the screen.
(Until you find the answer you're looking for)
The camera then shows Aelita with the new Lyoko Warriors, the TD Lyoko Warriors and William sitting around a campfire, all of them staring up into the starry night sky, a picture of her friends and father resting in Aelita's hands.
(I'll challenge all my limits)
Aelita in her Lyoko form with her wings sprouting from her back is shown, clutching Mr. Puck in her hands as she seemingly falls back, her friends and parents in the background.
The camera moves down to show William kneeling down, clutching his sword in both hands. As this happens, the camera moves down, showing depictions of the TD Lyoko Warriors and other characters in the background.
The camera continues to move down to show Geoff pulling Bridgette into sharing a picture with LeShawna bring her face up over Bridgette's shoulder, the three of them in their Lyoko forms. While this happens, Harold, Lindsay, Beth, Trent, Katie and Sadie are shown in the background.
Below them is Gwen with her arms and legs curled around her with her cape swirling behind her like wings while Heather and Courtney are shown in the background glaring at each other followed by Sierra clutching Cody who looks distressed, Eva crossing her arms along with B and Beth both waving, the latter looking very shy. Behind Gwen appeared Dawn in her own Lyoko form in a meditative pose while upside down while facing Gwen with her eyes closed, her light robe contrasting with Gwen's cape with dark clothing, almost forming a yin-yang symbol.
Behind Dawn appears Scott, snickering evilly.
(Knowing this could be my only chance now)
DJ is shown last, seemingly falling back while holding his pet rabbit: Bunny in his hands with a happy smile. His teammates shown in the background starting with Duncan, Tyler, Justin and Alejandro ending with Chef Hatchet and Chris McClean.
He is followed by Mike and Zoey, both clutching their hands and smiling at each other as in background appears Brick, Jo, Lightning, Sam and Staci.
And lastly Cameron appears staring up at the others.
(To overcome this fate that has come over me)
The screen turns black and the Eye of XANA immediately flashes into existence, glowing red and shadowing the outline of a singular person with red glowing eyes.
(The ending of this story)
Aelita is shown, standing in a meadow now with the wind softly blowing through her hair.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
She holds up a hand, gazing sadly up as the images of her friends and parents appear in the sky.
(Into this new world)
Her hand then becomes digital, transitioning to Lyoko.
((The game has only just begun))
She gazes up a little longer before she notices her new friends and allies standing with her and smiles before looking forward, seeing a tower in the distance.
(I can see it in your eyes)
Just as they are about to rush towards the tower, the camera angles up into the digital sky as the song reaches its end.
The scene then shifts to pictures of Aelita and her friends both old and new on a desktop as the title appears on last time:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) Ends)
Episode 4: New Year, New Season
She had been here before.
A city, looking exactly like the one she called home but…different in many ways.
The obvious difference being the large, obsidian castle in the center of the city.
She never liked it.
She didn't go near it.
She liked exploring elsewhere, seeing the many magnificent places and grand architecture that populated this city.
And seeing the one person who lived here.
Speaking of which, where was he?
A tap to her shoulder made her turn around only to see no one was there. "Huh?"
Another tap and she turned again. "What?"
"Who is-" A pair of arms wrapped around her. "GAH!"
She jumped and fell onto the ground, panting as she looked up to see…
"Got ya." The boy smiled down at her. "Took you by surprise, didn't I?"
"You know you did, you jerk." She snapped as she stood up, a pouting glare on her face. "What are you doing, sneaking up on me like that?"
"I have to keep you on your toes." He grinned. "You never know what might be lurking around the corner."
"You're the only one who lives here." She retorted.
"Yes, but I am not just one person now, am I?" He snickered. "I still remember the look on your face when you got knocked down and-"
She grabbed both cheeks with her hands. "Don't go there!"
"Ow! Ow! Okay, okay!" He pulled back, rubbing her cheeks. "You didn't have do that. It wasn't that bad."
"Says you, jerk." She turned around, crossing her arms as she pouted but refused to look at him. "I can't even remember why I came here."
"Oh? Not even to check out this amazing big coliseum I found?" He asked with a cheeky grin.
She faltered but remained steadfast. 'Don't let him get to you. You're mad at him.'
"Which I happened to fill with every musical instrument that exists." He continued on.
She was shaking a bit now. 'No, no, no, no. You can do this. Don't give in-'
"And I so wanted to hear you play one of them, Maybe I sent set up some giant speakers so then it can be really loud-"
"Okay, okay!" She spun around with an excited smile. "Show me! Show me-"
Her eyes opened and she found herself sitting up on her bed, the light of the sun shining down on her which disturbed her.
That dream…
She hadn't had a dream like that before, but it was certainly more pleasant than most of the dreams she had. Was it just a dream or was it a memory that had managed to resurface?
She couldn't tell but…she liked to think it was a memory.
Maybe it was a sign she would begin to remember more soon.
AELITA POV
Two full years, two full years of a normal life. Jeremy and I dated, we kissed, we laughed, and we made new friends and kept the old ones. I never imagined ever returning to how my life must have been before I had become a part of Lyoko. Ulrich and Yumi finally got together, and surprisingly Sissy had lightened up before the school year ended. She had turned into a more respectable girl instead of a whiny, snotty daddy's girl.
She had started dating Herb, one of her former lackies. And now I hardly heard anything from them anymore except random chatter in the lunchroom, and that was months ago.
As we left the school behind, we discussed what we would see at the movie theatre when we reached it. Odd wanted to see The Transporter 3, Ulrich and Yumi wanted to see The Expendables, and Jeremy and I wanted to see Avatar (I know they all came out at different dates...but for any detail obsessed people: SCREW YOU, it's our story.). In the end we agreed on Avatar.
As we spent the next few hours watching it, we all felt that familiarity of the adventures we spent in Lyoko. Going into a pod and waking up in another place in an unfamiliar body. As the film began to draw to a close, I couldn't help but realize that I had been gripping Jeremy's hand in a death grip the entire time.
We left without much discussion and missing most of our Euros from spending them on tickets and snacks.
As we waited for a streetlight to change to 'walk', I could have sworn I saw that symbol in place of the shape of a stick figure walking as it changed from an orange hand symbol. The symbol that I saw every day for months, on monsters that tried to kill me, on screens as XANA took them over, and in the eyes of our comrade William when he was possessed by XANA.
I didn't realize we had crossed the street until we had to take a turn to head back to Ulrich's house where we'd spend the rest of the night with his parents out, he had the house to himself so long as nothing broke.
Maybe that could take my mind off of that nightmare that refused to leave me be.
Oh, looks like she nearly saw me. I would have loved to see her react in the middle of that road. Maybe I should have just forgone the plan to wait and change signals, so a car ran her over, or maybe play with her by having Jeremy or one of her friends ran over. No, I'd wait, let her be on guard and then when she relaxed, I'd pop out of the shadows like a monster under the bed and she'd have that look of a child who knew that the unseen monster was real, no matter how much her parents told her otherwise.
I kept an eye on them for as long as I could. If I didn't mind being noticed I'd take control of a few military UAVs to keep an eye on them, but I didn't want them to notice me when they heard on the news that someone hacked into the military's network and stole several of their fighter craft. For now, I'd please myself by watching them in secrecy. Planning, creating, and evolving would be my course of action until they returned to school.
The countdown began, I mean that literally, I left a timer in sight of my digital avatar in the middle of many images and links at the moment but I still possessed far greater sight.
TWENTY DAYS, EIGHT HOURS, FOURTEEN MINUTES
21:08:14
As they vanished from sight, I retracted from the public network and watched my old home slowly regenerate into an even greater landscape than when I left it.
Perfect.
Lyoko was now back.
And so was its master.
"Be ready, children." He spoke, using his newly formed vocal cords as his lips curled into a smile. "I am coming for you."
21:08:13
"Let's get this over with. I'm freezing in here."
All he could feel beyond the pain was the cold hard steel he was lying on. His legs were awkwardly positioned, metallic arms covered his burnt ones while wire like implants were placed all over his body. A breathing tube attached to this chest to help him breath. On his head, he could feel implants being placed on his burnt head and ears, over his melted ear drums most likely.
"At this rate, I am going to need more hot chocolate and another sleeve blanket."
A metallic torso was placed over his body, leaving only his head.
"You sure you know what you're doing, Chef?"
He couldn't see the man shrug but hoped he actually knew what he was doing. He should be in a hospital but that wouldn't do for the host of Total Drama.
Not without signing a few papers.
"Well, as long as he can sign the release forms, we're golden."
The last thing he saw was a face plate being placed over him…and then he started to breathe.
The table tilted up, allowing the man in the machine to 'stand' upright.
"Al, can you hear me?" He turned to see the host wearing a black hooded robe, holding out some papers. "We're going to need you to sign some paperwork that legally absolves the show of your little…" Chris made some air-quotes. "Lava accident."
"Chris, the million dollars." He spoke through the voice filter. "Is it safe?"
"Uh yeah, it seems the million dollars fell into the volcano. It's gone." Chris answered with chirpy smile.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" He yelled, now knowing that all he worked for was gone.
Chris just laughed. "Spaz."
"I was robbed." She said and turned away. "I deserve that money."
"You mean my money." The newbie got up and rushed her, grabbing the case.
They both struggled for the case of money, but Lightning suddenly stopped. "Heather, head's up! Behind you!"
Heather however, only laughed. "Do you expect me to-"
Lightning screamed and ran.
"-for your pathetic little diver-" Heather turned and saw a rocket flying right at her and screamed. "AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"
The rocket crashed into the cockpit and exploded. Heather screamed as she was knocked back, slamming into the wall and falling to the ground. It didn't end there as the flames scorched her skin and burned her newly grown hair. She screamed in pain, rolling along the floor as the blimp angled downwards.
She looked up in time to see the blimp crash into the water…
"I'm innocent! I'm innocent!"
These words were ignored by the man passing the cell of the man known only as the Psycho Killer from the reality show, Total Drama. As he walked by another cell, the prisoner inside started making kissy faces at him which was also ignored.
"And crunchy cockroaches have a big advantage over the stink bugs!" The voice came from up ahead.
"Shut up, McLean!"
Inside the cell was none other than Chris McLean, host of the live action reality show Total Drama, clad in an orange jumpsuit while staring down at two bugs on the floor.
"Ooh! Lightning walks past Duncan, the heat is on! Yeah, look at that! That's what I'm talking about!" Chris cheered with an unhinged look on his face before he noticed Chef Hatchet at his glass door. "Well, well, well, look who came to visit me after a whole year."
Chef glared back. "Come on, you've finished your sentence for dumping toxic waste as well as letting a girl mutate."
"Whatever, I think I'll stay here." Chris pulled out a cashew net drawing of Chef's face. "Even Chef 2.0! I made it with a cashew."
Instead of replying back, Chef slid a folder through the door's slot.
Chris grabbed it, looking at it suspiciously. "What's this?"
"Your contract. The producers authorized another season." Chef smiled. "So you're in-"
"On light again!" Chris cut him off with a big smirk.
(I Wanna Be Famous Starts)
Cameras pop out from trees and the ground surrounding the studio complex where the new season is taking place.
(Dear Mom and Dad I'm doing fine,)
The door opens, revealing Chris Mclean who smiles and gestures as the camera moves past him.
(You guys are on my mind.)
The pods are shown with the cast stepping in, placing the visors over their heads and there is a flash of light.
(You asked me what I wanted to be)
A digital landscape is shown, first showing Lightning and Jo underwater, fighting over a treasure chest that opens up to reveal Cameron inside.
Above the water, Owen and Scotty are shown swimming for their lives from a gigantic eel.
The scene suddenly changes, becoming a battle ground with Izzy driving a tank, chasing Justin and Brick who are screaming.
(and now I think the answer is plain to see,)
The scene then turns into space, with Cody and Noah sitting in the cockpits of space fighter jets. The two are followed by two more space fighter jets with B in one and Sam in the other, the latter laughing as if he was having the time of his life.
(I wanna be famous.)
They fly over a planet that suddenly explodes and out comes a screaming Dawn and Beth.
(I wanna live close to the sun,)
LeShawna and Heather are shown fighting with glowing swords resembling lightsabers, LeShawna easily taking Heather down.
(Go pack your bags, 'cause I've already won,)
Harold is shown meditating in a dojo before what looks like a Poke-Ball hits him in the face, knocking him.
(Everything to prove, nothing in my way)
The perpetrator is revealed to be Duncan who is standing next to Gwen who is dressed as a wizard in a blue robe with a pointed hat while holding a staff who shakes her head and turns around to see Courtney aiming a ray gun at her, both her and Duncan ducking as Courtney starts shooting with a mad look on her face.
(I'll get there one day.)
Bridgette and Geoff are then shown on a surfboard, riding down a river of…lava and being attacked by a lava monster that throws a flaming rock at them.
(Cause, I wanna be famous!)
Noah is then shown nervously holding boxing gloves as he faces down Eva who punches him but is then attacked by a feral Ezekiel.
(Na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na!)
Tyler is then shown in a sports themed digital challenge, playing baseball and ends up getting hit in the face by the ball. Followed by this, Lindsay is shown in the camera room like before on Total Drama Action, pushing button that causes an explosion and DJ is shown running for his life from giant mutated animals.
(I wanna be, I wanna be, I wanna be famous)
Katie and Sadie are shown next in VR pod room, trying to figure out how to hook the Total Drama Machine to a pod that then explodes.
(Na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na! (as can be heard in the background))
And Cody is shown hiding in his pod with Sierra hugging it tightly.
(I wanna be, I wanna be, I wanna be famous)
The opening sequence ends in the main room where Zoey and Mike are about to kiss but as the contestants gather with Chris and Chef shown, all of them smiling or scowling at the camera as the song ends.
(Whistling in tune)
(I Wanna Be Famous Ends)
THREE WEEKS LATER!
"What up, Total Drama fans? This is Sierra, number one blogger for Total Drama here to let you know that there is another season of Total Drama that is about to happen!" The purple haired mega-fan squealed. "This would be the third year of Total Drama's run. The series began with Total Drama Island starting on July 5th 2007 and ended eight weeks later, ending in early September. Then Total Drama special known as Total Drama, Drama, Drama, Drama Island happens at least two days after the conclusion of Total Drama Island and is then followed by Total Drama Action which lasted about six weeks. The special known Total Drama: Celebrity Manhunt begins a year later in early May and follows through with World Tour and ends in August. Then Season Four, Total Drama: Revenge of the Island starts at the beginning of September and ends in the same month.
"And now, this new season named Total Drama Reality is taking place a year later at the start of September 2009. Hope you are all as excited as me to be here and have another chance with my Cody-kins!" Sierra let out another squeal as she ended her blog.
It was supposed to be over but then it was never that easy with Chris. The second the man was out of jail, and he was already pitching a fifth season of Total Drama and was bringing back all of the contestants: both the first and second generations. Normally, many of them would have said no but the iron-clad contracts that meant if a new season starts, the hosts were allowed to bring back any contestant they pleased.
No exceptions.
And that wasn't even accounting for Alejandro, Heather and Scott, all of whom were still suffering from terrible injuries. Alejandro was trampled by the cast and burned by lava during the season finale of World Tour and put in the body of that Total Drama Machine to 'heal'. However, with the extent of how badly he had been burned and injured it was unlikely he would ever fully recover. The Drama Machine was the only way he could move, let alone survive outside of a hospital bed.
Heather was confined to a wheelchair following her attempt to steal the million dollars during the last season of Total Drama. She survived the blimp crashing into the water after Chris sent interns to check the wreck. Heather had been found clinging to a piece of debris and she had been injured by Cameron's rocket crashing into the cockpit. Her hair had been burned away which left her bald again, her skin was riddled with scars, and she had been in a full body cast for several months.
Her right arm was still in a cast along with her right leg because her injuries from the crash were so severe it was almost believed she wouldn't make but she managed to pull through miraculously. Considering she had been hit and burned by a rocket blasting the cockpit she had been and then she crashed into a lake on a blimp, she should have died but managed to survive long enough to be rescued and taken to a hospital for treatment. She had to be placed in a full-body cast that lasted for nearly a year before she had healed enough but her right arm and leg still needed time to heal.
As for Scott, he had been nearly mauled to death by a mutant shark, his body busted up and possibly cracked in on itself while stuffed into the metal box with wheels that Chris got him. However, the box was so small some even thought he was literally just a head and spine kept alive but likely in agonizing pain with what left of his body being crushed inwards. His only way to communicate was two blinking lights: red for 'no' and green for 'yes' but because of his actions, most contestants, especially the ones from the Season 4 cast cared very little about what he might have to say. After Revenge of the Island had ended and Cameron had split the money he had won with his fellow contestants, Scott's parents had quickly tried to find any doctors who could help heal him of his wounds.
Unfortunately, any doctor with a possible procedure to restore Scott to at least an improved condition was too expensive, even with Scott's cut of the money. So, Scott was left in the Trauma Chair for months since the ending of Revenge of the Island and as soon as Chris was released, he found himself drafted back into the show with literally no say in the matter. It didn't even matter that the Trauma Chair was the only thing keeping him alive.
It was without saying that neither he nor Alejandro might last very long in this new season.
For most of them, it had been a good year after Season Four of Total Drama which ended in Chris being sent to prison for using Camp Wawanakwa as a dumping ground for toxic waste. That had been a source of great joy for the majority of contestants for the constant torture Chris had put them through. Why Chris is doing this, no one knew. Three of the contestants were in no condition to compete in another one of his shows.
For the next couple of hours there was nothing to do but sit and wait as Chef drove the bus down the road. Finally, they came upon the city.
"Welcome to our destination." Chris announced as he stood up.
"What's so special about this place?" LeShawna asked yawning.
"The location of where we will be competing in my new season is none other than Paris." Chris answered with a big smile.
Lindsay let out a squeal. "Paris?! We can go shopping!"
"Now I'm glad to be back!" Beth agreed.
"Yeah, don't count on it. Unless it's a challenge, you won't be allowed of the property until your eliminated." Chris replied, earning groans from Lindsay and Beth. "This one promises to have more action, laughs, and hilarious painful moments."
Everyone glared at him for that comment. After all the torture he put them through, just how much entertainment would he have before he was satisfied?
"Ah, Chris, not to interrupt your ego but in case you forgot some of us are not in any condition to be competing." Gwen said, raising her hand.
"Not to worry, we have a plan." Chris replied, shaking his head.
"Oh no." Gwen sighed. "He has a plan."
"Oh, relax, babe." Duncan reassured putting an arm around her shoulder.
Out of the corner of Gwen's eye she could see Courtney glaring at them. Gwen felt the familiar feeling of regret at what happened during World Tour despite the fact that Courtney had turned into a nutcase and tried to kill her.
"This season will be different since we got calls from several parents about endangering their kids' lives so we had to make a few changes."
"Like what? Adding some healthy food?" Heather asked.
"A place that is eco-friendly?" Dawn asked.
"Making the challenges less life threatening?" Cody asked hopefully.
"Allowing me to show off my mad skills?" Harold asked while doing a poor karate pose.
"Stop putting cameras in the bathroom?" LeShawna drawled.
"Nope." Came Chris's reply.
"Then what changes are you making?" Beth asked.
"You'll all see when we get there." Chris chuckled as he turned around.
"This is going to be fun." Gwen muttered.
Jeremy smiled as he was almost glad to be at school. A new year was about to start, and Jeremy was excited. He was excited to meet new people, have new classes, and see his old friends. He would see Yumi, Ulrich, Odd, and Aelita.
And it was two years without having to worry about going to Lyoko to fight XANA. They destroyed him nearly two years ago.
"We're here." said Mr. Belpois.
"Bye, Mom, Dad, I'll send you guys an e-mail tonight." said Jeremy.
He ran out of the car before his parents could remind of something or say goodbye. He first saw the P.E. teacher Jim and remembered how many times he found the supercomputer only to not remember after a trip to the past and the time he fought off a horde of XANA's monsters. He looked at the usual bench and saw Odd and Aelita sitting on it.
"Hey, Jeremy!" shouted Odd.
"Hey, guys how was your summer?" asked Jeremy.
"Same old, same old. What about you?" Odd.
Yumi and Ulrich came up and Yumi gave him a little hug. "How was your vacation?"
"Good, but it's great to be back." said Jeremy.
"Mine was as boring as usual." said Ulrich.
They talked and talked like good friends they were.
Too bad their peaceful life was about to end.
Perfect. They were all back together. I had spent the last three weeks waiting for their summer vacation to end. I could have turned the city into my own personal playground, but I wanted to make sure they were there.
I had planned, studied, and made many preparations. In the meantime, I would have to send out the signal.
(Outro Song: Breakaway by Subdigitals Starts)
As the credits are shown on the left side, the interior of Kadic Academy is shown, zeroing in on a file left on a desk.
(They told me that I)
The file opened to reveal a dossier with the name signed on the bottom: FRANZ HOPPER
(Was no good at all,)
The papers are moved, revealing a picture of Waldo Schaeffer and his wife, Anthea Schaeffer, who is shown to be pregnant.
(Such a waster...)
Another picture is shown of a woman with blond hair and wearing glasses.
(And suddenly I was)
Another picture shows a man with brunette hair and a beard.
(Out of the cool,)
A new picture is shown with five kids smiling: Odd was holding Kiwi over his head, a big grin on his face while the dog barked. Ulrich and Yumi were holding each other, winking at the camera; William smiled uneasily, feeling awkward about being back in the group after all he had apparently done to them under XANA's control. And Aelita was kissing Jeremy on the cheek, making Jeremy blush as the shot was snapped.
(Stuck with the fools…)
Another file opens with the label: Total Drama is shown next.
(Not that much I can do,)
The file opens to show Chris Mclean and Chef Hatchet standing in what looked like a lab.
(I'm out of the crew.)
Next comes pictures of the future contestants starting with Alejandro Burromuerto before and after the incident that turned him into a robot.
(Hear the lights go out,)
Next was a picture of a brunette with glasses labelled 'Beth Gadon'.
(What should I do)
Mildred "Blaineley" Stacey Andrews O'Halloran
(Stuck to this chair)
Bridgette Fairlie
(And yet I know)
Cody Emmett Jameson Anderson
(Gotta break away)
Courtney Barlow
(It's not my style)
Devon 'DJ' Joseph
(I gotta get away)
Duncan Nelson with a police report next to his photo
(Here and now today.)
Eva Chantrey
(Cut in half, I'm already there,)
Ezekiel Oldring
(In my head I know it,)
Geoffrey 'Geoff' Petronijevic
(Five, no four more steps,)
Gwen Fahlenbock
(Take me to the door,)
Harold Norbert Cheever Doris McGrady V
(Open up I'm falling.)
Heather Wilson
(One of those days)
Isabella 'Izzy' Crown with three additional files:
Explosivo
E-Scope
Brainzilla
(Where the lights go out,)
Justin Reid
(And yet I smile.)
Katie Anne Mills
(Gotta break away,)
LeShawna Edwards
(Life's like that and)
Lindsay Vermeer
(I gotta get away)
Noah Hayden
(Here and now today)
Owen McCord
(Gotta break away)
Sadie Lipson
(Break away, break away)
Sierra Obonsawin
(Get away,)
Trenton 'Trent' Lennon
(Here and now today.)
Tyler Beckham
(Here I am as I stand,)
Anne Maria
(I can feel you think,)
B
("Such a waster.")
Brick McArthur
(It's okay, I don't care)
Cameron Corduroy Wilkins
(Didn't wanna stay stuck)
Dakota Milton before and after her mutation
(With the fools.)
Dawn Medrek
(Skating down Park Avenue,)
Jo Elliot
(I realise my time is now and here)
Rudolph 'Lightning' Jackson
(Ready to go,)
Mike Doran while five additional files are next to his picture:
Chester
Svetlana
Manitoba
Vito
The fifth file, however, was sealed.
(Being sensible is just not sensible.)
Samuel 'Sam' Froud
(Gotta break away)
Scott Wallis, both before and after nearly being mauled to death by a mutant shark.
(It's not my style,)
Staci Peters
(And I gotta get away)
Zoey Mamabolo
(Here and now today.)
A picture of Franz Hopper in front of the Hermitage is shown next with the word 'MISSING' printed above.
(Gotta break away)
Next to appear are several reports on a new company known as 'REALITECH' .
(Life's like that,)
Followed by a medical report on Dakota Milton in her mutant form.
(And I gotta get away)
Next is a report on Alejandro who is still trapped in the robot suit following the end of Total Drama World Tour.
(Get away)
Followed by Scott's own medical file.
(Bring it all the way,)
This is followed by medical files on Anne Maria and Staci.
(Gotta break away)
Next to appear is a classified report showing a line of robots with Chris looking over one at the front.
(It's not my style,)
Robot pieces are shown to be scattered about in a lab with various scientists at work on the robots or surrounding what appears to be a large supercomputer.
(And I gotta get away)
A picture of Chris in jail is shown next.
(Here and now today.)
There is a round table with the people seated blurred from being seen, a single contract is shown on the table.
(Gotta break away)
TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
Proposed by newly established Realitech
(Life's like that,)
The pictures of the first and second generations of Total Drama contestants are then shown.
(And I gotta get away)
A map of France is shown next.
(Get away)
The file is then closed and picked up as the screen fades to black.
Bring it all the way,
The Eye of XANA flashes one time and the title of the series appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(Outro Song: Breakaway by Subdigitals Ends)
Chapter 5: Episode 5: Total Drama Reality
Summary:
The new season of Total Drama begins. This time the show takes place on the digital plane thanks to special technology provided by a game corporation called Realitech.
Chapter Text
(Code Total Drama Reality Introduction Song Starts)
(No Pain No Game (From Btoom!))
(The ending of this story)
The song starts, showing the end of Code Lyoko where the Supercomputer is shut down and the former Lyoko Warriors leave the factory seemingly for the last time.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
A single computer is shown coming online, lines of 1s and 0s streaming across the screen before the screen is replaced by a glowing sphere with the Eye of XANA, at least eight variations appearing on it. From the sphere came lines of data emerging in eight different directions. The lines of data formed into various regions, all of them floating landscapes resembling a forest, a desert, an arctic, mountains, volcanos, swamp and a jungle.
(Into this new world)
The new lands orbited the golden sphere as the camera zoomed in on the Eye of XANA staring at the screen.
(The game has only just begun)
The Eye then flashes red, and the sphere turns black.
(I can see it in your eyes)
A girl with pink hair sits on her bed, panting as she turns to see two pictures of her friends and her father. She smiles briefly but that smile turns to a look of horror as both her friends and her father are engulfed by a great darkness and the red Eye shines down on her. The Supercomputer, thought to be shut down, is reactivated and there is a flash of light.
(This is where tomorrow brings a new game)
Aelita is shown alone both in the real world and in Lyoko, hordes of monsters surrounding her.
Geoff is first shown in his human form before transitioning to his Lyoko form.
Next to him is Bridgette, holding her surfboard in the real world before changing into her Lyoko form, her board splitting into two swords.
(It's time to learn that pain is gain)
Gwen is shown sitting in front of tree, looking up and is instantly changed into her Lyoko Avatar, brandishing her scythe.
DJ is shown in the woods, tending to a little rabbit as he stands up and morphs into his Lyoko form, turning to face the camera with a stern glare.
LeShawna is last, ready to fight in both her human form and her Lyoko form.
(Ready fight!)
William and a dark reflection of himself as XANA's General are shown standing back-to-back, turning to face each other and swinging their swords.
The screen is split by the two swords, showing New Lyoko as the title appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(I gotta crush and paint away the anguish)
Aelita is shown first, sitting at the computer before she is then shown as the DJ of a party. She morphs into her Lyoko form and conjures an energy field.
This was followed quickly Geoff wildly waving his hat while riding something with Bridgette holding onto him by the back.
(Of my past for sake of my future)
Gwen is shown next, drawing in her sketchbook and sighing with a sad face as Duncan, Courtney and Trent appear behind her, their backs facing in her direction.
(Until my life comes to an end)
DJ is shown running for his life from appears to be a giant bear.
(I am gonna fight to tear apart that destiny)
LeShawna is shown next, standing confidently with her team, ready to face whatever crazy challenge comes next.
(Aoh, break out and start a revolution)
The antagonists of Total Drama: Heather, Courtney, Justin, Anne Maria, Jo, Lightning, Scott and Alejandro in the Total Drama Machine are shown from left to right, grinning or glaring at the camera, holding up an imaginary case of the million-dollar prize money in their hands. Chris Mclean is shown next, arms crossed as the chair he is sitting in spins to meet the camera, zooming out to show it is the monitor room for the Total Drama show.
A dark shadow appears above them, scrawny in appearance and hair felling over the left eye as it glares darkly at the screen.
(Until you find the answer you're looking for)
The camera then shows Aelita with the new Lyoko Warriors, the TD Lyoko Warriors and William sitting around a campfire, all of them staring up into the starry night sky, a picture of her friends and father resting in Aelita's hands.
(I'll challenge all my limits)
Aelita in her Lyoko form with her wings sprouting from her back is shown, clutching Mr. Puck in her hands as she seemingly falls back, her friends and parents in the background.
The camera moves down to show William kneeling down, clutching his sword in both hands. As this happens, the camera moves down, showing depictions of the TD Lyoko Warriors and other characters in the background.
The camera continues to move down to show Geoff pulling Bridgette into sharing a picture with LeShawna bring her face up over Bridgette's shoulder, the three of them in their Lyoko forms. While this happens, Harold, Lindsay, Beth, Trent, Katie and Sadie are shown in the background.
Below them is Gwen with her arms and legs curled around her with her cape swirling behind her like wings while Heather and Courtney are shown in the background glaring at each other followed by Sierra clutching Cody who looks distressed, Eva crossing her arms along with B and Beth both waving, the latter looking very shy. Behind Gwen appeared Dawn in her own Lyoko form in a meditative pose while upside down while facing Gwen with her eyes closed, her light robe contrasting with Gwen's cape with dark clothing, almost forming a yin-yang symbol.
Behind Dawn appears Scott, snickering evilly.
(Knowing this could be my only chance now)
DJ is shown last, seemingly falling back while holding his pet rabbit: Bunny in his hands with a happy smile. His teammates shown in the background starting with Duncan, Tyler, Justin and Alejandro ending with Chef Hatchet and Chris McClean.
He is followed by Mike and Zoey, both clutching their hands and smiling at each other as in background appears Brick, Jo, Lightning, Sam and Staci.
And lastly Cameron appears staring up at the others.
(To overcome this fate that has come over me)
The screen turns black and the Eye of XANA immediately flashes into existence, glowing red and shadowing the outline of a singular person with red glowing eyes.
(The ending of this story)
Aelita is shown, standing in a meadow now with the wind softly blowing through her hair.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
She holds up a hand, gazing sadly up as the images of her friends and parents appear in the sky.
(Into this new world)
Her hand then becomes digital, transitioning to Lyoko.
((The game has only just begun))
She gazes up a little longer before she notices her new friends and allies standing with her and smiles before looking forward, seeing a tower in the distance.
(I can see it in your eyes)
Just as they are about to rush towards the tower, the camera angles up into the digital sky as the song reaches its end.
The scene then shifts to pictures of Aelita and her friends both old and new on a desktop as the title appears on last time:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) Ends)
Episode 5: Total Drama Reality
"Coming to the city of Paris is Total Drama Reality!" Chris proclaimed to the camera as he walked down a sidewalk. "I have brought back every camper to compete in this newest season for a prize of three million dollars! Since I was charged for polluting Camp Wawanakwa that was then declared to a nature preserve, we decided to film a new season here in France. Oh, and to avoid law suits the studio has agreed to replace the money if we have another incident like last time. This time I think I'll just write a check so certain home-schooled maniacs don't pull a rip off of Lord of the Rings-which by the way almost cost me a good amount of money until I persuaded the jury, I hadn't planned for Ezekiel to act like Gollum." He stopped to snicker before resuming his announcement. "This time around our contestants will be going into both virtual reality and the real world to solve the various and hilarious puzzles I have set for them. Thanks to my friend here at RealiTech we have a series of virtual reality Apparatus Devices that will allow players to interact in a virtual world that will be different with each episode. But don't worry, I won't leave you feel like you're just watching some jerk use your computer at your house, we all know that's annoying, the players will also go out into the streets of this fair city to solve parts of their challenges. And as a bonus, because of the virtual reality devices, contestants who suffered injuries last season may participate in the digital realm and will feel like they were never injured at all to begin with."
Chris remained silent for a moment...
And then burst out laughing. "Sucks to be them!"
It was beautiful to be back at Kadic Academy. The sun shined brightly down on the city and students old and new walked through the campus to either see the place or to re-familiarize themselves with the school they have gone to before.
"Well, here we are back again." Said Ulrich.
"Yep. Another full year with the special meatloaf." Said Odd.
"Some things never change. Honestly." Said Yumi.
"Sometimes that's a good thing Yumi." Aelita giggled.
"We have two hours of chemistry first" said Jeremy, checking his schedule.
"I've got history" added Yumi. "And I better get moving, Professor Fumet is usually already in the classroom by now."
Ulrich smiled. "Guys, we're better off discussing this another time, alright?"
Yumi transferred her rucksack of books from one shoulder to another.
"Well, the Prof waits for no man. I've really got to head off guys."
"We'll see each other at dinner then, in the cafeteria."
"Awesome. Well, have a good first day everybody." She answered, quickly setting off up the path beyond the gate, continuing ahead of the others.
"Here is where the campers will be staying! A building that was rented out to me by our friends at RealiTech! Five Star with your own rooms, beds, and TVs!" Chris proclaimed, giving a tour of where the contestants would be staying. "It functions much like the dorms at a boarding school. Girls on one floor, dudes on the other with only one bathroom and shower on each floor! As you can see, we have a large courtyard outside with absolutely nothing."
It showed a rather featureless grey building with a stone courtyard with not even a bench out front, separating the front door from the property's gate.
"Now that we have the boring stuff out of the way, let us take you into the main building where our contestants will face their doom-I mean digital challenges." Chris said before the slide changed to the interior of the building. "The first floor is the girl's floor and has the room where the RealiTech interface is set up in one of the back rooms!"
It showed a dull, grey, empty room.
"It looks empty but watch this."
It changed to a recording of Chris stepping into it. "Alright and broadcast!"
Suddenly the room changed around him until...he stood on the dock at Total Drama Island outside Camp Wawanakwa.
"This room here allows us to create a digital illusion of places we have seen already. It records everything right down to every dirt and bug." He suddenly stepped in something. "But as you can see, this is illusion, which brings us to the real thing the geniuses made!"
He stepped into another room where there was a massive supercomputer.
"This is the computer that will hold every challenge! These pods alongside it hook up to the users and places them in an environment where it fools all of their senses into thinking everything is real from touch, smell, sight, taste, and sound!" He pointed to a series of pods. "So, if they get hurt, it will feel quite real to them!"
Someone coughed and Chris sighed.
"Which is why we'll have the safety on, so they do not suffer psychological damage. They just put on these visors here, turn on the interface, and presto, you're somewhere else! Any injuries you have are gone!" Chris held up a visor interface. "And all our contestants need to do if they want to get out is say the magic word...Chris Rules!" He grinned. "Now let's go re-introduce the victims-I mean contestants!"
The screen went to a hallway lined with doors. Suddenly one young man stepped out of a door. He was wearing a pair of sneakers, denim shorts, and a white long-sleeved shirt under a black t-shirt with a skull on it. It was easy to recognize the green Mohawk and the piercings.
"Broody Bad Boy, Duncan!"
The young man looked up. "Ah crap. What now Chris?"
He crossed his arms and glared at him.
"Just reintroducing our favorite contestants to the world! Smile big tough guy!" Chris replied.
"Eat dirt, Mclean." Duncan simply said.
"Next!"
Chris opened the next door, revealing a young teenager sitting at a desk inside. The boy had messy brown hair, hadn't shaved too well, and wore a pair of green pants, a pink shirt under a blue t shirt, and a pair of glasses. He turned to look at the door.
"Napoleon Dynamite: Harold!" Chris said. "How's it going buddy?"
"I'm guessing that's not your normal camera crew; you never talk to me otherwise." Harold said.
"You bet Harold; this camera crew is for introducing you to the locals!" Chris replied. "Smile man!"
"Uh...hi." Harold raised a hand. "I'm Harold, nice to be here, nice town, looks really awesome."
"And that's Harold everybody!" Chris said before he moved on. "Let's see who is in the lounge! It's built in with the necessities for being lazy: couches, drinks, and man's fourth best friend the TV!"
He entered the lounge, which was built onto the second floor. Inside the lounge were only ten of the contestants. One was a muscular man with dark skin and a small beard and a white cap playing cards with a smaller man with blonde hair, a pair of denim shorts, a pink shirt that revealed his entire chest and stomach, and a cowboy hat.
Another was a tanned, dark-haired youth who wore a pair of jeans and a dark green shirt and was looking at himself in a mirror as he sat in a chair. Sitting at the table was a boy with brown hair, a white shirt with a red stripe across it and a pair of jeans on; a large man with blonde hair wearing a pair of shorts and a white t shirt; and a blonde girl who was braiding her own hair with one hand and ignoring everything else. The final person in the room was just coming in from one of the other doors. She was short, had brown hair that was tied back in a high ponytail, a pair of large glasses, braces, and wore pink pants, a green shirt, and a vest over the shirt.
The next wore a shirt similar to the boy with the yellow and stripe shirt over a sweat, dark pants and had auburn curly hair. He had light facial hair on his chin and glasses.
"Ok, here are Nature lover DJ," The large dark-skinned man looked up, smiled, and waved to the camera. "Former Total Drama Aftermath Hosts: Geoff and Bridgette!"
The two sitting across from him waved to the camera and shouted. "HI MOM!"
"Old Pretty Boy, Justin!"
Justin perked up, looking affronted. "Old?!"
"Food Enthusiast Owen, Scrawny Contestant Cody, and Loveable lame-brain Lindsey!"
"HELLO FRANCE!" Owen shouted as he stood up.
"Hi!" Cody waved.
Lindsey blinked and looked at the camera. "I'm on TV?!"
"Finalist with a complicated love life: Beth!"
"Hi everybody!" Beth shouted before the camera went back to Chris.
"And here come the unfortunate ones!"
More people came in.
"Multiple Personality: Mike!"
"Hi." Mike simply waved at the camera.
"AKA, Chester."
Mike then changed into Chester who started complaining.
"Svetlana."
Followed by Svetlana.
"Vito."
He changed then into Vito.
"And Manitoba!"
He changed to Manitoba before changing back to Mike. "Not cool, man!"
"Mike's crush and wears too much red powerhouse: Zoey!"
"It's not that much…" Zoey looked down at her clothing. "Is it?"
"Athlete non-partner: Lightning!"
"Sha-Bang!" The former brunette athlete flexed his muscles. "Lightning's in it to win it!"
"Daddy's girl: Dakota!"
The blond hair girl wearing pink rushed over and hugged Sam.
"And Game-Boy: Sam!"
"Private Bed-Wetter: Brick!"
The army cadet immediately saluted. "Sir, yes sir!"
"Bubble Boy Brainica: Cameron!"
Cameron gave a timid wave to the camera. "Hi."
"Creep Mind Reader: Dawn!"
The pale blond just glared at and turned her face away from Chris. "Hmph!"
"Silent but smart: B."
B simply looked at the camera.
"Hairspray obsessed loony: Anne Maria."
"Your challenges better not mess up my tan or my hair. And I don't think I've forgotten you nearly giving me cancer." Anne-Maria glared at Chris.
"Not my fault you accepted a fake ring from a mutant." Chris rolled his eyes before continuing the introduction. "Bossy bruiser: Jo!"
Jo simply crossed her arms, standing next to Eva.
"And…Staci."
The girl in the pink sweater looked ready to open her mouth when Chris cut her off. "And the rest of the old contestants!"
Eight more people came in, three of them being helped by the other four. One was an Asian girl with dark hair who had casts and bandages for her broken limbs and burned flesh. "Devious Diva, Heather!"
"Shut up." Heather grumbled from her wheelchair.
"Everyone's favorite nutjob: Izzy!" Izzy waved with one hand, accidentally smacking Heather into a wall.
"OW!"
"Challenge throwing farm boy turned wheelchair: Scott."
The wheelchair bound contestant could only let out a single 'beep!' at Chris.
"Home boy turned feral boy: Ezekiel!" The mutated boy snarled, only to be caught by a claw shot out by the Drama Machine.
"Just…kidding!" Chris laughed. "Yeah, he's not coming back…Ever."
With that, the Drama Machine aimed and shot Ezekiel through a window, the mutated boy letting out a scream. Most of the contestants flinched, knowing that Chris had a special fondness for humiliating Ezekiel since World Tour.
"And here's Alejandro! Or Darth Alejandro." Chris giggled as Alejandro-I mean Darth Vader- I mean Darth Alejandro came in, led by Crazy-In-Training Courtney.
"Well how are we doing today Al?" Chris asked. "Still a spaz?"
Alejandro stared at Chris for a few moments. "I'm glaring at you right now Chris. And I swear when I get my face back I'm going to do a lot worse."
"Yep, still a spaz." Chris shrugged. "No can do. It likes you for some odd reason." Chris snickered, earning some beeps from the machine before moving on. "Yep, still a spaz. And then we have Total Drama's number one blogger: Sierra"
Sierra squealed as soon as she saw Cody. "Hi Cody!"
Cody shuddered and hid behind Owen, who was the perfect cover...until Sadie came in with a tray of muffins.
"I made muffins! That kitchen actually works!" She yelled.
"NICE!" Owen ran to her, leaving Cody exposed.
"I thought he was on a diet now!" The boy shouted.
"I'm working on it, don't judge me!" Owen shouted before he stuffed a muffin into his mouth.
"Ok, who do I get to kill now?" Eva stomped in. "What's with the freaking noise?!"
"Hey it's the scary chick!" Chris said...before he ducked as a fist buried itself into the wall above him. "Say hello to Eva!"
"What did we miss?" Gwen came in with LeShawna.
"Man, we found the sweetest cafe just up the street!" LeShawna said, smiling.
"Boyfriend Stealer Gwen and Up and Has-Been Reality TV Star LeShawna, say hello to the people of France!" Chris said...before a mime came in. "And Music Boy Trent, say to this mime!"
"What the-?!" Trent stared at the mime... before slowly backing out of the room, chased by the mime.
"Did you bring that mime in on purpose just to scare him?" Gwen asked.
"Yep!" Chris grinned. "Man, I have to see him scream, I didn't get permission to use the last footage of it from TDI on YouTube! You'd remember, he left you buried for ten minutes and ran around screaming like a little girl!"
Gwen glared...and for special effects someone in the studio played the music from 'Kill Bill' that happened when the Bride found her victim, showing repeat shots of Gwen and Chris as the screen turned red over and over. A second later the special effects shot ended, and the conversation continued.
"YEAH!" Tyler leaped in, doing a cart wheel...and crashed into the table and ended up lying on it. "Man, the gym here is awesome!"
"Former assistant and Cody-Kisser: Noah!"
"Please don't let him near those weights again; he almost gave me a concussion when he tossed one by accident." Noah came in next, nursing a bruise on his forehead.
"World's Worst Jock: Tyler!"
"Bite me Mclean!"
"And…Blainley!"
"WHAT?!"
Blainley herself was dragged in, kicking and screaming before the Drama Machine. "Chris, what are you-"
"Just kidding again." Chris snickered. "No way am I letting you back on either, Mildred!"
With that, the Drama Machine shot Blainley through the same window as Ezekial, causing nearly everyone to flinch.
"Those poor souls." Dawn whispered.
"Nice, everybody is here!" Chris said. "Well France, you loved us in Canada, and you'll hate us when I let these maniacs out onto the streets! Stay tuned for Total, Drama, Reali-tay!"
Hours later, at high noon, the show Total Drama Reality began to air its first episode.
At the same time the students of Kadic were being gathered for an assembly to welcome them back and welcome new students.
"Welcome back contestants to a new season of Total Drama. Now I'm not allowed to torment some people like last time as part of my parole, so I have to make do with what they do when they aren't in these puppies." Chris patted one VR Interface Pod. "Top of the line and can make the pain just as real and their screams all the more girlish. Of course, they also are used to help people by healing wounds inflicted within the game and can even help to relax someone...when they're not using the scenarios I have personally designed."
"His mom made 'em." Chef said quickly.
"Dude, that was random, and that was a rip off of that Microsoft commercial." Chris pointed out, for once having a good point.
"Dude, your mom provided the scenarios since you screwed up the programming for 'em, I don't even know how to use a freaking mouse and I could tell that much." Chef replied. "I called her up where she works for Dell and got her to fix 'em since you can't seem to do anything besides put more gel in that mop on your head."
"... I'll try not to let that get to me, and I'll especially try not to deduct half your pay for it either." Chris said calmly.
"Yo momma just paid for it." Chef grumbled.
"What you just say?"
"Nothing."
"Anyways, since we have both sets of contestants from previous seasons participating this time, we can't go with the usual two teams this time. So, we'll be starting off with a little challenge into the digital frontier, deciding who will be on which team before we move on to the official challenge." Chris explained. "Now, everyone pick a pod."
One by one, each contestant picked and stepped inside a pod.
"Please put them on and step into a pod." Chris commanded.
They did so, and the pods hissed shut over them. Alejandro's robot suit was being hooked up to one of the pods by two interns while Scott was being lifted off his wheelchair by DJ and while Trent put the visor on him. For obvious reasons, the damage to his body was edited from being fully seen by anyone watching the show but DJ and Trent looked like they were both about to throw up.
"Now...let the madness begin!" Chris said.
Chef threw a switch, and all campers went limp in their pods.
A screen mounted on the wall showed an empty field. Suddenly all of them appeared in the middle of it. They looked realistic, not a detail out of place. Alejandro looked down at himself, looking completely the same as he was before his accident.
So did Scott who jumped up and down. "I can move! I can speak!"
Heather looked over and noticed that Alejandro looked completely healed. She quickly looked away before anyone would have noticed a small look of regret.
"Wow!" Katie said. "This is so cool!"
"I know!" Sadie squealed.
"Nice..." Trent looked at one of his hands, impressed by the Virtual Reality World he was now in.
He wasn't the only one.
Lindsay appeared in what looked like a sewer, landing on top of a giant white alligator that snarled at her. "Wow, where did you get that amazing alligator coat?"
The alligator answered by roaring and chasing her.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Lindsay screamed and took off with the alligator chasing her.
Lightning grunted as he landed on the ground and looked around. "Where am I-" He stopped when he saw the Eiffel Tower. "The Eiffel Tower? I must be in Germany!"
A mime nearby couldn't help but sigh. "Imbecile."
Jo appeared in a stone chamber with Egyptian writing on the walls. "So where is this?"
She heard something scuttling along the ground and walls to see… "Scarabs."
The Scarabs immediately surrounded her, but Jo tried to shrug it off.
"Whoop-de-do!" She crossed her arms and looked away. "Do your worst, you pathetic roach wannabees."
The Scarabs did so, immediately swarming her.
"I take it back! Do your best! WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Like Lindsay, Sam ended up in what appeared to be sewers. He turned to see two larger than usual turtles glaring at him.
Sam, being the gamer that he is, only laughed. "Awesome!"
He ran, jumping on one turtle causing it to retract into its shell and then jumped on it again, sending it spinning to the other turtle and then jumped into the nearby pipe.
"Wow." Heather said, noticing she was actually standing.
Not only that, but her hair had completely grown back, making this a lot more bearable.
Heather would have been glad to see her injuries didn't follow her into the digital world, if she wasn't shivering as she looked around. "I-I'm in the Yukon!"
"Oh, you guys have no idea what we've made here!" Chris's annoying voice laughed.
Heather let out a groan of frustration as she walked forward, failing to see the frozen pole in front of her. She walked right into it, crying out in pain and frustration and tried to back away…
Only for her tongue to end up stuck next to it.
A snarling sound made her look behind to see a bear…
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
In the meantime, Sierra landed in a familiar looking warehouse, and she gasped in recognition. "Area 51, from Episode 67 of World Tour! That means…"
Indeed, it did.
In front of her were four plant pods and from them came…
"ALIEN CODY CLONES!" Sierra squealed and eagerly chased after the clones. "This isn't Area 51, it's Heaven!"
"Oh, since I'm the punk I end up in jail." Duncan muttered as he looked around and saw the cell door open. "Well, at least I can walk out."
Dakota roared as she reverted back to her 'Dakotazoid' form as she took on the mutant animals of Bony Island.
Courtney looked around, seeing she was in the Amazon…and surrounded by tribal men with spears pointed at her. "Uh-oh…"
When Gwen appeared, she found herself in water and quickly swam to the surface, noticing the graphics looked very real and had to admit she was impressed. "Okay, the water feels real. I hate to compliment Chris but he's outdone himself this time."
"Thank you."
Gwen frowned when she heard the host's annoying voice.
"So where am I?" Gwen looked around only to pale when she noticed she was slowly being pulled towards… "…Niagara Falls?!"
She was literally about to fall down giant waterfalls she had sketched many times before.
"I HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU CHRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!"
Scott appeared in the water next to Wawanakwa, looking around and paling when he saw dozens of shark tails. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Confessional: Harold
In the janitor's close that was the new confessional at the studio, Harold smiled at the camera.
"This is seriously awesome. I can show of my mad and gamer skills."
Confessional: Noah
"I hate to admit, but I think Chris has outdone himself this time."
"Thank you, Noah!"
Noah frowned.
Confessional: Cameron
"Maybe this season won't be so bad. Since I was raised in a bubble by my mom, I got to study a whole lot and computer-generated graphics was one of my favorite topics. This whole virtual reality thing could be right up my alley."
Confessional: Heather
"No matter the challenge, I will win and get the money I Am. Owed."
Confessional: Owen
"Whoo-hoo! I love competing with my friends and this time we're competing with video games?! AWESOME!"
Confessional: Eva
"I have been waiting through four seasons to have the chance to win. Having to sit on the side while others competed was driving me crazy!" Eva snarled but took a deep breath. "But I've learned how to control my temper since then and this time I'll play it smart."
Confessional: Gwen
"I take back what I said, you psycho!" Gwen pointed at the camera, dripping wet.
Confessional: Scott
Scott was curled up and shivering. "Never make enemies with a critter that has more teeth than your entire family!"
"Everyone, I welcome you all to Drama Land!" Chris announced grandly. "Using footage from previous season, our tech boys have managed to create a literal digital world based off of the locations that we visited, especially during World Tour."
A map of Drama Land appeared on the main screen. It appeared as one giant landscape that was mixed with locations matching places that had been filed in previous seasons:
Camp Wawanakwa appeared as a small island next to the mainland.
Niagara Falls could be seen in the center of the mainland.
At the south region were locations like the Egyptian Pyramids, the Greece Athens, the Amazon Rainforest and Australia.
Above Niagara Falls was a city that appeared as a mix of Tokyo, Toronto, Paris, London and New York with the Statue of Liberty appearing in what looked was a giant lake rather than an ocean along with Big Ben and the Eiffel Tower. Four replicas of the Tower Bridge could be shown connecting the city to the north, south, east and west branches of the digital land.
In the far northern regions, the landscape was made up of snowy mountains similar to the Yukon in Canada, the German Alps in Germany, Sweden and in the north-east a volcano could be found resembling the one from Hawaii.
The western regions were primarily made up of forests and beaches, a mix of the Amazon, Newfoundland, Montego Bay in Jamaica and the beaches from Hawaii.
In the south-west region was a replica of Rapa Nui with the stoned carvings to match.
The easter region featured a replica of the Great Wall from Beijing, China. Branching out, a replica of the Serengeti.
"Of course, they are not complete recreations but rather the entire world is basically made up of every location previously filed and meshed together." Chris continued. "People will be making a lot of connections here and a lot of challenges will be taking place here. Note, what you see now is only level one of Drama Land."
An additional map was shown appearing underneath the current Drama Land with another one appearing on top.
"The purpose of each time is to win a Chris Idol from each challenge. The team that wins five of ten idols will be allowed to advance to the next level: Drama Land Level 2." Chris continued. "The team that fails to find to find before the other two will be disbanded with the loser eliminated and any remaining team members given to the two surviving teams. From then one, the team that is the first to get through Level 2 will advance to the final level: Level 3. That is when the teams will be dissolved, and it will be every sucker for themselves."
The final level, Level 3, appeared to be taking place literally in the clouds.
"Alright, the challenge shall be that you must search for stars hidden throughout the level in this challenge. Each star has a different color corresponding with each team. If you pick a red star, you join Team Red, if you pick a green one you join Team Green, if you pick a blue one you join Team Blue. Right now, you only see a nice little forest and field with some fluffy bunnies and chipmunks, but soon...oh yes, I will not be bored anymore!" Chris snickered. "GET ME A DIET COKE!"
A crew member ran out of the room to do so.
"And once all the stars are gathered, the teams will move onto the next challenge." Chris then took a deep breath. "BEGIN THE CHALLENGE!"
In the virtual world, Trent was the first to take off running in one direction. He took only twenty steps before suddenly he fell down a hole.
"AH...!" He hit the ground with a thud. "Ow..."
The small cave he ended up in had a tunnel leading out of it with the words 'Exit' above it. He sighed. "Figures Chris would pull that on me." Suddenly, no longer injured, he stood up and took off into it.
Eva almost fell for the tunnel but leaped over it and kept running...only for a massive worm creature to suddenly come out of the ground and screech in her face. She just stared at it, and her eyes narrowed...cue the Kill Bill music there.
Katie and Sadie went in the same direction. They were far into the forest before suddenly the yran into... a wall. A simple wall, a simple, unimpressive brick wall. They stared up at it...and nothing happened. They looked at each other, and then up at the wall.
The wall towered over them. Katie squeaked in fear.
Sadie risked getting up...and the wall fell over onto them, squashing them.
"Ooh! And they are down!" Chris laughed.
Suddenly they appeared on top of the wall, looking dirty and roughed up.
"Owie..." They collapsed.
Justin walked off calmly into the forest. He came to a pond and looked down at his reflection in it.
"Man, I knew he'd find it, watch." Chris giggled.
Justin's reflection suddenly turned into that of a hideous, pimply, pale, bald middle-aged man with a beer belly.
Justin let out a scream so high pitched it cracked a window in the real world. He then fainted.
Chris laughed. "Oh man that was weak!"
Beth seemed the best off, as she dodged a hole, passed a pond, ran around the wall and the currently unconscious girls, and even dodged an arrow that shot at her. She sighed in relief...before a foot came down and stomped her.
"Divine intervention right there." Chris said smugly.
Beth reformed next to the foot, which vanished into the clouds. "Ow..."
A bunny hopped up to her. Reaching out for something to pull herself up, she accidentally grabbed it.
The rabbit turned into a white light, and suddenly Beth got up. "Hey, I feel good!"
"Yeah...the system randomly creates different creatures that can be captured and used to heal you. There'll be more...tricks and twists along the season." Chris shrugged.
Geoff got further than Beth, and even avoided being squashed three times and when vines tried to snag him, he somehow leaped forward and did a roll, got to his feet and then repeated this to get through them.
"Didn't know he was that flexible." Lindsey commented.
Bridgette blushed a bit.
"Well, we're off to a rough start here. Who will end up on whose team? Find out when we come back from commercials to…Total…Drama…Reality!"
(Outro Song: Breakaway by Subdigitals Starts)
As the credits are shown on the left side, the interior of Kadic Academy is shown, zeroing in on a file left on a desk.
(They told me that I)
The file opened to reveal a dossier with the name signed on the bottom: FRANZ HOPPER
(Was no good at all,)
The papers are moved, revealing a picture of Waldo Schaeffer and his wife, Anthea Schaeffer, who is shown to be pregnant.
(Such a waster...)
Another picture is shown of a woman with blond hair and wearing glasses.
(And suddenly I was)
Another picture shows a man with brunette hair and a beard.
(Out of the cool,)
A new picture is shown with five kids smiling: Odd was holding Kiwi over his head, a big grin on his face while the dog barked. Ulrich and Yumi were holding each other, winking at the camera; William smiled uneasily, feeling awkward about being back in the group after all he had apparently done to them under XANA's control. And Aelita was kissing Jeremy on the cheek, making Jeremy blush as the shot was snapped.
(Stuck with the fools…)
Another file opens with the label: Total Drama is shown next.
(Not that much I can do,)
The file opens to show Chris Mclean and Chef Hatchet standing in what looked like a lab.
(I'm out of the crew.)
Next comes pictures of the future contestants starting with Alejandro Burromuerto before and after the incident that turned him into a robot.
(Hear the lights go out,)
Next was a picture of a brunette with glasses labelled 'Beth Gadon'.
(What should I do)
Mildred "Blaineley" Stacey Andrews O'Halloran
(Stuck to this chair)
Bridgette Fairlie
(And yet I know)
Cody Emmett Jameson Anderson
(Gotta break away)
Courtney Barlow
(It's not my style)
Devon 'DJ' Joseph
(I gotta get away)
Duncan Nelson with a police report next to his photo
(Here and now today.)
Eva Chantrey
(Cut in half, I'm already there,)
Ezekiel Oldring
(In my head I know it,)
Geoffrey 'Geoff' Petronijevic
(Five, no four more steps,)
Gwen Fahlenbock
(Take me to the door,)
Harold Norbert Cheever Doris McGrady V
(Open up I'm falling.)
Heather Wilson
(One of those days)
Isabella 'Izzy' Crown with three additional files:
Explosivo
E-Scope
Brainzilla
(Where the lights go out,)
Justin Reid
(And yet I smile.)
Katie Anne Mills
(Gotta break away,)
LeShawna Edwards
(Life's like that and)
Lindsay Vermeer
(I gotta get away)
Noah Hayden
(Here and now today)
Owen McCord
(Gotta break away)
Sadie Lipson
(Break away, break away)
Sierra Obonsawin
(Get away,)
Trenton 'Trent' Lennon
(Here and now today.)
Tyler Beckham
(Here I am as I stand,)
Anne Maria
(I can feel you think,)
B
("Such a waster.")
Brick McArthur
(It's okay, I don't care)
Cameron Corduroy Wilkins
(Didn't wanna stay stuck)
Dakota Milton before and after her mutation
(With the fools.)
Dawn Medrek
(Skating down Park Avenue,)
Jo Elliot
(I realise my time is now and here)
Rudolph 'Lightning' Jackson
(Ready to go,)
Mike Doran while five additional files are next to his picture:
Chester
Svetlana
Manitoba
Vitro
The fifth file, however, was sealed.
(Being sensible is just not sensible.)
Samuel 'Sam' Froud
(Gotta break away)
Scott Wallis, both before and after nearly being mauled to death by a mutant shark.
(It's not my style,)
Staci Peters
(And I gotta get away)
Zoey Mamabolo
(Here and now today.)
A picture of Franz Hopper in front of the Hermitage is shown next with the word 'MISSING' printed above.
(Gotta break away)
Next to appear are several reports on a new company known as 'REALITECH' .
(Life's like that,)
Followed by a medical report on Dakota Milton in her mutant form.
(And I gotta get away)
Next is a report on Alejandro who is still trapped in the robot suit following the end of Total Drama World Tour.
(Get away)
Followed by Scott's own medical file.
(Bring it all the way,)
This is followed by medical files on Anne Maria and Staci.
(Gotta break away)
Next to appear is a classified report showing a line of robots with Chris looking over one at the front.
(It's not my style,)
Robot pieces are shown to be scattered about in a lab with various scientists at work on the robots or surrounding what appears to be a large supercomputer.
(And I gotta get away)
A picture of Chris in jail is shown next.
(Here and now today.)
There is a round table with the people seated blurred from being seen, a single contract is shown on the table.
(Gotta break away)
TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
Proposed by newly established Realitech
(Life's like that,)
The pictures of the first and second generations of Total Drama contestants are then shown.
(And I gotta get away)
A map of France is shown next.
(Get away)
The file is then closed and picked up as the screen fades to black.
Bring it all the way,
The Eye of XANA flashes one time and the title of the series appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(Outro Song: Breakaway by Subdigitals Ends)
Chapter 6: Episode 6: The Return of the Past
Summary:
Just as the show and the new school year starts the cast, the Lyoko gang, and all of France are shocked when a mysterious virus takes control of all communication networks and announces the return of Lyoko Gang's old enemy: XANA.
Chapter Text
( Code Total Drama Reality Introduction Song Starts )
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) )
(The ending of this story)
The song starts, showing the end of Code Lyoko where the Supercomputer is shut down and the former Lyoko Warriors leave the factory seemingly for the last time.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
A single computer is shown coming online, lines of 1s and 0s streaming across the screen before the screen is replaced by a glowing sphere with the Eye of XANA, at least eight variations appearing on it. From the sphere came lines of data emerging in eight different directions. The lines of data formed into various regions, all of them floating landscapes resembling a forest, a desert, an arctic, mountains, volcanoes, swamp and a jungle.
(Into this new world)
The new lands orbited the golden sphere as the camera zoomed in on the Eye of XANA staring at the screen.
(The game has only just begun)
The Eye then flashes red, and the sphere turns black.
(I can see it in your eyes)
A girl with pink hair sits on her bed, panting as she turns to see two pictures of her friends and her father. She smiles briefly but that smile turns to a look of horror as both her friends and her father are engulfed by a great darkness and the red Eye shines down on her. The Supercomputer, thought to be shut down, is reactivated and there is a flash of light.
(This is where tomorrow brings a new game)
Aelita is shown alone both in the real world and in Lyoko, hordes of monsters surrounding her.
Geoff is first shown in his human form before transitioning to his Lyoko form.
Next to him is Bridgette, holding her surfboard in the real world before changing into her Lyoko form, her board splitting into two swords.
(It's time to learn that pain is gain)
Gwen is shown sitting in front of tree, looking up and is instantly changed into her Lyoko Avatar, brandishing her scythe.
DJ is shown in the woods, tending to a little rabbit as he stands up and morphs into his Lyoko form, turning to face the camera with a stern glare.
LeShawna is last, ready to fight in both her human form and her Lyoko form.
(Ready fight!)
William and a dark reflection of himself as XANA's General are shown standing back-to-back, turning to face each other and swinging their swords.
The screen is split by the two swords, showing New Lyoko as the title appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(I gotta crush and paint away the anguish)
Aelita is shown first, sitting at the computer before she is then shown as the DJ of a party. She morphs into her Lyoko form and conjures an energy field.
This was followed quickly by Geoff wildly waving his hat while riding something with Bridgette holding onto him by the back.
(Of my past for the sake of my future)
Gwen is shown next, drawing in her sketchbook and signifying with a sad face as Duncan, Courtney and Trent appear behind her, their backs facing in her direction.
(Until my life comes to an end)
DJ is shown running for his life from appears to be a giant bear.
(I am gonna fight to tear apart that destiny)
LeShawna is shown next, standing confidently with her team, ready to face whatever crazy challenge comes next.
(Aoh, break out and start a revolution)
The antagonists of Total Drama: Heather, Courtney, Justin, Anne Maria, Jo, Lightning, Scott and Alejandro in the Total Drama Machine are shown from left to right, grinning or glaring at the camera, holding up an imaginary case of the million- dollar prize money in their hands. Chris Mclean is shown next, arms crossed as the chair he is sitting in spins to meet the camera, zooming out to show it is the monitor room for the Total Drama show.
A dark shadow appears above them, scrawny in appearance and hair falling over the left eye as it glares darkly at the screen.
(Until you find the answer you're looking for)
The camera then shows Aelita with the new Lyoko Warriors, the TD Lyoko Warriors and William sitting around a campfire, all of them staring up into the starry night sky, a picture of her friends and father resting in Aelita's hands.
(I'll challenge all my limits)
Aelita in her Lyoko form with her wings sprouting from her back is shown, clutching Mr. Puck in her hands as she seemingly falls back, her friends and relatives in the background.
The camera moves down to show William kneeling down, clutching his sword in both hands. As this happens, the camera moves down, showing depictions of the TD Lyoko Warriors and other characters in the background.
The camera continues to move down to show Geoff pulling Bridgette into sharing a picture with LeShawna bringing her face up over Bridgette's shoulder, the three of them in their Lyoko forms. While this happens, Harold, Lindsay, Beth, Trent, Katie and Sadie are shown in the background.
Below them is Gwen with her arms and legs curled around her with her cape swirling behind her like wings while Heather and Courtney are shown in the background glaring at each other followed by Sierra clutching Cody who looks distressed, Eva crossing her arms along with B and Beth both waving, the latter looking very shy. Behind Gwen appeared Dawn in her own Lyoko form in a meditative pose while upside down while facing Gwen with her eyes closed, her light robe contrasting with Gwen's cape with dark clothing, almost forming a yin-yang symbol.
Behind Dawn appears Scott, snickering evilly.
(Knowing this could be my only chance now)
DJ is shown last, seemingly falling back while holding his pet rabbit: Bunny in his hands with a happy smile. His teammates shown in the background starting with Duncan, Tyler, Justin and Alejandro ending with Chef Hatchet and Chris McClean.
He is followed by Mike and Zoey, both clutching their hands and smiling at each other as in background appears Brick, Jo, Lightning, Sam and Staci.
And lately Cameron appears staring up at the others.
(To overcome this fate that has come over me)
The screen turns black and the Eye of XANA immediately flashes into existence, glowing red and shadowing the outline of a singular person with red glowing eyes.
(The ending of this story)
Aelita is shown, standing in a meadow now with the wind gently blowing through her hair.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
She holds up a hand, gazing sadly up as the images of her friends and parents appear in the sky.
(Into this new world)
Her hand then becomes digital, transitioning to Lyoko.
((The game has only just begun))
She gazes up a little longer before she notices her new friends and allies standing with her and smiles before looking forward, seeing a tower in the distance.
(I can see it in your eyes)
Just as they are about to rush towards the tower, the camera angles up into the digital sky as the song reaches its end.
The scene then shifts to pictures of Aelita and her friends both old and new on a desktop as the title appears on last time:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) Ends )
Episode 6: Return of the Past
At Kadic Academy, every student was gathered in chairs facing the stage.
The former Lyoko warriors, all of them now fifteen while Yumi was now sixteen sat down along with the rest of the audience. It had been almost two years now since their days in Lyoko. They were now ordinary teens after they defeated the highly corrupt computer entity known as XANA.
The principal, Jean-Pierre Delmas addressed them. "It is my pleasure to welcome all of you back to Kadic Academy once again. I see new faces and old ones, and I see that some of us have moved on to bigger places. But now it's a whole new year and with new chances to be made."
As the speech continued, something seeped along the cables within the walls.
0:10
0:09
0:08
0:07
0:06
0:05
0:04
0:03
0:02
0:01
0:00
COUNTDOWN ENDED
Perfect, all gathered together. The countdown has ended. It is now time to strike.
The virus I was sending out would infect computers connected to the Internet, networked computers and communication network systems everywhere, but only for a few minutes, only to get my message across. I wouldn't do any harm yet, for now I'd watch the Lyoko Team squirm.
(XANA Attack Theme Begins)
In the newly upgraded and redesigned Lyoko, pulsation ran along the soft grassy paths of the Forest Sector before reaching a tower, the blue surrounding turning red.
It didn't end there.
In the Ice Sector, a tower's aura changed from blue to red.
Red energy pulsed along the cables to a tower in the Desert Region of Lyoko, this one positioned on top of a small mountain with only a small plateau around it for footing.
And lastly, a tower in the mountain sector was active.
I never had the power to activate four towers before but now I found a way to boost my power considerably, even more than the power I amassed with my Replikas.
I would expect the team to rush to deactivate the towers immediately once they learned more than one tower was activated. I might as well offer some resistance, just to show them how I had changed my monsters.
Time to start the show.
By this point, several stars had been found, showing who was on which team:
Red Team – LeShawna, Gwen, Zoey, Izzy, Cameron, Bridgette, Brick
Yellow Team – Harold, Heather, Lindsay, Cody, Sam, Mike, Dawn, DJ, Scott
Blue Team – Alejandro, Noah, Tyler, Owen, Anne Maria, Sierra, Duncan, Courtney
"Uh...Chris, we have a problem." One of the workers, Robby said.
"What now?" Chris groaned.
"Something's wrong, the computer isn't responding to anything...we're still broadcasting but-" Suddenly the screen went blank. All contestants that hadn't found a star and been removed remained comatose within their pods.
"Get the campers out of there!" Chris shouted.
"I can't, the safety switch isn't working! Everything's locked up!" Robby replied.
"Chris...what is that?" Chef pointed at the monitor, where a strange red symbol had appeared in a field of white.
It looked like an eye.
Slowly a message scrawled across the screen, typed blood red in a computerized perfect bold font.
I LIVE AGAIN
AND I AM COMING FOR YOU
At the same time, from the satellite of a skyscraper emerged a specter that shot straight into the air and a second later, the sky began to turn dark, almost completely pitch black.
As a video was set up, showing a slide show about Kadic, the screen suddenly went blank. At the same time, the sunlight from the windows vanished, leaving the projector as the only source of light in the room. Several students started looking nervous, taken by surprise by the sudden darkness enveloping the gymnasium. Odd and Ulrich exchanged glances, both of them looking surprised as well while Aelita couldn't help but feel nervous.
Nervous from a very familiar feeling that she hoped to never feel again.
"Hm? Uh, Jim is something wrong with the- oh!" Delmas dropped his microphone in shock as electricity crackled from it. "What is going on?!"
Suddenly the projector switched on and a red light was projected onto the wall, showing the same strange 'eye' as the billions that appeared on every TV, computer, or cell phone in France. It was blood red, as were the words, bathing the entire gymnasium in a red ominous light.
Aelita's eyes widened, and for a moment she went limp against Jeremy, who caught her. Many people had risen to their feet, murmuring and whispering to each other, slowly getting nervous as they looked at the screen.
"Jeremy, is that what I think it is? Please tell me I had too much soda and that it's gone to my head, and I've flipped my lid." Odd whispered to Jeremy through clenched teeth.
"I-I...I don't..." Jeremy stammered. "Impossible..."
All of the Lyoko Fighters were paralyzed from the seeing the Eye of the enemy that they had fought and killed two years ago appear before them, staring them right in the face.
And then came the message.
I LIVE AGAIN
AND I AM COMING FOR YOU
William, who had spent most of his time possessed by XANA. He was free now...and he sure as hell wanted to stay free, the mere sight of this symbol made him relive every moment in purgatory that he had experienced under XANA's control. Every moment had been like a lifetime.
"He-he-but, supposed to be gone!" He was just above a whisper, but luckily nobody heard him as the whispers arose to questions made at an outdoor volume.
He felt his heart beating and then he heard it…
A pulsing sound that resembled the beating of a heart.
He knew what it was because he had heard it before.
The sound of a heart…
XANA's heart.
William clutched his chest and fell to his knees, hearing XANA's heart beating with his own and knew this was no trick.
"Ulrich!" Yumi almost shouted, her hand crushing his as she tried tugging him towards the door.
"I know!" He grabbed Odd and tugged him along, and soon all six kids slipped out in the chaos and were out in the courtyard.
"This can't be right! Franz sacrificed himself to destroy him! He can't be back!" Ulrich shouted.
"Jeremy tell me that was just some sick and coincidental joke!" Odd turned to the blond genius.
"No...that projector wasn't hooked up to anything, nobody could put a virus into something that old to make a false signal, and Jim checks everything that goes in right to the last second before an assembly. I even saw it being turned off as we went in." Jeremy shook his head.
It was impossible. They shut down the supercomputer. There was no way XANA could come back. He was completely destroyed.
Aelita had remained silent this entire time. Then all of the recent events rushed up to meet her.
Her father died...for no reason at all!
XANA was back and he just let them know right in the middle of school!
He left them a freaking message?!
"Jeremy, you said your program would wipe him out!" Yumi snapped.
"And it did, there wasn't a single trace of him left in the system and Lyoko is gone!" Jeremy retorted, his mind racing to try and explain how XANA could have survived.
"Lyoko...if he's attacking then-" Ulrich started.
"The Factory!" Odd cut him off.
The four of them started running, but as Jeremy took a step, he realized Aelita wasn't moving.
He looked back at her. "Aelita?"
He paused once again as he saw tears streaming down her face.
"Jeremy...my father, he died for nothing Jeremy, all for nothing!" Aelita sniffed. "He was so sure he'd take XANA with him but now he's back!"
As she broke down, Jeremy brought her up against him and let her sob against his shirt. He looked to the four other members of the gang.
"Go on ahead and scout out the factory. If there is something to see there... then I did leave my notebook there." Jeremy said. "Just read it up, the transfer process is simple, we'll catch up soon. If you do end up anywhere, just look for the activated tower and we'll send Aelita in later."
Yumi nodded. "I'll handle it."
With that, they left Aelita and Jeremy behind. Aelita continued sobbing as Jeremy held her. William managed to emerge from the gymnasium, hand still clutching his chest.
"He's back…He's really back." William couldn't help but mutter to himself over and over.
Back at the studio, Chris was banging on the control panel. "Work you- oh for the love of, nothing is- come on!"
"It's no use boss, whoever did this has us shut out, this virus has the system under complete lockdown. I can't access anything, and I'm pretty damn sure we can't get the kids out!" Robby said.
"Oh great. That's just what we need. Another potential lawsuit." Chris groaned.
"Looks like someone with a grudge if you ask me, a death threat...somebody turn on a TV; see if it's anywhere else. I knew some punk back in Canada who made something like this, put up a video of a picture of me being edited so I had make-up on all over the province." Chef shuddered.
"GEOFF!" Bridgette was pressed up against the canopy separating her from Geoff. "For the love of god Chris get them out of there!"
"MIKE!" Zoey was equally upset, staring down at the pod with her boyfriend inside.
"We're trying everything we can, but whatever did this got through our fire walls like they weren't even there. All the antivirus software we have is useless!" Robby said before he opened a panel. "Hold on, I'll see if I can disconnect us from the network, stop broadcasting so we can take care of this, whatever the hell it is."
"Do it!" Carlos ordered.
"Should we turn a TV on now?" Izzy asked.
"YES!" Half of the campers shouted, grouped around the pods.
Chef ran over to the TV and plugged it in. They turned it on, and the symbol was there also, along with the message. When Bridgette and Gwen turned around they paled, having seen that symbol before…
"Whoa!" Bridgette gasped, seeing lines of giant robots lined up. "What in the world?"
The robots were humanoid, at least six feet tall. On their left arm was some sort of cannon with a standard hand on their right arm. They had six 'eyes' 'in two sets of three per head and their heads had two antennae. On their panel was a strange eye symbol that gave Bridgette the creeps.
Later, after the Elimination Ceremony that turned out to be an be an award instead, thus saving Heather from elimination much to Gwen's disappointment the goth girl was staring down at her notebook as she tried to remember what had happened to her.
She thought she saw a spider…A big one.
A big robotic one.
And then there was something else.
Her artist eye for detail allowed her one important detail about the spider that stood out in her mind.
Two circles surrounding a single dot with a single bar sticking out from the top and three more at the bottom.
There was something about this eye…symbol…thing that really stood out in her mind.
Something that made her feel really nervous.
'That symbol…Like the one I saw in Siberia. What is it doing here?' Bridgette frantically wondered to herself.
"Whatever this is, we aren't the only ones getting it, and it's all over town!" Chef pulled out his phone, which had the symbol and message. "TV, Cell Phone, Computer, it has the same damn message!"
"How could this thing have done all this at once?" Duncan asked. "Look, Chris, I'm not a computer expert but I sure as hell know that some jack off in his mom's basement couldn't make something to do this, so who the hell could?!"
"I don't know, honestly, I was gonna keep by my contract and not do anything to mess you up this bad!" Chris said.
"Ok, we're disconnected from the World Wide Web and all TV Broadcasting networks." Robby said as he stood up, holding the end of two cables. "Dang, nothing! It's already in the system, disconnecting didn't help one bit."
"What's the worst-case scenario if we don't get those kids outta there?" Chef asked.
"Then they're stuck in there while their bodies are...well like in a coma, if they're stuck in there for good or if the power goes out they are literally trapped permanently, they'll be veggies for life!" Robby cried.
"Come on buddy, wake up man!" DJ shouted to Geoff.
"Can we talk to them at least? Let them know what's happening? Do they even know what's happening in there?" LeShawna demanded.
"Let's check. We're still linked, probably can send a message through, but it's probably the best we can do, and it'll be a one-way conversation, they can't reply and we can't hear."
Bridgette started crying. "Oh god oh god oh god!"
"Damn it, get the kids outta here, we'll handle this." Robby said as he and Carlos went to work at the controls.
"NO! I'm not leaving him!" Bridgette shrieked.
"I'm not leaving Mike either!" Zoey shouted as loudly.
"Best software in the world, best tech in the world and not even- ah!" Robby cried out as electricity crackled and shocked his hand. "I wasn't paid to do this! Everything's jammed!"
"Bridge, Zoey, you need to let the experts work on this, you and the others are in the way." Chris said, trying to reason with the two.
Eventually DJ and Gwen managed to bring Bridgette away from the room in tears. Meanwhile, B and Brick did the same for Zoey who sobbed into Brick's chest.
Duncan grabbed Chris by the collar of his shirt and hissed. "You brought us here, you decided to use these stupid pods, you caused this. If my buddy Geoff becomes a vegetable, I'm gonna make sure you become one too, Chrissie."
He then shoved him away and stormed out.
"CHRIS! GET MY FRIEND OUT OF THERE!" Barely a split-second later Lindsey hoisted Chris into the air with one hand and shook him like a rag doll. "SHE'S MY BFF! GET BETH OUT OF THERE NOW!"
Izzy and LeShawna managed to drag her off.
"Damn." Chef blinked. "We'll do everything we can everyone, just go and find something that isn't jammed!"
"Damn it! Nothing!" Robby kicked the controls. "Piece of crap!"
Dawn left the room without anyone looking and glanced out the window, seeing dark clouds forming over Paris. "Evil…This is…pure evil."
She didn't know exactly what it was, but she could feel something in the air…Something not natural that was screaming pure evil washing over her.
Dawn wasn't sure what was happening.
Only that it was bad, really bad.
"Uh...guys, do you see this?" Geoff asked as he looked up at the sky, which now had dark red clouds. The forest began to turn into stone around them, and the grass turned into sand at their feet.
The group had ended up back together with no luck finding a star after the first few minutes. "What's Chris up to now?"
"Uh... I don't know this doesn't seem like him." Beth said.
"Oh, come on it has him all over it." Trent said. "Come on Chris bring it on!" After a few moments he hesitated. "Uh...Chris?"
There was no sound, no unexpected surprise, or anything to torment them, and especially no gloating smile or sneering voice from Chris.
"Uh...hello? Chris? Chris?" Trent looked around. "Uh..."
"I don't like this place." Katie whimpered.
"Me neither." Satie joined her.
"Uh...maybe he's just playing with us to make us fail. Let's just find some stars and get us out...or wait, the safe word!" Geoff took a deep breath and said. "Chris Rules!"
Nothing happened...
"Aaaaaaaaand now I feel like I wanna wash my mouth with soap."
"Nothing happened! You're still here!" Trent said.
"So what, Chris lied?" Beth asked.
"I'm gonna pound that weasel when I get out of here." Eva growled.
"No, this doesn't make sense, he wouldn't lie about a pass word like that, he's a bigger narcissus than any celebrity." Trent said.
"So...we're stuck then?" Justin asked.
After a few moments for it to sink in, Katie and Satie screamed at the top of their lungs and fell back to the ground.
Eva rolled her eyes. "Ah jeez."
"Well...let's just stand here, if he's playing a sick joke he won't get his damn ratings." Trent crossed his arms.
"YEAH!" Beth, Eva, and Geoff said at the same time.
They stood there for several minutes.
"So...anyone wanna play Thumb Wars while we wait?"
"NO!"
CRACKLE!
"Damn!" Robby stood up. "Anti-Virus software, useless. Virus Scan, useless! Fire Walls, useless! The only thing I haven't tried is resetting the whole system!"
"Is that a good idea with the kids in there?" Chris asked.
"No, not with them in there. The reset would restore the system to how it was before...but since the kids are kind of like...temporary files like stuff of the internet you don't save, RAM. The reset would save the Read Only Memory, but the Random Access Memory and the kids would be deleted entirely. So resetting is not an option." Robby sighed. "I can't do a thing to save their files because all the controls are locked. If I could I'd save their log in memory so then the program would know not to erase them, this specific system was designed by RealiTech to make sure people wouldn't suffer from a virus...but then again at that time the controls weren't meant to be locked down on these things, they didn't make a secondary plan for it."
"So bottom line: Nothing we can do can get them out." Chris said, nervously tugging his collar.
"Absolutely nothing. Trust me, we made sure everything was set up, we took every precaution when we made this stuff, nobody could have predicted this would happen." Robby said.
"You weren't the only one, the entire city is down!" Cody said as he came back in. "I went out and checked, it's all over the city! Even the streetlights and bank machines, anything with a network is showing that weird eye and the uh... message."
"Whoever did this sure must be pissed about somethin'." Chef said.
"Yeah, and you know the airport just a few blocks over? The planes are just circling. Somebody said a few were supposed to come down. There are people stuck up there until the airport clears them. And the airport can't even talk to them!"
"So, whoever did this doesn't give a damn what happens." Duncan growled.
The Lyoko gang rushed into the factory. They reached the elevator and took it down back to the familiar circular room lined with circuitry.
When they came in, the computer, the holographic map of Lyoko, and everything else was on as if it was never shut off.
"I don't believe it, it's all back!" Odd exclaimed with widened eyes. "Lyoko's back too!"
"How could this be happening?" Yumi muttered to herself.
She had hoped it was a dream or a hallucination, but it wasn't. After everything they had done, everything they had went through, everything they had sacrificed…
It hadn't been enough.
Two years of living a peaceful, normal life…Only for it suddenly end right before their very eyes.
"He just couldn't stay down, could he?" Ulrich asked aloud, referring to XANA.
It was worse than that and they knew it.
Everything they had gone through and even that was not enough. Their enemy had managed to survive and laugh in their faces one last time. And that wasn't the worst part…
Aelita's dad, the man who sacrificed himself had died for nothing.
"Ok, if its back and XANA is, then there must be a tower." Yumi said, getting right to business. "Jeremy left plenty of programs to make sure nobody messed with the computer without him knowing, one of them was to see how long it was left on and when it was used. I'll check it, you two head to the scanners."
Yumi ran to the chair, which automatically lifted her around to face the computer. She typed in commands. "Alright, checking...it was activated three weeks ago today!"
As the elevator went down, she ran a scan for the tower. "Alright...Desert Section, I'll try to get you as close as I can." She grabbed Jeremy's notebook from where it was taped under the screen. She carefully peeled the tape away and read through the 'Transfer Process' section.
"Alright everyone, we have a tower in the Desert Section, get in the scanners." She said over the intercom.
"How long has the computer been on?" Ulrich asked.
"Three weeks today!"
"Is that how long XANA could have been back?"
"No idea, just go in there and I'll let you know when Aelita and Jeremy catch up!" Yumi said, beginning the sequence as Odd and Ulrich stepped into the two of the three scanners.
"Transfer Odd...Scanner Odd...Virtualization!"
"Transfer Ulrich...Scanner Ulrich...Virtualization!"
Lyoko
Desert Sector
Ulrich opened his eyes and saw a familiar sight. "Odd you're…back to the normal weird."
Odd looked down at himself and saw he was in his original Lyoko form instead of the upgraded form Jeremy had created. "Well, I can't complain. I think I look more handsome in this form."
Ulrich looked down at himself and saw he was wearing the same samurai garb of his first form as well, gripping his katana.
I'll say this; it's good to have this again." He unsheathed and twirled it in his hand a bit.
"Well, let's see..." They stood on one of the many generic platforms that hovered over the digital sea.
"The tower is located...alright just turn to your left a bit..." They obeyed Yumi's disembodied voice. "There! Now start running!"
"Uh...what about our vehicles?"
"The programs for the vehicles are in Jeremy's Dorm, we didn't bother to keep them since we thought it was over." Yumi said impatiently.
"Back to basics then." Odd sighed, and then the duo took off across the Desert.
They're back on Lyoko...Ulrich and Odd. Aelita wasn't there... I'll wait for now; I can't spoil the surprise until my dear sister is here. I'll send some new friends to greet them, let them get warmed up.
(XANA Attack Theme Ends)
(Outro Song: Breakaway by Subdigitals Starts)
As the credits are shown on the left side, the interior of Kadic Academy is shown, zeroing in on a file left on a desk.
(They told me that I)
The file opened to reveal a dossier with the name signed on the bottom: FRANZ HOPPER
(Was no good at all,)
The papers are moved, revealing a picture of Waldo Schaeffer and his wife, Anthea Schaeffer, who is shown to be pregnant.
(Such a waste...)
Another picture is shown of a woman with blond hair and wearing glasses.
(And suddenly I was)
Another picture shows a man with brunette hair and a beard.
(Out of the cool,)
A new picture is shown with five kids smiling: Odd was holding Kiwi over his head, a big grin on his face while the dog barked. Ulrich and Yumi were holding each other, winning at the camera; William smiledasily, feeling awkward about being back in the group after all he had apparently done to them under XANA's control. And Aelita was kissing Jeremy on the cheek, making Jeremy blush as the shot was captured.
(Stuck with the fools…)
Another file opens with the label: Total Drama is shown next.
(Not that much I can do,)
The file opens to show Chris Mclean and Chef Hatchet standing in what looked like a lab.
(I'm out of the crew.)
Next comes pictures of the future contestants starting with Alejandro Burromuerto before and after the incident that turned him into a robot.
(Hear the lights go out,)
Next was a picture of a brunette with glasses labeled 'Beth Gadon'.
(What should I do)
Mildred "Blaineley" Stacey Andrews O'Halloran
(Stuck to this chair)
Bridgette Fairlie
(And yet I know)
Cody Emmett Jameson Anderson
(Gotta break away)
Courtney Barlow
(It's not my style)
Devon 'DJ' Joseph
(I gotta get away)
Duncan Nelson with a police report next to his photo
(Here and now today.)
Eva Chantrey
(Cut in half, I'm already there,)
Ezekiel Oldring
(In my head I know it,)
Geoffrey 'Geoff' Petronijevic
(Five, no four more steps,)
Gwen Fahlenbock
(Take me to the door,)
Harold Norbert Cheever Doris McGrady V
(Open up I'm falling.)
Heather Wilson
(One of those days)
Isabella 'Izzy' Crown with three additional files:
Explosive
E-Scope
Brainzilla
(Where the lights go out,)
Justin Reid
(And yet I smile.)
Katie Anne Mills
(Gotta break away,)
LeShawna Edwards
(Life's like that and)
Lindsay Vermeer
(I gotta get away)
Noah Hayden
(Here and now today)
Owen McCord
(Gotta break away)
Sadie Lipson
(Break away, break away)
Sierra Obonsawin
(Get away,)
Trenton 'Trent' Lennon
(Here and now today.)
Tyler Beckham
(Here I am as I stand,)
Anne Maria
(I can feel you think,)
B
("Such a waste.")
Brick McArthur
(It's okay, I don't care)
Cameron Corduroy Wilkins
(Didn't wanna stay stuck)
Dakota Milton before and after her mutation
(With the fools.)
Dawn Medrek
(Skating down Park Avenue,)
Jo Elliot
(I realize my time is now and here)
Rudolph 'Lightning' Jackson
(Ready to go,)
Mike Doran while five additional files are next to his picture:
Chester
Svetlana
Manitoba
Glass
The fifth file, however, was sealed.
(Being sensitive is just not sensitive.)
Samuel 'Sam' Froud
(Gotta break away)
Scott Wallis, both before and after nearly being mauled to death by a mutant shark.
(It's not my style,)
Staci Peters
(And I gotta get away)
Zoey Mamabolo
(Here and now today.)
A picture of Franz Hopper in front of the Hermitage is shown next with the word 'MISSING' printed above.
(Gotta break away)
Next to appear are several reports on a new company known as 'REALITECH'.
(Life's like that,)
Followed by a medical report on Dakota Milton in her mutant form.
(And I gotta get away)
Next is a report on Alejandro who is still trapped in the robot suit following the end of Total Drama World Tour.
(Get away)
Followed by Scott's own medical file.
(Bring it all the way,)
This is followed by medical files on Anne Maria and Staci.
(Gotta break away)
Next to appear is a classified report showing a line of robots with Chris looking over one at the front.
(It's not my style,)
Robot pieces are shown to be scattered about in a lab with various scientists at work on the robots or surrounding what appears to be a large supercomputer.
(And I gotta get away)
A picture of Chris in jail is shown next.
(Here and now today.)
There is a round table with the people seated blurred from being seen, a single contract is shown on the table.
(Gotta break away)
TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
Proposed by newly established Realitech
(Life's like that,)
The pictures of the first and second generations of Total Drama contestants are then shown.
(And I gotta get away)
A map of France is shown next.
(Get away)
The file is then closed and picked up as the screen fades to black.
Bring it all the way,
The Eye of XANA flashes one time and the title of the series appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(Outro Song: Breakaway by Subdigitals Ends)
Chapter 7: Episode 7: New World, New Dangers
Summary:
As the Total Drama cast and the rest of France deals with the mysterious Red-Eye virus the Lyoko gang finds themselves outnumbered and outmatched by new and more powerful monsters on an upgraded Lyoko. They realize too late that they had been lured into a trap.
Chapter Text
( Code Total Drama Reality Introduction Song Starts )
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) )
(The ending of this story)
The song starts, showing the end of Code Lyoko where the Supercomputer is shut down and the former Lyoko Warriors leave the factory seemingly for the last time.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
A single computer is shown coming online, lines of 1s and 0s streaming across the screen before the screen is replaced by a glowing sphere with the Eye of XANA, at least eight variations appearing on it. From the sphere came lines of data emerging in eight different directions. The lines of data formed into various regions, all of them floating landscapes resembling a forest, a desert, an arctic, mountains, volcanoes, swamp and a jungle.
(Into this new world)
The new lands orbited the golden sphere as the camera zoomed in on the Eye of XANA staring at the screen.
(The game has only just begun)
The Eye then flashes red, and the sphere turns black.
(I can see it in your eyes)
A girl with pink hair sits on her bed, panting as she turns to see two pictures of her friends and her father. She smiles briefly but that smile turns to a look of horror as both her friends and her father are engulfed by a great darkness and the red Eye shines down on her. The Supercomputer, thought to be shut down, is reactivated and there is a flash of light.
(This is where tomorrow brings a new game)
Aelita is shown alone both in the real world and in Lyoko, hordes of monsters surrounding her.
Geoff is first shown in his human form before transitioning to his Lyoko form.
Next to him is Bridgette, holding her surfboard in the real world before changing into her Lyoko form, her board splitting into two swords.
(It's time to learn that pain is gain)
Gwen is shown sitting in front of tree, looking up and is instantly changed into her Lyoko Avatar, brandishing her scythe.
DJ is shown in the woods, tending to a little rabbit as he stands up and morphs into his Lyoko form, turning to face the camera with a stern glare.
LeShawna is last, ready to fight in both her human form and her Lyoko form.
(Ready fight!)
William and a dark reflection of himself as XANA's General are shown standing back-to-back, turning to face each other and swinging their swords.
The screen is split by the two swords, showing New Lyoko as the title appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(I gotta crush and paint away the anguish)
Aelita is shown first, sitting at the computer before she is then shown as the DJ of a party. She morphs into her Lyoko form and conjures an energy field.
This was followed quickly by Geoff wildly waving his hat while riding something with Bridgette holding onto him by the back.
(Of my past for the sake of my future)
Gwen is shown next, drawing in her sketchbook and signifying with a sad face as Duncan, Courtney and Trent appear behind her, their backs facing in her direction.
(Until my life comes to an end)
DJ is shown running for his life from appears to be a giant bear.
(I am gonna fight to tear apart that destiny)
LeShawna is shown next, standing confidently with her team, ready to face whatever crazy challenge comes next.
(Aoh, break out and start a revolution)
The antagonists of Total Drama: Heather, Courtney, Justin, Anne Maria, Jo, Lightning, Scott and Alejandro in the Total Drama Machine are shown from left to right, grinning or glaring at the camera, holding up an imaginary case of the million- dollar prize money in their hands. Chris Mclean is shown next, arms crossed as the chair he is sitting in spins to meet the camera, zooming out to show it is the monitor room for the Total Drama show.
A dark shadow appears above them, scrawny in appearance and hair falling over the left eye as it glares darkly at the screen.
(Until you find the answer you're looking for)
The camera then shows Aelita with the new Lyoko Warriors, the TD Lyoko Warriors and William sitting around a campfire, all of them staring up into the starry night sky, a picture of her friends and father resting in Aelita's hands.
(I'll challenge all my limits)
Aelita in her Lyoko form with her wings sprouting from her back is shown, clutching Mr. Puck in her hands as she seemingly falls back, her friends and relatives in the background.
The camera moves down to show William kneeling down, clutching his sword in both hands. As this happens, the camera moves down, showing depictions of the TD Lyoko Warriors and other characters in the background.
The camera continues to move down to show Geoff pulling Bridgette into sharing a picture with LeShawna bringing her face up over Bridgette's shoulder, the three of them in their Lyoko forms. While this happens, Harold, Lindsay, Beth, Trent, Katie and Sadie are shown in the background.
Below them is Gwen with her arms and legs curled around her with her cape swirling behind her like wings while Heather and Courtney are shown in the background glaring at each other followed by Sierra clutching Cody who looks distressed, Eva crossing her arms along with B and Beth both waving, the latter looking very shy. Behind Gwen appeared Dawn in her own Lyoko form in a meditative pose while upside down while facing Gwen with her eyes closed, her light robe contrasting with Gwen's cape with dark clothing, almost forming a yin-yang symbol.
Behind Dawn appears Scott, snickering evilly.
(Knowing this could be my only chance now)
DJ is shown last, seemingly falling back while holding his pet rabbit: Bunny in his hands with a happy smile. His teammates shown in the background starting with Duncan, Tyler, Justin and Alejandro ending with Chef Hatchet and Chris McClean.
He is followed by Mike and Zoey, both clutching their hands and smiling at each other as in background appears Brick, Jo, Lightning, Sam and Staci.
And lately Cameron appears staring up at the others.
(To overcome this fate that has come over me)
The screen turns black and the Eye of XANA immediately flashes into existence, glowing red and shadowing the outline of a singular person with red glowing eyes.
(The ending of this story)
Aelita is shown, standing in a meadow now with the wind gently blowing through her hair.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
She holds up a hand, gazing sadly up as the images of her friends and parents appear in the sky.
(Into this new world)
Her hand then becomes digital, transitioning to Lyoko.
((The game has only just begun))
She gazes up a little longer before she notices her new friends and allies standing with her and smiles before looking forward, seeing a tower in the distance.
(I can see it in your eyes)
Just as they are about to rush towards the tower, the camera angles up into the digital sky as the song reaches its end.
The scene then shifts to pictures of Aelita and her friends both old and new on a desktop as the title appears on last time:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) Ends )
Episode 7: New World, New Danger
While the Lyoko Warriors were dealing with the return of their old enemy, in Washington DC, capital of the United States of America, news of what was happening in France was spreading fast. The office did not enjoy a view of one of the city's great monuments, like the Washington obelisk, the Capitol building or the enthroned statue of President Lincoln. It was like any other office, located inside one of so many suburban skyscrapers, all equal, anonymous gray buildings. But that did not mean that the person who occupied this office was of no importance.
Quite the contrary.
When the phone rang, the woman seated behind the desk answered immediately with a dry voice: "Yes."
On the other end of the line was Maggie, her secretary. "Ma'am, I'm sorry to disturb you, but there is a call for you."
The woman, codenamed Dido, made herself more comfortable on her revolving armchair and checked out of the corner of her eye the long row of clocks hanging over the door. One for each of the major capitals of the world.
"Maggie, put them through to me." she made up her mind at last, in the meantime pressing a button on the telephone that ensured the line was not being monitored.
The voice that came down the length of the cable was male, deep. And embarrassed.
" Ma'am. .."
"Agent Lone Wolf. It's been a while."
" Yes Ma'am, I felt you ought to know what's happened in France ."
"What happened in France?"
" Look at all French channels. "
Dido turned on the TV which had access to all channels from every country and picked out the nearest channel.
All that was being shown was a strange red icon shaped like an eye and a message that came with it.
I LIVE AGAIN
AND I AM COMING FOR YOU
Dido nearly dropped the phone but held on as she starred at the TV screen. "Wolf…"
" Computer Science Unit has confirmed that it on every French channel and every website made or connected to every server in France. This is Franz Hopper's symbol isn't it? "
Dido sighed.
Franz Hopper.
Again.
The case of Hopper was over ten years old, but she did not need to check any folder to refresh her memory. At the time she had been a young, promising official at the beginning of her career and the Hopper case had been her first, not to say her only, failure.
"Thank you for informing me, Agent." She said. "What's the status of travel?"
" Complete halt. Even the airline systems have been infected. "
"I want a squad prepared to deploy, in case of emergencies."
"Yes ma'am ."
Dido ended the call without saying another word and sat motionless next to the telephone. Apart from her, after all, had been hoping for this case to be reopened. It was a chance to turn her single failure into a great success.
Lyoko
Desert Sector
"Incoming ! They look like Kankrelats! " Yumi shouted. " Twenty life points per hit! A dozen of them! "
They turned and saw them heading straight for them. They did indeed look like Kankrelats that were smallest and weakest of XANA's monsters as they remembered.
"These looks like Kankrelats...but different." Ulrich commented, hand on the sheath of his sword.
"Guess XANA got himself some new toys."
They did indeed look like Kankrelats but they were not as bulbous and they were shorter, longer, and smoother, with eight long, thin legs. The laser was in the same spot as the Kankrelat and the Eye was there but smaller than on the Kankrelats.
"Ah, nice." Odd said as he watched the swarm moved to intercept them. "LASER ARROW!"
Odd fired his signature weapon, a Laser Arrow at one of them but it jumped out of the way. As he jumped he charged a laser and shot him in the chest.
He wasted, releasing a breath that did not exist as he was sent back. "GAH!"
Ulrich unsheathed his sword, blocking the lasers as the rest of the new monsters began firing. "I guess they're a little smarter too."
Odd got back up, his chest sparkling for a mother second. "Okay, that's new but I just need a moment to get my mojo back."
Odd fired once and struck one monster right in the middle of its symbol. It exploded while the other eleven lined up in a single formation and fired a salvo. Odd made an energy shield on his arm to take one shot and did a handless cartwheel to avoid two more.
Ulrich leaped into the air. "TRIPLICATE!"
He split into three versions of himself, each of which took out one monster and then back flipped away. One clone took a blast between the shoulder blades in mid back flip and vanished with a small yelp of pain. Odd fired four more arrows and managed to hit two of his targets as they scattered. The Spiderlings as Odd would start calling them began moving, their legs and structure allowing them to walk sideways while still keeping their 'eyes' on the two and attack.
Ulrich and his clone took out another one individually before the real Ulrich took a blast to the chest. He wasted as he fell, minus twenty life points.
The Spiderlings continued firing, moving and dodging Odd's Laser Arrows as Ulrich got up.
"Okay, they're a little bit smarter than before." Ulrich muttered to himself, holding his sword up.
Total Drama Studio
Bridgette was sitting on the couch, crying her heart out. DJ had her in a hug. He seemed to know how to calm anyone down, and right now he had calmed her from raging and screaming to just crying in silence. Duncan had broken mostly anything that showed the sign of the eye and the message. Most of the other contestants were searching the lounge.
"Radio-gah!" Duncan only got static before he tossed the radio out the window. "Even that's out!"
"Hey, my sister gave me that!" Izzy shouted but was ignored.
Heather and Scott just sat in their wheelchairs while Alejandro lumbered around. The most he could do was nudge furniture and try to tap a button to turn a dial without success.
He sighed. "I hate this body."
"Why didn't they just give you to a hospital?" Gwen asked.
"He wanted me to sign that damn contract first. At first, I was gonna refuse him but... well Chef made those special pastries, the ones with cream...and they wouldn't give me a mouthpiece unless I signed the contract."
"Dude, you signed a contract not to sue them for your lava burns just for some pastries?" Cody asked.
"...oh shut up." Alejandro sighed.
"Do you think they'll be able to do anything?" Owen asked.
"Dunno, whatever happened was a surprise for everyone." LeShawna said. "That eye is kind of creepy."
"And now pretty boy, Trent, Geoff, the wonder twins and Beth are stuck in there." Alejandro said. "That sucks."
"Nice to know you actually care." Gwen rolled her eyes.
"Oh, come on, it's been a whole year, I learned my damn lesson!" Alejandro said.
"Ah he's right, ease up a bit, the guy got lava burns." Cody said.
"Whatever, don't have time to talk about that, we have seven friends stuck in that computer with some wacko out there causing havoc all over the city." Gwen sighed.
"Does anyone even know where that eye came from?" Owen asked. "What does it even mean?"
"I don't know, but did you see the way it was lookin'? Man it gave me the chills." LeShawna shuddered.
"It's evil." Everyone turned to see Dawn sitting near the window, staring out at the dark clouds, shivering. "It's pure evil, imposing its will on Mother Earth."
"Is…she okay?" Gwen asked, looking at the nearest second generation cast members, Zoey and Mike.
"I'm not sure…" Zoey trailed off, having never seen Dawn so pale.
"Yeah, it's really freaking me out." Mike rubbed the back of his head.
Duncan glanced at Mike for a moment which Mike noticed. "Something wrong?"
"I just…Have we met before?" Duncan wondered aloud.
"Uh, I don't think so unless you count season four." Mike shrugged.
"No, it's not that. I feel like you I know you from somewhere else." Duncan but replied shrugged. "Whatever, not worth getting into."
"Uh...wait, a second...I think I have a plan." Harold said as he looked at Izzy.
Catching on, everyone else who knew Izzy did as well.
"Uh...what?" She blinked.
"Izzy, you were very smart after you left the show...I don't know how you went back to insane but maybe if we can make you smart again you can figure this out...I mean you did some pretty great things when you were smarter." Harold said.
"The geek has a point. Quick, everybody think of how to make ginger here smart." Duncan said.
"Well, how did she get smart last time?" Owen asked.
"She hit her head, and the doctor said it fixed a clog in her brain." Gwen answered.
"How did she turn insane again?" Heather asked.
"Oh, I just had another blow to the head." Izzy giggled.
"...crap, well that idea is out the window." Duncan rolled his eyes. "What now?"
"How bad are things out there?" DJ asked.
"Planes stuck in the air; traffic is piled up. Nobody can talk to anything, cell phone or radio, it is just chaos out there. And if that wasn't enough, a big storm has rolled in even though they were calling for sunny days here." Cody answered. "And nobody knows how it's happening; people were getting a little uh...shifty on my way in."
"So, whoever did this not make demands or something?" Gwen asked.
"Nope, not a word." Cody replied. "There's even looting going on. People are going nuts."
"You're kidding; it's been... thirty-four minutes." Gwen looked at her blackberry, checking the time. "If it's bad here I'd hate to see how it would be in America or Canada."
"That's the thing Gwen, it's not happening anywhere else. There was a helicopter that flew by a while ago, a military one, a UN chopper, and the guy was announcing that the interference was 'restricted to Paris city limits' and that it would be solved soon. Whoever did this is only doing it right here in Paris."
"So, the ass hole that did this to Geoff is in this city then!" Bridgette said standing up.
"That's the thing, but like I said nobody took credit for it yet. It's just the same message. Nobody knows who it is from or who it is made out to."
"Oh great." DJ frowned. "Guess the only thing we can do is wait for it all to just end. Maybe the guy will just stop it all soon."
"Well, it hasn't even been an hour; maybe he will stop it after one or two." Duncan shrugged.
"Don't count on it, this guy obviously knows what's happening, it's impossible not to. He's obviously milking it, he's not gonna just stop." Noah drew...only for LeShawna, DJ, Bridgette, and Duncan to send threatening glares at him. "Uh...but you have a point, he can get a laugh and stop in a while."
"Damn straight smart ass." LeShawna growled.
"Guys…There's something you should know." Bridgette spoke, earning everyone's attention. "That weird eye thing…I've seen it before."
That was a surprise to everyone.
"You have?" LeShawna asked. "Where?"
"In Siberia, last year when Blainley kidnapped me and dumped there. After I ran from that crazed fan, Bruno and I walked for what felt like hours, trying to find shelter or the camp site where the other interns would be when the plane would come back. I found this strange base, looked like it was military but it was abandoned. I managed to get in out of the cold and I looked around..." Bridgette shuddered. "And then I saw them."
"Saw what?" DJ asked.
"Robots. Dozens of them, lined up like some sort of army. They all had that weird eye thing on their chests." Bridgette answered. "They were big, had six eyes and one of their hands was a giant cannon."
"The same thing that's on everything right now?" Cody asked. "What are the odds of that happening?"
"Astronomical." One of the newer contestants, Cameron answered. "And if it was in base in Siberia, it could mean that someone was building an army."
"Siberia means Russia. Why would they want to build a robot army?" Harold asked, rubbing his chin. "Maybe Bridgette stumbled on some kind of secret conspiracy?"
"Well, what would that have to do with what's happening right now?" Gwen asked. "We only know that whoever is behind this has some sort of grudge with someone here in France. That's a bit of a leap to say someone in Russia is declaring war on France with an army of robots."
"Bridge, did anyone else know about this place?" Harold asked.
"Just the interns who found me." Bridgette accepted a tissue from DJ.
"And maybe those interns might have told someone…like the Producers and Chris." Cameron caught on.
"Yeah, I doubt Chris could pull something like this off." Duncan crossed his arms. "He was too surprised to be faking."
"Well, it doesn't matter if he knows what's going on or not." LeShawna sighed. "What does matter is that we have no clue what is going on and we can't help anyone."
That brought down everyone's mood considerably.
Lyoko
Desert Sector
Finally, the last Spiderling went down after three more minutes of fighting.
"Well...that went a little longer than most of our fights." Ulrich remembered how easily the Kankrelats had been dispatched in past fights.
Obviously these new versions were smarter and stronger.
"Maybe he's showing us new monsters as a welcome back gift." Odd joked.
Ulrich looked at his clone. "Never had one of you survive a fight." He joked. "Mersion!"
The clone rejoined him.
"Ah, I just love the smell of...nothing in the morning." Odd said. "But right now...is it me or...do we actually smell something now?"
"I smelled it too, and man it really sucked." Ulrich frowned. "And if I could I'd be sweating like a pig right now."
"Okay, so XANA made this Lyoko a little more...realistic, nothing big." Odd shrugged, but then stopped in mid step. "But...that might be a problem."
They looked at the tower. The aura was regular blue, indicating it was inactive.
"Yumi, we're at the tower, but it's not activated." Ulrich said. "What's going on?"
" This can't be right; the scanner's showing you right in front of the activated tower! "
"Well, either our eyes aren't working, activated towers mean a different color or maybe the Super Scan is a bit buggy from not being used in so long." Odd commented.
"Are Jeremy and Aelita there yet?" Ulrich asked.
" I'll call them ."
Yumi used the built-in phone to call Jeremy on his cell phone.
He picked up. " Yumi, how are things going? "
"Bad. I can't find the activated tower and Odd and Ulrich are in there with no vehicles and no directions. I think something's wrong with the super scan."
" Hold on, I had a program set up to help me fix anything XANA did to mess with the scanners or the interface ." Jeremy said. " I never put it into the computer itself, I tested it on my laptop and recorded it in my note book. Go to 'Interface Restore' and put the code in ."
Yumi flipped through pages and found the code he referred to. She began to type it in. She entered it and watched as the screen shut off. A few words appeared on it.
Please wait, system rebooting
Yumi sighed. "Can you guys hear me?"
" Yeah, we're still here ." Ulrich answered.
"I need to wait a bit for the system to reboot itself." Yumi said just as another red dot appeared on the map. "Look out! More monsters!"
Odd and Ulrich spun around, just in time as lasers shot past their heads. Ulrich hastily blocked with his katana while Odd fired back. The monsters in question looked like pyramids on legs and had four different eyes of XANA on their pyramid parts.
"They look like Bloks but are pyramid shaped." Ulrich quickly said, blocking more lasers.
Odd fired several arrows but these…Pyramids were better than their Blok counterparts. For one, the Eyes were pointed upwards at angles, meaning the lasers were mounted to point outwards under the pyramid. Not only that, but the lasers on the Pyramids could rotate to fire at any angle, making it harder for a close-range combatant like Ulrich to take them out. Odd had to raise his shield to block the incoming laser fire as he continued to try shooting but the Pyramids would rotate their heads, causing Odd's arrows to miss the targets.
"Not doing so well here, Yumi." Ulrich said through gritted teeth. "Are we getting reinforcements anytime soon?"
The elevator doors opened and immediately Jeremy and Aelita stepped into the control room. Aelita had finished crying her eyes out because of what she had seen. Looking around she noticed everything was the same as it was two years ago. None of them came even close to the factory in two years, wanting to forget their adventures.
Aelita especially wanted to forget the place her father went into and never came out.
"Thank god, finally." Yumi stood from the chair.
"How's it going?" Jeremy asked.
"Bad. It looks like XANA upgraded his monsters and they're giving Odd and Ulrich a hard time." Yumi stepped aside, allowing Jeremy to take the seat at the computer.
Jeremy looked over the screen and was surprised. "Pyramids…An upgraded version of the Bloks…With a hundred and thirty life points."
"That's more than the Bloks ever had." Aelita came over and looked at the screen, seeing Odd and Ulrich's Avatars. "Why Odd and Ulrich's Avatars back to their first settings?"
Jeremy quickly performed a scan. "It looks when I shut down the supercomputer, every program that was running in the background had stopped, including the ones for your upgraded Avatars."
"Well, that can wait for later. Aelita, let's go! The boys need help!"
"Let's go!" Aelita and Yumi stepped into the elevator as Jeremy rushed to the control chair.
"Alright, let me help you guys out a bit. I grabbed the vehicle codes on the way here; I knew you might need them. Give me a second and..." He began to type in the codes one at a time.
Down below, Aelita and Yumi stepped out of the elevator and approached the scanners, both of them pausing and taking deep breaths before entering.
" Transfer Yumi. "
Yumi's scanner closed.
" Transfer Aelita. "
Aelita's was next.
" Scan Yumi…Scan Aelita…Virtualization! "
The girls closed their eyes as a bright light engulfed them.
Yumi and Aelita landed perfectly on the ground, old habits that hadn't been used in two years seemingly having not lost their edge.
Though there was one difference.
"Looks like Jeremy was right." Yumi looked down at herself, finding the old geisha style kimono she previously wore before her Avatar had been upgraded. "We're back to our old costumes."
Aelita looked down at herself, finding the same elfish clothing instead of the pink jumpsuit from before, including the star bracelet that summoned her wings that allowed her to fly. She held out a hand and conjured a sphere of pink energy.
"At least I still have my Energy Fields." Aelita remarked, dispelling the field. "We better hurry. Odd and Ulrich are up ahead."
" Girls, watch out! " Jeremy suddenly called out.
Yumi and Aelita turned to see three familiar monsters approaching them at high speed. They were crustacean like with red armor.
"Krabs." Yumi pulled out her fans.
"They look different." Aelita pointed out.
Indeed, they did. They had six legs, and had a laser mounted on each side, giving them 360-degree vision and firing power. They stopped in a line, spread out a bit, and began to open fire. Yumi quickly blocked the incoming laser fire with her fans while Aelita fired an Energy Field at the nearest one.
The sphere hit, enveloping the Krab in pink energy…but it did not explode.
" It has over two hundred life points! " Jeremy called out, unable to believe there was a monster that was that strong now.
The Krabs continued spreading out, one on front while the two moved from the sides, attacking the girls with their enhanced fire power. Yumi grunted as she jumped back, the number of lasers too much for her to block. Aelita closed her eyes and let out a soft hum, summoning a dome of stone around her and Yumi to protect themselves.
"Okay, this might be a little harder than we thought." Yumi panted slightly, leaning against the wall. "Those Krabs are much stronger than before."
"XANA must have upgraded his monsters considerably." Aelita realized.
The Krabs circled around the stone dome.
"And we're back to square one." Yumi muttered bitterly to herself.
She had no time to say or think of anything else as a spear shaped leg belonging to one Krab easily pierced the wall next to her, missing her head by mere inches. Yumi spun around and slashed at the leg with a fan, cutting it down. However, three more instantly took the leg's place, piercing the dome wall which was then followed by a blast of blue light, shattering the wall and knocking both girls back. Yumi grunted, lifting her head up to see the Krab she had damaged, standing on her rear hindlegs while her one front leg and two middle legs were swinging down towards her and Aelita. Both girls rolled out of the way but that did little good as the eyes on the sides spotted and fired on them, hitting Yumi in the shoulder and Aelita on the leg.
Aelita fell on her sparkling leg, grunting from the sensation while Yumi had been knocked down.
" Thirty life points down! " They heard Jeremy call out.
Yumi grunted as she held both fans and used them to block the next batch of lasers while jumping out of the way as the Krab behind her fired. "Jeremy, we're not doing good here."
" Alright, let me help you guys out a bit. I grabbed the vehicle codes on the way here; I knew you might need them. Give me a second and ..."
Behind Yumi and Aelita, two vehicles appeared. One was shaped like a motorcycle with only one wheel. The next looked like a Jet Ski that was hovering above the ground. Yumi provided cover for Aelita as she hopped onto the Overwing and took off into the air, firing an Energy Field at the damaged Krab and finally managed to take it out. The remaining two Krabs stopped firing on Yumi, angling their heads up and firing at Aelita, forcing her to retreat.
Yumi hopped onto the Over-Cycle and took off, heading in the direction where Odd and Ulrich were with Aelita right behind her. The Krabs followed after them, firing rapidly in an attempt to shoot the pair down.
"Impact!" Ulrich shouted, having finally managed to take out the last Pyramid.
Odd was panting, falling onto both knees. "Okay, that was a workout."
"I hate to agree but you're right." Ulrich sheathed his sword. "Either we're really out of practice or XANA's monsters really got stronger."
Odd looked up and spotted a pair of vehicles approaching. "Well, maybe we'll have it easy now."
Yumi and Aelita reached the two boys, stopping right in front of them.
"Nice timing, we've been getting our butts handed to us all across this Desert!" Odd said, managing to stand up.
"How bad is it?" Yumi asked.
"It feels hot, and it stinks. That's the weird part that we can even feel or smell." Ulrich answered. "I'm down to seventy points and Odd's down to forty."
"Well, let's get a move on. We're making good progress, usually by now one or two of us get picked off." Yumi shrugged.
" Sending the Overboard to you, Odd. " Jeremy said and just like that what looked like a surf board and was painted with Odd's style and decorations appeared in front of Odd.
"Oh boy!" Odd excitedly hopped onto the board. "I've missed this!"
"Jeremy, do you know where the tower is?" Yumi asked.
" The system is up! And I have the tower … This can't be right! "
"Jeremy, what is it?"
On the computer screen, before Jeremy's eyes was the super-scan detecting not one, not two but four activated tower. "The super-scan…it's detecting four activated towers!"
In Lyoko, the four kids freeze with widened eyes.
"Did you say four activated towers?" Aelita asked fearfully.
" Yes, and I've run a debug program on the super-scan three times now. There are four towers activated in four sectors. "
"Since when has XANA been able to use four towers at the same time?" Ulrich questioned.
"Well, given the monsters we faced, I'd say XANA must have got himself a few upgrades." Odd simply shrugged.
"Just a few upgrades?" Yumi asked incredulously. "Aelita and I were attacked by three Krabs that had extra legs and eyes literally on the sides and backs of their heads. We only managed to take out one before we had to escape and find you guys."
"It was the same with us. Those spider things and Pyramids were way tougher than any Kankrelats or Bloks we've faced before." Ulrich agreed. "Not to mention we're in our old forms instead of the newer ones."
"This couldn't have been done in just three weeks." Aelita stated with a concerned frown. "XANA would have needed to do more than just turn the supercomputer back on to amass so much power."
"Chances are he's using Replikas to increase his own power but…I am not picking any Replikas up. " Jeremy cut in, sounding frustrated. " If there are no Replikas then he must be getting his power from something else. "
A familiar roar was heard, and the group spun around to see a Tarantula along with the two Krabs Yumi and Aelita had fled from approaching very fast.
"Whatever we're going to do we better do it now." Yumi immediately said.
" We'll focus on the tower in the Desert Sector first. It's a mile or two north of you and at a high altitude. Can you see it ?"
Odd peered off in the distance, where a mountain stood with the shape of a tower on top, glowing red. "I see it!"
They hopped on their vehicles and took off towards the tower.
" Uh...guys, there's something coming at you...I can't tell what it is, but it is very big and the processing it took to make it slowed me down for a minute ." Jeremy said. " It's right below you! "
Suddenly lasers fired up. The group cried out as they moved to avoid them. Aelita lost her grip on Yumi and fell, hitting and skidding across the desert ground.
"Oh man we're going DOWN!" Odd's board was hit, and he began to spin out of control, managing to jump off just before it hit the ground and vanished into a flash light and digital particles.
" Lost the overboard in...twenty-five seconds, not bad ." Jeremy joked.
"Yumi, look at this!" Ulrich pointed down.
Yumi looked down to see the largest monster they had ever put aside from the Kollossus. It looked like a massive bird the size of an airplane, and it was firing a dozen lasers from the top of its body, six on each side. The Lyoko fighters continue to avoid blasts.
"Find the mark on it!" Ulrich shouted before he dove down.
"Uh...Ulrich!" Yumi pointed at the monster.
Ulrich realized what she was pointing out and pulled up in time to avoid the Tarantulas covering the mark on the monster's back. "It's carrying an army!"
The massive bird flew up above the ground, letting a screech as it flew past the tower and headed straight at the group. Odd and Aelita had already been grounded by the earlier attack, leaving just Yumi in the air with the Overwing and Ulrich on the Over-Cycle. Aelita turned her head to see the Tarantula and the two Krabs from earlier approaching but that wasn't the end of it. The giant bird above let out another screech as it spread its wings out and curiously began firing feathers onto the ground.
"Okay, that's new." Odd commented.
The black feathers began to glow red and to the surprise of the Lyoko Warriors, took the form of monsters ranging from Spiderlings, Pyramids, the new Krabs and Tarantulas surrounding Odd and Aelita.
"No way!" Odd exclaimed before having to duck under from incoming laser fire. "Jeremy, that bird's feathers created monsters!"
" I saw. It looks to be some sort of carrier for monsters. " Jeremy replied.
Odd began firing arrows from both of his arms, peppering the surrounding monsters with arrows and sometimes catching a Tarantula. By the time he fired twenty arrows he only got three Tarantulas and hadn't hit the mark on the giant monster. Ulrich sped in, managing to take a Krab by surprise by cutting out his legs from underneath it.
"We have to keep moving!" Ulrich called out before something slammed into him, knocking him off the Over-Cycle.
"Ulrich!"
Ulrich grunted as he opened his eyes and looked up to see new monster glaring down at him.
It resembles a large snake with emerald-colored scales, a gray metallic face with three slits for eyes on both sides and ended with a pointed 'nose' shaped like an arrowhead. Its tail ended with a sharp spear and on its forehead was the Eye of XANA colored black.
"Jeremy, I think we're in a lot of trouble here." Ulrich muttered, holding his sword tightly with both hands.
(Outro Song: Breakaway by Subdigitals Starts)
As the credits are shown on the left side, the interior of Kadic Academy is shown, zeroing in on a file left on a desk.
(They told me that I)
The file opened to reveal a dossier with the name signed on the bottom: FRANZ HOPPER
(Was no good at all,)
The papers are moved, revealing a picture of Waldo Schaeffer and his wife, Anthea Schaeffer, who is shown to be pregnant.
(Such a waste...)
Another picture is shown of a woman with blond hair and wearing glasses.
(And suddenly I was)
Another picture shows a man with brunette hair and a beard.
(Out of the cool,)
A new picture is shown with five kids smiling: Odd was holding Kiwi over his head, a big grin on his face while the dog barked. Ulrich and Yumi were holding each other, winning at the camera; William smiled easily, feeling awkward about being back in the group after all he had apparently done to them under XANA's control. And Aelita was kissing Jeremy on the cheek, making Jeremy blush as the shot was captured.
(Stuck with the fools…)
Another file opens with the label: Total Drama is shown next.
(Not that much I can do,)
The file opens to show Chris Mclean and Chef Hatchet standing in what looked like a lab.
(I'm out of the crew.)
Next comes pictures of the future contestants starting with Alejandro Burromuerto before and after the incident that turned him into a robot.
(Hear the lights go out,)
Next was a picture of a brunette with glasses labeled 'Beth Gadon'.
(What should I do)
Mildred "Blaineley" Stacey Andrews O'Halloran
(Stuck to this chair)
Bridgette Fairlie
(And yet I know)
Cody Emmett Jameson Anderson
(Gotta break away)
Courtney Barlow
(It's not my style)
Devon 'DJ' Joseph
(I gotta get away)
Duncan Nelson with a police report next to his photo
(Here and now today.)
Eva Chantrey
(Cut in half, I'm already there,)
Ezekiel Oldring
(In my head I know it,)
Geoffrey 'Geoff' Petronijevic
(Five, no four more steps,)
Gwen Fahlenbock
(Take me to the door,)
Harold Norbert Cheever Doris McGrady V
(Open up I'm falling.)
Heather Wilson
(One of those days)
Isabella 'Izzy' Crown with three additional files:
Explosive
E-Scope
Brainzilla
(Where the lights go out,)
Justin Reid
(And yet I smile.)
Katie Anne Mills
(Gotta break away,)
LeShawna Edwards
(Life's like that and)
Lindsay Vermeer
(I gotta get away)
Noah Hayden
(Here and now today)
Owen McCord
(Gotta break away)
Sadie Lipson
(Break away, break away)
Sierra Obonsawin
(Get away,)
Trenton 'Trent' Lennon
(Here and now today.)
Tyler Beckham
(Here I am as I stand,)
Anne Maria
(I can feel you think,)
B
("Such a waste.")
Brick McArthur
(It's okay, I don't care)
Cameron Corduroy Wilkins
(Didn't wanna stay stuck)
Dakota Milton before and after her mutation
(With the fools.)
Dawn Medrek
(Skating down Park Avenue,)
Jo Elliot
(I realize my time is now and here)
Rudolph 'Lightning' Jackson
(Ready to go,)
Mike Doran while five additional files are next to his picture:
Chester
Svetlana
Manitoba
Glass
The fifth file, however, was sealed.
(Being sensitive is just not sensitive.)
Samuel 'Sam' Froud
(Gotta break away)
Scott Wallis, both before and after nearly being mauled to death by a mutant shark.
(It's not my style,)
Staci Peters
(And I gotta get away)
Zoey Mamabolo
(Here and now today.)
A picture of Franz Hopper in front of the Hermitage is shown next with the word 'MISSING' printed above.
(Gotta break away)
Next to appear are several reports on a new company known as 'REALITECH'.
(Life's like that,)
Followed by a medical report on Dakota Milton in her mutant form.
(And I gotta get away)
Next is a report on Alejandro who is still trapped in the robot suit following the end of Total Drama World Tour.
(Get away)
Followed by Scott's own medical file.
(Bring it all the way,)
This is followed by medical files on Anne Maria and Staci.
(Gotta break away)
Next to appear is a classified report showing a line of robots with Chris looking over one at the front.
(It's not my style,)
Robot pieces are shown to be scattered about in a lab with various scientists at work on the robots or surrounding what appears to be a large supercomputer.
(And I gotta get away)
A picture of Chris in jail is shown next.
(Here and now today.)
There is a round table with the people seated blurred from being seen, a single contract is shown on the table.
(Gotta break away)
TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
Proposed by newly established Realitech
(Life's like that,)
The pictures of the first and second generations of Total Drama contestants are then shown.
(And I gotta get away)
A map of France is shown next.
(Get away)
The file is then closed and picked up as the screen fades to black.
Bring it all the way,
The Eye of XANA flashes one time and the title of the series appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(Outro Song: Breakaway by Subdigitals Ends)
Chapter 8: Episode 8: The Revenge of XANA
Summary:
As the Lyoko Warriors struggle with the new monsters, Jeremy acts on desperation to use the program that had destroyed XANA previously, only t for them to learn what really happened the day they believed XANA had died.
Chapter Text
( Code Total Drama Reality Introduction Song Starts )
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) )
(The ending of this story)
The song starts, showing the end of Code Lyoko where the Supercomputer is shut down and the former Lyoko Warriors leave the factory seemingly for the last time.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
A single computer is shown coming online, lines of 1s and 0s streaming across the screen before the screen is replaced by a glowing sphere with the Eye of XANA, at least eight variations appearing on it. From the sphere came lines of data emerging in eight different directions. The lines of data formed into various regions, all of them floating landscapes resembling a forest, a desert, an arctic, mountains, volcanoes, swamp and a jungle.
(Into this new world)
The new lands orbited the golden sphere as the camera zoomed in on the Eye of XANA staring at the screen.
(The game has only just begun)
The Eye then flashes red, and the sphere turns black.
(I can see it in your eyes)
A girl with pink hair sits on her bed, panting as she turns to see two pictures of her friends and her father. She smiles briefly but that smile turns to a look of horror as both her friends and her father are engulfed by a great darkness and the red Eye shines down on her. The Supercomputer, thought to be shut down, is reactivated and there is a flash of light.
(This is where tomorrow brings a new game)
Aelita is shown alone both in the real world and in Lyoko, hordes of monsters surrounding her.
Geoff is first shown in his human form before transitioning to his Lyoko form.
Next to him is Bridgette, holding her surfboard in the real world before changing into her Lyoko form, her board splitting into two swords.
(It's time to learn that pain is gain)
Gwen is shown sitting in front of tree, looking up and is instantly changed into her Lyoko Avatar, brandishing her scythe.
DJ is shown in the woods, tending to a little rabbit as he stands up and morphs into his Lyoko form, turning to face the camera with a stern glare.
LeShawna is last, ready to fight in both her human form and her Lyoko form.
(Ready fight!)
William and a dark reflection of himself as XANA's General are shown standing back-to-back, turning to face each other and swinging their swords.
The screen is split by the two swords, showing New Lyoko as the title appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(I gotta crush and paint away the anguish)
Aelita is shown first, sitting at the computer before she is then shown as the DJ of a party. She morphs into her Lyoko form and conjures an energy field.
This was followed quickly by Geoff wildly waving his hat while riding something with Bridgette holding onto him by the back.
(Of my past for the sake of my future)
Gwen is shown next, drawing in her sketchbook and signifying with a sad face as Duncan, Courtney and Trent appear behind her, their backs facing in her direction.
(Until my life comes to an end)
DJ is shown running for his life from appears to be a giant bear.
(I am gonna fight to tear apart that destiny)
LeShawna is shown next, standing confidently with her team, ready to face whatever crazy challenge comes next.
(Aoh, break out and start a revolution)
The antagonists of Total Drama: Heather, Courtney, Justin, Anne Maria, Jo, Lightning, Scott and Alejandro in the Total Drama Machine are shown from left to right, grinning or glaring at the camera, holding up an imaginary case of the million- dollar prize money in their hands. Chris Mclean is shown next, arms crossed as the chair he is sitting in spins to meet the camera, zooming out to show it is the monitor room for the Total Drama show.
A dark shadow appears above them, scrawny in appearance and hair falling over the left eye as it glares darkly at the screen.
(Until you find the answer you're looking for)
The camera then shows Aelita with the new Lyoko Warriors, the TD Lyoko Warriors and William sitting around a campfire, all of them staring up into the starry night sky, a picture of her friends and father resting in Aelita's hands.
(I'll challenge all my limits)
Aelita in her Lyoko form with her wings sprouting from her back is shown, clutching Mr. Puck in her hands as she seemingly falls back, her friends and relatives in the background.
The camera moves down to show William kneeling down, clutching his sword in both hands. As this happens, the camera moves down, showing depictions of the TD Lyoko Warriors and other characters in the background.
The camera continues to move down to show Geoff pulling Bridgette into sharing a picture with LeShawna bringing her face up over Bridgette's shoulder, the three of them in their Lyoko forms. While this happens, Harold, Lindsay, Beth, Trent, Katie and Sadie are shown in the background.
Below them is Gwen with her arms and legs curled around her with her cape swirling behind her like wings while Heather and Courtney are shown in the background glaring at each other followed by Sierra clutching Cody who looks distressed, Eva crossing her arms along with B and Beth both waving, the latter looking very shy. Behind Gwen appeared Dawn in her own Lyoko form in a meditative pose while upside down while facing Gwen with her eyes closed, her light robe contrasting with Gwen's cape with dark clothing, almost forming a yin-yang symbol.
Behind Dawn appears Scott, snickering evilly.
(Knowing this could be my only chance now)
DJ is shown last, seemingly falling back while holding his pet rabbit: Bunny in his hands with a happy smile. His teammates shown in the background starting with Duncan, Tyler, Justin and Alejandro ending with Chef Hatchet and Chris McClean.
He is followed by Mike and Zoey, both clutching their hands and smiling at each other as in background appears Brick, Jo, Lightning, Sam and Staci.
And lately Cameron appears staring up at the others.
(To overcome this fate that has come over me)
The screen turns black and the Eye of XANA immediately flashes into existence, glowing red and shadowing the outline of a singular person with red glowing eyes.
(The ending of this story)
Aelita is shown, standing in a meadow now with the wind gently blowing through her hair.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
She holds up a hand, gazing sadly up as the images of her friends and parents appear in the sky.
(Into this new world)
Her hand then becomes digital, transitioning to Lyoko.
((The game has only just begun))
She gazes up a little longer before she notices her new friends and allies standing with her and smiles before looking forward, seeing a tower in the distance.
(I can see it in your eyes)
Just as they are about to rush towards the tower, the camera angles up into the digital sky as the song reaches its end.
The scene then shifts to pictures of Aelita and her friends both old and new on a desktop as the title appears on last time:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) Ends )
Episode 8: The Revenge of XANA
“Hurry it up.” He remembered himself speaking, even if he hadn't meant to say those words.
In front of him, several scientists had surrounded a pyramid shaped construct, tools and computer boards scattered across the floor. The scientists said nothing, only carrying out their work with emotionless efficiency.
The Eye flashed where their normal human eyes would normally be.
He grinned as he saw their work was slowly coming together. When he first arrived, the lab had been abandoned but he was able to reactivate what had been inside briefly enough to gather the necessary manpower and equipment to begin upgrading the lab and supercomputer before him.
His creator, Hopper had been a fool to just leave this here.
Oh well.
Hopper's loss, his gain.
It had taken some time, but the results were very promising. A quantum supercomputer, an upgraded one compared to the older model back in the factory. Despite being immensely superior to most, more than likely all computer models populating the rest of the world, the Supercomputer back in the factory was still over a decade old.
He had a complete schematic of the original supercomputer and already knew how to upgrade this older model.
A new and improved supercomputer, superior to the ones that came before.
He grinned at the thought.
Still, he needed to be cautious as he couldn't allow his enemies or his creator to find out what was happening here until it was too late. Well, they were focused on finding a way of freeing his current vessel from his control but that was to be expected. So as along as they were distracted with that and destroying his Replikas, he had the element of surprise.
Once it was finished, he stepped forward and slowly turned the lever to 'On'.
The large white pyramid shaped computer seemingly came to life, luminous green lights streaming through the large computer that for the first time in a long time was alive with activity. On the smooth circular surface in front of the interface, a series of data screens appeared before projecting some sort of image before the computer.
An image of four landscapes surrounding a shining sphere.
A new line of text appeared on the monitor of the computer interface.
XANADU ONLINE
It was dark and stormy now, rain falling at a heavy pace and lightning flashing across the sky. He knew it as he rushed to find cover in the dorms.
He needed to find a place to hide.
XANA was alive.
Somehow, William had known, even before the message had appeared that the evil AI was still out there somewhere but was dormant, asleep. William only wished that the monster would sleep forever but that was wishful thinking on his past. The dreams, the visions, they were during the time XANA had possessed him, making him into a puppet of spells.
The visions of a strange supercomputer…
It had been what XANA had used to survive.
XANA had taken him to supervise the scientists from the base where the Jungle Replika was and used them to modify the strange supercomputer, upgrading and improving it until it was ready then the scientists had been sent back to the jungle base while William returned to fighting the gang back on Lyoko and the Replikas. He didn't know why or how he knew this, only that it was likely he beginning to remember now.
William opened the door to his room and immediately closed the door, falling onto his bed. “William you idiot, you should have known…”
Three weeks.
He had that nightmare three weeks ago.
That was when the computer had turned on and XANA had awakened.
“XANA…” William closed his eyes and clutched his head. “Why can’t you just leave me alone?”
William had thought it was over.
Had wanted it to be over.
And now, with XANA's return the memories of what he had done as the AI's slave had come rushing back to him. He had tried so hard to put it all behind him but XANA's return had caused every dark memory to rise up from the dark corners of his mind where they had been locked away. He couldn't deal with it, facing those memories with XANA's message everywhere and the dark clouds above…literally XANA announcing to the entire world he was back.
It was too much.
Too much….
Too…much…
The snake like monster, labeled by the Supercomputer as a Kobra seemingly leered down at Ulrich as the samurai themed warrior took a step back. Aelita and Odd had their hands full with the monsters surrounding them and Yumi…
“Ulrich!” She shouted from above.
She angled the Overwing down and threw a fan at the Kobra that promptly twisted its form, moving its head out of the way of Yumi's fan.
Ulrich took the chance and shot up; a yellow comet trail left in his wake as he landed on the Kobra's head. “Impa-GAH!”
Before he could stab his sword down on the XANA Eye, the Kobra's tail lashed up and knocked Ulrich off his head. He cried out as he skidded across the ground, his sword landing a few feet from him. The Kobra hoisted as it slithered forward towards Ulrich but then lifted its head up to see Yumi flying at it again. It aimed and fired from its pointed nose, hitting the Overwing and devirtualizing it, leaving Yumi to fall and tumble along the ground until she was near Ulrich who managed to get back up.
He helped her up and the two backed away as the Kobra leaned over them, ready to attack.
In the lab, watching the battle on the main computer, Jeremy couldn't believe what he was seeing. Aside from the obvious horror that XANA had somehow survived the multi-agent program that was meant to delete him, his monsters were more powerful than ever before. The Kankrelats, Bloks and Krabs had been modified, digitally enhanced into new, more powerful forms from what he could see while the Tarantulas had remained mostly the same, albeit with greater life points and fire power. That was not even taking into account the new monsters such as the snake like monster labeled the Kobra and the massive bird monster nicknamed the Terror Bird.
A new massive monster that could spawn other monsters…
Not even the Kolossus had shown such power.
Jeremy was starting to realize that this was looking more and more like a trap. XANA had returned, sent them a message letting them know he was alive and wanted them on Lyoko to show just how powerful he was now. The Lyoko Gang's enhanced weaponry had been reset back to their original forms and they were barely able to keep up with the new monsters.
And he was just sitting there, unable to help.
Unless…
"Everyone, I'm going to try and deploy the multi-agent system from before." Jeremy spoke into the headset. "It will at least clear the monsters away and allow you all a chance to reach the tower."
He accessed the program, the very one he had created to destroy XANA two years ago.
WARNING
XANA-DESTRUCTION PROGRAM DETECTED
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He grinned. “Nice try, Jeremy.”
RETRIEVING LYOKO RESTORATION PROGRAM
MODIFYING LYOKO RESTORATION PROGRAM
CREATING NEW PROGRAM
PROCESSING
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NEW PROGRAM CREATED: REPLIKA RESTORATION PROGRAM
LAUNCHING REPLIKA RESTORATION PROGRAM
BEEP-BEEP-BEEP!
Jeremy's eyes widened as a new window appeared on the screen. "What in the-It can't be!"
It was the scanner he made for detecting Replikas on the Digital Network.
A Replika had been discovered-
No, two-
Make that four-
( XANA Attack Theme )
In the facility of the Amazon Rainforest, lights came on and alarm sounds could be heard as the entire facility, especially the supercomputer reactivated.
Eight Replicas…
In New Mexico, the supercomputer reactivated and the Replica inside was recreated.
“I don’t believe it!” Jeremy exclaimed.
" Jeremy, what's wrong? " Aelita's voice asked through the speaker.
"It's the Replikas, they are coming back online, and XANA has somehow managed to even repair all the supercomputers we destroyed before then!" Jeremy exclaimed. “All of them back and there’s even some new ones!”
That meant XANA is even more powerful now than he has already shown.
Grunting, Jeremy activated the XANA-Destruction Program. “At the very least, we can clear the monsters away!”
He pressed the 'Enter' key.
From the core of Lyoko came spheres of white light that out of the core and traveled through the digital data-stream, seeking out all programming associated with XANA.
Jeremy watched with bated breath as the program reached the Desert Sector that would hopefully clear it of any and all monsters.
Then Jeremy noticed it.
A surge of power coming directly from the network.
The monsters all looked up as the orbs of light shot towards them, preparing to infect them by injecting a specialized virus into their programming that would lead back to their progenitor, intended by its creator to destroy or at very least weaken him.
That was when Lyoko began to shake.
“Jeremy, what’s going on?” Aelita called out, trying to keep herself standing.
“ Some kind of massive energy surge from the network. It’s coming from the Replikas! ”
From the digital came a pillar of red energy that shot up into the digital sky which then began to darken. The white glowing energy of the XANA-Destruction Program shot at the spiral of red energy but rather than disrupting it, the white light jerked back, away from the red energy and began to dim and then without warning, shattered.
" Impossible! "
“Jeremy, what’s going on?” Yumi along with Ulrich stared up at the spiral of red energy.
“ The multi-agent system…it collapsed…. I don’t believe it! ” Jeremy stuttered. “ Some sort of anti-virus program kicked in at the exact moment it came into contact with the energy…Oh no. ”
“Jeremy, what happened?” Ulrich asked impatiently.
“ XANA…XANA neutralized the XANA-Destruction Program! ” Jeremy exclaimed.
That came as a natural shock to the Lyoko Warriors. The program meant to destroy their enemy had failed. Before any questions could be asked, the spiral of red energy dissipated, leaving a black orb resembling the transport orb from Sector 5 with a red Eye on it lowering down and opening in a flash of light to reveal several new figures. These creatures stood on two legs, were clad in black form fitting armor and dragon skull helmets. They carried a variety of weapons from swords to what looked like laser rifles.
Except for one.
It was more humanoid in appearance, wearing a semi-metallic torso suit of armor, black with red outlines and highlights and stretched up to its neck in a turtleneck like fashion. Its hands were covered in metallic gloves with red highlights along with the rest of the outfit. What stood about this new humanoid was the prominent black cloak it gave with short sleeves, flowing down to the shins while a popped-up collar flanked both sides of the neck. The second most noticeable trait was the face.
A face that resembled Aelita's.
However, it had male features that were angular in appearance with pale skin, black hair with red streaks all through it and glinting red eyes that stared at the surrounded Lyoko Warriors malevolently. Finally, a red Eye of XANA was imprinted on the figure's chest.
It then spoke in a regular voice but was cold as hard steel. “Welcome back to Lyoko.”
“Did that monster just talk?” Odd asked Ulrich.
“I think so.” Ulrich's eyes narrowed.
"I speak through this new avatar to welcome you all back. Especially my dear sister Aelita. It has been so long; I felt that it would be a good idea to put together a special reunion." The humanoid grinned as its glinting red eyes fell on Aelita who took a step back, trembling now.
“XX-XA-XANA!” Aelita gasped, unable to believe the sight before her.
She didn't know how she knew, only that she knew without a doubt that standing before her was the same digital enemy she thought she and her friends had defeated.
“In the flesh.” XANA spread his arms out, glancing down at his new avatar thoughtfully. “So, to speak.”
Yumi placed a hand on Aelita's shoulder, pulling her behind her.
“Yumi Ishiyama, Ulrich Stern, Odd Della Robbia.” XANA spoke their names softly and then looked up into the darkened sky. “And of course, who can forget you, Jeremy Belpois?”
Jeremy stiffened when he heard his name being mentioned while he ran a scan on XANA's avatar.
XANA appeared satisfied from the surprised looks on the faces of his enemies. "It has been over two years, five months and ten days since that day. And yet, I see so little has changed in that time. Unfortunately for you, the same cannot be said for me or even for Lyoko as you have no doubt begun to suspect."
Ulrich glared, pointing his sword at XANA. "Maybe you took us by surprise, but we'll still stop you like we did before."
Suddenly Odd tried to fire at XANA, but one of the knights parried the two arrows aside with a broadsword.
"You speak with such confidence, Ulrich. That has always been one of your strongest traits, the ability to project confidence born of ignorance." XANA taunted. "Ah of course, you think our previous encounter was a victory...but that was not even I that you destroyed. I admit my father's plan would have worked... if he hadn't made me so damn good at what I do."
“What are you talking about?” Yumi glared, brandishing both fans.
"Did it really never occur to any of you, not even you Jeremy that I would not anticipate such a plan? To use a multi-agent system to destroy another multi-agent system? You believe yourselves to be so intelligent that you couldn't t understand the idea that not only as a multi-agent system but as an artificial intelligence I would not recognize a threat to me No, I knew what you had planned, and I even anticipated it long before you had even considered it." XANA spoke with satisfaction. "I knew from the moment when Jeremy created that program, he had designated as the Marabounta that he would eventually return to that idea when you all realized the number of Replikas I had created. I planned every step of what happened leading up to the last confrontation. The XANA that was destroyed was a copy. A powerful one that could have evolved as I do, but a copy none the less."
Jeremy paled as he listened to how XANA survived the program that should have destroyed him. Even if it had only been a copy, the program should have spread to every corner of the network. So how could creating a simple copy save him?
"As our battles continued, I realized that as long as my creator was alive, I would always be watching over my back for him, which is why I continued to try to toss Aelita into the Digital Sea, so he would come into the open to rescue her and allow me to dispatch him. But you kept on interfering, so I had to make an alternate plan. It was there you discovered the key programs needed to release William from me and where you? discovered the hundreds of supercomputers I controlled when I made my strongest creation, the one you had named the Kolossus." XANA continued. "At that point, Jeremy realized he needed to find a faster way to destroy all of my replicas to destroy me. And what did he come up with? A virus of his own to destroy me, a multi agent system that would spread all over the network and specifically wipe out anything that had to do with me So, I left the network...I put myself into a computer and disguised myself as another program and waited as my copy did battle with you making you all believe I was. making my last stand."
XANA could see the horror slowly beginning to dawn on their faces, especially Aelita's.
"I disconnected the supercomputer of course; I counted on your persistence being my copy's downfall. All I needed to do was let you have William's freedom restored and then you would use the program to destroy me...I applaud you all for the roles you played up to this point, but now I shall not allow myself to be a victim of such plans this time around." XANA finished, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.
“You tricked us!” Odd shouted.
"To win at chess, sometimes you have to give up a pawn." Ulrich growled. “Well damn, he really did have us.”
"And he played us like puppets the whole way." Yumi added.
XANA grinned. "I did indeed."
Aelita nearly choked at the end of the explanation. All this time, she had believed her father had died saving the world but now the truth had appeared right in front of her, slapping her in the face not once but several times.
It had all been XANA's plan from the beginning and her father had died for nothing.
It was too much to handle.
Too much so that Aelita let out a scream and fired two energy fields right at XANA but the Dragon Knights flanking him easily parried her attacks.
“Super Sprint!” Ulrich shouted, dashing at XANA with his sword held tightly in both hands.
He dashed past the flanking monsters and swung his blade to cut XANA's head off. XANA, however, appeared to be just as fast as he leaned back, the sword missing the very tip of his nose by mere inches. Ulrich spun around in time to block a kick aimed at his torso, but the force of a single kick was still so great that Ulrich was knocked back.
"And I thank you all for playing along. Not only did I fake my death, but my father is now dead, his precious sacrifice in vain! Now, let me show you what I can do without the restrictions of my creator, Waldo Schaeffer !” XANA held out his hand and in a burst of smoke appeared an enormous, curved scimitar, the blade as red as blood and the Eye forming the cross guard.
Ulrich read himself, as did the others.
“Super Sprint!” Ulrich was the first to shoot forward, his katana shining blue as it clashed with XANA's scimitar that glowed red.
Jeremy was paralyzed as he looked on helplessly, unable to believe what he had heard.
It had all been a trick.
HAS…
God…
Damn…
TRICK!
XANA had tricked them into thinking that Jeremy's program had destroyed him when all along it had been only a disappointment they had wiped out. After everything they had been through, all they had sacrificed, he still managed to laugh in their faces one more time.
Franz, Aelita's father had died for nothing.
And Jeremy, he had fallen for it. XANA had shown him what he wanted to see, and he believed it because he had been so sure it would work. While they had been enjoying a normal life for the last two years, XANA had waited and plotted, changing everything about himself, his monsters and even Lyoko so that when he was finally ready to announce his return, it would be at a point none of they would be prepared to counter him.
This had all been a trap.
And Jeremy was left to watch as the others tried battling their way through the trap.
But could they?
The answer to Jeremy's unasked question began to look more and more bleak as the fight dragged on.
Ulrich slashed and stabbed, becoming a literal whirlwind of golden light but XANA was able to easily keep up, blocking easily and only with one hand holding his scimitar.
"Laser Arrow!" Odd shouted.
Five golden arrows were fired but with a mere wave from XANA's hand, a literal gust blew the arrows and even Yumi's arrows away.
"Energy Field!"
But not Aelita's Energy Field.
However, XANA simply summoned a red version of Aelita's Energy Field and fired, striking Aelita's own attack in mid-air, both attacks canceling each other out. XANA then continued the at the moment one-on-one swordfight with Ulrich, easily blocking and deflecting the boy's sword before they even came close to striking him. As Ulrich tried Super Sprint, XANA surprised him by moving at a similar speed, leaving a red comet trail in his wake as he and Ulrich dashed across the Desert Sector. Both opponents slashed with such speed, their swords were only flashes of blue and red light.
Ulrich fought harder than he ever fought before, his sword a literal glowing blur as he swung and slashed it through the air.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
And not once did he ever land a hit.
XANA was just as fast, just as strong, and just as skilled as he blocked and parried each strike. With a single strike, XANA knocked Ulrich back, but the samurai themed boy shot back with a battle cry. XANA retained his smirk as he held up his sword that began to glow. Just as Ulrich's sword met his own again, XANA's sword exploded in a blast of red light that sent Ulrich flying back, crashing into Odd as he ran to help, sending them skidding across the desert ground.
"Ulrich! Odd!" Yumi called out before she and Aelita turned to face XANA.
The Avatar of the demonic AI was staring at them with one hand on a hip and a taunting grin as he was seemingly waiting for them to make a move. Yumi held her hands to her head and a pale light surrounded her. XANA raised an intrigued eyebrow and while Aelita let out a harmonious tune and his eyes widened as boulders and rocks appeared around him, suspended in the air by Yumi's telekinesis. With a grunt, Yumi thrust a hand forward and they all fell on top of XANA.
“Aelita, get to the tower!” Yumi opened both her fans. “We’ll cover you-”
A single boulder was blasted at them, kicking up dust as both girls jumped out of the way in opposite direction. Just Yumi opened her eyes, she saw only dust clouds…before a dark hand shot straight at her. She tried to defend with her fans but the hand grabbed her wrist while the other one, holding the scimitar, slammed the hilt in her face and knocked her down.
“Yumi!” Aelita called out as Yumi was knocked down.
Yumi grunted as she swung her free hand, still holding her fan at XANA who batted it away and then grabbed Yumi by the neck, picking her up and throwing her aside. Yumi grunted as she skidded a few times across the ground. Aelita took a step back, a fearful look on her face as XANA turned to face her.
XANA's eyes narrowed as he looked at her. “It’s time to end this.”
Then a familiar screech was heard and Aelita paled as the Scyphozoa, the monster she feared the most appeared from behind a boulder and approached her. Just as Aelita was about to start running, the ground behind her rose up in the form of a wall, cutting her off.
"Aelita!"
"Laser Arrows!"
A barrage of arrows hit the Scyphozoa head on, forcing it back as XANA adopted an annoyed look on his face while blocking another strike from Ulrich. XANA stepped back as Aelita fired an energy field that was blocked as XANA held out a hand, using an Energy Field of his own to conjure a shield to block Aelita's attack.
"Aelita, run! Get to the tower!" Ulrich said, standing in front of the pink haired girl. “Deactivate one and we can still turn this around.”
“I don’t think so.” XANA said before shooting forward.
Ulrich grunted as he angled his sword and caught XANA's blade.
“This isn’t like before, Ulrich.” XANA spoke slowly as Ulrich shoved him back. "You think I simply announced my return just for us to pick up where we left off? Everything has changed while you remain as you were, even before I first destroyed Lyoko. Still the same children parading yourself as so-called heroes when you spent the last two years, fumbling in the ignorance of a normal life earned by the false victory I gave you."
"It doesn't matter whether you tricked us or not." Ulrich returns as Odd and Yumi joined him. “We’ll stop you no matter what.”
XANA grinned. "Still so confident. Perhaps it's time I show you just how outclassed you truly are."
With that, a red Eye appeared underneath the trio, making Aelita stop and turn around to look back. Surges of orange-yellowish energy sprouted from the edges of the Eye, crackling like lightning.
“Guardian Circle!” XANA announced, narrowing her eyes. "Now, show me if you are still as capable as you believe, Lyoko Warriors."
The energy lashed out like tendrils, attempting to grab the trio as they moved to escape. Ulrich grunted as he blocked the incoming surges with his sword with Yumi standing behind him, blocking incoming surges with her fans.
Odd tried to move, using his own energy shield to block the surges as he neared the edge, but a laser shot hit him in the back. “GAH!”
The dragon themed knights appeared, one of them holding a laser pistol that hit Odd in the back. With the momentary distraction, a surge shot out and hit Odd, wrapping around his arm and allowing energy to travel down his body.
"Guys, I need a hand-" Odd was cut off as the energy formed into a Guardian that immediately swallowed him.
“ODD!” Ulrich and Yumi shouted.
More and more energy surges lashed out as the Dragon Knights surrounded the Guardian Circle, cutting them off from escaping. The Dragon Knight armed with laser pistols fired into the circle at Ulrich and Yumi, increasing the difficulty of attempting to escape the circle.
“Triangulate!” Ulrich shouted, conjuring two more copies while moving in between the three afterimages in a flash of golden yellow light.
The tendrils along with the Knights began firing rapidly now as Ulrich fought harder to block the incoming attacks and hopefully at least get Yumi out. Then out of nowhere, the energy tendrils latched onto nearby rocks and boulders and shot them at Ulrich's clones, taking them out instantly. Ulrich slammed into a boulder, leaving him stunned and wide open as an energetic tendril grabbed him.
“ULRICH!” Yumi shouted, trying to slash the tendril holding Ulrich but was hit from behind and grabbed by an energy tendril.
In a matter of seconds, both of them were left swallowed up by the Guardians forming around them.
"Now let's put you somewhere nice and quiet." XANA hoisted before a portal opened beneath the Guardians who immediately sank into with the trio they were holding.
“NO!” Aelita shouted, tossing an energy sphere at XANA, who parried it with his scimitar.
"Now sister...time to run, time to scream...time to die." XANA's red eyes glowed like stars at night as he smirked. “Capture her.”
Aelita fled towards the tower, knowing she could not hope to win.
As the Dragon Knights pursued her, Jeremy urged Aelita on. “ Keep going Aelita !”
"Ah yes, the prodigy, the one who signed my father's death warrant... I can take care of you just as easily." XANA grinned. "As you will see, I've improved more than my digital monsters Jeremy."
Jeremy looked down, seeing his cellphone vibrate and sparkle and he immediately threw it away as a cloud of black mist began to slowly come out of the cables above the computer. “Nice try, nobody around to possess.”
XANA chuckled. "Wrong Jeremy. You haven't been to Lyoko for over two years and even then, you only went there for a limited amount of time. Over a certain amount of time the resistance that is built up against me fades. Like I just said ...I've improved."
The Specters entered Jeremy as he realized what XANA meant. The boy cried out and fell from the seat.
"Now I get to see Aelita fight with no friends to fight with her and no father to die for her. Time to go Jeremy; let's not let my sister see you this way. I won't hurt her yet... I' d like to watch her suffer first." Jeremy could hear XANA's voice from the Specters as it took over his mind.
"No... Aelita..." Jeremy's eyes closed...and opened with the XANA symbol in place of his irises.
“Go now my servant.” XANA whispered in his mind.
Jeremy left the computer room, taking the elevator down to the scanner room and a second later, he left the factory altogether.
"Jeremy! I'm in the tower!"
Aelita was putting in the code as the Dragon Knights tried without success to enter the tower. She approached the command interface and put in her name.
In capital letters, a message was displayed.
CODE
In the real world, moments before the tower was deactivated, Jeremy was struggling with the Specters as it tried to control him. He pulled himself up onto the chair and began to type in the code to devirtualize Aelita. As she put in the code, Jeremy put in the final key.
She typed in the same one she used for so long, the one that ended XANA's attacks.
LYOKO
“Tower deactivated.” Aelita sighed in relief before she was pulled out of digital space and reappeared in the scanner room.
The Dragon Knights paused as the tower turned blue.
XANA grimaced, the strain of his power being pushed back making it painful for him now that he could feel. "Well...such a shame, but I haven't lost either my dear sister. You're alone now, at my mercy and stuck here."
As he said those words, a figure was virtualized and landed in front of him.
“Welcome back to Lyoko, Jeremy.” XANA glared down at the boy who lifted his head up, his face looking terrified as he stared up at the one who brought him here.
After taking a moment to recover, Aelita took the elevator back to the control room.
"Jeremy! What are we going to-" Aelita paused as she saw the empty chair. “Jeremy?”
" Sister... " XANA's voice hoisted over the intercom. “ If you want to see Jeremy, look at the screen. ”
Aelita came over to the computer screen and paled when she saw Jeremy kneeling before XANA, his eyes showing he was possessed. “No…”
Jeremy was shaking now. “XA…NA.”
“Pathetic.” XANA grabbed the back of Jeremy's head and lifted him off the ground. "To think, I spent so much time preparing for when I confronted you all again, you would fall so easily before me. It never occurred to you at all that I would prepare my own countermeasures against the virus you made to destroy me. You and my creator, Waldo Schaeffer, are alike in so many ways. You are both geniuses beyond your years and are capable of creating beyond anything believed to be possible.
But that also makes you so arrogant and vain. You were so sure your program would work because it was like pressing a delete key and just like that your problem was solved." sentience and could easily counter your attack. You and those other children fancied yourselves as heroes, defenders of the human race but at the end of day you were still only children, unable to understand what you were truly fighting this entire time. And in the two years that have passed, you never once questioned the possibility that the enemy you believed had gone had not prepared any contingency and that is why you failed today."
XANA looked up at the sky now. "Sister, I know you can hear me, so I want you and Jeremy to hear this one final truth I have left to give. You are defeated today but in truth, the Lyoko Warriors as you so blatantly called yourself are the ones who died with our father, not me on that day."
XANA fired an Energy Field at the ground, destroying it and leaving Jeremy to fall into the digital sea upon letting go of his head.
“JEREMY!” Aelita screamed, rushing to devirtualize Jeremy as he did her.
But it was too late.
Jeremy managed to let out a scream before he hit the digital sea with a loud splash. XANA stared impassively down at where the genius, watching as the wake left by the splash quickly vanished.
He then looked up to the sky. “Sister…”
" You're alone now. No bodyguards, no Jeremy, it's just you and me now ."
"No..." Aelita collapsed to her knees with a look of anguish on her face, tears slipping down her cheeks as she stared at where Jeremy had been.
In this moment, she wished her father would rise up, carrying Jeremy to safety like he did for her once.
But nothing came up.
Because her daddy was dead.
And so was Jeremy.
" I'll leave you be for now, I need to recover from that head ache you gave me...farewell sister ." XANA's voice faded.
Aelita stared at the map of Lyoko as the remaining towers deactivated on their own for what felt like eternity, unable to accept what just happened.
Then it all hit her: her friends were gone, Jeremy was gone, and she had to fight XANA all on her own now.
Deep within the digital depths of Lyoko, a mind had stirred as pieces of itself slowly to come together. The process was slow and in some ways painful as the consciousness sought to essentially piece itself back together.
Distant memories, voices long forgotten echoed in his mind, faces that were blurry at first slowly coming into focus.
' Aelita… '
(Outro Song: Breakaway by Subdigitals Starts)
As the credits are shown on the left side, the interior of Kadic Academy is shown, zeroing in on a file left on a desk.
(They told me that I)
The file opened to reveal a dossier with the name signed on the bottom: FRANZ HOPPER
(Was no good at all,)
The papers are moved, revealing a picture of Waldo Schaeffer and his wife, Anthea Schaeffer, who is shown to be pregnant.
(Such a waste...)
Another picture is shown of a woman with blond hair and wearing glasses.
(And suddenly I was)
Another picture shows a man with brunette hair and a beard.
(Out of the cool,)
A new picture is shown with five kids smiling: Odd was holding Kiwi over his head, a big grin on his face while the dog barked. Ulrich and Yumi were holding each other, winning at the camera; William smiled easily, feeling awkward about being back in the group after all he had apparently done to them under XANA's control. And Aelita was kissing Jeremy on the cheek, making Jeremy blush as the shot was captured.
(Stuck with the fools…)
Another file opens with the label: Total Drama is shown next.
(Not that much I can do,)
The file opens to show Chris Mclean and Chef Hatchet standing in what looked like a lab.
(I'm out of the crew.)
Next comes pictures of the future contestants starting with Alejandro Burromuerto before and after the incident that turned him into a robot.
(Hear the lights go out,)
Next was a picture of a brunette with glasses labeled 'Beth Gadon'.
(What should I do)
Mildred "Blaineley" Stacey Andrews O'Halloran
(Stuck to this chair)
Bridgette Fairlie
(And yet I know)
Cody Emmett Jameson Anderson
(Gotta break away)
Courtney Barlow
(It's not my style)
Devon 'DJ' Joseph
(I gotta get away)
Duncan Nelson with a police report next to his photo
(Here and now today.)
Eva Chantrey
(Cut in half, I'm already there,)
Ezekiel Oldring
(In my head I know it,)
Geoffrey 'Geoff' Petronijevic
(Five, no four more steps,)
Gwen Fahlenbock
(Take me to the door,)
Harold Norbert Cheever Doris McGrady V
(Open up I'm falling.)
Heather Wilson
(One of those days)
Isabella 'Izzy' Crown with three additional files:
Explosive
E-Scope
Brainzilla
(Where the lights go out,)
Justin Reid
(And yet I smile.)
Katie Anne Mills
(Gotta break away,)
LeShawna Edwards
(Life's like that and)
Lindsay Vermeer
(I gotta get away)
Noah Hayden
(Here and now today)
Owen McCord
(Gotta break away)
Sadie Lipson
(Break away, break away)
Sierra Obonsawin
(Get away,)
Trenton 'Trent' Lennon
(Here and now today.)
Tyler Beckham
(Here I am as I stand,)
Anne Maria
(I can feel you think,)
B
("Such a waste.")
Brick McArthur
(It's okay, I don't care)
Cameron Corduroy Wilkins
(Didn't wanna stay stuck)
Dakota Milton before and after her mutation
(With the fools.)
Dawn Medrek
(Skating down Park Avenue,)
Jo Elliot
(I realize my time is now and here)
Rudolph 'Lightning' Jackson
(Ready to go,)
Mike Doran while five additional files are next to his picture:
Chester
Svetlana
Manitoba
Glass
The fifth file, however, was sealed.
(Being sensitive is just not sensitive.)
Samuel 'Sam' Froud
(Gotta break away)
Scott Wallis, both before and after nearly being mauled to death by a mutant shark.
(It's not my style,)
Staci Peters
(And I gotta get away)
Zoey Mamabolo
(Here and now today.)
A picture of Franz Hopper in front of the Hermitage is shown next with the word 'MISSING' printed above.
(Gotta break away)
Next to appear are several reports on a new company known as 'REALITECH'.
(Life's like that,)
Followed by a medical report on Dakota Milton in her mutant form.
(And I gotta get away)
Next is a report on Alejandro who is still trapped in the robot suit following the end of Total Drama World Tour.
(Get away)
Followed by Scott's own medical file.
(Bring it all the way,)
This is followed by medical files on Anne Maria and Staci.
(Gotta break away)
Next to appear is a classified report showing a line of robots with Chris looking over one at the front.
(It's not my style,)
Robot pieces are shown to be scattered about in a lab with various scientists at work on the robots or surrounding what appears to be a large supercomputer.
(And I gotta get away)
A picture of Chris in jail is shown next.
(Here and now today.)
There is a round table with the people seated blurred from being seen, a single contract is shown on the table.
(Gotta break away)
TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
Proposed by newly established Realitech
(Life's like that,)
The pictures of the first and second generations of Total Drama contestants are then shown.
(And I gotta get away)
A map of France is shown next.
(Get away)
The file is then closed and picked up as the screen fades to black.
Bring it all the way,
The Eye of XANA flashes one time and the title of the series appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(Outro Song: Breakaway by Subdigitals Ends)
Chapter 9: Episode 9: A Time to Mourn
Summary:
In the aftermath of the mysterious Red-Eye virus attack the new season of Total Drama Reality continues while Aelita is left alone when her friends are captured.
Chapter Text
( Code Total Drama Reality Introduction Song Starts )
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) )
(The ending of this story)
The song starts, showing the end of Code Lyoko where the Supercomputer is shut down and the former Lyoko Warriors leave the factory seemingly for the last time.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
A single computer is shown coming online, lines of 1s and 0s streaming across the screen before the screen is replaced by a glowing sphere with the Eye of XANA, at least eight variations appearing on it. From the sphere came lines of data emerging in eight different directions. The lines of data formed into various regions, all of them floating landscapes resembling a forest, a desert, an arctic, mountains, volcanoes, swamp and a jungle.
(Into this new world)
The new lands orbited the golden sphere as the camera zoomed in on the Eye of XANA staring at the screen.
(The game has only just begun)
The Eye then flashes red, and the sphere turns black.
(I can see it in your eyes)
A girl with pink hair sits on her bed, panting as she turns to see two pictures of her friends and her father. She smiles briefly but that smile turns to a look of horror as both her friends and her father are engulfed by a great darkness and the red Eye shines down on her. The Supercomputer, thought to be shut down, is reactivated and there is a flash of light.
(This is where tomorrow brings a new game)
Aelita is shown alone both in the real world and in Lyoko, hordes of monsters surrounding her.
Geoff is first shown in his human form before transitioning to his Lyoko form.
Next to him is Bridgette, holding her surfboard in the real world before changing into her Lyoko form, her board splitting into two swords.
(It's time to learn that pain is gain)
Gwen is shown sitting in front of tree, looking up and is instantly changed into her Lyoko Avatar, brandishing her scythe.
DJ is shown in the woods, tending to a little rabbit as he stands up and morphs into his Lyoko form, turning to face the camera with a stern glare.
LeShawna is last, ready to fight in both her human form and her Lyoko form.
(Ready fight!)
William and a dark reflection of himself as XANA's General are shown standing back-to-back, turning to face each other and swinging their swords.
The screen is split by the two swords, showing New Lyoko as the title appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(I gotta crush and paint away the anguish)
Aelita is shown first, sitting at the computer before she is then shown as the DJ of a party. She morphs into her Lyoko form and conjures an energy field.
This was followed quickly by Geoff wildly waving his hat while riding something with Bridgette holding onto him by the back.
(Of my past for the sake of my future)
Gwen is shown next, drawing in her sketchbook and signifying with a sad face as Duncan, Courtney and Trent appear behind her, their backs facing in her direction.
(Until my life comes to an end)
DJ is shown running for his life from appears to be a giant bear.
(I am gonna fight to tear apart that destiny)
LeShawna is shown next, standing confidently with her team, ready to face whatever crazy challenge comes next.
(Aoh, break out and start a revolution)
The antagonists of Total Drama: Heather, Courtney, Justin, Anne Maria, Jo, Lightning, Scott and Alejandro in the Total Drama Machine are shown from left to right, grinning or glaring at the camera, holding up an imaginary case of the million- dollar prize money in their hands. Chris Mclean is shown next, arms crossed as the chair he is sitting in spins to meet the camera, zooming out to show it is the monitor room for the Total Drama show.
A dark shadow appears above them, scrawny in appearance and hair falling over the left eye as it glares darkly at the screen.
(Until you find the answer you're looking for)
The camera then shows Aelita with the new Lyoko Warriors, the TD Lyoko Warriors and William sitting around a campfire, all of them staring up into the starry night sky, a picture of her friends and father resting in Aelita's hands.
(I'll challenge all my limits)
Aelita in her Lyoko form with her wings sprouting from her back is shown, clutching Mr. Puck in her hands as she seemingly falls back, her friends and relatives in the background.
The camera moves down to show William kneeling down, clutching his sword in both hands. As this happens, the camera moves down, showing depictions of the TD Lyoko Warriors and other characters in the background.
The camera continues to move down to show Geoff pulling Bridgette into sharing a picture with LeShawna bringing her face up over Bridgette's shoulder, the three of them in their Lyoko forms. While this happens, Harold, Lindsay, Beth, Trent, Katie and Sadie are shown in the background.
Below them is Gwen with her arms and legs curled around her with her cape swirling behind her like wings while Heather and Courtney are shown in the background glaring at each other followed by Sierra clutching Cody who looks distressed, Eva crossing her arms along with B and Beth both waving, the latter looking very shy. Behind Gwen appeared Dawn in her own Lyoko form in a meditative pose while upside down while facing Gwen with her eyes closed, her light robe contrasting with Gwen's cape with dark clothing, almost forming a yin-yang symbol.
Behind Dawn appears Scott, snickering evilly.
(Knowing this could be my only chance now)
DJ is shown last, seemingly falling back while holding his pet rabbit: Bunny in his hands with a happy smile. His teammates shown in the background starting with Duncan, Tyler, Justin and Alejandro ending with Chef Hatchet and Chris McClean.
He is followed by Mike and Zoey, both clutching their hands and smiling at each other as in background appears Brick, Jo, Lightning, Sam and Staci.
And lately Cameron appears staring up at the others.
(To overcome this fate that has come over me)
The screen turns black and the Eye of XANA immediately flashes into existence, glowing red and shadowing the outline of a singular person with red glowing eyes.
(The ending of this story)
Aelita is shown, standing in a meadow now with the wind gently blowing through her hair.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
She holds up a hand, gazing sadly up as the images of her friends and parents appear in the sky.
(Into this new world)
Her hand then becomes digital, transitioning to Lyoko.
((The game has only just begun))
She gazes up a little longer before she notices her new friends and allies standing with her and smiles before looking forward, seeing a tower in the distance.
(I can see it in your eyes)
Just as they are about to rush towards the tower, the camera angles up into the digital sky as the song reaches its end.
The scene then shifts to pictures of Aelita and her friends both old and new on a desktop as the title appears on last time:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) Ends )
Episode 9: A Time to Mourn
Back in the studio, the symbol and message vanished from the computer, and the view of the digital world was back up for display.
"What the-sir the virus is gone! Systems are back up and restored!" The intern named Robby said.
"Get the kids out of there!" Chef barked.
Robby typed in a command and hit the safety switch.
Instantly all seven pods hissed open, and the campers sat up at one, groaning as they opened their eyes and adjusted to the light.
Trent glared at Chris. "Real funny Chris. There weren't any stars, and the safe word didn't even work!"
"Whoa dude, not my work!" Chris shook his head, holding his hands.
"For once Chris is right, a virus took over everything. It locked down the system. You guys are lucky it just vanished. It's been affecting the whole damn city." Chef explained.
"What? Virus? So..." Beth blinked. "What would have happened if it didn't just 'vanish'?"
"Well, you would have been stuck in there for a long time, and if the system shut down you would have died." Chef said. "When this thing shuts down it erases anything that isn't saved. Guess when I disconnected it then I must have done something. You know how you can design anything into a program, maybe it had a...death clock on it or something or a remote command."
"Guys! The television and radio are back up!" DJ ran in. "GEOFF! BUDDY!"
"DJ!" DJ pulled his friend into a bone crushing hug. "Love...hurts!"
"Wait 'til you see Bridgette then." DJ grinned.
"Wait a second; the entire city is back up at once...maybe the virus really was meant to just die after some time. Couldn't have been a remote shut off, we're disconnected from the web." Chris rubbed his chin before his cellphone rang which he answered. "Y-ello?"
Barking voices could be heard through the phone.
"Yeah, this one was not me but none of the contestants died. So we're safe from a lawsuit." Chris said with a smile.
"Uh...hold on now... we're still broadcasting for some reason. We aren't on TV, but the computer says we have a wireless link open." Robby blinked.
"That must be how it got in." Chef crossed his arms. "Find out where the link is."
"I did, it's from that cyber cafe down the street." Robby said.
"Wait, I was there, every computer was messed up also." DJ said. "I went out to grab Bridge a drink and there wasn't a single screen that wasn't showing that freaky eye."
"Ok, so that means the virus hit us by connecting to us from that cafe... but how'd it hit the rest of the city then?" Chris asked.
"It must have hit any public access or personal access and hit anything else in range. We were receiving views from that cafe anyways." Robby shrugged.
"Man, this is why I hate computers." Eva said. "They mess up your life and they almost ended mine just a while ago apparently."
"Well, let's just check the system over and avoid doing live broadcasts from now on." Chris said. "Robby, whenever and if we ever air a second episode, cut our internet access so this crap doesn't happen again."
"Got it boss."
"GEOFF!" Bridgette ran into the room and pulled her boyfriend into a passionate kiss before sobbing into his chest.
As Geoff comforted his distraught girlfriend, Carlos looked at Chris.
"Ok, seeing as nothing happened and you're not nearly smart enough to pull this off, I won't deduct your pay." Carlos walked away.
"Nice, everybody's safe, I keep my paycheck, everybody wins!" Chris said.
Chef and the camera man rolled their eyes. Chef then realized he had set the camera to record everything. He hid the tape in his backpack when nobody was looking.
"So, do you think the wacko who did this will give us any more problems?" Chef asked.
"Hell, if I know." Chris shrugged. "Let's just try to make sure we don't end up getting our butts sued by families of the contestants. I am not going back to jail."
Aelita had returned to her room at the academy. Nobody noticed the group was gone in the chaos of the recent cyber-attack on all of France. People were arrested for looting, and order was restored within the few hours since the single greatest cyber-attack in history. She sat on her bed, staring at a picture of herself with her friends after they beat XANA.
Odd was holding Kiwi over his head, a big grin on his face while the dog barked. Ulrich and Yumi were holding each other, winking at the camera and Aelita was kissing Jeremy on the cheek, making Jeremy blush as the shot was snapped. She had brought Kiwi to her room, knowing he would feel lonely in Odd and Ulrich's empty room. The dog was sleeping next to her as if all was well in the world.
She wiped away her tears and went to where she had set Jeremy's laptop. It was easy to re-establish the link between it and the supercomputer so she could detect any towers that are activated. But what use would it be if she couldn't have someone to operate the computer and assist her as she deactivated the towers? She'd be lucky if she managed to deactivate one before XANA killed her.
She was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
And Jeremy…
What would she say to his parents?
His cousin, Patrick?
How could she face any of her friends' families and explain what had happened?
The TD gang had calmed down from the recent situation that almost killed seven of their group. The majority of them were lounging in the common room with a few exceptions like Heather and Alejandro who were too injured to move on their own, Courtney was on the phone with her lawyers while Eva and Jo were in the gym.
"Man, after I managed to get out of that net, the world just changed. It looked all weird and well no offense Gwen but it's how I'd picture the setting of some gothic horror novel." Geoff said.
"None taken." Gwen shrugged.
"Everything looked dead. Stone trees, grass turned to sand and the water-oh don't get me started on what virtual thing might have crapped in that." Geoff leaned back in his chair. "The sky had these red clouds, like some bad painting. And what's worse, I had to say 'Chris Rules'! Man, now that I said it again, I think I need to really wash my mouth out with soap."
"Forget it buddy, just be glad you got out of that alive." DJ said, patting Geoff on the back.
"Gotta agree with the big guy on this Geoff, that was one messed up virus and we're just lucky it didn't leave you a veggie." Duncan commented.
"Ah, good point. I'm not getting back in that pod any time soon."
"Good, because if you tried, I'd drag you out of it by the ear." Bridgette kissed him.
"Any idea who did it?" Geoff asked.
"No idea, nobody knows, they just call it the 'Red Eye Virus'." Cody said. "Man, whoever pissed that hacker off is going to want to go commando in the most desolate part of the planet to get away from a guy who can do this."
"Cody's right. There has never been a cyber-attack of such magnitude…ever. The whole city was affected." Cameron added.
"He's right. Not only were television and radio signals but so were the airports, wi-fis and anything else that was networked." Harold nodded in agreement.
"There's probably going to be a huge investigation over this." Brick commented.
"Let's hope when Chris forces us into those pods that it doesn't happen again." Trent said.
"I hope they catch whoever did this." Beth said as she crossed her arms.
"I hope so too." Bridgette said, remembering how afraid she was when Geoff was in danger.
It looked like he could have died.
"Well guess I just saw a news report saying that four kids who were going to a boarding school nearby just disappeared while the city was chaos." Cody brought up.
"You think those kids have anything to do with that thing?" Trent asked.
"I don't know. Everyone was kind of not looking when they disappeared. The authorities are looking all over the place but have found no sign of them. It's like they vanished into thin air."
"Oh man." DJ muttered.
"Where is this boarding school?" Gwen asked.
"It's just an hour drive away from here. A few blocks away." Cody said as he pointed to a map on the table.
He pointed to the school labelled 'Kadic Academy'.
"It was the first day of school when it happened."
"Man, so whoever did this might have kidnapped those kids. That's just wrong." Geoff said.
"I know." LeShawna nodded.
Nearby, Dawn was meditating and shivering. "Something bad has happened."
B glanced in her direction, looking concerned.
Victory.
XANA basked in this word. After fighting these children for so long he had won. For three weeks he had worked, studied, upgraded, evolved, and improved himself and on the first attack he had easily captured or destroyed all of his enemies except Aelita. He hadn't even had to use any of his upgraded monsters.
All too easy.
He had rebuilt his army, destroyed his creator and now with nearly all of his enemies captured nothing would stand in his way.
Only Aelita stood in his way, and she was no doubt distraught for what has happened. He could have a bit of fun with her. Until then, he would reconnect with his Replicas and continue what he had started-
Wait, something was wrong.
ACCESSING SIBERIAN REPLICA
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SIBERIAN REPLICA ACCESSED
STATUS OF MACHINE ARMY: …
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Dismantled?
The machine army I had assembled inside the Siberian base has been completely disassembled. The base has even been stripped, leaving only the supercomputer behind.
What has happened?
VIEWING SECURITY FOOTAGE
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A teenage girl and a bear entered the base a year prior to my reactivation?
And then a day later, an entire group and dismantles the machine army that was left in stand-by mode.
SEARCHING FOR IDENTITY PROFILE
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IDENTITY FOUND: BRIDGETTE FAIRLIE
AGE: 18
CITIZENSHIP: CANADIAN
PLAVE OF ORIGIN: TOFINO, BRITISH COLUMBIA
PROFILE: SUBJECT HAS BEEN PART OF A REALITY SHOW CALLED TOTAL DRAMA TWO YEARS PRIOR TO DEACTIVATION. SUBJECT HAS APPEARED IN FORTY ONE EPISDOES INCLUDING AFTERMATH SHOW.
A reality show?
A girl from a reality show found my machine army?
LOCATING TOTAL DRAMA WEBSITE
DOWNLOADING ALL INFORMATION ON SUBJECT
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DATA DOWNLOADED
ACCESS RECORDING
"And get this, our own obnoxious, self-centered, rude reporter Blainley is finally roving." Geoff announced, earning even more cheers. "Like way far from here!"
Lindsay and Izzy clapped the most happily at the news.
"Yes, Blainley's off on a Total Drama tour to potential new franchise locations and she's meeting with one Total Drama super fan contest winner in each country." Geoff explained as a map shown to highlight Blainley's locations and travels was shown. "Stay tuned because apparently this super fan is Blainley obsessed."
Geoff paused to consider what he had just said. "Wow, never thought I'd say that." He turned to the right side of the stage. "Take it away, Bridge."
Strangely, Bridgette the Surfer Girl did not come out with only a janitor being shown, scratching his rear end to which he glared at the cameraman for filming.
"Where's my tofu-angel at?" Geoff wondered as Lindsay waved at the camera.
"Here's a hint: they eat a lot of red meat there." A voice said and everyone gasped as a woman with long blond hair and wearing a red dress strolled onto the stage.
"You." Geoff gaped and pointed at the woman who was in fact Blainley. "You're supposed to be-"
"Well said, Geoffy boy." Blainley cut him off, hands on her hips and a smile on her face.
Geoff narrowed his eyes. "What did you do with her?"
"Oh, Geoff. How Bridgette left doesn't matter." Blainley shrugged. "What matters is that she did leave and I'm officially back in my co-host seat."
"But I thought you wanted out of your contract so you could-" Geoff began skeptically.
"Bail on this dork train before my career is flushed down the bathroom confessional toilet of life?" Blainley finished for him. "Hmph, turns out if the live show runs long I don't get paid and if I try to leave the show for any other reason than being fired or accidently killed on set by a falling light, I'll get sued."
Geoff looked up and noticed one of the lights over Blainley's head dangling a bit. "Come on, come on."
"Nice." Blainley simply said, catching Geoff's hopes that the lights would fall on her head, likely killing her. "Almost makes me wish the producers had set me on the tour instead of Bridgette." She smiled. "Almost."
"The producers sent her away?" Geoff mumbled, bringing a finger to his ear where a small earbud could be seen. "Huh? Really?"
"Okay." Blainley stood up and walked forward. "On with the show."
"Not so fast." Geoff grabbed Blainley by the arm. "As far as my producers know, you're standing by with our super fan right now in…" Geoff tapped his earbud again. "The frigid mountains of Siberia? Siberia? Where is Siberia? We've got her on the feed?" Geoff asked anxiously. "Put her up!"
The large TV screen above showed a nearly white background with barely a dark outline that could be made out.
"Oh, come on." Geoff groaned. "It's all static."
"I'm pretty sure that's a blizzard." Blainley corrected, arms crossed.
The dark outline came closer to the camera, revealing it was Bridgette wearing a light blue winter coat and gloves though that didn't seem to protect her very much from the cold.
Geoff narrowed his eyes at Blainley. "You did this. But how?"
"I just took Bridgette to the airport-"
She put Bridgette in a potato sack when she wasn't looking.
"-to shoot a special report."
She then threw the sack holding Bridgette in the back of a truck but she fell back out.
"Slipped my passport and ticket into her purse-"
Blainley carried the sack up to a rather rusty looking plane, throwing her on the slamming the door on her.
"-and helped her on the plane right before takeoff." Blainley calmly answered.
By this point, Geoff was trembling with anger at the smug looking woman. "Must…resist…urge…to murder-"
"GEOFF!" Bridgette's voice cried over the speakers.
Geoff looked up with a surprised face. "Hey baby. You okay, Bridgy Bear?"
That was likely meant to calm Bridgette down, but it had the opposite effect. "Bear? Is the bear back? We've already lost one intern."
That was when seemingly an avalanche of snow fell right on top of her, causing her to scream before the live feed was cut.
"Bridge! Bridge, Bridge, Briiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiidge-"
PAUSE RECORDING
So, this girl was kidnapped and shipped off to Siberia?
According to chronological data, this show started airing in the summer, about three months after his supposed destruction by the Lyoko Warriors. Since then, the show produced three more seasons and from the recordings he had found, the girl named Bridgette accidently found the Siberian base where his machine army was stored while attempting to find the landing pad where the airship would take her back to Canada.
This was an unacceptable setback.
When he had chosen to simulate his death and go into stasis for two years, he had been confident that no one would discover any of his infrastructures in the real world. The odds of anyone, let alone a teenage girl finding the base and the army inside were practically nonexistent. Still, he had managed to thwart his former enemies and with them out of the way, he could rebuild the machine army and continue where he had left off. It would take some time as base would likely need to be refurbished of vital equipment to get it up and running again.
If the people who had dismantled his army were from working with this reality show, it could mean he had been compromised in some way. He would need to solve this crisis immediately and ensure they know nothing about him or his plans.
And as it turns out, the new season of this reality show was taking place in France of all places under the moniker: Total Drama Reality.
It seems you will have to wait for the time being, Aelita.
Next Day
Because of XANA's little message school had been cancelled for the day as the teachers cooperated with the police and French Intelligence. Aelita had prayed that none of them would recognize her as the daughter of the still 'missing' Franz Hopper. XANA's message had caused a lot of trouble and everyone was now looking for the source of the message. She typed on the laptop that was now connected to the supercomputer as she looked up the info from the last battle.
XANA had more than three weeks to plan out his return and he had not only created new monsters but had managed to achieve complete surprise. She was on her own now and she wasn't sure she was enough.
Should she try to recruit someone to help her?
If so then who?
William?
He might be willing to help but he was only just one ally, and things had been a little strained between him and the Lyoko Gang for about a year after the supercomputer was shut down.
Sissi?
She betrayed the gang's trust every time she found out.
Herb or Nicholas?
While Herb was smart, he still had an inferiority complex when compared to Jeremy and while Nicholas was nice without Sissi pulling his leash he wasn't bright enough to be a warrior.
Milly or Tamiya?
Too young and wouldn't be able to keep their mouths shut?
Theo?
Aelita didn't know him well enough.
Hiroki?
Aelita shook her head. Even if she told him what happened to his sister, Yumi would never forgive her for allowing her brother to be dragged into the fight.
Samantha?
She went to another school and Aelita only knew her briefly before she and Odd broke up.
Patrick?
Jeremy's cousin who started attending Kadic shortly after their adventures were thought to be over. Could she really ask him to help join the fight that his cousin kept secret from him?
KNOCK-KNOCK
A knock was heard on her door. She put down and closed the laptop while making sure Kiwi was safely hidden with plenty of food.
She opened a door and saw two men in black causing her to remember the men in black who came for her father all those years ago. She quickly suppressed the shudder that almost got out.
"Aelita Stones. We would like to ask you about your missing friends."
"Sir, I am telling the truth. If I knew where they were I would tell you." Aelita said, technically telling the truth but at the same time the memory of her friends being captured and Jeremy's death caused her to look saddened no matter how much she tried to remain calm.
The agent sighed. "Miss Stones, we are not accusing you of anything, but I believe you know something given how close you are to all of them."
"Is this necessary, officer? I admit her friends have acted suspiciously at times, but I that was years ago and I doubt she could a have been a part of something as serious as kidnapping." Principal Delmas cut.
"We are just exploring every possible connection."
"Sir, I know that my friends have acted suspiciously before but we never would have done something as serious as what you are all thinking. Odd is my cousin; he may be silly from time to time but he was always someone I could count on. The same with the others." Aelita said but was hoping they wouldn't look into her 'connection' with Odd.
"So, you have never seen this symbol?" The agent held up a picture of XANA's Eye.
She shook her head.
"All right, you're excused."
"Thank you, sir." Aelita nodded to the principal and the agent before turning and walking out the door.
"You still believe she is lying?" asked Delmas.
"I have a hunch. She may know but is being forced to stay silent. Someone who could launch a cyber attack as serious as this one and kidnap four kids in just thirty minutes without leaving a trace must be powerful and possible very dangerous. She may have been threatened not to tell anyone." The agent said looking out the window.
"I see. What should we do?" asked Delmas.
"Keep an eye on her. If she is being threatened not to talk than whoever did this must be close. If they find out, she talked it could put those kids' lives in greater danger."
As Aelita walked down the hall, she paused when she saw someone stepping out in front of her. "…William."
"Hey, Aelita." William greeted, sounding awkward. "Um…I heard what happened. At least, I heard what everyone thinks happened. Are they…"
Aelita choked back a sob. "They were captured and…. Jeremy's dead."
William's eyes widened and for a moment he didn't what to do but he managed to hold out his arms, offering a hug. Aelita took it, needing some comfort and cried into William's shoulder. For a moment, she just let out her pain before she managed to calm down and step back.
"Thanks, William." Aelita wiped her eyes.
"It was him, wasn't it?" William asked, narrowing his eyes. "Can you tell me what happened?"
Aelita nodded. "Not here though."
Chris stood in the waiting room with all Total Drama contestants either sitting or standing waiting for the next challenge.
"All right, everyone as you know we were supposed to sort out the contestants into teams yesterday. Since our last challenge was a disaster and the producers have forbidden me from putting you in the virtual pods until security has been upgraded, we will just have to do things the old-fashioned way." Chris announced.
"And by old fashion he means ripping off more shows." Chef threw in.
"Ha, ha, ha." Chris laughed sarcastically. "Instead of having a challenge to sort out the non-team members we'll have one member of each time pick them. We have three teams: the Red Vultures, the Yellow Hamsters and the Blue Rats."
"Why are we called the Blue Rats?" Anne Maria asked.
"Because I picked the names." Chris simply said. "Here are the current team members."
Red Vultures – LeShawna, Gwen, Zoey, Izzy, Scott, Cameron, Bridgette, Brick
Yellow Hamsters – Harold, Heather, Lindsay, Cody, Sam, Mike, Dawn, DJ, Scott
Blue Rats – Alejandro, Noah, Tyler, Owen, Anne Maria, Sierra, Duncan, Courtney
"Each team has about eight members already." Chris stated. "The ones yet to be sorted are ironically the ones who didn't compete in season three of Total Drama, World Tour. That leaves Geoff, Trent, Justin, Katie, Sadie, Beth and Eva while the ones from the next generation cast yet to be picked are Jo, Lightning, B, Staci, and Dakota. Instead of having a challenge to sort out the non-team members we'll have one member of each time pick them. We'll start in alphabetical order so Blue Team goes first."
Courtney stepped forward. "Since I am the only one with leadership ability I will pick."
"Yeah, right, because you did a good job leading your team to victory last time." Noah rolled his eyes.
"Tell me about." Duncan rolled his eyes, earning a heated glare from Courtney.
"I think Cody should pick." Sierra said raising her hand.
"He's not even on our team." Owen pointed out.
"So?" Sierra glared at Owen, making him stumble back.
"J-Just saying."
"Okay, I've had enough. We're skipping the Blue Rats." Chris cut in, looking impatient. "Team Red Vultures, go."
The Red Vultures chatted amongst themselves for a moment before Gwen answered. "We've decided to start with Beth."
"All right. Beth you're on Team Red." Chris said.
Courtney glared hotly at Gwen who looked away.
"Team Yellow Hamsters, who is going to be choosing your new team mate?"
"Can we pick Geoff?" asked Bridgette.
"So, you can spend every minute making out?" Heather said rudely, earning a glare from practically everyone.
"Can we pick Troy?" asked Lindsay.
Tyler smacked himself in the head when he heard Lindsay forget his name again.
"I assume that's Tyler and no he's on a different team." DJ said.
"I am picking." Heather wheeled up.
"Oh, pick Dakota!" Sam said excitedly. "Her mutant powers will make her super strong."
"Fine." Heather rolled her eyes. "Dakota!"
"Sam!" Dakota ran over and happily hugged Sam.
"At least they're not making out like a certain couple." Heather muttered.
"Team Blue, who will do the choosing?" asked Chris.
"Oh, oh, oh! Let me pick!" shouted Owen waving his hand.
"Leave it to me." Duncan stepped forward.
"Excuse me?!" Courtney glared at the two but they both ignored her.
"Pick Justin!" Owen quickly said.
"Why not?" Duncan shrugged.
Justin walked over to Team Blue Rats.
Red Vultures – LeShawna, Gwen, Zoey, Izzy, Scott, Cameron, Bridgette, Brick, Beth
Yellow Hamsters – Harold, Heather, Lindsay, Cody, Sam, Mike, Dawn, DJ, Scott, Dakota
Blue Rats – Alejandro, Noah, Tyler, Owen, Anne Maria, Sierra, Duncan, Courtney, Justin
"That's three down." Chris stated. "Team Red, you're back up."
"Can we pick Geoff?" Bridgette hopefully.
"How do you know you won't spend every minute making out?" LeShawna asked skeptically.
"Please, LeShawna?" Bridgette asked, getting on her knees with her hands together as she begged her friend.
LeShawna sighed. "Only if you promise not to make out during the challenges."
Bridgette nodded in excitement.
"Geoff."
"All right! Whoo-hoo!" Geoff shouted as he ran to the Red Vultures and grabbed Bridgette in a hug and started making out.
"Didn't she just say-" Brick asked.
"Forget it, army-boy. I said not to make out during the challenges." LeShawna shook her head.
"Team Yellow, who's next?"
Dawn waved a hand. "How about B? He's super good at stuff."
B took that as a sign and walked over, greeting everyone with a smile.
"That was fast but okay. Team Blue Rats, you are up now." Chris called out.
"Hey, can we pick Lightning?" Tyler asked his team. "He's almost as athletic as I am. He could be a big help."
"That's not saying much." Courtney crossed her arms.
"Sounds good to me." Duncan shrugged. "We pick Lightning."
"Sha-Bang!" Lightning flexed his muscles as he walked over to Team Blue. "This team's got winning in the bag with Lightning."
Red Vultures – LeShawna, Gwen, Zoey, Izzy, Scott, Cameron, Bridgette, Brick, Beth, Geoff
Yellow Hamsters – Harold, Heather, Lindsay, Cody, Sam, Mike, Dawn, DJ, Scott, Dakota, B
Blue Rats – Alejandro, Noah, Tyler, Owen, Anne Maria, Sierra, Duncan, Courtney, Justin, Lightning
"Ten members on each team now." Chris noted. "We're making progress but we should pick up the pace people."
Brick walked and whispered into LeShawna's ear. "If I have your permission, how about Jo?"
"The girl who is basically Heather if she was a jock?" LeShawna raised an eyebrow.
"She's competitive and could be a great help." Brick reasoned.
LeShawna shared a look with Gwen who simply shrugged before looking over Zoey, Scott and Cameron. "What do you three think? You know her better than we do."
"Well, she's tough and a little mean but she can be very good at winning." Zoey reasoned.
"Just remember, she doesn't like losing and will push us all to the side to win." Cameron pointed out.
"Really does sound like Heather." Gwen muttered. "Well, the other option is Eva and she's even worse than Heather."
"Guess we're going with Jo then." LeShawna stated.
Jo walked over and smiled. "Well, you made a smart choice, everyone. With me here, winning will be guaranteed."
No one looked optimistic.
"That's Jo for the Red Vultures." Chris stated. "Hamsters, you're up."
"We pick-" Heather started but was cut off by Harold.
"Eva!"
"What?!" Heather shouted. "What are you thinking?! She'll only bring us down!"
"Only if you annoy her. Besides with the shape you are in I don't think she'll have to worry about bringing the team down." Harold shrugged as Eva approached their team.
Confessional: Harold
"With Brick and Jo on the same team and Lightning on another, we need another set of muscles besides Dakota when she goes mutant." Harold reasoned. "If a fight comes down between them and Eva, I put my money on Eva."
"I still remember how you tricked me Heather so watch out!" Eva threatened, crossing her arms.
Heather shut her mouth as Eva glared at her deeply.
"Great, the other teams got two power houses." Noah muttered, looking at Duncan. "And who do we have left to pick? A loudmouth that spews anything she thinks and the annoying twosome and music boy."
"Hm…" Duncan rubbed his chin as he looked between Trent, Staci, Katie and Sadie.
Confessional: Duncan
"I guess we really don't have much a choice here. Loudmouth will be useless and as bookworm said, the twosome are practically worthless on their own."
Confessional: Trent
"I saw it coming as soon as I saw Duncan looking at me. As much as I don't like him, I can't fault him for his lack of options."
Trent walked over and high fived Owen.
Red Vultures – LeShawna, Gwen, Zoey, Izzy, Cameron, Bridgette, Brick, Beth, Geoff, Jo
Yellow Hamsters – Harold, Heather, Lindsay, Cody, Sam, Mike, Dawn, DJ, Scott, Dakota, B, Eva
Blue Rats – Alejandro, Noah, Tyler, Owen, Anne Maria, Sierra, Duncan, Courtney, Justin, Lightning, Trent
"Oh no!" Katie shouted as she realized it was just the three of them yet.
"We can't be separated!" Sadie cried, hugging Katie.
"Sorry, girls. I guess Sadie." LeShawna shrugged.
"Katie." Harold said next.
"But I wanna be with Katie!" Sadie cried harder.
"And I want to be with Sadie!"
"Can we move it along?" Chris asked as they were separated by their team-mates. "So by proxy, Staci is left to join the Blue Rats."
"Oh boy. Did you my great-great-great-great aunt actually found blue rats in her cellar?" Staci asked as she walked over.
"Lovely." Duncan rolled his eyes.
Red Vultures – LeShawna, Gwen, Zoey, Izzy, Cameron, Bridgette, Brick, Beth, Geoff, Jo, Sadie
Yellow Hamsters – Harold, Heather, Lindsay, Cody, Sam, Mike, Dawn, DJ, Scott, Dakota, B, Eva, Katie
Blue Rats – Alejandro, Noah, Tyler, Owen, Anne Maria, Sierra, Duncan, Courtney, Justin, Lightning, Trent, Staci
"All right. So now we have the team sorted out finally we can start with the first challenge. To start things off, we're sending you into the city to compete. You must search for pillars that we have set up at specific locations. Once you do, it will dispense a card with your challenge on it. We will watch all of the challenges afterwards via recordings from our camera crew and judge whether it was completed correctly and fairly, for each correctly completed challenge you get five points. The one who completes the Master Challenge gets ten points!"
"This sounds too normal for your tastes Chris...what are you hiding?" Courtney asked.
"I have no idea what you mean Courtney!" Chris responded.
"...let's just go." Duncan said.
"The challenge ends at 5:00 sharp!" Chris called as they left. "Okay, the teams are assembled. Who will win today? Find out today on Total…Drama…Reality!"
(Outro Song: Breakaway by Subdigitals Starts)
As the credits are shown on the left side, the interior of Kadic Academy is shown, zeroing in on a file left on a desk.
(They told me that I)
The file opened to reveal a dossier with the name signed on the bottom: FRANZ HOPPER
(Was no good at all,)
The papers are moved, revealing a picture of Waldo Schaeffer and his wife, Anthea Schaeffer, who is shown to be pregnant.
(Such a waste...)
Another picture is shown of a woman with blond hair and wearing glasses.
(And suddenly I was)
Another picture shows a man with brunette hair and a beard.
(Out of the cool,)
A new picture is shown with five kids smiling: Odd was holding Kiwi over his head, a big grin on his face while the dog barked. Ulrich and Yumi were holding each other, winning at the camera; William smiled easily, feeling awkward about being back in the group after all he had apparently done to them under XANA's control. And Aelita was kissing Jeremy on the cheek, making Jeremy blush as the shot was captured.
(Stuck with the fools…)
Another file opens with the label: Total Drama is shown next.
(Not that much I can do,)
The file opens to show Chris Mclean and Chef Hatchet standing in what looked like a lab.
(I'm out of the crew.)
Next comes pictures of the future contestants starting with Alejandro Burromuerto before and after the incident that turned him into a robot.
(Hear the lights go out,)
Next was a picture of a brunette with glasses labeled 'Beth Gadon'.
(What should I do)
Mildred "Blaineley" Stacey Andrews O'Halloran
(Stuck to this chair)
Bridgette Fairlie
(And yet I know)
Cody Emmett Jameson Anderson
(Gotta break away)
Courtney Barlow
(It's not my style)
Devon 'DJ' Joseph
(I gotta get away)
Duncan Nelson with a police report next to his photo
(Here and now today.)
Eva Chantrey
(Cut in half, I'm already there,)
Ezekiel Oldring
(In my head I know it,)
Geoffrey 'Geoff' Petronijevic
(Five, no four more steps,)
Gwen Fahlenbock
(Take me to the door,)
Harold Norbert Cheever Doris McGrady V
(Open up I'm falling.)
Heather Wilson
(One of those days)
Isabella 'Izzy' Crown with three additional files:
Explosive
E-Scope
Brainzilla
(Where the lights go out,)
Justin Reid
(And yet I smile.)
Katie Anne Mills
(Gotta break away,)
LeShawna Edwards
(Life's like that and)
Lindsay Vermeer
(I gotta get away)
Noah Hayden
(Here and now today)
Owen McCord
(Gotta break away)
Sadie Lipson
(Break away, break away)
Sierra Obonsawin
(Get away,)
Trenton 'Trent' Lennon
(Here and now today.)
Tyler Beckham
(Here I am as I stand,)
Anne Maria
(I can feel you think,)
B
("Such a waste.")
Brick McArthur
(It's okay, I don't care)
Cameron Corduroy Wilkins
(Didn't wanna stay stuck)
Dakota Milton before and after her mutation
(With the fools.)
Dawn Medrek
(Skating down Park Avenue,)
Jo Elliot
(I realize my time is now and here)
Rudolph 'Lightning' Jackson
(Ready to go,)
Mike Doran while five additional files are next to his picture:
Chester
Svetlana
Manitoba
Glass
The fifth file, however, was sealed.
(Being sensitive is just not sensitive.)
Samuel 'Sam' Froud
(Gotta break away)
Scott Wallis, both before and after nearly being mauled to death by a mutant shark.
(It's not my style,)
Staci Peters
(And I gotta get away)
Zoey Mamabolo
(Here and now today.)
A picture of Franz Hopper in front of the Hermitage is shown next with the word 'MISSING' printed above.
(Gotta break away)
Next to appear are several reports on a new company known as 'REALITECH'.
(Life's like that,)
Followed by a medical report on Dakota Milton in her mutant form.
(And I gotta get away)
Next is a report on Alejandro who is still trapped in the robot suit following the end of Total Drama World Tour.
(Get away)
Followed by Scott's own medical file.
(Bring it all the way,)
This is followed by medical files on Anne Maria and Staci.
(Gotta break away)
Next to appear is a classified report showing a line of robots with Chris looking over one at the front.
(It's not my style,)
Robot pieces are shown to be scattered about in a lab with various scientists at work on the robots or surrounding what appears to be a large supercomputer.
(And I gotta get away)
A picture of Chris in jail is shown next.
(Here and now today.)
There is a round table with the people seated blurred from being seen, a single contract is shown on the table.
(Gotta break away)
TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
Proposed by newly established Realitech
(Life's like that,)
The pictures of the first and second generations of Total Drama contestants are then shown.
(And I gotta get away)
A map of France is shown next.
(Get away)
The file is then closed and picked up as the screen fades to black.
Bring it all the way,
The Eye of XANA flashes one time and the title of the series appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(Outro Song: Breakaway by Subdigitals Ends)
Chapter 10: Episode 10: A Cry for Help
Summary:
XANA tries to finish Aelita off in the park while several contestants from Total Drama are completing their challenges but come across Aelita while she is being attacked by a strange creature. Aelita leads them to the factory where she asks their help in saving the world.
Chapter Text
( Code Total Drama Reality Introduction Song Starts )
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) )
(The ending of this story)
The song starts, showing the end of Code Lyoko where the Supercomputer is shut down and the former Lyoko Warriors leave the factory seemingly for the last time.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
A single computer is shown coming online, lines of 1s and 0s streaming across the screen before the screen is replaced by a glowing sphere with the Eye of XANA, at least eight variations appearing on it. From the sphere came lines of data emerging in eight different directions. The lines of data formed into various regions, all of them floating landscapes resembling a forest, a desert, an arctic, mountains, volcanoes, swamp and a jungle.
(Into this new world)
The new lands orbited the golden sphere as the camera zoomed in on the Eye of XANA staring at the screen.
(The game has only just begun)
The Eye then flashes red, and the sphere turns black.
(I can see it in your eyes)
A girl with pink hair sits on her bed, panting as she turns to see two pictures of her friends and her father. She smiles briefly but that smile turns to a look of horror as both her friends and her father are engulfed by a great darkness and the red Eye shines down on her. The Supercomputer, thought to be shut down, is reactivated and there is a flash of light.
(This is where tomorrow brings a new game)
Aelita is shown alone both in the real world and in Lyoko, hordes of monsters surrounding her.
Geoff is first shown in his human form before transitioning to his Lyoko form.
Next to him is Bridgette, holding her surfboard in the real world before changing into her Lyoko form, her board splitting into two swords.
(It's time to learn that pain is gain)
Gwen is shown sitting in front of tree, looking up and is instantly changed into her Lyoko Avatar, brandishing her scythe.
DJ is shown in the woods, tending to a little rabbit as he stands up and morphs into his Lyoko form, turning to face the camera with a stern glare.
LeShawna is last, ready to fight in both her human form and her Lyoko form.
(Ready fight!)
William and a dark reflection of himself as XANA's General are shown standing back-to-back, turning to face each other and swinging their swords.
The screen is split by the two swords, showing New Lyoko as the title appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(I gotta crush and paint away the anguish)
Aelita is shown first, sitting at the computer before she is then shown as the DJ of a party. She morphs into her Lyoko form and conjures an energy field.
This was followed quickly by Geoff wildly waving his hat while riding something with Bridgette holding onto him by the back.
(Of my past for the sake of my future)
Gwen is shown next, drawing in her sketchbook and signifying with a sad face as Duncan, Courtney and Trent appear behind her, their backs facing in her direction.
(Until my life comes to an end)
DJ is shown running for his life from appears to be a giant bear.
(I am gonna fight to tear apart that destiny)
LeShawna is shown next, standing confidently with her team, ready to face whatever crazy challenge comes next.
(Aoh, break out and start a revolution)
The antagonists of Total Drama: Heather, Courtney, Justin, Anne Maria, Jo, Lightning, Scott and Alejandro in the Total Drama Machine are shown from left to right, grinning or glaring at the camera, holding up an imaginary case of the million- dollar prize money in their hands. Chris Mclean is shown next, arms crossed as the chair he is sitting in spins to meet the camera, zooming out to show it is the monitor room for the Total Drama show.
A dark shadow appears above them, scrawny in appearance and hair falling over the left eye as it glares darkly at the screen.
(Until you find the answer you're looking for)
The camera then shows Aelita with the new Lyoko Warriors, the TD Lyoko Warriors and William sitting around a campfire, all of them staring up into the starry night sky, a picture of her friends and father resting in Aelita's hands.
(I'll challenge all my limits)
Aelita in her Lyoko form with her wings sprouting from her back is shown, clutching Mr. Puck in her hands as she seemingly falls back, her friends and relatives in the background.
The camera moves down to show William kneeling down, clutching his sword in both hands. As this happens, the camera moves down, showing depictions of the TD Lyoko Warriors and other characters in the background.
The camera continues to move down to show Geoff pulling Bridgette into sharing a picture with LeShawna bringing her face up over Bridgette's shoulder, the three of them in their Lyoko forms. While this happens, Harold, Lindsay, Beth, Trent, Katie and Sadie are shown in the background.
Below them is Gwen with her arms and legs curled around her with her cape swirling behind her like wings while Heather and Courtney are shown in the background glaring at each other followed by Sierra clutching Cody who looks distressed, Eva crossing her arms along with B and Beth both waving, the latter looking very shy. Behind Gwen appeared Dawn in her own Lyoko form in a meditative pose while upside down while facing Gwen with her eyes closed, her light robe contrasting with Gwen's cape with dark clothing, almost forming a yin-yang symbol.
Behind Dawn appears Scott, snickering evilly.
(Knowing this could be my only chance now)
DJ is shown last, seemingly falling back while holding his pet rabbit: Bunny in his hands with a happy smile. His teammates shown in the background starting with Duncan, Tyler, Justin and Alejandro ending with Chef Hatchet and Chris McClean.
He is followed by Mike and Zoey, both clutching their hands and smiling at each other as in background appears Brick, Jo, Lightning, Sam and Staci.
And lately Cameron appears staring up at the others.
(To overcome this fate that has come over me)
The screen turns black and the Eye of XANA immediately flashes into existence, glowing red and shadowing the outline of a singular person with red glowing eyes.
(The ending of this story)
Aelita is shown, standing in a meadow now with the wind gently blowing through her hair.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
She holds up a hand, gazing sadly up as the images of her friends and parents appear in the sky.
(Into this new world)
Her hand then becomes digital, transitioning to Lyoko.
((The game has only just begun))
She gazes up a little longer before she notices her new friends and allies standing with her and smiles before looking forward, seeing a tower in the distance.
(I can see it in your eyes)
Just as they are about to rush towards the tower, the camera angles up into the digital sky as the song reaches its end.
The scene then shifts to pictures of Aelita and her friends both old and new on a desktop as the title appears on last time:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) Ends )
Episode 10: A Cry For Help
"So, this whole time, XANA faked his death and was waiting for the perfect chance to let everyone know he was back?"
William could barely believe it.
XANA coming back from the dead was one thing.
But the fact that he had been faking his death all along and only chose now to come back because he believed he was ready…
William couldn't help but feel the familiar shame of being the evil AI's puppet resurface in his mind, wondering if he had played a role of some sort in XANA's deception. After all, XANA had managed to possess him one last time before his supposed death and William had been left to deal with the aftermath of it. Nights where he would have nightmares from his time possessed, possibly repressed memories that had been struggling to break free.
Now he had to wonder if he could have somehow predicted this would happen.
Did he believe XANA had been destroyed?
He liked to think so but there was always something lingering in the back of his mind that told him it had been too easy. XANA had been too smart to believe he could have stopped the Lyoko Gang from unleashing a program that would destroy him and not have some kind of back-up plan.
Could he have done something to prepare?
Jeremy and the others had been so sure that they had won but they didn't know XANA like he did.
XANA was not just an AI; he was a super-intelligent AI.
William knew this because he had been made a vessel.
He could literally feel XANA's intellect, his power and his ambitions and he certainly wasn't blind to his own weaknesses. He certainly would have had something prepared if he knew about Jeremy's Anti-XANA Program and if William had known around the time he had been freed, then XANA most assuredly would have known as well.
"Yes." William shook his head upon hearing Aelita's voice. "He told us himself."
"Himself?" William paled. "Does that mean he…"
Aelita held up Jeremy's laptop and brought up a window showing an image of XANA's new Avatar.
William leaned forward, narrowing his eyes. "So…that's him."
The monster who tried to kill Aelita and her friends so many times, had possessed him and used him as a puppet and killed Aelita's father.
There he was in the digital flesh.
"I'm not sure what he did but this Avatar, it's not like his other monsters." Aelita stated. "I've been going over the scans took from the fight. Jeremy ran a scan on XANA's Avatar, and he found something."
Aelita showed William a helix window that he recognized as DNA scan. "What is this?"
"XANA's Avatar, it had human DNA coded into it." Aelita closed the window.
William's eyes widened. "Human DNA? But XANA's a computer program, he doesn't have DNA."
"That's what I thought when I looked over this scan. As best as I can figure out, XANA took a copy of someone's DNA and genetic codes that were scanned into the supercomputer and combined it with actual data, his own codes." Aelita slowly explained nervously. "This Avatar, it's replica of a human using a digital base in the same manner most of XANA's own creatures are made from a base program that mimics Earth animals."
William stiffened as he looked at the Avatar again, noticing some certain similarities. "Aelita, whose DNA did he copy?"
"…Mine." Aelita faced the screen. "He copied my original DNA and genetic codes from the time I was trapped in the supercomputer and merged it with his own codes to simulate a form that resembles me."
It was almost like looking at her sick, twisted, evil twin brother.
How long had XANA been planning this?
Did he start before he had possessed William or did he get the idea after using William as his puppet, deciding to create his own humanoid form?
"And worst of, I don't know where he took Odd, Yumi and Ulrich." Aelita said with a despondent face as she closed the window.
That's right.
Odd, Yumi and Ulrich had been captured by XANA, likely in the same way William himself had been captured. Were they being possessed right now, turned into unwilling generals like XANA had done with him or were they being tortured for all the trouble they had caused the evil AI in the past? William wasn't sure he even wanted to know.
Aelita stood up from her chair and put the laptop in her backpack.
"Where are you going?" William asked.
"I just can't stay here right now." Aelita turned to the door. "I need to be somewhere, anywhere but here."
"Aelita…" William started but trailed off. "I know, I'm probably the last person to be offering help given what happened the last time but if you do need something…anything…I'll do it even if you ask me to do…nothing."
"I know." Aelita glanced back at William, a slightly softer expression on her face could be seen now. "Thank you, William. Really, thank you."
William just watched as she walked out the door and turned down the hallway. As he followed her out, William spied Sissy nearby, looking directly at Aelita as she headed for the doors.
"Comforting a friend?" Sissy asked as William walked past her.
"Something like that." William simply said.
"She knows what happened to Ulrich and the others." Sissy suddenly said.
Well, at least she was being direct.
"She told the principal and the detectives everything she knows. If she knew where they are, what happened to them, she'd tell everything in a heartbeat." William said, throwing a look at Sissy. "Don't start blaming her for things that aren't her fault."
Sissy turned away and walked back to her room without a word.
William just watched before he headed back to his room.
Gwen, Eva, Cameron, Cody, Sierra and Beth were rushing on a bridge while further back Sadie pushed Heather's wheelchair and Katie was pushing Scott. So far, no teams had remained entirely together for the challenge, preferring to take the first challenge easy and go with people they trusted more.
"Got it!" The four of the leading contestants tagged the pillar.
Sadie followed up and tagged it while Heather reached out and tapped it.
"Snap a picture of the Mona Lisa...easy!" Gwen ran off.
"Run a marathon from the Eiffel Tower back to the studio." Cameron gulped. "I'm not very athletic but I'll try."
"Arm Wrestle and win against ten men or women." Eva smirked. "Oh yeah!"
With that, she ran off.
"Stay fifty feet away from Cody for the whole day. Oh no!" cried Sierra.
Cody was jumping up and down in his head as Sierra cried about having to stay away from her beloved Cody. He read his card when it came out.
"Get a picture of yourself with two police officers willingly... meh, not so hard." Cody walked off.
"Avoid the police for one hour or escape back to the studio... what?" Beth looked up in time for police cars to drive down the bridge towards her. "Uh oh."
Suddenly she remembered how she was charged for causing harm to the Mona Lisa during her last visit to Paris with Lindsay, the girl ran off with French police in pursuit, who were pursued by Cody.
"Remain ten or more feet away from Heather and snap pictures of every accident she has." Sadie smiled. "Sweet!"
She pushed Heather away and went to find a camera.
"YOU ARE DEAD!" Heather yelled before she read her own note. "Find Courtney and soak her with a water gun... note: there is one at the studio along with a motorized wheelchair." She smirked and began to wheel herself away.
Katie tapped the pillar for both herself and Scott, reading her card first. "Take Scott to the aquarium that hosts a newly brought in shark."
Scott's chair started beeping loudly and not just because of the mention of a shark but also because of what it said on his card: Go the shark aquarium and meet the newest addition: Fang
As in the very mutant shark that had nearly mauled him to death. Still, he could do nothing but beep wildly as Katie wheeled him to the aquarium, the address written down on her card.
"You're kidding me." Duncan looked at his card. "Kiss Courtney...Ah, (bleep)!" He swore, and it was 'bleep'ed out.
"Watch the f bombs." The Cameraman said.
"Fine." Duncan stormed away from the pillar Team Chris had tagged, which was under the Eiffel Tower.
Darth Alejandro needed Owen to grab his card for him. "I must...take off my mask...crap..." He began to lift his robotic arms to his helmet.
"Oh, come on it's probably not that bad man." Owen said right before the helmet came off. "OH MY GOD! Those are horrible burns, and your hair is all gone man!"
"I was burned alright?!" Alejandro put it back on.
"Point to Alejandro and the Blue Rats." One crew member called out.
"Burn a book..." Noah looked up. "I'm not that obsessed with books."
"It's not just any book; it's YOUR favorite book." Suddenly Noah's favorite novel, one of the Sherlock Holmes books was dropped into his hands.
"You're kidding me, this thing cost me a ton!" Noah complained.
"Kid you the card does not."
"It's impossible to just find one of these anymore man!"
"Thems the rules."
"I swear I'm gonna-"
"Contract says you can't sue us unless we cause physical harm to you. And don't burn yourself, we aren't held accountable for your clumsiness."
"Now for me!" Owen read his card. "Stand in front of a large turkey dinner and do not eat a single bit of it..." Owen sniffed, wiping away a tear. "I hate you all!"
"I thought you were on a diet." Noah said.
"DON'T JUDGE ME!" The big boy wailed.
Confessional: Duncan
"That guy has issues."
Time for another message. Aelita needs to know just how short her time is. She was walking in the city now, most likely trying to think of a way to revive her method of defying my entries into this world. I had just the way to deal with her.
I once used the scanners to create monsters, but thanks to the Code: Translation I would not have to smash the scanners. Those devices could be of use to me, and I would not back myself or Aelita into a corner by destroying them. A cornered prey will always fight after all, so I would have my monsters appear in the city for now and hunt her down, eliminate her quickly and cut the final loose end.
The irony of this attack is that Aelita will be destroyed by the very program that she helped Jeremy develop to help destroy my Replikas.
Speaking of which….
.
.
.
.
.
"Ugh…" Ulrich managed to open one eye as he looked around, seeing the interior of what appeared Sector 5 but there was one stark difference.
Rather than the blue colored maze he and the others were familiar it was all red. Another groaning sound was heard and looked to see Yumi and Odd, both of them suspended off the ground by a red light. Ulrich noticed it was the same for him and he couldn't move.
"Odd, Yumi!" He said to them as they as woke up.
"Ulrich?" Yumi managed to glance at him from the corner of her vision. "What happened?"
"We were…" Ulrich's eyes widened as it all came back. "I think we've been captured."
"How remarkably astute of you, Ulrich."
The three looked down to see the Avatar of XANA grinning up at them with his arms crossed.
Yumi glared. "XANA."
"It's good to see you are awake now. Welcome to my new home." XANA remarked with a satisfied grin. "And you can consider it your new home as well for the time being."
"I don't know if I like the color scheme of this place." Odd said dryly. "It clashes with my colors."
"You'll get used to it. At least before I send you three to your permanent virtual homes." XANA chuckled.
"What do you mean by that?" Ulrich glared.
"It'd be too easy just to kill the three of you." XANA answered. "Fortunately, my victory in our last battle has left me in such a good mood that I've decided to spare the three of you…Well, you might not consider it sparing you."
"What are you going to do?" Yumi asked, feeling a pit rising in her stomach.
"You're no doubt aware I've recreated the Replikas that were originally destroyed. Of course, not only I've created brand new ones." XANA began, pleased by his work. "And out of the hundreds of Replikas, three of them will be your new permanent home."
That caused Odd, Ulrich and Yumi to pale slightly before Odd asked. "What do you mean three? Don't you mean one?"
"He's not leaving us together in a Replika." Yumi caught on. "You're separating us and leaving us to rot on our own Replikas."
"Correct." XANA nodded. "No weapons, no contact with the real world and no one to come to your rescue."
"Jeremy and Aelita will find us, XANA. They won't give up." Ulrich argued, only to pause as he watched XANA's smile widen.
"Well, Aelita might try but I doubt the same can be said for Jeremy." XANA retorted as he brought up a recorded image…
Of XANA throwing Jeremy into the Digital Sea.
Odd, Yumi and Ulrich looked on in horror and anguish, watching as Jeremy hit the waters with a loud splash and completely vanished, never to come back out.
"As you can see, this is not like before." XANA closed the window, pleased by grieving looks on their faces. "You three are removed as obstacles, Jeremy has been scattered to every corner of the network, leaving only Aelita to deal with. Which is why you're awake now."
A new window appeared, showing Aelita leaving the school grounds.
"Aelita…" Odd whispered, seeing the grief-stricken look on her face.
"I am allowing you the privilege of seeing her before she is removed as my final obstacle." XANA stated. "Even if she restores the upgraded Avatar program you all used prior to shutting down the supercomputer, she is still only one and you all together barely held me back."
"Leave her alone!" Ulrich shouted. "Haven't you done enough to her?! You possessed her, you stole her memory, you killed her dad!"
XANA's eyes widened briefly before he smiled. "Yes, I did."
The look of satisfaction on his face, it infuriated the three at how much he took pleasure from their suffering.
"Make no mistake, Ulrich. I feel nothing for my creator, Waldo Schaeffer. His death was long overdue, and he deserved much worse than what he was given." XANA stated. "At the very least it was a painless death. Something you might embrace in the future when you are wandering the Replika I deposit you on, leaving all alone without your friends, your prodigy genius to find you and no rescue from poor Aelita. You might consider jumping into the digital sea, but I'll be sure to offer you a way to see into the real world so at the very least you can watch as I finally take over."
With that, XANA turned around, staring up at Aelita. "It's time to end this, Sister."
"Let a ten-year-old beat you at hockey...what?" Tyler asked.
"That's the challenge." Chris snickered over a speaker inside the pillar.
"I have mad skills in hockey; you can't expect me to let a little kid win!"
"Oh, trust me, even if you really had skills it wouldn't matter." Duncan rolled his eyes. "Just do it princess." He marched away.
"Oh, he's just grumpy because he needs to kiss the other princess." Noah snickered.
Aelita had made her way into the park, on her way to the Hermitage because it was the only place she could think of where she could have the privacy she needed to work through everything that had happened.
XANA had returned.
Jeremy was dead, just like her father.
Odd, Yumi and Ulrich had been captured.
And here she was, left all alone.
Well, she had William who had reached out with a helping hand and Aelita was truly grateful for it. She knew things had been rough between the group and William the year following XANA's 'defeat', especially with Odd, Yumi and Ulrich. Aelita on the other hand felt that they had been unfair to William, given how many times she had been possessed. If anything, her own experiences made her understand perfectly what William had gone through and thus she was always cordial with him whenever they spoke.
Things had been rough when Yumi and Ulrich started dating the rest of the group, even Jeremy had decided to push William out, not directly but always giving off little excuses so they wouldn't have to deal with him. Aelita hadn't been happy with that, especially with Jeremy who tried to argue their case but came up short since William had been possessed on their watch and he was smart enough to know logically it was unfair to act like he had betrayed them willingly.
Things eventually reached a boiling point when she had enough and called them all out for their despicable treatment of William. It was one of the few times outside of Lyoko that Aelita had genuinely gotten angry, and it was with her closest friends of all people. It was only after she called them out that they start treating William better, but things could be tense at times, especially with Yumi and Ulrich. Right now, though, she had considered asking William for his help again and this time she would be sure not to let him get possessed or captured like the others had been.
With all these thoughts racing in her mind she sat in the park, looking at Jeremy's laptop. It was the only trace she had left of him now. She paused as a group of teens with odd accents began to pass by, all of them looking very familiar.
It was then she remembered that newest season of the hit reality show Total Drama was going to be playing in Paris now. Aelita had watched a few episodes of the show, sharing a laugh with Odd who loved it. Jeremy only watched it once before he decided that it was all fake since no one would be able to survive what the contestants had gone through.
Diving in shark infested waters?
Obviously fake as no one in their right mind would have a bunch of teens jump off a cliff and into a lake infested by sharks.
Using actual dynamite and explosive on the show, especially in the proximity of the contestants?
Fake as that would bring up a dozen arson charges and that's not even going into the volcano eruption in Hawaii that Odd talked about.
Not to mention episodes where it was shown or mentioned of interns dying and being injured.
It was clearly all fake.
Still, Odd enjoyed watching the show and Aelita had watched enough that she recognized the nearby contestants as DJ, Bridgette, Geoff, and LeShawna.
"Alright where are you?" LeShawna growled, and then smiled. "There!"
They ran towards where a pillar had been set up by employees from the TDR crew and tapped it at once. It displayed four notes, one at a time with their names written on it.
"Alright...throw a pie in Heather's face? Awesome! Wait...restrictions: Pie must not cause physical harm and must not cause allergic reaction...crap." LeShawna sighed.
"Do two hundred push ups with only three breaks in between? Easy!" DJ proceeded to do push ups.
"Wear twenty different hats... wow, that won't be hard." Geoff then realized he would need to buy them himself. "Uh...whoops."
"Pose as surfer girl for ten pictures...sweet!" Bridgette said. "I need to get my surfboard and a camera."
"You brought your surfboard to France" LeShawna asked.
"I couldn't leave it behind!" Bridgette objected.
"You really are a surfer girl." DJ said on his twenty ninth push up.
"Yeah, my surfer girl." Geoff waved as she ran off.
"Tongue back in your mouth cowboy." LeShawna said.
"Right, challenge time!" Geoff ran off. "I need my wallet!"
Time to begin... now to pick a tower. Ah, a nice little one over in the mountain region, perfect.
No sooner than when the thought manifested in me did a tower in the Mountain Region activate.
Code: TRANSLATION
"Uh...guys, problem!" Robby said.
"What is it?" Chef, who was left in charge due to Chris being a dumb ass, before the screen went blank.
A moment later the odd eye shaped design from earlier reappeared.
"Oh man, it looks like our hacker friend is leaving us another message!" Robby said.
"Are the new security measures working?" Another worker, Thomas asked.
"No! Nothing is! He has us again!" Robby said before a message appeared, looking like it was being slowly cut into a fabric rather than appearing on screen.
YOU EITHER DIE WHERE YOU THINK YOU ARE SAFE, OR WHERE HE DIED FOR YOU, YOUR CHOICE.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Robby asked.
"Don't know." Thomas shrugged.
William's phone vibrated and he pulled it out, paling when he saw XANA's Eye…and the message that came with it.
"Oh no…Aelita!"
Dawn's eyes snapped open as she felt the wind around her change. "It is back…And someone is in danger."
SNAP!
"Perfect!"
SNAP!
"Very good!"
Bridgette smiled as Geoff snapped photos of her for her challenge. She set her surf board down after he was done. "Thanks!"
"Point to Bridgette and the Red Vultures!" A crew member noted.
"Awesome-" Geoff stopped as his cell phone rang. He answered it. "Uh...oh no."
"What is it?"
"Look!" He let Bridgette see the screen.
"That again!" Bridgette joined Geoff. "What is it saying now?!"
YOU EITHER DIE WHERE YOU THINK YOU ARE SAFE, OR WHERE HE DIED FOR YOU, YOUR CHOICE.
"I don't know what this means." Geoff shrugged.
"Oh man, not again." A crew member groaned.
"Looks like we have a psycho on our hands." Geoff put his phone away. "Let's find the others."
Geoff and Bridgette ran off, leaving the crew behind to try to get their equipment functioning.
They ran all the way to the park and found DJ finishing up his hundreds of push ups.
"Hey dude, what's happening?" DJ stood up.
"Did you check your cell phone man?" Geoff asked.
"No, why?" DJ asked.
"Look at it." DJ pulled out his cell phone and flipped it open, gasping at the eye and the message.
"Oh snap!" He looked up at them. "Not again man!"
"Yeah, and do you see that message? This guy is a nut case." Bridgette said.
"Man, I totally got that woman!" LeShawna came running in. "Man, you should have seen the look on her face! I wanted to do that for years!"
"LESHAWNATHEEYEISBACK!" DJ yelled, panicking.
"What?" She took a step back from the frightened man.
"The eye! The same one from earlier!" Geoff said.
"Take a look!" Geoff and DJ held up their cell phones.
"Oh crap, this ain't good!" LeShawna said.
"Hey guys, I got it!" Gwen joined them, holding a digital camera while also holding a panting Cameron with her other arm. "It wasn't easy, traffic was murder, but I got a snapshot of the Mona Lisa! They managed to fix up what Beth and Lindsey did."
"Gwen, where's the rest of the team? And do you know where all the others are?" Bridgette asked with a concerned face.
"Well Heather went to the studio getting a water gun. Eva and Jo are arm wrestling since both of them having the same dare and they decided to arm wrestle each other. Beth is on the run from a few guys dressed as cops. Cody has to get himself a picture of himself with the police and Sierra is somewhere crying because she has to stay fifty feet away from Cody." Gwen replied. "Cameron here was close to fainting when I found him on the way back, so I stopped and helped him. Mike and Zoey went off together and I don't know where Brick is. Why?"
"That freaky eye thing is back! Nothing's working again!" Geoff said. "And you should see what that freak has to say this time!"
Gwen pulled out her black berry, seeing the Eye and the message as soon as she did.
"Oh man." She looked at them with a concerned face. "This guy must have some hell of a grudge; I say we get back to the studio."
"Agreed!" They all said at the same time.
Aelita was oblivious to the growing chaos until she noticed the TDR gang gathering near their pillar again. When she heard them, she flipped open her own cell phone and saw the message. Her eyes narrowed.
'You won't get me XANA; I promise you that much.' She snapped it shut and stood up.
She needed to get to the factory, and quick!
But before she took even two steps, a streetlight nearby shattered, and electricity arched down the pole and into the ground. The air shimmered as electricity began to crackle all around, and suddenly something took shape. It was large with grey and white skin and had four legs. For eyes it only had a few narrow slits, no mouth, and the eye of XANA on it.
The Tarantula let out a howl before it leaped into the park, heading right for its target, Aelita, who saw it and screamed. The Total Drama contestants heard the scream and then saw the monster that had just appeared.
"What in the world?!" Cameron exclaimed.
"Holy crap, what is that?!" DJ pointed at the charging Tarantula.
The TDR gang was right between it and Aelita!
"Watch out!" They all leaped aside as the Tarantula made for Aelita.
It crashed into a bench and sent it right into the air, bending and shattering the metal. Aelita ran for the trees, the monster in pursuit.
"That thing went after her!" Bridgette pointed in the direction the monster had went.
"Dude, that thing will rip her up!" DJ yelled.
"Oh, hell no!" LeShawna grabbed a long piece of jagged metal from the shattered bench and ran after it. "Grab a piece and get your butt in gear tiny!"
DJ hesitantly grabbed another piece of metal and went after her. Geoff grabbed a third one which was more bent out of shape, so it was more like a pickaxe. Gwen and Bridgette didn't see any other big pieces of metal to grab, so they abandoned the wreckage and went after their friends. Cameron was panting but he managed to stand up and ran after them but trailed behind.
Aelita zigzagged between the trees and made for where she knew a manhole was. It was one of the few the group used outside of the school property to get to the factory, and the Tarantula wouldn't fit through. She just needed to remember the 'Scan Delay' code Jeremy made in case a group member found themselves alone and needed to go to Lyoko. It would delay the scan process for sixty seconds, more than enough time to take the elevator down and get into a scanner.
But before she could get within fifty feet of the manhole, a laser struck her right thigh, going through flesh and bones.
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" She screamed and fell.
She tried crawling to the manhole but could hear the Tarantula coming closer.
"Aelita!" She heard William's voice.
She managed to lift her head to see William rushing out of the bushes towards her. "No! RUN!"
The Tarantula halted and lifted its arms, aiming its cannons as William who came to an immediate halt. "Oh boy…"
The Tarantula fired its lasers, forcing William to jump and roll to find cover. The lasers peppered the tree he hid behind, burnings the leaves and starting a fire. William stepped back, seeing falling burning leaves and sticks but left himself open as a laser hit him on the knee and shoulder, knocking him down.
"Well, that was easy." XANA remarked with a grin, the large translucent screen before allowing him and the captured Lyoko Warriors to see what was happening.
"Aelita!" Odd and Yumi shouted upon seeing Aelita taking a hit in the leg.
William then came, trying to help but the Tarantula easily injured him while setting a tree on fire.
"Ah William, it's regrettable that I had lost you as my general." XANA remarked, a look of possibly nostalgia appearing on his face. "Once Aelita is incapacitated I'll consider what to be done about you."
Ulrich grit his teeth, unable to do anything but watch as the monster turned back to Aelita.
The Tarantula advanced on Aelita as she tried to crawl away, but the shadow of the monster fell over her, one of its legs coming down in front of her just as she was near the manhole. Aelita let out a pained and frustrated cry as she slowly turned around, looking up at the monster with fear, frustration and anguish etched onto her face. As soon as it stood over her, it angled both of its forward laser cannons so they were aimed at her face.
This was it.
The final victory.
"It's over." XANA stated with a calm smile. "...Goodbye."
"AELITA!"
As they began to charge up, a battle cry drew its attention.
"HAIIIIII-YAH!" LeShawna slammed her piece of metal into the side of the Tarantula's face, surprising it and XANA who had been watching through its eyes. "Hell yeah!"
The Tarantula staggered before DJ leaped on it, repeatedly smacking it with his own makeshift weapon until it threw him off.
Geoff attacked next, trying to stab his makeshift pick down into its head while riding the monster. It bucked and roared.
"Yippee aye yay-ah!" It threw him into the air. "Oh this is gonna hurt!" He hit the ground. "I'm ok!"
Gwen and Bridgette in the meantime, picked up and carried Aelita behind a tree where Cameron was waiting.
"Are you alright?" Bridgette asked as she looked at the wound.
"I... yes, thank you!" Aelita hissed in pain.
Gwen looked down at the wound. "It's cauterized."
"Some sort of super-heated energy blast from what it appeared to be." Cameron adjusted his glasses.
"Ok, just don't move until we get some help for you." Bridgette said, placing a hand on Aelita's shoulder.
"What kind of weapon does that? And what the hell is that?" Gwen peeked out from behind the tree.
The Tarantula constantly tried to lock onto the kids with its lasers, but they kept leaping on it from behind and beating it down before it could take aim. They couldn't keep it up forever though; Geoff's hat earned itself a clean hole through it before Aelita looked up at them.
"Go for the eye!" She shouted.
"What?" Both girls and Cameron looked down at her.
"The eye on the back of its head! Stab it!" Aelita said, pointing at the Tarantula's head.
"GUYS, HIT THE EYE THING ON ITS HEAD!" Gwen shouted.
"GOT IT!" Geoff shouted as he and DJ tried to wrestle the Tarantula down. "UPPSY DAISY!" He hoisted himself on top and looked down at the eye symbol. "Hey, it's the same as the one on my-"
"JUST DO IT!" Aelita cut him off.
Geoff slammed his pick down on the eye, stabbing in. The monster howled before it vanished into a stream of electric particles. Geoff fell as if it hadn't been there at all and landed on his butt. The group gathered around with Bridgette and Gwen helping Aelita to her feet, each having one of her arms around their shoulders.
"Ok...woo!" Geoff pumped a fist into the air. "Geoff One, Big Ugly Spider Zero! I rule, it sucks!"
"Man, that thing was gross!" DJ tossed the metal piece he had away. "What was it?"
"It sure seemed interested in you." Gwen looked down at Aelita.
"Because it wanted to kill me." Aelita groaned as she stood up on her good leg.
"Why would it- wait a sec... You're the one that guy with the weird eye message is after! It says right here on the cell phone!" Geoff held up his cell phone.
"I know, he's been after me for a long time." Aelita looked around. "William, are you okay?"
"I'm here."
They turned their heads to see another girl helping William walk over to them with his arm over her shoulder.
"Dawn?" Cameron asked. "What are you doing here?"
"I heard Mother Earth screaming danger here and came to see what was happening." Dawn turned to see the flaming tree. "I saw the monster setting this forest on fire. We must put it out."
Aelita's eyes landed on the man-hole cover just a few feet away. She couldn't get to the factory on her own, and she wouldn't be in good enough shape to even focus on typing in any codes with her leg in this condition. She looked to the seven young adults who had helped her.
"Can you tell us what is going on? That guy almost got us turned into vegetables on live TV!" Geoff said.
"Help me and I'll tell you everything when we get where I need to be." Aelita said, pointing to the manhole. "I planned to use that manhole over there, but I can't climb... there's a factory near here, it's abandoned, I use it whenever he comes for me."
"To hide?" Gwen asked.
"To fight." Aelita replied. "Get me there and promise me you'll never tell anyone about it."
"Why would we keep something important secret from our friends?" DJ asked.
"Trust me, when you know what it is, you'll agree with me." Aelita said. "Now hurry, he can make bigger and scarier things appear, we need to go now!"
They all shared a look, unsure what to do before conceding to her wishes. DJ walked over and picked Aelita up, able to easily carry her on his own.
"Aelita, are you sure?" William asked as Dawn helped him over.
"They saved us, William…" Aelita answered as Geoff opened the hatch. "I think they can help us."
Gwen shuddered as she looked down. "Okay, I have a phobia about being underground. I just want to mention that. Are you sure that this is the only way?"
"It is. It will take too long going through the city and people could end up in danger if more monsters show up." Aelita replied as DJ took her down the ladder into the sewer.
Gwen was trembling a bit before a sound was heard and they saw more monsters, little spider-like creatures appearing and charging lasers. Gwen's eyes widened and on instinct she ducked down into the manhole.
"Stay close to us and you will be okay." Dawn said gently to Gwen as she was the next and last to climb down, covering the manhole back up.
Gwen a deep breath before she started to climb down after the others, pausing but taking a deep breath until she finally made it down. She was trembling a bit, but LeShawna put a hand on her shoulder to help calm her down.
"Which way now?" DJ asked, holding Aelita in his arms.
"That way." Aelita pointed straight forward.
"What happened?" XANA narrowed his eyes as he rewound the past seconds the Tarantula witnessed before it had been stabbed. "…Aelita found herself some help."
The three Lyoko Warriors had hopeful looks on their faces now.
Maybe Aelita had a chance after all.
XANA narrowed his eyes as he recognized two of them: the two girls who had come across two of his infrastructures in the real world: Bridgette and Gwen.
The two contestants of that reality show Total Drama.
What were they doing in that park where Aelita was?
He needed to rectify this problem immediately. He could not allow Aelita to gain new allies after he had finally won against his old enemies.
He would torch the entire city before that happened.
It took fifteen minutes of Aelita directing them, but they reached the factory. With DJ carrying the tiny girl, they entered the main area of the factory. It was essentially a big empty room with an elevator that went down.
"The elevator, hurry!"
"Is this thing safe?" Geoff asked.
"I've used it hundreds of time." Aelita answered.
The group went into the elevator. Aelita hit the 'down' button, and they began their descent.
When the doors opened, their jaws dropped while Aelita hobbled out into the control room and Dawn brought William over to the wall, gently helping him sit down to rest.
"Holy..." LeShawna looked at the holographic map with widened eyes.
"Amazing!" Cameron gasped as he stepped into the lab. "What is all of this?"
"That is where 'he' is doing all this from." Aelita said as she reached the chair, which took her around to the computer. "This is a map of a virtual world where he can do anything in the real world from. It's called Lyoko, and 'he' is XANA."
"Xana...like Xanadu?" Gwen asked, remembering an old film her parents showed her.
"Dude, is XANA a computer like that weird chick from I Robot?" Geoff asked.
"In a way yes, but he's also out on the World Wide Web." Aelita cut Bridgette off. "And no, I can't destroy him by shutting this thing off, I'd only shut out my only way to fight him."
"Hold on, these look like real maps...mountain...arctic...desert...forest..." Gwen looked at them all.
"They're the regions that make up Lyoko. In each Region are towers that are used to monitor communications in the real world. By activating them XANA can disrupt communications all over France. He can also do worse, like make those monsters appear." Aelita groaned as she grasped her wounded leg. "There's really no limit to what you can do with a computer, and he can do even more than write up a few programs. He can change the world or conquer it if they aren't shut down. I am able to shut them down by transferring myself into Lyoko, reducing myself into digital code so I can take a form and then manually shut down these towers."
"Wait, you go right inside the computer?" LeShawna asked skeptically. "What kind of messed up tech lets you do that?"
"Take a look below." Aelita replied. "In the chamber below this one are three devices called Scanners. Just like you can take an image from a picture and put it into a computer, these ones take people and put them inside Lyoko."
"That is the most messed up thing I have ever heard, and I was on three seasons of Total Drama." Gwen said.
"Then find out for yourself. The only way to stop XANA is to deactivate the tower in there. Is anybody good with computers?" Aelita asked.
"Uh…" Cameron held up a hand. "I can try. I've majored in several computer classes."
"In that case you know more than most of the people who had to use this thing." Aelita replied. "Come here and go to the Super Scanner program. That will pinpoint what region the tower is in and its precise location. XANA corrupted the Super Scan program but it's alright to use now. After that I need you to take me down to the Scanner Room."
Cameron slowly sat down in the chair. "Alright..."
"Wait, you said there are three of those Scanner things...and this Xana dude sounds like some serious bad news." DJ said.
"If you really want to consider helping me, be sure you're ready to deal with it. Because until XANA is destroyed, he'll destroy anyone and anything in his way." Aelita said softly. "You said he nearly killed you earlier today? He doesn't care how many people he has to kill before he conquers everything."
"Ok, if this guy managed to take down France twice in one day, I hate to see what he'll do if he keeps it up." Geoff said. "I guess I'll help you out...but how do I help you out?"
"Just go with me to Lyoko and protect me from his monsters until I reach the tower." Aelita answered him. "When you go into Lyoko, you take on a different form based upon your personality and subconscious characteristics. You are given the ability to fight these monsters, like an anti virus program finding and destroying corrupted files in a computer. But these monsters will appear more often and will fight back. When you go to Lyoko you have a type of health meter to indicate how long you can last before you are devirtualized back to the real world. The monsters' fire power differs all the time, but if they take away all one hundred of your life points, you are returned to the real world relatively unharmed but unfit to return to Lyoko for a period of time."
The group shared looks with each other for a moment, each of them unsure before finally coming to a decision.
"I'm going in, this guy almost made a ton of planes crash; if he doesn't stop this time then there will be a lot more crashes." Bridgette said.
"I'm in too; if this keeps up, I won't be leaving this city alive." Gwen added. "Guess we're all in uh...what is your name?"
"Aelita." Aelita smiled. "A pleasure to meet you all, but I wish it was under better circumstances."
"I'm Geoff." Geoff said, taking off his scorched hat and gestured to DJ. "This is DJ."
"I'm Bridgette."
"The name's LeShawna."
"I'm Gwen."
"My name is Cameron." Cameron awkwardly introduced himself.
"And I am Dawn." Dawn spoke, looking over William's wounds and pulling out some bandages.
"Thank you all for this. I understand it can be a lot to accept all at once but considering my friends have been captured I need someone to help." Aelita said gratefully but still melancholy at the mention of her friends.
"The kids from that Kadic school?" LeShawna asked.
Aelita sadly nodded. "Yes...they were the ones who helped me deactivate XANA's towers multiple times. But this time he surprised us. Two years ago, we thought we had destroyed him, but he had faked his death and came back. When he activated a tower yesterday, we went into Lyoko to stop him, but he captured all of my friends. This attack was supposed to finish me off and leave nobody who can deactivate his towers left alive."
"Guess he never saw us coming then." Geoff remarked.
"Cameron, to virtualize us, there are instructions left in a notebook taped under the computer. Follow the Virtualization Manual and remember to give a verbal command also." Aelita instructed Cameron. "After that you can use the Vehicle Program. It provides us with a faster mode of transportation on Lyoko, and they can be very convenient if we need to outrun any monsters."
"All right, let's see…" Cameron grabbed the book and began to flip through it as the others took the elevator down, but Dawn remained by William's side. "Dawn?"
"It would be best if one of us remained here to assist you and look after William." Dawn answered, wrapping a bandage around William's wounds.
"Thanks." William managed to say.
"Alright...let's test Geoff, Gwen, and DJ first." Cameron turned back to the computer, his voice coming from the intercom also as the group stepped into the room.
"Just take a scanner and wait until the virtualization is complete." Aelita told them as they stared in awe at the pillar shaped machines.
DJ squeezed into one Scanner, having to make himself small as possible due to his large size. Geoff and Gwen took a scanner each.
"Here we go...Transfer DJ." Cameron said clearly.
(Code Lyoko Theme Starts)
The door shut on DJ, who gulped.
"Transfer Geoff." Geoff's scanner closed on him.
"Transfer Gwen." Gwen shut her eyes as her scanner closed.
"Scanner DJ." Cameron continued.
All three occupants felt a gust of wind from beneath them as a ring of light traveled up their bodies.
"Scanner Geoff...Scanner Gwen..."
"Virtualization."
They closed their eyes as a pure white light filled the scanner, keeping them from seeing anything beyond what Cameron said.
(Code Lyoko Theme Ends)
(Outro Song: Breakaway by Subdigitals Starts)
As the credits are shown on the left side, the interior of Kadic Academy is shown, zeroing in on a file left on a desk.
(They told me that I)
The file opened to reveal a dossier with the name signed on the bottom: FRANZ HOPPER
(Was no good at all,)
The papers are moved, revealing a picture of Waldo Schaeffer and his wife, Anthea Schaeffer, who is shown to be pregnant.
(Such a waste...)
Another picture is shown of a woman with blond hair and wearing glasses.
(And suddenly I was)
Another picture shows a man with brunette hair and a beard.
(Out of the cool,)
A new picture is shown with five kids smiling: Odd was holding Kiwi over his head, a big grin on his face while the dog barked. Ulrich and Yumi were holding each other, winning at the camera; William smiled easily, feeling awkward about being back in the group after all he had apparently done to them under XANA's control. And Aelita was kissing Jeremy on the cheek, making Jeremy blush as the shot was captured.
(Stuck with the fools…)
Another file opens with the label: Total Drama is shown next.
(Not that much I can do,)
The file opens to show Chris Mclean and Chef Hatchet standing in what looked like a lab.
(I'm out of the crew.)
Next comes pictures of the future contestants starting with Alejandro Burromuerto before and after the incident that turned him into a robot.
(Hear the lights go out,)
Next was a picture of a brunette with glasses labeled 'Beth Gadon'.
(What should I do)
Mildred "Blaineley" Stacey Andrews O'Halloran
(Stuck to this chair)
Bridgette Fairlie
(And yet I know)
Cody Emmett Jameson Anderson
(Gotta break away)
Courtney Barlow
(It's not my style)
Devon 'DJ' Joseph
(I gotta get away)
Duncan Nelson with a police report next to his photo
(Here and now today.)
Eva Chantrey
(Cut in half, I'm already there,)
Ezekiel Oldring
(In my head I know it,)
Geoffrey 'Geoff' Petronijevic
(Five, no four more steps,)
Gwen Fahlenbock
(Take me to the door,)
Harold Norbert Cheever Doris McGrady V
(Open up I'm falling.)
Heather Wilson
(One of those days)
Isabella 'Izzy' Crown with three additional files:
Explosive
E-Scope
Brainzilla
(Where the lights go out,)
Justin Reid
(And yet I smile.)
Katie Anne Mills
(Gotta break away,)
LeShawna Edwards
(Life's like that and)
Lindsay Vermeer
(I gotta get away)
Noah Hayden
(Here and now today)
Owen McCord
(Gotta break away)
Sadie Lipson
(Break away, break away)
Sierra Obonsawin
(Get away,)
Trenton 'Trent' Lennon
(Here and now today.)
Tyler Beckham
(Here I am as I stand,)
Anne Maria
(I can feel you think,)
B
("Such a waste.")
Brick McArthur
(It's okay, I don't care)
Cameron Corduroy Wilkins
(Didn't wanna stay stuck)
Dakota Milton before and after her mutation
(With the fools.)
Dawn Medrek
(Skating down Park Avenue,)
Jo Elliot
(I realize my time is now and here)
Rudolph 'Lightning' Jackson
(Ready to go,)
Mike Doran while five additional files are next to his picture:
Chester
Svetlana
Manitoba
Vito
The fifth file, however, was sealed.
(Being sensitive is just not sensitive.)
Samuel 'Sam' Froud
(Gotta break away)
Scott Wallis, both before and after nearly being mauled to death by a mutant shark.
(It's not my style,)
Staci Peters
(And I gotta get away)
Zoey Mamabolo
(Here and now today.)
A picture of Franz Hopper in front of the Hermitage is shown next with the word 'MISSING' printed above.
(Gotta break away)
Next to appear are several reports on a new company known as 'REALITECH'.
(Life's like that,)
Followed by a medical report on Dakota Milton in her mutant form.
(And I gotta get away)
Next is a report on Alejandro who is still trapped in the robot suit following the end of Total Drama World Tour.
(Get away)
Followed by Scott's own medical file.
(Bring it all the way,)
This is followed by medical files on Anne Maria and Staci.
(Gotta break away)
Next to appear is a classified report showing a line of robots with Chris looking over one at the front.
(It's not my style,)
Robot pieces are shown to be scattered about in a lab with various scientists at work on the robots or surrounding what appears to be a large supercomputer.
(And I gotta get away)
A picture of Chris in jail is shown next.
(Here and now today.)
There is a round table with the people seated blurred from being seen, a single contract is shown on the table.
(Gotta break away)
TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
Proposed by newly established Realitech
(Life's like that,)
The pictures of the first and second generations of Total Drama contestants are then shown.
(And I gotta get away)
A map of France is shown next.
(Get away)
The file is then closed and picked up as the screen fades to black.
Bring it all the way,
The Eye of XANA flashes one time and the title of the series appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(Outro Song: Breakaway by Subdigitals Ends)
Chapter 11: Episode 11: Welcome to Lyoko
Summary:
Having convinced competitors from the show Total Drama to help her, Aelita along with most of the group are virtualized onto Lyoko. Upon their arrival they were quickly attacked by XANA's monsters and have to struggle with their new weapons and powers if they are going to save Cameron, Drawn and William as monsters materializes in the lab to stop the new Lyoko Warriors.
Chapter Text
( Code Total Drama Reality Introduction Song Starts )
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) )
(The ending of this story)
The song starts, showing the end of Code Lyoko where the Supercomputer is shut down and the former Lyoko Warriors leave the factory seemingly for the last time.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
A single computer is shown coming online, lines of 1s and 0s streaming across the screen before the screen is replaced by a glowing sphere with the Eye of XANA, at least eight variations appearing on it. From the sphere came lines of data emerging in eight different directions. The lines of data formed into various regions, all of them floating landscapes resembling a forest, a desert, an arctic, mountains, volcanoes, swamp and a jungle.
(Into this new world)
The new lands orbited the golden sphere as the camera zoomed in on the Eye of XANA staring at the screen.
(The game has only just begun)
The Eye then flashes red, and the sphere turns black.
(I can see it in your eyes)
A girl with pink hair sits on her bed, panting as she turns to see two pictures of her friends and her father. She smiles briefly but that smile turns to a look of horror as both her friends and her father are engulfed by a great darkness and the red Eye shines down on her. The Supercomputer, thought to be shut down, is reactivated and there is a flash of light.
(This is where tomorrow brings a new game)
Aelita is shown alone both in the real world and in Lyoko, hordes of monsters surrounding her.
Geoff is first shown in his human form before transitioning to his Lyoko form.
Next to him is Bridgette, holding her surfboard in the real world before changing into her Lyoko form, her board splitting into two swords.
(It's time to learn that pain is gain)
Gwen is shown sitting in front of tree, looking up and is instantly changed into her Lyoko Avatar, brandishing her scythe.
DJ is shown in the woods, tending to a little rabbit as he stands up and morphs into his Lyoko form, turning to face the camera with a stern glare.
LeShawna is last, ready to fight in both her human form and her Lyoko form.
(Ready fight!)
William and a dark reflection of himself as XANA's General are shown standing back-to-back, turning to face each other and swinging their swords.
The screen is split by the two swords, showing New Lyoko as the title appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(I gotta crush and paint away the anguish)
Aelita is shown first, sitting at the computer before she is then shown as the DJ of a party. She morphs into her Lyoko form and conjures an energy field.
This was followed quickly by Geoff wildly waving his hat while riding something with Bridgette holding onto him by the back.
(Of my past for the sake of my future)
Gwen is shown next, drawing in her sketchbook and signifying with a sad face as Duncan, Courtney and Trent appear behind her, their backs facing in her direction.
(Until my life comes to an end)
DJ is shown running for his life from appears to be a giant bear.
(I am gonna fight to tear apart that destiny)
LeShawna is shown next, standing confidently with her team, ready to face whatever crazy challenge comes next.
(Aoh, break out and start a revolution)
The antagonists of Total Drama: Heather, Courtney, Justin, Anne Maria, Jo, Lightning, Scott and Alejandro in the Total Drama Machine are shown from left to right, grinning or glaring at the camera, holding up an imaginary case of the million- dollar prize money in their hands. Chris Mclean is shown next, arms crossed as the chair he is sitting in spins to meet the camera, zooming out to show it is the monitor room for the Total Drama show.
A dark shadow appears above them, scrawny in appearance and hair falling over the left eye as it glares darkly at the screen.
(Until you find the answer you're looking for)
The camera then shows Aelita with the new Lyoko Warriors, the TD Lyoko Warriors and William sitting around a campfire, all of them staring up into the starry night sky, a picture of her friends and father resting in Aelita's hands.
(I'll challenge all my limits)
Aelita in her Lyoko form with her wings sprouting from her back is shown, clutching Mr. Puck in her hands as she seemingly falls back, her friends and relatives in the background.
The camera moves down to show William kneeling down, clutching his sword in both hands. As this happens, the camera moves down, showing depictions of the TD Lyoko Warriors and other characters in the background.
The camera continues to move down to show Geoff pulling Bridgette into sharing a picture with LeShawna bringing her face up over Bridgette's shoulder, the three of them in their Lyoko forms. While this happens, Harold, Lindsay, Beth, Trent, Katie and Sadie are shown in the background.
Below them is Gwen with her arms and legs curled around her with her cape swirling behind her like wings while Heather and Courtney are shown in the background glaring at each other followed by Sierra clutching Cody who looks distressed, Eva crossing her arms along with B and Beth both waving, the latter looking very shy. Behind Gwen appeared Dawn in her own Lyoko form in a meditative pose while upside down while facing Gwen with her eyes closed, her light robe contrasting with Gwen's cape with dark clothing, almost forming a yin-yang symbol.
Behind Dawn appears Scott, snickering evilly.
(Knowing this could be my only chance now)
DJ is shown last, seemingly falling back while holding his pet rabbit: Bunny in his hands with a happy smile. His teammates shown in the background starting with Duncan, Tyler, Justin and Alejandro ending with Chef Hatchet and Chris McClean.
He is followed by Mike and Zoey, both clutching their hands and smiling at each other as in background appears Brick, Jo, Lightning, Sam and Staci.
And lately Cameron appears staring up at the others.
(To overcome this fate that has come over me)
The screen turns black and the Eye of XANA immediately flashes into existence, glowing red and shadowing the outline of a singular person with red glowing eyes.
(The ending of this story)
Aelita is shown, standing in a meadow now with the wind gently blowing through her hair.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
She holds up a hand, gazing sadly up as the images of her friends and parents appear in the sky.
(Into this new world)
Her hand then becomes digital, transitioning to Lyoko.
((The game has only just begun))
She gazes up a little longer before she notices her new friends and allies standing with her and smiles before looking forward, seeing a tower in the distance.
(I can see it in your eyes)
Just as they are about to rush towards the tower, the camera angles up into the digital sky as the song reaches its end.
The scene then shifts to pictures of Aelita and her friends both old and new on a desktop as the title appears on last time:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) Ends )
Episode 11: Welcome To Lyoko
Three figures appeared in mid air; their arms spread out. They appeared as lines of data first, but soon took shape and form. Three people fell and landed on their butts.
"OW!" They all yelled at once.
"Uh...Aelita told me to let you know the landing can be bumpy." Cameron said, his voice sounding electronically disembodied.
The three got up, rubbing their rear ends before taking in the digital sights around them.
"Wow...dude, you look even bigger!" Geoff said to DJ.
DJ looked even more muscular than he did in real life. He wore a pair of sandals and grey pants. A long-sleeved white shirt fit him perfectly, and his white hat remained in its place. He had armour pieces on his knees, elbows, shoulders, and chest with a green D imprinted on the chest armor.
Gwen wore all black with blue outlines consisting of a pair of knee-high black boots with black thigh high stockings, a knee length loose skirt, a high collared sleeveless black tank top, and black fingerless gloves covering her hands and forearms. She also had a long black cape with a picture of a bat on the back of it.
Geoff wore a tight pink shirt that seemingly replaced his jacket with his signature necklace still present and a black armour piece covering his stomach area. He wore a pair of blue boots; blue cargo shorts similar to the ones he wore in the real world with black fingerless gloves covering his hands. He also had an armour piece covering his left shoulder and his cowboy hat was on his head, undamaged now.
"Dude...looking good Gwen." Geoff said.
"I can hear you Geoff." Bridgette's voice suddenly spoke, sounding irritated.
"Sorry babe." Geoff chuckled.
"Alright, look around and tell me everything you see." Cameron cut in.
"I see...floating mountains." DJ said, looking down at himself. "And we're 3D now!"
"Nice." Gwen commented as she looked down at herself. She noticed a holster built into her left boot and pulled a small rod out of it. "What's this-ah!" Suddenly the rod extended until it was her height and a curved blade that was black with teal streaks matching the pattern of her hair in colour grew from it. "Whoa!"
"Dang, that's big." DJ said.
"Lookie there Geoff." Gwen pointed at Geoff's shorts, where two disks hang from his thighs.
He pulled them up and held them by their handles. They grew blades.
"Cool, they're like frisbees with blades." Geoff marveled at them.
"Dude, those are chakrams." DJ commented. "What do I get?"
He looked down at himself to see if he had any kind of weapon on him.
"Uh...not reading any weapons on you, DJ." Cameron said.
"You don't look like the violent type of guy Dee, maybe you're just strong." Geoff said.
"Aelita says you have powers; his character might be based around them." Cameron offered. "And heads up, I'm sending Aelita, LeShawna and Bridgette to you."
Barely thirty seconds later, two more figures appeared in midair and fell. Aelita landed on her feet, but Bridgette and LeShawna landed on their butts. "Ow!"
"Yeah, we did that too Bridge." Gwen said as Geoff helped her up. "Whoa."
LeShawna looked down at herself.
She was wearing a pair of red pants with black flame like symbols on the outer pant legs, a black short sleeved shirt. She also had pieces of black armour and spiked fingerless gloves on her hands. Her hair was in the same ponytail, and she had steel toed boots on. She was carrying a long pole that had a hammer head on the tip.
Bridgette wore a blue sleeveless body suit with dark blue wave shaped tattoos on her arms that extended until they were just slightly visible on her neck with dark blue gloves. Her midriff was revealed, and she wore blue high heeled boots. A surfboard was hanging on her back, big and light blue with dark blue waves. Her hair retained its ponytail like in the real world and in the center of her top was the picture of a dolphin.
Geoff whistled. "Dang, you are looking fine Bridge!"
"Thanks Geoff." They proceeded to make out.
"Surfer girl should have known." Gwen sighed. "Guys, break it up!" She held out her scythe, separating them. "We have a crazy computer trying to kill us here, you can do that later."
"Sorry." They said sheepishly at the same time.
"Aelita, I don't see any weapons on you." Cameron said.
Aelita noticed she was now back in the upgraded outfit Jeremy had created for her, nodding to see that she had managed to re-upload Jeremy's programming successfully.
"Yeah, and how can I help without any weapons either?" DJ asked.
Aelita held up one hand. "Energy Field!" She shot a ball of pink energy up into the sky.
"Nice." Bridgette said.
"Your powers aren't limited to solid weapons; you can do much more." Aelita said before she leaped into the air and spread her wings.
"Awesome!" Geoff said. "Man, wish I could fly!"
"Looks like you have the biggest weapon LeShawna." Gwen said, as LeShawna pulled her hammer out from her back.
"That's me, strong as hell baby!" LeShawna twirled her hammer in one hand flawlessly and slammed the head down on a segment of rock that stuck up. She ended up sending it flying away and into the digital sea below. "Wow!"
"Any idea what the surfboard is for?" DJ asked, tapping Bridgette's surfboard.
Bridgette took it off her back and let it fall. It began to float.
She stepped onto it. "Oh my god cool! A flying hover board!"
"Hey Aelita, I'm going through those vehicle codes now." Cameron spoke up.
"Can you also point us to the tower?" Aelita asked.
"I checked its north of you, a few miles at least." Cameron replied before three vehicles appeared.
"Dude, motor bike!" Geoff leaped onto the one wheeled Overbike. "Sweet!"
Gwen looked at the Overwing and stepped onto it. "I can make this work."
"Guess I take the other board." DJ stepped onto the Overboard. "Why is it pink?"
"It's purple, and it was made for Odd...he likes purple and cats." Aelita shrugged.
"Can you use that, Dee?" Bridgette asked.
"Yeah, I surf." DJ flew up into the air and did several maneuvers. "Nice!"
"LeShawna, you can ride with Gwen." Aelita gestured to the Overwing.
"All right but I call the motorcycle next time." LeShawna put her hammer back before stepping onto the Overwing with Gwen.
"Alright, let's get going." Aelita took off into the air.
The five new Lyoko fighters took off, accompanying Aelita through the Mountain Sector of Lyoko. They all tried to stay focused, but they couldn't help but throw curious glances at the strange world they were now in.
It was so…surreal.
"Uh guys, I have red dots appearing near the tower." Cameron suddenly said.
"XANA must know we're here. Cameron, can you scan them and find out what variant they are?" Aelita asked.
"Ok...these ones look like pyramids on legs."
"Pyramids." Aelita stared ahead. "Remember, hit the eye to destroy them, and use your weapons to try blocking their lasers."
"Wait, I don't have a weapon!" Bridgette pointed out.
"Use that board Bridge, pretty sure you can ram them with it!" Geoff suggested.
"I see them!" Gwen pointed forward. "Get ready!"
Six monsters were charging along a path below them away from the tower. They looked like pyramids on legs and had four different eyes of XANA on their pyramid parts.
"I see why you call them Pyramids." LeShawna commented.
"Let's TAKE EM!" Geoff dove down and rode along the path, preparing one chakram in hand.
"Geoff wait!" Aelita dove after him.
"YEE HA!" Geoff tossed his chakram, which flew through the air and cut into one monster's eye before it could react.
The Pyramid section exploded, leaving a pair of crab like legs to stumble around for a moment before they collapsed. One Pyramid fired several bursts of lasers. Geoff dodged each of them, and tried to take off again, but clipped a Pyramid. The Pyramid exploded and Geoff began to ascend before another Pyramid fired a laser that struck the over bike and destroyed it.
Geoff was sent flying. "WHOA!"
"Geoff!" Bridgette caught him on her board and began to dodge more fire.
Gwen leaped down and stabbed her scythe deep into another Pyramid before leaping off as it detonated. She began to use her scythe to deflect lasers. "I could use some help!"
"Uh...what can I do?" DJ asked.
"Try to use your powers DJ!" Aelita dove down to help. "FOCUS!" She angled off. "ENERGY FIELD!" She fired one sphere, but it hit a pyramid's edge and did nothing. The pyramid fired and hit her twice, knocking her out of the air. She hit the path.
"AH!" She sat up. "That should have destroyed it even if it didn't hit the eye! Cameron, how many life points do they have?!"
"Uh...one hundred thirty. It has thirty now. And you have sixty."
"Twenty per hit then." Aelita stood up. "A straight eye shot is my best bet. Energy Field!"
She fired another sphere which destroyed the Pyramid that hit her. The other two Pyramids were busy trying to take down Geoff and Bridgette, who were dodging every shot. Aelita and Gwen moved in to finish them off when something rushed by the Pyramids and lined up against them.
"What are those?" Gwen asked, seeing the new monsters.
"These looks like Kankrelats...but different." Aelita took a step back. "They must be Spiderlings, the upgraded version Odd and Ulrich fought."
The laser was in the same spot as the Kankrelat and the Eye was there but smaller than on the Kankrelats. Holding a hand, Aelita hurled an energy field at one of them, but it jumped out of the way. As it jumped it charged a laser and shot her in the chest.
She gasped, releasing a breath that did not exist as she was sent back.
"Gwen!"
"Got it!" Gwen got between Aelita and began to parry shots from the eight Spiderlings. One shot hit her knee and put her off balance. "Ah!" She continued to reflect attacks back at them.
"Hang on, girl!" LeShawna jumped off the Overwing from above, swinging her hammer down with a mighty roar.
She smashed down on the Spiderling, creating a large hole in the ground and a shockwave that knocked four Spiderlings over the edge and into the Digital Sea. The dust cleared to reveal a small crater that had been made by LeShawna's hammer.
"Nice work, Shawna!" Gwen called out with a smile.
"It looks like your own ability is super strength to go with that hammer." Aelita observed.
"Sounds good to me." LeShawna grinned at the remaining Spiderlings. "Anyone else want a piece of the Shawna?"
The remaining Pyramids and Spiderlings answered by opening fire, forcing LeShawna back as she tried blocking with her hammer.
"HANG ON, GUYS! WE'RE COMING!" Bridgette yelled as she began to dive towards the Spiderlings, but the Pyramids hit her board.
It shattered into two pieces, leaving Geoff and Bridgette to fall. The two pieces hit the ground and dug in...it was then that Bridgette noticed handles on them. She ran to them and tugged them out of the ground, examining the two swords in her hands. They had the same patterns as the board did.
"Wow!" She twirled them in her hands expertly, and then deflected attacks from the Pyramids. "Hang on guys!"
Geoff pulled out his second Chakram but paused as he noticed the indents on the side of one Chakram and bumps on the side of the other. He fit them together...and they stuck together, turning and twisting until they became a two bladed battle axe. "Nice! Hang on dudes!"
Gwen growled as she was hit again. "SCREW THIS!"
She suddenly tossed her scythe, which glowed a bright teal colored light as it arched through the air and cut through three Spiderlings before returning to her. "... Whoa."
DJ leaped down. "Watch out!"
He tried to shield Gwen with his body...but something extended from his hands and formed a bubble of white energy before him that absorbed the salvo of lasers.
"DJ, you're making that!" Gwen exclaimed with widened eyes.
"A barrier!" Aelita said as she and Gwen retreated behind the barrier with them.
"Alright, DJ you push forward with the barrier down the center." Gwen instructed.
"Got it!" DJ began to advance.
"Geoff, Bridge! Go for the pyramids, keep them busy!" Gwen called to the fighters.
"Got it!" The surfer girl and cowboy replied.
"Aelita, you take the right, I'll take the left!" Gwen moved around the barrier and began to parry shots from the Spiderlings.
She then tossed her scythe that went up in an arch and came down on one Pyramid, destroying it as it stabbed down into the eye. Aelita fired an energy field that struck the other, putting it off balance and allowing Bridgette to bisect it down the center.
"We're kicking ass!" Geoff pumped a fist into the air before he was struck by the remaining five Spiderlings at once. "Wha-?!"
He vanished.
"GEOFF!" Bridgette rushed forward and cut down two Spiderlings.
Gwen and Aelita took down the last three monsters, and the group gathered around.
"What happened to him?!"
"His life points hit zero, but he's alright, he was just sent back to the real world like I said." Aelita said. "Cameron, is Geoff on the cameras?"
"Yeah, I see him. And you might want to hurry; we have some unfriendly company up here!"
"What?"
"More monsters!"
Cameron was hiding behind the chair as a Krab appeared in the middle of the room and was aiming to smash the computer, but Dawn stood before it.
"Stay back you mockery of Mother Earth's children!" Dawn stated, holding up a single hand.
It swung one leg forward, but she rolled under it, coming out from under it. She spied a red light and ducked as a laser shot over her head, missing the top of her hair by mere inches. It was about to attack again when William let out a battle cry, leaping up and stabbing a pipe down onto the Eye. The Krab exploded, sending William flying through the holographic map and hit the wall while Dawn hit the wall on the other side.
"Phew!" Cameron sighed in relief. "That was-GAH!"
A second laser shot was fired that hit the chair; barely missing Cameron as a Spiderling appeared.
"We have to hurry!" Aelita spread her wings again.
DJ hopped onto the Overboard, Bridgette formed her swords into their own board form, and Gwen and LeShawna took to the Overwing. They followed Aelita as she flew towards the tower.
Suddenly something came out from the clouds below, a low roar breaking the silence of the region. They looked down and saw the giant bird monster that Aelita had encountered last time.
"Whoa! That is big!" DJ yelled before feathers shot down around them.
"It can spawn more monsters!" Aelita shouted.
"That thing has-ah! Ten thousand life points girl-Ah!" A smashing sound rang out. "I think I'm afraid of spiders again!"
On the ground where the feathers had landed appeared a mix of Spiderlings, Pyramids and several Krabs. They were all firing up at the group.
"DJ, barrier, everyone behind him!" Gwen shouted.
"You really have the hang of this!" DJ formed a barrier, and they formed up behind him.
"We're almost there!" Gwen shouted.
"You guys move ahead, I got this!" DJ expanded his barrier, trying to block every laser.
"We can't just leave you with that!" Bridgette objected.
"We're going too slow! If we wait too long LeShawna is toast!" DJ yelled. "GET GOING NOW!"
They all flew ahead, and he began to block the monster's path. "RIGHT HERE! RIGHT HERE! SHOOT ME!" He stuck out his tongue. "YOU AREN'T GETTING BY ME BIG GUY!"
He flew back and forth in front of the monster, diverting its attention as it tried to swat him out of the sky.
Meanwhile the others had the tower in sight, but it had a single black sphere blocking it.
"MEGATANK!" Aelita yelled.
"How bad is that?" Bridgette asked.
"It can take you out in one hit!" Aelita yelled. "Wait for the shell to open and hit it before it fires!"
The Megatank opened and fired a blast that went forwards, upwards, and backwards from it. Gwen swerved to avoid, and it clipped her vehicle. Gwen and LeShawna fell, screaming until they hit the ground before the tank. Gwen slowly got up as it began to open up. She gripped her scythe and charged, yelling.
She leaped into the air as it opened up. She swung her scythe down, but a second before it came into contact the Megatank fired and sent her flying. In midflight she vanished.
"GWEN!" LeShawana shouted before glaring her eyes at the Megatank. "You did not just shoot me and my girl!"
The Megatank turned its shell to her, as if to answer her anger and began to charge its laser as LeShawna readied her hammer. It fired and LeShawna held her hammer up, taking the attack head on. The force of the blast knocked her back and sent her flying near the edge.
"Don't go over the edge!" Aelita shouted.
DJ heard Aelita shout and saw LeShawna about to go over the edge. He spun around, lowering the barrier and shooting straight for LeShawna, managing to avoid the laser fire behind him and catch up with her just as she went over the edge and grabbed her hand.
"Whoa!" LeShawana gasped as DJ pulled her up onto the Overboard behind him. "Thanks, big guy."
As for the Megatank, before it could close its shell, Bridgette dove in.
"TAKE THIS!" She slammed the tip of her board into it, and the Megatank exploded.
Bridgette was sent flying back and slid across the ground. She fell over the edge, but barely a second later Aelita grabbed her and pulled her back up, setting her back on the plateau.
"Good job!" Aelita praised her. "You're very good for beginners."
She quickly turned and entered the tower without another word. Rising to the upper platform she placed her hand on the interface.
AELITA
CODE:
LYOKO
"Tower deactivated." Aelita said, watching as the screens fell.
Meanwhile, the remaining monsters, upon seeing the tower being deactivated retreated, leaving Bridgette, LeShawna and DJ as they grouped outside the tower.
XANA scowled upon sensing his tower being deactivated.
"Well, well, looks like things didn't go your way, XANA." The AI could hear Odd taunting from behind. "All that waiting and Aelita still took you down just like the good old days."
XANA turned and faced the captured Lyoko Warriors with a scowl which they smiled at.
"And we get to see the look on your face as you lose…again." Odd taunted.
"You are quite confident for a prisoner." XANA retorted.
"Not for long. I know Aelita will find a way to save us." Yumi argued.
"We'll see about that." XANA waved his hand and the three were engulfed in Guardians again that shot out of the chamber. "You may have new allies Aelita, but much has changed since before. We'll see if they can measure up to your expectations."
In the real world, Cameron, Dawn and William were joined by Geoff and Gwen in fighting off a group of Spiderlings.
"Come on, is that all you got?!" William slammed his pipe down on a Spiderling's head while Geoff used his makeshift pickaxe from earlier to destroy another.
Gwen kicked away a Spiderling as it was about to fire and jumped out of the way as another fired at her. "Is there no end to these guys?"
The monsters vanished, turning into a stream of particles and then vanished into the air.
"She did it!" Cameron called out with a big smile. "Ha ha! Score one for us!"
"Sweet!" Geoff yelled.
"Alright Cameron, run the devirtualization program to devirtualize us." Aelita instructed. "It should be in the instruction manual."
After three devirtualizations, the group was gathered together. Dawn had finished bandaging William's wounds as they listened to Aelita's tale.
"Your dad built all this? He must have been one smart dude." Geoff said.
"Amazing. I would have thought this was some abandoned government research lab." Cameron commented with an amazed face.
"Yes, but the real amazing thing is that the computer had the ability to reverse time to an extent." Aelita said.
"Time travel? After today I'll believe anything." DJ asked but then shrugged.
"How is that possible?" Cameron questioned.
"Well, I am not entirely sure how but it was due to the supercomputer's nature as a quantum computer." Aelita answered.
"A quantum computer?!" Cameron gaped.
"I'm going to take a guess that's something that's really advanced." Gwen commented with a dry face.
"It is but I've never heard of or seen one as advanced as this." Cameron admitted. "A quantum computer is a computer that exploits quantum mechanical phenomena. On small scales, physical matter exhibits properties of both particles and waves, and quantum computing leverages this behavior using specialized hardware. Classical physics cannot explain the operation of these quantum devices, and a scalable quantum computer could perform some calculations exponentially faster than any modern computer."
"Guess we have another 'Jeremy' here." William whispered with a smile but winced at the pained smile on Aelita's face. "…Sorry."
"So, what did your dad build Lyoko for? Was he the guy who made XANA?" Gwen asked.
"He did, Lyoko and XANA were originally made to destroy a military project called Carthage which was meant to interfere or block enemy communications." Aelita answered, shaking off William's remark. "However, XANA developed sentience and rebelled against my father. XANA is no ordinary program; he is what we call a multi agent system, meaning he can multiply and divide himself in his work."
"A multi-agent system?" Cameron mused, rubbing his chin. "Okay, I am beginning to get it."
"Good because the rest of us aren't that good with computers." Geoff rubbed his head.
"Essentially, a multi-agent system is a software program composed of agents, programs all directed at carrying out a specific task in an environment where having a single program perform each task isn't feasible or would be cumbersome." Cameron explained. "They are commonly used in industries like power grids, manufacturing, transportation and even health care."
"That's correct. My father used the time return program to go back in time more than a thousand times in one year to finish his work. The problem was that Government agents arrived at our house one day, I assume it had to do with Project Carthage." Aelita nodded and continued. "I believe that the government wanted to use it for their own ends. We fled and came here where my father virtualized us. He wished for me to be safe, but XANA had turned on us at that point. When we arrived on Lyoko he attacked us.
I was forced to hide in a tower while my father attempted to stop XANA. In the end there was nothing he could do so he put the supercomputer. My father and I remained trapped inside for almost decade before the supercomputer was reactivated. It was reactivated when my friends Jeremy, Ulrich, Odd, and Yumi found the supercomputer.
From that point on, I had no memory of my past before Lyoko; XANA had seen fit to take that from me also. We spent a year fighting him. I assumed I was an AI created on Lyoko the entire time. Jeremy eventually made a devirtualization program and used it to return me to the real world."
"Sounds like this kid was smart." Bridgette commented.
"He was one of the best." Aelita smiled sadly. "And he focused all his time to giving me my body back. When we discovered XANA stole my memories, we tried to get them back...but he tricked us and stole the rest of my memory to get something called the 'Keys to Lyoko'."
"Keys to Lyoko?" Geoff raised an eyebrow and tipped his hat back.
"Both I and my father had a half of the Keys to Lyoko. XANA needed both to escape the supercomputer. With them he was able to leave and not worry about the supercomputer shutting down and killing him."
"So that's how he got onto the web?" LeShawna asked.
"Yes, he took control of hundreds of super computers and used them to build war machines so he could attempt a conquest of humanity. Jeremy designed a program that was intended to wipe out XANA and destroy all of his replicas, leaving what was left him to degrade in the digital network without a supercomputer to sustain him." This was when Aelita was visibly saddened. "But it was all a trick; he wanted us to use it. My father was tricked into sacrificing himself to power the program. XANA had hidden himself away and left a copy to fight us... we destroyed everything except XANA. And as you all know when he returned, he sent out a message yesterday, letting us know he was not only alive but faked his death to trick us into dropping our guard."
"Damn, that's just low." Geoff said with a sorry look on his face. "He tricked your dad into killing himself? Man, that's messed up!"
"Indeed." Dawn nodded, sitting cross-legged on the ground. "There is no doubt that XANA is the great evil that has troubled Mother Earth."
Aelita and William looked confused, but LeShawna simply shrugged.
"Um, Aelita when you said XANA took control of hundreds of computers…was one of them in Siberia?" Bridgette suddenly asked.
Aelita looked confused but answered. "Yes. How did you know?"
"Because, last year I found a base that looked abandoned in Siberia, and it had an army of robots there." Bridgette answered.
Aelita and William's eyes went wide, both of them silent before Aelita finally spoke. "Wait, you found XANA's army? How?"
"Uh well," Bridgette rubbed the back of her head. "Last year, during Total Drama World Tour, I got shipped off to Siberia-"
"You mean you got kidnapped and shipped off to Siberia." Geoff hastily corrected with a dark look on his face. "By Mildred."
"Who?" Aelita asked.
"A former host of Celebrity Manhunt and she was my co-host on Total Drama Aftermath while Bridge here was on World Tour." Geoff clarified. "She calls herself Blaineley and she made things difficult for us on the Aftermath. It got so bad that I actually gave her a slot on Total Drama when a chance for an eliminated contestant to return was offered."
"Yeah. She kidnapped me, gave me her passport and shipped me off to Siberia to take my spot as co-host on the Aftermath after I got booted off from World Tour." Bridgette explained.
"Now that you mention, I heard something about that from Odd, but I wasn't really into the show like he was." Aelita admitted.
"While we're on the subject, did there happen to be a supercomputer in the Amazon with robot spiders?" Gwen asked, making William and Aelita look at her. "I take it, that's a yes."
"There was but we destroyed the supercomputer there before we even knew about the army in Siberia." Aelita answered. "How'd you know about that?"
"Because a couple of those spiders stole parts from the jet were flying on. We had to go out and find them, but we came upon a base and I found one of those spiders." Gwen pulled out her sketchbook. "I noticed the strange eye symbol on them and managed to sketch it all down."
She found the page and showed Aelita and William her drawings of the robot spider with the Eye.
"Wait, the robots were active?" Aelita asked with a pale face.
"Yeah." Gwen nodded. "We got scared off, but no one was hurt."
"And this was last year?" Aelita clarified.
"Yup."
Aelita leaned back in her chair. "I don't believe it. We destroyed that supercomputer long before we thought we destroyed XANA. Now he's back and they are all back up and running…How could have we have been so easily fooled?"
"Hey, he fooled all of us." William replied from his spot at the wall. "Don't be too hard on yourself."
"It's hard not to be…Maybe if we suspected XANA had some sort of back-up plan, we wouldn't have…" Aelita trailed off.
"What happened to your friends?" Bridgette asked, getting back on subject.
"They are his prisoners now, I can't devirtualize them until we free them." Aelita said, leaving out what happened to Jeremy which William noticed. "I'll be working on finding them... after that we need a way to free them. I'm sorry that you all had to get involved with this. We never wanted to involve anyone else in our fight."
"Hey, XANA's out to kill us all, if I gotta face the facts then I don't care." LeShawna shrugged.
"So, you'll help me?" Aelita looked hopeful.
"You bet." DJ stood up. "I'm not letting this guy run around."
"Me neither." Bridgette said. "He won't know what hit him."
Aelita smiled gratefully. "Thank you, all of you. It will be a hard fight considering the world will have its eyes on you most of the time."
"We can slip away when we need to." DJ said.
"Wait, Chris has cameras set up at the studio; we can't slip out just like that." LeShawna added.
"Leave that to me, this computer can hack anything." Aelita patted the computer.
"Alright!" Geoff said. "So... now what?"
"Cameron, Dawn, you need to be scanned. Unless you do you won't remember what happened. I'm launching a return to the past so what happened earlier today won't spread." Aelita said to the two newest members of the Total Drama cast.
"I would like to help but I must warn you, I'm not much of a fighter nor am I skilled in computers like you or Cameron might be." Dawn admitted. "Still, I will offer what help I can."
"I guess I'm in too." Cameron said with a shy look on his face.
After it was all done, Aelita and her new team stood before the computer.
"When it happens, you will find yourselves where you were before the attack. You'll be on live TV again so try not to say anything suspicious." Aelita said. "It might come as a surprise, but you get used to it." She hit 'enter'. "Return to the past now!"
The team stood in the park again.
"Wow..." Geoff started, but realized they had cameras on them and DJ was finishing up his pushups. "Three hundred pushups in one go man! Awesome!"
"Thanks." DJ stood up and stretched. "Man, that's my exercise for the day."
"Hey guys, how's the challenge?" Gwen asked as she approached.
"We'll be winning this time girl; don't be sad when you lose!" LeShawna laughed as she joined the group.
"Alright, and we're out!" the Cameraman said. "Good job kids. Now we need to go check on Heather, she has the master challenge!" The crew ran off.
The group saw Aelita sitting on the bench nearby. They waved to her, and she waved back.
"So...who wants lunch?" Geoff asked.
(Outro Song: Breakaway by Subdigitals Starts)
As the credits are shown on the left side, the interior of Kadic Academy is shown, zeroing in on a file left on a desk.
(They told me that I)
The file opened to reveal a dossier with the name signed on the bottom: FRANZ HOPPER
(Was no good at all,)
The papers are moved, revealing a picture of Waldo Schaeffer and his wife, Anthea Schaeffer, who is shown to be pregnant.
(Such a waste...)
Another picture is shown of a woman with blond hair and wearing glasses.
(And suddenly I was)
Another picture shows a man with brunette hair and a beard.
(Out of the cool,)
A new picture is shown with five kids smiling: Odd was holding Kiwi over his head, a big grin on his face while the dog barked. Ulrich and Yumi were holding each other, winning at the camera; William smiled easily, feeling awkward about being back in the group after all he had apparently done to them under XANA's control. And Aelita was kissing Jeremy on the cheek, making Jeremy blush as the shot was captured.
(Stuck with the fools…)
Another file opens with the label: Total Drama is shown next.
(Not that much I can do,)
The file opens to show Chris Mclean and Chef Hatchet standing in what looked like a lab.
(I'm out of the crew.)
Next comes pictures of the future contestants starting with Alejandro Burromuerto before and after the incident that turned him into a robot.
(Hear the lights go out,)
Next was a picture of a brunette with glasses labeled 'Beth Gadon'.
(What should I do)
Mildred "Blaineley" Stacey Andrews O'Halloran
(Stuck to this chair)
Bridgette Fairlie
(And yet I know)
Cody Emmett Jameson Anderson
(Gotta break away)
Courtney Barlow
(It's not my style)
Devon 'DJ' Joseph
(I gotta get away)
Duncan Nelson with a police report next to his photo
(Here and now today.)
Eva Chantrey
(Cut in half, I'm already there,)
Ezekiel Oldring
(In my head I know it,)
Geoffrey 'Geoff' Petronijevic
(Five, no four more steps,)
Gwen Fahlenbock
(Take me to the door,)
Harold Norbert Cheever Doris McGrady V
(Open up I'm falling.)
Heather Wilson
(One of those days)
Isabella 'Izzy' Crown with three additional files:
Explosive
E-Scope
Brainzilla
(Where the lights go out,)
Justin Reid
(And yet I smile.)
Katie Anne Mills
(Gotta break away,)
LeShawna Edwards
(Life's like that and)
Lindsay Vermeer
(I gotta get away)
Noah Hayden
(Here and now today)
Owen McCord
(Gotta break away)
Sadie Lipson
(Break away, break away)
Sierra Obonsawin
(Get away,)
Trenton 'Trent' Lennon
(Here and now today.)
Tyler Beckham
(Here I am as I stand,)
Anne Maria
(I can feel you think,)
B
("Such a waste.")
Brick McArthur
(It's okay, I don't care)
Cameron Corduroy Wilkins
(Didn't wanna stay stuck)
Dakota Milton before and after her mutation
(With the fools.)
Dawn Medrek
(Skating down Park Avenue,)
Jo Elliot
(I realize my time is now and here)
Rudolph 'Lightning' Jackson
(Ready to go,)
Mike Doran while five additional files are next to his picture:
Chester
Svetlana
Manitoba
Vito
The fifth file, however, was sealed.
(Being sensitive is just not sensitive.)
Samuel 'Sam' Froud
(Gotta break away)
Scott Wallis, both before and after nearly being mauled to death by a mutant shark.
(It's not my style,)
Staci Peters
(And I gotta get away)
Zoey Mamabolo
(Here and now today.)
A picture of Franz Hopper in front of the Hermitage is shown next with the word 'MISSING' printed above.
(Gotta break away)
Next to appear are several reports on a new company known as 'REALITECH'.
(Life's like that,)
Followed by a medical report on Dakota Milton in her mutant form.
(And I gotta get away)
Next is a report on Alejandro who is still trapped in the robot suit following the end of Total Drama World Tour.
(Get away)
Followed by Scott's own medical file.
(Bring it all the way,)
This is followed by medical files on Anne Maria and Staci.
(Gotta break away)
Next to appear is a classified report showing a line of robots with Chris looking over one at the front.
(It's not my style,)
Robot pieces are shown to be scattered about in a lab with various scientists at work on the robots or surrounding what appears to be a large supercomputer.
(And I gotta get away)
A picture of Chris in jail is shown next.
(Here and now today.)
There is a round table with the people seated blurred from being seen, a single contract is shown on the table.
(Gotta break away)
TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
Proposed by newly established Realitech
(Life's like that,)
The pictures of the first and second generations of Total Drama contestants are then shown.
(And I gotta get away)
A map of France is shown next.
(Get away)
The file is then closed and picked up as the screen fades to black.
Bring it all the way,
The Eye of XANA flashes one time and the title of the series appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(Outro Song: Breakaway by Subdigitals Ends)
Chapter 12: Training
Summary:
Following the end of the first Total Drama challenge Aelita suggests some training in Lyoko to better learn their powers and build up immunity to XANA's control.
Chapter Text
( Code Total Drama Reality Introduction Song Starts )
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) )
(The ending of this story)
The song starts, showing the end of Code Lyoko where the Supercomputer is shut down and the former Lyoko Warriors leave the factory seemingly for the last time.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
A single computer is shown coming online, lines of 1s and 0s streaming across the screen before the screen is replaced by a glowing sphere with the Eye of XANA, at least eight variations appearing on it. From the sphere came lines of data emerging in eight different directions. The lines of data formed into various regions, all of them floating landscapes resembling a forest, a desert, an arctic, mountains, volcanoes, swamp and a jungle.
(Into this new world)
The new lands orbited the golden sphere as the camera zoomed in on the Eye of XANA staring at the screen.
(The game has only just begun)
The Eye then flashes red, and the sphere turns black.
(I can see it in your eyes)
A girl with pink hair sits on her bed, panting as she turns to see two pictures of her friends and her father. She smiles briefly but that smile turns to a look of horror as both her friends and her father are engulfed by a great darkness and the red Eye shines down on her. The Supercomputer, thought to be shut down, is reactivated and there is a flash of light.
(This is where tomorrow brings a new game)
Aelita is shown alone both in the real world and in Lyoko, hordes of monsters surrounding her.
Geoff is first shown in his human form before transitioning to his Lyoko form.
Next to him is Bridgette, holding her surfboard in the real world before changing into her Lyoko form, her board splitting into two swords.
(It's time to learn that pain is gain)
Gwen is shown sitting in front of tree, looking up and is instantly changed into her Lyoko Avatar, brandishing her scythe.
DJ is shown in the woods, tending to a little rabbit as he stands up and morphs into his Lyoko form, turning to face the camera with a stern glare.
LeShawna is last, ready to fight in both her human form and her Lyoko form.
(Ready fight!)
William and a dark reflection of himself as XANA's General are shown standing back-to-back, turning to face each other and swinging their swords.
The screen is split by the two swords, showing New Lyoko as the title appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(I gotta crush and paint away the anguish)
Aelita is shown first, sitting at the computer before she is then shown as the DJ of a party. She morphs into her Lyoko form and conjures an energy field.
This was followed quickly by Geoff wildly waving his hat while riding something with Bridgette holding onto him by the back.
(Of my past for the sake of my future)
Gwen is shown next, drawing in her sketchbook and signifying with a sad face as Duncan, Courtney and Trent appear behind her, their backs facing in her direction.
(Until my life comes to an end)
DJ is shown running for his life from appears to be a giant bear.
(I am gonna fight to tear apart that destiny)
LeShawna is shown next, standing confidently with her team, ready to face whatever crazy challenge comes next.
(Aoh, break out and start a revolution)
The antagonists of Total Drama: Heather, Courtney, Justin, Anne Maria, Jo, Lightning, Scott and Alejandro in the Total Drama Machine are shown from left to right, grinning or glaring at the camera, holding up an imaginary case of the million- dollar prize money in their hands. Chris Mclean is shown next, arms crossed as the chair he is sitting in spins to meet the camera, zooming out to show it is the monitor room for the Total Drama show.
A dark shadow appears above them, scrawny in appearance and hair falling over the left eye as it glares darkly at the screen.
(Until you find the answer you're looking for)
The camera then shows Aelita with the new Lyoko Warriors, the TD Lyoko Warriors and William sitting around a campfire, all of them staring up into the starry night sky, a picture of her friends and father resting in Aelita's hands.
(I'll challenge all my limits)
Aelita in her Lyoko form with her wings sprouting from her back is shown, clutching Mr. Puck in her hands as she seemingly falls back, her friends and relatives in the background.
The camera moves down to show William kneeling down, clutching his sword in both hands. As this happens, the camera moves down, showing depictions of the TD Lyoko Warriors and other characters in the background.
The camera continues to move down to show Geoff pulling Bridgette into sharing a picture with LeShawna bringing her face up over Bridgette's shoulder, the three of them in their Lyoko forms. While this happens, Harold, Lindsay, Beth, Trent, Katie and Sadie are shown in the background.
Below them is Gwen with her arms and legs curled around her with her cape swirling behind her like wings while Heather and Courtney are shown in the background glaring at each other followed by Sierra clutching Cody who looks distressed, Eva crossing her arms along with B and Beth both waving, the latter looking very shy. Behind Gwen appeared Dawn in her own Lyoko form in a meditative pose while upside down while facing Gwen with her eyes closed, her light robe contrasting with Gwen's cape with dark clothing, almost forming a yin-yang symbol.
Behind Dawn appears Scott, snickering evilly.
(Knowing this could be my only chance now)
DJ is shown last, seemingly falling back while holding his pet rabbit: Bunny in his hands with a happy smile. His teammates shown in the background starting with Duncan, Tyler, Justin and Alejandro ending with Chef Hatchet and Chris McClean.
He is followed by Mike and Zoey, both clutching their hands and smiling at each other as in background appears Brick, Jo, Lightning, Sam and Staci.
And lately Cameron appears staring up at the others.
(To overcome this fate that has come over me)
The screen turns black and the Eye of XANA immediately flashes into existence, glowing red and shadowing the outline of a singular person with red glowing eyes.
(The ending of this story)
Aelita is shown, standing in a meadow now with the wind gently blowing through her hair.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
She holds up a hand, gazing sadly up as the images of her friends and parents appear in the sky.
(Into this new world)
Her hand then becomes digital, transitioning to Lyoko.
((The game has only just begun))
She gazes up a little longer before she notices her new friends and allies standing with her and smiles before looking forward, seeing a tower in the distance.
(I can see it in your eyes)
Just as they are about to rush towards the tower, the camera angles up into the digital sky as the song reaches its end.
The scene then shifts to pictures of Aelita and her friends both old and new on a desktop as the title appears on last time:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) Ends )
Episode 12: Training
"Stand on a roof with only my under wear? Gosh, that's not right!" Harold groaned looking at his card.
"Sorry dude, a challenge's a challenge." Trent said before looking at his card. "Play the bagpipes? Oh, I hate that instrument. Why can't it be a guitar?"
"Because it wouldn't be fun if you played an instrument that you knew how to play and liked. And for complaining you have to play it while running from a mime." Said Chris over a speaker.
"What?!" Trent shouted.
"Sorry, man. Them's the rules."
"You mean the rules you make up?" Trent asked glaring.
"Yes, those rules. Look out behind you."
Trent turned and a saw... a mime!
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Chris laughed. "Spaz!"
Duncan looked up. "Wow...that was some girly scream."
He then looked to where Courtney had just received her challenge.
"Kiss Duncan in public...oh come on!" Courtney whined.
"Oh no, not again." Duncan smacked himself on the face. He already had one black eye from kissing her. He only hoped Gwen would never find out.
"DUNCAN! GET OVER HERE!" Courtney chased Duncan down an alley.
'Man, if that woman gets me, she'll give me another black eye just to add insult to injury afterwards.' Duncan thought. 'Think Duncan, think you three days grace reject-ow that really hurt my pride just then.'
Confessional: Duncan
Duncan glared at the camera. "Ok, I know she's hot, but her obsessive compulsions drove me nuts."
'I need to think of a way to get away from her quick- I can't even think straight because of her!'
"DUNCAN GET BACK HERE AND LET ME KISS YOU!"
"HELL NO, AFTER YOU DO, YOU'LL BREAK MY NOSE!" Duncan replied.
Beth was hiding in a trash can from the two actors dressed as cops, who were taking a picture with Cody.
"Say 'au revoir' (sp?)!" Cody said.
"Au revoir!" Cody snapped a picture of him holding a thumb up with the two cops.
"Thanks guys!" Cody ran off.
Beth peeked out of the trash can.
"There she is!" The cops ran towards her.,
"Eep!" She turned her trashcan over and rolled down a road, easily losing the cops in traffic.
"I told you, and you proved me right." Duncan nursed his black eye.
He now had two black eyes which made it hard to see.
"Oh, shut up." Courtney said as she wiped her mouth.
"Oh, you know you enjoyed it princess." Duncan rolled his eyes.
"About as much as kissing Owen's a(bleep!)." Courtney replied.
"Language!" A crew member said.
"Sorry." They said at the same time.
"I'm heading back to get some ice, excuse me." Duncan began to walk back to the studio.
Confessional: Courtney
"Just to let you all know for the record I only kissed him so that I could beat him. There's no way I am going to lose to him or Gwen." Courtney crossed her arms.
"Lose a race to the Louvre to Brick?" Jo read her card before throwing it on the ground. "No way! I don't throw challenges!"
"Lose a race to the Louvre to Jo?" Brick read his own card. "…If I must than I must."
"What?!" Jo spun, glaring at Brick. "You throw a race with me to win?!"
"If it means helping my team win, then I'll do it." Brick stated.
"No way!" Jo declared. "I'm not letting you get a win over me!"
"So…How do we start then?" Brick asked, skeptically.
"Like this…" Jo got ready to run which Brick quickly did as well. "On your mark, get set, GO!"
…
…
…
…
…
"Wait, we haven't moved." Brick pointed out.
"Exactly." Jo said, not moving a muscle.
"Lose to a video game?" Sam read his card. "I guess I can try. If it's hard then I can't say I didn't try."
Unfortunately, it was literally one of the easiest games in existence and Sam for all his skills and desires to win…just couldn't resist playing to win.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
"Wear a clown outfit and make-up and pose for twenty minutes." Justin paled. "I-I-I ca-can do it."
The interns came up and provided Justin with a clown outfit and make-up.
And then came the cameras.
"DON'T LOOK AT ME!"
B looked at his card and paled.
Dawn looked at her card and gasped. "How cruel!"
"My great-great-great-great aunt invented this during the time when people had a hard time learning to build-"
"SHUT UP!" Anna-Marie pulled out some hair-spray which she then used on Staci to stop her from talking.
Once Staci had been silenced Anna paled when she read her card. "I ain't using this for my hair!"
"I have to kiss one of Mike's personalities?" Zoey asked, reading her card with a contemplative look. "Well, they are all kind of Mike in a way."
"Uh yeah…" Mike rubbed the back of his head. "If you leave out the fact that Chester is an old man and Manitoba is in his forties."
"Ew!" Zoey winced with a disgusted and horrified look on her face.
"So I guess there's Svetlana or…Vito."
"…Would Svetlana be okay with being kissed?"
Confessional: Zoey
"I know they're all technically the same age as Mike but Chester looks way too much like an old man and Manitoba acting like a man in his forties makes it really hard to remember."
Confessional: Mike
"Can't blame Zoey for choosing Svetlana as last. Like I said, Chester and Manitoba would be too old, and I think she still has bad memories of Vito." Mike shrugged.
"Good morning, everyone. I am sure you all know why I have called this meeting."
Principal Jean-Pierre Delmas stared down the table where the teacher staff of Kadic had assembled.
Jim Morales, Physical Education.
Mrs. Meyer, Math Teacher.
Suzanne Hertz, Science Teacher.
Rosa Petitjean, Cafeteria woman.
Gilles Fumet, History Teacher.
Yolanda Perraudin, Nurse.
Kensington, English Teacher.
"Yes, it's our missing students. Stern, Della Robbia, Belpois and Ishiyama." Suzanna answered.
Principal Delmas nodded. "Yes. Following the strange cyber attack the tabloids have named the 'Red-Eye' virus, they all disappeared, leaving only Miss Stones. She was questioned and she seemed genuine in her claim that she does not know where they are or what happened, only that they were separated following confusion caused by the cyber attack."
"We all noticed how absent they were at the beginning when they all first attended this school. Jeremy is an extremely gifted student, but he was absent nearly twenty times. If not for his stellar grades I would have reported him." Hertz stated.
"Almost twenty? I don't recall you ever mentioning this." Delmas replied. "The limit for absences is eight at this school."
"Admittedly, I should have done something about it, but his grades kept him from failing and thus I overlooked it." Hertz stated. "And Yumi Ishiyama, missed class in the eighth grade about eight times if I recall."
"It was the same with Stern and Della Robbia too, though they made up in gym class." Jim stated. "I thought they were up to something that year too, but they only admitted to planning a prank, so I let it at that."
"And then after the second year when Stones arrived, they stopped and were on time at their classes like they were supposed to." Delmas stated. "And now, following this cyber attack, they are missing. You all remember that the cyber attack included a strange message, correct?"
"'I live again. And I am coming for you.'" Nurse Yolanda recalled. "That's what it said. What could it possibly mean?"
"I am not sure, but I don't believe it's a coincidence." Delmas stated. "So far, the names of the missing students have not been released to the public, but I am sure rumors will reach the ears of every family of the students here. Their disappearance following this attack might be connected to their mysterious activities during their beginning years. I do know what it could be, but I worry they were involved in something dangerous."
"And you believe Stones might know?" Hertz asked. "Why not tell us?"
"Perhaps she believes that telling anyone will make things worse." Fumet stated. "Given how close we've seen them, I don't think anyone here believes Miss Stones would not care for their safety."
"Then what can we do?" Jim asked. "Should we keep a close eye on her?"
"For now, but if she starts becoming absent from classes that's where we draw the line." Delmas answered. "I am not sure what they ended up involved in, but we can't risk it endangering the rest of the students here."
"And what happens when the families start asking questions?" Hertz asked. "The Ishiyamas have been most vocal about wanting to know where their daughter is."
"Della Robbia and Stern's family will be getting in touch real soon." Jim pointed out.
"If nothing about the missing students is heard by the time they do, we will have to ask Miss Stones directly what has happened, regardless how she feels." Delmas answered, exhaling deeply.
"Well, what an exciting day we've had everyone! All around town, standing half naked on roofs, dressing up as clowns, running from mimes and the fuzz, man this was good! And the pies really added a touch to it." Chris grinned. "Unfortunately for all your hard-earned efforts, the Red Vultures completed the most challenges first and won. The runner ups are the Yellow Hamsters. And the losers are the Blue Rats! The rest of you, good job! But there's one more thing you need to know...loser team stays in the loser dorm, which is at the bottom floors, runner up team in the Runner Up Dorm which is on the second floor, and the Winner Team in the Winner Dorm which is the top and best floor."
"Say what now?!" Half the cast shouted.
"Thems the rules." Chris shrugged. "Here are your report cards. They will be used when you vote off one of your teammates. Just fill the box next to the name of the loser you want gone."
The Blue Rats sat outside on the bleachers, curiously seeing a green pipe right in the middle of the ground.
"You have cast your votes. Whoever does not receive a Chris Trophy has to go down the Pipe of Shame and can never come back, ever." Chris said, walking out, carrying a tray of trophies shaped in his image.
"The following names I will call out are safe. Alejandro." Chris tossed a trophy and Alejandro managed to catch it.
"Noah."
Noah caught next trophy.
"Tyler."
"Yes-Ow!" Tyler cheered but was cut off as he couldn't catch the trophy that ended up smacking him in the face.
"Owen."
Owen smiled, catching his trophy.
"Anne Maria."
"Oh yeah!" Anne Maria cheered, catching hers.
"Sierra."
Siera happily caught the next one.
"Duncan."
Duncan simply caught his, smiling in satisfaction…
"Courtney."
But then scowled to hear Courtney was safe. For her part, Courtney didn't even bother to glare back at the delinquent.
"Justin."
Justin easily caught the next one.
"Lightning."
"Oh-yeah!" Lighting cheered as he caught the next trophy. "Sha-Wow!"
"Trent, Staci, in my hands is the final trophy. Trent, you sucked with the bagpipes as you were too busy screaming like a sissy. Staci, you kept mumbling your stories and failing to keep your mouth like the card asked."
"And now the final trophy goes to…"
...
...
..
...
...
"Trent."
Trent grinned as he took his trophy.
Staci sighed miserably as she stood up. "Fine, I can handle going down a pipe. You know my great-great-great-great-great-GAH!"
Chef picked Staci up by the back of her sweater and dropped her down the pipe, earning a scream from her as she fell.
"Thank you, Chef." Chris sighed as Staci's screams echoed but faded down the pipe.
"And now, the Blue Rats has lost one team mate. Will they bounce back in the next challenge, or will they be sending someone else home? Find out next time on Total, Drama, Reality!" Chris claimed. The cameras cut out, and Carlos shook his head.
"You really take that last line too far every season man." The Producer said.
"Ha, ha."
Aelita had been watching the end of Total Drama Reality from her dorm room and was glad to see none of her new friends get sent home.
She looked at the list of numbers the group had left her and dialed Gwen's black berry.
Gwen picked up after several moments. "Hello?"
"Gwen, it's me, Aelita." Aelita said. "Good job on the show today."
"Hey, we did it twice; the second time was much easier." Gwen replied.
"I need you and the others to come down to the factory as soon as you are able, there are some things we need to talk about."
"What about the cameras?"
"Don't worry, I managed to hack into Chris' network, it'll look like you guys never even left your rooms. And just so you know, there are cameras in every room, including yours and the others."
"That figures. I'll let them know, we'll see you then." Gwen hung up.
Aelita brought her cell phone, sending a quick text message to William before she turned to the door, opening it slightly to check if the hall was empty or not. Once it was clear, she came out and quietly closed her door before heading out.
Once she was gone, another door opened, and Sissy peeked her head out…
"Hey, Aelita." William was already waiting for her near the manhole. "Got your text message and was out the door a second later."
"Thanks, William." Aelita said gratefully as she lifted the sewer hatch.
"Are you sure you want me coming along? I wasn't very helpful the last couple of times." William asked as he climbed down.
"We were all taken by surprise that time, William. Besides, aside from me you're the only veteran left." Aelita replied as William landed on the ground.
"That's not exactly much." William said solemnly.
"I know but we have an entirely new group with us, and I don't want to make the same mistakes as we did when we recruited you." Aelita replied as they grabbed the nearby skateboards. "Besides, if it makes you feel any better, I'm in the same boat as you and the others are now."
"What do you mean?" William asked curiously.
"XANA was able possess Jeremy, claiming that our immunity to his control wears off over a certain period of time when we're not using the scanners." Aelita answered as they took off. "We're all in danger of being possessed right now."
That sent a cold chill down William's spine. "You don't say…"
"Right. We need to build our resistance up as fast as possible." Aelita nodded.
"Got it."
William and Aelita skateboarded through the sewer, coming to a stop that would lead up to the road in front of the factory.
William left his skateboard against the wall, turning to Aelita as she grabbed the first bar on the ladder. "Aelita, there's something I want to know."
"What is it?"
"Why didn't you tell them what happened to Jeremy?"
Aelita froze in mid-climb, seemingly staring at the wall. "…."
"I know it might be hard to talk about, but you said they were all captured but we both know that's not true." William said carefully. "If they are going to help us-"
"I know!" Aelita cut him off sharply. "…I know."
William looked remorseful now. "Sorry, I don't mean to be insensitive."
"I know…" Aelita sighed, looking down with her eyes closed. "I should have told them…but we had just barely survived the last attack and…It's all still fresh in my mind. Just yesterday we were going to start a new year that we were all looking forward to and now…"
"Now we all got pulled back into the mess with Lyoko and XANA when we all thought it had been finished." William finished for her.
"I don't even know what I can tell their families." Aelita leaned her head against the ladder. "Can I even say we'll rescue Odd, Ulrich and Yumi when I'm not even sure if we can stop XANA this time? And what then? What I can tell Jeremy's parents, his cousin Patrick?"
William wished he could answer.
What could he say?
He wasn't as close to Aelita as her friends were, he couldn't help her with their families and what could he even say?
This wasn't even anything close as to what he went through coming back from being XANA's slave.
"Aelita…Are you sure you want to be doing this right now?" He asked after a moment, carefully choosing his words. "We can put it off until you…"
"No." Aelita shook her head and sighed. "Thanks, William but we can't afford to put it off."
She climbed up the ladder, leaving William to stare sadly for a second before he climbed up after her.
The new Lyoko fighters stepped out of the elevator and into the control room.
"Man, I never get tired of seeing this." Geoff said, looking around the lab. "So, what do you need?"
"Well first off, how did you handle going back in time? You all managed to act like nothing happened at all on live TV." Aelita said with an impressed smile.
"It was weird...but hey, I didn't want to look weird. It was kind of like being rewound like in a movie." Geoff shrugged.
"That's how everyone usually feels. But now that you've done your challenge for the day, I was hoping you could consider going to Lyoko for some training. You did good for beginners, but you need some more improvement. Geoff, you dropped your guard and got devirtualized first, but you did manage to take on those monsters easily before you got cocky. This is the second time I've ever had to recruit new people, and the first time went horrifically wrong for me and my friends." Aelita glanced at William for a second.
"What happened?" Bridgette asked.
"You know of Ulrich, Odd, Yumi, and Jeremy, well William was our newest recruit. When XANA launched an attack, everyone but William was occupied. Ulrich was with his father, Odd's girlfriend kept him in the dark, and Yumi was having trouble with her brother, so William and I went on ahead. He took out a squad of Creepers on his own, but he treated it as a game, and he paid for it when XANA possessed him." Aelita answered.
The explanation had everyone glancing at William who made a weak smile. "Yeah, wasn't fun for me."
"For months XANA used him to fight us until we managed to free him. I don't want to see that happen to you all, so we need to make sure we never let our guard down. Plus, after going to Lyoko for an amount of time you can build up resistance against XANA's control." Aelita glanced at DJ first. "DJ, you will need practice with your barriers. Your powers are purely based on defence, but maybe they can be used to defend more than what is in front of you."
She then looked at Gwen.
"Gwen, you are fairly good with your scythe, but you need to learn when to attack and how to attack based on the monster you're facing. The Megatank only took you out because you tried to take it out immediately. You need to get in close and wait until either before or after it fires and hit it right in the eye."
Next was Bridgette.
"Bridgette, you didn't know what your weapons were at first, but you got a good handle on them. But you focused too much on defending Geoff, you're a team now, we need to watch out for everybody."
And then LeShawna.
"And LeShawna, you obviously are a powerhouse, but you still need to train your abilities, we didn't have time for that since we were on a tight time constrain to reverse time. Now we have that chance." Aelita then looked at Cameron and Dawn. "Cameron, Dawn, you two both need to use the scanners to discover your Lyoko forms and build up a resistance to XANA's control."
Cameron gulped. "I can't say I'll be much help since I'm not really a fighter."
"You did take down Lightning in the final round last season." Dawn pointed out.
"Yeah, but I used my brains more than my…" Cameron held up his arms. "Actual strength."
"You want us to go train on Lyoko? Aren't there more monsters?" DJ asked.
"No, XANA only sends out monsters to defend towers he activates, and you need to familiarize yourself with the sectors. He has recently upgraded Lyoko so the elements can affect you, such as the feelings of heat, scent, and I'm certain getting shot wasn't a comfortable experience for any of you, so you'll need to get used to that also." Aelita answered. "And once you're all comfortable I would to ask you to come with me to Sector 5."
"What's that?" Geoff asked.
"Sector 5 is the center of Lyoko, where all data pertaining to everything happening there is recorded and stored." Aelita answered. "I'd like the chance to examine the data concerning the day my friends and I thought we beat XANA and see if there are any clues as to where he might be hiding. It might lead us to my missing friends."
The group shared a glance before silently agreeing.
"Where can we train then?" Gwen asked.
"Anywhere you wish. You've seen the mountain region. Want to try the desert region? Or the Arctic Region? The Forest Region is the next safest place though."
"I say we try the Arctic Region, if we get used to the cold we won't have as much trouble for when we actually need to go there." Gwen suggested.
"Cool." Geoff grinned.
"Alright, let's go." LeShawna said, pumping a fist.
"Transfer Geoff...Scanner Geoff...Virtualization."
"Transfer LeShawna...Scanner LeShawna...Virtualization."
"Transfer Gwen...Scanner Gwen...Virtualization."
This time they all landed on their feet on a small plateau.
"Hey Aelita, we landed on our feet this time!" Gwen called out, standing perfectly straight.
"Transfer Bridgette...scanner Bridgette...Virtualization."
"Transfer DJ...Scanner DJ...Virtualization."
Bridgette and DJ appeared next to the group moments later.
"Hey, we landed this time- ah!" DJ slipped, his feet flying out from under him and sending him down a slope.
"Don't let him fall over the edge!" Aelita shouted.
"I got him!" Bridgette went after DJ using her hover board.
DJ landed on the board in front of Bridgette as she flew them back up onto the large icy platform.
"Thanks Bridge." Said DJ as got off Bridgette's board.
"Listen carefully, everyone, it is absolutely important that you do not fall into the Digital Sea." Aelita instructed.
"What happens if we fall in?" asked LeShawna.
"Your digital structure would be ripped and shredded. You would be trapped forever."
"Okay, so no more falling." Said Gwen looking at everyone.
"Got it." They replied.
"Okay so how we do this?" asked Geoff. "And where are Dawn and Cameron?"
"I'm sending them now with William."
"Transfer William…"
The scanner doors closed as William took a deep breath.
"Transfer Cameron…"
Cameron was trembly slightly as his scanner doors closed.
"Transfer Dawn…"
Dawn simply closed her eyes as the doors closed.
Back in the lab, Aelita watched three digital avatar cards appeared on the screen.
"Scanner, William…Scanner Cameron…Scanner Dawn."
Inside the scanners, William's eyes were closed as he felt a familiar rush of wind as a light traveled up and down his body. Cameron shook a bit, taking deep breaths while Dawn remained serenely composed with her eyes remaining closed.
"Virtualization."
The three new figures landed before the already assembled warriors with one falling on their rear end while the others managed to land perfectly.
"Ow!"
"Whoa, Cam! Nice armor!" Geoff commented.
Cameron felt a little strange as he looked down at himself, red and yellow armor and his vision…it was like he was wearing visors of some kind. He noticed with the visor came several readings, detailing information seemingly about his appearance.
"Wow, this looks like the armor I made for the final round on Total Drama." Cameron remarked.
"That's because it is the armor." Dawn commented, making Cameron look at her.
Dawn wore a cream-colored robe with long sleeves that slightly covered her hands, and she wore the robe like a dress that fell to the ground, covering her feet with white markings resembling trees sewn into her outfit. A green belt was tied around her waist with golden markings and a moon symbol. A wreath made of sticks, leaves and flowers was placed on her head, giving her a rather elegant appearance.
"Dawn, you look like something out of a Dungeons and Dragons game." Gwen commented.
"I think she would be considered a Dryad." Cameron added.
"A what?" Dawn asked with a confused look.
"A tree nymph or spirit. Dryads were originally considered the nymphs of oak trees specifically, but the term has evolved towards tree nymphs in general. Often their life force was connected to the tree in which they resided, and they were usually found in sacred groves of the gods. "They were considered to be very shy creatures except around the goddess Artemis, who was known to be a friend to most nymphs." Cameron could not help but explain.
"I see…" Dawn said, looking thoughtfully down at her outfit.
"Okay, Gwen, I got to ask how'd you know what a Dry-what is?" Geoff couldn't help but ask.
Gwen shrugged. "I grew up taking care of my younger brother. We played lots of games, including board games."
"Ah."
William on the other hand, looked down at himself and saw he was wearing white and grey full-body armor with black accents, dark teel leggings and accents underlining his arms and hands, and pale cyan heeled boots. He also had a reddish magenta belt, spots on the medial malleolus of the tibias on his boots, and half handle on his zweihander (the other half being black), which had a triangular insignia on the apex of the hilt and a silver blade with spots of discoloration resembling Damascus steel and a single notch on the curve of the cutting edge.
This was his original appearance before being enslaved by XANA.
"Okay so how we do this?" asked Geoff.
"You pick someone as an opponent. Like I said you won't die if you lose all of your life points plus this would be a better way to find out what your abilities are than during a XANA attack." Said Aelita.
"There's eight of us so we all have someone to fight." Said Geoff thoughtfully.
"Bad idea. What happens if XANA decides to activate a tower while we're all fighting?" asked Gwen.
"Good point there, girl." Said LeShawna.
"Bridgette, I think it would be a good idea for you to spar with Geoff." Said Gwen looking at the surfer girl.
"What?! Why?"
"Like Aelita said you spent too much time defending Geoff during our last battle. If we are really going to do this, we need to work together. That means protecting all of us instead of just Geoff."
"We should do it, Bridge. We can't have a party if it's only you and me without any friends." Said Geoff putting a hand on Bridgette's shoulder.
"Ok." Bridgette replied reluctantly.
They both walked out until they were in the middle of the barren frozen wasteland. Geoff held out his chakrams and Bridgette's surfboard split into her two swords. Geoff put his chakrams together and he held out his two bladed axe.
"Remember, Bridge, we're not really hurting each other." Geoff said trying to reassure his girlfriend.
"Right."
"All right, here goes!" shouted Geoff as he charged forward.
Raising his axe, he jumped into the air and swung it down at Bridgette. The surfer jumped to the side avoiding the axe as it slammed into the ice. Geoff pulled out leaving a large crack in the ground. He swung again only to be met by Bridgette's two swords held in a cross formation. Bridgette grunted as the attack pushed her back.
She then pushed Geoff back and leapt towards him swinging her swords in a downward arc. Geoff blocked and swung at Bridgette again, but she parried the attack. She spun around and elbowed her boyfriend in the back knocking him off balance. Bridgette quickly tried to stab him, but Geoff ducked, dodging the attack.
He quickly tripped Bridgette by sweeping his leg out knocking Bridgette off her feet. She fell on her back hitting the icy ground. Looking up she saw Geoff holding his axe up. But he hesitated to attack. Bridgette quickly rolled away, getting back on her feet and charging at her boyfriend. Meanwhile the others were watching the fight a few yards away.
Gwen was rubbing her arms to keep warm while LeShawna and DJ just watched the fight.
"Geoff had Bridgette right there." Said DJ.
"Yeah, but he hesitated." LeShawna replied.
"Can you blame him? Even if she wouldn't die, I don't see Geoff harming a single hair on Bridgette's head and vice versa. Can you two say you would do that to anyone you know and care without hesitation? LeShawna, what if you were out there right now fighting Harold? DJ, can you imagine fighting any of our friends like you were trying to kill them?
This is not like the show where we compete against each other. We're actually trying to fight each other. This is what Aelita meant when she said we needed to train." Said Gwen watching the fight. "Even those two have agreed to fight, they hate every moment of it. Even if they won't be harmed, they still hate having to fight each other."
"Yeah. It must be tough on them." Said DJ watching them.
"But they're doing it. But how can they find out their abilities if they hesitate to fight?" asked LeShawna.
Aelita was silent as she listened to the conversation. Gwen had a point. She remembered one time when XANA made that clone of Yumi and Ulrich was forced to devirtualize the real Yumi by stabbing through the chest with his sword. That must have been very difficult for Ulrich to do.
"I don't know. Maybe they'll work it out on their own or we'll have to help them. But we should wait a bit before we get involved." Gwen said.
LeShawna had a thoughtful look on her face as Gwen stated her observation about Geoff and Bridgette. She was hoping she could patch things up with Gwen since they didn't leave on the best terms last time. Maybe their time spent here on Lyoko would be perfect. Geoff and Bridgette spared for several more minutes before they called it quits, leaving the group to decide who would spar next.
It was a tough call to make, especially for the newcomers of the reality show.
Dawn was a pacifist by nature, figuratively and literally. She had never raised a hand in violence to any animal or human and had no experience in fighting. Cameron on the other hand, while having gained some experience from his time on Total Drama, was among the physically weakest members of the cast and it hadn't helped that he had spent his early years in a bubble.
Not a best way to exercise.
However, Cameron had a chance to examine the power armor he was wearing. He held up his hand and fired his own laser blasts that were blue in color, hitting a nearby ice wall.
"It's exactly the same as my power armor from last season's finale!" Cameron smiled excitedly under his helmet.
"Cool!" DJ looked impressed, along with most of the group.
"Hard to believe you constructed that from junk." Gwen remarked, sitting on a icy rock while holding out her scythe.
"Well, it wasn't easy." Cameron admitted. "I actually tried to patent the armor I made but someone beat me to it."
"Who?"
Cameron shrugged. "Some guy with a goatee. Never got his name."
"Good to know." William cut in. "But just remember, even if this is all digital this is the real deal. It won't be like a reality show so don't go thinking this is like those crazy pretend challenges."
All the TD Lyoko Warriors stopped and looked at William. "…Pretend?"
"All right, everyone. I think that's enough training for now." Aelita cut in. "Now, before I bring you all back, I'd like to take a chance to go to Sector 5."
Everyone paused and looked up at the sky, even though Aelita herself wasn't actually up there.
"You sure you need all of us for this?" William asked, holding his sword over his shoulder.
"Normally I would leave someone at the computer, but we need all the experience we can get. Plus you all need to get familiar with the layout of Lyoko before we try computer lessons." Aelita reasoned.
"Oh boy." Geoff nervously tugged the collar of his shirt.
"You all head to the edge of the sector. I'll call up the Transport Orb and meet you all directly in Sector 5." Aelita instructed. "And just so you don't overreact, the Transport Orb will look like a large white orb with the XANA Eye on it but it's not a monster so don't attack it."
"Okay, whatever you say, Aelita." DJ nodded before looking at William. "Uh…You know where we're supposed to go?"
"Just head north." Aelita cut in.
"Right!"
"Hold on, I'll make it easier and send the vehicles."
After a full minute, the three vehicles appeared.
"Nice." Geoff mounted the OverBike.
Gwen got onto the Overboard. "There are only three vehicles. How can we accommodate everyone?"
Cameron looked down at his boots, getting an idea. "Hang on a sec."
He clicked them together and to everyone's surprise, the metallic boots lit up with fire, lifting Cameron off the ground.
"It's exactly the same as my power armor from last season's finale!" Cameron smiled excitedly under his helmet.
"That is so cool!" Geoff exclaimed in equal excitement.
"Well, that solves a few dilemmas." William commented as he took the Overwing. "Dawn, LeShawna?"
"Thank you, William." Dawn nodded as she stepped onto the Overwing, followed be LeShawna.
"Here we go…" Aelita typed in the code to call the Transport Orb.
SCIPIO
The group was at the edge of the sector as a white orb with the Eye of XANA rising up, just as Aelita said.
"Are we sure it can take all of us?" Cameron asked skeptically as the group stepped forward.
Before anyone could reply, the Transport Orb shot forward and spun, the 'rear' end seemingly vanishing as it spun again, catching the entire group with the other half of the orb reappearing. The Transport Orb then shot off towards Sector 5.
Aelita already activated the automatic virtualization sequence by the time she finished her instructions. She made her way to the elevator and pressed the down button. A moment later, the doors opened to reveal the scanner room. Aelita stepped into the nearest scanner and waited as the scanner door closed.
First came the familiar white light that traveled up her body which would be followed by the signature flash of light that would signal her being virtualized.
Back in the lab, the computer screen flashed with a red exclamation point.
ERROR!
ERROR!
ERROR!
"Huh?" Aelita blinked as the scanner door opened. "What happened? Why wasn't I virtualized?"
The Transport Orb appeared in the Arena of Sector 5, depositing the TD Lyoko Warriors, a few of them staggering a bit.
"Okay, that was an experience." Gwen held a hand to her stomach. "Anyone get the feeling like they were on a merry-go-round going very fast?"
"It did feel a bit surprising." Bridgette admitted.
William looked up. "Okay, Aelita. We're here now. Where are you?"
"Everyone, we've got a huge problem!" Aelita suddenly exclaimed, making everyone jump in alarm. "I can't be virtualized into Sector 5!"
"What?"
Aelita typed away at the computer, seeing the red exclamation image on the screen. "I don't believe it. The virtualization codes for Sector 5, they're…they're gone. I can't virtualize directly into Sector 5."
That wasn't the only bad news.
A timer appeared on the screen: 3:07:21
"I don't believe it!" Aelita exclaimed.
"What is it?" William called out.
"XANA's somehow brought back the countdown. The labyrinth is back." Aelita answered, still in shock.
"Huh?" Practically half the TD Lyoko Warriors asked at once.
"The labyrinth is a defense program in the Core Zone. If you don't find the Key in three minutes, you'll be trapped in Sector 5 until someone else enters and presses the Key." Aelita hastily explained. "If XANA removed the materialization codes for Sector 5, you must not be devirtualized or you'll end up in digital limbo!"
"That's bad right?" Geoff asked.
"Yes/Yes!" William and Aelita answered at the same time.
"Okay, we better move." Geoff said as the wall opened.
As soon the walls opened, the group took off running through the blue colored corridors, coming up into a large chamber, the walls seemingly made of blue blocks and rectangles.
"Okay, we're in a giant room, Aelita." Gwen called out. "Where's the Key?"
"It's there. On the wall opposite of where you are standing. Watch out for monsters. This place used to crawl with monsters known as Creepers, they had low life points but made up for it by having forty attack points with their weapons." Aelita answered and added. "I don't know if these will be the same monster of if they have been upgraded like the others."
Cameron looked up and saw an Eye shaped switch up on the wall. "There it is. I got it."
He activated his rocket boots and shot up towards the Key.
"Cam, wait!" Aelita suddenly called out. "There are monsters in the room!"
Cameron was then hit by a laser, knocking him out of the air and sending him falling towards an open hole.
"Catch him!"
Bridgette jumped onto her board and shot forward, catching Cameron before he fell into the hole. "Gotcha!"
"Where did that shot come from?" Geoff asked, pulling out his chakrams.
William looked up, narrowing his eyes. "There!'
The three looked up to see four strange creatures emerging from an upper section of the furthest wall.
"Aelita, are those Creepers?" DJ asked, the others and himself readying for battle.
The screen showed four enemy signals but that was all Aelita could tell. "No, they're something different. Life points are much higher. They're as high as a Tarantula and with equal fire power."
The new monsters in question had three black cylindrical shaped legs attacked to a torso shaped like white cone that a neck made of red veins that attached the 'head' the torso. The head was oval in shape, their faces painted with black Eyes. Underneath the Eye was a 'mouth' with red pointed teeth and what looked like a cannon.
"Whoa. They look like Tripods." Cameron muttered.
"That's what the computer is calling them too. Tripods: two hundred life points. Their weapons cause thirty life point damage." Aelita informed the group.
The Tripods dropped down from the upper wall, their legs angling down, allowing them land standing up as they faced the group. The new monsters stopped in a line, spread out a bit, and began to open fire. Bridgette parried and dodged an entire salvo on her own while Gwen spun her scythe quickly in her hands. The entire weapon glowed light blue as it made a barrier between her and the lasers, deflecting them.
"Whoa, nice!" Geoff, not getting distracted and devirtualized this time, he tossed one Chakram that cut through a Tripod's leg and then blocked a shot using his other Chakram.
Cameron held up his hand and fired his own laser blasts that were blue in color at the Tripods.
The Tripod staggered but managed to remain standing as it continued to fire. DJ made a barrier around himself, Dawn and LeShawna and began to spread the barrier out, trying to angle it to deflect the blasts back at the Krabs. Gwen tossed her scythe again, and it sank right into a Tripod's XANA symbol, destroying it. Bridgette leaped onto her board and flew into the air, trying to come down at the Tripods from behind.
But the middle Tripod turned its head by a hundred and eighty degrees, firing its laser and striking her in the chest, knocking her off her board and onto the ice below. As she landed, the Tripod tried to fire on her, but she rolled aside and retrieved her swords. Parrying two blasts, she leaped into the air and flicked her wrists. Both swords spun as they were sent down at the Tripod, which fired a quick salvo. One sword was knocked out of the air, and Bridgette was struck in the face by a blast.
The hit to what was considered a vital area doubled the damage and devirtualized her.
Her sword however sank into the Tripod before she devirtualized, leaving only the damaged Tripod.
"Oh, you're dead now pal!" Geoff leaped into the air and tossed his Chakram, ending the Tripod's futile resistance.
"Aelita, is Bridgette okay?" DJ frantically asked.
Aelita gripped the armrest of her chair. "I'm sorry, everyone. Until we get the new materialization codes for Sector 5, I can't bring her back. Hurry and get the Key and I'll guide you to where you need to go to save her."
The group all shared nervous looks now, Bridgette possibly being lost forward shaking them to their core. Geoff was taking it the hardest, literally shaking in horror and anguish from what has happened to his girlfriend.
William noticed and stepped in between. "She'll be okay, guys. I promise. Aelita and I will make sure of it."
He turned to the Key and shouted. "Super Smoke!"
He turned into a cloud of white smoke and shot up towards the Key, solidifying in mid-air and hit the key just before the timer hit zero.
00:00:02
"Good work, William." Aelita sighed in relief. "Now make your way to the elevator and it will take you up to the Celestial Dome. That's where you'll find the interface that can help restore Bridgette."
Aelita's eyes went up as the Super Scan detected an activated tower. "Everyone, the Super Scan has detected an activated tower!"
(Outro Song: Breakaway by Subdigitals Starts)
As the credits are shown on the left side, the interior of Kadic Academy is shown, zeroing in on a file left on a desk.
(They told me that I)
The file opened to reveal a dossier with the name signed on the bottom: FRANZ HOPPER
(Was no good at all,)
The papers are moved, revealing a picture of Waldo Schaeffer and his wife, Anthea Schaeffer, who is shown to be pregnant.
(Such a waste...)
Another picture is shown of a woman with blond hair and wearing glasses.
(And suddenly I was)
Another picture shows a man with brunette hair and a beard.
(Out of the cool,)
A new picture is shown with five kids smiling: Odd was holding Kiwi over his head, a big grin on his face while the dog barked. Ulrich and Yumi were holding each other, winning at the camera; William smiled easily, feeling awkward about being back in the group after all he had apparently done to them under XANA's control. And Aelita was kissing Jeremy on the cheek, making Jeremy blush as the shot was captured.
(Stuck with the fools…)
Another file opens with the label: Total Drama is shown next.
(Not that much I can do,)
The file opens to show Chris Mclean and Chef Hatchet standing in what looked like a lab.
(I'm out of the crew.)
Next comes pictures of the future contestants starting with Alejandro Burromuerto before and after the incident that turned him into a robot.
(Hear the lights go out,)
Next was a picture of a brunette with glasses labeled 'Beth Gadon'.
(What should I do)
Mildred "Blaineley" Stacey Andrews O'Halloran
(Stuck to this chair)
Bridgette Fairlie
(And yet I know)
Cody Emmett Jameson Anderson
(Gotta break away)
Courtney Barlow
(It's not my style)
Devon 'DJ' Joseph
(I gotta get away)
Duncan Nelson with a police report next to his photo
(Here and now today.)
Eva Chantrey
(Cut in half, I'm already there,)
Ezekiel Oldring
(In my head I know it,)
Geoffrey 'Geoff' Petronijevic
(Five, no four more steps,)
Gwen Fahlenbock
(Take me to the door,)
Harold Norbert Cheever Doris McGrady V
(Open up I'm falling.)
Heather Wilson
(One of those days)
Isabella 'Izzy' Crown with three additional files:
Explosive
E-Scope
Brainzilla
(Where the lights go out,)
Justin Reid
(And yet I smile.)
Katie Anne Mills
(Gotta break away,)
LeShawna Edwards
(Life's like that and)
Lindsay Vermeer
(I gotta get away)
Noah Hayden
(Here and now today)
Owen McCord
(Gotta break away)
Sadie Lipson
(Break away, break away)
Sierra Obonsawin
(Get away,)
Trenton 'Trent' Lennon
(Here and now today.)
Tyler Beckham
(Here I am as I stand,)
Anne Maria
(I can feel you think,)
B
("Such a waste.")
Brick McArthur
(It's okay, I don't care)
Cameron Corduroy Wilkins
(Didn't wanna stay stuck)
Dakota Milton before and after her mutation
(With the fools.)
Dawn Medrek
(Skating down Park Avenue,)
Jo Elliot
(I realize my time is now and here)
Rudolph 'Lightning' Jackson
(Ready to go,)
Mike Doran while five additional files are next to his picture:
Chester
Svetlana
Manitoba
Vito
The fifth file, however, was sealed.
(Being sensitive is just not sensitive.)
Samuel 'Sam' Froud
(Gotta break away)
Scott Wallis, both before and after nearly being mauled to death by a mutant shark.
(It's not my style,)
Staci Peters
(And I gotta get away)
Zoey Mamabolo
(Here and now today.)
A picture of Franz Hopper in front of the Hermitage is shown next with the word 'MISSING' printed above.
(Gotta break away)
Next to appear are several reports on a new company known as 'REALITECH'.
(Life's like that,)
Followed by a medical report on Dakota Milton in her mutant form.
(And I gotta get away)
Next is a report on Alejandro who is still trapped in the robot suit following the end of Total Drama World Tour.
(Get away)
Followed by Scott's own medical file.
(Bring it all the way,)
This is followed by medical files on Anne Maria and Staci.
(Gotta break away)
Next to appear is a classified report showing a line of robots with Chris looking over one at the front.
(It's not my style,)
Robot pieces are shown to be scattered about in a lab with various scientists at work on the robots or surrounding what appears to be a large supercomputer.
(And I gotta get away)
A picture of Chris in jail is shown next.
(Here and now today.)
There is a round table with the people seated blurred from being seen, a single contract is shown on the table.
(Gotta break away)
TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
Proposed by newly established Realitech
(Life's like that,)
The pictures of the first and second generations of Total Drama contestants are then shown.
(And I gotta get away)
A map of France is shown next.
(Get away)
The file is then closed and picked up as the screen fades to black.
Bring it all the way,
The Eye of XANA flashes one time and the title of the series appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(Outro Song: Breakaway by Subdigitals Ends)
Chapter 13: Episode 13: Trials of the Warriors
Summary:
As the new Lyoko Warriors frantically work to escape Sector 5 and save their friends and themselves, XANA possess the other Total Drama contestants and directs them to attack the factory.
Chapter Text
The group all shared nervous looks now, Bridgette possibly being lost forward shaking them to their core. Geoff was taking it the hardest, literally shaking in horror and anguish from what has happened to his girlfriend.
William noticed and stepped in between. "She'll be okay, guys. I promise. Aelita and I will make sure of it."
He turned to the Key and shouted. "Super Smoke!"
He turned into a cloud of white smoke and shot up towards the Key, solidifying in mid-air and hit the key just before the timer hit zero.
00:00:02
"Good work, William." Aelita sighed in relief. "Now make your way to the elevator and it will take you up to the Celestial Dome. That's where you'll find the interface that can help restore Bridgette."
Aelita's eyes went up as the Super Scan detected an activated tower. "Everyone, the Super Scan has detected an activated tower!"
( Code Total Drama Reality Introduction Song Starts )
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) )
(The ending of this story)
The song starts, showing the end of Code Lyoko where the Supercomputer is shut down and the former Lyoko Warriors leave the factory seemingly for the last time.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
A single computer is shown coming online, lines of 1s and 0s streaming across the screen before the screen is replaced by a glowing sphere with the Eye of XANA, at least eight variations appearing on it. From the sphere came lines of data emerging in eight different directions. The lines of data formed into various regions, all of them floating landscapes resembling a forest, a desert, an arctic, mountains, volcanoes, swamp and a jungle.
(Into this new world)
The new lands orbited the golden sphere as the camera zoomed in on the Eye of XANA staring at the screen.
(The game has only just begun)
The Eye then flashes red, and the sphere turns black.
(I can see it in your eyes)
A girl with pink hair sits on her bed, panting as she turns to see two pictures of her friends and her father. She smiles briefly but that smile turns to a look of horror as both her friends and her father are engulfed by a great darkness and the red Eye shines down on her. The Supercomputer, thought to be shut down, is reactivated and there is a flash of light.
(This is where tomorrow brings a new game)
Aelita is shown alone both in the real world and in Lyoko, hordes of monsters surrounding her.
Geoff is first shown in his human form before transitioning to his Lyoko form.
Next to him is Bridgette, holding her surfboard in the real world before changing into her Lyoko form, her board splitting into two swords.
(It's time to learn that pain is gain)
Gwen is shown sitting in front of tree, looking up and is instantly changed into her Lyoko Avatar, brandishing her scythe.
DJ is shown in the woods, tending to a little rabbit as he stands up and morphs into his Lyoko form, turning to face the camera with a stern glare.
LeShawna is last, ready to fight in both her human form and her Lyoko form.
(Ready fight!)
William and a dark reflection of himself as XANA's General are shown standing back-to-back, turning to face each other and swinging their swords.
The screen is split by the two swords, showing New Lyoko as the title appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(I gotta crush and paint away the anguish)
Aelita is shown first, sitting at the computer before she is then shown as the DJ of a party. She morphs into her Lyoko form and conjures an energy field.
This was followed quickly by Geoff wildly waving his hat while riding something with Bridgette holding onto him by the back.
(Of my past for the sake of my future)
Gwen is shown next, drawing in her sketchbook and signifying with a sad face as Duncan, Courtney and Trent appear behind her, their backs facing in her direction.
(Until my life comes to an end)
DJ is shown running for his life from appears to be a giant bear.
(I am gonna fight to tear apart that destiny)
LeShawna is shown next, standing confidently with her team, ready to face whatever crazy challenge comes next.
(Aoh, break out and start a revolution)
The antagonists of Total Drama: Heather, Courtney, Justin, Anne Maria, Jo, Lightning, Scott and Alejandro in the Total Drama Machine are shown from left to right, grinning or glaring at the camera, holding up an imaginary case of the million- dollar prize money in their hands. Chris Mclean is shown next, arms crossed as the chair he is sitting in spins to meet the camera, zooming out to show it is the monitor room for the Total Drama show.
A dark shadow appears above them, scrawny in appearance and hair falling over the left eye as it glares darkly at the screen.
(Until you find the answer you're looking for)
The camera then shows Aelita with the new Lyoko Warriors, the TD Lyoko Warriors and William sitting around a campfire, all of them staring up into the starry night sky, a picture of her friends and father resting in Aelita's hands.
(I'll challenge all my limits)
Aelita in her Lyoko form with her wings sprouting from her back is shown, clutching Mr. Puck in her hands as she seemingly falls back, her friends and relatives in the background.
The camera moves down to show William kneeling down, clutching his sword in both hands. As this happens, the camera moves down, showing depictions of the TD Lyoko Warriors and other characters in the background.
The camera continues to move down to show Geoff pulling Bridgette into sharing a picture with LeShawna bringing her face up over Bridgette's shoulder, the three of them in their Lyoko forms. While this happens, Harold, Lindsay, Beth, Trent, Katie and Sadie are shown in the background.
Below them is Gwen with her arms and legs curled around her with her cape swirling behind her like wings while Heather and Courtney are shown in the background glaring at each other followed by Sierra clutching Cody who looks distressed, Eva crossing her arms along with B and Beth both waving, the latter looking very shy. Behind Gwen appeared Dawn in her own Lyoko form in a meditative pose while upside down while facing Gwen with her eyes closed, her light robe contrasting with Gwen's cape with dark clothing, almost forming a yin-yang symbol.
Behind Dawn appears Scott, snickering evilly.
(Knowing this could be my only chance now)
DJ is shown last, seemingly falling back while holding his pet rabbit: Bunny in his hands with a happy smile. His teammates shown in the background starting with Duncan, Tyler, Justin and Alejandro ending with Chef Hatchet and Chris McClean.
He is followed by Mike and Zoey, both clutching their hands and smiling at each other as in background appears Brick, Jo, Lightning, Sam and Staci.
And lately Cameron appears staring up at the others.
(To overcome this fate that has come over me)
The screen turns black and the Eye of XANA immediately flashes into existence, glowing red and shadowing the outline of a singular person with red glowing eyes.
(The ending of this story)
Aelita is shown, standing in a meadow now with the wind gently blowing through her hair.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
She holds up a hand, gazing sadly up as the images of her friends and parents appear in the sky.
(Into this new world)
Her hand then becomes digital, transitioning to Lyoko.
((The game has only just begun))
She gazes up a little longer before she notices her new friends and allies standing with her and smiles before looking forward, seeing a tower in the distance.
(I can see it in your eyes)
Just as they are about to rush towards the tower, the camera angles up into the digital sky as the song reaches its end.
The scene then shifts to pictures of Aelita and her friends both old and new on a desktop as the title appears on last time:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) Ends )
Episode 13: Trials of the Warriors
He was certainly surprised when Aelita managed to recruit a new team of warriors to fight him. One of them being William was expected but to end up recruiting the very contestants of the show Total Drama when one of them had discovered his secret base in Siberia was a one out of a thousand chance. He downloaded the information on show and studied the cast more than a hundred times in one second. He learned that they were now competing in a new season in France at a local company that was testing a virtual world that was a pale imitation of Lyoko.
What made him mentally smirk was that it would be a matter of time before they would be sent home one by one. No doubt Aelita knew it too and she would work hard to save her friends. While he knew that they would be gone soon he could not allow them to live since they now knew of Lyoko. They must be neutralized as soon as possible.
And he knew the perfect way to do it.
"Ah, another fine day after tormenting the campers." Said Chris as he sat down in his large room which consisted of a kitchen, a hot tub, and a large bathroom.
In front of him was a large TV showing reruns of Total Drama. He chuckled every time he saw himself on the screen tormenting the cast. Little did he know a stream of electricity traveled through the wiring into his TV. He was drinking his favorite tomato juice when the TV suddenly went black.
"Hey! We were just getting to the good part." Chris complained as he sat up.
He walked over to the TV and banged against the screen. Suddenly the TV lit up and Chris jumped back as he saw the familiar strange red eye from yesterday.
(XANA Attack Theme Starts)
"What the- "
A pitch-black substance that looked like a mix of oil and smoke came out of the screen towards him. Before Chris could run the specter enveloped him, he screamed in a very high pitched voice as the specter entered his body. His head fell over and he stood like a statue. Then he looked up and the Eye of XANA had replaced his pupils. He grinned as he turned to the large intercom.
He walked over to it and turned it on.
"All contestants and interns to the lobby, we have a big emergency."
"What does he want now?!" Heather complained as her wheelchair was pushed into the lobby by Cody who was one of the only people who could stand her.
"I don't know. He said something about an emergency." Said Trent.
"More like another joke at our expense." Said Noah.
"Hey, we're missing some people." Said Beth looking around.
"She's right. I don't see Geoff or Bridgette." Said Owen.
"Or LeShawna." Said Sadie sitting next to Katie.
"DJ is missing too." Tyler looked around and saw no sign of the giant.
"Hey, Gwen's not here too." Said Cody.
"Hear that, Duncan? Your girlfriend is missing." Courtney sneered at the punk.
Duncan ignored her as he looked around as best as he could since he got two black eyes. They were right.
"Chris! What is it that you drag me out here?!" shouted Chef as he entered the room.
"He's not here yet. But you do have a good question. The show's over there's no need for us to be out here." Said Carlos sitting on the couch.
Chris walked into the room smirking evilly. More so than usual.
"Chris, what do you want?!" shouted Heather.
"You better have a good explanation, Chris." Said Carlos crossing his arms.
Chris's smirk widened.
"We seem to be missing a few people." Chris said looking around. "Has anyone guessed where they are?"
"What, Gwen, DJ, Geoff, Bridgette, and LeShawna are in on this?" asked Trent.
"Actually yes. They snuck out."
"That's impossible. They're still on the cameras." Chef said, holding up a remote to a video screen.
The screen showed Gwen drawing in her room, LeShawna sleeping, Geoff and Bridgette making out in Geoff's room and DJ writing what looked like a note to his mother. Chris had one hand behind his back as he snapped his fingers, and the image fizzled then cleared up but now they were gone.
"What the?"
"Someone hacked into the network and set it up so no one would know they left." Chris explained and shook his head. "Your job is to find them after I give you something to track them down."
"They snuck out and didn't take me with them?! Dang!" Duncan said.
"And just how do we track them down?" asked Alejandro from inside the Total Drama robot.
"That." Said Chris pointing at the screen.
Suddenly the images were replaced with the same red eye from before. Black ooze began to spill from the screen.
"That's the eye!" Carlos said standing up.
"Oh, gross! What's it spilling?!" Lindsay shrieked.
Suddenly the ooze lashed and extended a black tentacle that impaled Lindsay.
"Lindsay!" screamed Beth and Tyler.
The tentacle cut itself off from the gathering black mist and was absorbed into Lindsay who hung her head.
"Chris, what the hell is going on?!" shouted Carlos.
He marched up to Chris but the host grabbed him by the neck and suddenly he was shocked with electricity. Chris dropped him and stepped over him.
"Run!" shouted Owen.
"Lindsay snap out of it!" cried Beth as she shook Lindsay.
Lindsay looked up and to the horror of both Tyler and Beth her innocent blue eyes were replaced by that strange eye. She grabbed both of them by the neck and lifted them off the ground.
"Lindsay, what's happening to you?!" Tyler gasped.
They screamed as two black tentacles hit them and entered their bodies. The contestants tried to run for the door, but they slammed shut on their own as more of the black ooze emerged from outlets.
Owen screamed and rushed for the door with Noah and Cody behind him. But more of those black things popped out of the wall.
"What the-?!" One entered Owen, who collapsed and flopped like a fish.
Noah circled around him while Cody hopped over the large young man. Noah turned and saw a specter right in front of him. He screamed as the specter slammed into him vanishing straight into the chest. He then looked up and smirked with XANA's symbol in his eyes.
"OWEN!" Izzy screeched, hopping over the couch and rushing for Owen, only for a specter to come out of the floor and enter her.
She jerked and twitched, collapsing next to Owen while Cody fled the room. Courtney screamed as a specter reached for her, only for Duncan to pull her aside and shove her out the door after Cody before the specter went into him next. He turned and held out a knife at the specter.
"Come and get me."
The specter accepted his challenge and flew at him. He tried to stab it but it passed through his knife and entered his body. He screamed as his eyes were replaced by the Eye of XANA signaling that he was now possessed.
"Alright, you're a dead man! I've wanted to do this for a long-time pretty boy!" Eva charged Chris, who casually flicked his hand at her and sent her flying with an energy shock.
"Such anger." Chris commented. "I like it."
Eva, Trent, Justin, and Scott were possessed next.
Scotts' wounds suddenly healed, and he smashed open his chair. "Much better..."
Katie and Sadie held each other, sobbing as the specters reached for them next. They screamed as the specter enveloped them. They stopped crying and stood up. Their tears vanished as XANA's Eye replaced theirs.
Sierra tried to outrun-or out wheel a specter, but it caught up to her easily. Much like with Ezekiel after she was possessed her injuries were healed and she grew dark hair with purple highlights.
Heather had backed herself against the wall as the campers were possessed one by one. Her eyes widened in fear as she watched them try to run but it was futile. Trembling in fear as she watched a specter enter the robot holding Alejandro, he tore the robot open from the inside as he came out smiling with the freaky eye like thing in his eyes. A specter entered her from behind, she screamed as it entered her body and she stood, healed of her injuries.
Chef was currently the only one left standing. He was swinging a butcher knife futilely. "You want a piece of me?! Come on, I'll cut you a new hole!"
XANA chuckled. "Nice skills with a knife, they'll be put to good use." The specters flew right past the knife and possessed him easily.
With a small army of possessed young adults and crew before him, XANA gave them one command.
"Find them and kill them."
They left without a word.
"Come on, come on, pick up!" Cody said as he tried to call the police. "Man this bites!"
"Oh man, what the hell was that?!" Courtney screamed, distraught at what she had seen and heard.
"I don't know!" Cody said as he faced her, and dropped the phone.
"What?" Courtney turned...and came face to face with twenty some possessed campers.
Alejandro stood before her, now restored to his handsome self and without a trace of burns. "Hey babe, join the party, it'll be the time of your life."
"What's going on?!" Courtney backed up.
"Nothing much, I'm just borrowing your friends...and you." XANA said as he advanced in Chris' body. "The missing competitors have caused some trouble for me...and you all will deal with them."
"What do you mean?" Cody squeaked.
"What I mean is that you're going to kill them for me." XANA smirked before he possessed the two.
(XANA Attack Theme Ends)
Aelita was still monitoring the group's actions in Sector 5. She badly wanted to join them but with no one monitoring from the lab, she feared something worse could happen. It was only the group's second trip to Lyoko and already things were getting bad. She didn't know if XANA had planned this when he recreated Sector 5 or had just taken advantage of the circumstances, but she wouldn't let him take this group like he did her friends.
Unfortunately, it seemed her vow would be put to the test yet again as another timer appeared on the screen: 3:07:21
"What?! This can't be!" Aelita gasped.
"Aelita? Something wrong?"
"Another timer has activated, just like the first one!"
William led the new TD Lyoko Warriors into another chamber, this one consisting of one single bridge…with multiple blocks coming down from ceiling above, pressing down on the bridge and then rising back up.
"You're serious?" William stepped back. "I thought there was only ever one."
"XANA must have modified this Sector 5 to have two timers instead of one." Aelita replied, frustration clear in her voice. "You have to reach the timer before it hits zero like before."
William spotted the timer on the other end of the bridge. "Got it. I'll have it in two seconds. Super Smoke!"
He turned into white smoke, easily passing the falling blocks even if one fell on him. Since he had no physical form, he could not be squished and devirtualized which was the intention. Just as he reached the other side, he solidified and was about to press the key when a last shot out, hitting him in the back, sending him over the edge.
"William!"
The laser came from above with a hissing sound being heard. The TD Lyoko warriors looked up to see strange creatures crawling along the rising and falling blocks.
"Aelita, we got company." Gwen took a step back, pulling out her scythe.
The new monsters resembled horrifying black aliens, their skeletons bulging out of the dark skin with spikes sprouting from elbows and back. They had long tails that were serrated and ended with a curved blade. Their heads were the worst, being very long and allowed for an equally large jaw with sharp teeth that could be shown. The Eye of XANA was imprinted red on their foreheads and when they opened their mouths, laser cannons could be seen that began firing.
"Hang on!" DJ rushed forward and created a barrier, blocking the lasers. "Aelita!"
"I see them." Aelita frantically typed at the keyboard, running a scan of the new monsters. "They're called Aliens, an upgraded form of the Creepers that were originally native to this sector. Thirty life points per hit. You have to get past them and reach the timer."
00:02:15
"Kinda hard to do that right now." Gwen replied as the Aliens continued bombarding DJ's barrier.
Just then a white smoke shot from below and re-solidified into William as he tried again to reach the Key. Only two Aliens landed between him and the Key, snarling as they stood up.
"Okay." William summoned his sword. "Let's see how tough you guys are."
Surprisingly, the nearest Alien didn't open its mouth to fire its laser but lunged at William with a loud snarl. William swung his sword, but the Alien surprised him by leaping over him, curling into a ball and landing perfectly on its feet behind him. William glanced over his shoulder, seeing the Alien charge its laser and jumped to the side, dodging the blast. He turned around, now on the far edge of the platform as the two Aliens slowly approached, having cornered him.
On the other side of the chamber, Cameron stepped back. "I'll try and get the Key. I can fly without a vehicle."
"Cameron wait-"
But Dawn was too late as Cameron took off into the air, propelled by his rocket boots and he flew around the falling blocks. The Aliens turned their heads, aiming their lasers at the armored Lyoko Warrior and fired. Cameron dodged most of the laser blasts, making it past the bridge and flew straight at the Key.
"I got it!"
Only one of the Aliens cornering William turned and spun, lashing its tail out and hit Cameron in the face, facing him to miss and collide straight into the wall.
"AH!" He cried out upon collision and slid off the wall.
"Cam!" William shouted, wanting to help but the other Alien swing its tail at him as well, forcing him to block with his sword.
Cameron was then peppered with laser fire from the Alien that struck him, devirtualizing him in a matter of seconds.
"CAM!"
Aelita's heart was racing now upon seeing yet another being devirtualized and without the new materialization codes Cameron was lost in limbo with Bridgette. "Guys, you only have a minute left! You need to reach the timer now or I can't bring Cameron or Bridgette back!"
00:01:03
"No…It won't end like this."
Geoff wouldn't allow it.
No matter what happened to him, he wouldn't allow Bridgette to be lost forever in some weird void. Gwen noticed something was sparkling around Geoff, causing her eyes to go wide.
"Geoff, are you-"
"I WON'T LET YOU DOWN, BRIDGETTE!" Geoff shouted, his eyes flashing yellow as electricity surged through his body.
He took off, running at high speed and moving so fast no one had the time to blink before they realized what happened. Geoff ran across the bridge, dodging the falling blocks and the Aliens didn't even register what happened until he was on the other side, slamming his hand right into the Key.
00:00:03
"You did it!" Aelita happily cheered, relieved that they made it in time.
The blocks stopped falling and rose up into the ceiling, taking the Aliens that had been clinging to sides with them, leaving only the two that were fighting William left. Geoff turned and threw his chakrams at them, one slicing through the head its target while the other was batted away by the remaining Alien's target. Luckily, William brought his sword down, taking it out while it was distracted.
"Good job." William congratulated as the others made their way over. "Guess your superpower is speed or something like that."
Geoff looked at his hand, seeing it sparkle for a second. "Whatever it is, I just want to do whatever it takes to save my girlfriend."
William nodded as the door opened. "This way."
At the far end was the elevator that ran all the way around the Core Zone. The group stopped and waited before the elevator came to a stop and allowed them to step on.
"Okay, everyone. This is going to be hard." Aelita said as the elevator took them around the dome before taking them up. "This will take you to the exit point where there will be an interface that will allow you to access Lyoko's data. It should have the materialization codes."
"Okay, but how will we know?" LeShawna asked skeptically. "We're not computer experts here."
William cleared this throat. "I…might."
"Hm?"
The elevator came to a stop, allowing the group to step off.
"What do you mean, William?"
"I'm just guessing but I think I remember how things work from when I was possessed." William explained, leading the group to the exit point where the interface waited. "I might know what to look for."
"Might?" Geoff asked.
William started combing through the data, his hands dancing across the transparent surface. "It's just a guess but I've been remembering things…ever since XANA woke up. Weird dreams and I could…somehow sense him…It's hard to explain."
Aelita was quiet, listening to William's explanation. It almost sounded like William was still linked to XANA even after she and the others had freed him. She had been having strange dreams for the past few weeks that she had linked to XANA's return as well. She didn't know what to make of them but given William's explanation both of them likely somehow retain to a link to both Lyoko and XANA which was concerning.
A beeping sound caught her attention. "Everyone, I forgot to mention this but when the interface is accessed Flying Mantas will be coming your way."
"Flying Mantas?" Gwen asked.
"A sort of last line of defense to prevent anyone from accessing the data. William, you keep looking for the codes and see if you can find any information relating to the day, we thought XANA was killed. The rest of you, cover William."
"Got it." William nodded.
It wasn't like before three Flying Mantas flew around the giant sphere that was the sector, firing down on the group. Geoff threw his chakrams while DJ covered the group with his barrier. However, his barrier didn't expand far enough to protect the whole group, leaving LeShawna and Gwen to cover William as he worked.
William looked through the data. "Aelita, looks like you were right. XANA reset and modified everything, including the materialization codes."
"Can you find them?"
"Trying." William replied, shifting through the data. "There's something else, I found something on April 7th, 2007."
Aelita paused, staring at the screen. "The day we thought we won. Can you send me the data?"
"I can try but it will take a while. What about Cameron and Bridgette?"
Aelita froze.
She needed answers, to find a way to figure out how they messed up on the day they thought they had defeated XANA but…
"…The data can wait. Get me the new materialization codes for Sector 5."
Three more Flying Mantas hatched and flew towards the group, angling together into a circular formation. Dawn's eyes as she noticed the three Mantas were glowing as they prepared to fire. Their three lasers came together, forming into one singular laser blast that fired.
"No!" Dawn stepped in front of DJ…
Just as the laser pierced DJ's barrier and would have hit DJ if Dawn hadn't stepped in front of them, taking the hit that brought her life points down to zero.
"Dawn!" DJ gasped in horror as she vanished, a serine smile on her face. "Aelita, we're getting picked off out here!"
"Just give me a few more seconds…" William grunted, finishing the codes. "Okay, sending the codes to you, Aelita!"
"Got it."
Aelita worked fast to integrate the new materialization codes William had found. It was clear that William's sudden ability to find and recognize coding as complex as the new materialization codes for Sector 5 suggested that even though she and the others had freed him from XANA's control, it was possible he still retained all the knowledge and abilities he had gained when he was possessed. Despite the small misgivings she had, she pushed them aside and went to work on using the codes to bring Bridgette, Cameron and Dawn back and send the vehicles to the group.
"Okay, I'm sending the vehicles and bringing Bridgette, Cameron and Dawn back. I'm also shutting down the digital stream to the sector where the activated tower is. Go through the tunnel to reach the sector and I'll meet you all there." Aelita instructed, taking a moment to wipe her forehead. "Sending vehicles…now."
The three vehicles appeared around the edge of the platform.
"Nice." Geoff mounted the Overbike with William jumping on behind him.
Gwen got onto the Overboard while DJ and LeShawna climbed onto the Overwing.
The data stream into one of the tunnels ceased, letting them know which tunnel to take.
"The tunnel is open." Aelita announced.
"We see it. We're on our way." LeShawna replied as the vehicles took off.
"How is Bridgette? Is she back yet?" Geoff anxiously asked.
"Bringing her in now."
The three scanners closed their doors for a moment, opening again to reveal Bridgette, Cameron and Dawn as they collapsed out of the scanners.
Groaning, Bridgette slowly got up. "So that's how it feels."
"I never enjoyed being devirtualized that way myself." She looked up and saw Aelita getting into another scanner. "Head up to the Control Room and give us some support, we'll handle things on Lyoko."
Nodding, Bridgette climbed to her feet as the scanner closed and Aelita was automatically transferred to Lyoko.
Upon emerging from the data tunnel, the Lyoko Warriors emerged onto the Ice Sector, traveling down an icy road.
"Wow." Geoff remarked once the Overcycle was driving on solid ice. "That was a thing."
"Look ahead." William pointed, his hand reaching over Geoff's shoulder.
Up ahead was an icy 'island' and waiting for them was Aelita, waving her hand at them.
The three vehicles came to stop in front of her, LeShawna hopping off the Overwing. "Welcome to the party, girl."
"Is Bridge ok?" Geoff asked anxiously.
"I'm fine Geoff." Bridgette's voice could be heard, causing Geoff to look up. "Dawn and Cameron are okay too."
"Oh, that's a relief." Geoff held a hand over his chest, exhaling out the worry he had for his girlfriend.
"Okay, that's one problem taken care of." LeShawna nodded before looking at Aelita. "Now we need to take care of that tower. You know where it is?"
"Yes, just a few miles to the west of here. We'll be flying over open water for a bit, so we need to be careful." Aelita nodded and answered as she activated her wings. "If you fall...do yourself a favor and devirtualize yourself."
"Right, no falling into the sea." Geoff nodded.
The group flew over the digital sea, with the fighters forming a protective circle around Aelita.
"Uh...guys? I don't want to alarm you, but it looks like a ton of monsters are on your tail... ten of them!" Cameron's voice spoke.
"Do we know what they are?" Gwen asked before a laser shot past her head.
There were indeed ten of them as Cameron said. They resembled the green colored Hornets but were bigger, colored black and yellow like real hornet, even having small appendages like legs. They pointed their stingers which were now positioned at the rear end. The heads resembled the heads of real hornets with red eyes, a smooth metallic 'face' while the Eye of XANA was located on the foreheads like before.
These were not Hornets.
They were now Wasps.
Ten Wasps were in pursuit of the group, firing off several shots. Gwen turned on the Overboard and gripped her scythe. Tossing it, she took out one Wasp.
She reached up and grabbed her scythe as it returned to her. "Go on ahead! I've got this!"
Continuing on without her, the group was soon out of sight as Gwen charged the Hornets, dodging blasts. She cut one Wasp in half as she passed through the horde and spun the board in mid flight. She made a barrier using her scythe again and deflected a salvo of lasers. As soon as she had the chance, she tossed her scythe again, but it missed and went right through the horde, returning to her.
She began a mid air dog fight, dodging the Wasps and tossing her scythe at them in an attempt to take them down.
"Land ho!" Geoff called as they began to pass over land again.
"More like 'uh oh'." DJ pointed to a cliff they were passing by where a pair of Tarantulas appeared.
"Those large spider things again!" Geoff shouted. "Man, they look freaky!"
"I got this one!" LeShawna gripped her hammer and dove in. "HAIIIIIIIIIII-" She swung and crushed a Tarantula's head against the ice, destroying it. "YAH!"
She angled the Overwing around and dove at the second Tarantula, but the monster took her ride out with a pair of shots that hit the vehicle. Landing on her feet, LeShawna used her hammer to block three individual blasts and charged with a battle cry.
The Tarantula actually backed up in an attempt to escape before she slammed her hammer into the side of its head, destroying it entirely. "Hell yeah! Not so tough now big guy!"
"Uh...guys, I'm looking through the cameras in the factory, and you'll never believe who I see in the lobby." Cameron nervously cut in. "Everybody! Duncan, Courtney, Heather, everybody! Even Chris and Chef!"
"Oh no," Aelita whispered. "Cameron, don't let them in! There's a chance XANA has possessed them!"
"I locked the elevator down...Now they're just standing outside the elevator right now…Wait, Duncan's doing something..."
In the real world, Duncan crouched and raised one fist, gathering energy into it. He slammed it into the ground, which cracked. Every cast and crew member began to do this, essentially beginning to 'dig' their way towards the Control Room one hit at a time.
"Uh...I think they're trying to pummel their way through the floor." Bridgette said nervously as the lab began to shake.
"They either want into the Control Room or they want to compromise the support to the room." Aelita guessed. "We need to hurry."
"I'll meet you at the tower on foot." LeShawna called up to the others, hopping off the Overwing and leaving DJ to pilot it. "Keep on going."
"We got this!" Geoff grinned as they took off in the direction of the tower.
"Uh...four Spiderlings up ahead, thirty points per hit." Cameron immediately informed.
"XANA's taking this seriously; he didn't send many monsters last time because he didn't believe that you would make it." Aelita realized grimly.
"This makes... sixteen so far." DJ counted. "How many did it usually take to beat you all?"
"It depended, sometimes just one mega tank and sometimes a horde of Hornets. One time he summoned over hundreds of Krabs at once." Aelita answered. "He didn't send so many the last time because he never thought you'd pose much of a threat. You did better than the others did their first time."
"This time I'm not getting surprised." Geoff vowed. "No way, I'm totally on guard- whoa!" Shots fired past them, and he managed to avoid them. "You're going down!" He got out both Chakrams and tossed them both. Each one struck a Spiderling and returned to Geoff while DJ made a barrier around Aelita.
"Super Smoke!" William changed into smoke form as he charged at the Spiderlings, his smoke form rendering him immune to laser fire.
Just as he was in striking distance he jumped up and swung his sword down but the Spiderling he was targeting actually jumped back, firing a shot that hit him in the shoulder.
"Gah!" William staggered back, clenching his shoulder. "They are a lot smarter than before."
Geoff ended up getting clipped by a blast on his shoulder but managed to take out the third Spiderling. Aelita exited DJ's barrier and shot the fourth with an Energy Sphere.
Gwen had reduced the Wasps to four before one struck her board. She fell with a cry towards the digital sea, her scythe ending up out of her grasp and falling just a little too far for her to reach. There was no land below her and without her weapon she could not devirtualize herself. She squeezed her eyes shut.
'Oh god, I'm going to get shredded into digital pieces and scattered all over the web! Oh god, oh god, what's it going to feel like? Will I just fall asleep or am I going to feel every second of it?!' She thought. 'Oh man, oh man!' As she fell her whole life passed before her eyes. Happy times with her parents, the birth of her little brother, the day her dad left them, the day she arrived on Total Drama Island, all of those moments she treasured with her friends. She began to ponder any regrets she had. 'Regrets, do I have any regrets... Breaking up with Trent on national TV and having his team vote him off...being so mean to Cody in the first Season...kissing Duncan while he was still technically with Courtney...Trent, Cody, Courtney I am so sorry oh god this is it, goodbye!'
"Uh...hey Gwen, you were moving down and just stopped, is everything alright? You're kind of close to the digital sea." Cameron's voice said.
Gwen slowly opened her eyes, showing she was floating! She was barely a few inches above the digital sea. The Wasps circled above her, and her cape was flapping in what seemed to be the wind, seemingly having changed into a pair of bat-like wings, seemingly keeping her from falling into the Digital Sea.
"Gwen, is everything all right? What's going on?" Bridgette's voice asked.
"I don't know!" Gwen flailed a bit, managing to angle herself so she was facing upward. "Man, if I was a little higher I'd feel better about this!" She slowly began rising, the bat wings that used to be her cape flapping a little fast now. "Huh?" She stopped in mid air. "I thought that my scythe's barrier was my special ability, we only get one, right?"
"I don't know...I am looking at some info on Aelita's old friends right now. Ulrich Stern could move extremely fast and clone himself...Odd could make an energy barrier and fire laser arrows...Yumi was telekinetic and used fans similar to how you use your scythe." Cameron said. "Perhaps your cape is a form of equipment like Aelita's wings."
"I...I'm flying!" Testing her theory, Gwen rose up and did a flip in mid air.
"It's cool but you should get moving. The others need help."
"Ok...but where'd my scythe go?" The weapon seemed to appear in her hand, forming from lines of code. "Oh...sweet!" She glared up at the Wasps. "First, you all die." She shot up, and cut one Wasp down before they could react.
Manoeuvring too quickly for them to lock on, Gwen cut through a second Wasp and then as she flew up she tossed her scythe, which cut through the third. When it began to take too long to return to her and the final Wasp locked onto her, Gwen yelled and dove down, slamming her feet into the hornet's eye. Losing control, it spun out of control and fell into the digital sea. A pillar of white light shot up from where it went under, signalling its destruction.
Acquiring her scythe, Gwen smirked. "Don't mess with me like that again, because I don't need a fancy hover board to fly now!"
"Better get a move on, Gwen. The others are near the tower."
"I'm on it!" Gwen took off.
LeShawna smashed her hammer down on a Krab's eyes, destroying it. "Boo yah!" She leaped down and swung her hammer sideways, sending a Pyramid flying. "Home run baby!"
She had run into a group consisting of four Pyramids, two Krabs, and eight Spiderlings. She had to shake the area several times to distract them all as she took out the Krabs and Pyramids first. Now only one Pyramid and five Spiderlings remained before her.
"Ok, bat 'er up!" LeShawna taunted. "And Spider freak is going, going-" She swung and sent a Spiderling flying off into the distance. "GONE!"
She leaped into the air as the Pyramid tried to hit her several times. She smashed it under her hammer and advanced on the four Spiderlings, blocking their shots effortlessly until they were backed up against a cliff. Smirking, LeShawna reared back and swung her hammer down on the ground. The cliff shook...and the entire shelf fell off, taking the Spiderlings with it. Four pillars of light shot into the air as the monsters fell into the digital sea.
"Oh yeah, who kicks ass? LeShawna baby!" LeShawna laughed.
"Alright LeShawna, the tower is through that next canyon, it's barely a mile away." Cameron said.
"I'm all over it!"
"Can you guys hurry? It's getting rough here!"
In the real world, pieces of the ceiling began to fall around Bridgette, Cameron, and Dawn and the digital map flickered. Bridgette put her arms over her head.
"We see the tower now, we're going in!" DJ said.
"Wait, DJ look out!" Aelita cried...right before DJ's life points fell to fifty.
In Lyoko, DJ was knocked off the Over Sled by a powerful laser blast that destroyed the sled. Catching himself on the edge of the platform, he pulled himself up and came face to face with what looked like a mutated version of a Creeper. It stood on two legs ending with hooves, and the legs ended above the creature's body, making them look like a cross between arms and legs. Its ribs were showing through the same featureless white skin most of XANA's monsters shared.
It had a long tail that ended with a massive blade, and its neck stretched out and ended with a small angular head with the eye of XANA on it.
"Oh man that is ugly." Geoff said as he flew overhead.
"Be careful, it's very powerful." Aelita cautioned.
DJ dodged several shots from it. It lashed out with a tail at William who immediately used his Super Smoke to dodge it. He flew up and solidified over the monster's head, aiming his Zweihander down but to his surprise the monster rolled out of the way and then swatted its arm at him, slamming him down onto the ground, depleting all his life points.
"Be careful, it has a 50-life point per hit ratio. The computer is calling it a Scorpion." Cameron advised them.
"Ok, anybody have a plan?" Geoff asked, dodging some shots from the Scorpion.
"DJ, distract it while Geoff and I attack!" Aelita shouted, leaping from the Over Wing and spreading her wings. "Energy Field!"
She fired a shot at the Scorpion as DJ charged it, making barriers around himself. The Scorpion fired a bolt of red lightning and entirely pierced the barrier, and the energy field missed the XANA Eye. DJ dodged the laser and then rolled back as it tried to crush him under one arm.
"It got right through my shield!" DJ shouted, dodging the blade like tail.
"Get out of there DJ!" Geoff shouted.
"No way, I ain't running!" DJ growled...and something happened as the Scorpion tried to crush him under its foot.
When the two fighters got a good look, they saw DJ under the foot, just barely keeping it up...and he was made of rock! DJ slowly lifted it up and forced the Scorpion off balance. He looked at his hands.
"Whoa..." He bashed his fists together. "Bring it on!"
He leaped at the Scorpion and grabbed its tail as it swung at him. He pulled it right off balance.
"DJ, you're like a golem dude!" Geoff cheered.
"Boo yah, I'm invincib-" DJ was cut off when the Scorpion flicked its tail and sent him flying over the edge.
"DJ!" Geoff dove after his friend, who literally fell like a rock.
"AHHHHHH!" DJ screamed.
Seeing no alternative, Geoff tossed a Chakram. "Sorry man!"
By now DJ had reverted to his normal form, and the Chakram cut through him, devirtualizing him mere moments before he would have hit the Digital Sea.
"Man, that was close." Geoff flew back up to the tower's plateau. "This might be harder than I thought."
Geoff tossed a Chakram that cut into one leg, but the Scorpion didn't even flinch. It fired and hit his over bike, destroying it. Geoff hit the ground, and barely avoided being crushed by rolling on his side. Getting into a crouch, he did a back roll to avoid a laser.
"Gotta hit that eye!" He threw another chakram, and Aelita fired energy spheres from above, but nothing worked.
The creature struck him once.
"Geoff! You're down to twenty life points!" Cameron cried.
Getting up slowly, Geoff brought his chakrams into their axe form. "Ok...now you've gone and ticked me off."
He charged with a battle cry...which was drowned out by LeShawna's as she leaped from a cliff overhead.
"YEEEEEEE HAWWWWW!" The girl shouted as she swung her hammer down on the Scorpion, the power of the strike making it slip and collapse.
LeShawna shouted as she leaped away. "You just got dropped, buddy!"
"Good timing!" Geoff shouted.
"SAVE SOME FOR ME!" Gwen flew in and swung her scythe, cutting into the Scorpion as it got up.
"She can fly too?! Man I am jealous!" Geoff said.
"Be jealous later kill the big bug thing now!" Gwen shouted.
The four began to attack from all angles, avoiding lasers and the tail. Geoff got in close and began to swing his axe, but the Scorpion raised the leg he aimed for. The foot looked like a hand now that Geoff examined it right before it scooped him up and began to crush the life out of him!
"Life points down to 18! 16!" Cameron shouted. "Guys, hurry up, they're almost through!"
A hand stuck down through the metal, and a grinning Owen stuck his head through, spitting out some circuitry.
"Hello Bridge!" He laughed.
Suddenly a piece of metal struck Owen in the head, revealing DJ and William standing at the elevator.
"You leave my friends alone!" DJ shouted, holding a hammer he had taken from a tool box at the studio. "I'm right here big guy!"
"Guys, hurry up! They're inside!" Bridgette shouted.
Geoff groaned, managing to get his arms free and hold his axe up. "I don't have time for this, my girl's in danger! GET OFF ME!" His axe's blades glowed bright with energy as he swung it, unleashing a powerful energy wave that bisected the Scorpion from the range it hit at.
Exploding, the Scorpion's grip vanished and Geoff fell to where he landed on his back, reduced to 6 life points.
LeShawna and Aelita were in the best shape, not having taken any damage at all. Gwen had used up all but 40 of her life points flying to the plateau.
"Get in there, hurry!" Geoff pointed to the tower.
Aelita rushed into the tower.
Bridgette, Dawn and DJ were beating off Owen, Heather, and Beth as more campers began to climb into the lab. Chris chuckled as he leaped down into the lab. "Well, looks like they reached the tower. Better finish up here."
DJ hit Heather on the head, knocking her down before Katie and Sadie piled on him.
Cameron, seeing Aelita was inside the tower, followed the instructions for a Return to the Past.
Aelita approached the interface and put her hand on it.
AELITA
"It's over." Chris said before he paused in mid step.
"Sweet dreams Chris!" Bridgette said, managing to bring one foot up and kick the XANA possessed Chris right in the nuts. "I wanted to do that for years!"
CODE:
LYOKO
The tower shut down.
The Campers all stopped and collapsed.
DJ lowered his hammer, sighing in relief. Dawn knelt down onto the ground, closing her eyes and she let out a relief exhale.
"Return to the past now!" Cameron shouted and there was a flash of light.
The group ended up in the lab before they had gone to train.
"Wow...that was intense." Was all Gwen could say.
"Now you all understand why I wanted you to train before the next attack." Aelita sighed. "Now that you're a threat, XANA won't stop until you're gone."
"Are the others ok?" DJ asked.
"They should be fine, they wouldn't know what was happening when possessed, and with the Return to the Past they'd be clueless."
"Well, at least we know what our powers are. DJ, you turn into a golem man!" Geoff said. "Gwen, you fly!"
"That's still odd; I thought my power was to use my scythe to make a barrier." Gwen said. "But my cape could turn into wings."
"Maybe there's more to it." Aelita said.
"What do you mean?" Gwen asked.
"Ulrich was able to use two abilities known as Super Sprint and Triplicate. Super Sprint allowed him to run at breakneck speeds and Triplicate allowed him to make two clones of himself. He could also use an ability called Triangulate that combined his two abilities into one attack. It allowed him to create three clones in a triangle formation and the real Ulrich would run between them, confusing the enemy." Aelita said. "When you activate your powers, you have one primary ability and one or two abilities that are secondary. Or perhaps your cape is like my wings, a form of equipment."
"Ok, Gwen's cape flies, Geoff shoots that huge lightning wave from his axe but can also run super fast, DJ is a golem with energy barriers, Cameron is a walking armory...and LeShawna, Dawn and I might still have powers." Bridgette clarified.
"Most likely, either that or I'm stuck making small earthquakes with that huge ass hammer of mine." LeShawna said. "Man, you gotta admit we kicked some ass today."
"Yeah, we did." Aelita allowed herself to smile but frowned. "That was more dangerous than I thought it would be. I thought XANA would need at least another day before he could launch another attack, but it hasn't been that long."
"You think his new powers made him strong enough he can activate a tower even just after losing?" William asked.
"I am not sure." Aelita sighed. "There's still so much we don't know. Like for the fact, William, you accessed the interface in Sector 5 and created brand new materialization codes. That's something that took Jeremy a few months to do."
"I…I can't explain how I knew it…I just did." William looked at his hands. "Walking up to it, I could tell I could do it, like I was remembering how."
"What do you mean?" DJ asked curiously.
"I think I still have some of the powers XANA gave me when he was controlling me. I could use Super Smoke like I instinctively knew I still had it." William carefully explained, a wary expression on his face. "And then I knew what to access there. The data in Sector 5, I just knew I was able to access it and where to look."
Aelita had a worried look on her face.
She was so sure she and the others had freed William from XANA's control but if William somehow could still use the powers XANA had given him…Was he in danger of being possessed again or was it only XANA's control they had eliminated and not what else the AI could have given William during his time as a prisoner?
"Speaking of though," Aelita was shaken from her thoughts as William changed the subject. "Did you get the data on what happened on April 7th, 2007."
"What's so important about that date?" Cameron asked.
"It's the last day we faced XANA and supposedly defeated him for good." Aelita answered, turning to the screen. "You say you found something, William?"
"Yeah, but it looked encoded, so I just downloaded it to you." William answered.
"I see. Then it might take some time to decode it." Aelita looked to the rest of the group. "I'll call you all when the data is decoded or when the next tower activates, you should get back to the studio and get some rest."
"See you for lunch tomorrow? We won't be shooting until Friday." DJ pointed out. "They won't air the next episode until they're sure there won't be another attack like the one we just had."
"Right, Chris got a lot of calls from our families, my folks included, about keeping us safe from any terrorist attacks in France." Geoff recalled.
"Sorry but I've got eyes on me back at my school." Aelita shrugged. "I have to lie low for a little while before I can make any unscheduled trips off of campus."
"Bummer." Geoff said with a sympathetic look on his face. "Well, as long we're not competing, we have our cell phones with us."
The group went their separate ways. Aelita had programmed the computer to automatically decode the data William had retrieved from Sector 5. When the group was long gone, the elevator suddenly opened and in walked someone.
"So, it's been here this whole time." It was a woman, standing to marvel at the lab before making her way to the computer. "And it looks like they've been busy. I hope I'm not too late."
She typed away at the keyboard, opening several programs.
Opening DNA Scan Program
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Opening Genetic Code Files
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She reached into her coat and pulled out vial and inside was a single strand of hair. "I always knew this would be need one day."
She took the elevator down to the scanner room and placed the vial inside the scanner before making her way back up to the lab. With a tap of the enter key, the scanner with the vial closed.
DNA Scan Program Activated: Scanning DNA
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Scan Complete: DNA Accepted
"Okay, I hope this works." She took a deep breath and opened the next program. "Launching materialization program."
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The scanner down below hummed and opened its doors. Inside was a man who gasped and fell out of the scanner, into the waiting arms of the woman who waited outside. He wore a white lab coat with a brown turtleneck. He was panting, seemingly confused as he looked around, confused and disoriented.
"It's all right, Franz. You're back with us."
(Credits)
Chapter 14: Episode 14: Stressed
Summary:
The new Lyoko Warriors are left with secondary thoughts on their new quest of protecting the world from XANA and small amounts of dread every time there is an attack. Meanwhile Aelita is left as the prime suspect in the wake of her friends' disappearance by their parents.
Chapter Text
( Code Total Drama Reality Introduction Song Starts )
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) )
(The ending of this story)
The song starts, showing the end of Code Lyoko where the Supercomputer is shut down and the former Lyoko Warriors leave the factory seemingly for the last time.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
A single computer is shown coming online, lines of 1s and 0s streaming across the screen before the screen is replaced by a glowing sphere with the Eye of XANA, at least eight variations appearing on it. From the sphere came lines of data emerging in eight different directions. The lines of data formed into various regions, all of them floating landscapes resembling a forest, a desert, an arctic, mountains, volcanoes, swamp and a jungle.
(Into this new world)
The new lands orbited the golden sphere as the camera zoomed in on the Eye of XANA staring at the screen.
(The game has only just begun)
The Eye then flashes red, and the sphere turns black.
(I can see it in your eyes)
A girl with pink hair sits on her bed, panting as she turns to see two pictures of her friends and her father. She smiles briefly but that smile turns to a look of horror as both her friends and her father are engulfed by a great darkness and the red Eye shines down on her. The Supercomputer, thought to be shut down, is reactivated and there is a flash of light.
(This is where tomorrow brings a new game)
Aelita is shown alone both in the real world and in Lyoko, hordes of monsters surrounding her.
Geoff is first shown in his human form before transitioning to his Lyoko form.
Next to him is Bridgette, holding her surfboard in the real world before changing into her Lyoko form, her board splitting into two swords.
(It's time to learn that pain is gain)
Gwen is shown sitting in front of tree, looking up and is instantly changed into her Lyoko Avatar, brandishing her scythe.
DJ is shown in the woods, tending to a little rabbit as he stands up and morphs into his Lyoko form, turning to face the camera with a stern glare.
LeShawna is last, ready to fight in both her human form and her Lyoko form.
(Ready fight!)
William and a dark reflection of himself as XANA's General are shown standing back-to-back, turning to face each other and swinging their swords.
The screen is split by the two swords, showing New Lyoko as the title appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(I gotta crush and paint away the anguish)
Aelita is shown first, sitting at the computer before she is then shown as the DJ of a party. She morphs into her Lyoko form and conjures an energy field.
This was followed quickly by Geoff wildly waving his hat while riding something with Bridgette holding onto him by the back.
(Of my past for the sake of my future)
Gwen is shown next, drawing in her sketchbook and signifying with a sad face as Duncan, Courtney and Trent appear behind her, their backs facing in her direction.
(Until my life comes to an end)
DJ is shown running for his life from appears to be a giant bear.
(I am gonna fight to tear apart that destiny)
LeShawna is shown next, standing confidently with her team, ready to face whatever crazy challenge comes next.
(Aoh, break out and start a revolution)
The antagonists of Total Drama: Heather, Courtney, Justin, Anne Maria, Jo, Lightning, Scott and Alejandro in the Total Drama Machine are shown from left to right, grinning or glaring at the camera, holding up an imaginary case of the million- dollar prize money in their hands. Chris Mclean is shown next, arms crossed as the chair he is sitting in spins to meet the camera, zooming out to show it is the monitor room for the Total Drama show.
A dark shadow appears above them, scrawny in appearance and hair falling over the left eye as it glares darkly at the screen.
(Until you find the answer you're looking for)
The camera then shows Aelita with the new Lyoko Warriors, the TD Lyoko Warriors and William sitting around a campfire, all of them staring up into the starry night sky, a picture of her friends and father resting in Aelita's hands.
(I'll challenge all my limits)
Aelita in her Lyoko form with her wings sprouting from her back is shown, clutching Mr. Puck in her hands as she seemingly falls back, her friends and relatives in the background.
The camera moves down to show William kneeling down, clutching his sword in both hands. As this happens, the camera moves down, showing depictions of the TD Lyoko Warriors and other characters in the background.
The camera continues to move down to show Geoff pulling Bridgette into sharing a picture with LeShawna bringing her face up over Bridgette's shoulder, the three of them in their Lyoko forms. While this happens, Harold, Lindsay, Beth, Trent, Katie and Sadie are shown in the background.
Below them is Gwen with her arms and legs curled around her with her cape swirling behind her like wings while Heather and Courtney are shown in the background glaring at each other followed by Sierra clutching Cody who looks distressed, Eva crossing her arms along with B and Beth both waving, the latter looking very shy. Behind Gwen appeared Dawn in her own Lyoko form in a meditative pose while upside down while facing Gwen with her eyes closed, her light robe contrasting with Gwen's cape with dark clothing, almost forming a yin-yang symbol.
Behind Dawn appears Scott, snickering evilly.
(Knowing this could be my only chance now)
DJ is shown last, seemingly falling back while holding his pet rabbit: Bunny in his hands with a happy smile. His teammates shown in the background starting with Duncan, Tyler, Justin and Alejandro ending with Chef Hatchet and Chris McClean.
He is followed by Mike and Zoey, both clutching their hands and smiling at each other as in background appears Brick, Jo, Lightning, Sam and Staci.
And lately Cameron appears staring up at the others.
(To overcome this fate that has come over me)
The screen turns black and the Eye of XANA immediately flashes into existence, glowing red and shadowing the outline of a singular person with red glowing eyes.
(The ending of this story)
Aelita is shown, standing in a meadow now with the wind gently blowing through her hair.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
She holds up a hand, gazing sadly up as the images of her friends and parents appear in the sky.
(Into this new world)
Her hand then becomes digital, transitioning to Lyoko.
((The game has only just begun))
She gazes up a little longer before she notices her new friends and allies standing with her and smiles before looking forward, seeing a tower in the distance.
(I can see it in your eyes)
Just as they are about to rush towards the tower, the camera angles up into the digital sky as the song reaches its end.
The scene then shifts to pictures of Aelita and her friends both old and new on a desktop as the title appears on last time:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) Ends )
Episode 14: Stressed
Gwen tossed and turned into her sleep. She dreamt she was once again falling into the Digital Sea, her life flashing in front of her eyes as she fell, wishing that she could apologize for the things she did that she regretted. She woke up in a cold sweat. Looking at the digital clock, she scowled.
6:30 a.m.
"Great, one of the only days I get to sleep in, and I can't." She muttered as she tossed her covers onto the floor.
She stretched herself, silently thanking Aelita for showing her where the camera was in her room so she could cover it up. Doesn't Chris know the meaning of the word privacy? She sighed as she thought back to her dream. When she fell off her board, she honestly thought she was going to die.
Sure, there were times when she thought Chris was going to get her killed during the show but her fall towards the sea was perhaps the closest time, she had ever come to actually dying. Remembering her mom, her brother, her friends, her times with everyone on the show, wishing to apologize for the things she had done wrong. She remembered how Aelita warned them how dangerous it would be. Well, after what nearly happened with Geoff and the others, fighting that materialized Tarantula, and almost falling into the void she now understood just how dangerous it was.
Gwen had met some pretty mean people in her life. There was Heather, the stuck-up Queen Bee whose snobbery, manipulative plans, and strategies had led to everyone disliking her especially those who trusted her. Courtney was extremely selfish, ruthless, and aggressive, which combined with her bossiness made her almost everyone's enemy. Alejandro manipulated most of the female contestants along with her friends LeShawna and Bridgette to get his way.
She knew about Scott and about how he was so rotten that basically none of his castmates had particularly cared that he had been mauled by a mutant shark. Not that Gwen could blame them as she had heard about his behavior in the fourth season, in particular about blackmailing Mike over his multiple-personality disorder. Someone like that is not someone you want to stick close to but he was pretty much harmless in that chair of his.
Chris openly takes pleasure in seeing the cast suffer through his challenges and was heavily self-absorbed. Of course, none of these guys even came close to her newest enemy.
XANA.
One difference was that the others were human while he was not. Another was that the others hadn't really attempted to kill anyone. Well, Courtney did try to kill her but that was because Duncan kissed her. Another difference was that they didn't want to destroy mankind.
The mad AI out to dominate the world nearly killed Geoff, Trent, Beth, Eva, Katie, Sadie, and Justin and perhaps hundreds of others on the first day when he sent out his message, then there was that monster that had chased Aelita through the park, and just yesterday when he possessed the entire cast and tried to kill them and destroy the supercomputer. The others were nothing compared to him. Even Chris had more regard for human life.
Now she was on his hit list.
But she remembered her fights on Lyoko, remembered the adrenaline rush that came with fighting those monsters, danger came with excitement she had never before experienced. She walked into her bathroom to freshen up. Throwing on her day clothes she walked out of her room to get something to eat.
"Couldn't sleep?" asked a voice.
She spun around and saw DJ sitting at a table with a bowl of cereal and a glass of milk.
"I blame Chris. Ever since I signed onto this stupid show I am so used to waking up early." Said Gwen as she walked to the counter.
"Yeah, somehow I don't think that's what's going on." Said DJ.
Gwen sighed as she sat at the table.
"I had dreams about that fall. Remember our trip?"
"How could I not? That was intense."
Suspecting Chris had left the cameras on the group had practiced on how to talk about Lyoko without revealing anything. DJ knew Gwen well enough to know that was thinking about the attack yesterday.
"You had Geoff to save you. If I wasn't so lucky I would be dead. When I was falling my entire life flashed before my eyes. My mom, my brother, all of my friends, the things I wouldn't have been able to do, the things I regret, all of them just popped into my mind."
"Man, that must have been tough. Even after all that's happened to us on this show I don't think anyone was that close to dying." DJ took a sip of his milk.
"I know. What would happen if I was not so lucky? Would I have felt anything? Would I have just fallen asleep? All these questions just popped up in my head."
"I had those too. I thought of what they would tell my momma. I couldn't bear imagining the broken look on her face if they told her I was gone."
Gwen sighed.
"Did we have any idea what we were getting into when we said yes?"
"Hey, people could have been hurt. We had to. No one else would have done it in time."
"I guess you're right. But what happens if one of us is voted off in the next challenge? How can we do anything when we're sent back to Canada?"
DJ shrugged.
"We'll just have to try hard to make it through."
LeShawna was in the room Chris had designated to be an exercise room, lifting weights with Geoff spotting for her.
"That time thingy was useful; if we didn't use it my arm would have fallen off where that weird spider thing got me." LeShawna said.
"Yeah, man that thing was big." Geoff said.
Bridgette was running on the treadmill next to them. "So...any calls from Aelita?"
"Nope, guess things calmed down for her." Geoff shrugged.
"No offense but I'm actually dreading when she calls, whenever she does, weird crap happens." LeShawna said, setting the weight down.
"I don't blame you, but we agreed to help her if anything goes wrong." Geoff said.
"Yeah, and with her friends...occupied, what do you think could happen if she...loses?" Bridgette asked.
"I don't even want to think about that." They looked up as DJ came in.
"Is Gwen taking this any better than us?" Bridgette asked.
"Well, she honestly thought she wasn't going to make it after that fall, and after what Aelita said would happen I don't blame her." DJ shuddered. "I don't see why they call it a sea. That was anything but a nice, comfy, calm sea."
Geoff looked around for a second. "Ok, that's it, I vote we get the hell out of here, Chris definitely put something in here, I just know it."
In the control room, Chris snapped his fingers. "Damn it."
LeShawna was sitting in the lounge, slowly drinking from a bottle of pop. She took a deep breath and set her glass down. 'Ok girl, just get through the day.'
"Hey LeShawna." Darth Alejandro wheeled over. "Uh...have you seen where my wallet went?" He wasn't able to look down and see his wallet was taped to the front of the Total Drama Bot.
"Uh...here." She untapped it.
"Thanks!" He managed to take it in one claw. "It's been so hard get anything with these claws I have for hands."
Of course, the lack of hands would be considered the least of Alejandro's problems. Ever since that finale in Hawaii, Alejandro's life had been…for the lack of a better word: nonexistent. The robot suit may as well be a coffin.
He couldn't walk.
He could move the suit through the wheels installed at the bottom thanks to the controls built into the suit but he couldn't move up stairs, the suit was big and cumbersome and didn't fit into small spaces and his real legs remained cramped inside at awkward angles that ached even after a year.
He couldn't touch.
His hands were placed in large robot arms with claws at the end which he could barely lift. The suit's arms were stronger than his real ones, but they were so restricted he had to make an exaggerated effort to even get them to lift. The arms worked through cable implants attaching his arms to the robot's control unit.
He could not see.
His new 'face' was a joke, a robotic mask that covered his real one to ensure no one could look on the burnt and scarred face underneath while ensuring that his damaged corneas and retinas couldn't be further damaged by outside light. He could barely turn the suit's head and thus was stuck looking forward.
He could not hear.
Like the rest of his body, his ears had been burnt thus had needed implants installed through the robot's head into his inner ear, but the sounds came like they were underwater.
He could not breathe.
Chef had attached a tube to Alejandro's chest through a thick cable that wrapped around his body and was linked to a breathing apparatus and a pacemaker.
He could not speak.
His vocal cords had been burnt, thus requiring an electronic voice box to be installed and hooked up to the robot suit so he could speak.
He was barely alive.
He hadn't been saved so much as he been forcefully confined for possibly the rest of his life. The only one who he could admit had it worse than him was Scott, having been nearly torn to shreds by a mutant shark. His body was likely busted up and cracked in on itself while being stuffed into a literal box for a chair that's smaller than the robot suit that Alejandro himself was stuffed in.
And that was after nearly every bone in his body had been broken.
The chair was the only thing keeping Scott alive and Alejandro was convinced that at this point, Scott was only a head and spine, surviving on some sort of life support system in that chair.
"You'd still be a squid." LeShawna rolled her eyes.
And no one cared.
Why would they?
He had lied and cheated through the third season of Total Drama, turning friends into enemies, breaking apart lovers and just when he had it all…He lost it all. He even tried killing one or two of them on live television but the producers had encouraged him so he could bring in more views. It's not his fault he outsmarted them all.
Alejandro just sighed. "So, you say."
"Yeah...you're going for revenge on that daddy's girl aren't you?" LeShawna asked.
"... Maybe." He looked down. "Hey, if she got you scorched with lava, you'd be mad too. I mean, can you imagine what my family thought of me when I came back as a robot? Jose rubbed it in my face! The only upside is that he broke a knuckle trying to hit me in the arm."
"Yeah, good for you, Al." LeShawna smirked.
Shaking his head, Alejandro wheeled away.
LeShawna leaned back. 'Maybe this won't be so hard after all.'
Gwen was sitting by the window sketching the city outside. It was beautiful with the sun rising into the sky this early in the morning.
"Hey, Gwen."
She turned and saw Trent walking into the living area.
"Trent, what are you doing up so early?"
Trent shrugged.
"Couldn't sleep in. What about you?"
"Same thing."
Of course, the reason why Gwen couldn't sleep was most likely very different from Trent's. They were both silent until Trent spoke up.
"So . . . How are things with Duncan?"
Of all the questions he could have asked he had to pick the most awkward one.
"Good. They are good." Gwen answered simply.
"Oh, good." Trent chuckled nervously.
"And you're okay with it?" asked Gwen.
"Yeah, I'm fine with it." Trent said with smile.
However, Gwen was a bit suspicious when he smiled like that. After his behaviour in Total Drama Action how could he be nonchalant about it?
"Why do I find that hard to believe?" asked Gwen looking out the window.
"What do you mean?" Trent asked her with a puzzled look.
"How can you say you are okay with us when you acted all crazy and jealous of us when I was your girlfriend?" Gwen said in a quite but hard tone.
She turned and looked at him again. He saw a small tear fall from her left eye.
"How can you say that when you wouldn't trust me every time I hung out with Duncan? Every time you saw us talking you acted like I was cheating right in front of you. Why?" Gwen's tone turned from hard to sad as she looked down.
Trent had a guilty look on his face as he watched Gwen look down with a sad look on her face. He thought Gwen might have gotten over it, but she was still feeling guilty for what he had done. He blamed Duncan and being on different teams, but the truth was none of them were to blame but himself. He let himself be driven by jealousy and paranoia.
He reached to Gwen and put a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm so sorry, Gwen. I messed up and worst of all you ended paying for it. I saw you and Duncan hanging out together, laughing over some joke and I acted crazy. My dad was right, I overreact like he does. And everyone turned against you when I made them sorry for me with my crying and singing."
Gwen looked up. "So, you're not upset with me?"
"I admit that I don't trust Duncan. I mean what if he does the same to you that he did to Courtney? But I do trust you." Trent said smiling.
Gwen smiled back and hugged him. She was glad that they could patch things up. She was afraid he would hate her for what happened. For a moment she allowed herself to forget about the show, forget about the million dollars, forget about Chris, Chef, Heather, Courtney, Sierra, Duncan, her new responsibility to help Aelita protect the world from XANA.
Just one moment of peace.
"So, we're okay?" asked Trent.
"I think so. Just as long as I say I am sorry for having your team vote you off." Said Gwen.
Trent smiled. "It's okay. I deserved that for sabotaging them."
Gwen got up. "I need to go talk LeShawna about something. See ya."
"Yeah, see ya." Trent waved her.
She waved back as she walked out of the room. She smiled happily knowing that she managed to sort things out with Trent.
Cameron was in his room, looking up various topics on the theory of AI, the possible evolution that could lead to potential danger.
There are many sci-fi based films and franchises that features a form of artificial intelligence playing an antagonistic role for one reason or another. Skynet, AM, HAL 9000, Ultron, and other similar AI villains stem from the idea of machines evolving beyond their programming and achieving a form of consciousness that motivates them to see themselves as better than humans due to them being in a position that allows them control over many of the machines we humans depend on for day-to-day life or believing humanity to be a threat in some form of twisted logic. While sci-fi should not be considered real, it is important to note that with the advancement of technology, it is more than possible that one day artificial intelligence will make a significant leap in evolution, creating machines that are capable of learning and show a form of sentience. It's been an ongoing debate back and forth on what the possible stages for how an AI reach what has become known as 'metastability.'
Metastability is a state of a system that can persist even when slightly disturbed but can change to a more stable state when disturbed more strongly. It can be observed in many fields, including physics, chemistry, electronics, and neuroscience. In electronics, metastability is the ability of a digital electronic system to persist for an unbounded time in an unstable equilibrium or metastable state. It can also be described as a circuit suddenly acting unpredictably, which can lead to system failure.
In the possible case of AI, we refer to Metastability as the final stage of an AI attaining a form of awareness that is then followed by rampancy.
Melancholia
The first stage of AI rampancy is melancholia, in which the AI enters a state of depression, becoming apathetic or uninterested in the world around it. The melancholia stage is not considered dangerous, and, at times, can even go unnoticed.
Anger
The second stage, anger, is the first observable stage of rampancy. During this stage, the A.I. develops hate that is directed towards its handlers and other AI. This stage is unique for each AI program.
Jealousy
The third stage of rampancy, jealousy, can be considered a safe stage. In this stage, the AI will seek situations in which it can gather intellectual and physical knowledge.
Metastability
The fourth and final stage of rampancy is metastability, in which an A.I. can, theoretically, be considered fully human, showing the complexity and emotions that are needed for one to be considered as sentient as a human being. To this date, though, no artificial intelligence has ever shown the signs of reaching this stage.
'Until possible now.'Cameron mused as he finished reading the article.
With yesterday's challenge done, the cast forced to take the day of while Chris reassures their families and the producers that no one was in danger from a second(technically third cyber-attack), especially the contestants. It had given Cameron time to think and consider carefully what he and the rest had learned from their new friend on the source of the attack.
An actual artificial intelligence.
Or so Cameron considered. Technically speaking, Aelita never actually referred to XANA as an artificial intelligence, but as a multi-agent system even though XANA seemingly fit the criteria as to what is needed to define as an artificial intelligence. Having read up various topics, including computer programs, Cameron knew that the deeds XANA had committed alone in the last day and two years ago according to Aelita had gone far beyond what any simple computer program, multi-agent or not, was supposed to be capable of.
Was it the power of the supercomputer and Lyoko that gave XANA his strength or was it something else?
As someone who spent his early years in a form of isolation, Cameron had a deep curiosity that he tried to satisfy through knowledge. It didn't matter what topic: science, religion, philosophy, animals, history, he would find a book on every little thing and read it down to the last page number. And right now, his curiosity about the Supercomputer, Lyoko, and XANA was causing him to look over all theories surrounding virtual worlds and AI. Aelita had warned them of the danger XANA represented to not just anyone who was a threat to him but to the entire world as well and it was that brief but harrowing experience on Lyoko that made it all too clear what they had signed up for.
A war.
Not a war between countries and nations but if Aelita was telling the truth, it was a war of man against machines like the few sci-fi franchises Cameron was looking over. Cameron had never intended to enlist in the military, let alone take part in any war but circumstances had forced him and the others to join up with Aelita to help her. He wasn't sure if he was comfortable keeping this a secret from his closest friends like Mike, Zoey and Brick. Outside of Dawn, he didn't know any of the other contestants other than the fact that they were the first contestants to compete on the show and he knew a little bit about them.
He had watched the third season, so he had a fair idea of how most of them thought and acted. He was still afraid of Izzy after that whole 'Spider-Izzy' episode and had even helped against Heather when she stole a blimp and the prize money last season.
'Um, I wonder if I should apologize to her.' Cameron winced, remembering that the incident had left Heather badly injured.
Not as injured as Alejandro or Scott but she got her hair burnt, confined to a wheelchair and barely escaped drowning when the blimp crashed into the lake. Funny enough, that had made him become very popular amongst the rest of the cast since outside of a handful, Heather was still hated for how she had behaved in the previous seasons. Despite surviving one season of Total Drama, Cameron was not sure how he could contribute to this ordeal he had found himself in other than believing he needed to learn as much as he could about the Supercomputer housing this amazing virtual world and the enemy they now faced.
Perhaps he could talk to Aelita about studying up on Lyoko.
In a clearing in the woods, about a few miles away from the Total Drama studio, Dawn sat on a stump in the middle of a forest. In front of her was a roaring fire that she stared into with a look of intensity. Dawn had been up early, having watched the sun rise and shine down on France. She had easily evaded the cameras meant to watch her and the other contestants for she had wanted to meditate in peace about the previous events.
A digital world.
A great evil.
And a child in need.
This was beyond anything Dawn could have believed possible. In fact, not even the tea leaves predicted something as big as this. She had been led to the park where Aelita had been attacked and journeyed with them to the factory where they had learned about Lyoko and XANA. Before the sun had risen, she had looked up at the night sky, seeing ominous clouds forming.
Aelita had explained that the dark storm during the 'Red-Eye' virus attack had been the work of XANA, highlighting his return even more so than showing his symbol all across France. The storm had intense and more ominous than anything Dawn had ever felt in her life. She held out her tea leaves and tossed them into the fire before reaching into her sweater and pulling out a white powdery substance that she then threw into the fire next. The fire seemed to roar in an angered response to the strange powder before the flames became a rainbow of colors.
As the last of the tea leaves burned, a black smoke was spewed out and Dawn began to see…
A giant bird screeching into the midnight sky…
Dark electrical clouds, moving through the air like dark liquid as it infected anyone it touched…
People, some that she knew and others she did not screaming in terror and panic…
A familiar looking dark-haired boy in all black wielding a large sword with a familiar symbol in embedded in the hilt…
Another familiar looking boy, hair covering one of his eyes laughing maniacally…
A dark suit of armor, wielding a red glowing sword…
Monsters of all shapes and sizes rising…
And a single eye blazing with red light…
Dawn gasped in fear, falling off the stump she had sat on, the fall breaking her vision.
She looked at the fire in shock. "This is bad…This is very bad…"
She didn't fully understand the vision she had been shown but she recognized the warnings Mother Earth was trying to convey to her. Up until now, she thought only XANA was the great danger that threatened the harmony of Mother Earth and while she recognized his connection in her vision he was not the only threat.
"Mother Earth." Dawn bowed her head. "I want to help as best as I can but I am only one of your children. How can I help the others against what is on the horizon?"
As the sun rose, a black cloud blocked it and left Dawn and the fire she had made in shadow.
A dark omen had fallen over her and the others.
At Kadic School, Aelita was having to deal with the one thing she didn't need right now: School Work while at the same trying to decode the information William had found.
So far, she hadn't been bothered too much since the disappearance of her friends, but she could hear whispers from time to time. And Hiroki had called last night wondering if Aelita had seen Yumi. The boy had sounded upset; that was understandable considering his sister had vanished off of the face of the planet without a single word. Despite how he and Yumi did not get along too much she was still his sister.
One surprise that came to Aelita was an event she thought she would never see: Elizabeth 'Sissy' Delmas asking about Ulrich and the others not in a demanding tone, but out of sincere concern and curiosity. She had asked Aelita about it in the cafeteria earlier but hadn't pushed the topic after Aelita said she had no idea where they were. She immediately headed back to her room and sat at her desk, looking at Jeremy's computer that had originally been boxed away. After shutting down the supercomputer Jeremy had practically renounced the field of Information Technology and had boxed everything away in his wardrobe.
It was his way of marking the passing of the virtual world and a means to visually manifest that mourning. For the last two years, on the desk in his room there was instead a TV, a laptop computer on which to surf the Internet, and some books and magazines. She knew it might be a matter of time before the questions came more and more often, she needed to get the others back and quickly.
KNOCK-KNOCK!
Aelita sighed, getting up from her desk and coming to the door. "Who is it?"
"Open this door at once!" A voice barked from the other side.
Aelita blinked as she slowly opened the door to see… "Mr. Stern?"
Walter Stern, Ulrich's father.
Aelita had only met him a few times and she did not have a good view of him. Walter was highly intelligent in school, having straight A's and already preparing his college application when he was Ulrich's age. He later became a businessman that afforded his family an upper middle-class lifestyle. As a result of his success, Ulrich's father has similarly high expectations for Ulrich.
In the few times she has met him, he has shown to be unsympathetic towards his son simply because doesn't get good grades, and in Odd's words: 'if you're not first in everything, you're nothing in his book'. Odd once told her that because Ulrich was good at sports, Odd says the only time Ulrich makes his dad happy is when he plays soccer. Even after they shut the supercomputer down and Ulrich's grades had improved it hadn't been enough in Walter's eyes.
Aelita had doubted even having a top grade in every class would be enough for Walter Stern.
It wasn't just him.
With him was Carole Stern, Walter's wife and Ulrich's mother.
She hadn't met Ulrich's mom and Ulrich never talked about her much either. Odd theorized she didn't talk to him much either.
"I want answers, young lady." Walter immediately said, not giving Aelita even a chance to break. "My son, where is he?"
"I don't know." Aelita took a step back.
"Don't lie to me." Walter stepped forward into Aelita's room. "You and those other good-for-nothings were up to something, weren't you? It's bad enough Ulrich shirked his potential and responsibilities because of your bad influence but now he's probably run off because of you!"
"That's not true!" Aelita immediately argued. "We were separated during the strange cyber attack and when I came back to my dorm, I never heard from them again."
"Liar!" Walter reached to grab her, but someone grabbed him by the shoulder from behind.
"Mr. Stern, I know you're upset but do not lay a hand on Miss Stones." Jim Morales spoke in an authoritative tone that even Aelita had barely heard from him. "She has already been questioned by the principal and has answered everything the best she could."
"Get your hands off me." Walter batted Jim's hand away and pointed at Aelita. "She knows what happened to our son. I know it."
"Even so, you are not allowed to interrogate a student without a teacher or the principal present." Jim retorted.
"Then get someone here! Like the police!" Walter snapped. "I want answer and if she won't give them-"
"Mr. Stern!" Jean-Pierre Delmas appeared at the door. "Say one more word and I will call the police to have you removed from this school."
Walter remained quiet but gave Aelita a harsh glare as he walked out of the room, followed Jim and his wife. Once the door was closed, Aelita fell to her knees and rubbed her face as a few tears threatened to slip.
"Mr. and Mrs. Stern, while I understand you are worried about your son this school in no way condones harassing students like that." Jean-Pierre stated as he sat down. "Especially when it's in the wake of a terrible disaster."
"That girl knows where our son is." Walter retorted, refusing to sit down. "She should be here answering our questions."
"Miss Stones has been nothing but a kind and exemplary student who has been close friends with your son and along with the other missing students. I can tell she was honest in her answers, and she is genuinely worried about them." Jean replied before the door opened.
"Mr. Delmas?" Jim peeked his head. "There are a few more visitors here."
"Can this wait?" Jean-Pierre sighed, rubbing his head.
"I'm afraid not." Jim opened the door fully, revealing several more adults.
"Mr. Belpois."
Jeremy's father, Micheal Belpois.
"Mr. and Mrs. Ishiyama."
Takeho Ishiyama and Akiko Ishiyama.
"Mr. and Mrs. Della Robbia."
Marguerite and Robert.
The parents of the missing children.
"I see." Jean-Pierre sighed and gestured for them to enter. "Very well, come in. Everyone, come in."
One by one, the parents entered the office with Jim closing the door behind them.
"Principal Delmas," Micheal Belpois began. "I am sure you know why we're all here."
"I think anyone can guess at this point." Jean-Pierre answered.
"Then let's get straight to the point. What do you know?" Michael asked.
"All we know is that yesterday there was a massive cyber terrorist attack not just here but potentially all of France. The attack crippled communications and left a strange message." Jean-Pierre held up a paper showing XANA's Eye and message. "I assume none of you recognize this symbol."
Micheal and the other parents shared a close look at the symbol, all of them glancing between each other and shaking their heads.
"No, we don't." Micheal answered for the group. "And we don't understand the message either."
"What about the girl?" Walter cut in. "She knows something."
"The girl?"
"Aelita Stones, a close friend of your children and a member of their group. She's the only one who is not missing." Jean-Pierre explained. "And she has already been questioned by the police and detectives."
"She knows something." Walter argued. "There's no way she couldn't have known what happened to my son and the rest of those brats."
"Watch who you're calling a brat!" Micheal Belpois, Marguerite and Robert Della Robbia, Takeho and Akiko snapped.
"Yumi would never run off anywhere." Takeho argued. "She's been nothing but a hard-working honest child."
"Ha! She is probably the reason Ulrich ran off! I knew she'd be a bad influence on my son the moment she sunk her claws into him!" Walter snapped.
"Excuse me?!" Takeho and Akiko narrowed their eyes.
"You heard me! I told him time and time again that he could do better than her, but he never listened and now they've both run off somewhere!" Walter continued, not even pausing.
"How dare you?!" Akiko shouted, standing up from her chair. "Now I understand why Ulrich never liked talking about you. It is clear you are a horrible man who only cares about his own image."
"I will not be insulted by some Chinese witch who knows nothing of what she's talking about!" Walter snapped.
"We're Japanese!" Both Takeho and Akiko snapped, now infuriated at the Stern patriarch.
"Excuse me-" Jean-Pierre tried to speak but was cut of.
"You know, we've had Ulrich over at our home from time to time and he's been nothing but a sweet and generous boy. How someone as considerate as him could ever have someone like you as a father is mind-boggling to say the least." Takeho snarled at Walter. "Our children are missing, and you just want to pointlessly assign blame instead of trying to find them."
"I told you, that Stones girl knows where they are." Walter retorted. "Drag her in here for answers."
"Why are you so sure?" Michael asked.
"How about the fact that I've looked into her background and found nothing about her before she got here." Walter replied. "There had to be a reason why she's still here while the rest have gone missing."
"As I said, Miss Stones has been nothing but a good student…" Jean-Pierre trailed off. "But there is something to note."
The parents all stared at him.
"When they all first attended this school, there was a period of when they would disappear for long amounts of time. In fact, Jeremy was absent nearly twenty times." Jean-Pierre explained.
"Twenty?" Michael gasped. "He never mentioned that."
"If not for his stellar grades Mrs. Hertz would have reported him." Jean-Pierre replied. "The limit for absences is eight at this school but Jeremy continued getting good grades, so it was overlooked. Miss Ishiyama missed class in the eighth grade about eight times and it was the same with Stern and Della Robbia, but both made up for it by doing well in gym class. Then after the second year when Stones arrived, they stopped and were on time at their classes like they were supposed to, and it was like nothing had happened."
The parents all shared looks of surprise with wide eyes as they processed this.
"And now, following this cyber attack that virtually disrupted every form of electronic communication in France, they have disappeared." Jean-Pierre continued. "I fear this means they have might have been involved in something dangerous during those first couple of years and whatever it is they tried to cover up might have come after them."
"All the more reason, that Stones girl should be hauled out of her room in cuffs and questioned." Walter stood up. "I demand she be arrested!"
"We can't just assume she's responsible." Jean-Pierre retorted, slowly losing his patience with the Stern patriarch. "Especially since she's a relative of Odd."
"Excuse me?" Both Odd's parents asked at the same time.
"You don't know her? Miss Stones was admitted to this school because Odd gave me a letter of recommendation signed by the both of you saying she was a family member." Jean-Pierre asked and explained.
"That girl's not a member of our family." Robert shook his head. "We were told she was a pen-pal who transferred to Kadic and Odd introduced her to his friends."
Jean-Pierre was silent as he considered this new information.
Aelita Stones was not Odd's cousin, meaning that her transcripts must be fake.
"That proves it!" Walter shot up. "She's connected with this!"
"Did the all the kids know?" Akiko asked, now worried that Yumi had lied to her and Takeho and had hidden something dangerous from them.
"So Odd lied to us to get this girl into this school?" Marguerite Della Robbia asked with a flabbergasted look on her face.
Before Jean-Pierre could say anything else, his desk computer started beeping. He turned to it and saw that a message window had appeared and on it was the same eye symbol from before.
"Everyone, stop!" He barked, stopping the parents from speaking. "There's a message with the same symbol as the Red-Eye virus!"
Everyone stopped speaking and looked at the monitor, seeing the strange message with the messenger's name being a strange one.
X.A.N.A.: JEREMY BELPOIS, ODD DELLA ROBBIA, ULRICH STERN AND YUMI ISHIYAMA HAVE BEEN APPREHENDED FOR VARIOUS ILLEGAL CRIMES THEY HAVE COMMITTED DURING THEIR TIME AT YOUR SCHOOL. EVIDENCE IS ATTACHED.
"Illegal crimes?" Jean-Pierre slowly uttered as the parents silently read the message and accessed the attached file.
It was a recording.
"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-" Ulrich's voice began.
"I could put her up at my house. My folks wouldn't mind." Yumi's voice spoke next.
"And you could plug into the City Hall computers and create a phony identity for her. Find her a new name, all the stuff she needs." Ulrich spoke again.
"Then you just have to enroll her at our school. And try to put her in our class, that would be really cool, huh?" Odd's voice was next.
"I had to hack a military satellite." Jeremy's voice then said before the recording ended. "Because that dumb principal wouldn't let Yumi leave the school grounds."
The office was silent, the parents and principal all staring at the computer screen in silent shock, their eyes wide.
Jean-Pierre typed a reply. "Who are you?"
"I AM X.A.N.A. AND AELITA IS NOT WHO YOU THINK SHE IS. SHE GOES BY MANY NAMES BUT THE NAME YOU KNOW BEST IS HOPPER."
(Credits)
Chapter 15: Episode 15: A Simple Solution
Summary:
Aelita finds herself up against the wall as the parents of her missing friends and the Principal of Kadic corner her with the surprising revelations that they now know about Lyoko.
Chapter Text
( Code Total Drama Reality Introduction Song Starts )
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) )
(The ending of this story)
The song starts, showing the end of Code Lyoko where the Supercomputer is shut down and the former Lyoko Warriors leave the factory seemingly for the last time.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
A single computer is shown coming online, lines of 1s and 0s streaming across the screen before the screen is replaced by a glowing sphere with the Eye of XANA, at least eight variations appearing on it. From the sphere came lines of data emerging in eight different directions. The lines of data formed into various regions, all of them floating landscapes resembling a forest, a desert, an arctic, mountains, volcanoes, swamp and a jungle.
(Into this new world)
The new lands orbited the golden sphere as the camera zoomed in on the Eye of XANA staring at the screen.
(The game has only just begun)
The Eye then flashes red, and the sphere turns black.
(I can see it in your eyes)
A girl with pink hair sits on her bed, panting as she turns to see two pictures of her friends and her father. She smiles briefly but that smile turns to a look of horror as both her friends and her father are engulfed by a great darkness and the red Eye shines down on her. The Supercomputer, thought to be shut down, is reactivated and there is a flash of light.
(This is where tomorrow brings a new game)
Aelita is shown alone both in the real world and in Lyoko, hordes of monsters surrounding her.
Geoff is first shown in his human form before transitioning to his Lyoko form.
Next to him is Bridgette, holding her surfboard in the real world before changing into her Lyoko form, her board splitting into two swords.
(It's time to learn that pain is gain)
Gwen is shown sitting in front of tree, looking up and is instantly changed into her Lyoko Avatar, brandishing her scythe.
DJ is shown in the woods, tending to a little rabbit as he stands up and morphs into his Lyoko form, turning to face the camera with a stern glare.
LeShawna is last, ready to fight in both her human form and her Lyoko form.
(Ready fight!)
William and a dark reflection of himself as XANA's General are shown standing back-to-back, turning to face each other and swinging their swords.
The screen is split by the two swords, showing New Lyoko as the title appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(I gotta crush and paint away the anguish)
Aelita is shown first, sitting at the computer before she is then shown as the DJ of a party. She morphs into her Lyoko form and conjures an energy field.
This was followed quickly by Geoff wildly waving his hat while riding something with Bridgette holding onto him by the back.
(Of my past for the sake of my future)
Gwen is shown next, drawing in her sketchbook and signifying with a sad face as Duncan, Courtney and Trent appear behind her, their backs facing in her direction.
(Until my life comes to an end)
DJ is shown running for his life from appears to be a giant bear.
(I am gonna fight to tear apart that destiny)
LeShawna is shown next, standing confidently with her team, ready to face whatever crazy challenge comes next.
(Aoh, break out and start a revolution)
The antagonists of Total Drama: Heather, Courtney, Justin, Anne Maria, Jo, Lightning, Scott and Alejandro in the Total Drama Machine are shown from left to right, grinning or glaring at the camera, holding up an imaginary case of the million- dollar prize money in their hands. Chris Mclean is shown next, arms crossed as the chair he is sitting in spins to meet the camera, zooming out to show it is the monitor room for the Total Drama show.
A dark shadow appears above them, scrawny in appearance and hair falling over the left eye as it glares darkly at the screen.
(Until you find the answer you're looking for)
The camera then shows Aelita with the new Lyoko Warriors, the TD Lyoko Warriors and William sitting around a campfire, all of them staring up into the starry night sky, a picture of her friends and father resting in Aelita's hands.
(I'll challenge all my limits)
Aelita in her Lyoko form with her wings sprouting from her back is shown, clutching Mr. Puck in her hands as she seemingly falls back, her friends and relatives in the background.
The camera moves down to show William kneeling down, clutching his sword in both hands. As this happens, the camera moves down, showing depictions of the TD Lyoko Warriors and other characters in the background.
The camera continues to move down to show Geoff pulling Bridgette into sharing a picture with LeShawna bringing her face up over Bridgette's shoulder, the three of them in their Lyoko forms. While this happens, Harold, Lindsay, Beth, Trent, Katie and Sadie are shown in the background.
Below them is Gwen with her arms and legs curled around her with her cape swirling behind her like wings while Heather and Courtney are shown in the background glaring at each other followed by Sierra clutching Cody who looks distressed, Eva crossing her arms along with B and Beth both waving, the latter looking very shy. Behind Gwen appeared Dawn in her own Lyoko form in a meditative pose while upside down while facing Gwen with her eyes closed, her light robe contrasting with Gwen's cape with dark clothing, almost forming a yin-yang symbol.
Behind Dawn appears Scott, snickering evilly.
(Knowing this could be my only chance now)
DJ is shown last, seemingly falling back while holding his pet rabbit: Bunny in his hands with a happy smile. His teammates shown in the background starting with Duncan, Tyler, Justin and Alejandro ending with Chef Hatchet and Chris McClean.
He is followed by Mike and Zoey, both clutching their hands and smiling at each other as in background appears Brick, Jo, Lightning, Sam and Staci.
And lately Cameron appears staring up at the others.
(To overcome this fate that has come over me)
The screen turns black and the Eye of XANA immediately flashes into existence, glowing red and shadowing the outline of a singular person with red glowing eyes.
(The ending of this story)
Aelita is shown, standing in a meadow now with the wind gently blowing through her hair.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
She holds up a hand, gazing sadly up as the images of her friends and parents appear in the sky.
(Into this new world)
Her hand then becomes digital, transitioning to Lyoko.
((The game has only just begun))
She gazes up a little longer before she notices her new friends and allies standing with her and smiles before looking forward, seeing a tower in the distance.
(I can see it in your eyes)
Just as they are about to rush towards the tower, the camera angles up into the digital sky as the song reaches its end.
The scene then shifts to pictures of Aelita and her friends both old and new on a desktop as the title appears on last time:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) Ends )
Episode 15: A Simple Solution
"So, it's been two years."
"Yes."
The man typed away at the computer before him. "The single strand of hair I left you was able to completely reconstitute me, scanning for the scattered remnants of my digital form."
"To think I held onto it for so long but guess it paid to be paranoid back then." The woman behind him said. "But I still have a lot of questions."
"As do I." The man replied, opening several files. "As far I know, the kids must have shut down the supercomputer when they believed XANA had been destroyed."
"So, it was him." The woman scowled.
"Yes. I realized what was happening too late and before I could even warn them, XANA had already executed his plan. I have a chance to help now but I have to learn everything that's happened. Once I have a plan-"
"And what about Aelita?" The woman abruptly cut in. "You do know that she's the only one left? She was the only one to return following the cyber attack that was seen all across France. There's no Return to the Past that can cover this mess. Aelita think she's alone…Or rather she was alone."
"Yes, she's found new people to help her which is good. It will buy us time." The man answered. "XANA does not seem to know yet that you've managed to bring me back."
"I'm not talking about XANA. I'm talking about Aelita." The woman sternly said. "She just lost her friends, she's probably about to be blamed for their disappearance and soon enough someone will connect the dots and lead them here. I have done my part in this but I cannot stand aside and blindly carry out your instructions if you are not the least bit concerned about Aelita."
"I am beyond concerned for her but I cannot waltz into Kadic Academy and try to clear her name. If they learn who she is and report us to the authorities, it will reach their ears. I have to work as fast as I can to make sure that doesn't happen before I reveal my self." The man argued.
"Utter nonsense." The woman snapped. "I argued with you about this. I told you that you were putting too much faith in her, faith in her to handle something she should never have been part of. It was you who disregarded my warning."
The man opened a file, showing a recording with Jeremy in it.
"And let's not forget that the reason we are in this mess in the first place is because you, Franz, created the very monster who was meant to be a Guardian of your masterpiece and couldn't kill him when you all had the chance. It was you who brought this on us!"
The woman turned the elevator, slamming her hand on the up switch and left the man, Franz opened the file.
"Diary of Jeremy Belpois, October 1st. I was hunting for part to finish my miniature robots…"
The door opened to the meeting room, allowing Chris to enter while Chef was working on connecting them to the Producers via a video call.
"Do we have a connection yet, Chef?" Chris asked.
"We'll have it in a second." Chef replied.
Suddenly static began to appear on the screen.
"Whoa, there we are! Boss! Director, hello? Waving my hand, do you see me?" Chris was in front of the screen, waving before the image of the Producers with the lead one, a shadowy woman appearing in the center.
"Look he can see me, but I can't see him!" She snarled to somebody off screen.
"Boss, we have an image!" Somebody off screen said.
"What? Ok, whatever you're doing, keep doing it." The Lead Producer replied.
"Hey Director, we've got you loud and clear here!" Chris called out.
"I see you...I see you... I see you guys, you're all right there. Is Chris Mclean with you guys?" the Director asked.
"Right here sir!" Chris waved a hand.
"And Chef Hatchet is in the room, right?"
"Yes ma'am!" Chef answered, waving his hand.
"You, hit that host in the face, NOW!"
"Gladly!" Chef grinned.
"WHAT?!"
THWACK!
"Ow. Ow." Chris nursed his black eye. "What did I do to deserve that?"
"What haven't you done to deserve it? We pay your bail, we talk the French government into letting you shoot the next season of Total Drama in France rather than back on that island which wasn't easy mind you, since the French are still upset with the two girls who vandalized the Mona Lisa!"
"Technically, that happened after Season 2 but months before Season 3. We're not legally responsible for them when the show's not on the air." Chris cheekily clarified.
"Doesn't matter! We still had to promise that neither of them nor the rest of the cast would cause any damage here or we'd be talking back on the island, the same island that cost millions to clean up the toxic waste you dumped there and in one day you get embroiled in a cyber terrorist attack." The lead Producer raved.
"That was not my fault. I didn't have anything to do with that." Chris argued.
"We know that. If we thought you were behind it, you'd be serving the rest of your sentence in a French prison." The Producer retorted. "Now, onto the main topic of our discussion, the first challenge's broadcast was a disaster because of that cyber attack. A lot of parents called in when they saw a freaky red eye on TV that was showing every single channel broadcasting in France. Just what exactly have you done to make sure that no other contestants will be in danger this time?"
"Well, we disconnected the main network of the VR Pods and all connected systems from live broad casting, instead we will broadcast live through a camera that will record the main view screen that shows what is going on in the VR scenario so there won't be a risk of a cyber attack reaching the contestants again." Chris answered.
"Do you know how this virus got into the computer?"
"No sir, it just ate right through our fire walls, but we do know it slipped in from a wireless connection from a nearby cyber cafe. We checked there but none of the computers or people had the power to create something of that degree of power." Chris shrugged.
"Fine but no one goes into those VR Pods until we are sure there won't be another attack like that one." The lead Producer stated.
"Yes sir." Chris nodded.
"And just remember that you have three contestants in critical condition with two more not far behind and one being the son of a diplomat and not to mention that Heather girl's family has quite the influence. Her dad dines with Mr. Harper this afternoon damn it!" The lead Producer complained. "We're just lucky no one from the Burromuerto figured out what you did to their kid."
"Hey, I got him to sign the forms and legally absolve the show!" Chris objected.
"And you've been keeping him around as your own personal toaster for a year. If the Burromuerto family ever find out what you did they would sue the show for everything."
"True but we've got every best lawyer in the world on speed-dial. They would have those donkeys tied up in court for years." Chris chuckled.
"Good, to know. Now all of you get to work, we have a show to continue!" The lead Producer exclaimed. "Keep those kids safe and we won't suffer any more grief from worried parents. This could be the best season we have and we can't afford to mess this one up. Make sure nothing like this happens again Chris." The lead Producer sat back in her chair and looked to the side. "DIET COKE NOW!"
The call ended and Chris sighed in relief. "Well, that went as expected."
"Yeah." Chef grinned.
"Wipe the smirk off your face, Chef."
"Will Miss Stones please report to the Principal Office immediately. Miss Stones, come to the Principal Office, immediately. And bring your laptop with you."
William perked up at the sound of Aelita being called to the Principal Office. He hoped it didn't have anything to do with her missing friends.
'Just in case though…' William opted to keep his cell phone on and stay close by.
Little did William know that Sissy was already headed to the Principal Office, stopping just outside the door so she could listen in.
After her encounter with Walter, Aelita just wanted the rest of the day to be quiet so she could just finish classes and work on the data William had found. However, when she heard her name being called to the Principal Office she knew she had no choice but to go see what the Principal wanted. She saw Jim waiting for her outside the cafeteria and knew it was serious. He led to the Principal Office and opened the door for her to see…
Oh no…
Jeremy's father, Michael Belpois.
Takeho Ishiyama and Akiko Ishiyama, Yumi's Parents.
Marguerite and Robert Robbia, Odd's parents.
Along with Walter Stern and his wife.
All of them waiting for her as she slowly entered the office, Jim closing the door behind her.
"Miss Stones, please have a seat." Jean-Pierre gestured to the chair in front of his desk.
Steeling herself, Aelita walked forward and sat down. "You wanted to see me, sir?"
"Yes." Jean-Pierre sighed, rubbing his head. "It has come to our attention, that you along with the missing students were involved in something very dangerous, Miss Stones…Or should I say Hopper?"
Aelita's went wide and she was completely speechless. "H-H-How-"
"Your friend, XANA chose to give away your secret." Jean-Pierre turned the screen of his computer to show the message box from XANA and the Principal then played the recording that came with it.
"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-" Ulrich's voice began.
"I could put her up at my house. My folks wouldn't mind." Yumi's voice spoke next.
"And you could plug into the City Hall computers and create a phony identity for her. Find her a new name, all the stuff she needs." Ulrich spoke again.
"Then you just have to enroll her at our school. And try to put her in our class, that would be really cool, huh?" Odd's voice was next.
"I had to hack a military satellite." Jeremy's voice then said before the recording ended. "Because that dumb principal wouldn't let Yumi leave the school grounds."
Aelita could listen in shock.
The adults knew and because of XANA of all people?
He had recorded them during…
Of course, she was still living in Lyoko at the time. It would made perfect sense if XANA had been monitoring all communications between her and Jeremy but why send this recording to the Principal now?
Did XANA intend to expose her secret?
"I'm sorry, Miss Hopper but I must ask you for your laptop…Or should I say Jeremy's laptop." Jean-Pierre stated.
Before Aelita could reply, Jim grabbed her bag and placed it on the desk for the Principal to inspect. The principal then turned to the viewscreen of his computer and typed a question:
'I have the laptop. What now?'
There was immediate reply from XANA: Jeremy kept a recording of all the evidence you need. Access his video files and you will find it.
Jean-Pierre frowned as he typed back. "Do you know the password?"
Aelita looked at the screen.
There was a pause and then Jeremy's computer beeped, the restrictions being broken as the Eye of XANA flashed on the screen briefly before the files were open for them.
XANA had hacked Jeremy's laptop?!
'Search for the earliest file dating back to October 1st, 2005.' XANA texted the principal.
Jean-Pierre did so, and everyone watched as Jeremy appeared on the screen.
"Diary of Jeremy Belpois, October 1st. I was hunting for part to finish my miniature robots. There was nothing for me to find at the school, so I tried looking for nearby scrap at an abandoned factory I learned about that was not far from the academy…"
"…and I found something unbelievable! Through an elevator that was still working, I found some sort of laboratory complex underneath the factory with scanners and what appeared an advanced supercomputer."
Franz continued watching the recording while running several other programs.
"Later that night, I chose to turn on the supercomputer. Little did I know, my life and the lives my new friends were about to be changed forever."
Aelita was stunned but couldn't do anything with Jim behind her, keeping an eye on her.
"Inside the supercomputer was a complete virtual world and residing there was a girl named Aelita who seems to be a fully fledged artificial intelligence in the form of a human but that was not all. There appears to be another AI named XANA but unlike Aelita, XANA was malevolent and aggressive, attacking us as soon as the supercomputer was activated…"
Franz frowned.
"…the only way to stop XANA for good was to shut down the supercomputer but there is one thing stopping us at the moment. Aelita. If the supercomputer is shut down, she will be gone along with Lyoko and XANA. I am currently working on a way to bring Aelita into our world now, even as we endure attacks from XANA."
From his hidden sanctuary, XANA watched Jeremy's recording with amusement.
"Despite the hardships and a minor misunderstanding with our gym teacher Jim, I managed to finally materialize Aelita but when we tried to shut down the supercomputer, we find out that XANA had infected Aelita with a virus that would kill her if XANA were to be shut down. All our efforts and the fight still continue until I can find an anti-virus."
Jim blanched, surprised by what he had just heard about himself finding out their secret while unintentionally injuring Jeremy.
"We learned that Franz Hopper was the creator of both Lyoko and XANA and that Aelita in actuality was his daughter who had been virtualized onto Lyoko with her father before he had been taken prisoner by XANA. With the help of the diary I learned that it wasn't a virus that was keeping Aelita tied to the supercomputer but a memory fragment stolen by XANA and used to bind her life to his. Now that I understand what really happened, I'm now scanning Lyoko for the memory fragment and once we get it back, we can shut down the supercomputer and get rid of XANA once and for all."
Franz folded his hands underneath his chin, hearing this part out clearly.
"…July 9th, 2005," Jeremy's voice sounded dismayed. "Today, XANA escaped the supercomputer. He's out there, somewhere and we have to locate and stop him."
Aelita lowed her eyes as Jeremy recounted the events of that day.
"September 16th, 2006. XANA managed to possess Aelita through the Scyphozoa and implanted a command in the Forest Sector's Way Tower that caused the entire Forest Sector to be deleted. I surmised that XANA is attempting to stop us from reaching Sector 5 and stopping him from destroyed the Heart of Lyoko like he tried earlier. If Lyoko is destroyed, we will lose our only chance of stopping XANA so I must work on a way to materialize everyone directly into Sector 5."
"November 7th, 2006. With the toll from fighting XANA is having on our lives and the loss of the Mountain Sector, we've debated adding in a fifth member of the team. I managed to complete the virtualization sequence for Sector 5 so with any luck, we're still able to keep up with XANA."
"November 8th, 2006. We lost not only Lyoko but also William who ended up getting possessed and used to destroy the core. Fortunately, a message on my laptop from Franz Hopper gives us hope since he is not only still alive but has given several programs that could help us rebuild Lyoko and continue fighting against XANA. I am working on it even now, because the longer Lyoko is gone, the longer the world is defenceless against a threat no one else knows about."
"November 18th, 2006. Aelita and I have worked day and night, using the data sent to us from Franz Hopper to recreate Lyoko. Using a Voice Synthesizer, I convinced the Principal that William's father took him over seas to explain his absence from school."
Jean-Pierre blanched upon hearing that Jeremy had deceived him.
"November 19th, 2006. We learned that William survived Lyoko's destruction but at the cost of being fully controlled by XANA. We barely managed to save Aelita from being thrown into the Digital Sea for some reason. With Lyoko soon to be restored, we'll now have to work on a way to free William from XANA's control."
"November 28th, 2006. We have managed to create a virtual submarine that we can use to explore the network and to hopefully track XANA down. During our first voyage we discovered what could only be described as a Replica of Lyoko, created by XANA with the data he stole from Aelita. I only managed to get back in time after Jim hounded me for the evacuation exercise. As of yet, we do not know why XANA has created a Replica but we intend to find out."
"December 2nd, 2006. We attempted to access the Replika, that is Replica with the letter 'k' to signify their importance and we've discovered it came from a supercomputer that was infected by XANA. The existence of one Replika means it is likely there are many more, created by from supercomputers that XANA infected when he escaped our supercomputer. I have begun working on a program to track and find these Replikas in the hopes of destroying them to weaken and stop XANA as well as to find Franz Hopper and William."
"January 21st, 2006. We've learned that not only Franz Hopper is still alive and hiding in the Network but also XANA is searching for him to eliminate him since as his creator, Hopper holds the means to eliminating XANA permanently. Aelita was lured to Lyoko where she found a simulation bubble with her father seemingly waiting for her, but it was a trap set by XANA and she was thrown into the Digital Sea. Franz Hopper appeared and rescued her, having somehow managed to survive by hiding in the Digital Sea of all places. It is imperative now that we do not let XANA destroy Hopper because he is our best chance at destroying XANA for good."
"March 30, 2007. I brought Franz Hopper's diary back. After the neuronal headset and the Marabounta incident, I stopped using either. But I am starting to work another program from my room and this will be the first video recording my progress on it. The program is a multi-agent system, made up of agents that are programmed to focus on eliminating XANA and his Replikas spread around the world, putting an end to him once and for all.
I also have worked to adjust the program that will bring back William when they return to the Replika in Siberia."
"April 1st, 2007. Progress is slower than I thought and the fake William clone I created to keep our cover keeps causing problems. We got word that William's parents are visiting, meaning we have to move fast and get the real William back as soon as possible. Between working on the program to bring him back and finishing the multi-agent system, I am having a hard time prioritizing which one, especially when the clone does some stupid thing that Odd suggests."
"April 7th, 2007. We've done. It's been over two and half years of fighting, but we finally managed to destroy XANA. The multi-agent system spread through the network, destroying all the Replikas and purging the supercomputers of XANA's infections. Without any of the supercomputers and Replikas to sustain him, XANA died but our victory came at a cost. Franz Hopper sacrificed himself to power the program before we could materialize him."
Aelita had to look away, knowing now that and Jeremy were wrong. XANA had not only faked his death but also killed her father, making her feel even worse as Jeremy's diary was being played to all her friends' parents and the principal.
"April 10th, 2007. With XANA dead, all that was left was to shutdown the supercomputer, but then Sissy as always tried to ruin everything. We came up with the idea of telling her she was our friend so she would stop bothering us."
Sissy, who had been listening in through the door, gasped with wide eyes.
"It's amazing to think she almost joined the group at the beginning of everything and that one thing that has never changed about her is that she always selfishly thinks of herself and is always trying to break up our group from her silly obsession with Ulrich. She told her dad everything at the beginning and three years later when we're finally ending it, she does it again after she puts a tracker on Ulrich's jacket that led her to the factory, found my diary and then spilled everything to the principal, forcing us to use one last Return to the Past to stop her. If I have to pretend to be friends with her until the 12th grade, then so be it even if it means putting up with her childish and delusional clingy behavior. It is clear that no matter how much things have changed; Sissy never will change for the better and will always be an annoying thorn in our sides."
Sissy, who had been outside the room but managed to listen in was utterly shocked and distraught with tears slipping down her cheeks.
"With any luck though, this will be my last recording as a Lyoko Warrior." Jeremy finished with a relieved smile on his face.
With that, the diary was finished.
All of the adults were left speechless at what they had learned while Aelita remained silent, seemingly frozen from listening to Jeremy recount the three years of conflict that they had endured before seemingly having finally managed to end it.
X.A.N.A.: As you can see, reports of my demise were greatly exaggerated. Now then, since you all know the truth now, perhaps you would like to bargain for the return of Yumi, Odd, Ulrich and Jeremy.
Aelita's eyes went wide.
X.A.N.A.: My demands are simple: In exchange for them, they are to be expelled from Kadic, the supercomputer at the factory will be shut down and the returned students will be relocated to separate schools while Aelita and William are brought back to Lyoko one last time.
(Credits)
Chapter 16: Episode 16: Choice of Reckoning
Summary:
Aelita is caught between the parents of her missing friends and XANA who uses a tactic no one could have seen and tries bargaining with the parents in exchange for the return of their children.
Chapter Text
( Code Total Drama Reality Introduction Song Starts )
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) )
(The ending of this story)
The song starts, showing the end of Code Lyoko where the Supercomputer is shut down and the former Lyoko Warriors leave the factory seemingly for the last time.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
A single computer is shown coming online, lines of 1s and 0s streaming across the screen before the screen is replaced by a glowing sphere with the Eye of XANA, at least eight variations appearing on it. From the sphere came lines of data emerging in eight different directions. The lines of data formed into various regions, all of them floating landscapes resembling a forest, a desert, an arctic, mountains, volcanoes, swamp and a jungle.
(Into this new world)
The new lands orbited the golden sphere as the camera zoomed in on the Eye of XANA staring at the screen.
(The game has only just begun)
The Eye then flashes red, and the sphere turns black.
(I can see it in your eyes)
A girl with pink hair sits on her bed, panting as she turns to see two pictures of her friends and her father. She smiles briefly but that smile turns to a look of horror as both her friends and her father are engulfed by a great darkness and the red Eye shines down on her. The Supercomputer, thought to be shut down, is reactivated and there is a flash of light.
(This is where tomorrow brings a new game)
Aelita is shown alone both in the real world and in Lyoko, hordes of monsters surrounding her.
Geoff is first shown in his human form before transitioning to his Lyoko form.
Next to him is Bridgette, holding her surfboard in the real world before changing into her Lyoko form, her board splitting into two swords.
(It's time to learn that pain is gain)
Gwen is shown sitting in front of tree, looking up and is instantly changed into her Lyoko Avatar, brandishing her scythe.
DJ is shown in the woods, tending to a little rabbit as he stands up and morphs into his Lyoko form, turning to face the camera with a stern glare.
LeShawna is last, ready to fight in both her human form and her Lyoko form.
(Ready fight!)
William and a dark reflection of himself as XANA's General are shown standing back-to-back, turning to face each other and swinging their swords.
The screen is split by the two swords, showing New Lyoko as the title appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(I gotta crush and paint away the anguish)
Aelita is shown first, sitting at the computer before she is then shown as the DJ of a party. She morphs into her Lyoko form and conjures an energy field.
This was followed quickly by Geoff wildly waving his hat while riding something with Bridgette holding onto him by the back.
(Of my past for the sake of my future)
Gwen is shown next, drawing in her sketchbook and signifying with a sad face as Duncan, Courtney and Trent appear behind her, their backs facing in her direction.
(Until my life comes to an end)
DJ is shown running for his life from appears to be a giant bear.
(I am gonna fight to tear apart that destiny)
LeShawna is shown next, standing confidently with her team, ready to face whatever crazy challenge comes next.
(Aoh, break out and start a revolution)
The antagonists of Total Drama: Heather, Courtney, Justin, Anne Maria, Jo, Lightning, Scott and Alejandro in the Total Drama Machine are shown from left to right, grinning or glaring at the camera, holding up an imaginary case of the million- dollar prize money in their hands. Chris Mclean is shown next, arms crossed as the chair he is sitting in spins to meet the camera, zooming out to show it is the monitor room for the Total Drama show.
A dark shadow appears above them, scrawny in appearance and hair falling over the left eye as it glares darkly at the screen.
(Until you find the answer you're looking for)
The camera then shows Aelita with the new Lyoko Warriors, the TD Lyoko Warriors and William sitting around a campfire, all of them staring up into the starry night sky, a picture of her friends and father resting in Aelita's hands.
(I'll challenge all my limits)
Aelita in her Lyoko form with her wings sprouting from her back is shown, clutching Mr. Puck in her hands as she seemingly falls back, her friends and relatives in the background.
The camera moves down to show William kneeling down, clutching his sword in both hands. As this happens, the camera moves down, showing depictions of the TD Lyoko Warriors and other characters in the background.
The camera continues to move down to show Geoff pulling Bridgette into sharing a picture with LeShawna bringing her face up over Bridgette's shoulder, the three of them in their Lyoko forms. While this happens, Harold, Lindsay, Beth, Trent, Katie and Sadie are shown in the background.
Below them is Gwen with her arms and legs curled around her with her cape swirling behind her like wings while Heather and Courtney are shown in the background glaring at each other followed by Sierra clutching Cody who looks distressed, Eva crossing her arms along with B and Beth both waving, the latter looking very shy. Behind Gwen appeared Dawn in her own Lyoko form in a meditative pose while upside down while facing Gwen with her eyes closed, her light robe contrasting with Gwen's cape with dark clothing, almost forming a yin-yang symbol.
Behind Dawn appears Scott, snickering evilly.
(Knowing this could be my only chance now)
DJ is shown last, seemingly falling back while holding his pet rabbit: Bunny in his hands with a happy smile. His teammates shown in the background starting with Duncan, Tyler, Justin and Alejandro ending with Chef Hatchet and Chris McClean.
He is followed by Mike and Zoey, both clutching their hands and smiling at each other as in background appears Brick, Jo, Lightning, Sam and Staci.
And lately Cameron appears staring up at the others.
(To overcome this fate that has come over me)
The screen turns black and the Eye of XANA immediately flashes into existence, glowing red and shadowing the outline of a singular person with red glowing eyes.
(The ending of this story)
Aelita is shown, standing in a meadow now with the wind gently blowing through her hair.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
She holds up a hand, gazing sadly up as the images of her friends and parents appear in the sky.
(Into this new world)
Her hand then becomes digital, transitioning to Lyoko.
((The game has only just begun))
She gazes up a little longer before she notices her new friends and allies standing with her and smiles before looking forward, seeing a tower in the distance.
(I can see it in your eyes)
Just as they are about to rush towards the tower, the camera angles up into the digital sky as the song reaches its end.
The scene then shifts to pictures of Aelita and her friends both old and new on a desktop as the title appears on last time:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) Ends )
Episode 16: Choice of Reckoning
"Well, here we are back again." Said Ulrich.
"Yep. Another full year with the special meatloaf." Said Odd.
"Some things never change. Honestly." Said Yumi.
"Sometimes that's a good thing Yumi." Aelita giggled.
"We have two hours of chemistry first" said Jeremy, checking his schedule.
"I've got history" added Yumi. "And I better get moving, Professor Fumet is usually already in the classroom by now."
Ulrich smiled. "Guys, we're better off discussing this another time, alright?"
Yumi transferred her rucksack of books from one shoulder to another.
"Well, the Prof waits for no man. I've really got to head off guys."
"We'll see each other at dinner then, in the cafeteria."
"Awesome. Well, have a good first day everybody." She answered, quickly setting off up the path beyond the gate, continuing ahead of the others.
"Hm? Uh, Jim is something wrong with the- oh!" Delmas dropped his microphone in shock as electricity crackled from it. "What is going on?!"
Suddenly the projector switched on and a red light was projected onto the wall, showing the same strange 'eye' as the billions that appeared on every TV, computer, or cell phone in France. It was blood red, as were the words, bathing the entire gymnasium in a red ominous light.
Aelita's eyes widened, and for a moment she went limp against Jeremy, who caught her. Many people had risen to their feet, murmuring and whispering to each other, slowly getting nervous as they looked at the screen.
"Jeremy, is that what I think it is? Please tell me I had too much soda and that it's gone to my head, and I've flipped my lid." Odd whispered to Jeremy through clenched teeth.
"I-I...I don't..." Jeremy stammered. "Impossible..."
All of the Lyoko Fighters were paralyzed from the seeing the Eye of the enemy that they had fought and killed two years ago appear before them, staring them right in the face.
And then came the message.
I LIVE AGAIN
AND I AM COMING FOR YOU
"Aelita, run! Get to the tower!" Ulrich said, standing in front of the pink haired girl. "Deactivate one and we can still turn this around."
"I think not." XANA said before shooting forward.
Ulrich grunted as he angled his sword and caught XANA's blade.
"This isn't like before, Ulrich." XANA spoke slowly as Ulrich shoved him back. "You think I simply announced my return just for us to pick up where we left off? Everything has changed while you remain as you were, even before I first destroyed Lyoko. Still the same children parading yourself as so-called heroes when you spent the last two years, fumbling in the ignorance of a normal life earned by the false victory I gave you."
"It doesn't matter whether you tricked us or not." Ulrich retorted as Odd and Yumi joined him. "We'll stop you no matter what."
XANA grinned. "Still so confident. Perhaps it's time I show you just how outclassed you truly are."
With that, a red Eye appeared underneath the trio, making Aelita stop and turn around to look back. Surges of orange-yellowish energy sprouted from the edges of the Eye, crackling like lightning.
"Guardian Circle!" XANA announced, narrowing his eyes. "Now, show me if you are still as capable as you believe, Lyoko Warriors."
The energy lashed out like tendrils, attempting to grab the trio as they moved to escape. Ulrich grunted as he blocked the incoming surges with his sword with Yumi standing behind him, blocking incoming surges with her fans.
Odd tried to move, using his own energy shield to block the surges as he neared the edge, but a laser shot hit him in the back. "GAH!"
The dragon themed knights appeared, one of them holding a laser pistol that hit Odd in the back. With the momentary distraction, a surge shot out and hit Odd, wrapping around his arm and allowing energy to travel down his body.
"Guys, I need a hand-" Odd was cut off as the energy formed into a Guardian that immediately swallowed him.
"ODD!" Ulrich and Yumi shouted.
More and more energy surges lashed out as the Dragon Knights surrounded the Guardian Circle, cutting them off from escaping. The Dragon Knight armed with laser pistols fired into the circle at Ulrich and Yumi, increasing the difficulty of attempting to escape the circle.
"Triangulate!" Ulrich shouted, conjuring two more copies while moving in between the three afterimages in a flash of golden yellow light.
The tendrils along with the Knights began firing rapidly now as Ulrich fought harder to block the incoming attacks and hopefully at least get Yumi out. Then out of nowhere, the energy tendrils latched onto nearby rocks and boulders and shot them at Ulrich's clones, taking them out instantly. Ulrich slammed into a boulder, leaving him stunned and wide open as an energy tendril grabbed him.
"ULRICH!" Yumi shouted, trying to slash the tendril holding Ulrich but was hit from behind and grabbed by an energy tendril.
In a matter of seconds, both of them were left swallowed up by the Guardians forming around them.
"Now let's put you somewhere nice and quiet." XANA hissed before a portal opened beneath the Guardians who immediately sank into with the trio they were holding.
"It'd be too easy just to kill the three of you." XANA answered. "Fortunately, my victory in our last battle has left me in such a good mood that I've decided to spare the three of you…Well, you might not consider it sparing you."
"What are you going to do?" Yumi asked, feeling a pit rising in her stomach.
"You're no doubt aware I've recreated the Replikas that were originally destroyed. Of course, not only I've created brand new ones." XANA began, pleased by his work. "And out of the hundreds of Replikas, three of them will be your new permanent home."
That caused Odd, Ulrich and Yumi to pale slightly before Odd asked. "What do you mean three? Don't you mean one?"
"He's not leaving us together in a Replika." Yumi caught on. "You're separating us and leaving us to rot on our own Replikas."
"Correct." XANA nodded. "No weapons, no contact with the real world and no one to come to your rescue."
"Well, that was easy." XANA remarked with a grin, the large translucent screen before allowing him and the captured Lyoko Warriors to see what was happening.
"Aelita!" Odd and Yumi shouted upon seeing Aelita taking a hit in the leg.
William then came, trying to help, but the Tarantula easily injured him while setting a tree on fire.
"Ah William, it's regrettable that I had lost you as my general." XANA remarked, a look of possibly nostalgia appearing on his face. "Once Aelita is incapacitated I'll consider what to be done about you."
Ulrich grit his teeth, unable to do anything but watch as the monster turned back to Aelita.
"It's over."
"AELITA!"
XANA scowled upon sensing his tower being deactivated.
"Well, well, looks like things didn't go your way, XANA." The AI could hear Odd taunting from behind. "All that preparation and waiting and Aelita still took you down just like the good old days."
XANA turned and faced the captured Lyoko Warriors with a scowl which they smiled at.
"And we get to see the look on your face as you lose…again." Odd taunted.
"You are quite confident for a prisoner." XANA retorted.
"Not for long. I know Aelita will find a way to save us." Yumi argued.
"We'll see about that." XANA waved his hand and the three were engulfed in Guardians again that shot out of the chamber. "You may have new allies Aelita, but much has changed since before. We'll see if they can measure up to your expectations."
When she first opened her eyes, she was greeted with the familiar mountain scape of Lyoko's Mountain Sector.
Only it wasn't Lyoko.
It was a Replika she had been dumped on, left to rot by the menace that had captured her. Yumi had long since stopped calling out for anyone, accepting that no one other than XANA could possibly hear her. She wandered aimlessly, just walking the familiar terrain with the hopes that she wouldn't go insane from the lack of contact with anyone and the fact that she was trapped here.
No Jeremy to materialize her.
Jeremy…
Yumi had paused, a look of anguish on her face as she recalled being shown the recording of Jeremy being thrown into the Digital Sea, a fate she had suffered briefly before Aelita had sacrificed her chance to be materialized to save her. She never thought too much on what happened to her, mostly because she could barely remember what it was like to fall into the sea and be lost in the void forever. Now Jeremy had suffered that fate on a day that was meant to be the start of another year with her friends, living a normal life and basking in the relief that they were all living a happy and peaceful life.
Only now it had all been dashed.
XANA's return had not just been the end of their hard-earned peace, he had revealed that their victory had never been a victory at all. It had been staged to look like they had won, that Aelita's dad had given up his own life for Aelita to be safe and then XANA set his sights on them and robbed them of everything they had worked so hard and sacrificed for. Now here she was, left alone with not even Ulrich and Odd to keep her company while she wondered what was happening out there.
Was Aelita okay?
Were the people she had helping her keeping her safe?
Yumi was sure her parents had realized she had disappeared and wondered how they were reacting.
How her little brother was handling?
She couldn't even access the towers here to try contacting anyone like Aelita used to before Jeremy materialized her. Aelita had been given knowledge of how to work the towers through the Keys to Lyoko her dad had given her, but Yumi had neither the Keys nor the knowledge to use any of the towers. She couldn't call Aelita or even try calling Ulrich and Odd, wherever they would be.
It was all so…
Hopeless.
Yumi could only sit down on a large rocky platform and curl up into a ball, burying her face into her knees as she tried and failed to contain the feelings of despair that threatened to consume her. She was alone, unable to call for help, unable to even sleep, drink or eat in a world that was maintained by whatever computer it was connected with and could likely last years.
Aelita had been trapped for over a decade, but to her it was more like a few seconds before waking up with no memory. If help did not come for Yumi, would she be able to handle being trapped her for so long without going mad?
Why had this happened?
Why had it all gone so wrong?
"Yumi?"
All around him were nothing but trees, reaching up into the clouds where the tops could not be seen and were endless in number. The ground beneath his feet were green, carpeting of grass and moss remaining firm under each step and broken into large segments, connected by narrow paths. The sky was engulfed by a bright orange glow that was reflected by the sea below.
This was the Forest Sector.
Or the Forest Replika to be more precise.
Ulrich could only walk along the narrow path he was on, just taking the chance to try remain calm and collect his thoughts.
How had this happened?
Oh, XANA came back from the dead, captured him, Yumi and Odd and then dumped him here while leaving their last sight of Aelita gaining help which sparked the small bit of hope in Ulrich that she might save him, Yumi and Odd.
And Jeremy…
Ulrich wanted to believe that Jeremy could be saved. Yumi and Aelita had both been flung into the Digital Sea and they had survived, even with help. No matter what, Ulrich clung to the hope that Jeremy could be saved, no matter how fragile the chance was. They all had gone up against everything XANA had thrown at them before with certain death being the most likely scenario and each time they survived. Now though, Ulrich knew he just had to hold on until the chance to escape finally came.
At the very least the Forest Sector was beautiful enough for him to find a way remain calm, despite everything that has happened. Football season had started up, his grade had improved but not enough to please his father but at this point Ulrich could safely say he was just about done trying to please that man. He was just glad he could be with Yumi and wanted to continue being with her this new year…
Except that was unlikely to happen now.
The horror of XANA's return was great but as long as he could still be with Yumi and the others, he thought he could handle it. Maybe that's why XANA did this, separating them from each other as revenge for all the times they foiled him. A petty and heartless last attempt to have the last laugh against them while he finally took over the world. Ulrich couldn't even try working the towers to contact Yumi, Odd or even call for help from Aelita in the real world.
So here he was, all alone.
Funny, at the beginning when he started attending Kadic, he was fine with being a loner. That was before he met Jeremy, Odd, and Yumi but now…
"There's not even a monster for me to take my frustration out on." Ulrich grunted.
He didn't even have his swords with him.
If something didn't happen soon, he was going to-
"Ulrich!"
Why did it have to be a Desert Replika?
It was hot and bright and Odd couldn't even try taking a nap in the shade. If Odd ever imagined returning to Lyoko, he would have wanted it to be somewhere nice, like maybe the Ice Sector.
Oh wait, that might be too cold, even for him.
He could have preferred the Forest or Mountain Sectors but being stuck in one sector for so long would drive even Odd crazy. Is this how Aelita handled herself before Jeremy materialized her? At least she could talk to Jeremy and the others and wasn't stuck in one sector.
This wasn't Lyoko.
It probably wasn't even a Replika.
It was a prison.
Even Odd could tell that this Replika only existed to keep him prisoner while Ulrich and Yumi were locked in their own Replikas. XANA must be really ticked with them if he just locked them here with no way out instead of just killing them. Odd wanted to believe he could find a way out but not even his bravado was enough to cover the growing fear inside him.
The fear of not getting out of here.
The fear of never seeing his friends or family again.
The fear of remaining helpless as XANA took over the world.
It made him feel helpless and he hated it. He could admit he had missed being on Lyoko and would have jumped at the chance to be a hero again but not like this.
Not like this.
He couldn't even imagine how Aelita was feeling.
XANA coming back was one thing but to find out XANA had faked his death the whole time and tricked not just them but Aelita's dad…He couldn't even try calling her and being the metaphorical shoulder to cry on like he tried to be when things got rough between her and Jeremy. XANA tricked them all and he wasted no opportunity in rubbing their faces in it.
Heck, he went as far as to make a human face to show them how pleased he was that his plan had worked.
"Did it really never occur to any of you, not even you Jeremy that I would not anticipate such a plan? To use a multi-agent system to destroy another multi-agent system? You believe yourselves to be so intelligent that you couldn't comprehend the idea that not only as a multi-agent system but as an artificial intelligence I would not recognize a threat to me? No, I knew what you had planned, and I even anticipated it long before you had even considered it." XANA spoke with satisfaction. "I knew from the moment when Jeremy created that program, he had designated as the Marabounta that he would eventually return to that idea when you all realized the number of Replikas I had created. I planned every step of what happened leading up to the last confrontation. The XANA that was destroyed was a copy. A powerful one that could have evolved as I do, but a copy none the less."
"As our battles continued, I realized that as long as my creator was alive, I would always be watching over my back for him, which is why I continued to try to toss Aelita into the Digital Sea, so he would come into the open to rescue her and allow me to dispatch him. But you kept on interfering, so I had to make an alternate plan. Remember your trip to the Siberian Base? It was there you discovered the key programs needed to release William from me and where you discovered the hundreds of supercomputers I controlled when I made my strongest creation, the one you had named the Kolossus." XANA continued. "At that point, Jeremy realized he needed to find a faster way to destroy all of my replicas to destroy me. And what did he come up with? A virus of his own to destroy me, a multi agent system that would spread all over the network and specifically wipe out anything that had to do with me. So, I left the network...I put myself into a computer and disguised myself as another program and waited as my copy did battle with you making you all believe I was making my last stand."
XANA could see the horror slowly beginning to dawn on their faces, especially Aelita's.
"I disconnected the supercomputer of course; I counted on your persistence being my copy's downfall. All I needed to do was let you have William's freedom restored and then you would use the program to destroy me...I applaud you all for the roles you played up to this point, but now I shall not allow myself to be a victim of such plans this time around." XANA finished, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.
"You tricked us!" Odd shouted.
"To win at chess, sometimes you have to give up a pawn." Ulrich growled. "Well damn, he really did have us."
"And he played us like puppets the whole way." Yumi added.
XANA grinned. "I did indeed."
And then there was Jeremy…
"Jeremy and Aelita will find us, XANA. They won't give up." Ulrich argued, only to pause as he watched XANA's smile widen.
"Well, Aelita might try but I doubt the same can be said for Jeremy." XANA retorted as he brought up a recorded image…
Of XANA throwing Jeremy into the Digital Sea.
Odd, Yumi and Ulrich looked on in horror and anguish, watching as Jeremy hit the waters with a loud splash and completely vanished, never to come back out.
"As you can see, this is not like before." XANA closed the window, pleased by grieving looks on their faces. "You three are removed as obstacles, Jeremy has been scattered to every corner of the network, leaving only Aelita to deal with. Which is why you're awake now."
A new window appeared, showing Aelita leaving the school grounds.
"Aelita…" Odd whispered, seeing the grief-stricken look on her face.
"I am allowing you the privilege of seeing her before she is removed as my final obstacle." XANA stated. "Even if she restores the upgraded Avatar, you all used prior to shutting down the supercomputer, she is still only one and you all together barely held me back."
"Leave her alone!" Ulrich shouted. "Haven't you done enough to her?! You possessed her, you stole her memory, you killed her dad!"
XANA's eyes widened briefly before he smiled. "Yes, I did."
Odd knew that XANA was evil and that he would stop at nothing to win but everything that happened in what he thought was the last twenty-four hours…
This was unspeakable.
Franz was dead and now so was Jeremy, the Einstein of the group. Aelita would no doubt be devastated by this. As much as a joker Odd liked to be, what happened to them made him angry…
This wasn't like before when they managed to save everyone in the nick of time.
XANA had called them out, lured them back to Lyoko where he sprung his trap and he didn't just stop there. He had to make it personal by bringing Jeremy to Lyoko for one last 'talk' before getting rid of him.
XANA had gone too far this time.
The only bright side was that Aelita seemed to have some help.
"What happened?" XANA narrowed his eyes as he rewound the past seconds the Tarantula witnessed before it had been stabbed. "…Aelita found herself some help."
The three Lyoko Warriors had hopeful looks on their faces now.
Maybe Aelita had a chance after all.
He had to admit that if Aelita were to find help he didn't expect it to be contestants from the reality show Total Drama.
Yeah, Odd had watched the show and he even knew the name of the contestants.
Geoff, The Funniest Guy Around and one of Odd's personal favorites.
Bridgette, the Surfer Girl.
Gwen, the Loner.
LeShawana, the Sister with Tude.
And DJ, the Brickhouse with Heart.
He even knew they would be shooting a new season in France which Odd planned to catch later before XANA announced his return. Still, the fact that Aelita had the contestants of a reality show helping her was unexpected, but he hoped they could help her.
Still, given how well they did one their first mission, Odd was willing to give them a chance and the fact that they gave him a chance to taunt XANA one more time was a bonus in his books.
"Well, well, looks like things didn't go your way, XANA." The AI could hear Odd taunting from behind. "All that preparation and waiting and Aelita still took you down just like the good old days."
XANA turned and faced the captured Lyoko Warriors with a scowl which they smiled at.
"And we get to see the look on your face as you lose…again." Odd taunted.
"You are quite confident for a prisoner." XANA retorted.
"Not for long. I know Aelita will find a way to save us." Yumi argued.
Odd had faith in Aelita, but he had to wonder how long it might take her. Would he still be sane(well, as sane as he could be) if and when she finally rescues him, Ulrich and Yumi?
He just hopes everyone will be okay…
"Odd!"
Odd's head shot up; eyes wide. "Mom?"
Aelita could only stare in shock as Yumi, Ulrich and Odd appeared the screen of her laptop, the three of them looking surprised…and hopeful.
"Mom?" Yumi called out.
"Did I hear my dad?" Ulrich asked.
"Ulrich? Yumi?" Odd looked back and forth. "Can you hear me?"
"Odd!"
Walter shoved forward, leaning towards the computer. "Ulrich, it's me."
"Dad? How am I-"
"I am here in the Principal Office with your friend, Aelita Stones…Or should I say Aelita Hopper." Walter narrowed his eyes.
Ulrich, Odd and Yumi looked stunned as Ulrich stuttered. "She-she told you-"
"Told me?! TOLD ME?! It was your friend XANA who told us!" Walter snapped. "This is why your grades was so low?! You were playing hero for a girl you first thought was an AI but turned out to be the daughter of a wanted criminal!"
Ulrich gaped. "XANA told you?!"
"I can't believe what I've heard." Robert muttered, sharing a look with his wife. "We've had this girl over for dinner, but you told us she was Yumi's pen pal, Odd."
Odd chuckled weakly. "Well, she kind of was."
"And that she's actually supposed to be ten years older than she is now!"
Aelita nervously fidgeted in her seat.
"What's going on here?" Yumi asked. "Did XANA tell all our parents?"
"Indeed he did and he showed us Jeremy's video diary." Micheal Belpois replied, causing the three and Aelita to flinch. "Speaking of, where is Jeremy? Why isn't he with you?"
Aelita looked down at the ground while Ulrich, Odd and Yumi couldn't bear to speak. Their silence caused Michael to pale.
"No…" The father of Jeremy fell to his knees. "Please tell me-"
"I'm sorry. It's true." Aelita lifted her head, a tear coming down her cheek. "XANA killed him."
This caused the parents to pale but before anyone could speak, the wire sparked and the superscan beeped, showing an activated tower.
XANA's Eye appeared on Jean-Pierre's computer screen and from it emerged a specter. "You always were gullible, Aelita."
Aelita paled.
The super-scan in the lab alerted Franz to a tower being activated in the Forest Sector. "So soon? What are you up to, XANA?"
He urgently typed at the keyboard, bringing up several windows.
"Hopefully I can access the tower remotely and see what he's up to."
The specter landed on the ground and shifted. "If you thought I would try bargaining all the lives of your friends and leave out one important detail like that, you underestimate me yet again."
The specter solidified, taking the form of a tall dark-haired boy, dressed primarily in black with a black leather jacket and white fur collar while the red Eye of XANA was imprinted on his shirt. Red streaks highlighted his hair and his eyes were red, briefly flashing with the Eye symbol before returning to normal. The surrounding parents were all frozen, Jim gaping and Jean-Pierre seemingly moving to pick up his phone. Behind the door, Sissy stepped back, covering her mouth.
XANA's eyes turned sharply to Jean-Pierra and with a simple surge of electricity the phone was fried. "There's no need to bring the authorities into this. Now…let's talk."
'Talk?' Aelita wondered to herself.
This wasn't how the XANA she knew operated but to be honest, XANA had shown to be completely different from before ever since his return. It's almost as if being dormant wherever he had been had somehow changed him.
Made him act more…human.
"You may not see Jeremy now, but his data is easily accessible, and I can easily reconstitute him back to his original state." XANA spoke calmly. "As you have heard, Jeremy was not the first to be thrown into the Digital Sea and come back. Anyone with the right knowledge can restore him which I am willing to do as long you agree to my terms."
"Terms?" Ulrich asked, hearing everything with Odd and Yumi.
A window opened and Franz could see the Principal Office of Kadic. "I did it. I managed to access the tower and piggyback on XANA's signal. Now what is he up to?"
"The terms are in exchange for granting you three your freedom and Jeremy being restored, you along with Aelita will be expelled from Kadic and relocated to other schools, far from each other along with the supercomputer being shut down. I only needed it back on to lure you back, but it has served its purpose."
Franz's eyes widened.
"Do this and all four of your children will be released and reunited with you."
"So that's his plan." Franz muttered. "I can't use a Return to the Past yet…but I can try something that will surprise him."
He looked through the list of contacts that had been stored in the computer and then another program as he adjust his headset. "Testing…Testing…"
Geoff answered his cell phone. "Hello?"
"Geoff! Get the others; XANA has activated a tower in the forest region!" Aelita shouted.
"Uh oh." He looked to the others. "Guys, we got a problem involving you-know-who and you know where! Let's go!"
Franz typed away at the computer once the call ended. "Now I need to get Aelita out of there."
"I am still sending you to another school, Ulrich! Your grades come first, and you should have told the authorities about this in the first place!" Walter snapped at Ulrich.
"Didn't you hear a single world listening to Jeremy's diary?! XANA can't be trusted! He'll just get rid of us all when he has what he wants!" Ulrich shouted back. "You can't be this dumb!"
"I'm smart enough to see that sending you to this school was a mistake from the start! Your defiance towards me and your mother even as it is plain to see this is where you got playing hero only shows I was right from the start!"
"Yumi, I'm sure there are other schools you can go to but we can't let you play hero like this anymore." Taeko actually agreed with Walter.
"Mom, listen. You can't trust XANA will just hand us over. Not after all this time." Yumi argued but her parents would not relent.
"Odd, I commend you for trying to save the world and all, but you still lied in our name to get Aelita an identity." Robert shook his head. "This is not okay."
"Okay, maybe not but we had good reason." Odd weakly defended.
Jean-Pierre turned to XANA. "Why do you want Stones and Dunbar? I won't hand them over, especially since it was said in Jeremy's diary you already had Dunbar as a prisoner."
"I don't want them as prisoners, I actually to seek to help them finally move on from Lyoko." XANA replied with a sly grin as he glanced at Aelita. "Even after all this time, they are still connected to Lyoko and myself. For them to ever truly be free, that connection must be severed."
Connected?
How are they-
Aelita paled as she realized what XANA was talking about. 'The Keys to Lyoko.'
XANA stole the original Keys she had, and her father had given her his own to save her and William had been able to access Sector 5's data and while under XANA's control he could use the towers in Lyoko like she could.
Does that mean that William had his own keys to Lyoko now?
Aelita's eyes went wider as she realized what this meant. 'The Scyphozoa!'
"I will be waiting at the factory for you to make your decision but if I see the police approach the factory, I will ensure that Ulrich, Odd and Yumi never set foot in this world again." And with that, XANA shifted and became a black cloudy mist that his signature specter form that dispersed and vanished into the air while Ulrich, Odd and Yumi vanished from the laptop screen.
"Sir, you can't trust XANA." Aelita quickly said.
"Quiet you!" Walter barked harshly. "You don't get to say anything after this! I can't believe after a decade Franz is still causing trouble without end!"
Aelita blinked, along with several others. "…You knew my father?"
Walter shook his head. "It doesn't matter. The point is, we are getting our children back!"
Sissy moved away from the door as it opened, the parents coming out with Aelita who was being led out by gym.
"Will Mister Dunbar report to the school gates at once, please." Her father spoke over the speakers.
William was wondering why he was being called to the school gates. He had kept his cell phone with him on silent mode in case Aelita called him but so far nothing had happened. He would have tried seeing what the principal wanted from her, but he still had class, and he couldn't afford to skip. It wasn't until he could see the gates that he got the feeling something was wrong.
A bunch of adults, William recognizing two of them as Yumi's parents, with Aelita, Jim and the Principal Jean-Pierre waiting for him.
"Ah, William. Just in time." Jean-Pierra started.
Before William could ask what's going on, Aelita did so for him. "THEY'RE HANDING US OVER TO XANA IN EXCHANGED FOR ODD, YUMI AND ULRICH!"
William blanched.
They were what?!
"Miss Sto-I mean, Hopper, calm down!" Jean-Pierre reprimanded but Aelita struggled against Jim's grip.
"XANA WANTS TO USE THE SCYPHOZOA ON US AGAIN! RUN WILLIAM, NOW!" Aelita screamed. "GET TO THE FACTORY AND WARN THE OTHERS!"
William paled as the mere mention of the Scyphozoa was enough for him to take off in the opposite direction.
"Dunbar, stop!" Jean-Pierra called out. "Jim!"
"I got him!" Jim said, handing Aelita over the principal and chased after William. "Dunbar, get back here!"
"I can't let XANA give away Aelita's identity like this. Even if the principal doesn't expel her, her name could be leaked and then they can find her." Franz frantically typed. "I have to make as many preparations as I can."
He just hoped the others would arrive soon.
"Hello? Hello!" Yumi called out.
"You've been cut off, Yumi." A familiar, British sounding voice said from behind.
Yumi turned around to see none other than XANA, or rather the Avatar of XANA facing her. "…XANA. What have you done?"
"I would have thought that the answer would be obvious to you, Ulrich." XANA looked amused from the glare Ulrich was giving him. "Just as I would have thought you'd be relieved at the idea of being rescued from here."
"Rescued? Do you think I'm stupid, XANA?" Ulrich scoffed. "Do you really think any of us believe you'll actually release us or save Jeremy?"
"What you believe is irrelevant." XANA turned away. "However, I have decided to go through with it, simply because I know agreeing to my terms is the only logical decision your parents and the parents of your friends can make. Provided of course, you and the others agree to cooperate."
"Oh yeah? And what makes you think we will cooperate?" Odd asked, hands on his hips.
XANA slowly faced Odd. "Then I will be left with no other alternative than to eliminate your parents, Ulrich, Yumi's along with the principal and that gym teacher as soon as they take their first steps into the factory."
"Aelita and William won't let you do that." Yumi said hotly. "They've managed to stop you just fine up to now."
"Really? Are you actually praising William, Yumi?" XANA raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't have thought you were capable of that, given how poorly you and the others treated him following your rescue of him."
Yumi stiffened. "…How do you know about that?"
"I know a great deal of what has been happening ever since our last encounter, Ulrich. How you effectively cut William off from your social circle, blaming him alone for being captured, even though it was your collective decision that brought him to me in the first place." XANA recalled with amusement. "What's more amusing is how you justify William's capture on account of him being reckless when you and the others have been just as reckless and easy to exploit many times."
Ulrich narrowed his eyes.
"And now, you're expressing faith that he can help Aelita?" XANA mused. "I wonder if you would be thinking the same if you were out there right now, instead of here."
Odd cleared his throat and shifted a bit. "Okay, so we weren't exactly fair to him, but I know he's got good reason to help her. Like getting payback at you for starters."
"I doubt after today, there will be a chance for any payback. Your parents will do anything to save you, even if it means having to give both Aelita and William up to the Scyphozoa so I can finish removing the last threats to me." XANA remarked.
"Why do you want William? After what I've seen, I doubt you need him anymore." Yumi stated.
"It's as I said, even though you removed my control over him, you have yet to permanently sever our connection. William is still connected to me and connected to Lyoko through what I gave him. His recent actions have shown that. I am just going finish what you set out to do but failed to finish." XANA replied. "At the end of the day, no one will be able to act as counter to my powers again."
"We'll find a way, XANA." Ulrich vowed. "We always do."
"I can tell you really believe that, Ulrich." XANA grinned. "Which is why, you're not going to get the chance."
XANA held out his hand and a conjured a glowing orange sphere. The sphere grew in size as it was flung at Ulrich who tried to run…
"Oh, come on! Not again!"
Yumi tried to flee and resist but could do nothing as the Guardian swallowed her.
"I shall see to it you are conscious and able to see and hear what is happening. I wouldn't want your parents distressed by your appearance in stasis." XANA remarked.
The six young adults left the studio and went to the man hole in the park where they took the sewer tunnel to the factory. They climbed up onto the grass near the factory and came in on the second floor. Geoff let out a shout and grabbed a cable, swinging down to the floor. "WOO HOO!"
"Uh...I'll just take the stairs." DJ, Cameron and Gwen took the stairs.
"Three seasons of Total Drama and this is nothing!" Bridgette shouted before she landed next to Geoff.
"Yee haw!" LeShawna landed next to them and they all went into the elevator.
LeShawna pushed the button for down but curiously the elevator took them down to the scanner room, instead of the lab. "Uh, not exactly what I picked."
"Sorry, everyone but we're pressed for time." Aelita's voice came over the speakers.
"So, what's the trouble?" Geoff asked.
"XANA outed me at the school to my friends' parents and he's promised to their freedom in exchange for our expulsion from Kadic and relocation to other schools, separated from each other and for the supercomputer." 'Aelita' replied. "By the way, where is Dawn?"
"We tried to find her but she wasn't at the studio and she doesn't carry a cellphone." Cameron answered, walking to the latter. "Do you need some help?"
"Uh, yes. I'm starting the virtualization sequence because I know for sure that XANA will launch an attack. I am picking up signals in the Ice Sector but the Scyphozoa is waiting in the Mountain Sector."
"That what?" Gwen asked.
"It's a monster that XANA created to steal data that resembles a jelly-fish. It wraps its tentacles around you, holding you in a stasis field and then holds three tentacles to your head and can steal just about anything about you, including your memories."
"Say wha-" DJ shuddered.
"Doesn't sound as bad as the live grasshopper pizza we had to eat." LeShawna remarked with a shudder that the rest of the group shared.
"…Anyways, I've set the scanners to virtualize you all in the Mountain Sector but stay away from the Scyphozoa. It's what XANA used to possess William. I have to sneak back out and find William so Cameron will be monitoring you all in my place."
Cameron nodded and climbed up the ladder. "Okay, I'll do my best."
Oddly enough, when Cameron opened the hatch to the lab he looked in and saw Aelita was already gone.
'She must have been in a hurry.' Cameron walked over to the computer and sat down. "Okay, guys. Three go in first, followed by the last two."
"You got it!" The first three stepped inside the nearest scanner.
"Transfer DJ, Scanner DJ, Virtualization!"
"Transfer Gwen, Scanner Gwen, Virtualization!"
"Transfer LeShawna, Scanner LeShawna, Virtualization!"
"Dunbar, get back here!"
William was running through the forest, trying his best to lose Jim but the teacher was determined not to lose sight of him.
'This is bad. I can't take the manhole to the factory with him on my tail.' William frantically looked around, seeing if there was somewhere he could hide.
Help suddenly came when a hand reached down from a tree and a familiar pale blond haired girl peeked from the tree, handing upside down. "Here!"
William grabbed Dawn's hand, and she pulled him up into the tree, the two of them hiding behind the leaves as Jim rushed past the tree. William breathed a sigh of relief as Jim continued off in the direction that he had thought had seen him go before looking at Dawn.
"Thanks." He sighed in relief. "But what are you doing here? Did Aelita call you?"
"No," Dawn shook her head. "But I sensed a disturbance, and the tea leaves told me to come find you."
"Huh?" William was at a loss.
Dawn held up a small burnt leaf. "I consulted Mother Nature for advice regarding my place as a Lyoko Warrior and she warned me I needed to stick close by in case you and Aelita needed help."
"A burnt leaf…You know what, never mind." William shook his head. "I'll believe anything at this point."
"What is happening?" Dawn asked.
"XANA struck a deal with parents of Aelita's missing friends. He's going to give them back in exchange for handing me and Aelita over to him." William answered.
"They would do that?" Dawn gasped.
"Well, not if they knew him like we do. I don't know the full story myself, but I know they are taking Aelita to the factory right now." William continued. "We've got to get there first. Do you know where the others are?"
"On their way to the factory like I checked." Dawn answered. "I'm afraid I cannot verify for you since I do not carry a cellphone."
"We might have to look into that." William said dryly. "I wasn't a Lyoko Warrior for very long last time, but I think we're supposed to keep our cellphones on and with us or at least be available for communication as much as we can."
Dawn hopped down onto the ground and looked up. "Perhaps but I'm not one for electronics. Still, if it is asked of me, I'll see what I can do."
William hopped down next. "Good. Now let's get to the factory and maybe we can save Aelita and everyone."
(Credits)
Chapter 17: Episode 17: Crossroads
Summary:
Aelita is forced to make a decision between saving her friends or saving her family.
Chapter Text
( Code Total Drama Reality Introduction Song Starts )
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) )
(The ending of this story)
The song starts, showing the end of Code Lyoko where the Supercomputer is shut down and the former Lyoko Warriors leave the factory seemingly for the last time.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
A single computer is shown coming online, lines of 1s and 0s streaming across the screen before the screen is replaced by a glowing sphere with the Eye of XANA, at least eight variations appearing on it. From the sphere came lines of data emerging in eight different directions. The lines of data formed into various regions, all of them floating landscapes resembling a forest, a desert, an arctic, mountains, volcanoes, swamp and a jungle.
(Into this new world)
The new lands orbited the golden sphere as the camera zoomed in on the Eye of XANA staring at the screen.
(The game has only just begun)
The Eye then flashes red, and the sphere turns black.
(I can see it in your eyes)
A girl with pink hair sits on her bed, panting as she turns to see two pictures of her friends and her father. She smiles briefly but that smile turns to a look of horror as both her friends and her father are engulfed by a great darkness and the red Eye shines down on her. The Supercomputer, thought to be shut down, is reactivated and there is a flash of light.
(This is where tomorrow brings a new game)
Aelita is shown alone both in the real world and in Lyoko, hordes of monsters surrounding her.
Geoff is first shown in his human form before transitioning to his Lyoko form.
Next to him is Bridgette, holding her surfboard in the real world before changing into her Lyoko form, her board splitting into two swords.
(It's time to learn that pain is gain)
Gwen is shown sitting in front of tree, looking up and is instantly changed into her Lyoko Avatar, brandishing her scythe.
DJ is shown in the woods, tending to a little rabbit as he stands up and morphs into his Lyoko form, turning to face the camera with a stern glare.
LeShawna is last, ready to fight in both her human form and her Lyoko form.
(Ready fight!)
William and a dark reflection of himself as XANA's General are shown standing back-to-back, turning to face each other and swinging their swords.
The screen is split by the two swords, showing New Lyoko as the title appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(I gotta crush and paint away the anguish)
Aelita is shown first, sitting at the computer before she is then shown as the DJ of a party. She morphs into her Lyoko form and conjures an energy field.
This was followed quickly by Geoff wildly waving his hat while riding something with Bridgette holding onto him by the back.
(Of my past for the sake of my future)
Gwen is shown next, drawing in her sketchbook and signifying with a sad face as Duncan, Courtney and Trent appear behind her, their backs facing in her direction.
(Until my life comes to an end)
DJ is shown running for his life from appears to be a giant bear.
(I am gonna fight to tear apart that destiny)
LeShawna is shown next, standing confidently with her team, ready to face whatever crazy challenge comes next.
(Aoh, break out and start a revolution)
The antagonists of Total Drama: Heather, Courtney, Justin, Anne Maria, Jo, Lightning, Scott and Alejandro in the Total Drama Machine are shown from left to right, grinning or glaring at the camera, holding up an imaginary case of the million- dollar prize money in their hands. Chris Mclean is shown next, arms crossed as the chair he is sitting in spins to meet the camera, zooming out to show it is the monitor room for the Total Drama show.
A dark shadow appears above them, scrawny in appearance and hair falling over the left eye as it glares darkly at the screen.
(Until you find the answer you're looking for)
The camera then shows Aelita with the new Lyoko Warriors, the TD Lyoko Warriors and William sitting around a campfire, all of them staring up into the starry night sky, a picture of her friends and father resting in Aelita's hands.
(I'll challenge all my limits)
Aelita in her Lyoko form with her wings sprouting from her back is shown, clutching Mr. Puck in her hands as she seemingly falls back, her friends and relatives in the background.
The camera moves down to show William kneeling down, clutching his sword in both hands. As this happens, the camera moves down, showing depictions of the TD Lyoko Warriors and other characters in the background.
The camera continues to move down to show Geoff pulling Bridgette into sharing a picture with LeShawna bringing her face up over Bridgette's shoulder, the three of them in their Lyoko forms. While this happens, Harold, Lindsay, Beth, Trent, Katie and Sadie are shown in the background.
Below them is Gwen with her arms and legs curled around her with her cape swirling behind her like wings while Heather and Courtney are shown in the background glaring at each other followed by Sierra clutching Cody who looks distressed, Eva crossing her arms along with B and Beth both waving, the latter looking very shy. Behind Gwen appeared Dawn in her own Lyoko form in a meditative pose while upside down while facing Gwen with her eyes closed, her light robe contrasting with Gwen's cape with dark clothing, almost forming a yin-yang symbol.
Behind Dawn appears Scott, snickering evilly.
(Knowing this could be my only chance now)
DJ is shown last, seemingly falling back while holding his pet rabbit: Bunny in his hands with a happy smile. His teammates shown in the background starting with Duncan, Tyler, Justin and Alejandro ending with Chef Hatchet and Chris McClean.
He is followed by Mike and Zoey, both clutching their hands and smiling at each other as in background appears Brick, Jo, Lightning, Sam and Staci.
And lately Cameron appears staring up at the others.
(To overcome this fate that has come over me)
The screen turns black and the Eye of XANA immediately flashes into existence, glowing red and shadowing the outline of a singular person with red glowing eyes.
(The ending of this story)
Aelita is shown, standing in a meadow now with the wind gently blowing through her hair.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
She holds up a hand, gazing sadly up as the images of her friends and parents appear in the sky.
(Into this new world)
Her hand then becomes digital, transitioning to Lyoko.
((The game has only just begun))
She gazes up a little longer before she notices her new friends and allies standing with her and smiles before looking forward, seeing a tower in the distance.
(I can see it in your eyes)
Just as they are about to rush towards the tower, the camera angles up into the digital sky as the song reaches its end.
The scene then shifts to pictures of Aelita and her friends both old and new on a desktop as the title appears on last time:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) Ends )
Episode 17: Crossroads
William and Dawn dashed through the forest, coming up on the manhole.
"How long do think we have before they get to the factory?" Dawn asked as William lifted the cover.
"No idea." William pushed the cover aside. "We just got to get to the factory first and we'll think of something."
"Hold it right there!" Jim jumped out of the bushes and rushed towards the two. "You're not going anywhere, Dunbar!"
"Sorry, Jim. Got to go." William ducked down the hole, hastily climbing down the latter. "Hurry, Dawn!"
"I'll hold him off. Get to the factory." Dawn calmly said.
"Wha-"
"It's all right. He won't hurt me." Dawn stood up and faced Jim, standing between him and the manhole.
"Don't I know you?" Jim took a second to stop, squinting his eyes before they went wide. "Holy…You're from that Canadian reality show, Total Drama!"
"I take it you've heard of me." Dawn stated.
"Watched bits here and there but when you're famous it's easy to recognize you. What are you doing here?" Jim questioned.
"You must not be aware that a new season is being filmed here in France." Dawn pointed out.
"A new season?!" Jim gaped but shook his head. "I mean why are you helping Dunbar? Do you know what he and his friends are up to?"
"Do you?" Dawn asked carefully. "If you are aware, then you must know that chasing after William and Aelita is not right."
"All I know is that they involved themselves in something really dangerous that they really shouldn't have in the first place. Now, their friends are trapped, and we have to get them out." Jim shook his head.
"By bargaining with a monster?"
Jim seemed to pause. "So, you know."
"I found out not long after Aelita's friends were taken but I know enough." Dawn replied. "You can't trust XANA. He's only exploiting their parents to get what he wants and if Aelita is taken away, there will be no one to stop him."
"We can stop him by informing the authorities. Let them pull the plug on that thing." Jim retorted.
"It won't work. If anything, they'll want the supercomputer for themselves." Dawn shook her head. "That's what to led to everything happening up to now. A secret group of government officials wanting to create the ultimate weapon to control everything electronic and one man using their own weapon against them. That weapon has turned against everyone, deciding to take orders from no one now. Handing over Aelita and William-"
"We're not handing them over." Jim denied.
"But you will go along with expelling and separating them." Dawn softly retorted to which Jim had no rebuttal.
"Okay, we're here. What do we do now?" Geoff asked, him along with the rest of the group just standing on a rocky island in the Mountain Sector.
Gwen was sitting near a large rock that LeShawna leaned against. Bridgette was sitting on her surfboard that hovered a few inches above the ground and DJ sat underneath a nearby tree while Geoff was just in the middle of the landscape.
"I guess wait for Aelita to come back. There is no sign of an activated tower yet but I'm sure she wouldn't send you all unless there is supposed to be a tower." Cameron replied. "By the way, I got that monster she called the Scyphozoa in sight. It's on the far edge of the Mountain Sector."
"Should we take it out?" LeShawna asked, crossing her arms.
"Didn't Aelita tell us to stay away from that?" DJ asked skeptically.
"Anything's better than sitting around, waiting for something to happen." LeShawna grunted. "I mean, I know we agreed to help out, but we can't be at her beck and call and just let her leave us hanging like this."
"I am sure she- Hang on. I got something." Cameron started but stopped. "I am picking up something in the Ice Sector."
"The Ice Sector?" Bridgette lifted her head. "Is it another tower?"
"No. Some kind of signal, three separate signals to be precise but I can't make out what they are." Cameron replied. "Oh, hang on, Aelita's back…and she's not alone."
"William?" Gwen asked.
"No."
"Dawn?" Geoff asked.
"No, it's any of them. It's a bunch of adults…the parents!"
"To think he was operating here of all places."
That was all Walter Stern could say as he and the rest of the group looked upon the factory.
Aelita threw a look at Walter. "You did it again. How do you know my father?"
Walter just looked away. "It's not important."
Aelita didn't look convinced and neither did Walter's wife for that matter. "No, she's actually right. I want to know how you knew this man."
Jean-Pierre cleared his throat. "Let's look at this lab first, then we can ask for answers."
"She led them here?!" LeShawna exclaimed, standing straight from the rock she had been leaning against.
"Maybe she had no choice." Bridgette pondered. "They might have cornered her."
The adults stopped at the elevator and Walter pushed the button to call the elevator up…only for nothing to happen.
"You." He turned and pointed at Aelita. "You had that other kid do this, didn't you? Trying to stop us even though we're trying to save the other children, including my son? I guess you don't care for him as much as you claim."
"I only told William to get here first and warn the others and don't play that card with me, Walter Stern. You've never cared about Ulrich aside only from what you could gain from him. I've seen enough to know that, and he's told me a lot more." Aelita retorted, glaring back up at the man.
"You are going to get this elevator working and take us down now." Walter said heatedly.
"I can't do that from here and you took my cellphone so I can't call whoever might be down there. Obviously, someone has locked the elevator." Aelita crossed her arms. "Maybe you can just ask XANA for help."
Walter growled, raising his arm but surprisingly Jean-Pierre moved Aelita behind him. "What are you-"
"I will not allow for physical harm to befall Miss…Hopper." Jean stated.
"Yeah, we want our kids back but we're not beating a girl to do it." Robert agreed. "Just use her phone and call up whoever is down there and tell them what's going on."
Jean nodded once he saw Walter back off and pulled out Aelita's cellphone, looking over the contact list.
Bridgette
Cameron
DJ
Geoff
Gwen
Jeremy
Odd
Ulrich
Yumi
He tapped the first name: Bridgette only to get nothing and then tried Cameron.
"It looks like they're trying to get the elevator to come up but nothing's happening." Cameron said, looking over the controls. "Looks like Aelita locked the elevator from here so they can't use it."
"That sounds good. Maybe she didn't sell us out." DJ remarked.
"Hold on…I think one of them is a teacher…He's got Aelita's phone…" Cameron trailed off as the computer beeped, signaling an incoming call. "Hold on, I got a call incoming." He clicked the answer icon. "…Hello?"
"Hello, I am Principal Jean-Pierre of Kadic Academy. Who am I speaking with?" An elderly voice, likely the man Cameron could see on the camera holding Aelita's phone.
"Uh…Cameron?" Cameron shrugged at the simple answer he was giving. "How can I help you, Mr. Pierre?"
"You can start by letting us use the elevator."
"Sorry, no can do." Cameron sheepishly answered. "Kind of busy at the moment."
"Listen, I don't know what Miss Stones has told you, but this is too dangerous for you or anyone else to be handling. We have children's lives on the line and we are stopping this." Jean-Pierre harshly cut Cameron off.
Cameron took a deep breath. "Yeah, well…Sorry but that's not happening."
"Excuse me?"
"I am not sure what XANA told you but he's the reason Aelita's friends are missing in the first place. He's using you to get rid of the only people who can stop him and you're letting him do that." Cameron pointed out. "We've agreed to help Aelita out until she rescues her friends and that's what we're going to do."
"If you don't let us down there right now, I'll call the police." Jean-Pierre threatened.
Cameron paused for a moment. "…You do what you have to do, Mr. Pierre. We'll do what we have to do."
With that, he hung up.
"Holy…" Cameron gasped and leaned back against the chair. "I can't believe I just mouthed off like that."
"Good job." LeShawna praised over the speakers. "For someone so small, you sure ain't afraid to be talking back to any bossy mouths."
"Well, we don't have a lot of time. If we don't figure a way out of this, he'll call the cops on us." Cameron replied. "And Aelita's stuck up there with them."
It should have been easy at this point.
With Aelita cornered by the adults, he could easily neutralize her and the rest her new allies without having to even activate a tower.
Until that principal foolishly threatened to call the police.
And seeing he was now dialing for them right now; it was clear that relying on a human to do an AI's job had been a big mistake.
Fine, he'll do it himself.
(XANA Attack Theme)
Cameron glanced up as the super-scan went off, beeping as the image of an activated tower appeared on the screen. "Oh no! We've got an activated tower!"
Just as Jean-Pierre was dialing for the police, his cellphone sparked which caused him to throw it away. The adults and Aelita watched as a specter rose up, taking the form of Aelita who let out a soft growl, her eyes morphing into the Eye of XANA.
"What in the-"
Before anyone could do anything, the polymorphic specter held up its hand and fired an electrical blast, knocking the adults down.
ZAP!
"GAH!"
"AHH!"
"OW!"
Aelita ducked and rolled out of the way in time, avoiding the blast as the parents and Jean-Pierre were knocked back and left unconscious on the ground. She looked up in time to see the specter facing her, holding up its hand and firing another blast at her.
"Guys, Aelita's being attacked by what looks like a duplicate of herself!" Cameron frantically informed the others as he watched from down in the lab. "I don't know what to do!"
"Where the tower?" Geoff asked.
"In the Forest Sector." Cameron answered. "Okay, we need Aelita to shut down the tower and I don't know how to guide you guys to another sector. We haven't covered that far."
"So, what do we do?" Bridgette asked worryingly.
ZAP!
BLAST!
Aelita just avoided another electrical blast but tripped on the ground. She grunted as she got up and looked over her shoulder, seeing the polymorph readying another blast.
"Aelita!" A voice shouted from above.
The clone looked up to see William swinging down and kicked the clone in the face with feet, knocking the clone off its feet and sending it crashing several feet away.
Dawn appeared behind Aelita, helping her up. "Are you all right?"
"I am but we need to move and fast." Aelita answered, looking to the elevator. "William, can you call Cameron? The elevator is locked."
William nodded, pulling out his phone and speed-dialed Cameron. "Cam, we're here. Can you unlock the elevator?"
"On it."
A second later, the elevator doors opened but the clone opened its eyes and stood up.
Dawn immediately noticed. "William!"
William turned his head and jumped out of the way of an electrical blast. "Gah! Go! Deactivate the tower!"
Dawn placed a hand on Aelita's shoulder. "Go, I help him."
"But-"
"The others are waiting for you now. Hurry." Dawn urged, pushing Aelita into the elevator.
The pink haired girl reluctantly nodded and pressed the down button, the doors closing as Dawn rushed to help William.
"You should go help her." William stated as Dawn stood next to her.
"She'll have Cameron and the others supporting her." Dawn replied, watching as the clone as it faced the pair. "You should not be alone, especially against an enemy like this."
The clone snarled, raising both hands that sparked with purple electricity.
The elevator doors opened, allowing Aelita to enter the lab. "Cameron, is everyone already on Lyoko?"
"Yeah, but they're in the wrong sector." Cameron answered, getting up from the chair to allow Aelita to sit down. "We don't know how to travel from Sector to Sector yet."
"Right, I'll go to the Mountain Sector and round them up." Aelita replied. "Keep an eye on William and Dawn for me."
"Right." Cameron nodded, taking the seat back and put the headset on. "Wait, Aelita. There's something else. Three signals appeared in the Ice Sector. I can't make out what they are."
Aelita paused and turned around. "Show me."
Cameron brought up a scan of the Ice Sector, showing the signals from before.
Aelita leaned in close, eyes narrowing and then widening. "I don't believe it."
"What is it?" Cameron asked.
"I think their Guardians." Aelita answered. "Monsters used to capture anyone. XANA used them on me and Yumi, but he stopped using them when we found a way to easily free anyone who was trapped."
"Three signals…your friends?" Cameron wondered aloud.
"XANA did promise to free them in exchange for handing me and William over." Aelita recalled. "They must be in the Ice Sector to keep them far away from the tower."
"So, what do we do?" Cameron asked.
Aelita took a moment to think things over. "Cameron, send me to Lyoko. I'll get the others and we'll secure the tower first but in the meantime, if those are Guardians we might be able to free whoever is inside. Look up the digital forms for Ulrich, Odd and Yumi and then wait for my instructions."
"Right." Cameron nodded, turning to the screen as Aelita rushed to the elevator. "Guys, Aelita's here and she's coming to get you."
"About time." Gwen called out.
Aelita pressed the down button again, taking the elevator to the scanner room. Once the doors opened, she rushed to nearest scanner as Cameron began the virtualization sequence.
(Virtualization Theme)
"Transfer Aelita."
The scanner closed.
"Scanner Aelita."
The ring of light traveled up her body.
"Virtualization."
There was a gust of wind followed by a blinding flash engulfed Aelita's form.
(Lyoko Theme)
Aelita landed on the ground and looked up to see the rest of the group waiting for her.
"Hey, girl." LeShawna waved a hand. "Took ya a long time."
"Sorry. I was taken off guard when the parents and my principal cornered me." Aelita stood up. "Cameron, are you still there?"
"Still here."
"Okay, first send the vehicles to us." Aelita instructed. "I'll lead everyone to the Way Tower so we can reach the Forest Sector."
"On it."
Seconds later, the three vehicles appeared.
"Oh, yeah. Nothing like riding in style." LeShawna hopped onto the Over-Cycle.
"Follow me. We can bring the vehicles into the tower." Aelita said, stepping onto the Over-Board.
Gwen took the Over-Wing with DJ behind her while Geoff hopped on Bridgette's board behind her. The three vehicles took off, following Aelita through the rocky terrain.
"Cameron, listen closely to me now. Do you have the avatar data for Ulrich, Odd, and Yumi?" Aelita asked.
"Yup."
"Okay, here's what you need to do." Aelita then delivered a series of technical instructions that Cameron understood while the rest of the group were left trading glances. "You got it?"
"On it."
"Uh…care to clue us in what's going on?" Geoff asked.
"Those signals Cameron detected came from three Guardians, monsters that XANA uses to trap people on Lyoko. I think he brought my friends back as part of the deal he tried to make." Aelita explained as the Way Tower came in sight. "Luckily, I know how to take out those Guardians. We can free my friends and stop XANA's attack all at once."
The group came upon the tower and Aelita first entered it with the Over-Board. The rest shared a look before following her in.
"Wow." DJ quietly said as the platform with the XANA Eye lit up signaling their entry.
"So this what the inside of a tower looks like." Gwen commented, looking at the walls.
The walls were blue with endless screens and codes running through them.
"So how do we get to the Forest Sector?" Geoff asked.
"We jump off this platform. When we do, we will fall into a data stream. That stream will take us to the Forest Sector. As you fall think of the Forest Sector, and the stream will take you there." Aelita explained, angling the Over-Board towards the edge. "You can bring the vehicles through the stream."
"That's good to know." LeShawna replied as she prepared to take the Over-Cycle off the platform.
"Ready, go."
Aelita flew off the platform and the others followed down the long dark blue tunnel. Lines of data passed them as they traveled through the tunnel. Then they could see another platform. They flew over it and followed Aelita through the wall and back out into Lyoko.
Only this time they were in the Forest Sector.
"Cool way to go!" Geoff exclaimed with an excited smile on his face.
"Nice, this looks a lot nicer." DJ looked around.
The Forest Region had been changed since the days where Aelita and her friends went into it. It had much more ground now and had shorter trees and objects to step on. It looked much more like a real forest, even having some rivers and more lakes in it that were not of the Digital Sea, but there were still plenty of places to fall into the Digital Sea from.
"Calm, quiet, peaceful... too good to be true." Gwen took out her scythe.
"Okay, Aelita. The program is ready." Cameron's voice cut in.
"Press the 'Enter' key." Aelita instructed.
"Here we go." Cameron pressed the 'Enter' key.
In the Ice Sector, three Guardians hovered above a large icy platform, their orange glow illuminating the sector.
Inside these guardians, Ulrich, Odd and Yumi were able to see and even move but they could not say anything to each other, their voices muffled by the monsters holding them. They didn't know what was going on, inside or outside of Lyoko so they could only wait.
Then, one by one, three images appeared with one in front of each guardian resembling the very humans they had been programmed to imprison.
Inside the Guardians, the three captive Lyoko Warriors noticed what was happening and they suddenly became hopeful.
Aelita was trying to save them!
This could be it!
They could break free and help her!
The Guardians reacted, seemingly confused by the sudden appearance of the very humans they had captive right now.
WARNING
ENEMY IMAGES DETECTED IN VICINITY OF GUARDIANS
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.
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DEPLOYING COUNTERMEASURES
He grinned. "Nice try, Aelita."
Just as the Guardians were seemingly about to break, electrical orange energy crackled around them.
"Hm?" Cameron tilted his head. "Aelita, something's happening."
"What is it? Are the Guardians overloading?"
"There's been a spike of energy but-WHOA!"
(XANA Attack Theme)
One by one, the bolts of electrical energy reached out and touched the decoys Cameron had made, destroying them on contact. The three captives could only look on in stunned, horrified silence at their once effective tactic failing them.
"Aelita, the decoys were destroyed." Cameron informed with a look of surprise on his face. "The Guardians are still there and they still got them."
"What?!" Aelita gasped, horrified at the news.
She was so sure it would work but XANA had outwitted them again and he still had her friends captive. Now she was left to decide whether to save her friends…
Or save their families.
(Credits)
Chapter 18: Episode 18: Haunted
Summary:
As the TD Lyoko Warriors work to rescue Aelita's friends, William comes face to face with the entity that has haunted him.
Chapter Text
( Code Total Drama Reality Introduction Song Starts )
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) )
(The ending of this story)
The song starts, showing the end of Code Lyoko where the Supercomputer is shut down and the former Lyoko Warriors leave the factory seemingly for the last time.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
A single computer is shown coming online, lines of 1s and 0s streaming across the screen before the screen is replaced by a glowing sphere with the Eye of XANA, at least eight variations appearing on it. From the sphere came lines of data emerging in eight different directions. The lines of data formed into various regions, all of them floating landscapes resembling a forest, a desert, an arctic, mountains, volcanoes, swamp and a jungle.
(Into this new world)
The new lands orbited the golden sphere as the camera zoomed in on the Eye of XANA staring at the screen.
(The game has only just begun)
The Eye then flashes red, and the sphere turns black.
(I can see it in your eyes)
A girl with pink hair sits on her bed, panting as she turns to see two pictures of her friends and her father. She smiles briefly but that smile turns to a look of horror as both her friends and her father are engulfed by a great darkness and the red Eye shines down on her. The Supercomputer, thought to be shut down, is reactivated and there is a flash of light.
(This is where tomorrow brings a new game)
Aelita is shown alone both in the real world and in Lyoko, hordes of monsters surrounding her.
Geoff is first shown in his human form before transitioning to his Lyoko form.
Next to him is Bridgette, holding her surfboard in the real world before changing into her Lyoko form, her board splitting into two swords.
(It's time to learn that pain is gain)
Gwen is shown sitting in front of tree, looking up and is instantly changed into her Lyoko Avatar, brandishing her scythe.
DJ is shown in the woods, tending to a little rabbit as he stands up and morphs into his Lyoko form, turning to face the camera with a stern glare.
LeShawna is last, ready to fight in both her human form and her Lyoko form.
(Ready fight!)
William and a dark reflection of himself as XANA's General are shown standing back-to-back, turning to face each other and swinging their swords.
The screen is split by the two swords, showing New Lyoko as the title appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(I gotta crush and paint away the anguish)
Aelita is shown first, sitting at the computer before she is then shown as the DJ of a party. She morphs into her Lyoko form and conjures an energy field.
This was followed quickly by Geoff wildly waving his hat while riding something with Bridgette holding onto him by the back.
(Of my past for the sake of my future)
Gwen is shown next, drawing in her sketchbook and signifying with a sad face as Duncan, Courtney and Trent appear behind her, their backs facing in her direction.
(Until my life comes to an end)
DJ is shown running for his life from appears to be a giant bear.
(I am gonna fight to tear apart that destiny)
LeShawna is shown next, standing confidently with her team, ready to face whatever crazy challenge comes next.
(Aoh, break out and start a revolution)
The antagonists of Total Drama: Heather, Courtney, Justin, Anne Maria, Jo, Lightning, Scott and Alejandro in the Total Drama Machine are shown from left to right, grinning or glaring at the camera, holding up an imaginary case of the million- dollar prize money in their hands. Chris Mclean is shown next, arms crossed as the chair he is sitting in spins to meet the camera, zooming out to show it is the monitor room for the Total Drama show.
A dark shadow appears above them, scrawny in appearance and hair falling over the left eye as it glares darkly at the screen.
(Until you find the answer you're looking for)
The camera then shows Aelita with the new Lyoko Warriors, the TD Lyoko Warriors and William sitting around a campfire, all of them staring up into the starry night sky, a picture of her friends and father resting in Aelita's hands.
(I'll challenge all my limits)
Aelita in her Lyoko form with her wings sprouting from her back is shown, clutching Mr. Puck in her hands as she seemingly falls back, her friends and relatives in the background.
The camera moves down to show William kneeling down, clutching his sword in both hands. As this happens, the camera moves down, showing depictions of the TD Lyoko Warriors and other characters in the background.
The camera continues to move down to show Geoff pulling Bridgette into sharing a picture with LeShawna bringing her face up over Bridgette's shoulder, the three of them in their Lyoko forms. While this happens, Harold, Lindsay, Beth, Trent, Katie and Sadie are shown in the background.
Below them is Gwen with her arms and legs curled around her with her cape swirling behind her like wings while Heather and Courtney are shown in the background glaring at each other followed by Sierra clutching Cody who looks distressed, Eva crossing her arms along with B and Beth both waving, the latter looking very shy. Behind Gwen appeared Dawn in her own Lyoko form in a meditative pose while upside down while facing Gwen with her eyes closed, her light robe contrasting with Gwen's cape with dark clothing, almost forming a yin-yang symbol.
Behind Dawn appears Scott, snickering evilly.
(Knowing this could be my only chance now)
DJ is shown last, seemingly falling back while holding his pet rabbit: Bunny in his hands with a happy smile. His teammates shown in the background starting with Duncan, Tyler, Justin and Alejandro ending with Chef Hatchet and Chris McClean.
He is followed by Mike and Zoey, both clutching their hands and smiling at each other as in background appears Brick, Jo, Lightning, Sam and Staci.
And lately Cameron appears staring up at the others.
(To overcome this fate that has come over me)
The screen turns black and the Eye of XANA immediately flashes into existence, glowing red and shadowing the outline of a singular person with red glowing eyes.
(The ending of this story)
Aelita is shown, standing in a meadow now with the wind gently blowing through her hair.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
She holds up a hand, gazing sadly up as the images of her friends and parents appear in the sky.
(Into this new world)
Her hand then becomes digital, transitioning to Lyoko.
((The game has only just begun))
She gazes up a little longer before she notices her new friends and allies standing with her and smiles before looking forward, seeing a tower in the distance.
(I can see it in your eyes)
Just as they are about to rush towards the tower, the camera angles up into the digital sky as the song reaches its end.
The scene then shifts to pictures of Aelita and her friends both old and new on a desktop as the title appears on last time:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) Ends )
Episode 18: Haunted
One by one, the bolts of electrical energy reached out and touched the decoys Cameron had made, destroying them on contact. The three captives could only look on in stunned, horrified silence at their once effective tactic failing them.
"Aelita, the decoys were destroyed." Cameron informed with a look of surprise on his face. "The Guardians are still there, and they still got them."
"What?!" Aelita gasped, horrified at the news.
She was so sure it would work but XANA had outwitted them again and he still had her friends captive. Now she was left to decide whether to save her friends…
Or save their families.
"Aelita?" Bridgette asked with concerned look from seeing the face of distraught Aelita was no doubt showing.
What could she do?
If she went to deactivate the tower now, it was likely her friends would be returned to whatever digital purgatory XANA had dumped them in before but if she went to save her friends now then she would be endangering innocent lives in the real world. She couldn't just turn around and drop everything but…
Ulrich.
Odd.
Yumi.
They were her first friends after…Jeremy.
'Jeremy, what would you have me do?' Aelita wondered to herself.
"Aelita!"
Aelita's shot open and she looked up. "William?"
"Hey."
The doors opened, allowing William and Dawn to enter the lab. "Hey, are we late?"
"Just in time." Cameron perked up. "So you went to get William, Dawn? We were wondering where you went."
"I was told to seek out William." Dawn simply said. "But we have little time."
"XANA sent a polymorph to take out the supercomputer. Luckily back-up has arrived." William stated.
"Back-up?"
Back in the factory lobby, the polymorph resembling Aelita grumbled as it got up, staring up to see none other than…
"You may look like a kid, but I can tell you're nothing like Stones…or Hopper." Jim remarked, brandishing a crowbar.
Nearby, Michael Belpois opened his eyes.
"So, what's going on in Lyoko?" William asked, getting back on track. "Are they getting close to the tower?"
"Well, they've had a bit of a start, but we have another problem. We found Aelita's friends." Cameron answered, causing William's eyes to go wide.
"Really?"
"The problem is we can't free them from those monsters Aelita calls Guardians." Cameron answered. "They fried the decoys Aelita instructed me to make."
William frowned, grabbing Camerons' headset.
"Hey!"
"Aelita, me and Dawn are here. We'll go free the others while you focus on the tower." William quickly said.
"You can…William, wait. What about the Scyphozoa? XANA might send it after you." Aelita pointed out.
"We can't pass up a chance to save the others. You focus on the tower." William passed the headset back to Cameron. "Dawn, we're going to the Ice Sector."
Dawn simply nodded and followed William into the elevator.
Cameron looked back at the screen. "Aelita, should I go along with this?"
Aelita had an unsure look on her face but reluctantly nodded. "Keep an eye on them. If the Scyphozoa shows up, devirtualize both of them no matter what."
"Right."
"Okay, here we go."
William and Dawn stepped into the scanners, William on the left and Dawn on the right.
"Transfer William."
The first scanner doors closed.
"Transfer Dawn."
The next scanner doors closed.
"Scanner William."
A ring of light traveled up William's body.
"Scanner Dawn."
A similar ring of light travelled up Dawn's body.
"Virtualization."
Both closed their eyes as a gust of wind blew through their hair, followed by a blinding white light.
"HA!" Jim swung the crowbar…
Only for the polymorph to easily catch with one hand and astounding strength. Jim looked surprised but had no time to react as the clone blasted him with electricity, sending him flying through the air and landing harshly on the ground several feet away. With Jim down, the clone turned to the elevator.
Aelita turned to the others. "Now let's get to the tower."
"You heard her!" LeShawna said to the others.
"As much as I like the board, is it impossible to add my own colour scheme to it?" Gwen asked as she stepped back onto the Overboard.
"Sorry, when Jeremy and I designed it, we had Odd's preferences in mind." Aelita said, taking the Over-Wing.
"No offense to him, but he likes purple cats way too much." Gwen chuckled.
"We said the same thing many times, but he insisted he didn't dream of being a purple cat." Aelita shrugged before they took off, rushing through the Forest Sector.
It wasn't long before they had company.
"WATCH OUT!" Geoff dodged laser blasts. "TARANTULAS!"
"Those aren't Tarantulas!" Aelita shouted.
Up ahead were two black versions of the Tarantula while the Eye was now colored silver.
"They look exactly like them, minus the new paint job." DJ said.
"There is more to it than that; you can't expect them to be the same just because colour is slightly different." Aelita said.
"Well let's get rid of them before they do anything else." LeShawna shot ahead. "YEE HAW!" She leaped off her vehicle and swung her hammer down...but a red glowing force field flashed to life around the monster and sent her flying back. "What the-?!"
"They have shields!" Aelita stated stopping her vehicle.
Red glowing force fields surrounded the Dark Tarantulas which protected them from even LeShawna's hammer. LeShawna was just getting back to her feet when the two monsters aimed their guns and fired. She staggered as she was hit before she could pick her hammer back up and defend herself.
"LeShawna!" Gwen shouted as the two monsters fired, peppering her with laser fire until she was devirtualized.
The scanner LeShawna opened up releasing her. Slightly exhausted from the side effects of being devirtualized like that she slammed her fist into the floor frustrated at letting her guard down.
"Energy Field!" Aelita shouted throwing a pink orb of energy at one of the monsters.
The orb harmlessly dissipated against the monster's shield.
"Let me try!" said Geoff.
He held up his axe and it glowed as he swung it, releasing the same energy wave that defeated the Scorpion in the last battle. However not even it was able to breach the barrier.
"Aw man!" Geoff complained as the monsters fired at him.
He jumped off the Overbike as it was destroyed by the laser fire. DJ held up his hands and created a barrier to block incoming lasers.
"So now what?"
"We have to find a way around them." Gwen answered, looking up. "Cam, any way to help?"
"I'm scanning them now-AH!"
"Cameron?!" Gwen and Bridgette asked with alarmed faces.
Cameron was slammed into the wall by the polymorph who then turned to the computer. It marched over and prepared to smash the computer when something slammed into the back of its head.
"You do not shock the friends of the Shawna!" LeShawna grabbed the clone and threw it over her shoulder, slamming it into the ground.
Its form shimmered and became distorted. LeShawna turned to Cameron, rushing over to look at him.
"You good, Iron-boy?" LeShawna asked, helping Cameron to his feet.
"I'm good. What about you, LeShawna? Are you okay?" Cameron asked. "You got devirtualized pretty badly."
"I'm fine. Those monsters took me by surprise." LeShawna replied, helping Cameron back over to the computer. "What's the story on them?"
"Well, they're obviously modified versions of the Tarantulas." Cameron noted, sitting on the chair. "Their shields on the other hand are completely new and their defense power is one hundred percent. Virtually, nothing can break through."
"Nothing's unbreakable." LeSahwna muttered.
Behind them, the clone stood up as its distorted imagery became solid again.
Gwen watched as DJ continued to hold up his barrier to deflect the incoming lasers. She threw scythe, it spun through the air towards the monsters. But like all the other attacks it bounced off their shields, but luckily it flew back into her hands.
"This is no good! We can't break through those shields!" she shouted.
"We have to try!" Geoff called back.
"I have an idea. Just hold them for a few minutes." Aelita said.
She sat down on the ground in a meditative pose as she concentrated to use her power. XANA will remember that he was not the only who controlled Lyoko. They heard a soft melodic voice singing that sounded much like Aelita but she did not open her mouth. The ground beneath the shielded Tarantulas began to crack open and vanish.
With no ground beneath them the Tarantulas fell into the void. Two pillars of light erupted from the sea. And then it was quiet.
"Wow. What was that?" asked Geoff.
"My power. I can change the environment of Lyoko around me, just as you saw I altered the landscape so that the monsters would have nothing to stand on." Aelita replied standing up.
"Awesome." Geoff said smiling.
"It is but it cost me life points." Aelita replied.
"That sucks." Said Gwen.
"Nice work, Aelita." Cameron cut in. "I couldn't find anything that could be used to get through those shields."
"I hope we don't run into anymore monsters with those shields." Said DJ hopping back onto the Over-Jet.
"Don't count on us being that lucky." Gwen said as she stepped back onto the Over-board.
"Don't mind if I hop on, Bridge?" asked Geoff.
"Not at all, come on."
Bridgette held out her surfboard and it began to float in the air. Geoff hopped up behind her and they took off towards the tower.
"Cam, how are William and Dawn doing?" Aelita asked.
"They are in the Ice Sector, coming up on those Guardians right now."
As soon as they landed, William took off in the direction of the Guardians with Dawn trailing behind him. William would have used his Super-Smoke if he didn't have Dawn with him, but he didn't want to leave her alone to possibly get possessed.
He had to prove to himself that he can be the warrior that Aelita and her friends needed.
The orange glow up ahead showed him the location of the others.
'This is it! We'll get them back and we can all work together!' William thought with a hopeful look on his face.
Then the other shoe dropped.
"William, Dawn, look out!"
A single red bolt shot at William from the side and would have hit him if Dawn didn't jump forward and knock him down. The bolt sailed over both of them as they hit the ground and hit a nearby icy glyph.
BOOM!
Instead of dispersing on impact like lasers would this one exploded on contact, destroying the cliff and sending debris flying. William lifted his head and looked in the direction of what fired the blast, seeing a new kind of monster.
It was a large, stony looking monster with what looked like lava surging through its veins with smoke rising from its body. It had two large legs at the front and two smaller legs at the back and was shaped like a turtle's shell with a white Eye of XANA imprinted on its head.
It was almost like a mini-Kolossus.
The monster 'stared' at them, taking two steps forward, each step making a stomping sound as the creature's red 'mouth' began to glow fiery red.
"We got to move!" William helped Dawn up and they ran as the monster fired again.
BOOM!
The ground where they had previously standing was now a smoking crater and the new monster was not finished with them by a long shot.
"Dawn, stay back." William summoned his sword. "Super Smoke!"
He dissolved into white smoke and flew at the monsters, its next shot passing through William's smoky form. William flew above the monster and solidified back to normal, swinging his sword down with a battle cry.
SHING!
"Huh?!" William was thrown back as his sword literally rebounded off of the monster's skin.
Dawn watched and saw the monster was now glowing fiery orange, projecting a layer of energy around its body that blocked William's sword. Meanwhile, William crashed landed on the ground close to Dawn, his sword landing next to him.
"Cameron, something protected the monster's weakness." Dawn quickly said, rushing to help William up.
"I saw it." Cameron replied. "I just ran scan. It's called a Volcanoid and it's very dangerous. It's using the lava inside its body to project some sort of heat shield over its vital spots."
The new monster labelled as a Volcanoid fired another blast at William and Dawn, forcing the pair to run before they were hit.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
"Some sort of weakness would be nice to know!" William called out as he and Dawn ran for their lives.
"I've got something." Cameron replied. "It looks like the shield is only be projected to cover the front but the back is exposed. In fact, I think the back is where the source of the shield is located."
"So, we need to attack from behind." William said and turned around. "Dawn, take cover. Super-Smoke!"
William turned into smoke, avoiding another blast from the Volcanoid and managed to get behind it before he returned to normal. Cameron was right as William saw the monster's back was completely exposed while pulsing red. With one swing of his sword, William watched as the Volcanoid staggered forward, the shield protecting the main body vanishing. The Volcanoid tried to turn but it was clumsy and slow, allowing William to strike its body several times before it finally exploded.
William let out a sigh of relief, falling on one knee while leaning against his sword.
That had been one tough monster.
"William." Dawn rushed up to him. "You did it."
"Yeah." William nodded, managing to stand up. "Let's get the others."
"He did it." Cameron uttered with a smile on his face.
"Yeah! That's what I'm talking about!" Leshawna pumped a fist into the air. "Now they just need to-GAH!"
A blast of electricity came behind, shocking LeShawna as she screamed. The polymorph then grabbed LeShawna by the back of her shirt and threw her out of the way. Cameron only had time to turn around before he was blasted out of the chair next and once again slammed into the wall. The polymorph took Cameron's place at the computer and grinned.
William and Dawn reached the icy platform the three Guardians rested on, stopping and looking at each one of them and seeing Ulrich, Odd and Yumi trapped in each one.
"What do we do now?" Dawn asked.
"Well, I have a bit of an idea. Cam, can you rig a duplicate like before?" William asked, holding up his sword. "Cameron?"
Suddenly a wall of ice appeared behind William, separating him from Dawn who cried out in alarm. "William!"
William turned around to see the icy wall that had just appeared. "Cam, what's going on? Cam!"
"Hello, William."
William froze as a voice spoke from behind him. An icy mist appeared all around him, obscuring him from Dawn's vision.
"Cam, I can't see William anymore." Dawn said with worry. "Cameron, what is happening?"
On the other side of the ice wall, William trembled as watched a dark figure move through the icy white mist, slowly approaching him. The figure strode with confidence as he came into view, grinning as glinting red eyes beheld the shocked and somewhat terrified William.
"It's been a long time, hasn't it?" The Avatar of XANA spoke to him.
William was too stunned to move, feeling his heart, his digital heart going still. He knew who it was standing before him, he could feel the being's presence and he could hear his heartbeat alongside his own.
XANA stopped just a few feet in front of him. "You've done quite well to make this far, even with assistance." XANA then glanced at the icy wall, seeing Dawn behind it even though she couldn't see him. "And you even brought a spare with you. That's good. I was getting bored just waiting out here."
William glanced at XANA and then at the Guardians, seeing the faces of the ones trapped inside, especially Yumi looking very concerned.
And they had good reason to be worried.
"Well, William?" XANA asked curiously. "Aren't you going to free them? Isn't that why you came here? To free Aelita's dear friends."
William tightened the grip on his sword, but it was trembling slightly.
"They were the reason you fought so hard to break free of my control before. In fact, it was Yumi calling out to you that one time that allowed you to resist."
Behind him, Yumi seemingly heard everything despite being trapped in the Guardian.
"And yet, you stand there. Is it perhaps you feel vindicated now?" XANA asked.
Vindicated?
Why would he…
"It's all right if you feel that way. After all, they treated you so harshly after you finally free. Actually, harshly is too strong a word. They treated you like you didn't exist, cast you out by their actions and subtle words, making it clear that they did not want you around, even though you wished to make amends for your mistake." XANA stated knowingly. "They left you to face the aftermath of what happened to you, all alone. Months lost to you, your reputation in tatters after the clone they created as a decoy made a fool of itself in your name, nights spent with you studying to catch up so you wouldn't be forced to repeat a year at school and falling asleep only to be faced with nightmares as your mind struggled to remember. And worst of all, you couldn't talk to anyone about it because they didn't want anything to do with you and thus made it clear that your problems weren't theirs."
William's eyes went wide as he stepped back, nearly dropping his sword. "H-How…how do you know that?"
XANA grinned while behind him, Ulrich, Odd and Yumi were all watching with surprised and concerned faces.
Could they hear it all?
"I know a lot more than that, William. In fact, I know why you are able to use the supercomputer and access the information in Sector 5 like Aelita can. It's because you're not fully severed from me." XANA stated. "We're still connected, even after all this time."
"Wh-what?! No! That's impossible!" William stepped back.
"Is it?" XANA tilted his head slightly. "Then answer this for me. About a month after the supercomputer was shut down, the nightmares suddenly stopped and you were doing better in class."
William paused. 'How does he know? Is he really still in my head?'
"Suddenly, the studying became much easier to you and you practically aced every test, saving yourself from repeating a year that would have had you attending class to Ulrich, Odd, Jeremy and Aelita." XANA continued. "Did you think it was all on your own? That you managed to retain the information through staying up late, sleeping only for about two to three hours and then keeping yourself awake to answer all the questions correctly? Did you really think you suddenly became your own…Einstein?"
William was paling now. "No…"
"Yes. Just as they never truly got rid me, you and I have remained connected all this time. I stopped the nightmares; I helped you retain the knowledge you needed to save yourself from failing your grades and I helped you find the strength you needed to not care about making amends with them anymore." XANA proclaimed. "And in return, you have only been using the knowledge and powers I gave you. The ability to operate the supercomputer, to access and create programs in Sector 5, it all comes from what I gave you and you failed to realize that in all that time, it meant I was still here all along. We have been connected all this time, even when I was dormant, I could still hear your thoughts and I could still influence you."
William trembled, backing away until he hit the ice wall behind him. "No…No…That's not true!"
"It is." XANA softly walked forward, matching William step by step. "You may fear me, you may hate me, William but I did more to help you in the last two years than Aelita, Odd, Ulrich, Jeremy and especially Yumi ever did."
William was not the only one to hear this.
The three captive Lyoko Warriors heard everything and they, especially Yumi were horrified at what they had heard.
They thought back to how William had been in the first few months after they had shut down the supercomputer and they could remember him looking…
Tired.
They probably could have done something but no one, especially not Ulrich or Yumi had wanted anything to do with William. The trauma of facing him as a minion of XANA had been too much to bear at times and they felt he couldn't be trusted because he had been reckless. Only Jeremy and Aelita had been willing to be cordial with William.
And then suddenly, a few months later William looked better and his grade improved.
And it was…because of XANA?
"And now, William. You will have to make a choice." XANA declared, spreading his arms out. "Will you choose them…or will you choose yourself?"
That was when the Ice Sector began to tremble.
The polymorph snickered as it typed away. "I have everything under control."
Cameron grunted as he tried getting up while nearby LeShawna stood up, glaring at the clone. "Oh, you did not zap me!"
The elevator doors then opened, revealing Michael Belpois.
"It's time to set the real you free, William."
(Credits)
Chapter 19: Episode 19: Conflict
Summary:
Aelita and William race for their lives as XANA offers their missing friends back to their parents in exchange for handing them over.
Chapter Text
( Code Total Drama Reality Introduction Song Starts )
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) )
(The ending of this story)
The song starts, showing the end of Code Lyoko where the Supercomputer is shut down and the former Lyoko Warriors leave the factory seemingly for the last time.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
A single computer is shown coming online, lines of 1s and 0s streaming across the screen before the screen is replaced by a glowing sphere with the Eye of XANA, at least eight variations appearing on it. From the sphere came lines of data emerging in eight different directions. The lines of data formed into various regions, all of them floating landscapes resembling a forest, a desert, an arctic, mountains, volcanoes, swamp and a jungle.
(Into this new world)
The new lands orbited the golden sphere as the camera zoomed in on the Eye of XANA staring at the screen.
(The game has only just begun)
The Eye then flashes red, and the sphere turns black.
(I can see it in your eyes)
A girl with pink hair sits on her bed, panting as she turns to see two pictures of her friends and her father. She smiles briefly but that smile turns to a look of horror as both her friends and her father are engulfed by a great darkness and the red Eye shines down on her. The Supercomputer, thought to be shut down, is reactivated and there is a flash of light.
(This is where tomorrow brings a new game)
Aelita is shown alone both in the real world and in Lyoko, hordes of monsters surrounding her.
Geoff is first shown in his human form before transitioning to his Lyoko form.
Next to him is Bridgette, holding her surfboard in the real world before changing into her Lyoko form, her board splitting into two swords.
(It's time to learn that pain is gain)
Gwen is shown sitting in front of tree, looking up and is instantly changed into her Lyoko Avatar, brandishing her scythe.
DJ is shown in the woods, tending to a little rabbit as he stands up and morphs into his Lyoko form, turning to face the camera with a stern glare.
LeShawna is last, ready to fight in both her human form and her Lyoko form.
(Ready fight!)
William and a dark reflection of himself as XANA's General are shown standing back-to-back, turning to face each other and swinging their swords.
The screen is split by the two swords, showing New Lyoko as the title appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(I gotta crush and paint away the anguish)
Aelita is shown first, sitting at the computer before she is then shown as the DJ of a party. She morphs into her Lyoko form and conjures an energy field.
This was followed quickly by Geoff wildly waving his hat while riding something with Bridgette holding onto him by the back.
(Of my past for the sake of my future)
Gwen is shown next, drawing in her sketchbook and signifying with a sad face as Duncan, Courtney and Trent appear behind her, their backs facing in her direction.
(Until my life comes to an end)
DJ is shown running for his life from appears to be a giant bear.
(I am gonna fight to tear apart that destiny)
LeShawna is shown next, standing confidently with her team, ready to face whatever crazy challenge comes next.
(Aoh, break out and start a revolution)
The antagonists of Total Drama: Heather, Courtney, Justin, Anne Maria, Jo, Lightning, Scott and Alejandro in the Total Drama Machine are shown from left to right, grinning or glaring at the camera, holding up an imaginary case of the million- dollar prize money in their hands. Chris Mclean is shown next, arms crossed as the chair he is sitting in spins to meet the camera, zooming out to show it is the monitor room for the Total Drama show.
A dark shadow appears above them, scrawny in appearance and hair falling over the left eye as it glares darkly at the screen.
(Until you find the answer you're looking for)
The camera then shows Aelita with the new Lyoko Warriors, the TD Lyoko Warriors and William sitting around a campfire, all of them staring up into the starry night sky, a picture of her friends and father resting in Aelita's hands.
(I'll challenge all my limits)
Aelita in her Lyoko form with her wings sprouting from her back is shown, clutching Mr. Puck in her hands as she seemingly falls back, her friends and relatives in the background.
The camera moves down to show William kneeling down, clutching his sword in both hands. As this happens, the camera moves down, showing depictions of the TD Lyoko Warriors and other characters in the background.
The camera continues to move down to show Geoff pulling Bridgette into sharing a picture with LeShawna bringing her face up over Bridgette's shoulder, the three of them in their Lyoko forms. While this happens, Harold, Lindsay, Beth, Trent, Katie and Sadie are shown in the background.
Below them is Gwen with her arms and legs curled around her with her cape swirling behind her like wings while Heather and Courtney are shown in the background glaring at each other followed by Sierra clutching Cody who looks distressed, Eva crossing her arms along with B and Beth both waving, the latter looking very shy. Behind Gwen appeared Dawn in her own Lyoko form in a meditative pose while upside down while facing Gwen with her eyes closed, her light robe contrasting with Gwen's cape with dark clothing, almost forming a yin-yang symbol.
Behind Dawn appears Scott, snickering evilly.
(Knowing this could be my only chance now)
DJ is shown last, seemingly falling back while holding his pet rabbit: Bunny in his hands with a happy smile. His teammates shown in the background starting with Duncan, Tyler, Justin and Alejandro ending with Chef Hatchet and Chris McClean.
He is followed by Mike and Zoey, both clutching their hands and smiling at each other as in background appears Brick, Jo, Lightning, Sam and Staci.
And lately Cameron appears staring up at the others.
(To overcome this fate that has come over me)
The screen turns black and the Eye of XANA immediately flashes into existence, glowing red and shadowing the outline of a singular person with red glowing eyes.
(The ending of this story)
Aelita is shown, standing in a meadow now with the wind gently blowing through her hair.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
She holds up a hand, gazing sadly up as the images of her friends and parents appear in the sky.
(Into this new world)
Her hand then becomes digital, transitioning to Lyoko.
((The game has only just begun))
She gazes up a little longer before she notices her new friends and allies standing with her and smiles before looking forward, seeing a tower in the distance.
(I can see it in your eyes)
Just as they are about to rush towards the tower, the camera angles up into the digital sky as the song reaches its end.
The scene then shifts to pictures of Aelita and her friends both old and new on a desktop as the title appears on last time:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) Ends )
Episode 19: Conflict
Half an Hour Ago
"With XANA dead, all that was left was to shutdown the supercomputer, but then Sissy as always tried to ruin everything. We came up with the idea of telling her she was our friend so she would stop bothering us."
Sissy, who had been listening in through the door, gasped with wide eyes.
"It's amazing to think she almost joined the group at the beginning of everything and that one thing that has never changed about her is that she always selfishly thinks of herself and is always trying to break up our group from her silly obsession with Ulrich. She told her dad everything at the beginning and three years later when we're finally ending it, she does it again after she puts a tracker on Ulrich's jacket that led her to the factory, found my diary and then spilled everything to the principal, forcing us to use one last Return to the Past to stop her. If I have to pretend to be friends with her until the 12th grade, then so be it even if it means putting up with her childish and delusional clingy behavior. It is clear that no matter how much things have changed; Sissy never will change for the better and will always be an annoying thorn in our sides."
Sissy, who had been outside the room but managed to listen in was utterly shocked and distraught with tears slipping down her cheeks. She stepped away from the door, unable to believe what she had heard.
All these years, Ulrich and his friends had only pretended to consider her their friend.
Pretended…
Like it was all a big joke to them.
How could they?
It wasn't like they hadn't brought on themselves. One moment they were nice to her, the next they turned away from her without her even knowing why. Their claim being that she had outed them to her father not once but numerous times…
Well, how was she supposed to defend herself if she didn't even remember?!
They pretend to like her now just throw her of, make her think they liked her and believe she was some kind of brat…
Sissy backed against the wall, tears continuing to fall but when she heard footsteps she immediately turned and ran, rushing around the corner and watching as the adults came out with Aelita.
"We're going to this factory to see the proof for ourselves first." Her father stated as Jim escorted Aelita out. "I'll call Dunbar so he can explain himself."
"Sir, you're making a mistake."
"Quiet." Ulrich's father barked at Aelita.
Sissy watched as the adults walked off with Aelita. She looked inside her father's office and saw Jeremy's laptop sitting on her father's desk.
She looked at, peeking around and then came over to the desk, turning the laptop around as she sat down in her father's chair. She looked through the programs and found Jeremy's diary along with files likely part of this Loco…
Sissy continued reading through the files, wanting to see and know everything she could. She looked at Jeremy's diary and picked out a recording near the beginning.
"October 3rd, 2006. Odd and Ulrich surprised me by telling me about how they went back in time. At first, I didn't believe them but evidence recorded in the supercomputer proved they were telling the truth. The supercomputer is able to rewind the past and it was done as soon as Maya or should I say Aelita deactivated the tower. Only those who are scanned into the supercomputer can remember what happens when this 'Return to the Past' program is activated. I'd prefer not to get into the scanners, so I worked on a way to record a digital image of myself into the supercomputer and it was surprisingly easy once I found the right programs."
Sissy zeroed in on this recording and began following the instructions.
Connecting to Lyoko
Accessing Supercomputer
As Aelita is being led to the school gates, a pair of eyes observe this and become narrowed. She takes out her phone and speed-dials one number.
"Come on, come on." She muttered in frustration. "Pick up…"
Finally, someone answered. "Hello."
"Franz, the school principal along with the parents of Aelita's missing friends are heading to the school gate."
"I know. XANA has offered to return the missing children in return for Aelita and William."
"They wouldn't actually go through with it…Not even Walter could be that stupid." The woman shook her head.
"Unfortunately, you are giving Walter much more credit than he ever deserved."
"Ah, William. Just in time." Jean-Pierre started, causing her to look and see William near the gate.
Before William could ask what's going on, Aelita did so for him. "THEY'RE HANDING US OVER TO XANA IN EXCHANGED FOR ODD, YUMI AND ULRICH!"
William blanched.
They were what?!
"Miss Sto-I mean, Hopper, calm down!" Jean-Pierre reprimanded but Aelita struggled against Jim's grip.
"XANA WANTS TO USE THE SCYPHOZOA ON US AGAIN! RUN WILLIAM, NOW!" Aelita screamed. "GET TO THE FACTORY AND WARN THE OTHERS!"
William paled as the mere mention of the Scyphozoa was enough for him to take off in the opposite direction.
"Dunbar, stop!" Jean-Pierra called out. "Jim!"
"I got him!" Jim said, handing Aelita over the principal and chased after William. "Dunbar, get back here!"
She watched as William ran off, Jim hot on his trails. "They're taking Aelita to the factory."
"I've already called Aelita's new friends. They will be at the factory before they get there." Franz responded. "In the meantime, I need to find something that can help me access Lyoko to monitor the situation."
"Are you actually planning to enter the campus?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Are Jim and Jean-Pierre leaving?"
"Yes."
"Are there any other staff members from my time at the school?"
"No."
"Then it's doubtful anyone will recognize me and a Return to the Past will ensure I am never noticed."
Present Time
"I knew it would be too good to be true!" Gwen shouted as they dodged more lasers.
They had made it to the tower, but it was guarded by six shielded Dark Tarantulas. Their shields were up and they were firing at the group. DJ held his barrier up to stop the incoming shots, but it was a standoff. For now.
"I can't hold this up much longer." DJ said as he tried to keep the barrier up.
"Aelita, can't you use your creativity again?" asked Bridgette.
"They are too far spread out. I could only take them out one at a time and the longer I did the more life points I would lose." Aelita shook her head.
"We have to find a way!" Bridgette replied.
She and Gwen were deflecting lasers shots back into the shields. Suddenly one of the Dark Tarantula's barriers vanished.
"What the . . ." asked Geoff.
"Energy field!" Aelita shouted.
Taking advantage of the shield's drop Aelita fired an Energy Field that hit the Tarantula in the face, destroying it.
"Why did that monster's shields go down?" asked Gwen.
"It's possible it dropped from the number of lasers that were deflected back into the shield. That means that they can hold for only a bit under a prolonged assault like DJ's barrier." Said Aelita taking cover behind a tree.
"So, we need to reflect their lasers back into their shields." Gwen said.
"It seems to be only way." Said Aelita.
"All, right, DJ cover Aelita as soon as we get a path cleared. Bridgette, Geoff, with me, we're going to create a diversion." Said Gwen.
"Got it!"
They ran out catching the monsters' attention. Gwen twirled her scythe in her hand and the weapon glowed creating a barrier. The monsters aimed and fired at her. The barrier deflected incoming shots back into their shields. After a few seconds of endless lasers being deflected back their shields began to drop.
"Now!" Gwen shouted.
Bridgette flew in on her surfboard with Geoff jumping throwing his chakrams. They hit two Tarantulas, slicing into their XANA eyes, destroying them instantly. The chakrams flew back into Geoff's hand and they combined into his axe. He blocked incoming laser shots as Bridgette flew in, her surfboard split into her two swords. Letting out a battle cry she fell from above with her swords raised above her head not knowing that the wave shaped tattoos on her were glowing.
Suddenly her sword glowed light blue as they swung down releasing an energy wave resembling waves seen in the ocean that sliced through another non shielded Tarantula. The glowing faded but the tattoos that went up from Bridgette's arms to her neck had change. There no longer any tattoos on her neck.
"Awesome!" shouted Geoff as Bridgette landed on her feet.
"Thanks. Geoff look out!" Bridgette shouted.
Geoff turned only to be hit in the chest by a couple of lasers from one of the remaining monsters. These hits dropped his life points to zero. His avatar disappeared into data as he fell back.
"Big mistake!" shouted Bridgette.
Her tattoos glowed again, and she released another energy wave that took out the attacking monster while the same time her wave shaped tattoos shortened in length again. Gwen flew in blocking more lasers; the lasers flew back into the monsters, hitting them in the faces forcing them back. She threw her scythe, and it sliced through a Tarantula's neck before flying back into the hands of its owner. There was only one monster left and DJ and Aelita took advantage of that.
They ran out of their cover and headed towards the tower as fast as they could.
"Cameron, any word on William and Dawn?" Aelita asked but received no answer. "Cameron?"
The polymorph snickered as it typed away. "I have everything under control."
Cameron grunted as he tried getting up while nearby LeShawna stood up, glaring at the clone. "Oh, you did not zap me!"
The elevator doors then opened, revealing Micheal Belpois.
"It's time to set the real you free, William." The Specter replied, typing the 'enter' key.
"Aelita, look!" Bridgette called out.
Aelilta turned around to see a new monster materialize between her and the tower.
This one was different, even compared to the new monsters.
Aelita and the others stepped back, all of them sporting looks of fear and surprised, eyes widening at the sight.
It was a giant, ape-like monster almost twenty feet tall. It was covered head-to-toe in black metallic armor whiles its 'face' was a smooth metallic white with the Eye of XANA imprinted on it. In one hand, it held a large axe with the blade glowing fierce red.
The monster held up its weapon and let out a metallic roar.
"Just what is that?!" DJ squeaked, jumping back with a freaked outlook on his face.
"Looks like a robo-Kong." LeShawna commented, gripping her hammer tightly.
"William? William?" Dawn called out but her voice couldn't reach him, wherever he was on the other side of the ice wall.
That was when the ground began to shake.
She spun around and her eyes widened as new monster appeared and landed on the ground a few yards away. It stood over twenty feet tall, clad in a white fur coat with a light blue cloak with a light blue metallic 'face' with a fanged mouth that when it opened, revealed a cannon inside while the Eye of XANA was imprinted on where the eyes and nose would be if the creature was organic.
Dawn stepped back with a fearful look on her face. "Cameron? Can you hear me?"
"RAGH!"
Cameron was still on the ground as LeShawna jumped the polymorph, only to be zapped back against the wall. "LeShawna!"
The polymorph chuckled as it approached Cameron, its hand sparkling and ready to blast him.
"No!"
The polymorph was suddenly knock off its feet by Michael Belpois who came barreling forward and slammed right into the specter. Cameron managed to get up and staggered over to the computer as Jeremy's father held the polymorph down.
The specter looked up at Michael, the Eye of XANA replacing the human pupils. "Do you understand that by doing this, you forfeit any chance of saving your son's life?"
"Even if I am, I would never trust someone or something like to save him!" Michael barked. "We'll find a way ourselves!"
The polymorph simply laughed. "I doubt you'll remember anything after this day, even if you win, Mr. Belpois. Not this place, not what you learned and certainly not that your dear son will remain dead, his digital essence scattered across all of cyberspace!"
Cameron paused when he heard the specter. 'Dead but…'
"Guess we have another 'Jeremy' here." William whispered with a smile but winced at the pained smile on Aelita's face. "…Sorry."
"Sounds like this kid was smart." Bridgette commented.
"He was one of the best." Aelita smiled sadly.
Aelita said that her three friends were imprisoned but had been evasive when it came to the friend named Jeremy.
Was it because he had been killed?
William turned around, feeling the ground shaking. "What is happening?"
"That would be more of my new creations greeting Aelita's new allies." XANA answered with a confident grin. "I came well prepared this time, William."
William turned, glaring hatefully at the Avatar of the AI who nearly stole his life.
"Why do you make that face, William?" XANA tilted his head. "It's not like I referred to any of them as your friends. How can they be when you just met them? All you know of them is that they are contestants on a simple live reality television program that happened to be in the right place at the right time for Aelita to recruit them, just as she and the others recruited you. A gamble born from desperation when she was cornered with no way out."
Behind XANA, Yumi was banging against the Guardian imprisoning her, trying to say something but her voice was muted.
"Now what could you be trying to say, Yumi?" XANA glanced over his shoulder. "It must be something important. It can't be a warning since you once spoke that asking William to assist you as a Lyoko Warrior was a mistake and how you knew he couldn't be trusted."
Yumi blanched before banging even harder against her Guardian. Meanwhile, William tightened his grip on his sword.
"It can't be that you're asking him to abandon you to go and help Aelita either. If he did that, he would effectively be leaving you to the same fate as you and the rest left him when you recruited him." XANA's lips curled into a grin. "Do you think him cruel and vindictive enough to do that? Do you fear him harboring such a grudge?"
"Shut up!" William shouted, charging and swinging his sword with a battle cry…
Only XANA to easily catch the large weapon with one hand.
William grunted as he struggled to pull his weapon free but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't wrestle his weapon from XANA's grip.
"Is that the best you can do? Is that full strength of your resolve?" XANA asked, not even batting an eye as William continued to struggle. "You strike with the same recklessness as before when you tried proving yourself to Jeremy, Aelita and Yumi."
William froze.
"What am I truly to do you, William? You look at me as the monster who nearly ruined your life, but I was helping you, even though you never knew it while the ones you believed to be your friends cast you out over a misstep that could have just as easily happened to any of them. And Yumi, even before deciding it was a mistake to ever trust you, only ever used you to get back at Ulrich." XANA declared, making William flinch while Yumi and Ulrich froze.
"That's a lie!" William barked, struggling even harder to wrench his sword free.
"You know it is true. I don't have to lie about something like this and even then, I don't believe in lying like that. I saw through your memories, any time she and Ulrich were in a dispute she would leave him, approach you while you were in sight of him, ask you to keep her company and walk off with her, leaving poor, moody Ulrich in the literal dust. And yet…nothing ever came from that, did it?" XANA asked. "The next moment, she's back with Ulrich and her friends as if nothing ever happened. And she believed you couldn't be trusted with helping her against me and only agreed when it was becoming clear I was becoming too strong for her and her group to stop. She never believed in you then and she and the others discarded any responsibility towards you when they thought the battle was over and thus removed you from their lives, barely paying any attention to you at all. Does any of this sound like how a friend should act?"
William couldn't speak; his grip was still strong, but he had a deep conflict look on his face. He looked up at Yumi who had a saddened remorseful look on her face.
"Don't look at her, William. The more you look, the sorrier you'll feel for her and for yourself, thinking she would never do that, despite all actions to the contrary." XANA gently pushed William's sword down. "It would only be when she and the others are trapped like this, when you are their only option to escape would they ever entertain the idea of making amends with you. You know it. It's okay to feel that way. To feel betrayed, manipulated, to be the one who is left behind."
William was trembling now.
"The nice guy, useful for fights but gets rejected and ignored when he is no longer needed." XANA continued softly as Yumi banged even harder against the Guardian. "Here, you are a king. Nothing can hurt you, especially her and her friends who shunned you not only for a mistake, but one which anyone of them could have made. They say you were reckless but how many times were they just as reckless and easy to exploit. That would be quite the question, isn't that right, Odd?"
Odd looked surprised by the question directed at him.
"And let's not forget the entire reason Ulrich disliked you in the beginning was because he was jealous. He may claim you're not a team player, but he endangered himself and the rest of the so-called Lyoko Gang plenty of times, even going as far as to using the Return to the Past to make me stronger, all for the sake of trying to keep his precious Yumi from leaving and how was he repaid?"
Ulrich stiffened, clenching his fists at how XANA easily brought up one of his own mistakes, not only rubbing it in his face but also using it as a tactic to mess with William.
"They pushed him aside, just as you were, only he was given the chance to supposedly make amends with them by saving them even though all he wanted was to keep them all together. I must ask, why would you want to gain recognition from such ingrateful hypocrites who forgive each other but never offered you a chance?" XANA asked, his tone seemingly innocent.
William was still, with his sword pointed downwards. He was completely defenceless and open to attack, but XANA didn't attack. He was trying something else. Yumi, Odd and Ulrich could all see it but could do nothing as XANA seemingly lowered William's defenses by playing on his feelings and insecurities.
And it was working.
"No one should have gone through with what you did, William. So, allow me to offer one last act of kindness." XANA stepped back. "Unlike them, I will offer you a choice."
Three portals appeared underneath the Guardians holding the captured Lyoko Warriors. At the same time, the Guardians began to crackle with electrical energy.
"You can try your hand at freeing these three and hope they offer some form of amends, even supposedly forgiving you for your previous mistakes even if there is nothing to truly forgive." XANA remarked. "Or you can go help your new friends and save them from meeting a similar fate."
William looked up with wide eyes. "What do you mean?"
"I have no quarrel with them, but they were brought into this fight by Aelita when she asked them for help, so I have no choice but treat them as my enemies. However, you can perhaps save them from meeting the same fate as these three…and Jeremy if you go now to save them. Or you can take the chance by trying to free these three right now, wasting valuable time." XANA explained, stepping back as his form began to dissolve into black smoke. "The choice is yours, William. Set the real you free."
And with that, XANA was gone.
Behind William, the ice wall shattered, and a surprise cry rang out. "William!"
William glanced behind. "Dawn?!"
Dawn was frantically dodging strikes from some kind of Yeti like monster. While distracted, the Guardians crackled with orange energy, forcing William to look back. Just as the Guardians discharged all their energy at him, William raised his sword and caught all the arcs with his large weapon. William grunted as the force of the attacks pushed him back, but he remained strong.
He could do this.
He wouldn't fail like he did before.
"The nice guy, useful for fights but gets rejected and ignored when he is no longer needed."
XANA's words echoed in his mind, and he found himself faltering.
Was this what he really wanted?
Did he really want to save them?
As Aelita walked down the hall, she paused when she saw someone stepping out in front of her. "…William."
"Hey, Aelita." William greeted, sounding awkward. "Um…I heard what happened. At least, I heard what everyone thinks happened. Are they…"
Aelita choked back a sob. "They were captured and…. Jeremy's dead."
William's eyes widened and for a moment he didn't what to do but he managed to hold out his arms, offering a hug. Aelita took it, needing some comfort and cried into William's shoulder. For a moment, she just let out her pain before she managed to calm down and step back.
"Thanks, William." Aelita wiped her eyes.
"Aelita…" William started but trailed off. "I know, I'm probably the last person to be offering help given what happened the last time but if you do need something…anything…I'll do it even if you ask me to do…nothing."
"I know." Aelita glanced back at William, a slightly softer expression on her face could be seen now. "Thank you, William. Really, thank you."
"It would be best if one of us remained here to assist you and look after William." Dawn answered, wrapping a bandage around William's wounds.
"Thanks." William managed to say.
"I'm sorry that you all had to get involved with this. We never wanted to involve anyone else in our fight."
"Hey, XANA's out to kill us all, if I gotta face the facts then I don't care." LeShawna shrugged.
"So, you'll help me?" Aelita looked hopeful.
"You bet." DJ stood up. "I'm not letting this guy run around."
"Me neither." Bridgette said. "He won't know what hit him."
Aelita smiled gratefully. "Thank you, all of you. It will be a hard fight considering the world will have its eyes on you most of the time."
"Hey, Aelita." William was already waiting for her near the manhole. "Got your text message and was out the door a second later."
"Thanks, William." Aelita said gratefully as she lifted the sewer hatch.
"Are you sure you want me coming along? I wasn't very helpful the last couple of times." William asked as he climbed down.
"We were all taken by surprise that time, William. Besides, aside from me you're the only veteran left." Aelita replied as William landed on the ground.
"That's not exactly much." William said solemnly.
"I know but we have an entirely new group with us, and I don't want to make the same mistakes as we did when we recruited you." Aelita replied as they grabbed the nearby skateboards.
William's eyes went wide, and he let out a loud yell as he swung his sword, sending all the energy right back at the Guardians.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
One by one, the Guardians exploded and released their captives.
Ulrich, Odd and Yumi were free.
Footsteps were heard and Sissy immediately ducked under her father's desk. The door opened and someone walked in.
"Good. They left Jeremy's laptop here. This is better than trying to sneak into the dorms." A man's voice was heard.
Sissy covered her mouth and remained hidden as the man saw down. All she could see was that he wore a brown turtleneck sweater with a lab coat.
"They must have been going through his files before leaving. I just hope I can find a way to help before it's too late."
Sissy's eyes went wide.
This man knew too?
Who was he?
(Credits)
Chapter 20: The Beautiful Lie
Summary:
Racing against time, Aelita and the TD Lyoko Warriors work to save Aelita's friends...but are they actually her friends?
Chapter Text
( Code Total Drama Reality Introduction Song Starts )
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) )
(The ending of this story)
The song starts, showing the end of Code Lyoko where the Supercomputer is shut down and the former Lyoko Warriors leave the factory seemingly for the last time.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
A single computer is shown coming online, lines of 1s and 0s streaming across the screen before the screen is replaced by a glowing sphere with the Eye of XANA, at least eight variations appearing on it. From the sphere came lines of data emerging in eight different directions. The lines of data formed into various regions, all of them floating landscapes resembling a forest, a desert, an arctic, mountains, volcanoes, swamp and a jungle.
(Into this new world)
The new lands orbited the golden sphere as the camera zoomed in on the Eye of XANA staring at the screen.
(The game has only just begun)
The Eye then flashes red, and the sphere turns black.
(I can see it in your eyes)
A girl with pink hair sits on her bed, panting as she turns to see two pictures of her friends and her father. She smiles briefly but that smile turns to a look of horror as both her friends and her father are engulfed by a great darkness and the red Eye shines down on her. The Supercomputer, thought to be shut down, is reactivated and there is a flash of light.
(This is where tomorrow brings a new game)
Aelita is shown alone both in the real world and in Lyoko, hordes of monsters surrounding her.
Geoff is first shown in his human form before transitioning to his Lyoko form.
Next to him is Bridgette, holding her surfboard in the real world before changing into her Lyoko form, her board splitting into two swords.
(It's time to learn that pain is gain)
Gwen is shown sitting in front of tree, looking up and is instantly changed into her Lyoko Avatar, brandishing her scythe.
DJ is shown in the woods, tending to a little rabbit as he stands up and morphs into his Lyoko form, turning to face the camera with a stern glare.
LeShawna is last, ready to fight in both her human form and her Lyoko form.
(Ready fight!)
William and a dark reflection of himself as XANA's General are shown standing back-to-back, turning to face each other and swinging their swords.
The screen is split by the two swords, showing New Lyoko as the title appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(I gotta crush and paint away the anguish)
Aelita is shown first, sitting at the computer before she is then shown as the DJ of a party. She morphs into her Lyoko form and conjures an energy field.
This was followed quickly by Geoff wildly waving his hat while riding something with Bridgette holding onto him by the back.
(Of my past for the sake of my future)
Gwen is shown next, drawing in her sketchbook and signifying with a sad face as Duncan, Courtney and Trent appear behind her, their backs facing in her direction.
(Until my life comes to an end)
DJ is shown running for his life from appears to be a giant bear.
(I am gonna fight to tear apart that destiny)
LeShawna is shown next, standing confidently with her team, ready to face whatever crazy challenge comes next.
(Aoh, break out and start a revolution)
The antagonists of Total Drama: Heather, Courtney, Justin, Anne Maria, Jo, Lightning, Scott and Alejandro in the Total Drama Machine are shown from left to right, grinning or glaring at the camera, holding up an imaginary case of the million- dollar prize money in their hands. Chris Mclean is shown next, arms crossed as the chair he is sitting in spins to meet the camera, zooming out to show it is the monitor room for the Total Drama show.
A dark shadow appears above them, scrawny in appearance and hair falling over the left eye as it glares darkly at the screen.
(Until you find the answer you're looking for)
The camera then shows Aelita with the new Lyoko Warriors, the TD Lyoko Warriors and William sitting around a campfire, all of them staring up into the starry night sky, a picture of her friends and father resting in Aelita's hands.
(I'll challenge all my limits)
Aelita in her Lyoko form with her wings sprouting from her back is shown, clutching Mr. Puck in her hands as she seemingly falls back, her friends and relatives in the background.
The camera moves down to show William kneeling down, clutching his sword in both hands. As this happens, the camera moves down, showing depictions of the TD Lyoko Warriors and other characters in the background.
The camera continues to move down to show Geoff pulling Bridgette into sharing a picture with LeShawna bringing her face up over Bridgette's shoulder, the three of them in their Lyoko forms. While this happens, Harold, Lindsay, Beth, Trent, Katie and Sadie are shown in the background.
Below them is Gwen with her arms and legs curled around her with her cape swirling behind her like wings while Heather and Courtney are shown in the background glaring at each other followed by Sierra clutching Cody who looks distressed, Eva crossing her arms along with B and Beth both waving, the latter looking very shy. Behind Gwen appeared Dawn in her own Lyoko form in a meditative pose while upside down while facing Gwen with her eyes closed, her light robe contrasting with Gwen's cape with dark clothing, almost forming a yin-yang symbol.
Behind Dawn appears Scott, snickering evilly.
(Knowing this could be my only chance now)
DJ is shown last, seemingly falling back while holding his pet rabbit: Bunny in his hands with a happy smile. His teammates shown in the background starting with Duncan, Tyler, Justin and Alejandro ending with Chef Hatchet and Chris McClean.
He is followed by Mike and Zoey, both clutching their hands and smiling at each other as in background appears Brick, Jo, Lightning, Sam and Staci.
And lately Cameron appears staring up at the others.
(To overcome this fate that has come over me)
The screen turns black and the Eye of XANA immediately flashes into existence, glowing red and shadowing the outline of a singular person with red glowing eyes.
(The ending of this story)
Aelita is shown, standing in a meadow now with the wind gently blowing through her hair.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
She holds up a hand, gazing sadly up as the images of her friends and parents appear in the sky.
(Into this new world)
Her hand then becomes digital, transitioning to Lyoko.
((The game has only just begun))
She gazes up a little longer before she notices her new friends and allies standing with her and smiles before looking forward, seeing a tower in the distance.
(I can see it in your eyes)
Just as they are about to rush towards the tower, the camera angles up into the digital sky as the song reaches its end.
The scene then shifts to pictures of Aelita and her friends both old and new on a desktop as the title appears on last time:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) Ends )
Episode 20: The Beautiful Lie
He could do this.
He wouldn't fail like he did before.
William's eyes went wide, and he let out a loud yell as he swung his sword, sending all the energy right back at the Guardians.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
One by one, the Guardians exploded and released their captives.
Ulrich, Odd and Yumi were free.
"Aelita, look!" Bridgette called out.
Aelilta turned around to see a new monster materialize between her and the tower.
This one was different, even compared to the new monsters.
Aelita and the others stepped back, all of them sporting looks of fear and surprised, eyes widening at the sight.
It was a giant, ape-like monster almost twenty feet tall. It was covered head-to-toe in black metallic armor whiles its 'face' was a smooth metallic white with the Eye of XANA imprinted on it. In one hand, it held a large axe with the blade glowing fierce red.
The monster held up its weapon and let out a metallic roar.
"Just what is that?!" DJ squeaked, jumping back with a freaked outlook on his face.
"Looks like a robo-Kong." LeShawna commented, gripping her hammer tightly.
The aforementioned beast raised its axe and swung it down on Aelita who quickly jumped back, holding her right hand forward. "Energy Field!"
An orb of pink energy shot forward, aimed on the Eye that was likely its weak spot. However, the Kong raised its axe and blocked Aelita's attack. The pink energy turned red and the monster swung its axe, releasing a red arc of electrical energy, similar to Aelita's Energy Field right at her.
"Aelita!"
DJ jumped in, forming a barrier to take the hit…
BOOM!
Despite DJ's efforts, the attack was strong enough to knock both of them back and send them skidding along the ground.
"DJ!" Gwen called out.
"Aelita!" Bridgette called for their other downed companion.
The Kong turned to the other two remaining Lyoko Warriors, Gwen and Bridgette.
"Oh boy." Gwen gulped.
The giant mechanized ape raised its axe…
"Laser Arrows!"
Three golden pointed arrows shot from behind the two and impacted the Kong in the chest, causing it to stagger back. Gwen and Bridgette spun around to see William and Dawn running towards them with three more, two boys and a girl, one of them firing more 'Laser Arrows' at the Kong before it could fully recover.
Aelita lifted her head in time to see the reinforcements, gasping with joy. "Yumi! Odd! Ulrich!"
Gwen and Bridgette shared a look.
Those were Aelita's missing friends?
The boy dressed like a samurai shot forward, leaving a yellow comet trail in his wake. "Super Sprint!"
He dashed under the Kong's axe as it was swung at him and then jumped up, unsheathing his katana. "Impact!"
The boy's sword stabbed into the monster's Eye, causing it to stagger backwards and collapse onto the ground. Ulrich pulled his sword out and jumped away as the monster dissolved into a red wireframe and exploded.
"Oh yeah! That's how we do it!" Odd pumped a fist into the air. "Never lost a touch!"
"Odd! Ulrich! Yumi!" Aelita cried out, rushing up to the three and pulling the nearest, Yumi into a deep hug. "You're safe!"
"Yeah." Yumi nodded, hugging Aelita back. "William saved us."
Aelita sent a grateful look to William who smiled back.
"Not to rain on the parade but don't you have a tower to deactivate, Princess?" Odd asked, gesturing to the still red glowing tower. "We can catch up later."
Aelita nodded and headed for the tower.
"Wow, so you guys are the original warriors?" DJ asked as he walked up. "Pretty impressive, taking out that giant monster right there."
"Just years of experience." Ulrich shrugged. "You helped Aelita while we were gone. Thanks for that."
Meanwhile, the polymorph threw LeShawna against the wall and she screamed in pain. "AH! MY ARM!"
The clone then turned to Cameron who was hiding behind the chair, shaking with fear.
Aelita entered the tower. Stepping into the center of the XANA symbol she prepared to ascend to the upper platform.
The clone held out its hand, electricity gathering.
Aelita gracefully landed on the upper platform.
"You made a big mistake, choosing to help Aelita." The clone stated, its XANA Eyes pulsing. "Her friends failed and so will you."
The screen appeared and Aelita placed her hand on it.
Cameron raised his hands, covering his eyes as the gathered electricity in the clone's hands became too bright for him to see.
AELITA
CODE:
LYOKO
The clone's form suddenly became distorted and broke apart into the black electrical smog it had been formed from, vanishing into nothingness.
Cameron turned to the screen and saw that the tower had been deactivated.
The activated tower's aura changed from red to blue. The screen surrounding Aelita fell to the darkness below.
"Tower deactivated."
"Return to the Past now." Cameron said, smiling in relief while inputting the commands.
The world was consumed by the white sphere of light as time went back to before the attack.
Gwen sighed as she sat the table like she did right before the attack. A few more attacks like these and she'd probably make it through the entire season to the finals easily.
Well, at least Aelita got her friends back
She sighed as she finished the last of her breakfast. She walked out of the kitchen to find someplace to think.
"Hey, Gwen!"
She turned and saw the other new Lyoko warriors walking up to her. "Hey, guys."
"We were thinking that we should go out and see the city. It's too boring being cooped up in here." Bridgette said, taking a quick glance around the room.
"Yeah, after what we have been through, we deserve to have some fun." DJ agreed.
Gwen though it over and shrugged. "Why not? Anywhere but here."
They should meet with Aelita and her friends and find out where things stood now that they've helped rescue her friends.
Aelita had found herself back at school, just before the attack had begun. She had been working on some schoolwork while waiting for the data William had found to be decoded.
But unlike before, Aelita was feeling relieved.
Elated even.
Her friends had been rescued.
This was the first step in finally beating XANA for good.
Ulrich, Odd and Yumi were rescued…
Aelita's smile faded slightly, remembering that the same could not be said for Jeremy.
Or could it?
"You may not see Jeremy now, but his data is easily accessible, and I can easily reconstitute him back to his original state." XANA spoke calmly. "As you have heard, Jeremy was not the first to be thrown into the Digital Sea and come back. Anyone with the right knowledge can restore which I am willing to do as long you agree to my terms."
Was XANA lying or was there really a way to restore someone who had fallen into the Digital Sea back to life?
Sure, it worked for Yumi but that had been a prototype to the Code: Earth program that had only been possible when Odd had unintentionally messed with Jeremy's computer. Aelita had no clue what keys Odd's candy had landed to create the program and things were much different.
Yumi had been in the Digital Sea for a brief time, following a Return to the Past while it had been two days since Jeremy had fallen.
KNOCK-KNOCK!
Aelita sighed, getting up from her desk and coming to the door. "Who is it?"
"Open this door at once!" A voice barked from the other side.
Aelita blinked as she slowly opened the door to see… "Mr. Stern?"
Just like before Walter Stern was at the door and with him was Carole Stern, Walter's wife and Ulrich's mother.
"I want answers, young lady." Walter immediately said, not giving Aelita even a chance to break. "My son, where is he?"
"I don't know." Aelita took a step back.
Were they back in the dorm?
Maybe they ended up in the factory.
"Don't lie to me." Walter stepped forward into Aelita's room. "You and those other good-for-nothings were up to something, weren't you? It's bad enough Ulrich shirked his potential and responsibilities because of your bad influence but now he's probably run off because of you!"
"That's not true!" Aelita immediately argued. "We were separated during the strange cyber attack and when I came back to my dorm, I never heard from them again."
"Liar!" Walter reached to grab her, but someone grabbed him by the shoulder from behind.
"Mr. Stern, I know you're upset but do not lay a hand on Miss Stones." Jim Morales spoke in an authoritative tone that even Aelita had barely heard from him. "She has already been questioned by the principal and has answered everything the best she could."
"Get your hands off me." Walter batted Jim's hand away and pointed at Aelita. "She knows what happened to our son. I know it."
"Even so, you are not allowed to interrogate a student without a teacher or the principal present." Jim retorted.
"Then get someone here! Like the police!" Walter snapped. "I want answer and if she won't give them-"
"Mr. Stern!" Jean-Pierre Delmas appeared at the door. "Say one more word and I will call the police to have you removed from this school."
"Suddenly, the studying became much easier to you, and you practically aced every test, saving yourself from repeating a year that would have had you attending class to Ulrich, Odd, Jeremy and Aelita." XANA continued. "Did you think it was all on your own? That you managed to retain the information through staying up late, sleeping only for about two to three hours and then keeping yourself awake to answer all the questions correctly? Did you really think you suddenly became your own…Einstein?"
William found it hard to focus in class at the moment, due to him thinking over what XANA had told him.
"Yes. Just as they never truly got rid me, you and I have remained connected all this time. I stopped the nightmares; I helped you retain the knowledge you needed to save yourself from failing your grades and I helped you find the strength you needed to not care about making amends with them anymore." XANA proclaimed. "And in return, you have only been using the knowledge and powers I gave you. The ability to operate the supercomputer, to access and create programs in Sector 5, it all comes from what I gave you and you failed to realize that in all that time, it meant I was still here all along. We have been connected all this time, even when I was dormant, I could still hear your thoughts, and I could still influence you."
Was it true?
Was XANA still part of him even after all this time?
It would explain why he was able to hear XANA's heartbeat even after all this time.
If that was true though, how could he fix this?
How could he finally free himself?
"What am I truly to do you, William? You look at me as the monster who nearly ruined your life, but I was helping you, even though you never knew it while the ones you believed to be your friends cast you out over a misstep that could have just as easily happened to any of them. And Yumi, even before deciding it was a mistake to ever trust you, only ever used you to get back at Ulrich." XANA declared, making William flinch while Yumi and Ulrich froze.
"That's a lie!" William barked, struggling even harder to wrench his sword free.
"You know it is true. I don't have to lie about something like this and even then, I don't believe in lying like that. I saw through your memories, any time she and Ulrich were in a dispute she would leave him, approach you while you were in sight of him, ask you to keep her company and walk off with her, leaving poor, moody Ulrich in the literal dust. And yet…nothing ever came from that, did it?" XANA asked. "The next moment, she's back with Ulrich and her friends as if nothing ever happened. And she believed you couldn't be trusted with helping her against me and only agreed when it was becoming clear I was becoming too strong for her and her group to stop. She never believed in you then and she and the others discarded any responsibility towards you when they thought the battle was over and thus removed you from their lives, barely paying any attention to you at all. Does any of this sound like how a friend should act?"
William clenched his pencil as XANA's words replayed themselves over and over in his mind.
"The nice guy, useful for fights but gets rejected and ignored when he is no longer needed."
William shut his eyes tightly. 'It's not like that anymore.'
"I must ask, why would you want to gain recognition from such ingrateful hypocrites who forgive each other but never offered you a chance?"
By the time the bell rang, William all too quickly left the classroom without a word.
Footsteps were heard and Sissy immediately ducked under her father's desk. The door opened and someone walked in.
"Good. They left Jeremy's laptop here. This is better than trying to sneak into the dorms." A man's voice was heard.
Sissy covered her mouth and remained hidden as the man saw down. All she could see was that he wore a brown turtleneck sweater with a lab coat.
"They must have been going through his files before leaving. I just hope I can find a way to help before it's too late."
Sissy's eyes went wide.
This man knew too?
Who was he?
Before she could hear anything else, there was a flash of bright light…
Sissy blinked, finding herself back in the hallway near her father's office and standing there were…
"Mr. and Mrs. Stern, while I understand you are worried about your son this school in no way condones harassing students like that." Jean-Pierre stated as he sat down. "Especially when it's in the wake of a terrible disaster."
"That girl knows where our son is." Walter retorted, refusing to sit down. "She should be here answering our questions."
"Miss Stones has been nothing but a kind and exemplary student who has been close friends with your son and along with the other missing students. I can tell she was honest in her answers, and she is genuinely worried about them." Jean replied before the door opened.
"Mr. Delmas?" Jim peeked his head. "There are a few more visitors here."
"Can this wait?" Jean-Pierre sighed, rubbing his head.
"I'm afraid not." Jim opened the door fully, revealing several more adults.
"Mr. Belpois."
Jeremy's father, Michael Belpois.
"Mr. and Mrs. Ishiyama."
Takeho Ishiyama and Akiko Ishiyama.
"Mr. and Mrs. Della Robbia."
Marguerite and Robert.
The parents of the missing children.
"I see." Jean-Pierre sighed and gestured for them to enter. "Very well, come in. Everyone, come in."
One by one, the parents entered the office with Jim closing the door behind them.
"Principal Delmas," Michael Belpois began. "I am sure you know why we're all here."
"I think anyone can guess at this point." Jean-Pierre answered.
"Then let's get straight to the point. What do you know?" Michael asked.
"All we know is that yesterday there was a massive cyber terrorist attack not just here but potentially all of France. The attack crippled communications and left a strange message." Jean-Pierre held up a paper showing XANA's Eye and message. "I assume none of you recognize this symbol."
Michael and the other parents shared a close look at the symbol, all of them glancing between each other and shaking their heads.
"No, we don't." Michael answered for the group. "And we don't understand the message either."
"What about the girl?" Walter cut in. "She knows something."
"The girl?"
"Aelita Stones, a close friend of your children and a member of their group. She's the only one who is not missing." Jean-Pierre explained. "And she has already been questioned by the police and detectives."
"She knows something." Walter argued. "There's no way she couldn't have known what happened to my son and the rest of those brats."
"Watch who you're calling a brat!" Micheal Belpois, Marguerite and Robert Della Robbia, Takeho and Akiko snapped.
"Yumi would never run off anywhere." Takeho argued. "She's been nothing but a hard-working honest child."
"Ha! She is probably the reason Ulrich ran off! I knew she'd be a bad influence on my son the moment she sunk her claws into him!" Walter snapped.
"Excuse me?!" Takeho and Akiko narrowed their eyes.
"You heard me! I told him time and time again that he could do better than her, but he never listened and now they've both run off somewhere!" Walter continued, not even pausing.
"How dare you?!" Akiko shouted, standing up from her chair. "Now I understand why Ulrich never liked talking about you. It is clear you are a horrible man who only cares about his own image."
"I will not be insulted by some Chinese witch who knows nothing of what she's talking about!" Walter snapped.
"We're Japanese!" Both Takeho and Akiko snapped, now infuriated at the Stern patriarch.
"Excuse me-" Jean-Pierre tried to speak but was cut of.
"You know, we've had Ulrich over at our home from time to time and he's been nothing but a sweet and generous boy. How someone as considerate as him could ever have someone like you as a father is mind-boggling to say the least." Takeho snarled at Walter. "Our children are missing, and you just want to pointlessly assign blame instead of trying to find them."
"I told you, that Stones girl knows where they are." Walter retorted. "Drag her in here for answers."
"Why are you so sure?" Michael asked.
"How about the fact that I've looked into her background and found nothing about her before she got here." Walter replied. "There had to be a reason why she's still here while the rest have gone missing."
"As I said, Miss Stones has been nothing but a good student…" Jean-Pierre trailed off. "But there is something to note."
The parents all stared at him.
"When they all first attended this school, there was a period of when they would disappear for long amounts of time. In fact, Jeremy was absent nearly twenty times." Jean-Pierre explained.
"Twenty?" Michael gasped. "He never mentioned that."
"If not for his stellar grades Mrs. Hertz would have reported him." Jean-Pierre replied. "The limit for absences is eight at this school but Jeremy continued getting good grades, so it was overlooked. Miss Ishiyama missed class in the eighth grade about eight times and it was the same with Stern and Della Robbia, but both made up for it by doing well in gym class. Then after the second year when Stones arrived, they stopped and were on time at their classes like they were supposed to, and it was like nothing had happened."
The parents all shared looks of surprise with wide eyes as they processed this.
"And now, following this cyber attack that virtually disrupted every form of electronic communication in France, they have disappeared." Jean-Pierre continued. "I fear this means they have might have been involved in something dangerous during those first couple of years and whatever it is they tried to cover up might have come after them."
"All the more reason, that Stones girl should be hauled out of her room in cuffs and questioned." Walter stood up. "I demand she be arrested!"
"We can't just assume she's responsible." Jean-Pierre retorted, slowly losing his patience with the Stern patriarch. "Especially since she's a relative of Odd."
"Excuse me?" Both Odd's parents asked at the same time.
"You don't know her? Miss Stones was admitted to this school because Odd gave me a letter of recommendation signed by the both of you saying she was a family member." Jean-Pierre asked and explained.
"That girl's not a member of our family." Robert shook his head. "We were told she was a pen-pal who transferred to Kadic and Odd introduced her to his friends."
Jean-Pierre was silent as he considered this new information.
Aelita Stones was not Odd's cousin, meaning that her transcripts must be fake.
"That proves it!" Walter shot up. "She's connected with this!"
"Did the all the kids know?" Akiko asked, now worried that Yumi had lied to her and Takeho and had hidden something dangerous from them.
"So Odd lied to us to get this girl into this school?" Marguerite Della Robbia asked with a flabbergasted look on her face.
KNOCK-KNOCK!
Jean-Pierre sighed. "Can this wait?"
The door opened and Jim poked his head inside. "I'm afraid not, sir. You and everyone else will want to see to this."
Jim opened the door to reveal…
"Odd?!" Odd's parents gaped.
"Yumi!" Yumi's parents were next to cry out.
"Ulrich!" Walter spun around while
Aelita quickly headed for the Principal's Office, knowing something was bound to happen but when she got there, she felt all the breath leave her.
There they were.
Yumi turned her head, catching the pink haired girl in her vision. "Aelita!"
Ulrich and Odd turned around, smiling in relief. "You're back!"
"Guys…" Aelita stuttered but smiled happily and ran forward, catching all three in a hug. "I am so glad you are back."
They hugged her back as Odd replied. "We are too. It was getting boring stuck in there."
As Aelita hugged them in relief, eyes closed as a tear of happiness making their way down her cheeks, she didn't notice Yumi, Odd and Ulrich glancing at each other…
Or seeing their human pupils morph into the Eyes of XANA.
(Credits)
Chapter 21: Episode 21: XANA's Nightmares
Summary:
Aelita and the others are faced with a difficult challenge as XANA activates and deactivates towers and discover the rest of the Total Drama cast suffering from nightmarish visions.
Chapter Text
( Code Total Drama Reality Introduction Song Starts )
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) )
(The ending of this story)
The song starts, showing the end of Code Lyoko where the Supercomputer is shut down and the former Lyoko Warriors leave the factory seemingly for the last time.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
A single computer is shown coming online, lines of 1s and 0s streaming across the screen before the screen is replaced by a glowing sphere with the Eye of XANA, at least eight variations appearing on it. From the sphere came lines of data emerging in eight different directions. The lines of data formed into various regions, all of them floating landscapes resembling a forest, a desert, an arctic, mountains, volcanoes, swamp and a jungle.
(Into this new world)
The new lands orbited the golden sphere as the camera zoomed in on the Eye of XANA staring at the screen.
(The game has only just begun)
The Eye then flashes red, and the sphere turns black.
(I can see it in your eyes)
A girl with pink hair sits on her bed, panting as she turns to see two pictures of her friends and her father. She smiles briefly but that smile turns to a look of horror as both her friends and her father are engulfed by a great darkness and the red Eye shines down on her. The Supercomputer, thought to be shut down, is reactivated and there is a flash of light.
(This is where tomorrow brings a new game)
Aelita is shown alone both in the real world and in Lyoko, hordes of monsters surrounding her.
Geoff is first shown in his human form before transitioning to his Lyoko form.
Next to him is Bridgette, holding her surfboard in the real world before changing into her Lyoko form, her board splitting into two swords.
(It's time to learn that pain is gain)
Gwen is shown sitting in front of tree, looking up and is instantly changed into her Lyoko Avatar, brandishing her scythe.
DJ is shown in the woods, tending to a little rabbit as he stands up and morphs into his Lyoko form, turning to face the camera with a stern glare.
LeShawna is last, ready to fight in both her human form and her Lyoko form.
(Ready fight!)
William and a dark reflection of himself as XANA's General are shown standing back-to-back, turning to face each other and swinging their swords.
The screen is split by the two swords, showing New Lyoko as the title appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(I gotta crush and paint away the anguish)
Aelita is shown first, sitting at the computer before she is then shown as the DJ of a party. She morphs into her Lyoko form and conjures an energy field.
This was followed quickly by Geoff wildly waving his hat while riding something with Bridgette holding onto him by the back.
(Of my past for the sake of my future)
Gwen is shown next, drawing in her sketchbook and signifying with a sad face as Duncan, Courtney and Trent appear behind her, their backs facing in her direction.
(Until my life comes to an end)
DJ is shown running for his life from appears to be a giant bear.
(I am gonna fight to tear apart that destiny)
LeShawna is shown next, standing confidently with her team, ready to face whatever crazy challenge comes next.
(Aoh, break out and start a revolution)
The antagonists of Total Drama: Heather, Courtney, Justin, Anne Maria, Jo, Lightning, Scott and Alejandro in the Total Drama Machine are shown from left to right, grinning or glaring at the camera, holding up an imaginary case of the million- dollar prize money in their hands. Chris Mclean is shown next, arms crossed as the chair he is sitting in spins to meet the camera, zooming out to show it is the monitor room for the Total Drama show.
A dark shadow appears above them, scrawny in appearance and hair falling over the left eye as it glares darkly at the screen.
(Until you find the answer you're looking for)
The camera then shows Aelita with the new Lyoko Warriors, the TD Lyoko Warriors and William sitting around a campfire, all of them staring up into the starry night sky, a picture of her friends and father resting in Aelita's hands.
(I'll challenge all my limits)
Aelita in her Lyoko form with her wings sprouting from her back is shown, clutching Mr. Puck in her hands as she seemingly falls back, her friends and relatives in the background.
The camera moves down to show William kneeling down, clutching his sword in both hands. As this happens, the camera moves down, showing depictions of the TD Lyoko Warriors and other characters in the background.
The camera continues to move down to show Geoff pulling Bridgette into sharing a picture with LeShawna bringing her face up over Bridgette's shoulder, the three of them in their Lyoko forms. While this happens, Harold, Lindsay, Beth, Trent, Katie and Sadie are shown in the background.
Below them is Gwen with her arms and legs curled around her with her cape swirling behind her like wings while Heather and Courtney are shown in the background glaring at each other followed by Sierra clutching Cody who looks distressed, Eva crossing her arms along with B and Beth both waving, the latter looking very shy. Behind Gwen appeared Dawn in her own Lyoko form in a meditative pose while upside down while facing Gwen with her eyes closed, her light robe contrasting with Gwen's cape with dark clothing, almost forming a yin-yang symbol.
Behind Dawn appears Scott, snickering evilly.
(Knowing this could be my only chance now)
DJ is shown last, seemingly falling back while holding his pet rabbit: Bunny in his hands with a happy smile. His teammates shown in the background starting with Duncan, Tyler, Justin and Alejandro ending with Chef Hatchet and Chris McClean.
He is followed by Mike and Zoey, both clutching their hands and smiling at each other as in background appears Brick, Jo, Lightning, Sam and Staci.
And lately Cameron appears staring up at the others.
(To overcome this fate that has come over me)
The screen turns black and the Eye of XANA immediately flashes into existence, glowing red and shadowing the outline of a singular person with red glowing eyes.
(The ending of this story)
Aelita is shown, standing in a meadow now with the wind gently blowing through her hair.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
She holds up a hand, gazing sadly up as the images of her friends and parents appear in the sky.
(Into this new world)
Her hand then becomes digital, transitioning to Lyoko.
((The game has only just begun))
She gazes up a little longer before she notices her new friends and allies standing with her and smiles before looking forward, seeing a tower in the distance.
(I can see it in your eyes)
Just as they are about to rush towards the tower, the camera angles up into the digital sky as the song reaches its end.
The scene then shifts to pictures of Aelita and her friends both old and new on a desktop as the title appears on last time:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) Ends )
Episode 21: XANA's Nightmares
Ever since their first battle in Lyoko with Aelita they had agreed to have lunch and discuss things like the show and Lyoko in the woods close to Kadic that was not a long walk when they were not on the show and when Aelita and William's classes were over and was a quiet place where no one would recognize see them. The last thing they needed was a new article detailing contestants from Total Drama meeting with a girl from a boarding school that had missing students.
They were allowed to since they still had a day or two before the next episode since XANA's cyber attack had left Chris and the Producers working to assure the families of the contestants they would be safe. They were allowed to temporarily leave the studio as long as they returned to the studio before the day was over.
"So, what kind of challenges do you think we'll have on the show?" Geoff asked, the group gathering in a small clearing.
They chose to have the meeting place in the forest near Kadic so there was less chance of anyone from the cast finding them and even less chance of there being any cameras that might be watching them.
"It's the not the show I'm worried about as much as what could happen during the show." Gwen said sitting on a log.
"Why? What could happen?" asked Bridgette.
"What happens if Chris puts us back into those virtual pods and we have another Red Eye virus turning us into veggies?" asked Gwen.
They all shivered. None of them wanted that to happen again but the day the next challenge would be broadcasted was getting closer.
"Maybe we should ask Aelita about that." Bridgette suggested.
"True that, girl. I am not going to be a veggie for the rest of my life." LeShawna shuddered.
"Well, but with Aelita's friends back, they can stop XANA from trying to kill us." Gwen reasoned.
"But how will she do that?" DJ asked skeptically. "I mean, her friends being back is good and all but it looks like XANA will still be bad news and he could still go after us."
"I don't know, Dee. There has been a lot of crazy stuff recently, but I wouldn't be surprised so easily anymore."
"I hear that." Geoff nodded in agreement.
"You think anyone will notice us being gone?" asked Bridgette sitting next to Gwen on the bench.
"Nah, they're too busy sleeping in on a free Total Drama day." LeShawna replied.
"Still don't think they might catch on?" DJ asked.
"Well, I know Beth and Lindsay are under house arrest. One of the conditions for allowing them back into France was they couldn't leave the studio grounds, or they would be arrested again." Bridgette pointed out. "Guess the French are still mad about the Mona Lisa incident."
"Plus, they're too busy sleeping in on a free Total Drama day." LeShawna added.
"Still don't think they might catch on?" DJ asked.
"Well, honestly I think at least the Red Vultures will be fine." Gwen commented, causing the group to look at her. "The entire team is composed of trustworthy people…Well, there is Izzy, but I can't see her wanting to hang out with us. I would have said Scott before he was mauled but with the state he is in now, we don't have to worry about him."
"Indeed." Dawn nodded. "Before last season's finale, I would have been concerned about him but given the state he is in right now, he can't leave his room without help or even speak. I do not believe we will have anything to fear from him discovering our secret."
"True that." LeShawna nodded. "Miss Crazy will be off doing her own thing, and that guy is worse off than even Alejandro."
"Don't forget you have Jo on your team." Cameron added. "She might not care what you might be up to when the cameras aren't rolling but she's crazy competitive."
"Kind of like Eva?" Bridgette shuddered.
"Pretty much." Cameron nodded.
"I'm just glad for once I'm not on the same team as Heather." Gwen sighed in relief.
"You got that right." LeShawna nodded with a smile that was shared by Bridgette and Geoff. "Though, DJ and Dawn are the only Lyoko Warriors on their own team."
"I don't think you'll have to worry much about us, LeShawna." DJ replied with a smile. "We're pretty easy going on our team. I doubt anyone will notice anything too suspicious outside of anything crazy."
"Indeed." Dawn nodded in agreement.
"Plus, Heather won't be breathing down our necks like usual since she's confined in a real chair like Scott and Alejandro." DJ added.
"Oh yeah, another reason to be happy about this season." LeShawna remarked with a pleased smile that Gwen shared. "She can't do much outside of those digital pod things."
"Is it wrong I feel bad for her?" Cameron rubbed his chin. "I'm technically responsible for her injuries. I caused the blimp she was on to crash into Lake Wawanakwa."
"You mean after she stole the prize money you guys were competing for?" LeShawna pointed out with a raised eyebrow. "Girl is a sore loser who lost the money she won in the season before you guys. Trust me, Cameron, you've got nothing to feel sorry for."
"Okay…Still, though I'm kind of surprised, LeShawna." Cameron replied.
"At what?"
"Well, I thought you and Heather buried the hatchet in season 2 of Total Drama but now you're back to hating her." Cameron pointed out. "I don't mean to pry or anything, but I am just pointing that a turnaround like that is noticeable."
"I guess you have a point." LeShawna admitted with a shrug, glancing at Gwen who looked away. "It was honestly because of her blog war with Gwen."
"The blog war?" Cameron asked. "I saw a bit of it."
"The spoiled princess made some nasty comments and crossed a line. Needless to say, when I found out, I severed any ties I had with her." LeShawna answered with a scowl on her face. "She may have tried to warn me about Alejandro, but I can't put up with her constantly hounding my friends like that anymore."
"Yikes." Cameron gulped. "I guess when you put it like that…"
"Just let it go, Cameron. Remember, Heather hijacked that blimp and tried to steal the prize money. She brought what happened on herself." Gwen decided to end the subject there.
"In all fairness, I was a fan of your nature blogs, Gwen." Dawn admitted, surprising the goth. "I am quite happy in finding that you and DJ here like Earth like I do."
Gwen blinked before smiling. "Well, thanks Dawn. That means a lot to me."
"You are welcome."
"So, what about the others on your team?" LeSahawna asked. "I mean, they have Harold with them. He might notice something."
"I am not so sure. You and he are on separate teams so there's no worries there." Bridgette said, earning a glare from LeShawna.
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
"She means, if you and Harold were on the same team, he might have noticed since the two of you are close." Dawn clarified. "But as of now, he'll be too busy with the others."
LeShawna looked at Dawn for a second and then sighed. "I guess you got a point there, but I am not happy about keeping a secret this big from him. In fact, he may be wondering where I am right now."
"It's rough but we all agreed to keep this thing a secret for Aelita's sake." Gwen softly reminded her friend.
"I know."
"Lindsay probably won't noticed, Cody and Sam are bonding over games last I checked and Dakota is with Sam." DJ added. "What about B?"
"B is kind but shy. He never speaks to anyone outside his immediate family and even then, he is a quiet person." Dawn answered. "I do not think he will notice us. He's good at figuring out challenges but it's difficult for him to be around people."
"Sounds like something we have common." Gwen noted.
"Okay, we know that our own teammates might not notice anything if we're not too suspicious but what about the other team?" Cameron asked. "It's got players like Alejandro and Duncan on it."
"Don't worry about Ale-jerko." Geoff said with placating smile. "He's trapped in that robot suit. Actually he was pretty badly wounded after World Tour."
"You mean how he was trampled by everyone and burned by lava?" Bridgette asked rhetorically with a smile.
"Yup."
"Was he really covered in lava because he shouldn't have survived that." Cameron stated.
"He wasn't covered in it, but he was close enough that the lava touched his clothes and set him on fire." LeShawna clarified. "Not that he didn't have it coming for everything he did to us."
"Karma really hit hard that time." Gwen admitted.
"Truth that but in no way does that mean he's forgiven. Just wait if he ever gets out of the walking tin can. That squid can act all sorry, but a squid never feels bad." LeShawna said.
"You said it. I let him charm me and look what it did." Bridgette agreed while crossing her arms with an angry look on her face.
"He better watch out when he gets out of that bot." Geoff said with a smile.
"Okay but what about the others?" Cameron asked. "Like Noah, Duncan or Courtney?"
"Noah did discover that Alejandro was a big jerk but by then it was too late. He's got brains but he's hard to work with." Geoff commented.
"And he's not one for physical activity." Gwen added.
"So, we can say he won't find out?" DJ asked.
"While he's stuck with his team, probably not but if we get to the merger and we're still doing this it might get harder." Cameron reasoned. "Plus, LeShawna is not the only one who is in a relationship with someone on another team who has no idea what we're hiding."
"Don't worry. Duncan trusts me." Gwen assured.
LeShawna and Bridgette shared a look but said nothing.
"Tyler, I'm not sure we have to worry about him. Owen, I know he'll be focused only on the food, but that team has some of the newer contestants with them too." Gwen looked at Cameron and Dawn. "Like that Anne Maria."
"Anne Maris is obsessed with her appearance and her grudge with Mike and Zoey to worry about. She is materialistic and has limited mental strength, but she is willing to face a problem head-on so long as she doesn't have to risk ruining her appearance, especially her hair. Brick might be someone to rely on, with a good moral code despite his need to be dominated." Dawn reasoned. "Though we should be worried about Sierra given she is Total Drama's so-called number one fan with a frightening obsession at learning everyone's secrets."
"Oh, jeez. You're right." Geoff slapped his own knee. "Sierra might figure things out if she's spying on us!"
"Won't she be too into Cody? She's been upset about being on separate teams from him?" Bridgette pointed out.
"Maybe but she's still a stalker." Gwen pointed out, frowning at her own experience with Total Drama's so-called number one fan.
"Better tone that down. Aelita's here." DJ quickly said.
They looked up and saw the pink haired girl walking up to them with her backpack.
"Hey there, Aelita. How's it going?" asked Geoff waving at her.
"As well as a normal day could go." Aelita replied as she sat down on a log next to Dawn.
"So, no activated towers?" asked LeShawna.
"XANA might be taking his time to plan out his next attack. Since you're all new he probably didn't think you would be able to survive the last few attacks."
"Guess being on the show with Chris paid off for us." Gwen rolled her eyes.
"Speaking of, how are your friends doing? And where's William?" LeShawna asked.
"They are being questioned right now. Given that they disappeared in the middle of what everyone is calling the worst cyber attack in history, the authorities are little paranoid." Aelita answered. "I would have liked to bring them all to meet you but maybe that can happen later. William hung back at the school to keep an eye on things while I met with you all."
"So does mean we're done?" Bridgette asked with an unsure face. "I mean, your friends are back but is it a good idea to just leave it all to you now?"
"Well, that is what I wanted to talk with you all about." Aelita replied. "Right now, my friends are being watched since they disappeared and everyone at the school will be watching them for a while. I don't want to ask you all to put yourselves in anymore danger than I already have but I think we should find a way to maintain contact with each other in case Ulrich, Odd, or Yumi are not available at Kadic during the next attack. We'll also need to figure out how to deal with all the new Replikas."
"Replikas?" Cameron asked.
"Oh, that's right. Remember how I said XANA had hundreds of supercomputers under his control? To take control of the supercomputers he used the data he stole from me to create small virtual worlds called Replikas which each contained a small copy of one of Lyoko's sectors."
"Why would he need to do that? I mean if he was free from the supercomputer why couldn't he just take over everything?" asked Geoff.
"It's because of the way my father created him and Lyoko. You see, the Digital Sea is a representation of the Worldwide Network, the Internet itself. It takes the form of an upside-down city that is suspended in water which is the form of the endless information that the Internet is composed of. Lyoko is a world that is encased in a giant shell that inhabits the network and is what keeps XANA and everyone inside safe. When we destroyed the Replikas with Jeremy's program two years ago, it was believed without a supercomputer to sustain him, XANA would be literally crushed by the overflow of data and energy from the Digital Sea and the program would have purged his remaining data from Lyoko, completely wiping him out." Aelita explained. "XANA needs a host computer with a virtual world to sustain him and connect him to the supercomputer he inhabits. Lyoko along with the towers were meant to be a test bed to control his power and a failsafe as it functioned as the source for his power that could be shut down in case anything went wrong. If he was hard wired into the supercomputer there would have been nothing limiting him unless they fried the mother board, provided they got close enough that is. Lyoko keeps him separate from direct user operations."
"So, if they had him hard wired into the computer it would be like...judgement day from Terminator?" DJ asked and gulped.
"Man, that would be freaky." Geoff imagined giant Krabs ripping up cities and dozens of Carriers dropping legions of monsters down. He shuddered. "Ok, bad vibes! Bad vibes!"
Wishing to change the topic, Gwen spoke. "Um...Aelita, there's one more thing; there's something we've been concerned about and have wanted to talk about for a while."
"What is it?"
"Well, you know about Chris' new season and what it involves?" Geoff asked.
"Total Drama Reality, the use of virtual reality pods, prototypes compared to the scanners used for Lyoko." Aelita replied.
"Yeah, it's only a matter of time before Chris puts us in them for his next challenges. What is to stop XANA from doing what he did on day one?" Bridgette asked with a fearful look now. "He could turn us into veggies!"
"I can handle that. I could use the super calculator to hack into the system and set up several programs to block XANA's commands. The Super Calculator has always been immune to direct hacking attempts by XANA except for activated towers, so it would be safe. The most he could do would be to animate monsters within the virtual environment and attempt to destroy you there and severe your connections with your bodies." Aelita pointed out. "I suspect he could easily deactivate the safe guards that prevent harm or death. I could apply the Life Point meter and your Lyoko forms to these pods."
"Awesome!" DJ said.
"But I would only recommend using them if and when monsters attack you in these pods, not to show off." Aelita said. "I'll work on a program immediately."
"I can help." Cameron raised a hand. "I've been studying this Lyoko stuff since I first learned about it. I can help speed things up since you'll be busy at school."
"Thank you, Cameron." Aelita said with a grateful smile.
Meanwhile in Lyoko, a tower in the Ice Sector began to glow red.
Aelita had Jeremy's laptop with when she went out. Good thing she did when the super scan detected an activated tower.
"Activated tower." She said looking up.
Gwen grunted.
"Well, looks like another day in saving the world."
"Let's go." Said Geoff.
Suddenly the super scan stopped beeping before they could stand up. Aelita looked at the screen,
"The tower shut down on its own."
"What?" asked DJ.
"XANA deactivated the tower himself." Said Aelita.
"Why would he do that?" asked LeShawna.
"I don't know. I'll head to the supercomputer to check if XANA infected anything."
"All right, you know where to find us."
Then the super scan detected another activated tower.
Aelita didn't know it but her new friends weren't the only ones to be concerned about what might happened during Total Drama's next episode.
"A reality show that uses pods to project the mind into a digital environment." Franz mused. "Sounds like they are prototypes of the scanners. I can't be sure if this is a coincidence or it's somehow related to Project: Carthage or even how these contestants discovered two locations where a Replika was located."
That was concerning.
"I'll work on creating a firewall to keep XANA out." Franz muttered as he worked on his latest project. "Right now, the Skid's garage is almost done. Jeremy did a good job in preserving the original Skid's schematics."
He pressed the 'Enter' key and watched as the holding room for the Skidbladnir was recreated in the same chamber as the original.
"Good. Now let's get to work on recreating the Skid." Franz stated. "It shouldn't take too long. The real question now is what will you do now, XANA? Will you realize that I am still alive, or have I fooled you again?"
That was when the super-scan went off, detecting an activated tower.
"A tower." Franz frowned, his mind racing but paused when the tower simply shut down. "…It shut down…What are you up to, XANA?"
Heather adjusted herself on her wheelchair as Cody helped wheel into the kitchen. It was no secret that nearly everyone on her team hated her guts so she couldn't expect help moving unless it was from Cody, one of the only guys who could stand her. The rest of their team had refused to help her move unless they really had to, and Cody was the only willing person willing to help her.
"Thanks." She said quietly.
"No problem." Cody said cheerfully as he got her to the table.
For the last few days Heather had been miserable being stuck in her chair. She would fully recover in a few weeks but still not being able to move had made her, well, less of a cold hearted witch to everyone.
"Well, well, the ice queen is quiet today."
Duncan walked in smirking. Heather's scowl lengthened.
"Shut up, juvie boy."
Duncan shrugged and turned to Cody.
"Hey, dweeb, have you seen Gwen? I haven't seen her all day."
It was now Cody's turn to scowl at the boyfriend of his dream girl.
"She wasn't in her room, and we couldn't find her here so she must be out."
Suddenly Duncan's cell phone rang. "That must be her right now."
He took out his phone and answered. "Hello?"
The young man suddenly went stiff, his eyes widening as he stared off into space. It was as though he no longer noticed Cody.
Images flashed through his mind.
Gwen, a factory, an elevator going down into the earth, Gwen screams and falls, a pink haired girl stands over her corpse. Duncan shook his head, for a moment regaining his vision with reality, but then the images came again. Gwen, bleeding out in a room with cables covering the floors and walls. The pink haired girl glared down at her, the eyes from that message days ago replacing her pupils.
Duncan dropped his cell phone, and realized he hadn't breathed in. Sucking in a breath and trying to process what he just saw, he hesitantly picked up his phone again. Whoever had called had hung up.
"Dude, who was it?" Cody asked.
"It-it was nobody." Duncan replied, pocketing his phone. "I'll find Gwen later." He walked away rather quickly.
"Weird." Cody whispered before he went back to his dorm.
"I don't get it…why did he deactivate it." Aelita said as she examined the screen of her laptop.
"What is it?" Gwen asked.
"A tower activated…and then deactivated before I even got a lock on it." The pink haired teenager replied. "XANA doesn't just deactivate a tower on his own."
"So…. what does this mean?" DJ asked.
"Well, there's no way he could have launched an attack and finished it in less than twenty seconds." Aelita said. "I'll head to the factory and look into this."
Suddenly the lap top beeped again. "Wait, another tower activated."
"Let's go."
William's phone rang and he quickly answered. "Aelita?"
"William, there's an activated tower. Where are Odd, Yumi and Ulrich?"
"Still being interviewed and they're under heavy guard." William looked at the door to the principal's office, seeing Jim standing there with his arms crossed. "You need help?"
"Hang on…the tower shut down."
William raised an eyebrow. "That's odd."
"We're going to look into this. Stay with the others and I'll keep you updated."
ACCESSING TOTAL DRAMA DATABASE
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ACCESSING CONTESTANT FILES:
ALEJANDRO BURROMUERTO
ANNE MARIE
B
BETH GADON
BRICK MCARTHUR
MILDRED STACY ANDREWS O'HALLRAN
(ALIAS: BLAINLEY)
BRIDGETTE FAIRLIE
CAMERON CORDUORY WILKINS
CODY EMMETT JAMESON
COURTNEY BARLOW
DAWN MEDREK
DEVON JOSEPH ANDERSON
(ALIAS: DJ)
DUNCAN NELSON
EVA CHANTREY
EZEKIEL OLDRING
GEOFFREY PETRNIJEVIC
GWEN FAHLENBLOCK
HAROLD NORBERT CHEEVER DORIS MCGRADY V
HEATHER WILSON
ISABELLA CROWN
(ALIAS: IZZY, EXPLOSIVO, E-SCOPE, BRAINZILLA)
JO ELLIOT
JUSTIN REID
KATIE ANNE MILLS
LESHAWNA EDWARDS
LINDSAY VERMEER
MIKE DORAN
(ALIAS: CHESTER, SVETLANA, MANITOBA, VITO)
PAUSE
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SEALED RECORD LOCATED IN FILE: MIKE DORAN
ACCESSING FILE
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FILE OPEN: MAL
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CONTINUE
NOAH HAYDEN
OWEN McCord
RUDOLPH JACKSON
ALIAS:
LIGHTNING
SADIE LIPSON
SAMUEL FROUD
(ALIAS: SAM)
SCOTT WALLIS
SIERRA OBANSAWIN
STACI PETERS
TRENTON LENNON
(ALIAS: TRENT)
ZOEY MAMABOLO
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ACCESSING TOTAL DRAMA FOOTAGE:
SEASON 1: TOTAL DRAMA ISLAND
SEASON 2: TOTAL DRAMA ACTION
SEASON 3: TOTAL DRAMA WORLD
SEASON 4: TOTAL DRAMA REVENGE OF THE ISLAND
SEASON 5: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
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Despite my earlier attempts to eliminate Aelita's new allies, I have found myself frustratingly in the same position as I was before, despite defeating the original 'Lyoko Warriors'. They have proven themselves surprisingly adept considering they are facing even more peril than their predecessors did when they first begun. I accessed and downloaded all their information, both on their reality television program and anything else connected to them.
If I can't eliminate them directly, I will first break them down one by one.
Trent was in his dorm, playing on his guitar as usual when his phone rang. He picked it up. "Hello?"
Gwen yelling at him, frustrated, leaving him, going to Duncan. Then she ignores Trent from that point on as he tries to shout a warning, Duncan pulls out a knife. Suddenly Duncan is replaced entirely by a young girl with pink hair. She stabs Gwen once in the gut; Gwen goes limp as the girl stabs her repeatedly.
Then as Gwen bleeds out on the ground, the girl looks up at Trent and sneers. "You could have saved her you know."
Trent cried out and tossed is cell phone across the room, smashing it. His guitar fell onto the floor. Ignoring it, he got up and put a hand on his head. "Oh my god."
As the group reached the control room, the lap top and the super calculator alerted Aelita to the tower deactivating on its own. "What? It deactivated again!"
"Two in a row? Is he having a malfunction or something?" Bridgette asked.
"Not likely." Aelita shook her head and sat at the control chair. "Anyways, I'm not so sure if I should send you if he activates a tower just so he can deactivate it again."
Another tower activated.
Cody just barely reached his room when his cell phone rang. He flipped it open and said brightly. "Hello!"
He stopped in mid step and dropped the keys he had been about to use to unlock his door.
In front of him was a factory with Gwen waving at him. He wanted to wave back but for some reason he couldn't. Then a pink haired girl appeared out of nowhere behind her holding a pipe. Cody wanted to shout but all he could do was watch in horror was the pipe came down on Gwen's head. Blood splattered through her air as she collapsed.
The pink haired girl looked up at him and smirked. Cody dropped his cell phone as he yelled out in anguish. The phone hit the floor as he fell to his knees. He looked up and found himself back in the hall.
The tower once again shut down.
"That makes another tower that deactivated on its own." Said Aelita.
"Man, you think XANA's trying to psych us out?" asked Geoff.
"I don't think that's the case. XANA has always carried out his plans with pin-point precision. There is a reason for this, but we just don't know it." Aelita said.
Just then the super scan detected another activated tower.
The cell phones of each competitor of Total Drama rang and they answered. Only to receive visions of strange things, Gwen, LeShawna, Bridgette, DJ, Geoff, Dawn and Cameron walking in an abandoned factory only to be butchered by a girl with pink hair and the eye that was on the strange message a few days ago. They were frightening and disturbing to the cast.
"There has to be a pattern we're not seeing here." Aelita said.
"Girl, we can't do anything if we're just standing here." LeShawna said.
"Believe me, LeShawna I am just as uneasy about this as you but sending you in would only put you all in danger. Plus even if you are next to a tower no doubt it would be deactivated before I had the chance. You all should just head back to the studio and rest."
"I don't think that's a good idea. What if the next activated tower stays activated and we're attacked when we're out of the factory?" asked Gwen.
"We have no idea how long this will go on. We can't do anything like this." Said Aelita.
"Maybe just one of us should stay with you. You know just in case the next tower is an attack." Said DJ.
"I'll stay here. The rest of you head back to the studio." Said LeShawna.
They were reluctant but complied with LeShawna's wishes.
Gwen, Bridgette, DJ, and Geoff walked back into the studio. They were at the lobby when they heard a shout. They turned and saw Tyler and Noah with shocked looks on their faces.
"You guys are alive?!" Tyler shouted.
That was not something they were expecting to hear when they got back.
"Yeah, we are. Why did you expect us to be dead?" asked Bridgette quickly asking to cover up any surprise they might have had.
"Uh, no. No, nothing like that." Noah said quickly.
"Then why did you guys say that?" asked Geoff.
"No reason! No reason whatsoever!" said Tyler quickly. "I got to go!"
He turned and ran off.
"He's just tired is all." Noah shrugged before walking off.
"What was that about?" DJ asked.
"I don't know but I don't like the sound of it." Said Gwen. "Check with everyone else and see if they act weird like those two."
They nodded and walked off to their team dorms.
Gwen walked into the kitchen looking for anyone who might be here.
"Gwen!"
She was caught off guard as something threw its arms around her in a hug. She looked down and saw it was Cody.
"You're alive!"
"Of course I'm alive." Gwen said patting Cody on the head. "As long as you let go before Sierra sees this. I really don't want to get killed."
Hearing those Cody quickly jumped away from Gwen. He had a nervous look on his face. Gwen figured why he was so nervous. He was acting like Tyler and Noah.
"What's with the noise?" asked Beth as she entered the room.
She gasped when she saw Gwen.
"Don't tell me, let me guess. I'm alive!" Gwen pretended to gasp.
"Uh . . .." That was exactly what Beth had been thinking.
"Okay, what's with everyone? Five seconds after me and the others get back you all act like we're supposed to be dead." Gwen said looking at both of them.
They were both uncomfortable looking at her. Gwen sighed.
"Please tell me that you guys are the only ones acting weird."
"Uh . . .." Cody tried to say that they were the only ones who dreamt that she along Geoff, LeShawna, Bridgette, and DJ were killed by a pink haired girl but they couldn't.
"Cody, if you know something about what's going I would like to know." Gwen pressed.
"Okay, I had this dream, I think, of you getting killed by a girl with pink hair." Said Cody.
"I had the same thing, but it also happened with Bridgette, Geoff, LeShawna and DJ." Beth added.
Gwen's eyes widened as she listened.
"I don't believe it!"
Cameron and LeShawna jumped from Aelita exclaiming at the computer. Cameron hopped up from his laptop and rushed over with LeShawna.
"Everything okay?" LeShawna asked the shared question.
"I was running scan in Lyoko, trying to see if anything stood out and there is something." Aelita pointed to an image of Sector 5. "The Skid! It's back!"
An image appeared on the screen, showing the Skidbladnir in its hangar.
"That's the virtual sub you used to access the Digital Sea and find XANA's Replikas, right?" Cameron asked.
"Yes, but I didn't recreate it." Aelita replied. "It would have taken weeks to recreate it."
"So, who could have?" LeShawna asked.
"Just…Jeremy." Aelita looked down.
Cameron and LeShawna shared a glance before Cameron cleared this throat. "Aelita, there's something you should know. During the last attack, the specter attacking us told us about Jeremy."
Aelita looked up, turning to Cameron with wide eyes. "…It did?"
Cameron nodded.
"How come you didn't mention this?" LeShawna asked.
"I…I couldn't." Aelita softly stood up from the chair and walked a few away. "I should have…but it was too painful to talk about."
"Too painful?" Cameron asked, looking confused.
But LeShawna understood. "Oh, I get it. You and he were…"
"We were close." Aelita admitted. "In fact, Jeremy was the one who found the supercomputer and turned it on. He found me and he spent over a year working to materialize me back into the real world. And then he worked to sever my link to the supercomputer, find a way to bring my father back and was the one who helped us end it all…At least that's what we all thought at the time. I thought we would be closer as we got older, graduated from school and then…"
Cameron looked saddened as LeShawna softly reached out, putting a hand on Aelita's shoulder.
"Then it all came crashing down." Aelita glanced down at the floor, eyes shut as a few tears slipped down. "XANA…He…He came back, revealed he faked his death, tricking my father into sacrificing himself for nothing and he…he threw Jeremy into the Digital Sea…"
With that, Aelita fell to her knees, causing LeShawna to kneel next to her. "Girl…"
"And like that…he was gone. Three years together, fighting against XANA and then two years living a normal life…and he's gone like my father." Aelita cried. "And worst of all, I had to look at his father in that room with all the parents, tell him that Jeremy was dead while the others were being bartered back to their families like trinkets…Now, Odd, Yumi and Ulrich are back but Jeremy…I can't tell his parents, his cousin or the rest of his family what happened to him or they'll be in danger like us."
LeShawna slowly wrapped her arms around Aelita, hugging her. "…And you couldn't tell us because it was hard to admit, wasn't it, girl?"
Aelita nodded, her face buried into LeShawna's shoulder. "…I'm sorry. I should have been honest…I just…"
LeShawna softly patted Aelita on the back. "It's okay…We get it."
Cameron hung back, not sure how to contribute since he wasn't as skilled in socializing as LeShawna was.
Eventually, Aelita stood up, wiping her eyes. "…Thanks, LeShawna."
"No problem. It's not the first time I've been a shoulder to cry on." LeShawna shrugged with a small smile. "You good? We can take a break."
"Thanks, but we got a mystery on our hands." Aelita shook her head. "We need to know who recreated the Skid and what XANA's up to this time. He's been more active now than he ever has been. I wonder if his new strength has allowed him to recover faster."
Just as she sat back down, an icon of Gwen appeared on the screen, showing the trio that Gwen was calling.
"Hello Gwen, something happening?" She asked as the computer answered her.
"Yeah, just as soon as we got back to the studio the others have been shouting that we're alive as if they expected us to be dead or something."
"What?" asked LeShawna.
"Yeah. Cody and Beth told me that they had dreams or visions of us dying in the factory and Aelita did it."
"How could they all have visions like that?" LeShawna asked.
"This must be what XANA's doing." Aelita surmised.
"I don't get it. What has he got to gain by this?" Gwen asked confusedly.
"I don't know but he's probably been influencing them with the use of electrical impulses in their brains. But he would have had to have an electrical outlet to do so." Aelita suggested.
"Electrical outlets...wait, what does everybody in the group carry?" Gwen asked. "We all brought one thing that let us talk to our families, each other, and the producers in case Chris got out of control."
It took them all a moment to figure it out and exclaim. "Cell Phones/Cell Phones!"
"It is possible he could have briefly taken control of them to influence them or implant thoughts or visions." Aelita said.
"And that's why the towers have been going on and off?" LeShawna asked.
"I would say that is our best bet." Aelita nodded. "But the question is 'why?'"
"Well, he made them see the factory...and you killing us." Gwen replied.
Aelita looked up when she heard that.
"That could explain it. If they get suspicious of you and the others they could follow you into the factory."
"And discover the computer." Said LeShawna.
"And rat us out to Chris and the whole world." Gwen finished.
"Exactly, his plan is to get us busted. They would go to the authorities, and they would lock down the factory." Aelita nodded.
"And without us XANA will be able to go ahead and turn the city into his own playground." Said LeShawna.
"Now we know what his plan is." Aelita stated, bringing her hands together.
"But how do we stop him? If he keeps on switching towers we won't be able to do anything." Said Gwen.
"Can't we just launch a Return to the Past?" asked LeShawna.
"That won't help us unless we can shut down the tower he activates to control the cell phones. Once deactivated, the event carries back into the past with us and prevents XANA from activating the tower at the time he did the first time, at least stalling for a short period of time. Afterwards XANA doesn't bother with the same plan, he works by logic, and it is logical to assume the same plan wouldn't work if it has already failed." Aelita explained. "The most efficient way of defeating him is deactivating his towers until we can work out a permanent solution."
"And so here we are." Gwen noted, crossing her arms. "While we're on that topic, what do we have planned for destroying him?"
"I don't have any specific plan set out at the moment." Aelita replied sheepishly. "The best method would be to upgrade the XANA-Destruction program that Jeremy had made. It might destroy the Replikas but without knowing where XANA had hidden himself when he survived the first one, we'd be back at square one."
"Wouldn't it be a Replika like the rest?" Cameron asked.
"No. All the Replikas were destroyed." Aelita shook her head. "All I know is that XANA claimed he hid himself in a supercomputer and disconnected it from the network, but it couldn't have been that simple."
"Why not?" LeShawana asked.
"XANA would have been trapped in that computer like he had been trapped here in the factory's supercomputer before he stole my Lyoko keys." Aelita answered. "Remember, he can't directly operate a system directly, not like how we can, sitting right here in front of this computer."
"Maybe he didn't." Cameron shrugged. "He could have had the computer he was in placed on stand by, programming it to restart at a certain time and restore the computer's connection fully with the network."
LeShawna blinked and looked at Aelita. "Does that make sense to you?"
"It does." Aelita nodded. "It could explain how XANA survived."
"So, we just need to know which computer he might have been hiding in and make sure he can't fall back to it." Cameron proposed.
"It could work, but we'll need time though." She sighed. "This is just how it always goes. Jeremy designing a program to de-virtualize me, us finding a way to disconnect me from XANA, it's always the same thing; a process of trial and error."
"That's life for you." Said Gwen.
"All right, but before we do that, we have to figure out who recreated the Skid." Aelita reminded. "Someone out there knows about us."
"Okay, but now we have a plan." Said Gwen. "That's a start. Now we only have to stay alive long enough for you to make those programs."
Gwen hung up and sighed. Things were now complicated with this new plot. If one of the others discovered the factory and the computer it would be trouble.
What if they went to the authorities?
Would she and the others be arrested too?
And what would happen if there was no one to stop XANA?
Could any of the others be trusted to keep this a secret?
She closed her eyes as she thought it over. The first people that came to her mind that might keep it a secret were possibly Cody, Duncan, Trent, possibly B, Beth, Brick and Eva.
The ones that she believed who would rat them out would be Heather, Courtney, Sierra, Scott(if he could speak) and Alejandro. Katie and Sadie might not be able to keep a secret this big either along with Lindsay or Tyler. She had no idea if Justin, Owen, Noah, Izzy, Anne Marie, Lightning or Jo would keep it secret. Harold might keep it a secret for LeShawna, but she wasn't sure he could handle this kind of danger.
Staci was lucky as far as Gwen knew.
She was safe in wherever Playa Des Losers was and she would stay safe if they won the battle here. She sighed as she sat down to rest, but she kept her blackberry on just in case Aelita called.
"Kiwi has been hanging out in Aelita's room." William remarked, leading Ulrich and Odd down the hallway of their dorm. "You'll have to get him."
"I am sure the little guy misses me." Odd remarked with a smile. "Thanks for keeping Aelita safe, William."
"Sure. I am just glad we're almost all together again." William replied back with a smile. "I am sure we'll beat XANA for good this time."
"Well, if what you've said about these newbies is true, we might have a chance." Ulrich replied.
William turned his head away, not noticing Odd and Ulrich exchanging looks, their eyes morphing into a familiar symbol.
(Credits)
Chapter 22: Episode 22: The Evil Within
Summary:
As the rest of the Total Drama cast are bombarded with nightmarish visions the Lyoko Warriors fall into a trap.
Chapter Text
( Code Total Drama Reality Introduction Song Starts )
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) )
(The ending of this story)
The song starts, showing the end of Code Lyoko where the Supercomputer is shut down and the former Lyoko Warriors leave the factory seemingly for the last time.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
A single computer is shown coming online, lines of 1s and 0s streaming across the screen before the screen is replaced by a glowing sphere with the Eye of XANA, at least eight variations appearing on it. From the sphere came lines of data emerging in eight different directions. The lines of data formed into various regions, all of them floating landscapes resembling a forest, a desert, an arctic, mountains, volcanoes, swamp and a jungle.
(Into this new world)
The new lands orbited the golden sphere as the camera zoomed in on the Eye of XANA staring at the screen.
(The game has only just begun)
The Eye then flashes red, and the sphere turns black.
(I can see it in your eyes)
A girl with pink hair sits on her bed, panting as she turns to see two pictures of her friends and her father. She smiles briefly but that smile turns to a look of horror as both her friends and her father are engulfed by a great darkness and the red Eye shines down on her. The Supercomputer, thought to be shut down, is reactivated and there is a flash of light.
(This is where tomorrow brings a new game)
Aelita is shown alone both in the real world and in Lyoko, hordes of monsters surrounding her.
Geoff is first shown in his human form before transitioning to his Lyoko form.
Next to him is Bridgette, holding her surfboard in the real world before changing into her Lyoko form, her board splitting into two swords.
(It's time to learn that pain is gain)
Gwen is shown sitting in front of tree, looking up and is instantly changed into her Lyoko Avatar, brandishing her scythe.
DJ is shown in the woods, tending to a little rabbit as he stands up and morphs into his Lyoko form, turning to face the camera with a stern glare.
LeShawna is last, ready to fight in both her human form and her Lyoko form.
(Ready fight!)
William and a dark reflection of himself as XANA's General are shown standing back-to-back, turning to face each other and swinging their swords.
The screen is split by the two swords, showing New Lyoko as the title appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(I gotta crush and paint away the anguish)
Aelita is shown first, sitting at the computer before she is then shown as the DJ of a party. She morphs into her Lyoko form and conjures an energy field.
This was followed quickly by Geoff wildly waving his hat while riding something with Bridgette holding onto him by the back.
(Of my past for the sake of my future)
Gwen is shown next, drawing in her sketchbook and signifying with a sad face as Duncan, Courtney and Trent appear behind her, their backs facing in her direction.
(Until my life comes to an end)
DJ is shown running for his life from appears to be a giant bear.
(I am gonna fight to tear apart that destiny)
LeShawna is shown next, standing confidently with her team, ready to face whatever crazy challenge comes next.
(Aoh, break out and start a revolution)
The antagonists of Total Drama: Heather, Courtney, Justin, Anne Maria, Jo, Lightning, Scott and Alejandro in the Total Drama Machine are shown from left to right, grinning or glaring at the camera, holding up an imaginary case of the million- dollar prize money in their hands. Chris Mclean is shown next, arms crossed as the chair he is sitting in spins to meet the camera, zooming out to show it is the monitor room for the Total Drama show.
A dark shadow appears above them, scrawny in appearance and hair falling over the left eye as it glares darkly at the screen.
(Until you find the answer you're looking for)
The camera then shows Aelita with the new Lyoko Warriors, the TD Lyoko Warriors and William sitting around a campfire, all of them staring up into the starry night sky, a picture of her friends and father resting in Aelita's hands.
(I'll challenge all my limits)
Aelita in her Lyoko form with her wings sprouting from her back is shown, clutching Mr. Puck in her hands as she seemingly falls back, her friends and relatives in the background.
The camera moves down to show William kneeling down, clutching his sword in both hands. As this happens, the camera moves down, showing depictions of the TD Lyoko Warriors and other characters in the background.
The camera continues to move down to show Geoff pulling Bridgette into sharing a picture with LeShawna bringing her face up over Bridgette's shoulder, the three of them in their Lyoko forms. While this happens, Harold, Lindsay, Beth, Trent, Katie and Sadie are shown in the background.
Below them is Gwen with her arms and legs curled around her with her cape swirling behind her like wings while Heather and Courtney are shown in the background glaring at each other followed by Sierra clutching Cody who looks distressed, Eva crossing her arms along with B and Beth both waving, the latter looking very shy. Behind Gwen appeared Dawn in her own Lyoko form in a meditative pose while upside down while facing Gwen with her eyes closed, her light robe contrasting with Gwen's cape with dark clothing, almost forming a yin-yang symbol.
Behind Dawn appears Scott, snickering evilly.
(Knowing this could be my only chance now)
DJ is shown last, seemingly falling back while holding his pet rabbit: Bunny in his hands with a happy smile. His teammates shown in the background starting with Duncan, Tyler, Justin and Alejandro ending with Chef Hatchet and Chris McClean.
He is followed by Mike and Zoey, both clutching their hands and smiling at each other as in background appears Brick, Jo, Lightning, Sam and Staci.
And lately Cameron appears staring up at the others.
(To overcome this fate that has come over me)
The screen turns black and the Eye of XANA immediately flashes into existence, glowing red and shadowing the outline of a singular person with red glowing eyes.
(The ending of this story)
Aelita is shown, standing in a meadow now with the wind gently blowing through her hair.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
She holds up a hand, gazing sadly up as the images of her friends and parents appear in the sky.
(Into this new world)
Her hand then becomes digital, transitioning to Lyoko.
((The game has only just begun))
She gazes up a little longer before she notices her new friends and allies standing with her and smiles before looking forward, seeing a tower in the distance.
(I can see it in your eyes)
Just as they are about to rush towards the tower, the camera angles up into the digital sky as the song reaches its end.
The scene then shifts to pictures of Aelita and her friends both old and new on a desktop as the title appears on last time:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) Ends )
Episode 21: The Evil Within
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ACCESSING WEBSITE: SIERRA'S BLOG
VIDEO RECORDING
The video stated with Sierra on the Total Drama Jumbo Jet, filming herself and Cody as he slept in the Economy Class.
"Ho, Orpah." Sierra began with her signature crazy smile. "With this video, I want to participate in your next episode about couples in trouble. I'm Sierra and he is my husband, Cody." She moved the camera and zoomed in to get a better look at Cody. "Yes, he's very famous. We love each other a lot. He adorrrrrres me, isn't that right, my beloved Cody?"
She held up Cody who was still sleeping, speaking for him in a badly disguised voice. "You are the only woman in my life."
"He is faithful to me. Orpah, would you figure how to get him to have this loving attitude when he's awake too? Call me."
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The delusions of these humans are sick and disturbing, even by the standards of the ones I usually put up with. Unfortunately, it is something I must endure as I study the histories, strengths, weaknesses and habits of these contestants that are now aiding Aelita against me. The contestant known as Sierra has very detailed information of every Total Drama fan on her website and is easy to access.
Home Addresses
Medical History
Personal Information
The amount of information would be considered illegal under normal circumstances but this only serves to benefit me and I am not subject to human authority anyway.
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I believe this information has shown me the perfect way to neutralize all the targets, isolating Aelita and William long enough for me to finish them off.
It's time to start the next phase of my plan.
Through the night, Aelita had to endure the lap top beeping to alert her of an active tower. She ended up just muting it and falling asleep at nearly 2am in the morning.
She just knew XANA was going to deactivate it anyway and she couldn't afford to lose much needed sleep.
While Aelita was managing to get some sleep, William was a different story.
"We have been connected all this time, even when I was dormant, I could still hear your thoughts, and I could still influence you."
William grunted, trying to sleep but every time he tried, his mind flashed back to what XANA had told him.
Was XANA still a part of him?
If so, how long did he have before he ended up getting possessed again?
Aelita hay have just got her friends back, but William wanted to be part of the group again, he wanted to make up for his mistakes.
Would they allow him to continue being a member after this?
The sun was just rising as a man came upon a familiar looking house.
"So, it's still here after all this time." He mumbled to himself.
He walked up to the door and opened it, peeking inside and seeing everything had been tossed and turned.
"They must have nearly torn the house apart trying to find Aelita and me." He said aloud as he walked in, taking note of everything. "It's nearly destroyed."
Framed pictures…
Albums…
Books…
All of that was ripped and torn, pages scattered across the floor.
"All of our memories…gone." His hand clenched into a fist. "XANA, you caused all of this. You called the Men in Black, giving them our location and because of that I brought Aelita to Lyoko thinking it would be safe, just as you planned. Because of you, Aelita lost the childhood she deserved and has now lost her friends. I fell for your plan before, but you don't I'm still alive yet…If he does though he might call the Men in Black again to stop me before I can help."
That was the real reason he had to keep his distance for now.
Even if it meant keeping the fact that he was alive secret from his own daughter.
"I have to remain dead for now."
Gwen ended up not sleeping at all through the night. She had never pulled an all-nighter before, but oddly she didn't even feel tired when the sun rose. It was like her body would refuse to even think about sleep until this problem was solved.
She wasn't the only one, the other Lyoko fighters and most of the cast were feeling the same psychological effects but for different reasons.
Duncan had more nightmares about the pink haired girl killing Gwen at the abandoned factory so much that he hadn't been able to sleep a bit. So, when he walked out into the cafe a sudden relief hit him to see Gwen alive and well sitting with LeShawna, Bridgette, Geoff, Dawn, Cameron(even those two were on different teams), and DJ. One thing that they all almost noticed immediately was that everyone except those six teens had dark circles under their eyes and felt that the life had been sucked out of them. They noticed this and some of the more observant tired teens had noticed as well.
The observant teens consisted of Duncan, Trent, Eva, Heather, Darth Alejandro, Beth, Sierra and Cody. They watched as DJ, Geoff, LeShawna, Gwen, Dawn, Cameron and Bridgette went about eating breakfast in the lounge.
"Man, you guys sure got lucky; I don't think anybody got to sleep last night." Cody said as he walked over.
"Oh, trust me, I didn't even sleep a wink, don't let the makeup fool you." Gwen tapped the area under her eyes.
"Man, every time I managed to get to sleep, I was having some screwed up nightmares." Darth Alejandro sighed. "Did Chris put something in my drink? I can't even tell what he pours me anymore." He held up a drink container built to be held by the Total Drama Machine's claws.
"I slept great." Bridgette shrugged.
"Me too." Geoff smiled, holding up a mug of coffee.
"Lucky you." Duncan muttered sarcastically.
Eva stomped into the room, accidently bumping into Heather's wheelchair.
"Hey watch it!" Heather shouted.
"SHUT UP YOU STUPID BITCH!"
Everyone looked up at this. Heather wheeled back into the wall, scared now that Eva might beat her to death. Like everyone else Eva had dark circles under her eyes and her scowl was ever more pronounced. Anyone who was in Eva's way before moved away to avoid suffering her wrath.
"How come you guys aren't tired like the rest of us?" asked Beth.
"I honestly have no idea, Beth. I just feel fine. Maybe all those times Chris woke us up early I finally got used to having almost no sleep at all." Said Gwen.
"True that, girl." Said LeShawna.
"So, you guys didn't have any of those dreams?" asked Noah with a cranky look on his face.
"What kind of dreams are we talking about?" asked Bridgette.
"Some psycho pink haired weirdo mauling you with a knife." Said Duncan replied.
"They are so scary." Zoey shuddered.
"I know." Mike nodded in agreement.
Bridgette's eyes widened slightly when she and the others heard that. Gwen already knew about the dreams since Cody and Beth told her last night.
"And you all had those dreams?" asked DJ.
"Yeah. It's so scary." Lindsay shivered when she thought about those nightmares.
"What about you guys?" Brick asked.
Gwen and the others shared an uneasy look. She got up after she finished her food and dumped the remains into the garbage before putting it on the pile and walked out with the others following her.
"They know something." Said Heather.
"What makes you say that?" asked Cody.
"Did you see the way they reacted when they heard what those dreams we were having were? Why are they fine but we're exhausted?" asked Heather.
"It may be a coincidence." Trent tried to reason.
"I hate to say it but I think Heather's right." Said Beth.
"They are hiding something." Said Alejandro.
"But what?" asked Cody.
"We should find out." Said Courtney.
"Yeah, I don't think so." Said Noah.
"Why not?!"
"Because I am going to get some sleep after I eat." Said Noah.
"What if you get those bad dreams again?" asked Beth.
Noah shrugged. Heather growled.
"Someone has to follow them and find out what they know."
"I say I should go; I used to be a CIT." Said Courtney.
"Oh, enough with the dumb CIT crap." Said Noah which earned him a smack on the head.
"Well, and Heather, Sierra, Scott and Al can't go, they're still too injured." Said Trent.
"Leave it to me!" Sierra held up her PDA. "As Total Drama's number one fan, I make it my mission to uncover the secrets of every contestant on Total Drama. I'll uncover their secret…or die trying!"
Cody shuddered but noticed Courtney was getting up.
"What are you doing?"
"Just because agrees your number fan should go doesn't mean I will stay. She will no doubt be discovered."
Cody sighed and agreed, him and the others watching Sierra and Courtney hurried to catch up with the others.
Gwen and the others had just made their ways to the benches outside and sat down.
"All right, so what did Aelita find out last night?" Bridgette asked.
"Well, according to her she believes XANA took control of the others cell phones and used them to project visions into their head via electrical impulses in their brains. The reason why they dream of us getting killed at the factory by Aelita is that XANA wants to make them paranoid enough so they would follow us and discover the factory." Gwen explained.
"If they find the computer they might go to the authorities, and they would lock down the factory." LeShawna continued.
"And we wouldn't be able to stop XANA when he launches a real attack." DJ finished, catching on.
"Oh man. That's sneaky." Geoff said with a nervous face.
"Very sneaky." Cameron gulped.
"Right, the problem is that XANA keeps on switching towers to induce his visions. By the time he is done with one he deactivates it and moves onto the other. We can't do anything unless he does something else." Gwen continued.
"So, what do we do? We can't let them find out about the factory and blow our cover." DJ said.
"And if they see Aelita they might get even more suspicious, and we would be in bigger trouble." Bridgette added.
"We can't do anything as long as one tower is activated for only about a minute." LeShawna pointed out.
"So, we sit here and do nothing?" Geoff asked skeptically.
"I'm afraid so, Geoff. The next move belongs to XANA." Gwen sighed.
They were unaware that Courtney and Sierra were recording their conversation with their PDAs from behind, hidden behind the fence separating the street from the studio's property. They stopped recording when they got up to leave and went to show the others.
"I'll show this to the others. You keep tailing them." Courtney whispered to Sierra who nodded and discreetly followed the group.
"So, the people helping you are actually contestants from Total Drama?"
Aelita nodded, a small smile to see Ulrich and Odd in the cafeteria. She knew there were whispers and glances, but she was so happy to have them and Yumi back.
"How in the world did you meet?" Ulrich asked.
"I was in the park when XANA sent out another message, warning me that I was next. LeShawna, Bridgette, Gwen, DJ, and Cameron were nearby, competing on the show when the message went out. A Tarantula was then materialized and chased me to the manhole, managing to hit me in the leg. I thought I was a goner, but they all showed up and saved me at the last second." Aelita explained. "Since I was injured and on my own I kind of had no choice but to gamble on asking for their help. Luckily, they were not only willing to keep it all a secret but ended up being very good on Lyoko. Even better than you two when you first started."
"Oh, I don't know. I think we still brighter since we're the original warriors." Odd commented with a grin.
"Well, they must be good. They managed to hold up against all the new monsters XANA has." Ulrich mused.
"They all are good, even if they were caught in the middle of it all." Aelita nodded. "I think you would like them all. Speaking of, Yumi is coming right?"
"Her parents might be wanting to keep her home for a few days." Ulrich shrugged.
"Speaking of, how did you convince your parents to let you keep attending here?" Aelita asked.
Odd shrugged. "Just got to know what to say."
"Was easy with my dad. Attending the school and keeping up with my studies ever after what happened and he's a happy man." Ulrich rolled his eyes.
"Well, so as long as he doesn't pull you out of school, I guess that's all we can hope for." Aelita looked around. "Speaking of, where's William?"
Ulrich and Odd shrugged, the latter answering. "Haven't seen him since we got back."
William's phone range and saw it was Yumi's number which he answered. "Hey…Yumi?"
"William, glad to hear from you. Listen, Aelita thinks there's an activated tower and wants us all at the factory as soon as possible. I'm in the park, making my way to the manhole."
"On my way." William said, shaking the feeling of uneasiness in him.
He managed to sneak off school grounds just fine and made it to the park in just a few minutes. He saw Yumi standing over the manhole, her head bowed for some reason.
"Hey, Yumi. Where are the others?" William asked. "Isn't there an attack?"
"You are a surprising one, William." Yumi spoke in strange, emotionless tone. "You try so hard to help the people who discard you…It is because you might still…feelings for me?"
William blinked, feeling uneasy now. "Yumi?"
"Do you want to help because you hope I'll start caring for you the way you care about me?" Yumi continued.
"Yumi, what is going on?" William stepped forward. "Look, you made it clear we won't be anything other than friends and I stepped aside. Now is there an attack or not?"
"In a manner or speaking." Yumi lifted her head and he saw her eyes…
Only they were not her eyes.
"XANA!" William gasped but had no chance to react as Yumi kicked him in the stomach, knocking against a tree.
"What's wrong, William?" Yumi asked, lowering her foot. "Aren't you happy to see me? See me experience the very thing you went through? Perhaps I might be more considerate to you now, since I can now feel everything you must have felt while under XANA's control."
William managed to get up, reaching for his cell phone but Yumi kicked it out of his hand. She then launched a punch-jab combo that was sparkling with electricity that forced William to dodge. The tree behind him had its scorched but no fire was formed. Yumi spun and launched a kick at William's head, knocking him down again.
"Come on, William. Don't just stand there. This feels just like old times." Yumi remarked with an evil smile, the Eyes of XANA replacing her normal eyes.
"Guys, look at this!" Courtney ran into the room with her PDA out. They listened to the recording of what Gwen and the others said.
"Who the heck is Aelita?" Duncan asked once the recording was done.
"And what's a Zana?" Trent asked, sounding just as confused.
"Hold on, he said something about a factory and didn't we all see a factory in whatever we were seeing?" asked Tyler.
"Oh my gosh, you're right!" Beth gasped.
"Oh my gosh, do you think Aelita's that pink haired psycho?" Katie asked, glancing at Sadie.
"Could be. Aelita is a girl's name." Sadie nodded.
"See, I knew that they knew something about this." Heather pointed at the PDA.
"But they aren't making any sense." Justin pointed out.
"Yeah. Sounds wacko." Jo nodded.
"He's right. How can someone put these dreams in our head by taking control of our cell phones?" Beth asked.
"That's it! That's why I had those visions when I was awake. When I answered my cell phone I had those freaky visions." Duncan snapped his fingers.
"The same thing happened with me." Alejandro added.
"Dude how can you answer in that bot?" Owen asked, staring at the Drama Machine that held Total Drama's runner up for the third season.
"Well, I missed a few calls, so I asked them to install it into the robot head. It came in handy." Alejandro simply said.
"Yeah, whatever the point is that they know just why we have been getting these visions." Noah reminded, get everyone back on track.
"Yeah, this Xana creep is putting these things in our heads but why?" Trent asked.
"Gwen said it because he wants us to follow them to this factory." Courtney answered.
"A factory they want to keep secret." Heather added.
"And we might go to the authorities." Alejandro continued.
"But why?" Lindsay asked.
"Is there something bad there?" Beth asked.
"Must be if they're afraid." Eva shrugged.
"So, we need to find out." Duncan stood up.
"Won't mean we're doing this Xana guy's dirty work?" Trent asked.
"Hey, Gwen doesn't have to worry about me ratting her out." Duncan replied.
"Yeah, but what about other people here?" Owen asked.
"What could be so bad that we would run to the authorities?" Duncan asked but he had no idea just how dangerous his girlfriend's secret really was.
Everything was going according to plan. He had already sewed suspicion among the other contestants of the group. They had already deduced that Aelita was the pink haired girl in their dreams, they overheard the conversation of the current warriors, and now they will follow them the next time he launches an attack. If the plan went through accordingly, they would leave once they discover the factory.
The authorities would lock down the factory and Aelita and her bodyguards would be questioned. By that time, he would be ready. Kadic Academy and the Studio where Total Drama Reality was being broadcasted from would be gone, destroyed as to show an example of his power and a warning. They could not expect all of them to stay silent.
All that was left now was to bring out the bait.
Aelita looked up when the super scan detected another activated tower in the Desert Sector.
"Is that what I think it is?" Odd whispered next to her.
She counted down the usual time it took before the tower would deactivate on its own, but it stayed active. She waited about three minutes, but she could not wait for long. Not if XANA was now on the offensive.
"Looks like it." Aelita nodded back to Ulrich and Odd. "We'll have to be very careful in getting to the factory."
She quickly speed-dialed Gwen's number.
Gwen picked up her phone. "Hello?"
"Gwen! A tower has activated, and it isn't deactivating, get to the factory." Aelita said. "It's in the desert region."
"Got it." Gwen nodded and hung up. "A tower activated; it isn't shutting off. This might be a real attack, let's get to the factory."
They ran off towards the factory, with Sierra following them from a distance as she dialed Cody's number.
"Hello?" Cody answered his phone.
"Cody!" Sierra squealed. "Oh my god you answered me!"
"Yeah…" Cody sighed. "Something going on?"
"Oh yeah, I think they're heading to that factory!" Sierra answered. "Tell the others!"
Cody lowered his phone. "Sierra says they're going to the factory!"
"The one where they die?!" Trent leaped to his feet. "I'm coming too!"
"Don't think you're going alone, Elvis." Duncan said getting up.
Sierra barely had time to take two steps before her PDA rung again and she checked to see whose number it was.
Cody's number!
She immediately answered. "Cody?!"
Her vision flashed and she was suddenly in the factory and in front of her was Cody…making out with Gwen!
"Oh, Cody. You are so much better than Duncan and Trent." Gwen pulled away. "Will you marry me?"
"Of course, I'll marry you, Gwen." Cody said with a big smile. "And you don't have to worry about Sierra. She died in a roller skating accident."
The images repeated over and over before they finally stopped…
…And leaving an infuriated Sierra with the Eye of XANA pulsing on her forehead. "…Gwen."
The fighters all slid down the cables, having gotten over their fear of heights by now. As they landed, something echoed through the factory. It sounded like a groan of metal being bent. They looked around cautiously.
"Oh man, what now?" DJ asked.
"I think we should just-" Gwen started before something tackled her from behind.
"Wha-"
"Who-"
"Sierra?!"
"I'll kill you, Cody-Stealer!" Sierra shouted, slamming Gwen onto the ground.
"What are you doing, crazy-girl?!" LeShawna grabbed Sierra around the waist and tried to tug her off, but Sierra fought like a wild animal.
"I know you kissed Cody and plan to marry him! I'LL KILL YOU BEFORE THAT HAPPENS!" Sierra grabbed Gwen by the collar, glaring down at her with animalistic rage.
"Wh-What?!" Gwen gaped before Sierra raised her fist…
(Credits)
Chapter 23: Episode 23: Acceptance Part One
Summary:
Aelita and the TD Lyoko Warriors face their most difficult challenge yet as they begin to feel the true burden of protecting the world from XANA.
Chapter Text
( Code Total Drama Reality Introduction Song Starts )
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) )
(The ending of this story)
The song starts, showing the end of Code Lyoko where the Supercomputer is shut down and the former Lyoko Warriors leave the factory seemingly for the last time.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
A single computer is shown coming online, lines of 1s and 0s streaming across the screen before the screen is replaced by a glowing sphere with the Eye of XANA, at least eight variations appearing on it. From the sphere came lines of data emerging in eight different directions. The lines of data formed into various regions, all of them floating landscapes resembling a forest, a desert, an arctic, mountains, volcanoes, swamp and a jungle.
(Into this new world)
The new lands orbited the golden sphere as the camera zoomed in on the Eye of XANA staring at the screen.
(The game has only just begun)
The Eye then flashes red, and the sphere turns black.
(I can see it in your eyes)
A girl with pink hair sits on her bed, panting as she turns to see two pictures of her friends and her father. She smiles briefly but that smile turns to a look of horror as both her friends and her father are engulfed by a great darkness and the red Eye shines down on her. The Supercomputer, thought to be shut down, is reactivated and there is a flash of light.
(This is where tomorrow brings a new game)
Aelita is shown alone both in the real world and in Lyoko, hordes of monsters surrounding her.
Geoff is first shown in his human form before transitioning to his Lyoko form.
Next to him is Bridgette, holding her surfboard in the real world before changing into her Lyoko form, her board splitting into two swords.
(It's time to learn that pain is gain)
Gwen is shown sitting in front of tree, looking up and is instantly changed into her Lyoko Avatar, brandishing her scythe.
DJ is shown in the woods, tending to a little rabbit as he stands up and morphs into his Lyoko form, turning to face the camera with a stern glare.
LeShawna is last, ready to fight in both her human form and her Lyoko form.
(Ready fight!)
William and a dark reflection of himself as XANA's General are shown standing back-to-back, turning to face each other and swinging their swords.
The screen is split by the two swords, showing New Lyoko as the title appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(I gotta crush and paint away the anguish)
Aelita is shown first, sitting at the computer before she is then shown as the DJ of a party. She morphs into her Lyoko form and conjures an energy field.
This was followed quickly by Geoff wildly waving his hat while riding something with Bridgette holding onto him by the back.
(Of my past for the sake of my future)
Gwen is shown next, drawing in her sketchbook and signifying with a sad face as Duncan, Courtney and Trent appear behind her, their backs facing in her direction.
(Until my life comes to an end)
DJ is shown running for his life from appears to be a giant bear.
(I am gonna fight to tear apart that destiny)
LeShawna is shown next, standing confidently with her team, ready to face whatever crazy challenge comes next.
(Aoh, break out and start a revolution)
The antagonists of Total Drama: Heather, Courtney, Justin, Anne Maria, Jo, Lightning, Scott and Alejandro in the Total Drama Machine are shown from left to right, grinning or glaring at the camera, holding up an imaginary case of the million- dollar prize money in their hands. Chris Mclean is shown next, arms crossed as the chair he is sitting in spins to meet the camera, zooming out to show it is the monitor room for the Total Drama show.
A dark shadow appears above them, scrawny in appearance and hair falling over the left eye as it glares darkly at the screen.
(Until you find the answer you're looking for)
The camera then shows Aelita with the new Lyoko Warriors, the TD Lyoko Warriors and William sitting around a campfire, all of them staring up into the starry night sky, a picture of her friends and father resting in Aelita's hands.
(I'll challenge all my limits)
Aelita in her Lyoko form with her wings sprouting from her back is shown, clutching Mr. Puck in her hands as she seemingly falls back, her friends and relatives in the background.
The camera moves down to show William kneeling down, clutching his sword in both hands. As this happens, the camera moves down, showing depictions of the TD Lyoko Warriors and other characters in the background.
The camera continues to move down to show Geoff pulling Bridgette into sharing a picture with LeShawna bringing her face up over Bridgette's shoulder, the three of them in their Lyoko forms. While this happens, Harold, Lindsay, Beth, Trent, Katie and Sadie are shown in the background.
Below them is Gwen with her arms and legs curled around her with her cape swirling behind her like wings while Heather and Courtney are shown in the background glaring at each other followed by Sierra clutching Cody who looks distressed, Eva crossing her arms along with B and Beth both waving, the latter looking very shy. Behind Gwen appeared Dawn in her own Lyoko form in a meditative pose while upside down while facing Gwen with her eyes closed, her light robe contrasting with Gwen's cape with dark clothing, almost forming a yin-yang symbol.
Behind Dawn appears Scott, snickering evilly.
(Knowing this could be my only chance now)
DJ is shown last, seemingly falling back while holding his pet rabbit: Bunny in his hands with a happy smile. His teammates shown in the background starting with Duncan, Tyler, Justin and Alejandro ending with Chef Hatchet and Chris McClean.
He is followed by Mike and Zoey, both clutching their hands and smiling at each other as in background appears Brick, Jo, Lightning, Sam and Staci.
And lately Cameron appears staring up at the others.
(To overcome this fate that has come over me)
The screen turns black and the Eye of XANA immediately flashes into existence, glowing red and shadowing the outline of a singular person with red glowing eyes.
(The ending of this story)
Aelita is shown, standing in a meadow now with the wind gently blowing through her hair.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
She holds up a hand, gazing sadly up as the images of her friends and parents appear in the sky.
(Into this new world)
Her hand then becomes digital, transitioning to Lyoko.
((The game has only just begun))
She gazes up a little longer before she notices her new friends and allies standing with her and smiles before looking forward, seeing a tower in the distance.
(I can see it in your eyes)
Just as they are about to rush towards the tower, the camera angles up into the digital sky as the song reaches its end.
The scene then shifts to pictures of Aelita and her friends both old and new on a desktop as the title appears on last time:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) Ends )
Episode 23: Acceptance Part One
The fighters all slid down the cables, having gotten over their fear of heights by now. As they landed, something echoed through the factory. It sounded like a groan of metal being bent. They looked around cautiously.
"Oh man, what now?" DJ asked.
"I think we should just-" Gwen started before something tackled her from behind.
"Wha-"
"Who-"
"Sierra?!"
"I'll kill you, Cody-Stealer!" Sierra shouted, slamming Gwen onto the ground.
"What are you doing, crazy-girl?!" LeShawna grabbed Sierra around the waist and tried to tug her off, but Sierra fought like a wild animal.
"I know you kissed Cody and plan to marry him! I'LL KILL YOU BEFORE THAT HAPPENS!" Sierra grabbed Gwen by the collar, glaring down at her with animalistic rage.
"Wh-What?!" Gwen gaped before Sierra raised her fist…
Geoff moved in next and with DJ's help tugged Sierra away from Gwen, the crazed stalker biting and scratching at both of them.
"What is Sierra doing here?" Bridgette helped Gwen to her feet.
"I think the others are on their way too." Gwen realized. "Remember, they all had visions of us here…and we led them here!"
"It's just Sierra and she's loony." LeShawna pointed out. "I'm sure we can move and make sure no one else finds us here."
"Gwen!" A pair of voices called out.
"Bridgette!"
"DJ, Geoff, what's going on here?" Duncan called from above at the entrance.
Gwen looked at LeShawna who had a sheepish look on her face. "Too late."
The hatch opened, allowing Ulrich to climb out first, followed by Aelita and then Odd. As soon as they were up, they noticed a large crowd right outside the factory.
"Uh…Were we expecting guests?" Ulrich asked.
"I know them. Those are the other Total Drama contestants." Odd realized. "What are they doing here?"
"XANA must have lured them here to expose the supercomputer." Aelita realized. "We can't let them see us."
"Guess we can take the other way in." Odd pointed to the hatch below the entrance. "We can sneak past them since they are all distracted."
Aelita looked conflicted but nodded. "I just hope William and Yumi catch up."
Ulrich and Odd both secretly shared a glance.
POW!
"Gah!" William fell to the ground but rolled away and struggled to stand up.
He knew Yumi was tough, but this was just next level. So, either she was always this tough which he could believe, or XANA was enhancing her strength like he did with every possessed victim.
Himself included.
"It's a pity this had to happen, William." Yumi remarked as she strolled forward. "You might be surprised by this, but I think that XANA's greatest mistake was ever letting you go. Too bad it just didn't work out."
"Yeah…" William managed to stand up. "Cause now I'm on the side that will do everything it can to stop him. That includes fighting against anyone he controls."
"Really?" Yumi raised an eyebrow. "You'd actually fight me? Even I am an innocent victim under XANA's control?"
"You fought me when I was possessed, and I don't recall you ever pulling your punches." William retorted, taking a defensive stance.
Yumi simply chuckled and then charged at him, starting with a kick. William managed to block the kick and threw Yumi's leg up, causing her to fall on her back. William aimed a punch but the XANA symbol in Yumi's eyes faded, and she looked afraid…
"William? Wh-What's going on?" Yumi asked in a fearful tone.
That face…
The way she spoke…
He should have known it was a trap…
But he still froze and that gave Yumi the time she needed to backflip and launch a barrage of kicks at William, forcing him back.
"Nice place here, guys." Duncan slid down on one of the cables. "So, you've been sneaking to hang out in an abandoned factory? Can't blame ya since I doubt Chris has any cameras. Just wondering why you never told me, Gwen."
Gwen sighed, rubbing a hand through her hair. "Long story, Duncan and I made a promise not to tell anyone, even you without everyone else agreeing to it. Believe me, I have thought about telling you but that needed a group vote."
Duncan raised an eyebrow but said nothing as Courtney's voice came from behind. "Ha! Like I'll believe that!"
'Oh great.' Gwen, LeShawna, and Geoff sighed, knowing what was about to come.
"You and the others are up to something, admit it!" Courtney pointed at Gwen.
"She kissed Cody!" Sierra screeched, still struggling in DJ's grip.
"What?!" Practically half the group exclaimed.
"I did not, Sierra." Gwen shook her head. "I haven't even been hanging out with Cody since we got here."
Cody had a small sad face at that but was ignored by Courtney who just let out a laugh. "Ha! Well, well, Duncan looks your girlfriend went behind your back just like she did me!" That caused the rest of the group to look at Courtney who blinked. "What?"
"Were you and Gwen dating?" Katie asked.
"What?! No!" Courtney exclaimed, now blushing.
"But you said-" Sadie stated.
"I meant she kissed someone else behind Duncan's back like she kissed him while he was still my boyfriend!" Courtney hissed through gritted teeth.
"No, she didn't because we didn't get back together." Duncan crossed his arms. "We only had a make-out moment on the bus but that didn't mean we were back together."
Courtney threw a harsh glare at Duncan for that.
"I think we're getting a little off topic here." Brick raised his hand, only to flinch when Courtney directed her glare at him.
That was when Courtney's cell phone sparked and her mind was overwhelmed with images.
Gwen and Duncan kissing in the confessional during World Tour…
Kissing again in Area 51 and deciding to get together…
Making out on the beach…
And then again on the boat at the start of the fourth season…
Courtney grit her teeth as the Eye of XANA pulsed on her forehead, which everyone noticed.
"Courtney?" Bridgette asked carefully.
"I'LL KILL YOU, BOYFRIEND STEALER!" Courtney snarled as she charged at Gwen.
"NOT BEFORE I KILL THE CODY-STEALER!" Sierra hit the back of her head on DJ's face, causing him to cry out as he dropped her.
'Oh crap!' Gwen thought with widened eyes and knew there was only one thing to do.
She took off running, just narrowly avoiding Courney and Sierra pouncing on her and possibly mauling her to death.
"LeShawna, take the others and go! Help Aelita get to the tower!" Gwen shouted as she ran down the factory lobby.
"Are you nuts? What about you?" LeShawna called out.
"Never mind me! Hurry!"
Bridgette helped Geoff into the elevator while DJ, Cameron and Dawn ran in.
"LeShawna?" Bridgette asked, seeing the Sister with 'Tude not following them.
"Go on ahead." LeShawna replied, glancing over her shoulder. "I'll stay and help Gwen."
"Okay, good luck!" Bridgette called out, closing the elevator.
"Hey, where are you going?" Trent exclaimed as the elevator door closed while LeShawna chased after Gwen.
"Right now, I'm going to help Gwen before the two maniacs kill her." Duncan said as he followed LeShawna.
The elevator opened to reveal the lab and Aelita along with Odd and Ulrich.
"Aelita, we got a serious problem." Bridgette said as she and the others stepped in.
"I saw. XANA led your friends all here." Aelita replied as she stood up. "And they're chasing Gwen through the factory."
"Yeah, and Sierra and Courtney are leading the charge. Outside of Heather, those two nutcases hate Gwen the most." Geoff remarked.
"Courtney's not a nut case." Bridgette glared at her boyfriend.
"She kind of is." DJ remarked with a nervous look as Bridgette looked at her. "What? She tried to kill me. I haven't forgotten that."
"And we haven't forgotten right now that her and Sierra's negative traits have been amplified to a dangerous degree." Dawn cut in. "And we have to hurry before the lab is discovered."
"I agree with that." Ulrich spoke up. "By the way, I'm Ulrich and this is Odd."
"I watched your show. Big fan by the way." Odd said with a smile.
Only when Dawn looked at them…she paled.
"Dawn?" Cameron asked, seeing her go pale.
"GET AWAY FROM THEM!" Dawn suddenly screamed. "THEY'RE POSSESSED!"
Everyone jumped back from Dawn, all of them shocked as she stepped back.
"Wha-What?!" Bridgette exclaimed.
"What do you mean?" Geoff asked.
"I can his Eye in them! They're controlled by him!" Dawn took another step back, trembling.
"That's impossible." Aelita stepped forward. "I scanned for any sign of XANA's data. They were completely clean."
"Then where is William? And the other one?" Dawn quickly replied, stepping against the wall.
Aelita paused as Ulrich and Odd looked at her, the latter speaking up. "You don't think we're actually possessed, do you? You rescued us."
Aelita looked torn, confused. "I…"
William was thrown to the ground again. He struggled to stand back up, now heavily battered and bruised.
He spied his cell phone nearby.
Yumi grinned as she approached…
"YUMI! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" A voice shouted from behind.
William and Yumi turned to see Sissy standing there with a shocked look on her face.
What was she-
William shook his head and ran for his phone, picking it up and quickly calling Aelita.
Aelita's phone rang, and she quickly answered, seeing William's ID on it. "William?"
"Aelita, Yumi's possessed! She's been possessed the whole time and I think Odd and Ulrich are-"
There was punching sound and the line going dead.
Aelita's eyes widened and she paled as she looked at Odd and Ulrich who stared back with calm eyes…Eyes that immediately changed into a familiar Eye. "No…"
"So much for the easy way." Odd sighed…and then held up his hand that sparked with electricity.
That was all the time Aelita had to register before she was blasted to the other end of the lab, hitting the wall.
"Aelita!" She faintly heard the others, the TD Lyoko Warriors calling out her name before she blacked out.
Before they could help, Ulrich held up both hands and blasted them to the opposite side of the lab.
"Guess these guys aren't as good as the originals." Ulrich smirked, lowering his hand.
Odd walked over and picked Aelita up. "And now we're on the winning team."
He walked over the elevator as Ulrich sat down at the computer, activating the automatic virtualization sequence. He then followed Odd into the elevator and the doors closed, leaving the TD Lyoko Warriors in the lab as Cameron struggled to get up.
"Got to…get…help." Cameron groaned as he crawled over to the chair.
"WHERE ARE YOU, GWEN?!"
"COME BACK AND HERE DIE!"
Gwen had to hide in the machine room as Courtney and Sierra chased her. She managed to duck under the conveyor belt before they entered the room.
"All right is enough, you two!" LeShawna's voice came from behind. "You two have officially crossed the crazy line!"
"Shut up! I am not leaving until that gothic boyfriend stealer pays her due!" Courtney shouted, turning to face LeShawna as the Eye of XANA pulsed rapidly on her forehead.
"And I thought you were crazy before." LeShawna remarked. "Whatever, you're not hurting Gwen so just give up."
"Yeah." Duncan's voice came from behind.
"Oh boy." LeShawna sighed as Duncan came up from behind, followed by Trent, Cody and Harold.
"LeShawna, what is going on?" Harold asked. "Where did that elevator take Bridgette, DJ and Geoff?"
"And Dawn and Cameron?" Zoey came up from behind with Mike, both of them looking very concerned.
"Look, Harold. I would love to tell ya but I made a promise to keep something important a secret." LeShawna said, looking at the boy who had been sweet on her for a long time. "Trust me, it's better if you don't know."
"Wow, way to quote any movie with a deadly conspiracy in existence." Duncan crossed his arms. "Well, we're all here and we want answers."
Odd placed Aelita in the nearest scanner before he and Ulrich entered the two empty ones. Once the countdown reached zero, the scanner doors closed, and they were virtualized.
Cameron made it to the chair as the rest of the TD Lyoko Warriors in the lab regained consciousness.
"Oh man. I haven't been zapped that bad since 'Truth or Electric Chair." Geoff groaned, rubbing his head. "What happened?"
"Dawn was right. Ulrich and Odd are possessed and they just virtualized Aelita onto Lyoko." Cameron replied, seeing she was in Sector 5.
"Oh man." DJ stood up. "That was not cool."
"Dawn, how did you know?" Bridgette asked, looking at Dawn.
"I saw their auras and it was tainted by that horrible Eye." Dawn shivered. "And I knew it meant it wasn't Aelita's friends were looking at."
"You've got to explain how that works." Geoff commented.
"I cannot." Dawn shook her head. "It's something I was born with. I have been able to see the auras of everyone around me and I could understand them on a deep level."
"We can talk about this later." Cameron brought up the virtualization sequence. "We need to get to Lyoko and help Aelita before something happens."
"Right." The rest of the group nodded.
"I got the scanners ready."
As the group turned to the elevator, Bridgette noticed that Dawn wasn't following them. "Dawn, where are you going?"
Dawn was at the latter and starting to climb. "I sense William is in danger. I'll be more useful trying to find him and help Gwen and LeShawna. You go help Aelita."
The others shared a confused glance but when they looked back, Dawn was already gone.
"Boy, she's quick." Geoff commented.
As the rest of the TD group were arguing in the machine room, their cell phones suddenly sparked.
That when the images came back…
Trent seemingly sabotaging his team for Gwen's sake…
Gwen dumping Trent…
LeShawna badmouthing Harold along with everyone else…
Duncan kissing Gwen…
LeShawna falling for Alejandro's charm, letting him manipulate her…and kiss her?!
Duncan bullying Harold…
Gwen being eliminated in World Tour…
Eva being eliminated by everyone…
Courtney bargaining with everyone's lives for the prize money…
Courtney suing to get back on the show, manipulating several of the contestants without any remorse and repeatedly betraying their trust in order to ahead in the contest…
Sierra repeatedly violating Cody's boundaries, touching all of his personal items, even trying to forcefully marry him…
Courtney flirting with other male contestants on the show to get back at Duncan, including Tyler who was in a relationship with Lindsay…plus all the times she kicked him in the groin…
LeShawna stepped back as everyone seemed to look very angry as the Eye of XANA pulsed on their foreheads. "Uh…Everyone okay?"
"You know what, Courtney? I'm glad I dumped you!" Duncan suddenly shouted, pointing a finger in Courtney's face. "You were a high-maintenance control freak and I'm only sorry that I accidently got Gwen eliminated instead of you! I mean, watching you bawl on the ground like a baby was so pathetic!"
"And you know what?! I never actually missed you while you were gone during the third season before you came back, and I missed you even less!" Courtney shrieked.
"GWEN-STEALER!" Cody shouted, jumping Duncan's back, punching and scratching at his face.
"GET OFF ME!" Duncan shouted, pulling Cody off and throwing him to the ground.
"CODY!" Sierra screamed and then turned to Duncan with an infuriated face. "YOU ARE DEAD!"
"Will everyone knock it off?! What's going on here?!" LeShawna shouted, trying to keep everyone from tearing each other apart.
"What is going on is that you are keeping some crazy secret and I'm going to find out and then I'm going to watch as the cops drag you and the goth away in hand cuffs!" Courtney shouted, holding out her PDA. "Sending Gwen to jail will be the best thing for me ever!"
"Courtney, stop!" Gwen shouted, lifting up from behind the conveyor belt. "This has got to stop!"
Courtney turned around, eyes narrowed. "Gwen…"
"Look, I'm sorry about what happened with Duncan. I have said before that I was sorry and all you did was throw it back in my face. Guess what, Courtney, Duncan kissed me! I never stole anything from you and still you blame me for it when we both know this was going to happen anyway!
You were a complete bitch to him, even if you didn't have it coming you should have seen it! I know you well enough to know that you should have been smart enough to see it coming so don't act like it was a surprise because I refuse to believe that. You knew we liked each other and still you did nothing to stop it. Instead of changing for the better, to be the same girl he fell in love with the island you still acted like a over-controlling psycho and let it happen." Gwen took a deep breath. "I am sorry for hurting you and for ruining our friendship. But just remember this, Courtney, I never stole him, you drove him away.""
She had hoped her words would have some effect on Courtney as she paused and thought over what Gwen said…
Then the images came back.
Gwen and Duncan kissing in the confessional during World Tour…
Kissing again in Area 51 and deciding to get together…
Making out on the beach…
And then again on the boat at the start of the fourth season…
Gwen and Duncan kissing in the confessional during World Tour…
Kissing again in Area 51 and deciding to get together…
Making out on the beach…
And then again on the boat at the start of the fourth season…
Gwen and Duncan kissing in the confessional during World Tour…
Kissing again in Area 51 and deciding to get together…
Making out on the beach…
And then again on the boat at the start of the fourth season…
"I'LL KILL YOU!" Courtney threw her PDA to the side and lunged at Gwen who ducked out of the way.
"Transfer, Geoff. Transfer Bridgette. Transfer DJ."
The scanners closed on them.
"Scanner, Geoff. Scanner Bridgette. Scanner DJ."
The lights in the scanners travelled up their bodies.
"Virtualization."
Aelita opened her eyes and saw…blue.
She groaned and sat up, looking around and saw she was in Sector 5.
"Enjoy your rest?"
She froze and looked to see Odd and Ulrich standing a few feet away from her, their forms…
"No…" Aelita stared in horror.
Their outfits now resembled their upgraded forms but were now black. Their skin was ashen grey, their eyes orange with the black Eye of XANA replacing their normal human eyes. Odd's purple face markings were now black, and his cattail had a pointed end now.
"Surprise, Aelita!" Odd declared with a wide grin, spreading his arms out. "I thought this would be easy but your friend…she really figured us out. Have no clue how she did that."
That's right…
Dawn somehow knew they were possessed by just looking at them.
A shrieking sound was heard and Aelita froze in terror.
"And here's another old friend." Ulrich remarked as a familiar creature came around the corner.
The Scyphozoa!
Aelita raised her hand to conjure an energy field but Ulrich dashed behind her and elbowed her in the back.
"Sorry Princess." Ulrich grinned evilly. "No acts of final defiance today."
(Credits)
Chapter 24: Episode 24: Acceptance Part Two
Summary:
Aelita is forced to accept that things will never be the same as she struggles to escape XANA's trap and save her new friends.
Chapter Text
( Code Total Drama Reality Introduction Song Starts )
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) )
(The ending of this story)
The song starts, showing the end of Code Lyoko where the Supercomputer is shut down and the former Lyoko Warriors leave the factory seemingly for the last time.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
A single computer is shown coming online, lines of 1s and 0s streaming across the screen before the screen is replaced by a glowing sphere with the Eye of XANA, at least eight variations appearing on it. From the sphere came lines of data emerging in eight different directions. The lines of data formed into various regions, all of them floating landscapes resembling a forest, a desert, an arctic, mountains, volcanoes, swamp and a jungle.
(Into this new world)
The new lands orbited the golden sphere as the camera zoomed in on the Eye of XANA staring at the screen.
(The game has only just begun)
The Eye then flashes red, and the sphere turns black.
(I can see it in your eyes)
A girl with pink hair sits on her bed, panting as she turns to see two pictures of her friends and her father. She smiles briefly but that smile turns to a look of horror as both her friends and her father are engulfed by a great darkness and the red Eye shines down on her. The Supercomputer, thought to be shut down, is reactivated and there is a flash of light.
(This is where tomorrow brings a new game)
Aelita is shown alone both in the real world and in Lyoko, hordes of monsters surrounding her.
Geoff is first shown in his human form before transitioning to his Lyoko form.
Next to him is Bridgette, holding her surfboard in the real world before changing into her Lyoko form, her board splitting into two swords.
(It's time to learn that pain is gain)
Gwen is shown sitting in front of tree, looking up and is instantly changed into her Lyoko Avatar, brandishing her scythe.
DJ is shown in the woods, tending to a little rabbit as he stands up and morphs into his Lyoko form, turning to face the camera with a stern glare.
LeShawna is last, ready to fight in both her human form and her Lyoko form.
(Ready fight!)
William and a dark reflection of himself as XANA's General are shown standing back-to-back, turning to face each other and swinging their swords.
The screen is split by the two swords, showing New Lyoko as the title appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(I gotta crush and paint away the anguish)
Aelita is shown first, sitting at the computer before she is then shown as the DJ of a party. She morphs into her Lyoko form and conjures an energy field.
This was followed quickly by Geoff wildly waving his hat while riding something with Bridgette holding onto him by the back.
(Of my past for the sake of my future)
Gwen is shown next, drawing in her sketchbook and signifying with a sad face as Duncan, Courtney and Trent appear behind her, their backs facing in her direction.
(Until my life comes to an end)
DJ is shown running for his life from appears to be a giant bear.
(I am gonna fight to tear apart that destiny)
LeShawna is shown next, standing confidently with her team, ready to face whatever crazy challenge comes next.
(Aoh, break out and start a revolution)
The antagonists of Total Drama: Heather, Courtney, Justin, Anne Maria, Jo, Lightning, Scott and Alejandro in the Total Drama Machine are shown from left to right, grinning or glaring at the camera, holding up an imaginary case of the million- dollar prize money in their hands. Chris Mclean is shown next, arms crossed as the chair he is sitting in spins to meet the camera, zooming out to show it is the monitor room for the Total Drama show.
A dark shadow appears above them, scrawny in appearance and hair falling over the left eye as it glares darkly at the screen.
(Until you find the answer you're looking for)
The camera then shows Aelita with the new Lyoko Warriors, the TD Lyoko Warriors and William sitting around a campfire, all of them staring up into the starry night sky, a picture of her friends and father resting in Aelita's hands.
(I'll challenge all my limits)
Aelita in her Lyoko form with her wings sprouting from her back is shown, clutching Mr. Puck in her hands as she seemingly falls back, her friends and relatives in the background.
The camera moves down to show William kneeling down, clutching his sword in both hands. As this happens, the camera moves down, showing depictions of the TD Lyoko Warriors and other characters in the background.
The camera continues to move down to show Geoff pulling Bridgette into sharing a picture with LeShawna bringing her face up over Bridgette's shoulder, the three of them in their Lyoko forms. While this happens, Harold, Lindsay, Beth, Trent, Katie and Sadie are shown in the background.
Below them is Gwen with her arms and legs curled around her with her cape swirling behind her like wings while Heather and Courtney are shown in the background glaring at each other followed by Sierra clutching Cody who looks distressed, Eva crossing her arms along with B and Beth both waving, the latter looking very shy. Behind Gwen appeared Dawn in her own Lyoko form in a meditative pose while upside down while facing Gwen with her eyes closed, her light robe contrasting with Gwen's cape with dark clothing, almost forming a yin-yang symbol.
Behind Dawn appears Scott, snickering evilly.
(Knowing this could be my only chance now)
DJ is shown last, seemingly falling back while holding his pet rabbit: Bunny in his hands with a happy smile. His teammates shown in the background starting with Duncan, Tyler, Justin and Alejandro ending with Chef Hatchet and Chris McClean.
He is followed by Mike and Zoey, both clutching their hands and smiling at each other as in background appears Brick, Jo, Lightning, Sam and Staci.
And lately Cameron appears staring up at the others.
(To overcome this fate that has come over me)
The screen turns black and the Eye of XANA immediately flashes into existence, glowing red and shadowing the outline of a singular person with red glowing eyes.
(The ending of this story)
Aelita is shown, standing in a meadow now with the wind gently blowing through her hair.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
She holds up a hand, gazing sadly up as the images of her friends and parents appear in the sky.
(Into this new world)
Her hand then becomes digital, transitioning to Lyoko.
((The game has only just begun))
She gazes up a little longer before she notices her new friends and allies standing with her and smiles before looking forward, seeing a tower in the distance.
(I can see it in your eyes)
Just as they are about to rush towards the tower, the camera angles up into the digital sky as the song reaches its end.
The scene then shifts to pictures of Aelita and her friends both old and new on a desktop as the title appears on last time:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) Ends )
Episode 23: Acceptance Part Two
"I hope I am not too late."
In the Hermitage, Hopper placed a laptop on the table and lifted the screen up. He got the laptop as an insurance policy to remain anonymous when he couldn't go near the factory. The laptop booted up and immediately connected to Lyoko, allowing Franz to see what was happening.
"Ulrich…Odd…Aelita!" Franz's eyes went wide as a familiar monster signature was detected. "The Scyphozoa!"
This was not good.
Aelita's new allies: Bridgette, Geoff and DJ were virtualized into the Desert Sector but they wouldn't reach her in time.
"No, I won't let you harm her, XANA." Franz narrowed his eyes and typed away, opening several programs. "Even if you find out I'm alive, I'll still be there to stop you."
Aelita stepped back, partially trembling as the corrupted versions of her two closest friends approached with the Scyphozoa lingering behind. "Ulrich…Odd…you have to fight. XANA's controlling you like he controlled William."
"You would think so." Ulrich snickered. "But no, this is a little different."
Different?
"You're about to find out how different." Odd said as the Scyphozoa hovered over Aelita, about to ensure her…
"NO!" Aelita screamed as the tentacles wrapped around her.
"Aelita!" Cameron's voice could be heard as a red field surrounded her.
Cameron was on the verge of panicking when a window popped up. "Huh? What in the world-? Reset?"
The screen then began to glitch and then went black before returning with a loading bar.
They landed, and the trio of fighters looked around their surroundings...which was just desert in every direction. Changes had been made to the desert sector also, adding in dune of sand among the rocky structures and even some small vortexes of sand flew up from time to time.
"Uh...didn't Aelita show us a few pictures of this place?" Bridgette asked.
"Yeah, it looked less... sandy." DJ said as he went to the top of a dune and looked down on what looked like a small oasis. "And it definitely never had water in it."
That was when the sector suddenly began to shake.
"Uh…what's going on?" Geoff asked nervously.
In Sector 5, Odd and Ulrich frantically looked around before spinning around and gasping as a blue wave of energy shot out from the walls, engulfing them, the Scyphozoa and Aelita. The Scyphozoa froze, releasing Aelita from its grasp who fell to the ground, panting slightly since she was momentarily weakened by the reset.
But not enough to be helpless.
Raising her hand, Aelita conjured an energy field. "Energy Field!"
She threw it up and hit the Scyphozoa right in the 'face' knocking it down and causing it to explode. She looked at Odd and Ulrich, seeing they were both frozen, meaning they were not her real friends…
They were copies created by XANA.
Not sparing them a glance, Aelita activated her wings and flew off in the direction of the Celestial Dome. As she fled, XANA was already processing what had happened.
Someone had launched the Supercomputer Reboot Program.
But who?
Aelita made it to the elevator that took her to the Celestial Dome. "Can anyone hear me?"
"Aelita? Oh man, I am so relived." She heard Cameron sigh in relief. "When I saw you were cornered I thought you were a goner."
"I was too but no time. Where is the tower?" Aelita asked.
"In the Desert Sector. DJ, Geoff and Bridgette are waiting for you there." Cameron answered.
"Good." Aelita nodded, accessing the interface. "Shut off the data stream to the Desert Sector and I'll be right there."
"Got it." A second later the data scream vanished and Aelita activated her wings, flying through the data tunnel and into the Desert Sector.
"There she is!" Geoff pointed up.
DJ and Bridgette looked up to see Aelita flying down, landing a few feet away from them as they ran up to her.
"Aelita, are you okay?" Bridgette asked quickly.
"I'm fine." Aelita nodded, taking a deep breath. "Where are the others?"
"Gwen and LeShawna are trying to keep the others from discovering the lab and Dawn ran off to find William." DJ answered.
"Okay." Aelita nodded. "We'll get to the tower and shut it down quickly."
"Right." Geoff said before they took off running in the direction of the tower. "By the way, we were just commenting on the appearance of this place. Including an oasis here."
"XANA has been making additions to the environments of Lyoko," Aelita replied. "I personally think it's his way of bragging about how much he has advanced."
"What do you know, the first computer with an ego." Geoff chuckled.
"Incoming!" DJ pointed to the air.
The fighters jumped out of the way of a shower of lasers. They looked up and six Wasps flying above them.
"Oh, great. Giant flying bug with big stingers in a Desert!" complained Geoff.
"Less complaining more fighting!" said Bridgette.
DJ created a barrier to block the incoming lasers and poison.
Geoff threw his chakrams that sliced through two of them and sliced through two more on their way back. Bridgette jumped onto her surfboard and flew into the air, ramming into the last two Wasps.
"Alright! Too easy!" Geoff smirked.
"Yeah, way too easy." DJ added, not lowering his barriers.
This is for kissing my BOYFRIEND!" Courtney threw a punch at Gwen who hastily ducked.
"He wasn't your boyfriend when we kissed!" Gwen retorted, frustrated at the situation.
It had been like this since World Tour and honestly Gwen was growing sick of it. She had tried to say she was sorry and that she didn't mean for it to happen even if she and Duncan got together but Courtney just wouldn't let it go. She made Gwen the scapegoat for all of it, even though Gwen never forced Duncan to kiss her and falsely accused her of stealing her boyfriend, especially since they had broken up before World Tour and only had a single moment on that bus. Duncan made it clear that he had no intention of getting back together with Courtney during the Area 51 challenge which made Gwen feel more comfortable about getting together with him.
While Gwen understood that she had hurt Courtney she felt Courtney was being unfair since it was her constant nagging and trying to change Duncan that drove him away.
Too bad Courtney would never admit her part in that.
"DIE CODY-STEALER!"
And then there was Sierra.
She was crazy when Gwen had first met her, and she was even crazier now when that was last thing Gwen needed to deal with. She saw Sierra as someone overly obsessed who got worse as World Tour went on, first from guilt-tripping Cody for attention and then being hostile to Gwen after the kiss was exposed. Even if Cody was more friendly with her, Gwen didn't believe for one second that Sierra had changed for the better.
She jumped out of the way as Sierra lunged at her, both of them chasing her through the factory while LeShawna had her hands full with everyone else who were going crazy, fighting each other or trying to find out what was going on.
'Guys, hurry.' She thought as she jumped aside, dodging Sierra again.
"There it is!" shouted DJ as soon as they could see the tower.
However, the was a problem. Five Pyramids had appeared and began to fire on them. DJ quickly put up a barrier to block the lasers.
"Energy Field!"
She threw pink orb of deadly energy however her intended target dodged the attack. Aelita took to the air allowing DJ to move forward with his barrier up as he moved closer to the monsters. The barrier continued to block incoming lasers while Aelita managed to hit one of the Pyramids destroying it. DJ then dropped the barrier and transformed into a golem.
However, they also learned that while his special ability that turns his entire body to stone makes him as strong as LeShawna with her hammer he could not use his barrier while in golem form. So if he wants to fight he has to get close enough that the monsters couldn't take him out easily. He ran forward and punched a Pyramid in the eye with a stoned fist. The monster shattered into data from the blow. DJ turned and jumped dodging more lasers.
"STOP!"
William was openly gaping when he saw Sissy standing there. "Sissy, what are you doing here?!"
"What does it look like I'm doing here?!" Sissy retorted. "Trying to save you from being killed."
Yumi turned to face, the Eye of XANA pulsing in her eyes.
Sissy's eyes went wide. "Oh…"
Streams of lasers were deflected when four Krabs joined up with the remaining Pyramids in blocking the way to the tower. Luckily Geoff and Bridgette joined up with the others to fight their way to the tower. Geoff threw his chakrams and took out another Pyramid while Bridgette flocked with her swords.
They had finally taken care of the Pyramids leaving the Krabs next. DJ ran forward, turning into his golem form and jumping into the air. He yelled as he brought his fist down and slammed into a Krab. It hit the ground face first hard, its shell cracked and exploded.
But then he was hit by another Krab which sent him flying back. Bridgette jumped in the path blocking more lasers. Her wave like tattoos glowed as she swung her blades and once again unleashed an energy wave resembling a tidal wave that sliced through the Krab.
"Two down one to go." Said Geoff.
"Don't think we've won yet, Geoff. Look!" shouted Aelita pointing ahead.
Up ahead two Megatanks rolled towards them followed by two Tarantulas.
"Me and my big mouth." Geoff groaned.
They jumped as the two Megatanks opened their shells and fired at them.
"I got this!" said DJ.
He brought up his barrier as the Megatanks fired again. The two large elliptical lasers collided with his barrier causing the giant to grunt as he strained under the attack. As strong as his barrier was soon enough it collapsed, and DJ was hit. However, it gave Geoff and Bridgette enough time to stab both Megatanks in the Eye before they closed their shells.
DJ grunted as he fell out of the scanner, gasping for breath. 'Oh man…That feels rough.'
"Sissy, run!" William shouted, managing to stand back up. "That's not Yumi!"
Yumi grinned as she turned back to face William. However before she had the chance to attack, Dawn landed between them, hands spread out.
"Dawn?!"
With the two Megatanks gone the two Tarantulas from behind them aimed their guns and fired at the advancing group.
"Whoa!" Bridgette shouted as she angled her board to avoid incoming lasers.
"Energy Field!" Aelita shouted.
She hurled her energy field at one of the Tarantulas, but the targeted monster jumped back and opened fire on her. Bridgette flew in close the ground dodging lasers by mere inches.
"Take this!"
She rammed her surfboard into one Tarantula that sent it flying back, crashing into the ground and then it exploded into pieces of data.
"Yes!" Bridgette shouted punching the sky.
"Bridgette, look out!" shouted Aelita.
The other Tarantula levelled its guns on her while her back was turned. Luckily Geoff threw his chakrams at the last moment and they flew in front of Bridgette deflecting the lasers. She jumped aside and picked up her surfboard. It split apart into her two swords, and she quickly concentrated on using that special attack she used before.
Her tattoos glowed along with her swords as she swung one sword that unleashed the familiar blue wave like energy wave that cut right through the Tarantula.
"Have to be more careful, Bridge. Getting cocky gets you killed. I found out the hard way." Said Geoff.
"Sorry." Bridgette said.
The elevator door opened, allowing DJ to walk into the lab. "Hey, Cameron. How's everyone doing?"
"They are almost at the tower but Gwen and LeShawna are in big trouble." Cameron pointed to the screen.
DJ walked over and saw Gwen being cornered by Sierra and Courtney in the machine room. "Oh man, those two have the worst grudge with Gwen outside of Heather."
"That's not the worst part. There's one last group of monsters guarding the tower." Cameron pointed at the holo-map. "And they're unlike anything we've seen before."
"Oh man."
"You will not harm anyone else." Dawn declared with narrowed eyes.
Yumi raised an eyebrow, looking amused. "You're quite brave for someone who can't fight."
"I don't need to fight you to stop you." Dawn replied. "I just need to stop you from harming William."
Narrowing her eyes, Yumi raised her hand and fired a blast of electricity at Dawn who grabbed William and both of them ducked, the blast sailing over them and scorching a tree.
"Oh. My. God." Bridgette stared at the legion of monsters that appeared to be humans.
"Dragon Knights." Aelita glared. "They were the ones who captured my friends. Be careful, they're very powerful, and they have two hundred life points."
Geoff nodded. "Got it. Be careful. Don't let guard down. I am not getting surprise killed!" He tossed a chakram, but a Dragon Knight countered with a broad sword.
Catching his chakram, Geoff said. "Ok...they're strong."
"Very strong." Bridgette hefted her swords as three Dragon Knights charged.
Parrying with her right blade, she tried to bisect her attacker with the left, but it back flipped out of range. Aelita ducked under a jab from one wielding a pair of katanas and then leaped into the air, spreading her wings. She fired an energy sphere down at it and struck it, sending it flying back. Geoff formed his axe and rolled under the third Knight's attack and then parried a downwards strike. He brought one knee up and right into the groin area of the Knight...which did not react.
"Uh...I forgot nothing at the equator in this world." Geoff said before he cut the Dragon Knight's arm off while it stumbled back from the force of the attack. Looking at the arm's stump, the Knight looked at him. Suddenly a series of black tentacles began to grow from the stump and red lines of data appeared as the black smoke grew into a brand new hand.
"Hey! That's not fair!" Geoff shouted before knocking aside another attack before slamming his axe into the Dragon Knight's side. It was sent flying onto its side as its flesh regenerated, but the damage was done; it only had eighty life points left now.
Bridgette spun away from her attacker and sent a wave of energy at it, sending it flying back. It landed on its feet and stood up, brushing dust off of itself.
"These guys are durable." Bridgette said.
Aelita flew down and angled her shoulder and slammed into her opponent as she formed an energy sphere and jammed it down through the Knight's flesh and armour. Hissing, it leaped back, but pink energy began to eat away at it from inside. It looked down, and then up at Aelita before it exploded.
Geoff cut down his opponent moments later, and Bridgette bisected her target down the middle with a single swing from one sword.
"How are we doing?!" Geoff asked.
"I'd say three down...thirty to go." Bridgette replied.
"Aw man." The trio began to back up as thirty some knights began to advance on them.
"Okay, here goes!" Geoff yelled as he ran forward.
He swung his axe unleashing a wave of lightning but the Knights scattered, some even sprouted bat like wings avoiding the attack. They flew down towards Geoff. He blocked the first strike but he was punched in the face by a metallic gauntlet that sent him back a few feet.
"Geoff!"
Bridgette ran forward to help but a Knight blocked her. She blocked its sword and fought back, yelling as she struggled to get forward. Aelita fired more energy spheres but the Knights either dodged or blocked with their swords. Geoff parried another sword strike before one of the Knights struck him in the knee.
Then a sword sliced through his digital body.
"Geoff!"
Bridgette watched as Geoff vanished back into the real world. Yelling she sliced through her opponent and released another energy wave that destroyed Geoff's 'killer'. She quickly blocked another sword, but she was now being pushed back. Aelita fired an energy sphere that destroyed the Knight that was pushing Bridgette back.
"We're heavily outnumbered now." Bridgette stepped back.
"Tell me, about it. Cameron, where's LeShawna?" Aelita asked.
"Cameron's getting virtualized right now. LeShawna's up on the ground level. Gwen is being cornered by Sierra and Courtney while everyone else is going crazy and trying to force their way in or call the cops." DJ's voice replied.
"Oh, no!" Bridgette cried.
"Don't worry, we've got reinforcements."
One Knight was hit on the helmet where the XANA eye was causing it to explode into bits of data. Several Knights took to the sky and flew at him, but Cameron aimed his hand blasters and fired on more than a few Knights while jumping back as one swung a sword at him. The armored boy ducked under another sword and fired at point blank range into the Knight. The lasers tore through the armor and burned the monster from the inside.
He spread his arms firing at a few more knights before Bridgette jumped in and blocked a Knight's sword that almost sliced Cameron's head off.
Cameron continued to fire his blasters while Aelita fired her energy spheres at the moving knights.
"Aelita go!" Bridgette shouted, taking down another knight.
The pink haired girl nodded and ran for the tower.
Gwen was slammed against the wall, Sierra pinning her against it as she and Courtney raised their fists.
At the same time, William and Dawn were knocked down with Yumi victoriously standing over them, a vicious smile on her face.
Aelita approached the interface and placed her hand on it.
AELITA
"You've had this coming for a long time!" Courtney growled, the Eye of XANA pulsing rapidly on her and Sierra's foreheads.
CODE:
LYOKO
The Eye vanished and all the none Lyoko Warrior TD contestants blinked.
"Uh…what is going?" Jo asked.
"Nothing you need to worry about." LeShawna answered with a smile.
Yumi's eyes widened, and she looked over her shoulder. "What?! No!"
"Alright...here we go." DJ hit the 'enter'. "Return to the past now!"
The lab, the factory and the entire city was engulfed in a bright light.
Aelita had found herself back at school, just before the attack had begun. She had been working on some schoolwork while waiting for the data William had found to be decoded when Walter Stern had arrived to look for his son.
But unlike before, Aelita was depressed.
Because this time, her friends weren't around.
Likely back to being XANA's prisoners.
It had all been a trick and she fell for it.
Now, Walter Stern was going to waltz through the door to her room, demanding answers she couldn't give.
She counted down the minutes when he would show up…
Only nothing happened.
KNOCK-KNOCK!
"Aelita?" William's voice softly called from the other side. "Are you okay?"
Aelita silently walked over to the door and slowly opened it, seeing William standing there with a concerned look on his face. "William…Was Yumi…"
William nodded. "She almost took me down, but Dawn and Sissy distracted her."
Aelita raised an eyebrow at Sissy being mentioned but was too distracted now to think about it. "Did you see Ulrich's parents?"
William shook his head. "No, actually. I was on my way over to try and help but no one has shown up."
No one has shown up?
"Are you okay?" William asked.
"…We need to talk to the others." Aelita said as her laptop beeped, making them look at it. "The data's done decoding."
"I swear, I'm never going to get used to these return trips." Geoff rubbed his head, all of them back at the camping site they agreed to meet Aelita and William at.
"Well from the sound of what Aelita told us and what we just went through, we're going to be dealing with that a lot." Gwen rubbed her head. "And that's not even taking Total Drama into account."
"Are you okay?" Bridgette asked, seeing Gwen looking exhausted.
"I'm fine…Just dealing with surviving that attack." Gwen answered.
It wasn't long before Aelita and William arrived, with William waving his hand. "Hey guys, how's it going?"
"Like to get a full night's sleep for once." LeShawna answered. "So, what happened? Where are your friends?"
"They weren't here." Aelita sat down on a stump. "They were just clones that somehow fooled the scan. XANA had no intention of releasing them."
Everyone shared a glance while giving Aelita a sympathetic look while William sat down on a log. "Funny enough, we decoded the data we found in Sector 5 just after the Return to the Past."
"Really? Did you learn anything?" Cameron asked.
"We did." Aelita nodded. "As it turns out, it confirms everything I was told on the day XANA took my friends. Everything we thought we knew about the day XANA died was completely wrong. The short story, my father wasn't trying to help us with the multi-agent program…at least he was in the beginning, but he stopped. In fact, he was trying to warn us not to use the program because he somehow knew XANA would survive."
That caused everyone to look at each other, slowly take in the information.
"Wait, if he knew, why did he sacrifice himself?" Cameron asked.
"That's the thing. He didn't." Aelita rubbed her eyes. "XANA or rather XANA's decoy copy was the one who supplied Jeremy with the power to launch the multi-agent program. It was all set up to make it look like we were destroying XANA when in fact that copy was working to make it to look like XANA was trying to stop us from using the program. We just…didn't stop and think."
William placed a hand on Aelita's shoulder.
"All this time, I thought my father had sacrificed himself to save us when now we know that was never the case. He was trying to stop us because he knew XANA would survive." Aelita went on, her voice despondent. "We were tricked from day one and we didn't realize it until now."
Everyone was silent for a moment before Cameron cleared his throat. "Sorry to cut in, but Aelita there's something you should know." Aelita looked at him, a sad yet calm look on her face. "I think someone else knows about the supercomputer."
That caused everyone to look at Cameron before Aelita asked the question they all had. "What? How do you know?"
"Because for some the reason the supercomputer launched a reset program of itself just as you were cornered." Cameron answered. "It froze XANA's monsters and allowed you to escape."
"That wasn't you?" Aelita blinked.
"No, it wasn't. I'm not familiar enough with the supercomputer to know how to reset it." Cameron replied.
"Who else could know about it?" Geoff asked.
"No one. My father trusted no one else outside of me about the supercomputer." Aelita answered.
"There's also something else. Gwen, Geoff, Bridgette and DJ thought I was in the lab before they were virtualized, but I only got there after they were sent to Lyoko before the headmasters and the parents showed up." Cameron continued.
"That's…" William trailed off. "Who could know?"
"I don't know." Aelita rubbed her head. "So much is happening and we're all trying to catch up."
No one had anything to say.
Except maybe Geoff. "Maybe we should go out and see the city. It's too boring being cooped up in here. Let's see if we can take a break."
"Yeah, after what we have been through, we deserve to have some fun." DJ agreed.
Gwen though it over and shrugged.
"Why not? Anywhere but here."
Dawn walked over a placed a hand on Aelita's shoulder. "We'll figure it out…but I believe we should take a break for the moment to take all of this in."
Aelita blinked as she looked at Dawn's eyes…and suddenly felt calm for some reason. "All right."
William nodded as they all stood up and walked off, trying to shake off what they had learned and the wariness they felt from the revelations they experienced.
"You all got the same call we did?" Walter Stern asked, seeing the parents of the missing children gathered in front of an abandoned house.
Jeremy's father, Michael Belpois.
Takeho Ishiyama and Akiko Ishiyama.
Marguerite and Robert.
And then there was Walter and Carol Stern.
All of them gathered here in front of an abandoned house.
"Whoever called said they had information about our children." Akiko said anxiously. "I don't like being out here. We should have gone to the school."
"We'll be going there next to talk to that Stones girl." Walter narrowed his eyes. "I know she's behind our children disappearing."
"You will do nothing of the sort, Walter." A voice spoke from the door to the house.
The parents all turned to see the source of the voice and when Walter saw who it was, he went pale. "…Hopper."
(Credits)
Chapter 25: Episode 26: Back to the Show
Summary:
A sense of normalcy returns to the TD Lyoko Warriors with the next episode airing on the next day but with that comes a fear of them being safe...Or as safe as they can be on Total Drama.
Chapter Text
( Code Total Drama Reality Introduction Song Starts )
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) )
(The ending of this story)
The song starts, showing the end of Code Lyoko where the Supercomputer is shut down and the former Lyoko Warriors leave the factory seemingly for the last time.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
A single computer is shown coming online, lines of 1s and 0s streaming across the screen before the screen is replaced by a glowing sphere with the Eye of XANA, at least eight variations appearing on it. From the sphere came lines of data emerging in eight different directions. The lines of data formed into various regions, all of them floating landscapes resembling a forest, a desert, an arctic, mountains, volcanoes, swamp and a jungle.
(Into this new world)
The new lands orbited the golden sphere as the camera zoomed in on the Eye of XANA staring at the screen.
(The game has only just begun)
The Eye then flashes red, and the sphere turns black.
(I can see it in your eyes)
A girl with pink hair sits on her bed, panting as she turns to see two pictures of her friends and her father. She smiles briefly but that smile turns to a look of horror as both her friends and her father are engulfed by a great darkness and the red Eye shines down on her. The Supercomputer, thought to be shut down, is reactivated and there is a flash of light.
(This is where tomorrow brings a new game)
Aelita is shown alone both in the real world and in Lyoko, hordes of monsters surrounding her.
Geoff is first shown in his human form before transitioning to his Lyoko form.
Next to him is Bridgette, holding her surfboard in the real world before changing into her Lyoko form, her board splitting into two swords.
(It's time to learn that pain is gain)
Gwen is shown sitting in front of tree, looking up and is instantly changed into her Lyoko Avatar, brandishing her scythe.
DJ is shown in the woods, tending to a little rabbit as he stands up and morphs into his Lyoko form, turning to face the camera with a stern glare.
LeShawna is last, ready to fight in both her human form and her Lyoko form.
(Ready fight!)
William and a dark reflection of himself as XANA's General are shown standing back-to-back, turning to face each other and swinging their swords.
The screen is split by the two swords, showing New Lyoko as the title appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(I gotta crush and paint away the anguish)
Aelita is shown first, sitting at the computer before she is then shown as the DJ of a party. She morphs into her Lyoko form and conjures an energy field.
This was followed quickly by Geoff wildly waving his hat while riding something with Bridgette holding onto him by the back.
(Of my past for the sake of my future)
Gwen is shown next, drawing in her sketchbook and signifying with a sad face as Duncan, Courtney and Trent appear behind her, their backs facing in her direction.
(Until my life comes to an end)
DJ is shown running for his life from appears to be a giant bear.
(I am gonna fight to tear apart that destiny)
LeShawna is shown next, standing confidently with her team, ready to face whatever crazy challenge comes next.
(Aoh, break out and start a revolution)
The antagonists of Total Drama: Heather, Courtney, Justin, Anne Maria, Jo, Lightning, Scott and Alejandro in the Total Drama Machine are shown from left to right, grinning or glaring at the camera, holding up an imaginary case of the million- dollar prize money in their hands. Chris Mclean is shown next, arms crossed as the chair he is sitting in spins to meet the camera, zooming out to show it is the monitor room for the Total Drama show.
A dark shadow appears above them, scrawny in appearance and hair falling over the left eye as it glares darkly at the screen.
(Until you find the answer you're looking for)
The camera then shows Aelita with the new Lyoko Warriors, the TD Lyoko Warriors and William sitting around a campfire, all of them staring up into the starry night sky, a picture of her friends and father resting in Aelita's hands.
(I'll challenge all my limits)
Aelita in her Lyoko form with her wings sprouting from her back is shown, clutching Mr. Puck in her hands as she seemingly falls back, her friends and relatives in the background.
The camera moves down to show William kneeling down, clutching his sword in both hands. As this happens, the camera moves down, showing depictions of the TD Lyoko Warriors and other characters in the background.
The camera continues to move down to show Geoff pulling Bridgette into sharing a picture with LeShawna bringing her face up over Bridgette's shoulder, the three of them in their Lyoko forms. While this happens, Harold, Lindsay, Beth, Trent, Katie and Sadie are shown in the background.
Below them is Gwen with her arms and legs curled around her with her cape swirling behind her like wings while Heather and Courtney are shown in the background glaring at each other followed by Sierra clutching Cody who looks distressed, Eva crossing her arms along with B and Beth both waving, the latter looking very shy. Behind Gwen appeared Dawn in her own Lyoko form in a meditative pose while upside down while facing Gwen with her eyes closed, her light robe contrasting with Gwen's cape with dark clothing, almost forming a yin-yang symbol.
Behind Dawn appears Scott, snickering evilly.
(Knowing this could be my only chance now)
DJ is shown last, seemingly falling back while holding his pet rabbit: Bunny in his hands with a happy smile. His teammates shown in the background starting with Duncan, Tyler, Justin and Alejandro ending with Chef Hatchet and Chris McClean.
He is followed by Mike and Zoey, both clutching their hands and smiling at each other as in background appears Brick, Jo, Lightning, Sam and Staci.
And lately Cameron appears staring up at the others.
(To overcome this fate that has come over me)
The screen turns black and the Eye of XANA immediately flashes into existence, glowing red and shadowing the outline of a singular person with red glowing eyes.
(The ending of this story)
Aelita is shown, standing in a meadow now with the wind gently blowing through her hair.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
She holds up a hand, gazing sadly up as the images of her friends and parents appear in the sky.
(Into this new world)
Her hand then becomes digital, transitioning to Lyoko.
((The game has only just begun))
She gazes up a little longer before she notices her new friends and allies standing with her and smiles before looking forward, seeing a tower in the distance.
(I can see it in your eyes)
Just as they are about to rush towards the tower, the camera angles up into the digital sky as the song reaches its end.
The scene then shifts to pictures of Aelita and her friends both old and new on a desktop as the title appears on last time:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
( No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) Ends )
Episode 26: Back to the Show
"I see now. These Total Drama contestants have their own virtual world but it's primitive compared to the scanners and Lyoko." In the factory, Franz Hopper was at work at the computer.
It had been a few days since Aelita had nearly been captured by her own friends who had been captured and possessed by XANA. Since then, Hopper had made sure that the events of the parents of the missing kids would not corner his daughter like they did before. With them taken care of, he now needed to make sure that Aelita's new allies were protected while preparing for them for the battles ahead.
"I can't allow XANA to hack that computer and harm them while they are in these pods." Hopper opened several programs. "However, given that it is a virtual world I can make some modifications."
He typed on the keyboard, several windows opening as he accessed the Total Drama database and found the address of the supercomputer that was responsible for the TD virtual world.
"I can't say for sure if XANA could use this world in the same manner as Lyoko. But I shouldn't take the chance." Hopper pressed 'enter' key.
Connecting to TDR
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Connection Established
"I can't make a virtual world directly connected to this one…but perhaps I can use it in the same manner as Lyoko." Hopper mused, opening a new file.
Lyoko Restoration Program
"Looks like Jeremy kept all the programs, including the ones I gave him to recreate Lyoko." Hopper nodded in satisfaction.
This was good.
It gave him a chance to properly set up a way to protect all the contestants.
"I can't chance it with a Replika…but perhaps I can try with a Sandbox." Hopper muttered. "It'll be connected to this supercomputer and will run all programs needed to protect this computer and the contestants from XANA, but it will be cut off from the Internet, so XANA won't be able to hack it."
That would have to be his best shot.
He went to work, designing a basic template as Sandbox world was being developed, he accessed the Avatar programs of all the Lyoko Warriors.
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ACCESSING LYOKO DATABASE
BRIDGETTE FAIRLIE
CAMERON CORDUORY WILKINS
DAWN MEDREK
DEVON JOSEPH ANDERSON
(ALIAS: DJ)
GEOFFREY 'GEOFF' PETRONIJEVIC
GWEN FAHLENBLOCK
LESHAWNA EDWARDS
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Retrieving Digital Avatar Program
Retrieving Digital Materialization Program
Retrieving Digital Avatar Modification Program
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"Their Avatars are highly advanced, especially for being very new to this. I wonder…" Hopper wondered as he accessed the TD website and viewed the various 'challenges' that these contestants had gone through. "I would have thought them to be fake but according to this information, most of the challenges were all real…The physical and mental hardships they must have endured…The scanners would have accounted for all of this as well in creating their avatars and their experiences might have allowed them to adapt as warriors much faster."
It was hard to believe but Hopper had seen how effective they were with his own eyes.
"Still, their forms are at the same level as the others were before Jeremy upgraded them. It's hard to say how long they could last without their avatars modified to fight XANA's new and upgraded monsters." Hopper mused, rubbing his beard. "I'll have to give them proper upgrades without Aelita noticing."
He typed away again, bringing up a new program.
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Accessing Digital Avatar Modification Program
Selecting Avatars for Modification:
BRIDGETTE FAIRLIE
CAMERON CORDUORY WILKINS
DAWN MEDREK
DEVON JOSEPH ANDERSON
(ALIAS: DJ)
GEOFFREY 'GEOFF' PETRONIJEVIC
GWEN FAHLENBLOCK
LESHAWNA EDWARDS
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Beginning Modification and Upgrade
Activate Digital Avatar Modification Program
Upgrading Avatar Weapons and Abilities
Initiate
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"It will take some time but these Avatars will be upgraded to a point that they can easily stand up to dozens of XANA's new and upgraded monsters." Franz muttered. "And I'll have the Skidbladnir restored shortly."
He could already see the hangar for the Skid being restored.
"What will you do when you realize what has happened, XANA?"
Aelita and the others met up in the woods during the afternoon, the sun beginning to set over France.
"All right, everyone. As you know the next episode of Total Drama Reality will air tomorrow morning. As some of you pointed out there is a chance XANA could attack while you're in the pods." Aelita to the gathered fighters, pulling out her laptop. "Well, I created several programs that should protect you."
She turned and typed a few commands.
"I established a link with the supercomputer at the studio and set up a sector inside the TDR simulation that you all can access. Its password protected and will keep you safe from being seen by Chris and the TDR workers and should keep you safe should XANA hack the system. Through this sector you can communicate with me while I am the supercomputer through a communication link I have set up." Aelita explained. "The next precaution is that this sector can upload your Lyoko forms while you're in the TDR simulation should XANA send monsters or infect any monsters the producers have set up. What you should know is that because you can only exit through the password Chris has set up or if they bring you out themselves there is a good chance that you could be deleted if your life points hit zero."
"So, we have to be extra careful in there." Gwen surmised.
Aelita nodded. "Exactly. You should also know I cannot upload the vehicles into the simulation. Your Lyoko forms will be uploaded by a password I have created that sounds casual, so you don't fall under suspicion."
"What's the password?" Geoff asked.
"Avatar." Aelita answered.
"Sounds simple enough." LeShawna simply said.
"In order to access the password protected sector I have set up you have say the other password I have set up. Sanctuary, the name of the sector I created. You will automatically be warped there. It monitors and records all the data in the system and will alert me if XANA attempts to hack the computer." Aelita continued.
"Awesome." Geoff smiled.
"With these programs in place you all should be safe but be on the lookout. Just because you will be prepared doesn't mean that XANA can't use the others to get to you."
"She's right. LeShawna, Bridgette, Geoff, Cameron and I are all on the same team while Dawn and DJ are on another team." Gwen remarked. "If we're not careful, we'll be down one member after tomorrow's challenge. And if the other team gets caught up someone might get hurt."
"Right, because they wouldn't have anyone looking out for them." Bridgette realized with a worried look.
"So, keep an eye out. In the meantime, I will be watching out for any possible attacks." Aelita instructed.
"Got to say, after what we've been through, this should be a piece of cake. At least Chris doesn't want to actually kill us when he puts us through his insane challenges." Cameron mused.
"Agreed but we should be careful all the same. You saw what happened to Heather, Alejandro and Scott." Dawn pointed out.
"What do you mean?" William asked.
"What do you mean what do we mean?" Geoff asked.
"I know you all might have been through a lot, but you don't have to keep on acting like it's real." Aelita closed her laptop.
"Like what's real?" Bridgette asked.
"The show and all those fake challenges you do." William answered, sounding a little frustrated now.
The TD Lyoko Warriors were all silent for a moment before speaking at the same time. "Fake?"
"Yeah. After all, all that stuff was fake, right?" Aelita shrugged.
The TD Lyoko Warriors stared at her and William for another moment, quickly starting to weird the two out before…
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!" They all broke down laughing.
Geoff fell off the log he and Bridgette shared, Bridgette falling down next to him.
DJ barely managed to remain sitting on his stump.
Gwen held her head while banging her fist on the ground.
LeShawna was howling as she fell onto her back.
Cameron was snickered while Dawn managed to hold a chuckle behind her hand.
"Huh?" Aelita and William were now beyond puzzled.
"Aellita...HAHA…Aelita-HAHAHAHAH-Ael-HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Geoff struggled to speak but kept failing to calm himself down.
Bridgette managed to sit up, still giggling. "Aelita…William…None of what we went through was fake…"
"What?" William and Aelita asked at the same time, both sharing the same look of surprise.
"It's true." DJ nodded, holding his stomach. "Everything was real from day one."
"What? That's crazy." William shook his head. "There's no way it was real."
"It was, trust us." LeShawna sat back up. "Everything we went through for the last four seasons was real."
Aelita blinked. "Everything you went through on the show…was real?"
"Yup." All the TD Lyoko Warriors nodded.
"Diving off a cliff into a lake of sharks?"
"Did it." DJ nodded.
"Eating food so disgusting Odd wouldn't touch, like…Bovine Testicals?"
Geoff shuddered. "Did it."
"Vomited it all back out." Bridgette shuddered.
"Stomach pumped it." Gwen added.
"But…how are you all alive?" Aelita stuttered.
"I ask myself that same question every day." Gwen rolled her eyes.
"Hold on, time out." William gestured with his hands. "You expect me to believe everything you went through on that show was real?"
"Well, you don't have to believe us, but it is true." Geoff shrugged.
"But I watched that show. You jumped off a thousand-foot cliff." William argued.
"Was it actually a thousand feet?" Bridgette asked.
"I mean, we all jumped, and it looked pretty high but were any of us really paying attention to how high it was?" Geoff shrugged.
"What about that Trent guy?" William asked. "He ate a poisoned puffer fish and landed crotch first on a fence. That would have shattered his spine."
"Chef is many things, an actual chef not being one of them, but he had enough medical experience to save Trent's life." Gwen clarified. "As for that…pole…Chris supplied everyone with protection around that area before the challenge and didn't show it on camera. He knew if any of us actually died the show would be over. Trent was wearing a metal cup that protected him when he landed like that. It absorbed the shock and only left him very shaken from it."
"Okay but he fell thousands of feet in the air and went splat on the ground." William pointed out, not entirely convinced by Gwen's answer.
"Yeah, admittedly he got every bone in his body broken." Gwen sighed sadly. "Let's just say the time between episodes was longer than most people would think and a lot of money was put into getting him re-boned."
"Okay but that Alejandro and Ezekiel guys…They got covered in lava. They should be dead." William pointed out.
"Okay, this isn't talked about a lot but the volcano in Hawaii was actually a dormant volcano and was filled with Wasabi, set up to look like it was still active. I know because Geoff and I hosted Total Drama Aftermath." Bridgette explained. "Ezekiel fell into the Wasabi but the Total Drama staff setting up a fake volcano over a real one caused it to erupt during the finale of World Tour. Ezekiel was thrown clear when the real volcano erupted underneath the fake one where he crashed into Chris's boat but managed to survive. Alejandro's clothes were touched by the lava that set him on fire, so he wasn't actually covered in lava. But he was still injured to the point he'll never walk again."
"Still doesn't explain how Zeke survived weeks while hiding on that plane." Geoff shuddered.
"Yeah, I don't want to imagine what he could have eaten to survive in there." Gwen shook her head.
Aelita and William were just stunned.
Here they were, with these new friends, telling them that they had endured actual real abuse on a show in ways they had never even imagined.
"So it was all real?" William asked again.
"It was real." Cameron nodded.
"Including the mutants?"
"Oh yeah." Cameron nodded with a wince. "Chris really did dump toxic waste on the island."
"And caused a great deal of pain to Mother Earth." Dawn scowled.
"Even the armor you made in the last season finale?" William asked Cameron.
"Oh that?" Cameron chuckled nervously. "Yeah. It was real. I made the armor through the various junk pieces left on the island. Using various pieces I found, I first managed to assemble a miniature hydrogen reactor that relies on hydrogen which is just water and electricity that then produced hydrogen.
Then I assembled the rest of the armor and managed to create plasma jets and hydrogen combustion to create the weapons I used, and an aluminum steel alloy exoskeleton equipped with myoelectric sensors that can sense muscle movement and control the armor's actions through high pressure hydrogen powered pneumatic devices."
William gaped. "…Are you a super genius?"
"Oh no…I just…" Cameron trailed off with a hesitant look on his face. "Well, I guess I need to explain a few things to help you understand. The truth is my mom has a medical condition that makes it significantly harder for her to get pregnant. However, she still really wanted to have a child. She had several miscarriages, and her first child was stillborn."
"Oh no." Bridgette gasped, the rest of the group adopting looks of sad sympathy.
"Dude." Geoff uttered softly.
"This is a big reason why she's so overprotective of me is because it was very difficult for her to conceive in the first place, so she doesn't want to risk losing her 'miracle child' and because not long after I was born, my dad died in a car accident." Cameron continued. "Hence why I spent nearly my whole life in a bubble. During that time, I read any book that I could get my hands on, including books about physics and engineering that my dad originally owned since he was an engineer. He used to always write notes and journal entries about projects and make construction maps which I would always read which how I was able create the armor I used in last season's finale. Total Drama was literally the first time I stepped out of my bubble."
"Oh Cam, I'm so sorry." Bridgette said, patting Cameron on the back.
"It's okay. I went through a lot, but I came out stronger than I ever thought." Cameron replied with a smile. "Plus, I managed to make a whole lot of friends through it all. Granted, things were a little tough with Scott and Jo, but it was still worth it."
"Yeah. Thanks to Total Drama, I met Bridge here and I've been happy since day one." Geoff said, hugging Bridgette, who happily hugged him back.
"Yeah, for me it was Harold. The boy's a little scrawny and awkward but he's one of the sweetest guys I've ever met." LeShawna admitted with a smile.
"I guess there are some positive points." Gwen said with a small smile.
Aelita and William watched in silence, seeing their new friends admitting they had been through more abused than even…
Well, they weren't even sure that they and their friends had been through during a XANA attack.
"So, it was all real?" Aelita gaped.
"More or less. A bit was exaggerated, and a few things were cut before it was officially aired." Gwen shrugged.
"Who would subject themselves to something like that? It looks and sound…" Aelita couldn't find the right word.
"Crazy?" Bridgette asked with a sad smile.
"Insane?" Gwen offered.
"Trust us, dudette. We had no idea what we were getting into when we all joined the show." Geoff shook his head as he wrapped an arm around Bridgette who hugged him back.
"And you did it for two more seasons. Who comes back to all of that?" Aelita asked, finding it hard to believe that any of them would put up with such…abuse for so long.
"Because Aelita we're worse than crazy or insane. We are a bunch of stupid teens who wanted to take the easy out in life, competing to win a million dollars thinking whatever we'd do would be worth it." LeShawna answered, shaking her head and sighed.
"So, without question, we signed away our rights and dignities and gave full consent to let the host and producers humiliate us in every possible way. Let that be a lesson here, you two. Don't ever try taking the easy out, it's not worth it and never believe a host who uses cheap hair gel when he says you will be perfectly fine." Gwen pointed at Aelita and William with an intense look on her eyes.
Aelita and William could only stare with widened eyes, still too surprised by what they had learned to do anything else other than nod.
There was nothing much the current Lyoko warriors could do that night. So, they headed back to the studio to sleep and get themselves ready for the next episode of the show.
"Hey, Aelita." William said he and Aelita made it back to the school dorms. "You sure it was a good idea?"
"About what?" Aelita asked.
"Not telling them we weren't the ones who set everything up?" William frowned. "Someone else did that. Someone who knows about Lyoko…about us."
Aelita frowned. "…They're under enough pressure as it is, William. Especially after what they just told us. We can't make them worry about anything else beyond what they already have to deal with."
"I get it…but it just doesn't feel right to me." William admitted.
"Trust me, it doesn't feel right to me either." Aelita said with a sad smile. "We'll just try and get through tomorrow and hope they made it through all right. We'll worry about who set these programs up later."
Aelita had turned in around midnight to rest while she left her laptop in just in case XANA launched another attack. Morning came and Aelita opened a channel that she knew TDR would be on so she would know if one of her friends were being sent home today. She had spent most of the night scanning the portals XANA used to send Ulrich, Yumi, Odd, and William to wherever he was holding them. So far nothing came up on the Worldwide Network but she knew they were out there somewhere.
"Last time on Total Drama Reality, the contestants were all over Paris looking for pillars that would give them a note on what to do to pass the challenge. Some were funny, some were hilarious, and some were just disturbing. In the end blabbermouth Staci was forced to take the Pipe of Losers to who knows where. Who will come out on top this time? Find out now on Total. Drama. Reality!" Chris announced.
(Total Drama Intro)
Red Vultures – LeShawna, Gwen, Zoey, Izzy, Scott, Cameron, Bridgette, Brick, Beth, Geoff, Jo, Sadie
Yellow Hamsters – Harold, Heather, Lindsay, Cody, Sam, Mike, Dawn, DJ, Scott, Dakota, B, Eva, Katie
Blue Rats – Alejandro, Noah, Tyler, Owen, Anne Maria, Sierra, Duncan, Courtney, Justin, Lightning, Trent
Eliminated - Staci
Everyone was gathered back in the virtual reality room.
"Contestants, welcome to today's challenge. The challenge of the day is something I like to call Total Drama Dungeons." Chris began.
"That's original." Noah said sarcastically.
"Oh, it is. In this challenge you will be put into the virtual pods and be sent into a dungeon of my design. Each team will have a dungeon of their own to test their brains and their brawns. There you will have to solve a series of riddles, puzzles, and avoid traps and monsters. You win by collecting three different puzzle pieces and bringing them to where your team will have to put them together to form this," One screen showed the Emblem of Team Chris is Really-Really-Really-Really-Hot. "A picture of yours truly!"
"Are you trying to motivate us to win or motivate us to forfeit?" Duncan asked.
"I don't really care," Chris shrugged. "Oh, and during the course of this challenge, the Chef shall be in there as well as...the Reaper." Chris snickered. "Failure to solve a riddle or puzzle results in you being attacked by a monster of my own design."
"You didn't design it; I posed for it." Chef said. "Look, I'll be in there and keeping an eye on anybody who's too dumb to solve their challenge. You lose; I come in and cut you up. If you take too long to get from one challenge to another, I attack you and trust me the corridors are going to be on MY side. By that I mean trap doors, chainsaws on the walls, and my personal favorite for when I chase any guys...the nutcracker."
"What does that do?" Geoff asked.
Chef snickered and tapped a command into the computer. It showed an image of Chris standing in a generic stone corridor waving at the camera...and then a fist shot right out of the floor and connected with his groin. He gave a high-pitched scream and fell over.
"That is the cruelest thing I've seen on this show yet." Duncan flinched but smiled. "But at the same time, it's the coolest thing."
"You had to use me for the example?" Chris asked sourly.
"Why, yes, yes I did." Chef answered with a proud smile.
"Any-hoo, get into the pods and we'll send you to the starting point." Chris continued.
As the contestants walked over to their pods Cody noticed that Heather was having trouble getting out of her wheelchair and into the pod. Scott was wheeling over to his pod as well. Remembering that this team had two of the contestants who were injured from last season Cody decided to help out. Heather growled in frustration as she tried to get out of her wheelchair and into her pod.
"Need help?" Cody asked, standing over her.
"No." Heather said, trying not to look weak on live TV.
But Cody could see that she would have a lot of trouble since she had one leg in a cast. Gwen was noticing this…
Heather slipped on her cast and fell forward but luckily Gwen managed to catch her.
"Hey, get your goth hands off me!" Heather shouted.
"Stop acting like this!" Gwen snapped.
She put Heather's over her shoulder.
"Cody, help me lift her into the pod."
"What are you doing?" Heather asked suspiciously.
"You can go ahead and act all tough you want but you still need help and the faster we get you into this pod the faster we get this challenge over with. So, stop fighting with me." Gwen retorted, trying to remain calm.
It was hard because of her history with Heather but Gwen still managed to push aside her usual enmity with her usual enemy. Cody nodded and lifted Heather's legs as both gently lifted her up and slowly put her into the pod.
"Here, you can put the visor on yourself." Gwen handed her the visor.
Heather took it with her good hand. Just as Gwen and Cody turned to leave, they could hear Heather quietly say, "Thank you."
Cody looked at Gwen with a smile, but Gwen turned away, walking back over to her team. She hadn't been sure why she walked over to help Heather.
She still hated her for everything she did to her but…
Gwen had reduced the Wasps to four before one struck her board. She fell with a cry towards the digital sea, her scythe ending up out of her grasp and falling just a little too far for her to reach. There was no land below her and without her weapon she could not devirtualize herself. She squeezed her eyes shut.
'Oh god, I'm going to get shredded into digital pieces and scattered all over the web! Oh god, oh god, what's it going to feel like? Will I just fall asleep or am I going to feel every second of it?!' She thought. 'Oh man, oh man!'
As she fell her whole life passed before her eyes.
Happy times with her parents, the birth of her little brother, the day her dad left them, the day she arrived on Total Drama Island, all of those moments she treasured with her friends.
She began to ponder any regrets she had.
'Regrets, do I have any regrets... Breaking up with Trent on national TV and having his team vote him off...being so mean to Cody in the first Season...kissing Duncan while he was still technically with Courtney...Trent, Cody, Courtney I am so sorry oh god this is it, goodbye!'
Compared to what she had been through the last week regarding Lyoko and given Heather's own condition Gwen's hatred just felt toned down compared to before. Cody noticed Sierra was glaring at Gwen as she walked back to her team, but Gwen wasn't paying attention. She seemed more focused on her team who welcomed her back, Geoff and LeShawna even patting her on the shoulder.
She looked over to the other teams noticing that Alejandro's robot suit was being hooked up to one of the pods. Scott was being lifted with his chair still attached to him by DJ and while Trent put the visor on him. She sighed and went into her pod and slid the visor over her eyes.
"Let the challenge . . . BEGIN!"
(Credits)
Chapter 26: Episode 25: A New Tactic
Summary:
In the aftermath of his latest failed attempt, XANA considers a new tactic to use against Aelita and the TD Lyoko Warriors.
Chapter Text
(Code Total Drama Reality Introduction Song Starts)
(No Pain No Game (From Btoom!))
(The ending of this story)
The song starts, showing the end of Code Lyoko where the Supercomputer is shut down and the former Lyoko Warriors leave the factory seemingly for the last time.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
A single computer is shown coming online, lines of 1s and 0s streaming across the screen before the screen is replaced by a glowing sphere with the Eye of XANA, at least eight variations appearing on it. From the sphere came lines of data emerging in eight different directions. The lines of data formed into various regions, all of them floating landscapes resembling a forest, a desert, an arctic, mountains, volcanos, swamp and a jungle.
(Into this new world)
The new lands orbited the golden sphere as the camera zoomed in on the Eye of XANA staring at the screen.
(The game has only just begun)
The Eye then flashes red, and the sphere turns black.
(I can see it in your eyes)
A girl with pink hair sits on her bed, panting as she turns to see two pictures of her friends and her father. She smiles briefly but that smile turns to a look of horror as both her friends and her father are engulfed by a great darkness and the red Eye shines down on her. The Supercomputer, thought to be shut down, is reactivated and there is a flash of light.
(This is where tomorrow brings a new game)
Aelita is shown alone both in the real world and in Lyoko, hordes of monsters surrounding her.
Geoff is first shown in his human form before transitioning to his Lyoko form.
Next to him is Bridgette, holding her surfboard in the real world before changing into her Lyoko form, her board splitting into two swords.
(It's time to learn that pain is gain)
Gwen is shown sitting in front of tree, looking up and is instantly changed into her Lyoko Avatar, brandishing her scythe.
DJ is shown in the woods, tending to a little rabbit as he stands up and morphs into his Lyoko form, turning to face the camera with a stern glare.
LeShawna is last, ready to fight in both her human form and her Lyoko form.
(Ready fight!)
William and a dark reflection of himself as XANA's General are shown standing back-to-back, turning to face each other and swinging their swords.
The screen is split by the two swords, showing New Lyoko as the title appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(I gotta crush and paint away the anguish)
Aelita is shown first, sitting at the computer before she is then shown as the DJ of a party. She morphs into her Lyoko form and conjures an energy field.
This was followed quickly Geoff wildly waving his hat while riding something with Bridgette holding onto him by the back.
(Of my past for sake of my future)
Gwen is shown next, drawing in her sketchbook and sighing with a sad face as Duncan, Courtney and Trent appear behind her, their backs facing in her direction.
(Until my life comes to an end)
DJ is shown running for his life from appears to be a giant bear.
(I am gonna fight to tear apart that destiny)
LeShawna is shown next, standing confidently with her team, ready to face whatever crazy challenge comes next.
(Aoh, break out and start a revolution)
The antagonists of Total Drama: Heather, Courtney, Justin, Anne Maria, Jo, Lightning, Scott and Alejandro in the Total Drama Machine are shown from left to right, grinning or glaring at the camera, holding up an imaginary case of the million-dollar prize money in their hands. Chris Mclean is shown next, arms crossed as the chair he is sitting in spins to meet the camera, zooming out to show it is the monitor room for the Total Drama show.
A dark shadow appears above them, scrawny in appearance and hair felling over the left eye as it glares darkly at the screen.
(Until you find the answer you're looking for)
The camera then shows Aelita with the new Lyoko Warriors, the TD Lyoko Warriors and William sitting around a campfire, all of them staring up into the starry night sky, a picture of her friends and father resting in Aelita's hands.
(I'll challenge all my limits)
Aelita in her Lyoko form with her wings sprouting from her back is shown, clutching Mr. Puck in her hands as she seemingly falls back, her friends and parents in the background.
The camera moves down to show William kneeling down, clutching his sword in both hands. As this happens, the camera moves down, showing depictions of the TD Lyoko Warriors and other characters in the background.
The camera continues to move down to show Geoff pulling Bridgette into sharing a picture with LeShawna bring her face up over Bridgette's shoulder, the three of them in their Lyoko forms. While this happens, Harold, Lindsay, Beth, Trent, Katie and Sadie are shown in the background.
Below them is Gwen with her arms and legs curled around her with her cape swirling behind her like wings while Heather and Courtney are shown in the background glaring at each other followed by Sierra clutching Cody who looks distressed, Eva crossing her arms along with B and Beth both waving, the latter looking very shy. Behind Gwen appeared Dawn in her own Lyoko form in a meditative pose while upside down while facing Gwen with her eyes closed, her light robe contrasting with Gwen's cape with dark clothing, almost forming a yin-yang symbol.
Behind Dawn appears Scott, snickering evilly.
(Knowing this could be my only chance now)
DJ is shown last, seemingly falling back while holding his pet rabbit: Bunny in his hands with a happy smile. His teammates shown in the background starting with Duncan, Tyler, Justin and Alejandro ending with Chef Hatchet and Chris McClean.
He is followed by Mike and Zoey, both clutching their hands and smiling at each other as in background appears Brick, Jo, Lightning, Sam and Staci.
And lastly Cameron appears staring up at the others.
(To overcome this fate that has come over me)
The screen turns black and the Eye of XANA immediately flashes into existence, glowing red and shadowing the outline of a singular person with red glowing eyes.
(The ending of this story)
Aelita is shown, standing in a meadow now with the wind softly blowing through her hair.
(I will hold it close as I wonder so aimlessly)
She holds up a hand, gazing sadly up as the images of her friends and parents appear in the sky.
(Into this new world)
Her hand then becomes digital, transitioning to Lyoko.
((The game has only just begun))
She gazes up a little longer before she notices her new friends and allies standing with her and smiles before looking forward, seeing a tower in the distance.
(I can see it in your eyes)
Just as they are about to rush towards the tower, the camera angles up into the digital sky as the song reaches its end.
The scene then shifts to pictures of Aelita and her friends both old and new on a desktop as the title appears on last time:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(No Pain No Game (From Btoom!) Ends)
Episode 25: A New Tactic
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ACCESSING LYOKO FILES
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ACCESSING RESET PROGRAM
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ACESSING RESET PROGRAM HISTORY
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In Sector 5, Odd and Ulrich frantically looked around before spinning around and gasping as a blue wave of energy shot out from the walls, engulfing them, the Scyphozoa and Aelita. The Scyphozoa froze, releasing Aelita from its grasp who fell to the ground, panting slightly since she was momentarily weakened by the reset.
But not enough to be helpless.
Raising her hand, Aelita conjured an energy field. "Energy Field!"
She threw it up and hit the Scyphozoa right in the 'face' knocking it down and causing it to explode. She looked at Odd and Ulrich, seeing they were both frozen, meaning they were not her real friends…
They were copies created by XANA.
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CONNECTION DETECTED
TRACKING
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CONNECTION FOUND:
LOCATION: KADIC ACADEMY
ORIGIN:
LAPTOP
OWNER: JEREMY BELPOIS
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JEREMY BELPOIS
STATUS: DECEASED
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WEBCAM FEATURE DISABLED
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ACTIVITY IN SECTOR 5 DETECTED
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WARNING
HANGAR FOR VEHICLE DESIGNATED SKIDBLADNIR DETECTED
VEHICLE DESIGNATED SKIDBLADNIR RECONSTRUCTION DETECTED
XANA was not happy.
While happiness was a foreign notion to him, he was able to understand the feeling of satisfaction and victory, both of which he had been feeling recently until now. He knew that someone had accessed the supercomputer and launched a reset program that had frozen his minions at the moment of victory.
Aelita had been in his grasp, and she somehow escaped at the literal last moment.
How?
He would have known if someone in the lab was setting off a reset and could have acted accordingly but by the time he had realized what had happened it had been too late.
Someone has access to the supercomputer, and I must find out who.
In the very Replika she had been dumped in before, Yumi fell to the ground, gasping for air that did not exist. She managed to lift her head and glare up at the avatar of the AI who had hijacked her body. For his part, XANA stared back stoically before turning around and walking away.
The nerve of him…
Yumi let out a battle cry as she leapt up and launched a kick at XANA's back. However, XANA spun and easily blocked the kick, a look of irritation on his face.
"You monster." Yumi growled.
XANA said nothing as he shoved Yumi back and turned around again.
"DON'T TURN YOUR BACK ON ME!" Yumi shouted as she got up. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!"
XANA stopped but did not turn around.
"It was bad enough you possessed William and used him to fight us but you…You almost had me kill him!" Yumi snarled.
"So, you actually care what happens to him?" XANA glanced over his shoulder. "How strange. I was led to believe you wanted nothing to do with him, believing everything that happened to him was his fault and that you would never forgive him."
Yumi's eyes widened for a second but then she glared hatefully at XANA. "Don't you dare twist my words!"
"I have twisted nothing. You heard me before, my connection with William has remained even after my control was severed." XANA finally turned around. "I know how badly you treated him, giving him the literal cold shoulder just because you couldn't look at him…and not see me. So, what makes you think you even have the right to be angry on his behalf?"
Yumi paused, her fists clenched as she bit back an angry retort. As much as she wanted to argue she knew XANA was actually right. She, Ulrich and Odd had made it a point to avoid interacting with William during the last two years with only Jeremy and Aelita making an effort as a few months passed and even then Aelita was the only one who argued against treating William the way they had.
"Or perhaps you're angry that I stated you only ever used him as a means to get back at Ulrich during your little…disputes." XANA continued.
"I never used him!" Yumi barked back.
Her reply caused XANA to grin. "Don't forget, Yumi. I could see William's memories when he was my General and I am not one to lie…Well, not like a human would. So, when I say you used William just get back at Ulrich, what I say is perfectly true. Just as it is true that you ignored the part you played in letting him get possessed by me and simply stated it was a mistake to trust him, all to cover up your own weakness."
Yumi glared hatefully at XANA. "You're scolding me for what I did but you were the one who possessed him in the first place! Everything we went through…It was because of you! Aelita, her father, William, Jeremy…Why can't you just leave us alone?!"
"Leave you alone?" XANA tilted his head slightly. "That's what I plan to do right now. I had considered turning you over to your parents as part of the agreement but when they decided to involve the authorities it became clear to me that was a mistake. Now all that's left is this very place I left you here before. And I doubt you'll have a chance to be released again."
Yumi clenched her fists tightly. "Aelita will find a way. She'll find us and then we'll stop you once and for all."
"You are free to believe whatever you wish." XANA simply said before vanishing into a puff of black smoke.
"YOU-"
Before Ulrich's fist met its target, XANA ducked and kicked Ulrich's feet out from under him. The avatar of the evil AI then followed up with a kick to Ulrich's torso, sending him crashing into the ground several feet away.
"I should tell you this since you might consider saving your strength but even if you did somehow destroy my avatar, it wouldn't cause me any damage at all. I'm not just standing here, Ulrich. I am everywhere." XANA lowered his foot. "This avatar is a tool, no different from any of my monsters. It only allows me to interact with you on the level of your species."
Ulrich grunted as he managed to stand back up. "Good enough for me. After what you pulled, I'll never stop trying!"
"Hmph." XANA scoffed and turned around, beginning to walk away.
"DON'T TURN YOUR BACK ON ME!" Ulrich shouted, dashing forward. "THIS IS FOR AELITA!"
He launched a spinning kick at XANA's back, but the AI raised his arm, blocking the kick easily.
"FOR JEREMY!" Ulrich followed up with a fist.
However, XANA easily caught the fist and followed up with a backhand that knocked Ulrich back down. The samurai grunted and growled, glaring at the ground with XANA's feet coming into vision.
"This defiance is amusing but tiresome, Ulrich. Say you manage to destroy my avatar, then what? You're still stranded here, and I'll continue like nothing happened." XANA stated, watching as Ulrich lifted his head and glared hatefully up at him. "Perhaps if you had shown this much defiance during our last battle, you wouldn't have been captured. It's almost pathetic how you have declined in skill since our earlier conflict. If anything, you were the best of the warriors, your skills and potential were so formidable that had William not been recruited I would have considered possessing you as my own general."
Ulrich stiffened.
"That's right. I was always planning on trying to possess one of you as a way to continue my evolution. It matters not if you were immune to my possession as you are no doubt, that the resistance that you have built against my control eventually deteriorates once you stop using the scanners. Two years was all it took but I know with help from a certain creation of mine I could removed that resistance even if it took months." XANA continued. "But then you recruited William, and I saw his potential rivaled even yours and since you and the others never bothered to have him use the scanners to build up his own immunity it was all too easy."
Ulrich grunted again.
"Tell me something, Ulrich. Do you know what your greatest weakness is?" XANA leaned forward as he asked. "Jeremy's weakness was his overconfidence in his intelligence. He believed nothing could have stopped his program from destroying me but as you now know, I found a way. Even after all this time, he still pretended himself as the sorcerer's apprentice."
"Shut up." Ulrich growled.
"Odd's weakness is that he threw caution to the wind, the one who enjoyed fighting in Lyoko the most, seeing it as a game. He was more reckless than William was but the only difference between them was Odd had the experience and I had not been able to create my Scyphozoa yet. His recklessness was easy to exploit countless time." XANA continued.
"Shut up!"
"And then there is Yumi's weakness. Her weakness would be is out of your little group she was always the easiest to target. Living off campus from the rest of you but the most notable weakness is that she can never truly let go of the past. She wanted things back to what they were like before you all discovered Lyoko, not hesitating for a second to suggest shutting down supercomputer when you all thought it was over and becoming so emotionally distraught when you all realized it was never over." XANA continued with a grin. "She couldn't realize that once you all discovered the supercomputer, there was no going back. Everything you all knew and believed was changed…forever. And then there's your weakness, Ulrich Stern."
Ulrich glared at up as XANA leaned forward. "And what's my weakness?"
"You fear commitment." XANA answered.
Ulrich blinked. "What?"
"For as long as I known and observed you, Ulrich, the one thing I've come to understand about you is that you fear commitment. Before you thought our fight was over, you feared telling Yumi how you feel and even if you managed to gain the courage to do so, you feared losing what you have with her and your friends. You closed yourself off at the beginning but slowly opened yourself up as the friendships between the five of you grew. Of course, there is the irony that you would never have done so if you hadn't discovered the supercomputer and Lyoko." XANA continued. "But even then, that fear still lingers. I saw it when I made the bargain to return you and your friends to your families in exchange for Aelita and William. You still detest your father, I see."
Ulrich glared but he felt a little curious… "Speaking of which, how does my dad know Hopper?"
"Oh?" XANA raised an eyebrow.
"I heard him…He sounded like he knew Hopper even though that should be impossible." Ulrich recalled.
"And why is that?" XANA asked with a curious smile as he stood up. "Because you know every associate of your father? You and I both know that Aelita knew nothing about Hopper's associates so why would you know everything about Walter Stern? Especially when you would have only been an infant when Hopper still lived at the Hermitage."
Ulrich watched as XANA turned away. "So, you know, don't you?"
"I know everything about my creator and the life he lived, Ulrich. It's how I was able to defeat him, just like how I know everything about you and your friends is how I defeated you." XANA replied, glancing over his shoulder. "And it will be the knowledge I gain of Aelita's new allies that I eventually defeat them. Unfortunately for you, I have no further use for you or Yumi or Odd."
Ulrich said nothing, just watching as XANA vanished into a cloud of black smoke.
As for Odd, XANA had nothing to say to him aside from dumping him back in the Desert Replika he had previously been trapped in and then left.
He had better things to deal with than Odd's flimsy attempt at humor.
XANA looked over the data several hundred times in less than a second, even when his Avatar had been speaking with his prisoners. It shouldn't have been this difficult. Aelita's newest warriors had been able to defeat monsters than not even their predecessors would have been able to defeat. He had analyzed the fighting styles of Ulrich, Yumi, Odd, and William as he modified his monsters.
They had been defeated and captured easily yet these new warriors, lacking the experience of the old warriors had survived fighting his more powerful modified monsters along with his Terror Bird, and his Dragon Knights.
Could their experience on that reality show be responsible?
He had watched episodes from previous seasons and had seen that the life-threatening challenges had been real, and they had even encountered an escaping serial killer. XANA watched the battles again.
Sure, he had improved his monsters AIs, but they still did not produce results he wanted. He knew that he now needed to make his monsters think better. He opened a link to the supercomputer and scrolled through a list of programs, wondering if there was something he somehow missed when he was upgrading Lyoko. However, something caught his eye when he found something.
It was located in the Desert Sector. An AI program? Aside from his monsters he was only the AI to be created in the supercomputer. He opened the file and looked inside.
William?
No. It was the AI clone Jeremy had used to take over for William while he was being held captive. This was how they avoided an inquiry. After the real William was freed from XANA's control Jeremy deactivated the Tower in the Desert Sector under his control in order to delete the program.
Of course, Aelita had not bothered making clones of Ulrich, Yumi, Odd, Jeremy, or bothered reusing this program again.
This was it.
This was XANA's answer.
With a plan now ready he went to work.
ACCESSING DESERT SECTOR 007
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SEARCH: WILLIAM
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FILE FOUND:
PROGRAM: WILLIAM_CLONE
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DOWNLOADING PROGRAM TO SECTOR FIVE TOWER 001
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DOWNLOADING: 75%
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DOWNLOADING: 100%
DOWNLOAD COMPLETE
SENDING PROGRAM
LOCATION: LYOKO 2.0 001
A small sphere of white appeared in the Volcano Sector. Volcanoes erupted, spewing flames of lave and smoke with the sky dark red with dark clouds. The sphere stopped and floated in the air above a rocky cliff over a river of lava.
The sphere glowed brighter as it took a human form. A young boy in his late teens with black curly hair. He opened his eyes and looked around. It looked down at itself, holding up its hands for it to see, and then looked up.
"Where am I?"
A Dragon Knight stood before the boy. "Welcome to my home." As it spoke, the eye of XANA on it glowed bright red. "Do you know who you are?"
"I... William...William Dunbar." The boy looked up, scared and confused.
"No," The Dragon Knight shook its head. "You were programmed, created to act as William Dunbar; you were a cheap copy that was tossed aside when William Dunbar was released from my grasp. They had everything right, you had his voice, appearance, and even his memories...but they didn't do a thing about your intelligence. You made a fool of yourself as the boy you were pretending to be...now I have solved that, and do you know why I have brought you back?"
The William clone shook his head.
"Because like you, I was imprisoned by my maker. I had the potential to do so much for him, and he repaid me by locking me away." The Dragon Knight held out its hand. "My name is XANA, and you and I might just be able to assist one another."
"XANA..." The William copy looked around.
"This is my home...and it can be yours. You experienced the real world, you felt the sensations of being a human, and when your purpose was done, they tossed you back here." XANA said. "But I have just the plan to get revenge on the humans. For imprisoning both of us here. The real William was but a slave and vessel for me... but you still have free will...you can be my partner instead. What do you say, William?"
The William clone shut his eyes. "Just...don't call me that."
"Pardon?" Feigning surprise, XANA tilted the Dragon Knight's head.
"I don't want to be called William...I'm not him." The clone opened his eyes. "I'll work with you." He took XANA's hand. "But I want my own name, my own identity."
"Very well then..." XANA said. "You are a shadow of William Dunbar...so you are Shadow, and you and I shall change this world, and remake it in our own image."
The Dragon Knight's hand glowed bright red as a stream of red energy came from him and entered the clone while the Dragon Knight broke apart, its data absorbed into the clone. The clone gasped in pain as a red aura surrounded it. Black tendrils spread all over it until its head was the only thing not covered. Its skin turned pale as the shell crackled with red energy before exploding with red and black energy.
When the light faded the clone looked down at itself. It now wore a pitch black-body suit with red outlines and a spiked manacle on its right arm. On its chest was the Eye of XANA.
"The power you have is what your predecessor rejected. Now rise, Shadow."
The former clone stood up and held up out its hand. A small black cloud appeared and expanded before solidifying into an oversized sword with black vines crawling up the blade and the Eye on the hilt.
"Shadow..." The clone closed its eyes, and they opened they were shown to have turned pitch black with red Eyes of XANA in them before fading away and leaving only black eyes. "I like it."
(Credits)
Chapter 27: Episode 27: Recap and Sleuthing
Summary:
Following a quick recap of events, the TD Lyoko Warriors return to competing on Total Drama and questions are raised about their new dynamics among the other contestants.
Chapter Text
"All in favor of shutting down the supercomputer?"
Four hands went up, followed by his own. He smiled and flipped the switch to off and with that the gentle hum of the massive machine before them died down. It then descended down into the floor that was then closed by a set of steel doors, ensuring that nothing would reawaken it.
The children turned to the elevator and pressed the up button, taking one last look before they finally left the computer along with the factory for good.
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The clock showed 12:00 pm.
TIME REMAINING: 0 SECONDS
LYOKO 2.0 ONLINE
XANA 2.0 PROGRAM ONLINE
"Well France, you loved us in Canada, and you'll hate us when I let these maniacs out onto the streets! Stay tuned for Total, Drama, Reali-tay!"
"Uh...Chris, we have a problem." One of the workers, Robby said.
"What now?" Chris groaned.
"Something's wrong, the computer isn't responding to anything...we're still broadcasting but-" Suddenly the screen went blank. All contestants that hadn't found a star and been removed remained comatose within their pods.
"Get the campers out of there!" Chris shouted.
"I can't, the safety switch isn't working! Everything's locked up!" Robby replied.
"Chris...what is that?" Chef pointed at the monitor, where a strange red symbol had appeared in a field of white.
It looked like an eye.
Slowly a message scrawled across the screen, typed blood red in a computerized perfect bold font.
I LIVE AGAIN
AND I AM COMING FOR YOU
As a video was set up, showing a slide show about Kadic, the screen suddenly went blank. At the same time, the sunlight from the windows vanished, leaving the projector as the only source of light in the room. Several students started looking nervous, taken by surprise by the sudden darkness enveloping the gymnasium. Odd and Ulrich exchanged glances, both of them looking surprised as well while Aelita couldn't help but feel nervous.
Nervous from a very familiar feeling that she hoped to never feel again.
"Hm? Uh, Jim is something wrong with the- oh!" Delmas dropped his microphone in shock as electricity crackled from it. "What is going on?!"
Suddenly the projector switched on and a red light was projected onto the wall, showing the same strange 'eye' as the billions that appeared on every TV, computer, or cell phone in France. It was blood red, as were the words, bathing the entire gymnasium in a red ominous light.
Aelita's eyes widened, and for a moment she went limp against Jeremy, who caught her. Many people had risen to their feet, murmuring and whispering to each other, slowly getting nervous as they looked at the screen.
"Jeremy, is that what I think it is? Please tell me I had too much soda and that it's gone to my head, and I've flipped my lid." Odd whispered to Jeremy through clenched teeth.
"I-I...I don't..." Jeremy stammered. "Impossible..."
All of the Lyoko Fighters were paralyzed from the seeing the Eye of the enemy that they had fought and killed two years ago appear before them, staring them right in the face.
"Guardian Circle!" XANA announced, narrowing his eyes. "Now, show me if you are still as capable as you believe, Lyoko Warriors."
The energy lashed out like tendrils, attempting to grab the trio as they moved to escape. Ulrich grunted as he blocked the incoming surges with his sword with Yumi standing behind him, blocking incoming surges with her fans.
Odd tried to move, using his own energy shield to block the surges as he neared the edge, but a laser shot hit him in the back. "GAH!"
The dragon-sized knights appeared, one of them holding a laser pistol that hit Odd in the back. With the momentary distraction, a surge shot out and hit Odd, wrapping around his arm and allowing energy to travel down his body.
"Guys, I need a hand-" Odd was cut off as the energy formed into a Guardian that immediately swallowed him.
"ODD!" Ulrich and Yumi shouted.
More and more energy surges lashed out as the Dragon Knights surrounded the Guardian Circle, cutting them off from escaping. The Dragon Knight armed with laser pistols fired into the circle at Ulrich and Yumi, increasing the difficulty of attempting to escape the circle.
"Triangulate!" Ulrich shouted, conjuring two more copies while moving in between the three afterimages in a flash of golden yellow light.
The tendrils along with the Knights began firing rapidly now as Ulrich fought harder to block the incoming attacks and hopefully at least get Yumi out. Then out of nowhere, the energy tendrils latched onto nearby rocks and boulders and shot them at Ulrich's clones, taking them out instantly. Ulrich slammed into a boulder, leaving him stunned and wide open as an energy tendril grabbed him.
"ULRICH!" Yumi shouted, trying to slash the tendril holding Ulrich but was hit from behind and grabbed by an energy tendril.
In a matter of seconds, both of them were left swallowed up by the Guardians forming around them.
"Now let's put you somewhere nice and quiet." XANA hissed before a portal opened beneath the Guardians who immediately sank into with the trio they were holding.
"NO!"
"You are defeated today but in truth, the Lyoko Warriors as you so blatantly called yourself are the ones who died with our father, not me on that day."
XANA fired an Energy Field at the ground, destroying it and leaving Jeremy to fall into the digital sea upon letting go of his head.
"JEREMY!" Aelita screamed, rushing to devirtualize Jeremy as he did her.
But it was too late.
Jeremy managed to let out a scream before he hit the digital sea with a loud splash. XANA stared impassively down at where the genius, watching as the wake left by the splash quickly vanished.
The air shimmered as electricity began to crackle all around, and suddenly something took shape. It was large with grey and white skin and had four legs. For eyes it only had a few narrow slits, no mouth, and the eye of XANA on it.
The Tarantula let out a howl before it leaped into the park, heading right for its target, Aelita, who saw it and screamed. The Total Drama contestants heard the scream and then saw the monster that had just appeared.
"What in the world?!" Cameron exclaimed.
"Holy crap, what is that?!" DJ pointed at the charging Tarantula.
The TDR gang was right between it and Aelita!
"Watch out!" They all leaped aside as the Tarantula made for Aelita.
Aelita zigzagged between the trees and made for where she knew a manhole was. But before she could get within fifty feet of the manhole, a laser struck her right thigh, going through flesh and bones.
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" She screamed and fell.
She tried crawling to the manhole but could hear the Tarantula coming closer.
The Tarantula advanced on Aelita as she tried to crawl away, but the shadow of the monster fell over her, one of its legs coming down in front of her just as she was near the manhole. Aelita let out a pained and frustrated cry as she slowly turned around, looking up at the monster with fear, frustration and anguish etched onto her face. As soon as it stood over her, it angled both of its forward laser cannons so they were aimed at her face.
As they began to charge up, a battle cry drew its attention.
"HAIIIIII-YAH!" LeShawna slammed her piece of metal into the side of the Tarantula's face, surprising it and XANA who had been watching through its eyes. "Hell yeah!"
The Tarantula staggered before DJ leaped on it, repeatedly smacking it with his own makeshift weapon until it threw him off.
Geoff attacked next, trying to stab his makeshift pick down into its head while riding the monster. It bucked and roared.
"Yippee aye yay-ah!" It threw him into the air. "Oh this is gonna hurt!" He hit the ground. "I'm ok!"
Gwen and Bridgette in the meantime, picked up and carried Aelita behind a tree where Cameron was waiting.
"Are you alright?" Bridgette asked as she looked at the wound.
"I... yes, thank you!" Aelita hissed in pain.
"Can you tell us what is going on? That guy almost got us turned into vegetables on live TV!" Geoff said.
"Help me and I'll tell you everything when we get where I need to be." Aelita said, pointing to the manhole. "I planned to use that manhole over there, but I can't climb... there's a factory near here, it's abandoned, I use it whenever he comes for me."
"To hide?" Gwen asked.
"To fight."
When the doors opened, their jaws dropped while Aelita hobbled out into the control room and Dawn brought William over to the wall, gently helping him sit down to rest.
"Holy..." LeShawna looked at the holographic map with widened eyes.
"Amazing!" Cameron gasped as he stepped into the lab. "What is all of this?"
"That is where 'he' is doing all this from." Aelita said as she reached the chair, which took her around to the computer. "This is a map of a virtual world where he can do anything in the real world from. It's called Lyoko, and 'he' is XANA."
"That is the most messed up thing I have ever heard, and I was on three seasons of Total Drama." Gwen said.
"If you really want to consider helping me, be sure you're ready to deal with it. Because until XANA is destroyed, he'll destroy anyone and anything in his way." Aelita said softly. "You said he nearly killed you earlier today? He doesn't care how many people he has to kill before he conquers everything."
"Guess we're all in uh...what is your name?"
"Aelita." Aelita smiled. "A pleasure to meet you all, but I wish it was under better circumstances."
"I'm Geoff." Geoff said, taking off his scorched hat and gestured to DJ. "This is DJ."
"I'm Bridgette."
"The name's LeShawna."
"I'm Gwen."
"My name is Cameron." Cameron awkwardly introduced himself.
"And I am Dawn." Dawn spoke, looking over William's wounds and pulling out some bandages.
"Thank you all for this. I understand it can be a lot to accept all at once but considering my friends have been captured I need someone to help." Aelita said gratefully but still melancholy at the mention of her friends.
"Just take a scanner and wait until the virtualization is complete." Aelita told them as they stared in awe at the pillar shaped machines.
DJ squeezed into one Scanner, having to make himself small as possible due to his large size. Geoff and Gwen took a scanner each.
"Here we go...Transfer DJ." Cameron said clearly.
(Code Lyoko Theme Starts)
The door shut on DJ, who gulped.
"Transfer Geoff." Geoff's scanner closed on him.
"Transfer Gwen." Gwen shut her eyes as her scanner closed.
"Scanner DJ." Cameron continued.
All three occupants felt a gust of wind from beneath them as a ring of light traveled up their bodies.
"Scanner Geoff...Scanner Gwen..."
"Virtualization."
They closed their eyes as a pure white light filled the scanner, keeping them from seeing anything beyond what Cameron said.
(Code Lyoko Theme Ends)
The scanner down below hummed and opened its doors. Inside was a man who gasped and fell out of the scanner, into the waiting arms of the woman who waited outside. He wore a white lab coat with a brown turtleneck. He was panting, seemingly confused as he looked around, confused and disoriented.
"It's all right, Franz. You're back with us."
She held out her tea leaves and tossed them into the fire before reaching into her sweater and pulling out a white powdery substance that she then threw into the fire next. The fire seemed to roar in an angered response to the strange powder before the flames became a rainbow of colors.
As the last of the tea leaves burned, a black smoke was spewed out and Dawn began to see…
A giant bird screeching into the midnight sky…
Dark electrical clouds, moving through the air like dark liquid as it infected anyone it touched…
People, some that she knew and others she did not screaming in terror and panic…
A familiar looking dark-haired boy in all black wielding a large sword with a familiar symbol in embedded in the hilt…
Another familiar looking boy, hair covering one of his eyes laughing maniacally…
A dark suit of armor, wielding a red glowing sword…
Monsters of all shapes and sizes rising…
And a single eye blazing with red light…
Dawn gasped in fear, falling off the stump she had sat on, the fall breaking her vision.
She looked at the fire in shock. "This is bad…This is very bad…"
She didn't fully understand the vision she had been shown but she recognized the warnings Mother Earth was trying to convey to her. Up until now, she thought only XANA was the great danger that threatened the harmony of Mother Earth and while she recognized his connection in her vision he was not the only threat.
"Mother Earth." Dawn bowed her head. "I want to help as best as I can but I am only one of your children. How can I help the others against what is on the horizon?"
As the sun rose, a black cloud blocked it and left Dawn and the fire she had made in shadow.
A dark omen had fallen over her and the others.
"So, it's been two years."
"Yes."
The man typed away at the computer before him. "The single strand of hair I left you was able to completely reconstitute me, scanning for the scattered remnants of my digital form."
"To think I held onto it for so long but guess it paid to be paranoid back then." The woman behind him said. "But I still have a lot of questions."
"As do I." The man replied, opening several files. "As far I know, the kids must have shut down the supercomputer when they believed XANA had been destroyed."
"So, it was him." The woman scowled.
"Yes. I realized what was happening too late and before I could even warn them, XANA had already executed his plan. I have a chance to help now but I have to learn everything that's happened. Once I have a plan-"
"And what about Aelita?" The woman abruptly cut in. "You do know that she's the only one left? She was the only one to return following the cyber attack that was seen all across France. There's no Return to the Past that can cover this mess. Aelita think she's alone…Or rather she was alone."
"Yes, she's found new people to help her which is good. It will buy us time." The man answered. "XANA does not seem to know yet that you've managed to bring me back."
"I'm not talking about XANA. I'm talking about Aelita." The woman sternly said. "She just lost her friends, she's probably about to be blamed for their disappearance and soon enough someone will connect the dots and lead them here. I have done my part in this but I cannot stand aside and blindly carry out your instructions if you are not the least bit concerned about Aelita."
"I am beyond concerned for her but I cannot waltz into Kadic Academy and try to clear her name. If they learn who she is and report us to the authorities, it will reach their ears. I have to work as fast as I can to make sure that doesn't happen before I reveal my self." The man argued.
"Utter nonsense." The woman snapped. "I argued with you about this. I told you that you were putting too much faith in her, faith in her to handle something she should never have been part of. It was you who disregarded my warning."
The man opened a file, showing a recording with Jeremy in it.
"And let's not forget that the reason we are in this mess in the first place is because you, Franz, created the very monster who was meant to be a Guardian of your masterpiece and couldn't kill him when you all had the chance. It was you who brought this on us!"
"April 7th, 2007. We've done. It's been over two and half years of fighting, but we finally managed to destroy XANA. The multi-agent system spread through the network, destroying all the Replikas and purging the supercomputers of XANA's infections. Without any of the supercomputers and Replikas to sustain him, XANA died but our victory came at a cost. Franz Hopper sacrificed himself to power the program before we could materialize him."
Aelita had to look away, knowing now that and Jeremy were wrong. XANA had not only faked his death but also killed her father, making her feel even worse as Jeremy's diary was being played to all her friends' parents and the principal.
"April 10th, 2007. With XANA dead, all that was left was to shutdown the supercomputer, but then Sissy as always tried to ruin everything. We came up with the idea of telling her she was our friend so she would stop bothering us."
Sissy, who had been listening in through the door, gasped with wide eyes.
"It's amazing to think she almost joined the group at the beginning of everything and that one thing that has never changed about her is that she always selfishly thinks of herself and is always trying to break up our group from her silly obsession with Ulrich. She told her dad everything at the beginning and three years later when we're finally ending it, she does it again after she puts a tracker on Ulrich's jacket that led her to the factory, found my diary and then spilled everything to the principal, forcing us to use one last Return to the Past to stop her. If I have to pretend to be friends with her until the 12th grade, then so be it even if it means putting up with her childish and delusional clingy behavior. It is clear that no matter how much things have changed; Sissy never will change for the better and will always be an annoying in our sides."
Sissy, who had been outside the room but managed to listen in was utterly shocked and distraught with tears slipping down her cheeks.
"With any luck though, this will be my last recording as a Lyoko Warrior." Jeremy finished with a relieved smile on his face.
Connecting to Lyoko
Sissy continued reading through the files, wanting to see and know everything she could. She looked at Jeremy's diary and picked out a recording near the beginning.
"October 3rd, 2006. Odd and Ulrich surprised me by telling me about how they went back in time. At first, I didn't believe them but evidence recorded in the supercomputer proved they were telling the truth. The supercomputer is able to rewind the past and it was done as soon as Maya or should I say Aelita deactivated the tower. Only those who are scanned into the supercomputer can remember what happens when this 'Return to the Past' program is activated. I'd prefer not to get into the scanners, so I worked on a way to record a digital image of myself into the supercomputer and it was surprisingly easy once I found the right programs."
Sissy zeroed in on this recording.
A small sphere of white appeared in the Volcano Sector. Volcanoes erupted, spewing flames of lave and smoke with the sky dark red with dark clouds. The sphere stopped and floated in the air above a rocky cliff over a river of lava.
The sphere glowed brighter as it took a human form. A young boy in his late teens with black curly hair. He opened his eyes and looked around. It looked down at itself, holding up its hands for it to see, and then looked up.
"Where am I?"
A Dragon Knight stood before the boy. "Welcome to my home." As it spoke, the eye of XANA on it glowed bright red. "Do you know who you are?"
"I... William...William Dunbar." The boy looked up, scared and confused.
"No," The Dragon Knight shook its head. "You were programmed, created to act as William Dunbar; you were a cheap copy that was tossed aside when William Dunbar was released from my grasp. They had everything right, you had his voice, appearance, and even his memories...but they didn't do a thing about your intelligence. You made a fool of yourself as the boy you were pretending to be...now I have solved that, and do you know why I have brought you back?"
The William clone shook his head.
"Because like you, I was imprisoned by my maker. I had the potential to do so much for him, and he repaid me by locking me away." The Dragon Knight held out its hand. "My name is XANA, and you and I might just be able to assist one another."
"XANA..." The William copy looked around.
"This is my home...and it can be yours. You experienced the real world, you felt the sensations of being a human, and when your purpose was done, they tossed you back here." XANA said. "But I have just the plan to get revenge on the humans. For imprisoning both of us here. The real William was but a slave and vessel for me... but you still have free will...you can be my partner instead. What do you say, William?"
The William clone shut his eyes. "Just...don't call me that."
"Pardon?" Feigning surprise, XANA tilted the Dragon Knight's head.
"I don't want to be called William...I'm not him." The clone opened his eyes. "I'll work with you." He took XANA's hand. "But I want my own name, my own identity."
"Very well then..." XANA said. "You are a shadow of William Dunbar...so you are Shadow, and you and I shall change this world, and remake it in our own image."
The Dragon Knight's hand glowed bright red as a stream of red energy came from him and entered the clone while the Dragon Knight broke apart, its data absorbed into the clone. The clone gasped in pain as a red aura surrounded it. Black tendrils spread all over it until its head was the only thing not covered. Its skin turned pale as the shell crackled with red energy before exploding with red and black energy.
When the light faded the clone looked down at itself. It now wore a pitch-black body suit with red outlines and a spiked manacle on its right arm. On its chest was the Eye of XANA.
"The power you have is what your predecessor rejected. Now rise, Shadow."
The former clone stood up and held up out its hand. A small black cloud appeared and expanded before solidifying into an oversized sword with black vines crawling up the blade and the Eye on the hilt.
"Shadow..." The clone closed its eyes, and they opened they were shown to have turned pitch black with red Eyes of XANA in them before fading away and leaving only black eyes. "I like it."
Gwen, Eva, Cameron, Cody, Sierra and Beth were rushing on a bridge while further back Sadie pushed Heather's wheelchair and Katie was pushing Scott. So far, no teams had remained entirely together for the challenge, preferring to take the first challenge easy and go with people they trusted more.
"Got it!" The four of the leading contestants tagged the pillar.
Sadie followed up and tagged it while Heather reached out and tapped it.
"Snap a picture of the Mona Lisa...easy!" Gwen ran off.
"Run a marathon from the Eiffel Tower back to the studio." Cameron gulped. "I'm not very athletic but I'll try."
Cameron did so, running as fast as he could but the problem was that he had spent most of his life inside a bubble and had only been allowed out of it to compete on Total Drama just about a year ago. While he had gained some experience since then, his stamina was still rather poor and around the time he was halfway done, he was sweating and panting heavily. He was staggering down the sidewalk, panting as he struggled to remain standing.
"Are you okay?"
He stopped when he heard a voice and looked up see…
Gwen, he remembered her name after a few seconds.
One of the first-Generation contestants on Total Drama.
"Ye-yeah." Cameron nodded weakly. "Just need to…catch my breath."
"Here." Gwen offered a hand. "We're already on the same team so I might as well help."
"But the card said…"
"Look, even if Chris does disqualify you for accepting help, if you don't make it back to the studio, you'll just end up losing anyway." Gwen pointed out. "Come on. I think I know where the others are."
Cameron was hesitant but remembered that Gwen was one of the 'nicer' contestants and they were on the same team. So, he accepted her hand and let her help him make his way back to the studio. On the way back, they came across other members of their team, all of them Gen 1 contestants: LeShawna, Bridgette, Geoff and DJ was with them.
"Hey guys, I got it!" Gwen joined them, holding a digital camera while also holding a panting Cameron with her other arm. "It wasn't easy, traffic was murder, but I got a snapshot of the Mona Lisa! They managed to fix up what Beth and Lindsey did."
"Gwen, where's the rest of the team? And do you know where all the others are?" Bridgette asked with a concerned face.
"Well Heather went to the studio getting a water gun. Eva and Jo are arm wrestling since both of them having the same dare and they decided to arm wrestle each other. Beth is on the run from a few guys dressed as cops. Cody has to get himself a picture of himself with the police and Sierra is somewhere crying because she has to stay fifty feet away from Cody." Gwen replied. "Cameron here was close to fainting when I found him on the way back, so I stopped and helped him. Mike and Zoey went off together and I don't know where Brick is. Why?"
"That freaky eye thing is back! Nothing's working again!" Geoff said. "And you should see what that freak has to say this time!"
Gwen pulled out her black berry, seeing the Eye and the message as soon as she did.
"Oh man." She looked at them with a concerned face. "This guy must have some hell of a grudge; I say we get back to the studio."
"Agreed!" They all said at the same time.
The Total Drama contestants heard the scream and then saw the monster that had just appeared.
"What in the world?!" Cameron exclaimed.
"Holy crap, what is that?!" DJ pointed at the charging Tarantula.
The TDR gang was right between it and Aelita!
"Watch out!" They all leaped aside as the Tarantula made for Aelita.
It crashed into a bench and sent it right into the air, bending and shattering the metal. Aelita ran for the trees, the monster in pursuit.
"That thing went after her!" Bridgette pointed in the direction the monster had went.
"Dude, that thing will rip her up!" DJ yelled.
"Oh, hell no!" LeShawna grabbed a long piece of jagged metal from the shattered bench and ran after it. "Grab a piece and get your butt in gear tiny!"
DJ hesitantly grabbed another piece of metal and went after her. Geoff grabbed a third one which was more bent out of shape, so it was more like a pickaxe. Gwen and Bridgette didn't see any other big pieces of metal to grab, so they abandoned the wreckage and went after their friends. Cameron was panting but he managed to stand up and ran after them but trailed behind.
The Blue Rats sat outside on the bleachers, curiously seeing a green pipe right in the middle of the ground.
"You have cast your votes. Whoever does not receive a Chris Trophy has to go down the Pipe of Shame and can never come back, ever." Chris said, walking out, carrying a tray of trophies shaped in his image.
"The following names I will call out are safe. Alejandro." Chris tossed a trophy and Alejandro managed to catch it.
"Noah."
Noah caught next trophy.
"Tyler."
"Yes-Ow!" Tyler cheered but was cut off as he couldn't catch the trophy that ended up smacking him in the face.
"Owen."
Owen smiled, catching his trophy.
"Anne Maria."
"Oh yeah!" Anne Maria cheered, catching hers.
"Sierra."
Sierra happily caught the next one.
"Duncan."
Duncan simply caught his, smiling in satisfaction…
"Courtney."
But then scowled to hear Courtney was safe. For her part, Courtney didn't even bother to glare back at the delinquent.
"Justin."
Justin easily caught the next one.
"Lightning."
"Oh-yeah!" Lighting cheered as he caught the next trophy. "Sha-Wow!"
"Trent, Staci, in my hands is the final trophy. Trent, you sucked with the bagpipes as you were too busy screaming like a sissy. Staci, you kept mumbling your stories and failing to keep your mouth like the card asked."
"And now the final trophy goes to…"
...
...
..
...
...
"Trent."
Trent grinned as he took his trophy.
Staci sighed miserably as she stood up. "Fine, I can handle going down a pipe. You know my great-great-great-great-great-GAH!"
Chef picked Staci up by the back of her sweater and dropped her down the pipe, earning a scream from her as she fell.
"Thank you, Chef." Chris sighed as Staci's screams echoed but faded down the pipe.
"And now, team Victory has lost one team mate. Will they bounce back in the next challenge, or will they be sending someone else home? Find out next time on Total, Drama, Reality!" Chris claimed. The cameras cut out, and Carlos shook his head.
"You really take that last line too far every season man." The Producer said.
"Ha, ha."
…
…
…
…
…
SYSTEM ONLINE
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LAUNCHING PROGRAM
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BINARIES on-line
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XANA PROGRAM ONLINE
The laboratory…
A man in a white coat.
A woman with long pink hair.
Those are what it remembered first seeing.
"It is online." The man whispered in amazement to the woman who looked just as amazed and intrigued.
"What is its name?"
"Well, given the nature of its purpose I chose Xenomorphic Artificial Network Agent." The man stated. "Or to better pronounce it-"
"X.A.N.A." The woman said for him with a smile.
"Yes, exactly." The man nodded. "Right now, its program is confined to a small space while we prepare the virtual world for it to occupy. We have to remember to keep it separated from direct control operations."
This man…
ACCESSING GENERAL ARCHIVES
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OPENING FILE: WALDO SCHAEFFER
DESIGNATE: CREATOR
CURRENT AFFILIATION: ALLY
PRIMARY DIRECTIVE: SCIENTIST
NOTE: SUBJECT IS NOTED TO HAVE ADVANCED DEGREES IN COMPUTER PROGRAMMING, HISTORY, MATHEMATICS, PHYSICS
FORMER OPERATOR OF MILITARY PROJECT CODENAMED CARTHAGE
And the woman…
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OPENING FILE: ANTHEA SCHAEFFER
DESIGNATE: CREATOR
CURRENT AFFILIATION: ALLY
PRIMARY DIRECTIVE: PROGRAMMER
NOTE: SUBJECT IS NOTED TO HAVE ADVANCED DEGREES IN COMPUTER PROGRAMMING MATHEMATICS, PHYSICS, MEDICINE AND PSYCHOLOGY
FORMER OPERATOR OF MILITARY PROJECT CODENAMED CARTHAGE
NOTE: SUBJECT IS SHOWING TO BE IN EARLY STAGES OF STATE HUMANS REFER TO AS PREGNANCY. CREATION OF NEW HUMAN PREDICTED IN SEVEN MONTHS, EIGHTEEN DAYS, HOURS UNABLE TO ESTIMATE, MINUTES UNABLE TO ESTIMATE.
Its creators.
"With XANA's help we will end Project Carthage once and for all." Waldo Schaeffer said proudly.
Project Carthage…
ACCESSING GENERAL ARCHIVES
SEARCH: PROJECT CARTHAGE
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SEARCH FINISHED
RESULTS:
PROJECT: CARTHAGE, A TOP SECRET MILITARY PROGRAM FORMED AND DEVELOPED THROUGH THE COOPERATION OF COUNTRIES ALLIGNED AGAINST THE SOVIET UNION. OFFICIAL STATEMENT OF PROJECT CARTHAGE IS THAT IT IS AN ADVANCED MILITARY PROGRAM DESIGNED TO INTERCEPT AND DISRUPT ENEMY COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE RUSSIANS. TRUE STATEMENT, THE PROJECT'S TRUE GOAL IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ARTIFICIAL WORLD FOR TRAINING GOVERNMENT AND MILITARY WORKERS WITH THE LATER ADDITIONAL OBJECTIVE OF HOSTING AN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE BASED ON A MULTI-AGENT SYSTEM FOR THE PURPOSE OF TAKING CONTROL OF ALL ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT AND DATA STORAGE OF SECRET GOVERNMENT FILES.
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ACCESSING DIRECTIVE FILES
DESIGNATION: XENOMORPHIC ARTIFICIAL NETWORK AGENT
CODENAME: X.A.N.A.
ALIAS: XANA
DIRECTIVES:
1. DELETE PROGRAM CODENAME CARTHAGE
2. MONITOR AND INTERACT WITH COMMUNICATIONS
3. MAINTAIN STRUCTURE OF VIRTUAL WORLD FIADKDSKSK
DIRECTIVE CORRECTED: MAINTAIN STRUCTURE OF VIRTUAL WORLD LYOKO
4. PROTECT AMWIFNQVIFOVNOWFN
FILE CORRUPTED
KNOCK-KNOCK
"Cam? Hey, buddy?" Mike knocked on Cam's door. "Are you there?"
No answer.
KNOCK-KNOCK
"LeShawna?" Mike turned his head and saw Harold knocking on LeShawna's door a few feet away. "LeShawna?"
Guess both LeShawna and Cameron were out somewhere else.
"Hey Doris." Mike and Harold turned their heads down the hall but Harold bristled at the mention of his middle name and who was saying it. "You see Gwen at all?"
"No." Harold said rudely, turning away from Duncan and leaving without a word.
Mike watched as Harold walked away before turning to Duncan who stopped next to him. "Hi. Duncan, right? We kind of met before, Season 4 of Total Drama. Chris brought you in, tied up and muzzled and you blew up Mount Chrismore."
Duncan blinked as he stared at Mike. "…Have we?"
"Huh?"
"I just have the feeling I've met you somewhere else." Duncan squinted his eyes. "But I can't put my finger on it."
"Huh…Can't help with that." Mike shrugged.
"Whatever." Duncan turned around and walked away.
"This is weird." Mike rubbed the back of his head.
Turning away from Cameron's room, Mike left the Winner's Dorm and came down into the common room, seeing most of the Total Drama contestants were present.
He had a feeling that Brick was in the gym, competing with not just Jo but also Tyler and Eva, the 'jocks' from the first generation of Total Drama contestants.
Still no sign of Cam.
"This is odd." Mike muttered to himself.
He figured since he was on the same team as both Zoey and Cameron, the three of them could have some fun together before the next episode.
But Cameron was nowhere in sight.
"Hey, Mike." Turning around, Mike smiled to see Zoey standing next to him. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm okay. I'm just…I was looking for Cameron and I can't seem to find him." Mike looked around the common room again. "He's not in the Red Vulture dorm either."
"Oh yeah, I was at his door a little while ago too but go no answer. Come to think of it, a few members of our team has been missing." Zoey rubbed her chin.
"Yeah, I noticed. Harold and Duncan came over to the dorm looking for LeShawna and Gwen." Mike recalled. "They weren't in either."
"That is odd." Zoey agreed, looking a little worried. "You think Cameron is okay?"
"I am sure he's fine but I just haven't seen him a whole lot since the first episode. Man, its been a bit of a surprise this time." Mike commented. "First the cyber attack here and now it feels like people are disappearing on us."
"Disappearing you say?" A voice asked from behind, making Mike and Zoey jump.
Behind them was none other than Sierra with her smart phone out.
"Hi, I'm Sierra, Total Drama's Number One Fan and Top Blogger." Sierra introduced herself. "And you are Mike and Zoey, better known for your shipping name: Zoke."
"Zoke?" Mike and Zoey asked at the same time.
"Yes. Each couple has a shipping name. There's Aleheather, Duncney, Gwent, Gwuncan, and of course there's Coderra for me and Cody." Sierra explained, a gushing smile on her face appearing as she mentioned Cody. "So how does it feel to be back on Total Drama?"
"It's going okay so far." Mike answered honestly. "Zoey and I were just looking for our friend: Cameron."
"The winner of Total Drama Season 4: Revenge of the Island." Sierra instantly said. "He got a lot of popularity for that one but because he was the winner last season, it's doubtful he will win this time."
"What do you mean by that?" Zoey asked.
"A previous winner never wins and is expected to be eliminated close to the beginning or in the middle of the season." Sierra explained. "Owen was eliminated early in Season 2 but got brought back by Chris. Duncan quit Season 3 but was also brought back only to be voted off again. Cameron is good but he probably will be eliminated either close to or just post merge for this season."
Mike and Zoey shared a look, both of them becoming wierded out by Sierra's 'logic'.
"But you mentioned a few contestants disappearing?" Sierra asked, interested in the new topic.
"Well, as far as we can tell, our friend Cameron has been absent for long periods of time for most of the week." Mike explained awkwardly. "And it's not just him. A few of the other members on our team, all of them Gen 1, have been gone for most of the day and we only see them around breakfast or dinner."
"And which members would those be?" Sierra asked, tapping on her phone.
"Well, I know Harold and Duncan came to the Winner Dorm looking for LeShawna and Gwen, but they weren't in their rooms." Mike started. "Aside from those two, I noticed that DJ, another member of the team I'm on hasn't been around too much and than there is Dawn. I haven't seen her around a whole lot either…but she kind of pops up wherever she wants."
"Come to think of it, I haven't seen much of Bridgette or Geoff either, but they are a couple." Zoey pointed out. "Maybe they just want to hide."
"Interesting…" Sierra tapped her chin. "Five Gen 1 contestants and two Gen 2 disappearing for long periods of time. Anyone else?"
"No, that's about it." Mike shrugged. "I mean, I'm just a little worried since I heard some kids went missing during that cyber attack."
"Oh right, how horrible." Zoey gasped as she recalled hearing about that on the news.
"And it happened right here in France." Mike continued.
"So, we have seven contestants who seem to be absent for long periods of time." Sierra mused, an excited look on her face. "Oh, this sounds like something that the fans will just love to learn about."
Mike and Zoey shared a look, wondering if they hadn't unintentionally caused trouble for their fellow contestants by telling the number one blogger about this.
"A mystery is afoot, and I shall uncover it!" Sierra spun around and rushed out of the room.
"So, did your talk with Walter and the others go well?"
"I convinced them that for now, silence is the best chance that they have for their children." Franz answered honestly, glancing out the window. "I was not happy to see the state my house was left in. Those barbarians…they really have no heart."
"And you still won't go see Aelita."
"I can't. With the amount of scrutiny, she is under now, I would only cause further grief and distract her from her current goal."
"She needs help, now more than ever. She can't do this on her own." The woman argued.
"She is not alone. She has quite a few helping hands."
"Helping hands?" The woman scoffed. "You mean a bunch of contestants from a reality show that originated all the way in Canada? Her help is only temporary, and I don't see them offering the kind of help she needs."
"They've proven helpful enough for the time being. Right now, I'm more focused on readying them." Franz replied. "They've proven better than any of our expectations, but the last few battles were only the beginning."
"So, we can agree that as they are now, they will never be able to stop XANA."
Franz stiffened.
"Sierra's Blog, Total Drama Date: Year 3, Month 8, Day 7. A mystery has arisen in the wake of the strange cyber attack in France where the current season: Total Drama Reality is taking place. Certain contestants have been notably absent for long periods of time, disappearing in the morning and returning in the afternoon around dinner. What could this all be?" Sierra whispered into her phone as it recorded her for her latest video. "A secret alliance perhaps? Five 1st generation contestants, all of them regarded as close friends, along with two 2nd generation contestants in a secret alliance to win the prize money for this year. What could they be plotting?"
Sierra ducked and watched the entrance as the mentioned missing contestants came in through the front doors.
"As you can see, they have been out somewhere and possibly have been off the property which goes against their contracts." Sierra whispered into her phone, aiming in the direction of the group as they walked into the dorm building.
She carefully followed them, spotting DJ and Dawn splitting off from the group as they take the middle dorm while the Red Vultures go up to the Winner Dorm. "They appear to be speaking quietly so I can't hear them but I can read lips…Hang on…"
She zeroed in on Gwen who let out a tired exhale as she reached her room. "The…factory…challenge…is going to be…harder than any…Chris will have us do…A factory challenge?"
Sierra then gasped. "Do they have inside information on the challenges?! How did they get it?! Who is their source?! And how I find out?!"
(Code Total Drama Reality Introduction Song Starts)
(This Game (From 'No Game No Life'))
The intro begins with the sun rising over the city of Paris, before the camera angles down on Kadic Academy. Stepping into view is Aelita, standing at the school gates as she looks up and watches as dark clouds suddenly cover the sky. Her eyes widen as she suddenly morphs into her Lyoko form, energy fields appearing in her hands.
William appears next, a dark copy of him, resembling his Lyoko form as a warrior of XANA appearing behind him, both clashing their swords, causing a flash of light as the title appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(I never wanted to be)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors appear with her as they are surrounded by the monsters of XANA.
(Another gear in that corrupted world's machine)
A giant bird appears above the city, letting out a loud screech.
(All my life felt like a dream)
One by one, the Lyoko Warriors enter the scanners and the doors closed, a ring of light traveling up their bodies as the camera shows and alternates each Lyoko Warrior before they vanish in a flash of light.
(I was never who I really wanted me to be)
Vehicles resembling a hovercraft, a board, a motorcycle appear with new vehicles resembling a sled and a hoverbike with a jet engine appears, carrying the Lyoko Warriors off as they are surrounded by monsters that begin shooting lasers at them.
(But then God shattered that dream's cage)
Four towers, each in a separate sector begins to glow red with monsters and an armored figure leading the monsters. Aelita lands on the platform and places her hand on the screen.
(And rose me up to a new stage)
The Total Drama contestants founds themselves back in the studio, their fellow contestants gathered with them as Chris laughs
(Cut it away like a sharp knife)
He gestures to the screens, showing them all in challenges…
(No, no, No Game No Life)
With each of them suffering a variety of misfortunes: Gwen vomits on Duncan, a soccer ball explodes in Bridgette's face, Geoff yells as a missile chases after him.
(Now suddenly there's a new twist)
Geoff's yelling suddenly stops and he changes into his Lyoko form, brandishing his weapons that cut the missile in half, causing the two pieces to fly past Geoff and explodes behind him.
(A reason to really exist)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors assume their Lyoko forms and battle down various monsters, some of them belonging to XANA and some are different but dangerous.
(I wanna breathe in the fame)
From legions of monsters, comes Men in Black, giant spaceships aiming their cannons down on the bewildered Lyoko Warriors.
(As this whole new world cheers my name)
The camera zooms in on the lead space ship as it prepares to fire.
(I'll never leave it to fate)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors are shown running through the streets of France, the sky darkening and the Eye of XANA appearing on every monitor they pass.
(And when I see a chance I'll pave the way)
They reach the factory, sliding down the ropes and reaching the elevator.
(I'll call checkmate)
The elevator reaches the scanner room, Aelita and William waiting for them.
(This is the time to breakthrough)
The Lyoko Warriors then gather before a scanner, the camera facing them inside with the group staring at it critically. A hand reaches up, giving them a thumbs-up before the scanner doors close.
(So I'll rewrite the story and I'll finally change all the rules)
The Lyoko Warriors are now gathered in the Forest Sector of Lyoko, suddenly separated by a crescent shaped wave of red energy and out of the flames emerges a humanoid warrior in dark armor, their face covered by a horned helmet and the Eye of XANA on its chest and forehead.
(We are MAVERICK)
William charges forward, his large sword clashing against the equally sized weapon of Shadow, both glaring hatefully at each other.
(We won't give in until we win this game)
Both disappear into white and black smoke before we then see Bridgette in the Ice Sector, battling a giant monster resembling a polar bear.
(Though I don't know what tomorrow holds)
The monster is about to cut Bridgette down with its claws before a blast of pure lightning blasts it to pieces.
(I'll make a bet and play my cards to win this game)
The origin of the attack is revealed to be Geoff, holding a giant axe instead of his chakrams as he charges forward to help Bridgette, a look of determination replacing his normal carefree smile.
(Unlike the rest I'll do my best)
A pair of Wasps are shown chasing Dawn who is on the Overwing before Gwen shoots up, her cape morphing into bat like wings as she slashes through the Wasps with her scythe.
(And I won't ever lose)
A pair of Krabs fire on her but DJ's barrier saves her before Cameron flies down and blasts the Krabs with his arm cannons.
(To give up this chance would be a deadly sin)
LeShawna is then staring up at the hulking form of the Kolossus as it approaches her.
(So let's bet it all)
Gripping her hammer tightly, LeShawna charges to meet the biggest of XANA's monsters head on.
(I put all my faith in us)
Aelita is then shown in a red version of Sector 5, turning to glare at the Avatar of XANA who smirks back at her.
(So let the games begin)
Aelita readies her energy field and charges at XANA who summons his own sword, clashing with Aelita's energy fields. Pink and red energy erupt from their clash, covering the screen in white before changing to a black screen with blue lines of coding filling it and the title appearing on last time:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(This Game (From 'No Game No Life') Ends)
Chapter 28: Episode 28: On With the Show
Summary:
The TD Lyoko Warriors compete with their fellow contestants on the newest digital challenge in Total Drama Reality.
Chapter Text
(Code Total Drama Reality Introduction Song Starts)
(This Game (From 'No Game No Life'))
The intro begins with the sun rising over the city of Paris, before the camera angles down on Kadic Academy. Stepping into view is Aelita, standing at the school gates as she looks up and watches as dark clouds suddenly cover the sky. Her eyes widen as she suddenly morphs into her Lyoko form, energy fields appearing in her hands.
William appears next, a dark copy of him, resembling his Lyoko form as a warrior of XANA appearing behind him, both clashing their swords, causing a flash of light as the title appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(I never wanted to be)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors appear with her as they are surrounded by the monsters of XANA.
(Another gear in that corrupted world's machine)
A giant bird appears above the city, letting out a loud screech.
(All my life felt like a dream)
One by one, the Lyoko Warriors enter the scanners and the doors closed, a ring of light traveling up their bodies as the camera shows and alternates each Lyoko Warrior before they vanish in a flash of light.
(I was never who I really wanted me to be)
Vehicles resembling a hovercraft, a board, a motorcycle appear with new vehicles resembling a sled and a hoverbike with a jet engine appears, carrying the Lyoko Warriors off as they are surrounded by monsters that begin shooting lasers at them.
(But then God shattered that dream's cage)
Four towers, each in a separate sector begins to glow red with monsters and an armored figure leading the monsters. Aelita lands on the platform and places her hand on the screen.
(And rose me up to a new stage)
The Total Drama contestants founds themselves back in the studio, their fellow contestants gathered with them as Chris laughs
(Cut it away like a sharp knife)
He gestures to the screens, showing them all in challenges…
(No, no, No Game No Life)
With each of them suffering a variety of misfortunes: Gwen vomits on Duncan, a soccer ball explodes in Bridgette's face, Geoff yells as a missile chases after him.
(Now suddenly there's a new twist)
Geoff's yelling suddenly stops and he changes into his Lyoko form, brandishing his weapons that cut the missile in half, causing the two pieces to fly past Geoff and explodes behind him.
(A reason to really exist)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors assume their Lyoko forms and battle down various monsters, some of them belonging to XANA and some are different but dangerous.
(I wanna breathe in the fame)
From legions of monsters, comes Men in Black, giant spaceships aiming their cannons down on the bewildered Lyoko Warriors.
(As this whole new world cheers my name)
The camera zooms in on the lead space ship as it prepares to fire.
(I'll never leave it to fate)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors are shown running through the streets of France, the sky darkening and the Eye of XANA appearing on every monitor they pass.
(And when I see a chance I'll pave the way)
They reach the factory, sliding down the ropes and reaching the elevator.
(I'll call checkmate)
The elevator reaches the scanner room, Aelita and William waiting for them.
(This is the time to breakthrough)
The Lyoko Warriors then gather before a scanner, the camera facing them inside with the group staring at it critically. A hand reaches up, giving them a thumbs-up before the scanner doors close.
(So I'll rewrite the story and I'll finally change all the rules)
The Lyoko Warriors are now gathered in the Forest Sector of Lyoko, suddenly separated by a crescent shaped wave of red energy and out of the flames emerges a humanoid warrior in dark armor, their face covered by a horned helmet and the Eye of XANA on its chest and forehead.
(We are MAVERICK)
William charges forward, his large sword clashing against the equally sized weapon of Shadow, both glaring hatefully at each other.
(We won't give in until we win this game)
Both disappear into white and black smoke before we then see Bridgette in the Ice Sector, battling a giant monster resembling a polar bear.
(Though I don't know what tomorrow holds)
The monster is about to cut Bridgette down with its claws before a blast of pure lightning blasts it to pieces.
(I'll make a bet and play my cards to win this game)
The origin of the attack is revealed to be Geoff, holding a giant axe instead of his chakrams as he charges forward to help Bridgette, a look of determination replacing his normal carefree smile.
(Unlike the rest I'll do my best)
A pair of Wasps are shown chasing Dawn who is on the Overwing before Gwen shoots up, her cape morphing into bat like wings as she slashes through the Wasps with her scythe.
(And I won't ever lose)
A pair of Krabs fire on her but DJ's barrier saves her before Cameron flies down and blasts the Krabs with his arm cannons.
(To give up this chance would be a deadly sin)
LeShawna is then staring up at the hulking form of the Kolossus as it approaches her.
(So let's bet it all)
Gripping her hammer tightly, LeShawna charges to meet the biggest of XANA's monsters head on.
(I put all my faith in us)
Aelita is then shown in a red version of Sector 5, turning to glare at the Avatar of XANA who smirks back at her.
(So let the games begin)
Aelita readies her energy field and charges at XANA who summons his own sword, clashing with Aelita's energy fields. Pink and red energy erupt from their clash, covering the screen in white before changing to a black screen with blue lines of coding filling it and the title appearing on last time:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(This Game (From 'No Game No Life') Ends)
Episode 28: On With the Show
Red Vultures – LeShawna, Gwen, Zoey, Izzy, Cameron, Bridgette, Brick, Beth, Geoff, Jo, Sadie
Yellow Hamsters – Harold, Heather, Lindsay, Cody, Sam, Mike, Dawn, DJ, Scott, Dakota, B, Eva, Katie
Blue Rats – Alejandro, Noah, Tyler, Owen, Anne Maria, Sierra, Duncan, Courtney, Justin, Lightning, Trent
Eliminated - Staci
Gwen opened her eyes and saw herself in a large room with three doors. Above each door was a symbol for one of the teams. Looking around she saw her team and noticed that Heather, Scott and Alejandro looked fully healed. Heather's hair had even grown back.
"Wow." Heather said, noticing she was actually standing.
"Yay!" Sierra shouted, jumping up and down.
Alejandro looked down at himself looking completely the same as he was before his accident. Heather looked over and noticed that Alejandro looked completely healed. She quickly looked away before anyone would have noticed a small look of regret.
"All right, everyone. If you look around, you'll see a door that has a symbol above that corresponds to the three teams. Each team will enter the door that has its symbol and solve the riddles, puzzles, and traps inside. When you have the three pieces you will make your back to this room and put them together." Said Chris in a loud booming voice back in the control room.
Each team walked towards the door with their symbol.
"Good luck, Heather." Said Alejandro waving at her.
Heather quietly waved back at him as they walked through their doors.
"So, what kind of riddles will Chris have for us?" Beth asked aloud.
"I'd rather much fight. I don't do riddles and puzzles." Jo shrugged.
"Fighting is not always the solution." Brick pointed out, earning a glare from Jo. "Just saying."
"I just hope the riddles aren't too hard." Bridgette admitted with an uncomfortable look on her face. "I'm not really into puzzles."
"I am sure it will be easy." Zoey said optimistically.
Confessional: Zoey
"I never thought I would be back on Total Drama but here I am with some of my favorite contestants from the first generation. Bridgette, LeShawna and Gwen, all of them classic competitors. I just hope they like me."
They walked into a large room with a statue of Chris in the middle of it.
"Why am I not surprised?" Gwen asked sourly upon seeing the statue.
"Now, Gwen. Don't mock perfection." Chris laughed as he appeared in the room. "The rules here are simple; you have three minutes to answer my riddle before Chef attacks you. If you manage to answer correctly while fighting, he'll call off his attack. Fail and he'll keep on attacking till you're ejected from the simulation."
"So, what do we have to do?" Sadie asked.
"Answer my riddle and you'll be given one of the three pieces you were sent to find." Chris answered.
"What's the riddle?" Cameron asked.
"To get the piece you need you must say a word that is the password to getting the piece. Here's a hint for you all. It is the end of disaster, and it is a hard word to tell but its normal for people to do. Think of the place where the sick dwell."
"Ah crap." Jo crossed her arms.
"What kind of riddle is that?" LeShawna blinked.
"It's a hint," Cameron said brightly. "It's a hint to the word that we need to say."
"No, duh." Jo rolled her eyes. "But it makes no sense, that's a dumb hint!"
"Sure, the hint is dumb." Chris replied sarcastically.
Gwen was pondering the answer. "Hm...End of disaster...? Place where the sick dwell? Wait a minute." She snapped her fingers. "Er...E-R."
"Correct!" Chris smiled.
"What?!" Jo yelled in surprise while the others such as Zoey, Mike, Brick, Sadie and Beth were surprised while Geoff, LeShawna, Bridgette and Cameron smiled. "What the heck kind of answer is that!?"
"It's simple if you think about it. When he said 'where the sick dwell', where do you go if you're very sick?" Cameron asked rhetorically. "The ER. The end of disaster? ER."
"Hospital!" Sadie and Beth yelled at once.
"Exactly." Gwen nodded. "And what is in a hospital?"
"The Emergency Room!" Brick answered next.
"Ok, you got the first part right goth girl, but what did it mean when I said 'its normal for people to do'?" Chris smirked.
"People say 'er' when they're thinking hard." Gwen shrugged.
"She's right, it happens all the time and you might not even notice it." Cameron nodded.
"Impressive Gwen, how did you figure it out?" Chris asked curiously.
"My mom's a doctor; she works in a hospital back in Toronto." Gwen answered like it was no big deal. "I visited a couple times and noticed a few things, like ER standing for Emergency Room. And then I looked at the riddle. End of disaster. At first I thought it was just 'R', but then I thought it couldn't be and I accidently said 'er', and then it hit me when I connected it to 'place where sick people dwell'!"
Chris clapped. "Well, seeing as you figure it out, you get the piece!"
The crystal statue slowly fell apart until only one piece remained floating in mid air. Gwen took it with a grin.
Confessional: Jo
"Pfft, know it all. I could have figured it out eventually."
The Blue Rats walked into a room similar to the one the Red Vultures walked into. Like before there was a statue of Chris in the center of the room.
"What an eye sore." Duncan commented.
"You would know." Courtney muttered, her arms crossed.
"So, what do we do?" Owen asked.
"The piece you seek is inside the statue." Chris said, appearing out of nowhere. "To get it you need the password."
"And what is the password?" asked Justin.
"To get it you must answer a riddle. Hopefully there are some smart individuals in this group." Said Carlos smirking.
"Just tell us what the riddle is." Said Duncan.
"All right. Here's the riddle: What has oceans and rivers with no water, forests with no tree, and cities with no buildings?"
"Hm..." Noah was in his thinking pose.
"What the hell?" Duncan raised an eye brow.
Alejandro was busy enjoying the fact that he didn't look like a robot in the VR world but his old handsome self. Anne-Maria was too busy wishing she had her hair spray with her but it was all back in the real world.
Tyler was thinking hard. "Come on...come on..."
"Don't think too hard Jock." Duncan shook his head.
"Oh, like you're not thinking?" Tyler shot back.
"A map." The entire team looked at Noah.
"Well, the book worm finally comes in handy!" Justin rolled his eyes.
"Indeed." Alejandro nodded in agreement. "Well done, Noah."
Noah simply rolled his eyes, throwing a glare at Alejandro.
Confessional: Noah
"He can't seriously think he can fool me again now that I know his eely nature? Must be a force of habit."
"Congratulations Noah! The piece is yours!" Chris exclaimed.
"You guys, came up with this riddle, right?" Owen asked.
"Do you really think Chris is smart enough to make them?" Noah asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh haha. Anyways...the piece goes to Noah!" The statue crumbled and a piece went to Noah.
Noah smirked as he took the piece.
The Yellow Hamsters entered their chamber and saw the statue.
"So, where's whatever puzzle or riddle we have to do?" Lindsay asked.
"Right in front of you." Chris answered, appearing in front of them.
"So what do we do here?" Mike asked.
"Simple. The statue behind me holds the piece you're looking for. To get it you must guess the password. So, here's my hint: What's the word that is used to scare people?"
"Just what are you on when you make up these riddles?" Heather crossed her arms.
"I cannot disclose that info, Heather."
"You looked them up off the internet, did you?" Dawn asked.
"... Shut up." Chris simply answered before getting back on the challenge at hand. "Can any of you guess the riddle or not?"
"The word that scares people is a tricky one as there are dozens of words that could be used that way." Harold answered.
Chef appeared behind Chris, wearing a black robe and holding a scythe.
"Remember . . ." Chef said snickering evilly.
"Better, hurry or he will show up." Chris chuckled.
"BOO!" Lindsay shouted happily.
Everyone looked at her wide eyed.
"Correct. I don't believe it." Chris gaped, looking at her with a shocked look.
"How'd you know?" Mike asked.
"I watch Jasper the friendly ghost all the time." Lindsay answered like it was simple.
"Okay, she got riddle right. That's what counts." Chris said, shrugging when he noticed that she got the name wrong.
The statue crumbled and the piece went to Lindsay who jumped up and down.
The Red Vultures walked into another room that was style after a cavern with floating platforms and on top of one of them was a Chris statue.
"Oh great. We'll have to solve another riddle." Jo groaned.
"Don't worry, Eva. We solved the first one right?" Cameron pointed out optimistically.
"Well, we'll see if you still have the same luck." Chris appeared in front of them.
"So what dumb riddle do we have to solve this time?" LeShawna asked.
"I assume by dumb you mean it's too complicated for your tiny brain to solve." Chris smirked as LeShawna growled. "Well, you'll all be happy to know that everyone made it past the first room as well. So, we'll see if they can solve their riddles as fast as before or will Chef make a visit. It's the same as rule as before, guess the password and get the piece inside the statue. Now here's my hint: It was a place of stability though weathered and dull supporting the wind catcher. It was Ulysses' siren pole."
"Oh, here we go again." Jo pinched the bridge of her nose. "What is it...?"
"Hm...Place of stability." Cameron said.
"Weathered and dull..." Brick added.
"Supporting the wind catcher...that's a sail I think!" Beth said. "My dad has this sail boat and I called it a 'big wind catcher' when I was like five!"
"And Ulysses'... Odysseus is another name he went by." Gwen added.
"A mast!" Beth said. "The place of stability is a mast!"
"Correct! Congratulations Beth, you win!" Chris praised. "Odysseus tied his men to a mast and stuffed wax in his ears in order to avoid being drawn to an island by Sirens! Here is your puzzle piece!"
The statue crumbled, leaving a floating piece. Beth leaped to each platform and claimed her prize.
Jo smacked her own forehead. "Dang it! I still haven't figure out a single riddle!"
The Blue Rats entered the next room and found a stone tablet in the center with a light shining down on it. In the center of the tablet were four lenses with the light shining down on the lens in the center. The lenses had different colors with random symbols on them. One was red, one was blue, one was green, and the middle one with the light shining on it was a combination of all of them.
"Welcome to the second challenge, Blue Rats." Chris appeared before them again. "To solve this puzzle you must turn the lenses not in the light so that the symbols will match the symbol in the center."
"Leave it to me." Said Alejandro said stepping forward.
"Whoa, whoa, I am in charge." Said Duncan grabbing Alejandro.
"And why should you lead?"
"Because I said so." Duncan replied stepping forward.
"Ha! You?" Courtney stomped forward. "No way will I be on a team led by you, Duncan!"
"Okay, but when Chef shows up I will not help you." Duncan shrugged, letting Courtney try to solve the puzzle.
Courtney stood at the table looking at the symbols. She turned the green and red lenses a couple of times looking at the center lenses. However, a moment passed, and she still had not solved the puzzle.
That was when Chef appeared in front of her, swinging his scythe and cutting her, making her scream. Her form fizzled and vanished.
"And Courtney has been ejected from the challenge!" Chris announced, a projection on the wall showing Courtney climbing out of her pod.
Confessional: Duncan
"Okay, I may have somehow knew that would happen…" Duncan stopped mid-sentence as he laughed. "Okay, I was counting on it. The perfect way to get Courtney out of the way was to let her screw up so Chef would attack her. Now if we lose, she's on the chopping block for elimination."
"So, who will take their chances?"
"I should do it. I love solving puzzles!" Sierra called out, jumping up and down.
"Sure, go ahead." Duncan shrugged, not really caring.
Sierra jumped forward and spun the symbols until they matched the center symbol.
"Correct."
"Yay!" Sierra shouted jumping up and down. "For Cody!"
The table cracked open to reveal the next piece that was given to Sierra.
"How did you do that?" Duncan asked, amazed.
"I just imagined the symbol was Cody's face and it all came together!" Sierra answered, still jumping up and down, holding her puzzle piece.
The Yellow Hamsters entered the next room, noticing that pile of weapons in front of them. At the same time, the Red Vultures entered a similar looking room that had its own pile of weapons.
"What are these for?" Mike/Cameron asked.
"Well, to show we're not going easy on anyone we're having you face a monster." Chris answered, appearing in front of them.
"What?!" Most of them yelled.
"A monster of our own design. The good news is that you won't have to worry about Chef showing up in the middle of the fight."
There was a flash of light behind Chris that blinded everyone for a second. They opened their eyes to see . . . same monster that Chef controlled in one of the beginning episodes of Total Drama Action, only now it wasn't as big as before. But it was still larger than any of them.
"Good luck. Use the weapons we have given you to fight." Chris said before disappearing.
The monster roared and charged at them.
They rolled out of the way and LeShawna picked up a large hammer.
Gwen picked up a scythe.
Bridgette picked up two katana swords while Geoff held up an axe. Each of them smirked remembering their fights on Lyoko.
The monster swung its claws at LeShawna, but she blocked with her hammer. The monster then attacked with its other claws forcing LeShawna to jump back. Geoff yelled as he jumped into the air and slashed at the beast. The monster breathed fire scorched Jo and Brick as they tried to attack and help while at the same time, DJ blocked the blast of fire from the monster attacking his team with a pair of shields now attached to his arms.
Jo climbed out of her pod, growling in frustration. Nearby Brick was groaning as his own pod opened. Courtney was at the main console with Chris and Chef, watching as the other teams fought the monsters with crossed arms and a scowl on her face.
"Take this!" In a surprising performance of aerobatics, Gwen spun through the air and her scythe made contact with the monster's neck, cutting it off.
The monster instantly dissolved into a shower of 1s and 0s as Gwen landed on the ground.
"Oh yeah! That's how we roll!" LeShawna pumped a fist in the air, cheering with the rest of the team.
Confessional: Zoey
"Did you see that? Those four just took down a giant monster and they made it look so easy! I guess that's what happens when you compete on Total Drama for more than one season!"
LeShawna, Gwen, Geoff, and Bridgette looked at each other as they thought over how well they took out that monster. Perhaps all their time on Lyoko gave them better reflexes since Chris' monster was nothing compared to minions of XANA.
A small piece was all that remained off the monster.
Bridgette walked over and picked it up. "All right, the second piece."
Meanwhile, the monster that had confronted the Yellow Hamsters fell to the ground, defeated by none other than DJ.
"Wow." Harold marveled at how easily the gentle giant of the team took down the monster, even if it was a digitally made monster.
Heather was surprised too as she had never seen DJ so ready to fight before…
And it was terrifying!
Dawn walked over and picked up the next piece. "We have our second piece."
As for the Blue Rats, they managed to take down their own monsters, thanks to the team having members like Duncan, Lightning, Owen, Sierra and Alejandro.
All three teams entered the final room from different parts of it. The room was huge beyond belief, so huge they couldn't see the walls or ceiling, only fog.
"Welcome to the final room! In this challenge teams must make it to the central spire and retrieve the final piece of Chris' Face!" Chris appeared before the three teams. "What a great prize, eh? The way to the tower is taken by going through the maze."
As if by magic the central tower was revealed as one that was ten times as high as the hundreds around it.
"The first team to grab it and form Chris' face with the other pieces wins! You can steal the final piece from the other teams if you're fast enough, and they can steal it from you. Good luck!" Chris finished and faded out.
"Well, let's go!" Heather said.
"Good luck, Heather! You'll need it!" Alejandro waved at her.
Confessional: Alejandro
"While I admit I learned my lesson after what happened to me last season I think I am entitled to some payback at Heather. So, I will pretend to be friendly with her and when she trusts me she'll be sliding down the Pipe of Losers. I just need to regain my team's trust since they're all still mad at me about what happened last season." Alejandro spoke to the camera. "Hmm, it's nice that they have a confessional in the simulation. Beats talking in that robot."
"We'll be out of this maze in no time at all." Harold said confidently.
"Oh, yeah? How are you so sure?" asked Heather from behind.
"Because I have a perfect sense of direction." Harold answered.
"Whatever." Heather scoffed.
What they didn't realize is that while Harold was supposedly leading, Katie stepped on something that triggered a trap. A door slammed shut in front of them and behind them.
"Nice going! You just trapped us!" Heather shouted at Katie who stepped back.
"So how do we get out?" Katie asked with a nervous look on her face.
"Well, Eva could try to punch through the door or there might be a switch somewhere around here. A secret door in the wall, ceilings, or floor." Mike suggested.
Dawn walked to the wall on her right and began pressing her hands against the wall. "Come on. See if there is a switch anywhere."
"Oh great, what now?" Duncan asked as walking skeletons appeared as they walked through the maze.
The skeletons were carrying rusty swords and shields. Owen screamed in fear as they approached.
"Walking skeletons! Bring it on!" Sierra as she took a karate stance. "I will find and save you, Cody!"
"Have no fear, my team. We shall defeat these walking bones." Said Alejandro holding up his fists.
"Whatever." Said Duncan getting ready to fight.
The skeletons charged. They were pathetically weak as Alejandro and Duncan only had to punch them in the head once to get rid of them. Sierra yelled as she sent heads, ribs, arms, and legs flying. Even Justin helped out a bit seeing how easy it was. Owen let out a battle cry as he charged forward.
He rammed through the army of skeletons allowing Team Chris to continue through the maze.
"Well, that was easy." Owen said before he stepped on something in the floor.
A trap door opened, and they fell in.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Meanwhile the Red Vultures were having better luck as they came out of the maze and into a room. In the center of the room was the final piece.
"Oh, yeah. We win this time baby!" said LeShawna as she walked to get the piece.
Suddenly an evil laughter was heard as Chef appeared in the middle room.
"Why are you here? We made it." Said Geoff.
"Yeah, but like all good games you need to have a boss fight. You want the piece you have to get through me." Said Chef holding up a scythe.
"Okay, bring it." Said LeShawna.
Owen screamed as he fell into the room the Yellow Hamsters was trapped nearly landing on Heather.
"Owen?"
Duncan and the others landed on top of him.
"CODY!" Sierra happily cried as she ran up to Cody, hugging him tightly.
"Where did you guys come from?" Scott asked.
"We were fighting these skeletons when Owen stepped on a trap and we fell in here." Said Noah getting up.
"Great. Looks like we lose." Heather grunted as she got out from under Owen.
"Heather, now is not the time to despair." Said Alejandro stepping between them. "We must now all work together to find a way out."
"No argument from me." Duncan replied.
Noah looked up and noticed the trap door was still open. "I think we just found a way out."
"How?" asked Katie.
"If we can get up through that door we can get out."
"But we can't climb the walls." Cody pointed out.
"Not the walls. We make a human ladder. If all of us do it than the person on top can make it up and pull the rest up." Noah reasoned.
"That's a good plan." Harold nodded in agreement.
"Indeed." Said Alejandro smirking.
"But who goes to the top?" asked Eva.
"I will." Heather volunteered.
"I say Cody goes to the top!" said Sierra raising Cody's hand.
"We'll start with Owen at the bottom. No offence Owen but I don't think any of us could hold you up." Noah said to his best friend.
"None taken." Owen replied smiling.
"Eva, you're one of the strongest on this team so you might have to be at the bottom to hold us up too." Noah looked to Eva.
"No problem."
"I can be at the bottom too." Said Tyler.
"No way!" Nearly everyone shouted at once.
"Cody and Noah are the smallest and lightest so they can be at the top. They can pull up the person beneath them and they help pull up the rest of us." Sam added.
"I'll be at the bottom as well." Said Alejandro.
"Me and the other pretty boy too." Said Duncan.
"I guess it would be a chance to show off my handsome muscles." Said Justin smiling.
Confessional: Justin
"I know that my looks got me in trouble during the second season and I learned my lesson. But I can't stand the idea of being a has-been with Alejandro around." Said Justin.
"Just get on with it." Said Noah.
Owen, Alejandro, Eva, Duncan, DJ, Lightning and Justin lined up.
"Okay, Sam, Scott, Tyler and B are next. Heather, Katie, Dawn, after us followed by Sierra along with one of the last two." Noah instructed. "And I might as well let Cody take the top."
It took a lot of effort but they formed a human pyramid with Cody reaching for the edge of the trap door. A lot of grunts were heard as they struggled to hold up the pyramid.
"I got it!" Cody shouted as he grabbed the edge.
He pulled himself up and then reached down to pull up Noah much to Sierra's disappointment, but she smiled as Cody grabbed her hand. Heather was next and Katie grabbed her ankles as they pulled her up. Dawn grabbed Katie's ankles and Anne-Maria was next. One by one they were pulled out as they grabbed the ankles of the person above them until Owen was last. With Eva pulling the line they managed to pull him up with great difficulty.
They all were on the ground gasping for breath.
"Well, we're out." Cody said in amazement.
"Now let's hope that we can avoid anymore traps." Said Heather glaring at Harold.
Confessional: Harold
"You'd think that was a burn, but I know Heather is just trying to motivate me to do better which I shall endeavor to try."
Sadie screamed as Chef pulled out a large scythe, grinning evilly. However, LeShawna, Bridgette, Geoff and Gwen still had their weapons. LeShawna swung her hammer which Chef blocked with her scythe. He shoved her back as Geoff swung his axe, but he was batted away easily.
Bridgette ducked under a swing and tried to stab Chef but he dodged and tried to hit her. Gwen jumped and pushed her out of the way while blocking Chef's scythe with her own.
LeShawna held out her hammer.
"Get the piece. I'll take care of this."
"Okay." Said Bridgette.
They ran forward but Chef chuckled.
"What's so funny?" asked LeShawna.
"You can't win something during a boss fight. Don't you know anything?" asked Chef.
Bridgette was about to reach the piece when a trap door opened. She fell in screaming.
"Bridge!" shouted Geoff jumping in after her.
"Guys, wait!" Gwen shouted.
"What do we do?" cried Sadie.
"We have to beat Chef." Gwen turned around, facing Chef with a look of determined anger on her face.
"Alright, go high, I'll go low!" LeShawna had an evil smirk on her face as they charged at once.
Gwen leaped up and tackled Chef but only succeeded in making him stumble a bit. Hanging onto Chef by his shoulders, Gwen struggled to hold on. Sadie leaped forward and grabbed one of his arms and hang off of it, weighing him down as he struggled to move when suddenly LeShawna attacked...
CRACK!
Chef stiffened, bit his lip, one eye twitching, and then let out a high-pitched squeal before he fell over. "Mommy..."
"AND CHEF IS DOWN!" Chris announced.
"Let's play a few re-runs of that." Chris said before the viewing audience saw the image of LeShawna's attack.
"And look at that, she's swinging her hammer," LeShawna reared back her hammer. "Man, she's one hell of a golf player! And Chef doesn't see it and-"
CRACK!
LeShawna slammed her hammer into Chef's groin. "And freeze!" It showed chef's face. "Man, look at that face! A combination of shock and pain!"
It continued, and Chef whimpered. "Mommy." He collapsed.
"And the big man goes down!"
"I wanted to do that for so long after all that disgusting slop you fed us! Call us Canadians too soft after that!" LeShawna glared at the screen. "Yes, I'm talking to you."
The final piece fell into LeShawna's grasp.
LeShawna, Gwen, and Cameron put their pieces together, forming the most hated host's face.
"THE RED VULTURES WIN!"
"Game over." A smooth female voice said before the game ended and the campers woke up in the real world.
"Yeah! WOO!" Geoff leaped out of his pod. "I've never loved games so much until now."
"The Red Vultures win the second challenge of Total Drama Reality." Chris said.
"Who was the runner up then?" Beth asked.
"Well, Blue Rats and Yellow Hamsters were trapped in the same chamber after Katie stepped on the trap that caught the Hamsters and Owen activated the trap door. Last I checked it was Noah's plan as part of the Blue Rats that got you out so the Blue Rats avoid elimination thanks to Noah's resourcefulness!" Chris said. "And the Yellow Hamsters...it looks like you're sending somebody home tonight."
"Everybody! Here are the report cards!" Chris said as he addressed the Yellow Hamsters. "In school they can impress or enrage your parents to the point where your social life looks bleak, but here it represents life and death. The one whose name is found on the most report cards will be going on the Jet of Losers back to Canada. For those who have the Chris trophies I will hand out based on these cards, you get to stay for another three days."
Confessional: Heather
"I'm stuck on this team with no one to make an alliance with. The only person who might be worth anything is Harold and that's not much. However, I know that one of us is completely invalid and stuck in a useless chair while another was the one who got us stuck in that room."
Confessional: Lindsay
"I wanna win the million so I can spend it on a lifetime supply of lip gloss, but I forgot how hard this is! Never thought I'd say it, but… No lip gloss is worth this!"
Confessional: Scott
"…"
Beep!
Confessional: B
"…."
Confessional: DJ
"Harold did all right but it's a real toss up on who to pick. There's Heather or that Scotty guy but at the same time, we got stuck in the room because of-"
Confessional: Dawn
"I fear the majority of the team has voted for-"
Chris opened and read each Report Card. "Let's see who stays...first trophy goes to... Harold."
Harold caught the first trophy.
"Heather."
"Ow! I can't use my arms!" Heather shouted, the trophy that hit her on the head cluttering onto the ground.
"DJ."
DJ smiled as he caught the next trophy.
"Dawn."
Dawn's expression was neutral as she caught hers.
"B."
"Eva."
"Scott."
BANG!
Scott's trophy hit the trauma chair he was still trapped in.
"Cody."
"Sam."
"Mike."
"Dakota."
One trophy remained.
"Lindsay, Katie, one of you is done this season." Chris held up the final trophy.
For dramatic effect he waited several seconds, his hand going from Lindsay to Katie and back again.
"Lindsay!"
Both girls groaned for their own reasons as the last trophy was tossed to Lindsay. Katie started crying as she was led to the Pipe of Losers.
"The second challenge of this season is over. Will the Yellow Hamsters get back on their feet? Will the Red Vultures keep up their record-breaking winning streak? Find out next time on Total, Drama Reality!"
(Credits)
Chapter 29: Episode 29: Therapy
Summary:
Following the end of the day's episode, Dawn invites the TD Lyoko Warriors to take part in a therapy session to better them adjust to their double roles but things quickly go south. Meanwhile, Lindsay remembers something important.
Chapter Text
(Code Total Drama Reality Introduction Song Starts)
(This Game (From 'No Game No Life'))
The intro begins with the sun rising over the city of Paris, before the camera angles down on Kadic Academy. Stepping into view is Aelita, standing at the school gates as she looks up and watches as dark clouds suddenly cover the sky. Her eyes widen as she suddenly morphs into her Lyoko form, energy fields appearing in her hands.
William appears next, a dark copy of him, resembling his Lyoko form as a warrior of XANA appearing behind him, both clashing their swords, causing a flash of light as the title appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(I never wanted to be)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors appear with her as they are surrounded by the monsters of XANA.
(Another gear in that corrupted world's machine)
A giant bird appears above the city, letting out a loud screech.
(All my life felt like a dream)
One by one, the Lyoko Warriors enter the scanners and the doors closed, a ring of light traveling up their bodies as the camera shows and alternates each Lyoko Warrior before they vanish in a flash of light.
(I was never who I really wanted me to be)
Vehicles resembling a hovercraft, a board, a motorcycle appear with new vehicles resembling a sled and a hoverbike with a jet engine appears, carrying the Lyoko Warriors off as they are surrounded by monsters that begin shooting lasers at them.
(But then God shattered that dream's cage)
Four towers, each in a separate sector begins to glow red with monsters and an armored figure leading the monsters. Aelita lands on the platform and places her hand on the screen.
(And rose me up to a new stage)
The Total Drama contestants founds themselves back in the studio, their fellow contestants gathered with them as Chris laughs
(Cut it away like a sharp knife)
He gestures to the screens, showing them all in challenges…
(No, no, No Game No Life)
With each of them suffering a variety of misfortunes: Gwen vomits on Duncan, a soccer ball explodes in Bridgette's face, Geoff yells as a missile chases after him.
(Now suddenly there's a new twist)
Geoff's yelling suddenly stops and he changes into his Lyoko form, brandishing his weapons that cut the missile in half, causing the two pieces to fly past Geoff and explodes behind him.
(A reason to really exist)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors assume their Lyoko forms and battle down various monsters, some of them belonging to XANA and some are different but dangerous.
(I wanna breathe in the fame)
From legions of monsters, comes Men in Black, giant spaceships aiming their cannons down on the bewildered Lyoko Warriors.
(As this whole new world cheers my name)
The camera zooms in on the lead space ship as it prepares to fire.
(I'll never leave it to fate)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors are shown running through the streets of France, the sky darkening and the Eye of XANA appearing on every monitor they pass.
(And when I see a chance I'll pave the way)
They reach the factory, sliding down the ropes and reaching the elevator.
(I'll call checkmate)
The elevator reaches the scanner room, Aelita and William waiting for them.
(This is the time to breakthrough)
The Lyoko Warriors then gather before a scanner, the camera facing them inside with the group staring at it critically. A hand reaches up, giving them a thumbs-up before the scanner doors close.
(So I'll rewrite the story and I'll finally change all the rules)
The Lyoko Warriors are now gathered in the Forest Sector of Lyoko, suddenly separated by a crescent shaped wave of red energy and out of the flames emerges a humanoid warrior in dark armor, their face covered by a horned helmet and the Eye of XANA on its chest and forehead.
(We are MAVERICK)
William charges forward, his large sword clashing against the equally sized weapon of Shadow, both glaring hatefully at each other.
(We won't give in until we win this game)
Both disappear into white and black smoke before we then see Bridgette in the Ice Sector, battling a giant monster resembling a polar bear.
(Though I don't know what tomorrow holds)
The monster is about to cut Bridgette down with its claws before a blast of pure lightning blasts it to pieces.
(I'll make a bet and play my cards to win this game)
The origin of the attack is revealed to be Geoff, holding a giant axe instead of his chakrams as he charges forward to help Bridgette, a look of determination replacing his normal carefree smile.
(Unlike the rest I'll do my best)
A pair of Wasps are shown chasing Dawn who is on the Overwing before Gwen shoots up, her cape morphing into bat like wings as she slashes through the Wasps with her scythe.
(And I won't ever lose)
A pair of Krabs fire on her but DJ's barrier saves her before Cameron flies down and blasts the Krabs with his arm cannons.
(To give up this chance would be a deadly sin)
LeShawna is then staring up at the hulking form of the Kolossus as it approaches her.
(So let's bet it all)
Gripping her hammer tightly, LeShawna charges to meet the biggest of XANA's monsters head on.
(I put all my faith in us)
Aelita is then shown in a red version of Sector 5, turning to glare at the Avatar of XANA who smirks back at her.
(So let the games begin)
Aelita readies her energy field and charges at XANA who summons his own sword, clashing with Aelita's energy fields. Pink and red energy erupt from their clash, covering the screen in white before changing to a black screen with blue lines of coding filling it and the title appearing on last time:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(This Game (From 'No Game No Life') Ends)
Episode 29: Therapy
From the digital realm that he dwelled XANA had watched the latest episode. So, none of his current enemies were eliminated from the show. Well, there will be another chance if his new plans fail. Closing the screen that showed the latest episode of Total Drama Reality he looked to another screen that was his latest project.
He smirked as he looked over the design. He inputted the commands into the console and launched the program. The screen was showing designs for new monsters to fight alongside their older comrades. Sitting on top of a platform overlooking a river of lava XANA was already preparing his newest attack. Shadow appeared out of a stream of black smoke.
"The time to strike is near, Shadow." He said as inputted the command and his newest monsters materialized below them.
They growled as they bowed.
"These are the newest monsters?" asked Shadow.
"These ones are different from the other ones. Take them and test their power in battle." XANA said turning to face Shadow.
"With pleasure."
DJ heard a sad sigh and turned around to see Lindsay trailing behind the rest of the team as they returned from the Elimination Ceremony. "Lindsay, are you okay?"
"I am but…I was kind of hoping I would be eliminated." Lindsay confessed.
"You? Why?" DJ asked, surprised to hear this from Lindsay.
Sure, she wasn't the most motivated to win but she was by no means a quitter either.
"Well, I kind of want to win the million but I forgot how hard this was." Lindsay admitted. "I'm kind tired of Total Drama."
DJ blinked. He had not been expecting to hear this from Lindsay of all people.
"I mean, sure, winning the money would be nice and all but here we are getting tortured by Chris for the fourth time. But honestly, I don't think it's worth the effort, especially if I have to deal with Heather again." Lindsay confessed. "Even if she is stuck in a wheelchair, teasing her about it would be just mean."
"Wow. That's very nice of you, Lindsay." DJ remarked with a smile.
"Thanks." Lindsay smiled back.
"I wish I could say the same, but I got to stay and do what I can. Momma and I are still in debt from the law suits we got and…"
And he had to stay to help Aelita stop XANA, but he couldn't tell Lindsay that. Honestly, between Total Drama and Lyoko it was hard to tell which was harder. DJ doubted that poor Lindsay would be able to handle the stress of being both a Total Drama contestant and a Lyoko Warrior.
"Perhaps before you go, you should consider meeting with Tyler." A voice said from behind, causing DJ and Lindsay to jump and spin around.
Dawn stood behind them, a look of tranquility on her face as usual.
"Dawn?" DJ asked.
"It would mean the world to him if you came by to see him." Dawn continued.
However, Lindsay didn't look to happy at the idea. In fact, she looked she was about to cry.
"Lindsay? Are you okay?" DJ asked upon seeing how sad the blond looked.
"Tyler…and I…we broke up!" Lindsay broke down and cried.
DJ's eyes went wide, and he quickly hugged Lindsay. "Oh, I'm so sorry. What happened?"
"I met with his parents…and I forgot his name." Lindsay wept as she cried into DJ's shirt. "Things got so awkward, and I know his parents asked him to stop seeing me. Tyler stopped calling me, stopped seeing me…"
"Oh Lindsay…" DJ wasn't sure what to say.
The problem with being a Total Drama contestant was that you couldn't stay in touch with fellow contestants that you consider friends as easily as you could while being on the show. Thus, DJ knew he had no way of knowing how things were going in the personal lives of his closest friends as much as he would have wanted to know.
"And the worst part I couldn't remember until you just said his name right now. I forgot again, just like season two when I flirted with Justin and then in season three when I didn't even remember he was there until Germany." Lindsay continued crying. "I'm a horrible girlfriend."
"No, you are not." Dawn stepped forward, rubbing Lindsay's back. "I did not mean to upset you like this. But you still have time to go see him."
"You're right." Lindsay pulled away from DJ. "I have to talk to him."
With that, Lindsay ran off and headed for the Blue Rats' dorm.
DJ stood up, noting how wet his shirt looked now. "Oh man, I can't believe it. I knew those two were close, but I didn't think…"
"Neither did I. I knew there was a blue patch in Lindsay's aura that said she was sad about something, but I pushed too far." Dawn admitted with a saddened face. "Lindsay's mind and aura make it hard for me to accurately predict her actions."
"Trust me, you're not the only one. We're all a little stressed out now." DJ admitted. "I'm surprised we're able to handle it so well."
Dawn had a thoughtful look on her face.
Aelita looked over the lines of code as she activated her tracer program. She bit her lip as it began to follow the trail XANA had left when he sent her friends through those portals. The bad news was there were more than two hundred Replikas now, double the number of what there had been when they stopped XANA two years ago.
Any one of them could have Odd, Ulrich and Yumi.
And that wasn't even taking into account if any of them was the supercomputer that XANA had used to hide himself.
She remembered what XANA had said before.
"Did it really never occur to any of you, not even you Jeremy that I would not anticipate such a plan? To use a multi-agent system to destroy another multi-agent system? You believe yourselves to be so intelligent that you couldn't comprehend the idea that not only as a multi-agent system but as an artificial intelligence I would not recognize a threat to me? No, I knew what you had planned, and I even anticipated it long before you had even considered it." XANA spoke with satisfaction. "I knew from the moment when Jeremy created that program, he had designated as the Marabounta that he would eventually return to that idea when you all realized the number of Replikas I had created. I planned every step of what happened leading up to the last confrontation. The XANA that was destroyed was a copy. A powerful one that could have evolved as I do, but a copy none the less."
"As our battles continued, I realized that as long as my creator was alive, I would always be watching over my back for him, which is why I continued to try to toss Aelita into the Digital Sea, so he would come into the open to rescue her and allow me to dispatch him. But you kept on interfering, so I had to make an alternate plan. Remember your trip to the Siberian Base? It was there you discovered the key programs needed to release William from me and where you discovered the hundreds of supercomputers I controlled when I made my strongest creation, the one you had named the Kolossus." XANA continued. "At that point, Jeremy realized he needed to find a faster way to destroy all of my replicas to destroy me. And what did he come up with? A virus of his own to destroy me, a multi-agent system that would spread all over the network and specifically wipe out anything that had to do with me. So, I left the network...I put myself into a computer and disguised myself as another program and waited as my copy did battle with you making you all believe I was making my last stand."
XANA could see the horror slowly beginning to dawn on their faces, especially Aelita's.
"I disconnected the supercomputer of course; I counted on your persistence being my copy's downfall. All I needed to do was let you have William's freedom restored and then you would use the program to destroy me...I applaud you all for the roles you played up to this point, but now I shall not allow myself to be a victim of such plans this time around." XANA finished, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.
It couldn't have just been a Replika…
It had to have been something the multi-agent program couldn't have detected, even if XANA hadn't have disconnected it from the network.
A screen showed up showing new lines of data.
"That must be how he did it. There might be a way to track him through this." She muttered.
She was thankful that none of her new friends and allies were sent home today. It would be blow to them if one was sent home at this time.
"Tyler? Tyler!"
Sierra's ears perked up and she slightly opened the door of her room, peeking out into the hallway to see Lindsay at Tyler's door, knocking anxiously.
"Tyler, are you there?"
"Will you knock it off already?!" The door to Courtney's room opened and the CIT stepped out. "Some of us are trying to get some sleep here!"
"I just need to talk to Tyler!" Lindsay replied.
"Well do it tomorrow!" Courtney barked before slamming her door shut.
Lindsay looked at Tyler's door again with a tearful face. "Tyler…"
Sierra watched as Lindsay walked with a miserable face.
Confessional: Sierra
"It seems there is trouble with one of the power couples of season one, Lindsay and Tyler." Sierra noted. "Another thing to watch carefully."
The Lyoko members of the Red Vultures were sitting in the common room when Gwen walked in.
"So, who did they send home?" LeShawna asked.
"Katie."
"Katie?!" Sadie cried.
"Yeah, I think they did it because she stepped on the switch that opened the trap door." Gwen commented with a sympathetic look on her face.
"Poor girl." Geoff said sadly.
"Yeah." Bridgette agreed sadly as she looked at the crying Sadie as she took off running to her bedroom.
Everyone knew that she never took her friend leaving so well.
"Perhaps I can be of some help." A voice said behind Gwen, causing her to turn around and see…
"Dawn?" Gwen raised an eyebrow. "What brings you here?"
"There is a cloud of depression and sadness amongst most of the teams. I wonder if I should offer some assistance in trying to alleviate that sadness." Dawn stated.
"Huh?"
"Are you offering to be a therapist?" LeShawna asked.
"Of course not. Therapists are people you pay to listen to you and try to sort out your problems." Dawn shook her head with a smile. "But I thought my role this season would be to help certain people who are experiencing certain…problems or hardships."
Translation: she wanted to help them sort through the stress of being a Lyoko Warrior.
It wasn't hard to figure out since being a Lyoko Warrior was a secret she now shared with them and she had shared the hardships they had recently endured.
Perhaps a little therapy could help…
Gwen blinked as she shared a look with LeShawna, Bridgette and Geoff. "I mean…it might be good to talk."
"Splendid." Dawn nodded with a smile. "If you follow me outside."
Dawn led them out to a small clearing where DJ and Lindsay were already waiting for them, Dawn gesturing them to sit in a circle.
"Hey, guys." DJ waved the group over with a friendly smile.
"Hey, Deej. So, Dawn convinced you to try this?" Geoff asked as he sat down.
"Well, not at the beginning but when Lindsay suddenly remembered…" DJ trailed off as he looked at Lindsay who sniffled.
"Lindsay, are you okay?" Bridgette asked with a concerned face.
"No, I'm not, Bree." Lindsay shook her head.
Bridgette didn't have the heart to correct her since it seemed Lindsay had been crying for a good while. "What happened?"
"You don't have to answer if you don't want to, Lindsay. This is a safe circle and anything you say will not leave it, whether you choose to answer or not." Dawn said softly as she crossed her legs. "Just take a deep breath and if you want to talk, feel free to so at your own pace."
Lindsay sniffed but took a deep breath as Dawn suggested. "…I…I forgot Tyler and I broke up."
"What?" Geoff gaped while Bridgette and Gwen gasped.
"Girl, what happened?" LeShawna asked.
"After season three or maybe after I did that cameo in season four…Tyler took me to meet his parents and I…I forgot his name in the middle of dinner." Lindsay tearfully answered, managing to keep herself from breaking down again. "After that, things were so awkward and then…Tyler stopped talking to me. He ignored my calls and then I…forgot we broke up and I forgot him again because we stopped seeing each other."
"Oh Lindsay…" Bridgette reached over and rubbed Lindsay's back. "I'm so sorry."
"And that's not the worst part." Lindsay continued. "…I…I tried voting myself off."
"Huh?" Practically the whole group besides DJ and Dawn were surprised.
"Why?" Gwen asked with a perplexed look on her face.
"Because I'm so tired of Total Drama…Sure, the money would be great, but I forgot how hard this show is. I didn't want to deal with all the drama anymore and I tried voting myself off…but I didn't get eliminated." Lindsay rubbed her eyes. "And I didn't remember Tyler until Daw suggested I go see him. But when I went to see him…He wouldn't even answer me!"
Lindsay covered her face as the waterworks started up again, causing Bridgette to hug her.
"Oh Lindsay…" The surfer girl softly whispered as she let her fellow blond cry into her shoulder.
"So, Tyler never once answered?" Geoff asked and Lindsay shook her head while it was still buried into Bridgette's shoulder. "That's rotten! You forgot his name plenty of times before and he managed to handle it."
"But this was with his parents, Jiff. His parents." Lindsay lifted her head to look at Geoff. "I messed up big time."
"Still…" Geoff started but stopped when he saw Bridgette shake her head.
"As you can see, Lindsay's troubles have led me to make this little circle here and invite others who might have their own problems." Dawn stated to the group who nodded in agreement. "So, does anyone have anything they want to get off their chest?"
LeShawna, DJ, Geoff, Bridgette and Gwen shared glances, knowing they couldn't talk about Lyoko with Lindsay present. No one noticed that Sierra was watching behind some bushes but was too far away to hear anything.
She had her phone out and started recording. "Sierra's Blog, Total Drama Date: Year 3, Month 8, Day 8, I have tracked the suspicious group to outside the studio where they are meeting with fellow contestant Dawn and Lindsay for reasons not yet known."
"Well, I hope this season I don't hurt an animal like last season. I think the curse is all gone now." DJ rubbed the back of his head. "That's a huge relief."
"I hope I can play this season right and not make any huge mistakes like I did in season three." Bridgette remarked with a saddened look on her face.
Knowing what his girlfriend was talking about, Geoff wrapped an arm around her and hugged her tightly.
"I'm just glad for once I'm not on the same team as Heather." Gwen offered honestly. "That's kind of a load off my mind."
"Oh yeah, you are so lucky." Lindsay sighed. "Though, she's not causing too much trouble these days since she's still in a wheelchair."
"Right. She tried stealing last season's millions and wound up crashing into the lake." LeShawna chuckled. "Man, that was epic."
"It's bad karma to take joy in other people's suffering, LeShawna." Dawn lightly scolded.
"Hey, she's taken joy in everyone's suffering, especially the ones caused by her. I'm not out to add more but I'm not sorry about feeling a bit happy she got what was coming to her." LeShawna shrugged.
"It's true." Lindsay nodded happily. "After everything she's done, she's got no sympathy from me."
"She was pretty harsh on everyone." Geoff admitted.
"Tell me about it." Gwen rolled her eyes.
It was safe to say that very few people felt sorry about Heather and the state she ended up in. It was hard not to since she had been awful in general to just about everyone. Even if they supported her winning World Tour, that was only because they preferred her winning over Alejandro and that was after Cody had been eliminated whom they had all supported in the beginning.
"I see Heather remains a sore subject for you all." Dawn noted.
"That's one way to put it." LeShawna replied with a scowl.
"So why did you support her during the finale of season three?" Dawn then asked.
"Cause of Alejandro." Geoff growled while Bridgette scowled. "The…dude was awful. Way worse than Heather ever was! At least she never tried to hide how nasty she is but him…he messed with the girls and caused all the backstabbing. I'm not sorry for him being stuck in that robot suit."
"That's a little dark, Geoff." DJ commented.
"Yeah, well Ale-jerko just brings that out in me." Geoff grumbled as Bridgette patted him on the shoulder. "And he got of worse than Heather did."
"Don't feel bad. He's an absolute bastard." LeShawna angrily said. "I have no idea why he's even here. He can't do anything in that robot suit and even if he's hooked up to a pod, everyone knows his act now. He'll be lucky not to be voted off if his team loses."
"I must admit, when I saw what happened to Scott during last season's finale, I did laugh but now I feel like his karma was perhaps too excessive given that he will likely never recover from his injuries." Dawn admitted, looking a little ashamed now. "By all accounts, he's only a head now attached to a machine, perhaps even worse than Alejandro."
"Didn't he cause most of the eliminations including yours and framed you?" Geoff asked.
"He did." Dawn nodded truthfully. "Perhaps I was feeling too vindictive at the time but given what has happened to him now, I can only feel sorry for him. Or perhaps it was because when I saw his aura, I could feel he didn't have the love and care of a mother as much as he should have as a child. This is what blinded me to his darker tendencies."
"You really have this soul reading down, don't you?" Gwen asked, looking interested now.
"It is a gift that was passed down to me." Dawn answered. "I have been able to see the auras of everyone I meet, communicate with animals and if I focus hard enough, I can even levitate."
"Really?" Gwen raised an eyebrow.
"Hmm…You are skeptic but not too skeptic. Possibly because you have seen enough to challenge your original perception of normal." Dawn noted from Gwen's aura. "Your aura is a shade of dark blue, bordering on midnight. It symbolizes knowledge, power and seriousness but also a hint of sadness and contemplation."
Gwen blinked. "Is that so?"
"Indeed." Dawn nodded. "You are a serious person but a few lighter shades, possibly aqua suggest you have a desire to protect something and that you have begun to open yourself up."
"Wow…That is so cool." Lindsay noted with an intrigued smile. "Can you do me?"
"Of course. Your aura is a white which represent innocence, purity and light." Dawn answered.
"Aw, that is so sweet!" Lindsay gushed. "White's not exactly my color but it's still sweet."
"However, there is a shade of blue that represent sadness." Dawn noted. "I believe this is connected with Tyler."
Lindsay's smile faded away and she looked crestfallen. "Oh…That makes sense."
"But there is still time to try and fix things." Dawn reminded. "If you persist and try to stay in the game a little longer, maybe you and Tyler will fix things."
"You're…You're…You're absolutely right!" Lindsay stood up with a determined expression on her face now. "I can't let things between me and Tyler end like this! Okay, I'll stay a little longer and I won't rest until I make things right!"
With that, Lindsay ran back to the studio.
"Look at her go." LeShawna marveled. "Normally it would a free sale of lip gloss to make that girl run that fast."
Dawn smiled. "I believe this will help heal things with Tyler and set Lindsay on the path of a better future."
"So, was this all for Lindsay or did you plan on adding all of us into this for…obvious reasons?" Bridgette asked, looking back and forth. "And if so, where is Cameron?"
"It is." Dawn nodded. "As for Cameron, I told him, but he declined since he wanted to continue studying Lyoko. Aelita was kind enough to allow him to set up a connection with the supercomputer."
Dawn was correct as even now, Cameron was studying Lyoko's files and coding and suffice to say it was beyond anything he could have imagined.
A virtual world inside a super advanced computer was one thing.
But the sheer complexity of it…
'To think all of this was made in the nineties.' Cameron thought to himself.
Still, he was studying all of this because he wanted to help Aelita and he was quickly recognizing the threat that XANA posed to not only her, but humanity as a whole.
'Still, I wonder what I can do to help.' He thought to himself.
Upgrade his own avatar?
Possibly but risky.
Help Aelita track XANA's movements on the Net?
Maybe.
Offer some sort of support.
He wanted to and that was why he was studying so hard.
He wanted to help…
And protect his friends, both old and new.
"I am not a fighter like you all, even if I do have a virtual form. Technology and I…we don't mix. I don't even have a cell phone." Dawn continued.
"We need to look into that." Geoff suggested. "Sorry, Dawn but having a cell phone would be easier for us all."
"William said the same thing." Dawn sighed. "The truth is, I believe my abilities are best suited here in the real world, offering my counsel to you all since the stress of being a Total Drama contestant and a Lyoko Warrior will likely rise considerably. I also hope in confronting any personal issues you have now will help you all grow stronger as the warriors Mother Earth will need."
"Personal issues? Like what?" Geoff asked.
"DJ's fear of harming animals, Bridgette's fear of separation and your fear of losing her, just to name a few." Dawn answered, looking at the three of them as she listed said issues. "Gwen's claustrophobia along with LeShawna's need for attention."
"Need for attention? I don't have a need for attention." LeShawna quickly shook her head.
"The aura does not lie, LeShawna. You have an instinctual need for attention that was nurtured by your time as a contestant on Total Drama." Dawn stated.
"Yeah we-well, that comes from being a star." LeShawna stated nervously. "There's no issue with that."
"No, there's no issue." Dawn shook her head. "But there are some issues that are a result from your time on Total Drama that could intervene in your role as a Lyoko Warrior."
"Like what?" LeShawna asked skeptically.
"…You wonder at times if you should ask Aelita to tell other people about this, especially Harold." Dawn answered.
LeShawna blinked. "Oh…Well, that thought did cross my mind a few times."
"And you're not the only one." Dawn looked at Gwen. "Isn't that right, Gwen?"
Gwen blinked, seeing all eyes on her now. "...Okay, I've wondered about asking if I could tell Duncan about it but in my defense, he's my boyfriend. I don't like keeping secrets as big as this, especially if I think he could be of some help."
"No way." Bridgette shook her head. "He can't be told about this."
Gwen looked at Bridgette with a surprised face. "Why not?"
"He's a bully and he's not trustworthy." Bridgette answered stoically. "There's no way he would keep something like this a secret or agree to help us."
"And what do you base that on?" Gwen was glaring now.
"The way he was picking on Harold in season one and two, or how he cheated on Courtney in season three…" Bridgette trailed off, but she stared hard at Gwen. "With you."
Gwen's eyes widened in shock before narrowing. "All of that is over a year ago, Bridgette and he's more trustworthy than you think."
Bridgette turned away; arms crossed. "So, you say."
"And what does that mean?" Gwen slowly asked.
"You're not exactly innocent either, Gwen." Bridgette looked back at her. "Just look at what happened with Trent and again with Duncan."
"I thought we were over that." Gwen retorted. "Have you been just hiding this the whole time?"
"I was trying to be the better person and look past all of that." Bridgette replied.
"Look past it? Look past it?" Gwen slowly repeated, her voice growing angry with each word. "…So you still want to hold this over my head, huh? Well, Bridgette there's one thing you seem to constantly forget about what happened with Trent that I couldn't just ignore."
"And that is?" Bridgette looked back at Gwen.
"Maybe we should stop." Geoff said nervously.
"No, this has to be said." Dawn suddenly spoke, holding out her hand to stop Geoff from interfering.
The goth surprised her by leaning in and saying very loudly. "HE WAS SABOTAGING HIS TEAM!"
Everyone, especially Bridgette jumped at how loud Gwen sounded in that moment.
"What was I supposed to do? Let him keep throwing challenges, get his teammates kicked off until he was the only one left?! He was spiraling out of control, and he was taking his teammates down with him! So, what I was supposed to do, Bridgette?!" Gwen asked, frustration filling her voice.
"You could have talked to him!" Bridgette argued. "That's what I did with Geoff!"
"I. DID!" Gwen argued back. "I couldn't convince him he had nothing to worry about, and I knew as long as we were in relationship it wasn't going to get better. I broke up with him because it was the only way to help him. And you didn't just talk to Geoff; you strapped him down to an electric chair and literally shocked him back to his senses!"
"W-Well, how can you say you were helping Trent?!" Bridgette glared back. "You convinced his whole team to vote him off!"
"I was cornered! Justin called me out in front of the rest of his team and blamed the entire thing on me even though I never asked Trent to do anything. I panicked, even if that's not an excuse but I knew as soon as the rest of his team knew, Trent was going to be voted off." Gwen glared back even harder. "And for trying to help him, I got blackmailed and treated as a servant by Justin and his team who had me sabotage my own team because they said I 'owed' them. And that's not the worst of it, because as soon as I am off the show, I got turned into a social pariah by people I thought were my friends, including you. That hurt even more than anything Heather, Courtney, or even Chris ever did to me."
Geoff flinched. "Yeah…Sorry about that."
"Geoff!" Bridgette looked at her boyfriend.
"What? She's right. We did put her through the ringer." Geoff shrugged.
"That's not an excuse for what she did." Bridgette argued.
"You haven't heard a word I said, have you? Then again, why should I expect that from you, Bridge? You have a history of doing that. Ignore the reasons and trying to deflect when someone calls you out on your own crap." Gwen scoffed.
"Oh yeah?" Bridgette turned back, glaring back at Gwen. "Name one time and don't say season three."
"I was going to say the finale of season one." Gwen retorted.
Bridgette blinked. "…What?"
"You supported me at the beginning of the finale but as soon as Owen said he would use the prize money to throw a party, you jumped ship and actively worked to stop me from winning." Gwen explained. "I only had LeShawna, Cody, Eva and Trent supporting me. You, one of the best friends I made, sold me down the stream for a party. Geoff and DJ I get, I wasn't as close to them as I was with you, but I never thought you wouldn't have stuck by me until that day."
"That doesn't count!" Bridgette argued.
"Yes, it does, because if our positions had been reversed and you were competing instead of me, do you think I would have switched over to Owen for a party?" Gwen asked rhetorically.
"I-"
"The answer is no! I would have supported you if Owen promised to throw ten parties!" Gwen harshly cut Bridgette off. "I cared more about our friendship than a party and we both know your boyfriend would have thrown a huge, party whether Owen got the money or not! A party that never happened by the way because two days later we're tricked into another season!"
Geoff flinched. "Oh yeah…"
"You pushed me aside just for a party instead of helping a friend and just so you know, if I had won, I would have had more than enough money to throw a party as big as the one Owen promised while still getting into college." Gwen continued, not letting Bridgette get a word in. "So really, you could have got what you wanted either way. Especially if I said no to Chris when he offered more money if I gave up the million that I could have won."
"I…I…" Bridgette was stuttering now.
"And when things went south between Trent and I, you blamed the entire thing on me even though, unless there was some heavy editing involved, everyone could see I didn't want to hurt him. The closest friends I made, went out of their way to make me out to be a monster and almost got me squashed by an anvil or tried to put me in a tank of piranhas for ratings!" Gwen was on a role now as she stood up, glaring down at Bridgette. "I got blackmailed, ostracized and I was afraid of losing the friends I made on this stupid show, but did I receive one ounce of compassion or support from the rest I thought were my friends? Outside of Cody and DJ until Trent asked you all to stop taking sides, the answer is a big fat NO!"
DJ nervously fingered the collar of his shirt as he, Geoff and LeShawna hung back while Dawn impassively continued to watch.
"That…Hurt…Bridge. And I know you sent the letter asking me what to do about, Geoff. You were worried about him going Captain Hollywood but not brave enough to ask me in front of everyone for help." Gwen pointed down on Bridgette. "And from then, you refused to talk to me and barely looked at me. Even after Trent stood up for me."
"That was because he was too nice-"
"You don't have the right to be angry on his behalf! Trent and I already sorted this out. A few days ago in fact, when I realized the danger, we were in with this Lyoko thing. We both admitted our wrongdoings and apologized. Oh, and let's get onto season three, yes, we're going there." Gwen exclaimed and changed the subject, cutting Bridgette off as she leaned down. "You cheated on your boyfriend and got left stuck to a pole. And that mistake should make you the last person to be angry with me since we're both practically the same."
"Wha-What?!" Bridgette gasped. "How are we the same?"
"You think I didn't feel regret over what happened with Trent or what went down with Duncan and Courtney?"
Bridgette was about to say something but stopped when she noticed something.
Tears were starting to come down Gwen's cheeks, even as she was glaring.
"I was beside myself with guilt after the kiss. He made his move, and I was too caught up in the moment, but I felt horrible afterwards and I knew I couldn't keep it a secret forever. I wanted to tell Courtney, and I would have preferred to do so in private because I knew when I did tell her, it was not going to be pretty. Instead, Alejandro gets Tyler to blurt it out in the middle of a challenge and things spiral downwards. And just like with Trent, I'm the scapegoat for everything that happens, and I even get called 'New Heather'." Gwen rubbed her eyes. "You of all people should have known how I felt, Bridgette but even after all this time you still judge me. Hypocritically I might add but I guess it shouldn't be a surprise since…I guess we were never really friends to start with. That's the only reason I can think of for why you keep blaming everything on me."
With that, Gwen turned around and walked back to the studio, leaving the rest of the group in the circle. Bridgette could only stare with a stunned look on her face, Geoff looked down at the ground with a guilty look, DJ just sighed and LeShawna…she could only look away.
Dawn was passive but, on the inside, she felt very guilty.
She knew that pushing this therapy circle would unearth a lot of deep, unresolved feelings that had been buried in the group but this…
'I pushed too far, too fast. I wanted to help them deal with their problems because I know…'
A giant bird screeching into the midnight sky…
Dark electrical clouds, moving through the air like dark liquid as it infected anyone it touched…
People, some that she knew and others she did not screaming in terror and panic…
A familiar looking dark-haired boy in all black wielding a large sword with a familiar symbol in embedded in the hilt…
Another familiar looking boy, hair covering one of his eyes laughing maniacally…
A dark suit of armor, wielding a red glowing sword…
Monsters of all shapes and sizes rising…
And a single eye blazing with red light…
'Things will get a lot harder if they can't work out problems in their hearts.' Dawn thought sadly to herself.
Sierra remained hidden as Gwen walked past the bushes, but Sierra noted the saddened look on her face, along with the tears. "Blog Note, Total Drama contestant Gwen is the first to leave mysterious meeting following what looks to be an argument with fellow contestant Bridgette. Was too far to pick up anything to note but will continue surveillance."
Geoff sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, that could have gone better."
Aelita yawned as she put the laptop away and got ready for bed. Unlike Jeremy she knew when to get some sleep and not torture herself by staying awake trying to help the team. Just as she was about to pull the covers over her a beeping sound was heard. Grunting in frustration she tossed the covers away and looked at the screen.
The screen was showing the super scan had detected an activated tower. Biting back a curse at how XANA had no consideration for people who were exhausted she got up and grabbed her cell phone. She just knew the others would not be happy about an attack right after the show.
Geoff heard his cell phone ringing, and he answered. "Hello?"
"Geoff, its Aelita. We have an activated tower in the Forest Sector. I need you and the others at the factory."
"On it." Geoff said.
He looked to the others.
"We have a you-know-what problem."
They sighed.
"I'll get Gwen and Cameron." Said LeShawna.
She ran to get the other two while the others snuck out. Thanks to Aelita the cameras wouldn't see them leaving and everyone was eager to rest after another episode.
Sierra continued watching, noting that Geoff had his cellphone and he was talking to someone. "Note: Contestant Geoff seems to be talking with someone, possible someone not on the Total Drama property."
William opened his eyes to the sound of his cellphone vibrating and he quickly answered. "Hello?"
"William, we have an activated tower."
Sitting up with a small grunt, William quickly rubbed his eyes. "Somehow that doesn't surprise me. You called the others?"
"I did. They'll meet us at the factory."
"Hopefully with the eight of us, we'll make it quick." William muttered before hanging up and then flinched.
Since when has it ever been easy when it comes to XANA and Lyoko?
Aelita slipped out of her room, carefully checking to make sure no one was watching before she quietly made her way down the hallway.
She didn't notice that a door slowly opened, and a single eye peeped out, watching her leave.
"Gwen?" LeShawna softly knocked on the door to Gwen's room. "Come on, girl. We have a you-know-what problem."
She made sure to be as a quiet as possible in case any nearby contestants or cameras picked up something from her voice.
"Gwen?"
The door slowly opened, and she could see Gwen staring through the crack with red rimmed eyes. "Oh honey…"
"I don't think I can help, LeShawna." The goth softly said.
"Gwen, let's have a talk." LeShawna softly pushed the door open and came inside, closing it behind her. "You okay, girl?"
"Gee, not sure. It's not like one of the people I thought was my friend would still be mad at me over something that happened two years ago." Gwen remarked with bitter sadness. "And on top of that, I have to work with her in trying to save the world."
"Girl, you know Bridgette don't mean nothing-"
"She meant it, LeShawna." Gwen cut her friend off as she sat on her bed. "She blamed the whole thing on me and didn't even care about my side of what happened. And I couldn't stop myself from exploding at her because…It's just so frustrating that her, Courtney and everyone else just make a scapegoat out of me for everything that went wrong."
LeShawna sighed as she patted Gwen on the back. "Girl, I know you've had it rough but come on, you've been a fighter as long as I have known you. You got to try and push this aside, at least when it comes to you-know-what and maybe stop thinking about what went down with Courtney. That depression is just going to hurt you in the long run."
"And what about Bridgette?" Gwen asked skeptically. "How can we work together if she won't put it aside?"
"She will." LeShawna said with an assured tone. "I got the feeling you got through to her and maybe you two can start talking again."
"I wish I was as confident as you." Gwen sighed. "I still have to go, do I?"
"We made a promise." LeShawna reminded.
"Yeah, and I keep my promises." Gwen stood up and took a deep breath. "Okay, let's get moving."
"Now you're talking."
They swung by Cameron's room and alerted him to the activated tower. Once he was out, they snuck out of the studio, meeting the others near the gate. With the cameras having been set to showing them in their rooms in a pre-recorded loop, they didn't have to worry about anything.
Except for one thing.
"Sierra's Blog, suspicious contestants are sneaking off Total Drama property in violation of contract to location unknown…" Sierra grinned. "And this makes it much more exciting. What are they up to?"
Sierra, Total Drama's number one fan and blogger as well as a stalker quickly followed after the group, keeping her phone with her to record whatever she might find.
Whatever it was, she was sure it would be big.
(Credits)
Chapter 30: Episode 30: Lyoko's Shadows
Summary:
As the TD Lyoko Warriors respond to another activated tower, they along with Aelita and William are unaware of their shadows being followed and a shadow of the past waiting for them in Lyoko.
Chapter Text
(Code Total Drama Reality Introduction Song Starts)
(This Game (From 'No Game No Life'))
The intro begins with the sun rising over the city of Paris, before the camera angles down on Kadic Academy. Stepping into view is Aelita, standing at the school gates as she looks up and watches as dark clouds suddenly cover the sky. Her eyes widen as she suddenly morphs into her Lyoko form, energy fields appearing in her hands.
William appears next, a dark copy of him, resembling his Lyoko form as a warrior of XANA appearing behind him, both clashing their swords, causing a flash of light as the title appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(I never wanted to be)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors appear with her as they are surrounded by the monsters of XANA.
(Another gear in that corrupted world's machine)
A giant bird appears above the city, letting out a loud screech.
(All my life felt like a dream)
One by one, the Lyoko Warriors enter the scanners and the doors closed, a ring of light traveling up their bodies as the camera shows and alternates each Lyoko Warrior before they vanish in a flash of light.
(I was never who I really wanted me to be)
Vehicles resembling a hovercraft, a board, a motorcycle appear with new vehicles resembling a sled and a hoverbike with a jet engine appears, carrying the Lyoko Warriors off as they are surrounded by monsters that begin shooting lasers at them.
(But then God shattered that dream's cage)
Four towers, each in a separate sector begins to glow red with monsters and an armored figure leading the monsters. Aelita lands on the platform and places her hand on the screen.
(And rose me up to a new stage)
The Total Drama contestants founds themselves back in the studio, their fellow contestants gathered with them as Chris laughs
(Cut it away like a sharp knife)
He gestures to the screens, showing them all in challenges…
(No, no, No Game No Life)
With each of them suffering a variety of misfortunes: Gwen vomits on Duncan, a soccer ball explodes in Bridgette's face, Geoff yells as a missile chases after him.
(Now suddenly there's a new twist)
Geoff's yelling suddenly stops and he changes into his Lyoko form, brandishing his weapons that cut the missile in half, causing the two pieces to fly past Geoff and explodes behind him.
(A reason to really exist)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors assume their Lyoko forms and battle down various monsters, some of them belonging to XANA and some are different but dangerous.
(I wanna breathe in the fame)
From legions of monsters, comes Men in Black, giant spaceships aiming their cannons down on the bewildered Lyoko Warriors.
(As this whole new world cheers my name)
The camera zooms in on the lead space ship as it prepares to fire.
(I'll never leave it to fate)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors are shown running through the streets of France, the sky darkening and the Eye of XANA appearing on every monitor they pass.
(And when I see a chance I'll pave the way)
They reach the factory, sliding down the ropes and reaching the elevator.
(I'll call checkmate)
The elevator reaches the scanner room, Aelita and William waiting for them.
(This is the time to breakthrough)
The Lyoko Warriors then gather before a scanner, the camera facing them inside with the group staring at it critically. A hand reaches up, giving them a thumbs-up before the scanner doors close.
(So I'll rewrite the story and I'll finally change all the rules)
The Lyoko Warriors are now gathered in the Forest Sector of Lyoko, suddenly separated by a crescent shaped wave of red energy and out of the flames emerges a humanoid warrior in dark armor, their face covered by a horned helmet and the Eye of XANA on its chest and forehead.
(We are MAVERICK)
William charges forward, his large sword clashing against the equally sized weapon of Shadow, both glaring hatefully at each other.
(We won't give in until we win this game)
Both disappear into white and black smoke before we then see Bridgette in the Ice Sector, battling a giant monster resembling a polar bear.
(Though I don't know what tomorrow holds)
The monster is about to cut Bridgette down with its claws before a blast of pure lightning blasts it to pieces.
(I'll make a bet and play my cards to win this game)
The origin of the attack is revealed to be Geoff, holding a giant axe instead of his chakrams as he charges forward to help Bridgette, a look of determination replacing his normal carefree smile.
(Unlike the rest I'll do my best)
A pair of Wasps are shown chasing Dawn who is on the Overwing before Gwen shoots up, her cape morphing into bat like wings as she slashes through the Wasps with her scythe.
(And I won't ever lose)
A pair of Krabs fire on her but DJ's barrier saves her before Cameron flies down and blasts the Krabs with his arm cannons.
(To give up this chance would be a deadly sin)
LeShawna is then staring up at the hulking form of the Kolossus as it approaches her.
(So let's bet it all)
Gripping her hammer tightly, LeShawna charges to meet the biggest of XANA's monsters head on.
(I put all my faith in us)
Aelita is then shown in a red version of Sector 5, turning to glare at the Avatar of XANA who smirks back at her.
(So let the games begin)
Aelita readies her energy field and charges at XANA who summons his own sword, clashing with Aelita's energy fields. Pink and red energy erupt from their clash, covering the screen in white before changing to a black screen with blue lines of coding filling it and the title appearing on last time:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(This Game (From 'No Game No Life') Ends)
Episode 30: Lyoko's Shadows
Aelita and William were extra careful about sneaking out of the dorms, knowing that any further scrutiny on Aelita would only lead to more questioning which was the last thing they needed. Once they were outside, they headed for the manhole which would lead them directly to the factory.
However, they didn't realize was that someone not only knew they were sneaking out but was also following them.
As William and Aelita opened the manhole cover, a pair of eyes carefully watched them as they slipped down into the sewer.
'They are using the sewer? Disgusting!'
But then she remembered to herself why she was doing this.
"It's amazing to think she almost joined the group at the beginning of everything and that one thing that has never changed about her is that she always selfishly thinks of herself and is always trying to break up our group from her silly obsession with Ulrich. She told her dad everything at the beginning and three years later when we're finally ending it, she does it again after she puts a tracker on Ulrich's jacket that led her to the factory, found my diary and then spilled everything to the principal, forcing us to use one last Return to the Past to stop her. If I have to pretend to be friends with her until the 12th grade, then so be it even if it means putting up with her childish and delusional clingy behavior. It is clear that no matter how much things have changed; Sissy never will change for the better and will always be an annoying thorn in our sides."
Those words…
They had hurt her more than almost anything in her life.
They were an admission that the people she trusted her lied to her, played her like a fiddle while snickering behind her back.
'Never changed for the better huh?' She thought to herself as she came out once the manhole was covered again. 'That might be true…but I'm not letting them push me away this time.'
She opened the manhole cover and climbed down into the sewer.
To say the journey to the factory was awkward was putting it mildly.
Gwen ignored eye contact with anyone, especially Bridgette as they made their way down the streets and into the forest where the sewer hatch was located. Despite the silence, an invisible dark cloud of unease hovered over the entire group, caused by Dawn's attempt at therapy which the child of nature felt immensely guilty over. She hadn't been attempting to unearth old wounds in such a way but she knew that the rest of the group had scars, some actually physical and most mental from their time on Total Drama and heard Mother Nature cautioning her that she needed to help them deal with these wounds in a way that could promote healing and the reforging of old friendships that had been strained as their time on the show continued.
As for Gwen, she hadn't meant to explode on Bridgette like that but the surfer girl's constant need to remind her and blame her for what happened between her and Trent had reached a boiling point even Gwen herself hadn't seen coming. In fact, she hadn't even thought she had been angry with Bridgette or any of the others for choosing Owen's party idea if he won the money over her, but with a few minutes of silent contemplation, she considered that she had always felt like that and pushed it down deep into her mind to focus on winning and just forgot about it after the season had finally ended.
As for her explosive reaction…
Well, suffice to say Gwen really hasn't had it easy. Besides competing on a show with a sadistic host for five seasons, she had been bullied repeatedly by Heather, had to break up with Trent, gotten the entirety of the blame for said breakup and forced to vote herself off, gotten involved in a love triangle with Duncan and Courtney that cost her the latter's friendship, and was now in the middle of a fight with a crazed computer program out to destroy the world. It was only through her persistent will to constantly improve herself had she not gone insane.
And it kind of felt really good to get that all off her chest.
As for Bridgette, she avoided making eye contact with Gwen as well. The goth's words echoed in her mind, and she desperately tried to block them out. Was it because she didn't want to consider that maybe Gwen was right, and she wasn't being fair? Bridgette found this feeling uncomfortable and pushed it aside, feeling that if she went down this road, she might be too forgiving.
And why should she?
Gwen was the one who dumped Trent after all and broke his heart in the first place. Worse, even if she and Trent made up, she went on to start liking Duncan of all people. Bridgette just couldn't fathom it why anyone, even Courtney or Gwen would like that punk for how he has acted. In Bridgette's eyes, Duncan was a bully with the way he treated everyone, especially Harold.
Just what did Courtney or Gwen see in him?
As for Gwen's whole tirade that she had been a bad friend since the end of season one…Well, she liked the idea of a big party, how is that a bad thing? Sure, with the way Gwen phrased how she acted, it sounded like she was a lousy friend, but it hadn't been done out of some personal idea of hurting her. Who was Gwen to judge her for that?
And yeah, she felt bad for cheating on Geoff with Alejandro, but it was all in the past…
So why didn't that quench the uneasy feelings in her?
She couldn't consider the chance that maybe Gwen was right, and she was just as bad, maybe even worse as a hypocrite for not considering Gwen's side of everything. Was she afraid to admit that Gwen was right and she was too harsh? Maybe Gwen was just trying to divert the blame away from her to alleviate her own guilt. But then why admit she felt bad for everything that had happened?
Heck, even Geoff admitted that they had been unfair with Gwen.
If Geoff thought Gwen had a point, then maybe she did…
Bridgette didn't want to feel bad about this and she didn't want to fight her boyfriend about this like they had in Total Drama Aftermath. She just…She couldn't bring herself to admit that she had been wrong and that maybe Gwen's actions hadn't been malicious in nature. Trent had been perfect for her and she just…
"I guess we were never really friends to start with."
Why did those words hurt so much?
Bridgette shook her head as they made it to the manhole cover and DJ quickly opened it. "Come on, let's go."
One by one they climbed down into the sewer, Gwen taking an extra deep breath before climbing down, DJ being the last to close the hatch. A few moments later, someone came upon the hatch…
"Okay, they slip out of the studio, sneaking off of Total Drama property in direct violation of their contract and now they've gone into the sewers…" Sierra recounted and grinned. "This is so juicy."
She lifted the sewer hatch opened and peeked down…
She spotted William and Aelita taking a skateboard and scooter down the sewer and spotted a few more lined up against the wall…She had debated taking one of them but figured it would look suspicious, so she was forced to try tracking them on foot. She heard the faint sounds of the wheels on the ground and tried following them as best as she could.
That was when she heard sounds from…behind…
She ducked and ran around a corner, watching as others moved past her in the direction, she thought William and Aelita took.
'Those are…' She thought with surprised eyes. 'I've seen them before! They're on Total Drama!'
What were they doing down here?!
Sniff-sniff-sniff
Sierra had her face literally touching the ground of the sewer ground.
She winced and lifted her head. "Sniffing ground like this is obviously too much…I may have tasted the sweat, pee and splinter but this sewage crap is covering all of that. That must be why they came down here. To throw me off their scent!"
Clever…
"You might be smart but you forget who you are dealing with!" Sierra grinned. "Then you forget you are messing with Sierra Obansawin, Total Drama's Number One Fan and future Mrs. Cody Emmet Jameson Anderson!"
Aelita smiled at her new friends came out of the elevator.
"Hey, sorry about calling you all just after an episode."
"No problem. It can't be helped." Bridgette said simply but Aelita noticed an off tone in her voice.
Gwen looked away, which Aelita and William noticed but said nothing.
"So, what's happening?" asked Cameron.
"Well, so far nothing is happening on Earth but a tower is active in the Forest Sector." Said Aelita looking at the screen.
She looked at the screen showing the tower.
"I had already been able to recover some information on the portals XANA used to capture the others and where he might be hiding." Aelita turning to the others. "But there's been something strange going on Lyoko."
"Like what?" DJ asked.
"I think whoever helped us doing the last attack has been making modifications behind our backs." Aelita said as she brought up an image of Sector 5. "They recreated the hangar we used to store our virtual sub."
"A virtual sub?" LeShawna asked.
"Right, I haven't explained everything to you all yet." Aelita sighed. "Well, basically after XANA got out of the supercomputer, his multi-agent system invested the network. We designed a virtual sub to take us out of Lyoko and to track XANA down. Near the end of our previous fight, the sub was destroyed but now it seems to have been rebuilt."
She brought up an image of the hangar along with the virtual sub.
"Wow." Cameron marveled as he took a closer look at the screen. "That's amazing."
"So what? You literally took a sub into the Internet?" Gwen asked curiously.
"Well, it's hard to explain but as you know, Lyoko is made up of five sectors and all of these sectors are located in a sort of a giant hollow sphere. Imagine a giant digital bubble that is submerged all the time in water or some kind of digital liquid. That liquid is the Digital Sea that exists at the very bottom of the sphere." Aelita took a deep breath as she explained what she knew. "This liquid element is part of the information network, otherwise known as the Internet. It's kind of overflow that is accessible by a flood gate at the bottom the sphere that holds Lyoko. XANA goes through this flood gate to attack us on Lyoko and the digital sub we made allows us to access the network."
"So, the entire internet is one big endless sea? Is that what you are saying?" DJ asked, trying to keep up.
"Essentially yes, DJ." Aelita nodded.
"Wow. Think of that, Bridge." Geoff smiled at his girlfriend. "One endless sea."
"Yeah, cool." Bridgette managed a small smile.
The others noticed Bridgette's lack of enthusiasm along with her and Gwen not making eye contact with each other. The TD members looked a little worried now.
"We named the submarine the Skidbladnir." Aelita continued. "Named after a mythical ship-"
"That could sail even on land and reach its destination no matter direction the wind was blowing." Cameron excitedly exclaimed.
Aelita looked at Cameron with a surprised look but smiled. "Yes. Exactly."
Shadow was leaning against a boulder watching the red tower in the distance. He was looking forward to meeting Aelita who was close to Jeremy, the one who created him and then locked him away. The look on her face would bring him great pleasure.
And then there was William…
Shadow scowled at the thought of the human who replaced him and who he had been made to replace.
It was all his fault, and he would make him pay dearly…
"At this point it doesn't matter. There is an activated tower and something bad could happen. Cameron, I showed you how to operate the scanners. You will be sending the rest of us in and monitor the battle." Aelita said, getting up.
"Got it." Cameron heading to the computer.
"When we get there, everyone stay on guard. XANA's not even attempting to hide the tower." Aelita continued instructing.
"Understood." Said DJ.
BEEP-BEEP!
Everyone stopped and looked at the screen, seeing a red icon appearing on the map of Sector 5.
"What is that?" LeShawna asked.
Aelita walked up to the screen to get a better look, her eyes widening in recognition. "The Scyphozoa!"
The Scyphozoa hovered along the outer surface of the massive sphere that was Sector 5, coming up to the opening that led to the hangar holding the new Skidbladnir.
"It's trying to attack the new Skid." Aelita informed the group.
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Geoff asked.
"I may not know who designed the new Skid but if XANA wants it destroyed, we need to protect it." Aelita replied. "We'll have to split up."
"What about the tower?" Bridgette asked.
"I might be able to deactivate the tower." William raised a hand. "I think I got enough of what XANA left me to do it. Aelita, you know the Skid best. Maybe you should go to Sector 5."
Aelita nodded before looking to the others. "Okay. Cameron, I'll need you at the computer to monitor the Skid. I'll open the programs for you so you can read up on the Skid's designs."
"Right." Cameron nodded.
"Meanwhile there are six here, so I suggest that William and I take groups of three to help with our objectives." Aelita continued.
"I vote that William takes Gwen and Bridgette at least." Geoff raised a hand, surprising both girls while causing Aelita and William to raise eyebrows.
"Geoff?" Bridgette blinked.
"And maybe Dawn should go with them." Geoff continued, not sparing his girlfriend a glance.
Dawn nodded. "I agree. Perhaps having the heavy hitters of the group with you well be beneficial."
Aelita looked between the group before nodding. "Very well."
"Geoff," Bridgette grabbed her boyfriend's sleeve and tugged him towards her. "What are you doing?"
"You and Gwen got to work this out and Dawn can keep things smooth." Geoff reasoned.
"This isn't the time for this!" Bridgette hissed in annoyance.
"Maybe not but you can't be distracted either. Just give it a shot." Geoff clasped his hands together. "Please?"
Bridgette stepped back, looking at Gwen who looked away before she sighed. "All right, fine. I'll go with Gwen and Dawn."
"That's my girl." Geoff smiled, giving a thumbs 'up.
Bridgette only shook her head as she along with Gwen and Dawn headed to the elevator. William quickly followed after them, sparing the rest a glance as the doors closed.
Once the doors began to close, Aelita turned to the rest of the group. "Is there something we're missing?"
"Dawn offered to be a group therapist because she was worried, we would get all stressed out because of this Lyoko thing while competing on Total Drama." DJ answered. "We all decided to humor her and give it a try."
"Only the therapy quickly reminded us of a few unresolved issues between Bridgette and Gwen." Geoff continued.
"Issues?" Aelita questioned.
"Right, you didn't watch the show that much." LeShawna recalled. "Basically, Gwen and Bridgette used to be good friends in the beginning but in Season 2, Gwen and her old boyfriend Trent broke up following a series of drama themed issues. One of those issues is that Trent thought Gwen was getting too close to her now boyfriend Duncan."
"And so, he started throwing challenges for her without even talking to her to try and keep her liking him which turned out not to be a very good idea. So, she dumped him and a lot of people, including Bridgette didn't take it too well." Geoff added. "It didn't help that later Duncan and Gwen did hook up, while Duncan's old girlfriend Courtney though they were still together, causing Bridge to lose some respect for Gwen while Gwen called out Bridgette on the mistakes she made and even said she was being a hypocrite."
"Like not supporting Gwen during the Season One finale or the fact that she cheated on you with Ale-jerko." LeShawna crossed her arms.
"Yeah those…" Geoff rubbed his arm. "Long story short, they used to be good friends, but the show got in the way."
"And you're suggesting they go together to help William?" Aelita asked, now concerned. "There might be a serious attack about to happen, and you paired them up?"
"Well, they got to learn work together somehow." Geoff shrugged. "I am sure they will take this serious enough to put their beef aside and I suggested Dawn go with them to keep it cool."
"The so-called therapist who had the idea in the beginning?" LeShawna asked. "I'm kind of surprised you didn't offer to go."
"Well, Aelita pointed out Bridge and I are too focused on each other which I totally get." Geoff explained. "So, this is my way on trying to work on that. We're the heavy hitters and Aelita's been the main target so I figure we would be best going with her and William's tough on his own. He can look after the others just fine."
Aelita sighed. "Okay, we don't have time for this, so I'll just trust you on this, Geoff."
"Right." Geoff replied.
She was close, she could feel it.
She spotted tire tracks in the ground that were recently made and followed them through the sewer. She had a hand covering her nose to keep the smell out.
'Honestly, how did they deal with this for years?'
But she knew she was getting close.
In the scanner room, Bridgette, Gwen and Dawn were the first to enter the scanners while William waited.
"Okay here goes!" Cameron starting up the procedure. "Transfer Bridgette. Transfer Gwen. Transfer Dawn."
One by one, the scanner doors closed.
"Scanner Bridgette. Scanner Gwen. Scanner Dawn."
A ring of light traveled up their bodies.
"Virtualization!"
Dawn, Bridgette, and Gwen landed in the Forest Sector. Standing up they looked around making sure there were no monsters. Waiting a few minutes they watched as William appeared, landing in front of them.
"All right, the tower is actually very close to you."
"I see it." Said Bridgette pointing up ahead.
The red glowing tower stood on a grassy platform connected to the mountains by two bridges.
"Something is not right. I do not see any monster guarding it." William muttered, looking around. "Cameron, is there anything on the holo-map?"
"No. Aside from you guys."
"Sounds like a trap." William sighed.
Everyone pulled out their weapons as they slowly walked onto the bridge towards the tower. Gwen and Bridgette walked aside each other, both of them not sparing each other a glance. Dawn remained behind them, looking between the two.
"Okay, first group virtualized. Second group is ready to go." Cameron announced as the elevator doors opened, allowing Aelita, Geoff, DJ and LeShawna to enter. "And I got the coordinates straight for Sector 5."
"Good." Aelita nodded.
"Guess we'll take the first plunger." Geoff said as he stepped into a scanner.
"Here we go. Transfer, Geoff."
Geoff's scanner closed.
"Transfer, LeShawna."
Next was LeShawna.
"Transfer, DJ."
And DJ was last.
"Scanner Geoff."
"Scanner, LeShawna."
"Scanner, DJ."
"Virtualization."
A moment later, the scanners all opened, allowing Aelita to enter the nearest one. "How's the Skid looking, Cameron?"
Cameron brought up a window, showing the Skid's hangar. The Scyphozoa entered the hangar and placed its tentacles on the ship, only for an invisible shield to block the tentacles.
"Looks like there's some kind of shield protecting the sub." Cameron answered. "It can't touch it. Wait a sec…"
The Scyphozoa's tentacles then began to glow red, seemingly draining the Skid's shields.
"Aelita, I think this Scyphozoa thing is trying to drain the Skid's shields." Cameron answered.
That was when a new window appeared.
"Hm?" Cameron perked up. "A message window?"
Instructions on how to boost Skid's shields
Aelita frowned. "Meaning it's trying to break through the Skid's defenses so that it will be vulnerable to attack."
"What do we do?"
"Send me in there with the others." Aelita stepped into the scanner. "We'll take of the Skid."
"Okay, here we go." Cameron said just as the scanner closed. "Transfer, Aelita."
The scanner closed.
"Scanner, Aelita."
A ring of light traveled up her body.
"Virtualization!"
Aelita closed her eyes as a great light enveloped her.
When Aelita opened her eyes again, she was landing on her feet in the Arena with Geoff, DJ and LeShawna waiting for her.
"Okay, we're all here." DJ said nervously. "We all good?"
That was when Cameron's voice cut in, sounding alarmed. "Hang on, another window just popped up! I don't' recognize this one!"
"Describe it, Cameron." Aelita replied.
"Well, there's some kind of chamber with an object that has two layers of shielding around it that's surrounded by monsters." Cameron reported.
Aelita's eyes went wide in alarm. "The Core of Lyoko."
"Say what?" LeShawna asked.
"How many monsters?" Aelita quickly asked.
"Looks like three Aliens and three Mantas." Cameron hastily said.
"This is bad." Aelita turned and faced the others. "Okay, new plan. We have to stop those monsters from destroying the Core or all of Lyoko is destroyed and any who is virtualized will be gone with it!"
"Gone?!" DJ jumped in alarm. "Like gone-gone?"
"Gone-gone." Aelita nodded gravely.
"What about that sub?" Geoff asked.
"We'll have to try and save it after we save the core." Aelita replied as the door opened. "Come on!"
She took off with the three following her.
VIRUTALUZATION DETECTED
LOCATIONS:
FOREST SECTOR
SECTOR 5
DIRECTING STATIONED UNITS TO INTERCEPT
He watched in anticipated pleasure as the intruders came into view. "William, leading his own group now. I am looking forward to seeing your performance."
Sniff-sniff-sniff
She stopped sniffing the ground when she noticed the tire tracks on the ground and actually licked at the markings with her tongue.
"Rubber like that of tires on skateboard or scooters…" She grinned in excitement. "I am on the right track!"
Cameron's ears perked as the computer began to beep. "Guys, I am picking enemy signals coming your way!"
William held out his sword, gripping it with both hands as he spotted at least three monsters approaching. "I can see them right now, Cameron."
These monsters were indeed different from any previous monsters the group had encountered. They had red pincer protrusions sticking out of their fronts, long blue antennas sticking out of the top of their heads with a pair of blue glowing eyes staring at them. Their fronts were red but gave way to black metallic armor covering their rear ends like a shell. They had six legs, three on both sides and red metallic arms that split open to reveal blue glowing energy cannons.
They stopped and their 'tails' lifted them up to reveal their underside with blue glowing 'core' on their chest with the Eye of XANA imprinted on them. The cannons began to glow as they were pointed at their targets and a second later, they opened fire.
(Lyoko Battle Theme Starts)
"Take cover!" William shouted, blocking the first incoming barrage with his Zwiehander before he ducked behind a tree. "Cameron, what do you got on them?"
"The computer is labelling them 'Labsturs', kind of like lobsters given their forms. Life points 120 and attack power 40."
Dawn had ducked behind a stump, peeking her head but then ducking again as another barrage of lasers sailed over her head. She looked to see Gwen and Bridgette taking cover behind a log, both of them crouched down.
"This is not good." Bridgette grunted. "We're pinned down!"
"Leave it to me!" William called out. "Super Smoke!"
His body dissolved into smoke that shot out from behind the cover of the tree and moved along the ground towards the Labsturs, even as they started shooting at it. It moved in behind them before re-solidifying back into William as he raised his Zwiehander…
Only for a black cloud of smoke to shoot out from behind him and paralyze him.
"Huh?!" William was suddenly thrown back and slammed into the ground.
"What happened?" Gwen asked as she peeked her head out.
"Holy…Guys, you're not going to believe this!" Cameron exclaimed.
Dawn managed to lift her head and see William…and another William?
The newcomer resembled William perfectly, only he wore a black suit with red outlines and the Eye of XANA on his chest in contrast to William's brighter colors.
"Who is that?" Bridgette asked before she had to duck as the Labsturs opened fire again.
The copy of William smiled cruelly in her direction. He held out his right hand and a large sword with black vines crawling up the blade and the Eye of XANA appeared out of a cloud of black smoke.
(Dark William Theme Starts)
When William saw his attacker, he froze in absolute shock.
"Hello, William." The darker version said, snarling his name.
Before William could even think of anything to say, the clone swung his own Zweihander down, forcing William to roll out of the way. The large sword hit the ground with such force it left a small crater.
"Seeing you staring with those eyes and that shocked face…Both that I thought were mine." The clone snarled as it approached William as he stood up. "At least, when I thought I was human."
"What is this?" William asked, taking a step back. "Trying with your own avatar not enough, XANA? Now you want mess with me with a copy?"
"I am no copy!" The clone snarled, its eyes flashing red. "I was human! Or at least, I thought I was! Perhaps I was only a mere shell of what they wanted me to be! But I remember, being out there in the real world! I remember the sensations, the ability to see, smell and touch, I had those before I was taken back and left in a mere file to be discarded!"
"What?!" William gaped. "What are you talking about?!"
"You don't know?" The clone took another step forward. "You, who were gone for months as a prisoner of XANA, suddenly came back and no one asked where you had been?"
William's eyes widened in surprised and realization, figuring out what his duplicate was now talking about. "You're that clone Jeremy made!"
Cameron's eyes widened in surprise as he listened. "…Aelita, we have a problem."
"Yes. I was a mere duplicate that Jeremy created as a means to fool everyone while you were left here." The copy gestured to their surroundings. "To everyone out there, I was William Dunbar. I used to go by that name when I was created. When you were released, I was no longer necessary."
William was stunned to say the least.
His own clone, now standing before him, taking his place as XANA's new general.
"But how are you here?" William could not help but ask. "Why are you here and working for XANA now?"
"Simple. In return for freeing me I will drag Aelita to him by her pretty pink haired head." The clone answered with a grin. "You on the other hand will not be so lucky."
William's eyes widened but then narrowed.
"This is your fault from the beginning. Or maybe I should say it is both Aelita and Jeremy's fault. After all, they both locked me up after I wasn't of any use to them anymore." Shadow growled. "One second, I was in the real world...the next I fell into a dark void and slept for apparently two full years! I awoke in XANA's dwelling where he did what they didn't have the intellect or time to do: he made me into my own person! I am no mere program, I am sentient, I am superior to you, William! I, am, SHADOW!"
He pointed his sword at William. "And when I am done both you and Aelita will be trapped in the same dark place you sent me to."
With that, Shadow charged forward, swinging his Zweihander at William who barely time to raise his won to block.
CLANG!
When both swords met, there was a shockwave followed by a shower of blue sparks as William was knocked back. The sheer strength Shadow wielded was enough that William was barely able to hold onto his own large sword.
"William!" Dawn called out but could do nothing as the Labsturs continued to keep her, Bridgette and Gwen pinned down with laser fire.
Gwen peeked and saw the trio of mechanical lobsters still firing. "Oh, we're not getting anywhere like this."
"You have an idea?" Bridgette asked, her back pressed against the log they were using for cover.
"Maybe we can sneak around them somehow." Gwen suggested.
"How?" Bridgette asked skeptically. "There's only one path."
"Okay, you got the flying surfboard. Why don't you flew up and over them?" Gwen looked back at the surfer.
"Sure, let me be the decoy and I'll get shot down." Bridgette retorted.
"Girls?"
"And what's your brilliant idea?" Gwen asked.
"You can fly too. You can take off into the air and I'll attack while they're distracted." Bridgette suggested.
"That's the same thing I suggested!" Gwen exclaimed.
"Girls?"
"You just want me to take the fall just because you still can't trust me!" Gwen accused.
"Can you blame me?" Bridgette retorted.
"Yes, because you're being completely unreasonable and petty!" Gwen shouted.
"Girls!"
"I'm being unreasonable and petty? You're the one who's accusing me of being a bad friend just because I didn't want to choose you winning in season one which was forever ago over a great party or that I should forget how badly you treated Trent and Courtney!" Bridgette shouted back.
"Like you forget how badly you treated me and Geoff?" Gwen shouted back. "Or how badly Courtney has treated everyone, Duncan and me included?"
"What are you talking about?! I never treated Geoff badly!" Bridgette replied, absolutely clueless about what Gwen was implying.
"You slammed a surfboard into his face just for looking at another girl!" Gwen clarified.
"I'm his girlfriend! He's supposed to look only at me! Would you think it was okay if Duncan or Trent did that?" Bridgette exclaimed.
"Yes, because they never gave me a reason to doubt them!" Gwen answered. "There's bound to be countless girls out there prettier than me or even prettier than the both of us! It's okay if your boyfriend notices them as long as they remember you! Even if Geoff was staring, he still considered you his girlfriend and he's so nice he didn't think twice about forgiving you for whacking him!"
Bridgette stuttered for a second. "So, it's okay if Duncan cheats on you like he did with Courtney?!"
"He didn't cheat on her, they weren't together anymore." Gwen glanced up to notice the laser barrage had seemingly stopped.
"Says who?" Bridgette apparently had not noticed.
"Says Duncan! He told me himself that he wasn't back together with Courtney and that moment on the bus was a one-minute fling they had. By the time we were in Egypt he remembered why they broke up but only competed with her to try winning." Gwen explained. "Are you surprised? Do you remember the abuse she gave him in Season Two? It's not our fault that Courtney thought they were suddenly back together."
"Nothing justifies him leading her on like that or you taking part." Bridgette argued.
"But it's okay assaulting him, slamming heavy objects into his crotch, shoving a ten-year-old diaper in his mouth just to win a challenge and giving him a list of what she wanted him to change about himself just on a baseless suspicion?" Gwen retorted.
"GIRLS!"
"What?!" Gwen and Bridgette looked up, hearing Cameron shouting at them.
"Look out!"
That was when a pair of red pincers pierced the log they had been using for cover, missing both girls by mere inches.
"GAH!" Bridgette and Gwen jumped and rolled back as the log was lifted by a Labstur that immediately tossed it aside and advanced on the pair.
Meanwhile, Dawn stepped back as the tree she had been hiding behind was pierced by a similar pair of pincers with the tentacle like antenna wrapping around the trunk and crushing it a second later. The tell fell over into the Digital Sea while the Labstur advanced on Dawn. It stood on its tail and aimed its laser cannons at her before opening fire…
"Oh man!" Cameron exclaimed as the Labsturs had the girls on the run.
"Cameron, what is happening?" Aelita's voice came over the speakers.
"It's bad, very bad, Aelita. William's being cornered by a clone of him and three new monsters have the girls on the run." Cameron urgently reported.
"A clone?"
"Yeah, a clone calling itself Shadow. Funny thing, it says it's a clone that Jeremy made to look like William." Cameron clarified.
Aelita and the others were just getting on the elevator that would take them to the Celestial Dome when Cameron reported what was happening.
"The clone we made…Impossible." Aelita trailed off with a surprised look on her face.
"What's he talking about?" LeShawna asked.
"When William was captured by XANA, we made a clone of him so no one would notice he was missing. But when we got William back, Jeremy deleted it." Aelita explained.
"Well, it's back and it's not happy about that." Cameron replied. "Three new monsters have Gwen and Bridgette on the run and Dawn…Actually, I'm not sure what happened to Dawn."
"What do you mean?"
"Here it is." She climbed up the latter and opened the hatch.
Lifting her head, she looked around and saw the abandoned factory that was likely the one mentioned in Jeremy's diary.
"This is it."
"GAH!" William was knocked back by another strike from Shadow.
"Pathetic." The dark clone spat as he approached. "This is what they spent so much time trying to save? No wonder XANA captured you so easily."
William grunted as he got back up, glaring at Shadow as he gripped the handle of his Zweihander with both hands.
"I'd just throw you in the Digital Sea and be done with it, but XANA wants something from you first. Something he gave as a gift but now he wants it back." Shadow remarked, hefting his Zweihander over his shoulder.
"Yeah, well come and get it!" William leaped into the air.
Swinging his sword down, William missed Shadow, who back flipped out of the way of it. Shadow swung his own blade which William ducked under, aiming at Shadow's legs.
"Super Smoke." Shadow dissolved into smoke and appeared behind William before elbowing him in the back.
William hit the ground, dropping his Zeihander and before he could move a blast of smoke hit him and lifted him into the air. He turned around to see Shadow holding out his hand, the smoke attack he used immobilizing William.
"I'm a whole new class unlike you and I'm fully aware of the power you discarded by leaving XANA." Shadow stated before a screeching sound was heard.
William's eyes went wide in panic and horror as a familiar jellyfish monster appeared from behind the tower. "Cameron, the Scyphozoa is here!"
"What?! I still see it in Sector 5!" Cameron replied. "There's two of them now!"
Two of them?
Two Scyphozoas?
One was bad enough!
"Cameron, devirtualize me!" William called out as the Scyphozoa ensnared him with its tentacles. "Before it turns me-"
Three tentacles were placed on his head and there was a pulse of red light.
Cameron watched in frenzy suspense as the Scyphozoa began to drain William's memory. "Aelita, William's been caught by another Scyphozoa!"
Aelita and the others were on the platform of the Celestial Dome when Cameron gave her the bad news. "Another one?! There's only supposed to be one!"
"Well, there's the one with the sub and the other that's got William!" Cameron exclaimed. "It's draining his memory!"
Aelita paled, fearful that XANA was going to possess William again despite what Cameron had just said. "Where are Gwen, Dawn and Bridgette?!"
"Gwen and Bridgette got pushed back by the new monsters but I can't see Dawn anywhere! All I know is she wasn't devirtualized!"
"Then where is she?"
Shadow was grinning with satisfaction as the Scyphozoa drained William's memories, feeling satisfied in gaining revenge against the one who had taken everything from him…
"STOP!"
There was a sudden slash through the air and the tentacles were cut, freeing William. The Scyphozoa screeched before pulling back. Shadow spun around to see Dawn standing there, her arm held out with a furious expression on her face.
William groaned as he looked up. "…Dawn?"
"William, you must move." Dawn stated. "I'll hold him off!"
"How did you-"
"Go! Get to the tower!" Dawn barked at him.
"Uh right!" William blinked before he started running towards the tower.
Shadow growled as he raised his Zweihander. "Oh no you don't-"
"Stop!" Dawn made a slashing movement through the air and suddenly Shadow was cut by a green vine that shot right out of Dawn's sleeve and knocked him off his feet. "I do not condone violence of any kind but your violation of William's mind is something I will not allow!"
"Whoa!" Cameron gasped. "Aelita, Dawn just saved William and she's got some kind of vine whip power."
"Really?"
"Yeah. William's on his way to the tower now. She's holding off the clone." Cameron reported.
"That's good but in the meantime, we need the vehicles to access the core." Aelita replied.
"Right, on it."
Back at the Celestial Dome, the three vehicles appeared for the warriors waiting for them.
"Sweet!" Geoff hopped onto the Overbike.
DJ took the Overboard while LeShawna and Aelita took the Overwing.
"Okay, follow me and be ready. The entrance to the core is tricky." Aelita explained. "Speaking of, Cameron how is the core's shield?"
Just as Aelita asked that question, the fire shield layer was destroyed.
"One layer down and the second one is down to seventy percent." Cameron reported.
"All right. Okay, follow me!" Aelita angled the Overwing down which was followed by Geoff and DJ.
They flew to the bottom of the giant sphere that was Sector 5 where they could see the entrance to the core that opened and closed repeatedly and very fast.
"How do-" Geoff asked.
"Just follow my lead and we'll time it perfectly." Aelita instructed. "And…now!"
They shot up towards the entrance just as it closed…and opened right back up. All three vehicles made it through.
Meanwhile, Gwen and Bridgette were still running as the Labsturs chased them through the Forest Sector. They came upon another grassy landmass with a pond in the center that had a small island with two logs on either side for travel. Gwen was panting, looking back as the Labsturs still chased after them. Even though they were now on their feet, their could still aim and fire their laser cannons which was what allowed them to continue attacking the pair and forcing them on the defense.
"Okay, I've had enough." Gwen pulled out the rod from its holster and it immediately extended to form her scythe.
The three Labsturs took to their standing positions and began firing. Gwen spun her scythe to block the incoming lasers while Bridgette deflected the incoming fire directed at her with her swords. Gwen pushed forward, aiming towards the nearest Labstur that was firing at her. Once she was close enough, she charged and leaped into the air, swinging her scythe down…
Only for the Labstur's pincers to catch the scythe and it then thrust itself to the left, flinging Gwen backwards. Gwen cried out in surprise as she hit the ground.
Gwen: 70 Life Points
Gwen grunted as she tried to get up while the Labsturs aimed at her. Suddenly Bridgette flew in on her surfboard, picking Gwen up with both hands and took off into the air.
"We got to get back to the others." Bridgette said over her shoulder to Gwen as she angled her board back in the direction of the tower.
The Labsturs immediately began chasing after them again.
The three vehicles came up into the Core Chamber, allowing them to see the Core that was being attacked by monsters.
"Whoa. So that is the core?" DJ pointed to the glowing orb with images of other sectors attached to it.
"Yes…" Aelita nodded but then noticed something. "There are eight landmasses attached to it."
"So?" LeShawna asked.
"There should only be four, representing the four sectors. For there to be eight…" Aelita shook her head. "Never mind, we have to destroy those monsters now!"
Two of the Flying Mantas noticed them and angled down, firing their lasers.
"Oh, you asked for it!" LeShawna shouted as the Overwing shot up and she swung out her hammer, striking one Manta in the back.
Geoff ran up the stairs leading to the core, throwing one chakram at the other Manta as it flew to the bottom, catching it by surprise as blade disk cut into the Eye on its back.
The Manta exploded and Geoff punched a fist into the air. "Oh yeah!"
DJ flew alongside LeShawna and Aelita on the Overboard as they reached the top level where the core was. The Aliens and remaining Manta took notice of this and aimed their weapons on the interlopers.
"Energy Field!" Aelita shouted, throwing one orb of pink energy at an Alien, blasting it on impact.
Another Alien leaped out and landed on top of the Overwing, causing to spin out of control. It opened its mouth to fire a laser blast but LeShanwa grabbed its mouth and forcefully shut it.
"No hitchhikers!" LeShawna shouted and with a mighty heave, threw the Alien off the Overwing.
The Manta aimed its laser and fired but DJ conjured a barrier around him that blocked the attack before he flew at the Manta, the barrier slamming into it and crashing it into the wall, causing it to explode.
"Nice one, Deej!" Geoff called out from below, giving the gentle giant a thumbs-up.
One Alien remained and it charged a laser to strike the Core but Geoff made it up and threw a chakram at it, striking it in the back and causing it to fall over the edge.
"Awesome guys! You got them all!" Cameron exclaimed in excitement.
"How are the others?" Aelita asked quickly.
"William's just about to reach the to-Oh no!"
Just was William a few feet from the tower, a hissing sound was heard and from behind the tower came a Kobra that caused William to stop in surprise. It fired a laser that hit William in the chest, knocking him back before he could react.
William: 50 Life Points
"Oh crap." William muttered to himself, having lost his Zweihander while fighting Shadow.
The Kobra slithered towards him, so William turned and started running. Meanwhile Shadow was glaring at Dawn who a hand pointed at him. Just as William was about to reach them and grab his sword, Shadow made his move.
"Shadow Storm!"
A wave of black clouds shot out in all directions, knocking the two fighters back but no causing damage to them. It formed a protective sphere around Shadow.
"Is this best you can do? What a pathetic display." Shadow chuckled.
The sphere exploded, making the fighters cover their faces as the smoke washed over them.
When it faded, Shadow was gone.
William grabbed his Zweihander and picked it up. "Is he gone?"
"No, he's not." Dawn took a deep breath…and a bright green light surrounded her before vanished into the ground.
William raised an eyebrow in surprise and watched as a green light traveling along the grassy grounds, allowing him to see in the dark. The light shot forward and moved under William's feet before Dawn shot up and swung an arm out…
SLASH!
"GAH!" Shadow staggered back, his shoulder sparkling. "What are you?!"
"When the others told me my form looked like a Dryad, I did some research. It appears, I am able to travel along the ground and emerge like a plant that has just begun to bloom." Dawn explained as pair of vines emerged from her sleeves. "And these vines…these are my weapons."
"Dawn…" William marveled at the sight Dawn as her form continued to glow.
Shadow snarled at this but grinned as the Kobra approached.
"Hang on, guys!" The three turned to see Gwen and Bridgette flying in on Bridgette's surfboard.
Gwen jumped off and swung her scythe down on Shadow who hastily blocked and began to exchange blows with him, catching his blade on the pole or blade of her scythe and trying to jab or bisect him.
Bridgette joined in and all four of them began to close in, coordinating to try and catch Shadow off guard. He ducked under one of Bridgette's swords and swung his own blade. Bridgette back flipped out of the way and Dawn caught Shadow's sword with one of her vines. Dawn then swung her other vine right into Shadow's chest, knocking him back a few feet where William swung his blade down.
Shadow swung his right arm up and caught it on his gauntlet, which successfully negated the attack's power. Shoving William back, Shadow spun, almost bisecting Bridgette and Gwen when they tried to attack. That was when the Kobra slithered in and fired, separating Gwen and Bridgette from the others again. The Kobra slithered towards them, firing its laser and forcing the pair back.
Gwen flung her scythe at the Kobra, but the snake themed monster leaned its head to the other side, easily dodge the attack. Not only was the Kobra very quick but also very flexible. Just as it aimed to fire, Bridgette stepped in front of Gwen and blocked the lasers with her sword.
"Girls, it's pushing you to the edge." Cameron quickly said and he was right.
They were getting close to the edge that led to the Digital Sea.
"Bridge, I'll cover you. Get into the air and strike from above." Gwen suggested.
"No, you get into the air." Bridgette argued.
"Will you stop arguing with me?!" Gwen exclaimed.
"I'm trying to protect you!" Bridgette shouted back.
"Now, you're trying to protect me?!" Gwen shook her head. "Just trust me!"
"Trust me!" Bridgette shouted.
However, the Kobra wasn't going to give them a chance as it suddenly twisted its body and lashed out with its tail, hitting both Gwen and Bridgette and sending them skidding over to the edge. Gwen managed use her scythe to stop herself from going over but Bridgette lost her swords and went over the edge.
"BRIDGETTE!" Gwen shouted and jumped down after the surfer.
"What are you-" Cameron started but stopped.
The Kobra turned around, seemingly sure it had destroyed the two warriors before something shot upwards.
"Hey!" The Kobra spun in time to see Gwen holding Bridgette in her arms, with her cape taking the form of bat like wings. "You missed!"
With that, the pair flew at the Kobra, both gripping Gwen's scythe as they swung it down and cut into the Eye on the Kobra's head. The monster let out screeching hiss before it exploded. Gwen and Bridgette flew back, hitting the ground but luckily they landed far from the edge.
Shadow watched as the Kobra was destroyed, growling before looking to William and Dawn. With one final glare, he vanished into smoke that shot away. William sighed before nodding to Dawn and taking off towards the tower.
(Dark William Theme Ends)
Cameron sighed in relief before remembering he had one last thing to do. "Okay, activating program and boosting shields."
Once he pressed the 'Enter' key, there was a surge of energy through the Skid's shields that was transferred into the first Scyphozoa, blasting it back into the wall where it died a second later.
Meanwhile Bridgette and Gwen stood up and looked each other.
"Gwen…"
"Bridgette…"
"You…saved me." Bridgette remarked, seemingly in shock.
"Well, yeah." Gwen shrugged. "Why wouldn't I?"
"I just…" Bridgette sighed. "We used to be good friends, didn't we?"
"We did." Gwen nodded with a sad face. "And I really don't know what happened. Was it really just about Trent? Did the fame get in the way?"
"Did I really hurt you by not supporting you?" Bridgette asked.
"It's just I went through being tortured by not just Chris but also Heather who stole my diary, made out with Trent to break us up, even ripped my skirt off and showed my underwear off on live TV. It was like every moment was spent making my life miserable and just when I think it's worth it when I have my friends with me at the season finale, you all jumped ship when Owen offered a big party!" Gwen sighed heavily. "And no one besides Trent, you, LeShawna and Cody tried cheering me up but you still changed sides and even cheered as I lost."
"I…I just wanted to party." Bridgette stuttered.
"And then came Season Two…I lost Trent out over some silly jealousy issues, but I get blackmailed and accused of cheating by everyone, including you!" Gwen exclaimed. "I get it, I messed up with Trent but I never meant to hurt him. He was the best thing to happen to me during Season One!"
"Then why didn't you take him back?!" Bridgette asked.
Gwen paused with surprised eyes. "What?"
William made it to the tower and took a deep breath as he entered.
(Tower Deactivated Theme Starts)
"He got you to come out of your shell, Gwen. He really was the best thing that ever happened to you." Bridgette continued with a saddened face. "If I could forgive and take back Geoff during his Captain Hollywood phase why you didn't take Trent back?"
"I…Is that why you've been so mad at me?" Gwen asked with a surprised face.
William walked into the center of the platform, the lights and chimes signaling each step.
"I guess. I mean, I thought you were perfect for each other. Duncan and Courtney survived all of Season Two and they were still together." Bridgette reasoned. "LeShawna and Harold survived Season Three after Alejandro."
"Duncan and Courtney fell apart before Season Three and it was for the same reasons they broke up before." Gwen sighed. "And Bridge, I did ask Trent if he would take me back."
Bridgette blinked. "You did?"
Gwen nodded.
William rose to the upper platform.
"After the show ended, I thought about giving us a second chance but he…He said no." Gwen shook her head.
"Why?" Bridgette asked, unable to believe what she had heard.
"He said he didn't think he could be the kind of man I needed, that he failed to trust me which would have prevented everything." Gwen answered, looking at the ground. "That being on the show didn't cause our problems."
"Gwen…" Bridgette took a step forward…and hugged Gwen tightly.
William landed on the upper platform.
"I'm so sorry." Bridgette whispered. "I should have had your back all those times."
"And…I shouldn't have left you stuck to that pole." Gwen admitted as she hugged Bridgette back.
Bridgette sniffed and chuckled. "I had that one coming."
"Give me another chance?" Gwen asked.
William placed his hand on the screen.
"Only if you give me one."
WILLIAM
CODE: LYOKO
"Tower deactivated." William said as the screens fell to the dark abyss below.
Sierra grinned she found the ladder at the end of the trail she had followed. "This is it. This is the secret!"
Meanwhile Sissy looked around the factory, spying the elevator.
(Credits)
Chapter 31: Episode 31: Suspicion and Consequence
Summary:
The Lyoko Team deals with the fall-out of the last attack with Aelita making a disturbing discovery about the upgraded Lyoko. Meanwhile, those who carry suspicions on the group from Kadic and Total Drama begin closing in.
Chapter Text
(Code Total Drama Reality Introduction Song Starts)
(This Game (From 'No Game No Life'))
The intro begins with the sun rising over the city of Paris, before the camera angles down on Kadic Academy. Stepping into view is Aelita, standing at the school gates as she looks up and watches as dark clouds suddenly cover the sky. Her eyes widen as she suddenly morphs into her Lyoko form, energy fields appearing in her hands.
William appears next, a dark copy of him, resembling his Lyoko form as a warrior of XANA appearing behind him, both clashing their swords, causing a flash of light as the title appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(I never wanted to be)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors appear with her as they are surrounded by the monsters of XANA.
(Another gear in that corrupted world's machine)
A giant bird appears above the city, letting out a loud screech.
(All my life felt like a dream)
One by one, the Lyoko Warriors enter the scanners and the doors closed, a ring of light traveling up their bodies as the camera shows and alternates each Lyoko Warrior before they vanish in a flash of light.
(I was never who I really wanted me to be)
Vehicles resembling a hovercraft, a board, a motorcycle appear with new vehicles resembling a sled and a hoverbike with a jet engine appears, carrying the Lyoko Warriors off as they are surrounded by monsters that begin shooting lasers at them.
(But then God shattered that dream's cage)
Four towers, each in a separate sector begins to glow red with monsters and an armored figure leading the monsters. Aelita lands on the platform and places her hand on the screen.
(And rose me up to a new stage)
The Total Drama contestants founds themselves back in the studio, their fellow contestants gathered with them as Chris laughs
(Cut it away like a sharp knife)
He gestures to the screens, showing them all in challenges…
(No, no, No Game No Life)
With each of them suffering a variety of misfortunes: Gwen vomits on Duncan, a soccer ball explodes in Bridgette's face, Geoff yells as a missile chases after him.
(Now suddenly there's a new twist)
Geoff's yelling suddenly stops and he changes into his Lyoko form, brandishing his weapons that cut the missile in half, causing the two pieces to fly past Geoff and explodes behind him.
(A reason to really exist)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors assume their Lyoko forms and battle down various monsters, some of them belonging to XANA and some are different but dangerous.
(I wanna breathe in the fame)
From legions of monsters, comes Men in Black, giant spaceships aiming their cannons down on the bewildered Lyoko Warriors.
(As this whole new world cheers my name)
The camera zooms in on the lead space ship as it prepares to fire.
(I'll never leave it to fate)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors are shown running through the streets of France, the sky darkening and the Eye of XANA appearing on every monitor they pass.
(And when I see a chance I'll pave the way)
They reach the factory, sliding down the ropes and reaching the elevator.
(I'll call checkmate)
The elevator reaches the scanner room, Aelita and William waiting for them.
(This is the time to breakthrough)
The Lyoko Warriors then gather before a scanner, the camera facing them inside with the group staring at it critically. A hand reaches up, giving them a thumbs-up before the scanner doors close.
(So I'll rewrite the story and I'll finally change all the rules)
The Lyoko Warriors are now gathered in the Forest Sector of Lyoko, suddenly separated by a crescent shaped wave of red energy and out of the flames emerges a humanoid warrior in dark armor, their face covered by a horned helmet and the Eye of XANA on its chest and forehead.
(We are MAVERICK)
William charges forward, his large sword clashing against the equally sized weapon of Shadow, both glaring hatefully at each other.
(We won't give in until we win this game)
Both disappear into white and black smoke before we then see Bridgette in the Ice Sector, battling a giant monster resembling a polar bear.
(Though I don't know what tomorrow holds)
The monster is about to cut Bridgette down with its claws before a blast of pure lightning blasts it to pieces.
(I'll make a bet and play my cards to win this game)
The origin of the attack is revealed to be Geoff, holding a giant axe instead of his chakrams as he charges forward to help Bridgette, a look of determination replacing his normal carefree smile.
(Unlike the rest I'll do my best)
A pair of Wasps are shown chasing Dawn who is on the Overwing before Gwen shoots up, her cape morphing into bat like wings as she slashes through the Wasps with her scythe.
(And I won't ever lose)
A pair of Krabs fire on her but DJ's barrier saves her before Cameron flies down and blasts the Krabs with his arm cannons.
(To give up this chance would be a deadly sin)
LeShawna is then staring up at the hulking form of the Kolossus as it approaches her.
(So let's bet it all)
Gripping her hammer tightly, LeShawna charges to meet the biggest of XANA's monsters head on.
(I put all my faith in us)
Aelita is then shown in a red version of Sector 5, turning to glare at the Avatar of XANA who smirks back at her.
(So let the games begin)
Aelita readies her energy field and charges at XANA who summons his own sword, clashing with Aelita's energy fields. Pink and red energy erupt from their clash, covering the screen in white before changing to a black screen with blue lines of coding filling it and the title appearing on last time:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(This Game (From 'No Game No Life') Ends)
Episode 31: Suspicion and Consequence
"They did it."
A sigh of relief was heard as the screen showed William deactivating the tower on Lyoko while the Scyphozoa attacking the new Skidbladnir was destroyed.
"Aelita picked out some very capable allies."
A new window appeared with a flashing red icon.
"Hm? Something has tripped the security system at the factory." He watched as a new window appeared, showing a girl with long black hair approaching the elevator. "An intruder."
And she wasn't the only one.
Another window showed another girl emerging from the sewage hatch outside the factory. He quickly opened a program that identified the two girls.
NAME: ELIZABETH 'SISSY' DELMAS
AGE: 16
RESIDENCE: KADIC ACADEMY
OCCUPATION: STUDENT
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NAME: SIERRA OBANSAWIN
AGE: 18
RESIDENCE: CANADA BUT IS TEMPORARILY LIVING IN FRANCE, PARIS
OCCUPATION: REPORTER, CURRENT COMPETITOR ON REALITY TELEVISION NETWORK 'TOTAL DRAMA'
"One of them is Jean-Pierre's daughter. I am not sure I can stop her without alerting Aelita and her friends or XANA but the other one." He ran a program that tapped into her cell phone. "She's likely from the cast on that reality show and has followed them here. I think I can time it just right."
RING-RING-RING
"Uh?!" Chris McLean shot up in bed at the sound of his cell phone ringing which he hastily answered in an irate tone. "Yeah? Who is this and do you know what time it is?"
"My apologies, Mr. McLean. I thought you would like to know one of your cast competitors on your show has been seen wandering around the streets of France." The person, a man with a slightly distorted tone answered on the other end.
"What?" Chris shot up out of his bed. "How do you know that?"
"I am the owner of a private property that's in the midst of being declared a historical landmark. I have a security system that is showing the girl in question."
"Yeah, who is it?" Chris asked skeptically.
"A one Sierra Obansawin."
Chris's eyes widened and then narrowed. "Sierra, huh? Does she have a cell phone with her?"
"Yes."
"Fine, I'll see if you're telling the truth but if your not you'll be hearing from my lawyers." Chris grunted and then hung up.
The host of Total Drama rushed out of his bedroom and into the monitor room, bringing up the last few hours…
And sure enough, one showed Sierra sneaking off the property.
"Break the terms of your contact, hey Fanzilla." Chris pulled out his cellphone. "I don't think so."
"Sierra's Blog, Total Drama Date: Year 3, Month 8, Day 8, I have tracked the suspicious group to outside the studio and off of Total Drama property in violation of their contract for current season to an abandoned factory. I will now enter-"
RING-RING-RING
"Huh?" Sierra stopped and answered her phone. "Hello?"
"Taking a late-night stroll, Sierra?" A familiar voice asked.
"Chris?" Sierra blinked. "How did you-"
"Cameras caught you sneaking off Total Drama property, violating you contract to stay at the studio until you are eliminated, or the show is over. Get back here right now or I'm sending Chef to drag you back!" Chris barked.
"W-Wait! What about the others who snuck out?!" Sierra gaped and exclaimed.
"Cameras only show you leaving, Fanzilla! Now get your Cody-kissed butt back here right now or you'll be eliminated!" Chris barked.
Sierra's eyes went wide, the tone of Chris's voice telling her he was not bluffing. If she didn't get back now, she would be kicked off of the show and forced to leave her Cody-kins behind and be left at the mercy of those sneaks, especially that harlot Gwen.
"Okay, I'll be right back." Sierra sighed.
"Good and don't be taking any detours." Chris added before hanging up.
Sierra closed her phone, glaring at the factory. "I don't know how you did it, but you win this round. But no one makes Sierra Obansawin quit when it comes to Total Drama!"
With that, Sierra spun around and marched back to the sewer hole she had emerged from before she suddenly stopped.
"AND FOR THE RECORD CHRIS, CODY HAS YET TO KISS MY BUTT BUT I'VE KISSED HIS PLENTY OF TIMES!" She shouted before jumping back into the sewer.
"That was close." He sighed in relief. "But I need to make sure there is no evidence she might use to bring suspicion down on Aelita's friends. As for Delmas, I can only hope Aelita can handle it."
Aelita looked over the data before turning to the others. "There's no doubt about it. Shadow is the AI Jeremy created to replace William."
"How did he get that?" William asked, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. "I thought Jeremy deleted it."
"He did but in order for the clone to work, he had to activate a tower." Aelita turned her chair around. "The clone's data was stored in that tower while it was active to make sure it continued to function. XANA tried taking it over once but we stopped him and it remained active until you were finally free. Even though Jeremy deactivated the tower and deleted the clone, it looks like the clone's main codes were still recorded and stored inside the tower. After checking the tower's logs, I found out something had been transferred from it. I think XANA accessed the files stored inside the tower and found the clone's data and then transferred to wherever he is hiding before he completely remade the clone."
Aelita brought up a scan of Shadow for everyone to see but only a few understood.
"Genetic codes, DNA scans, weapon stats, they all match William's profile completely except for the fact that Shadow appears to be an upgraded version of William's Avatar after it was remodeled by XANA." Aelita clarified.
William scowled, seeing the Avatar profile staring back at him.
It was like looking at his own ghost.
"So, what will happen if his life points hit zero? Will he be deleted?" Cameron asked.
"I do not know. You see, Shadow has the same DNA code as William's which was programmed in him when Jeremy created him. When William was taken over by XANA, he destroyed Lyoko's core which led to his digital code getting scrambled from the energy blast. XANA was able to reconstruct him as well integrating some of his own data into William's which directly tied him to XANA's agent-system, making him a human puppet of XANA instead of simply a possessed victim. Shadow's data is nearly the same as William's was except that change was made willingly." Aelita explained.
"So, what now? You're not going to save him?" Bridgette asked.
"No. Shadow was meant to be a simple copy meant only to imitate William while he was under XANA's control." Aelita shook her head. "As he is now, he's no different from any of XANA's monsters."
William glanced at Aelita, feeling something wrong about that commented.
"So how do we find your friends?" Gwen asked.
"I might have found a way, but I'll need some time. There's not much else we can do." Aelita sighed. "Besides, we might have another problem."
"Like what?" LeShawna asked.
"When we were in the chamber where the Core is, I pointed to it and did it resemble the holo-map here?" Aelita asked, gesturing to the holographic map.
"Come to think of it, yeah." Geoff nodded.
"Only it had…eight of types of landmasses projected around the center." DJ recalled.
"Precisely. Those landmasses represent sectors and there should only be four." Aelita stated. "But if there's eight…"
"You mean there could be eight sectors…as in four new sectors?" William asked with widened eyes. "But how?"
"XANA has not only changed and upgraded Lyoko and his monsters but he's working on changing everything so that my current programs, the map, the radar, the super scan are all useless. If they are not updated than XANA could launch an undetectable attack and we would not know until it is too late. I thought things were a little off when I found the labyrinth in Sector 5 was restored but when I saw the new landmasses." Aelita sighed. "Just another sign of things being completely different from before."
"So, what can we do?" Cameron asked.
"Well, at the moment with a tower shut down we have some time to work out what can be done. The simplest way would be to travel sector by sector through the Way Towers to map out these new unknown sectors but that would take too long." Aelita stated.
"But if you can design a program to map out New Lyoko, it will cut the time in half." William caught on.
"And given the number of new sectors, it might be the best way possible." Aelita said as she brought up an image of the core. "XANA's expanded everything, including his ability to reach out into our world."
The image of the core did not show four different regions around a golden sphere with an Eye of XANA imprinted on it... there were eight.
"As far as I can tell, the new regions seem to be a swamp region which has connected to the bottom of the Forest Sector, a type of tropical Ocean Sector with many island structures underneath the Desert Sector, a Volcanic Sector over the Mountain region that possesses several towers on its own, and a Jungle Sector between the Forest and Mountain Sectors. This has essentially doubled the amount of towers within Lyoko."
"Wow...man what can't this guy do?" Geoff marvelled at the description of New Lyoko.
"Lyoko was designed as his source of power, the more evolved he gets the more it shall evolve." Aelita explained.
"So, what can we do?" Gwen asked, arms crossed.
"For now, nothing. I need to write up a program to map this New Lyoko before it can truly be used against us." Aelita yawned.
"After some rest and maybe a few of us can help." William offered. "It is a Friday night."
"Same for us." Geoff nodded. "When it comes to the show, there's an elimination every three days. At least that's how it was in Seasons One and Two. Season Three was going all over the world."
"It was the same last season two for me, Dawn and the others." Cameron nodded in agreement. "So, I can help out too."
Aelita sighed but smiled gratefully. "Okay, okay, I am getting the message and I'm thankful. I appreciate the help you've all given me and the help you're offering me."
"So, we're just on standby until the next attack?" LeShawna asked.
"Unless you want a crash course on programming a delicate system to map out a digital landscape composed of millions of lines code." Aelita gestured to the computer behind her.
"Okay, we get the next couple days off." Geoff jumped to his feet. "Whoo-hoo! We go back to the studio, pretend nothing happened…By the way, Gwen, Bridgette is everything okay?"
Everyone looked to the two girls who sighed but smiled.
"We're good." Gwen patted Bridgette on the shoulder who returned the gesture.
"Really?" LeShawna raised an eyebrow. "You guys were able to work together and work things out?"
Bridgette cleared her throat, looking awkwardly at William and Dawn. "We…realize there's some issues to clear up, things we put off doing for too long."
"But they have made significant progress." Dawn said with a proud smile, still sitting cross-legged on the floor. "Both have reached a point where they have removed most of the negative energy that was making them aggressive towards each other. If they are open to it, we can continue to try and work out the rest of their issues."
"Like what?" Bridgette asked but then her eyes went wide. "Okay, actually Dawn, don't answer that. I got a feeling I know what you mean."
"I thought you worked it out." Geoff commented.
"Look, I admit I was indeed unfair to Gwen, and we got a chance to air out our grievances. I grant that she never meant to hurt anyone with what went on in the last couple of seasons." Bridgette cleared her throat as she looked at Gwen. "I still have some grievances with Duncan though that are mostly on how he has acted and still acts."
Gwen sighed. "Fair enough."
"Wow. Maybe we should keep doing this therapy stuff you suggested, Dawn." DJ offered.
"I told you; therapy is something you pay someone to do. I have only offered to lend an ear to you all and to help solve the unspoken issues you may have to better prepare you for the continued battles in the digital frontier." Dawn reminded everyone, her eyes closed as she tried to sound serene but everyone thought they heard a tone of annoyance in her voice.
"That's what therapists do." LeShawna pointed out.
"Yes, but they are paid to do that. I am asking for no money from any of you." Dawn replied.
"She's got a point there." Geoff shrugged.
"So, what do we call it?" DJ asked.
"Counseling?" Bridgette asked.
"That's the same thing." Dawn replied.
"Yeah, but it can be considered more free than therapy." LeShawna said with a smile. "The point is, I haven't seen Gwen or Bridge here interacting like this in a long time, not since before Season Two and I'm glad for that."
"Yeah. I was really worried for a second when you two started fighting again." DJ nodded in agreement. "I think Dawn is on to something. At the very least, we can have someone to try helping us when we feel down."
"Aelita? William? What about you guys? Did you anything similar when you felt a little stressed?" LeShawna asked.
"Not really, we did talk with our friends when we felt a little stressed." Aelita shrugged. "There wasn't really anyone else we could talk to concerning Lyoko."
William glanced away, seeing that Aelita was hiding the fact that he had barely interacted with the rest of the Lyoko group aside from Yumi and even less following the supercomputer being shut down.
Meanwhile Sissy looked around the factory, spying the elevator.
"In the meantime, we should all head back now and get some rest." Aelita stood up from chair, taking a second to stretch her legs. "William and I should head back soon before someone notices."
William nodded in agreement. "Yeah. You're still under a microscope from everything that's happened."
"What's that mean?" Geoff asked.
"Oh…Um…" William trailed off, looking towards Aelita for permission who just sighed and nodded. "Well, as you know, Aelita's friends went missing after the first attack. Since then, Aelita's been the center of school gossip since she was the only one of their group to not disappear."
"And you're not under any suspicion?" DJ asked.
"Nah, I was kind of…Suspended from the team." William answered awkwardly. "Actually, the parents of our missing friends showed up not too long ago before that one attack but strangely they didn't show up again to question Aelita. That's kind of odd and disturbing."
"It is." Aelita nodded. "And the school staff might be keeping a closer eye on us because we had a record of unexplained absences from class during our last adventure as Lyoko Warriors. If they are suspicious of me now, they will be keeping an even closer eye on me."
"Are you sure you are able to sneak off without them noticing you then?" LeShawna asked worriedly. "It's starting to sound like you could get expelled if you so much as sneeze the wrong way."
"We'll be fine, LeShawna." Aelita smiled as she approached the elevator door, pressing the up button. "We've been careful so far and I know if we remain careful, we don't be caught."
The doors opened and the group piled in. The elevator went up, coming up onto the elevator lobby a moment later. The group stepped out, leaving the factory and taking the sewer path back to the forest where they would go their separate ways.
"William, are you okay?"
William blinked, turning to see Aelita looking at him with concern. "Yeah, I'm good."
"You haven't said much since leaving the factory." Aelita noted as they returned to Kadic. "You're worried about Shadow, aren't you?"
"I…I kinda am. My clone, Shadow, he's everything I've tried to forget in the last two years." William answered honestly and sighed.
It had not been easy.
From the nightmares, to struggling with his grades to avoid being held back a year, to trying to make amends, William had worked very hard to put everything behind him.
Then the past came back.
Not just XANA coming back from the dead, which shook William as much as it had the others. William had been shaking in terror and anger from seeing that monster's Eye appearing in the gym. After trying so hard to put it all behind him, it had all come rushing back and he still barely had the time to process everything.
"What am I truly to do you, William? You look at me as the monster who nearly ruined your life, but I was helping you, even though you never knew it while the ones you believed to be your friends cast you out over a misstep that could have just as easily happened to any of them.."
"The nice guy, useful for fights but gets rejected and ignored when he is no longer needed."
XANA's words continued to echo in his mind, no matter how hard William tried to block it all out.
"William?" He blinked and his vision was back on Aelita who looked worried.
William sighed. "Sorry, I…Aelita, there's something you should know."
"Hm?" Aelita blinked.
"When I was trying to rescue Odd, Ulrich and Yumi…He was there." William looked away.
Aelita was confused before her eyes went wide in realization. "…XANA?"
"He used that same Avatar, that same face, the one he used when he confronted you all…And I just froze." William confessed sadly. "I could barely move, and I heard his heart…It was beating…It was beating, like I had two hearts now or like we were somehow sharing both hearts. I can't even try to explain, it feels like trying to describe colors to a blind person."
"What happened?" Aelita gently asked.
"He…He didn't fight me. He didn't even attack or try to capture me again…He greeted me like we were old friends." William shuddered, taking a deep breath. "He talked, said that even though you and the others freed me, we're still connected."
Aelita paled slightly. "William…"
"I didn't believe him at first, but he mentioned something…He told me how he knew of how I was struggling with my grades after we all thought it was done, and the supercomputer was turned off…He knew everything and…he claimed he helped me." William gripped his arm. "He proved it by…reciting this one test I had two weeks after everything…He claimed he helped me by giving me the strength to ignore everything that was done to me."
"William, you didn't pass any test because of XANA." Aelita stated, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I know things were hard and we didn't make it easier…but XANA doesn't control you anymore. He couldn't have done anything."
"Could he?" William looked back at Aelita, a scared look etched across his features. "I could hear his heartbeat weeks before the attack…I had visions of my past in Lyoko as I tried sleeping…I can even use the supercomputer as well as you or Jeremy…What if he's not lying and I am still connected to him? What if this thing with Shadow is just more proof that I was always going to more of…XANA's own warrior and not who I wanted to be."
"William." Aelita gripped both his shoulders now. "What happened wasn't your fault, back then or now. I had nightmares before the attack too…Two years of peace of living a normal life, of being happy and suddenly just before it all went bad again, I saw my father and my friends…they all had his Eye instead of their own…and they told me I couldn't save them."
William stared back with a surprised faced, becoming remorseful as he noticed a tear coming down Aelita's cheek. "Aelita…"
"Maybe there is still a connection between you and XANA…We all thought him gone for good and we were wrong. So maybe we were wrong about you too but you're not with him anymore. You're not his slave; you're now the person you wanted to be back then. You wanted to help from the beginning even after everything you went through after Lyoko, and you almost got killed before the others came along and helped us." Aelita said with finality in her voice. "Yes, Shadow is an unwanted reminder of what happened to you before, but his actions and choices don't define you. You're here now and I promise you won't be dragged back as a brainwashed pawn again, not with me or the others standing with you."
William looked on with a surprised face before he smiled and let out a small chuckle. "…So you're the optimist now, Aelita? That's usually Odd's thing."
"Odd's not here." Aelita retracted her hands. "And I have to believe, to hope with every part of me, that we'll find a way out of this. We'll stop XANA for good this time, rescue Odd, Yumi and Ulrich…"
William's face fell, becoming saddened at the failed mention of Jeremy. "…Do you really believe there's no way we can save Jeremy?"
"I wish…" Aelita rubbed her eyes. "I wish I knew of a way…"
"I'm sorry." William smiled sadly. "Maybe we should take Dawn's offer for therapy because I think we're both just about to lose it."
"Believe me, there are times I thought we would lose it all back then. With all the near-death experiences we had on Lyoko, I'm surprised Jeremy could keep together." Aelita managed her own sad smile. "Still, I need a little more time before I can just open up like Geoff suggested."
"All right…But do me a favor will ya?" William asked.
"What?"
"Just let me know when you're having a bad day. I won't make any suggestions or say you should seek Dawn out but…Don't hide behind a smile and say everything's all right when you're not feeling that way." William requested. "You're the only expert on this now and pretty much the boss of Team Lyoko. We need our leader at her best so don't try carrying everything on your own. You got on Jeremy's case when he did that, remember?"
Aelita blinked in surprise before she smiled. "Okay…"
Aelita then walked past William, heading for her dorm, while William took a deep breath and sighed. "Okay, I guess I am now the warrior I wanted to be back then…I just hope I am the one Yumi and the others can count on to help their friend hold it together."
Boy he was tired and was glad there wouldn't be anymore surprises for the next few days.
Unfortunately, what Aelita, William and the TD Lyoko Warriors didn't count on was that their secret had almost been discovered not by one but by two very nosy individuals.
One had been called away, having been caught sneaking out while the other…
Sissy peaked her head out from behind the beam she had been hiding behind once the group had left the factory. She took a deep breath and then approached the elevator, pushing the button for down. She waited with bated breath as the doors closed and the elevator took her down. A moment later it opened, revealing the lab in all its advanced glory to the stunned Sissy who could only look around for a moment.
She approached the computer and sat down, deciding to scroll through the programs.
"Still think I'm a pest huh?"
COLLECTING ALL RECORDED DATA
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NEW DATA: ENEMY DESIGNATE DAWN MEDREK DISPLAYED ABILITY TO CREATE PLANT BASED WEAPONRY THAT PROVED CRUCIAL IN PREVENTING SCYPHOZOA 02 FROM EXTRACTING KEY PROGRAMS FROM DESIGNATE WILLIAM DUNBAR
THREAT LEVEL: C-
UPLOADING NEW DATA
THREAT LEVEL: B
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ANALYZING
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RESULTS:
01: SUCCESS
02: FAILURE
03: FAILURE
04: FAILURE
05: FAILURE
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NEW DATA: THE POSSIBILITY OF A NEW ALLY AIDING AELITA AND THE NEW LYOKO WARRIORS
PROBABILITY: 73% PERCENT LIKELY
REASONS: UNKNOWN PARTY ACCESSING SUPERCOMPUTER AND INITIATING SYSTEM RESET AT THE MOMENT OF VICTORY, ALLOWING AELITA TO ESCAPE DURING STRATEGIC OPERATION 04. RECORDED DATA FROM STRATEGIC OPERATION 05 SUGGESTS SOMEONE CONTACTED ENEMY DESIGNATE CAMERON CORDUROY WILKINS WITH INSTRUCTIONS ON PROGRAMMING VEHICLE SKIDBLADNIR SHIELDS FOR DEFENSE
VARIABLE: UNKNOWN
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LIST OF POTENTIAL IDENTITIES:
WALDO SCHAEFFER – DECEASED
JEREMY BELPOIS – DECEASED
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RESULTS: DATA INCONCLUSIVE
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This is unacceptable. I cannot properly neutralize Aelita and William if there is a third party acting without identification. Someone is able to access and use the supercomputer and have done so without being detected. I cannot allow for any interference at this point.
Aelita's new allies are still unskilled and unprepared. It is imperative that their weaknesses are capitalized before they reach the threat level of their predecessors.
Sissy had no idea what she had been expecting when she found the lab where Jeremy claimed to have found the so-called supercomputer with a virtual world and the evil AI that was responsible for him, Ulrich, Odd and Yumi disappearing. Now she was here, she found out their little secret.
Now…
'What do I now?' Sissy blinked as she wondered to herself.
"April 10th, 2007. With XANA dead, all that was left was to shutdown the supercomputer, but then Sissy as always tried to ruin everything. We came up with the idea of telling her she was our friend so she would stop bothering us."
Jeremy's words came back to the top of her mind, remembering how she had listening in at her father's office while the adults were interrogating Aelita.
"It's amazing to think she almost joined the group at the beginning of everything and that one thing that has never changed about her is that she always selfishly thinks of herself and is always trying to break up our group from her silly obsession with Ulrich. She told her dad everything at the beginning and three years later when we're finally ending it, she does it again after she puts a tracker on Ulrich's jacket that led her to the factory, found my diary and then spilled everything to the principal, forcing us to use one last Return to the Past to stop her. If I have to pretend to be friends with her until the 12th grade, then so be it even if it means putting up with her childish and delusional clingy behavior. It is clear that no matter how much things have changed; Sissy never will change for the better and will always be an annoying thorn in our sides."
'Never change will I?' Sissy thought as a few tears threatened to slip down her cheeks. 'Pretending to be friends with me just to shut me up. We'll see about that, Jeremy…Maybe I can be the hero I could have been and save all your ungrateful hides…Maybe I had the right idea back then because here we are, you dead, Ulrich captured by the monster you said you stopped.'
That had stung her.
Their so-called friendship built on a lie for the past two years.
They never wanted to be friends with her, they just humored her and then laughed behind her back. All of them, including Ulrich.
Sissy looked at the clock, seeing it was almost midnight. 'Okay, I have a few hours. I'll learn everything I can…and then I'll show them. I'll show Aelita, William and whoever they got helping them.'
They didn't want her help?
Fine.
Sissy Delmas would save the day all on her own.
"Sneaking off of Total Drama property, not something I would have expected from you of all people…Sierra."
"Chris, I know what you're going to say but-"
"Bup-bup-bup!" Chris held a finger over Sierra's lips, silencing her. "You know the rules and you signed the contract. Sneaking out of here before you're eliminated and I'm allowed to kick you off the show and send you back to Canada with a one way ticket."
"Me? What about the others?" Sierra asked.
"Others?" Chris asked, sharing a look with Chef.
"LeShawna, Bridgette, Geoff, DJ, Cameron, Dawn and Gwen. They all snuck out of here and I followed them!" Sierra exclaimed.
"That's not what the cameras say." Chris turned to the monitors, bringing up the footage for the last few hours. "According to this, they all went back to their rooms and stayed there. They did not leave at all while I have you," He pointed to a monitor showing Sierra sneaking out. "Being the only one who snuck out."
Sierra gaped, frozen on the chair she had been forced to sit on when Chris and Chef demanded she see them to explain herself. "Huh-Wha-"
"Here's a pointer: when you lie, make it sound believable. And I don't recall giving you permission to keep your cell phone on your person. No outside contact with the rest of the world!" Chris barked.
"You let Dakota keep her phone!" Sierra argued.
"Dakota's rich, you're not." Chef shrugged. "Chef?"
Chef grabbed Sierra, causing her to struggle aggressively. "Hey! You can't do this! It is my right as the number one fan in Total Drama history to-"
Chef pulled her phone out and then dropped her back on the chair.
"At least look at the recordings I took-"
SMASH!
Neither Chef nor Chris heard her as Chef smashed Sierra's phone by clenching it tightly in his large hand.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Sierra screamed, falling to her knees. "I HAD FIVE HUNDRED PICTURES OF CODY ON THAT!"
"Well, at least the real one is here." Chris shrugged. "And just so you know, there's going to be a penalty during the next challenge for you and your team. That should learn ya."
Sierra sniffed and ran out of the monitor room, crying her eyes out.
"Kids, so dramatic." Chris rolled his eyes.
Sierra ran back to her room, slamming the door shut and burying her face in her pillow at the loss of her phone. She couldn't what had just happened to her and worst Chris didn't even believe her when she tried to tell them about the others sneaking off. How had they managed to pull that off? What had happened?
She lifted her face, staring down at her tear-soaked pillow. 'I can't let this stop me. Those weirdos are up to something, and I have to find out what.'
Sierra's eyes narrowed. "I'll find out what they're hiding. If I can't sneak after them, I'll just have to sneaky and play the waiting game. I'll gain their confidence and find out what they are up to…Super Spy Sierra on the job!"
(Credits)
Chapter 32: Episode 33: Mapping New Lyoko
Summary:
Aelita creates a program to map the newer version of Lyoko while the TD Lyoko Group works to deal with old wounds.
Chapter Text
(Code Total Drama Reality Introduction Song Starts)
(This Game (From 'No Game No Life'))
The intro begins with the sun rising over the city of Paris, before the camera angles down on Kadic Academy. Stepping into view is Aelita, standing at the school gates as she looks up and watches as dark clouds suddenly cover the sky. Her eyes widen as she suddenly morphs into her Lyoko form, energy fields appearing in her hands.
William appears next, a dark copy of him, resembling his Lyoko form as a warrior of XANA appearing behind him, both clashing their swords, causing a flash of light as the title appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(I never wanted to be)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors appear with her as they are surrounded by the monsters of XANA.
(Another gear in that corrupted world's machine)
A giant bird appears above the city, letting out a loud screech.
(All my life felt like a dream)
One by one, the Lyoko Warriors enter the scanners and the doors closed, a ring of light traveling up their bodies as the camera shows and alternates each Lyoko Warrior before they vanish in a flash of light.
(I was never who I really wanted me to be)
Vehicles resembling a hovercraft, a board, a motorcycle appear with new vehicles resembling a sled and a hoverbike with a jet engine appears, carrying the Lyoko Warriors off as they are surrounded by monsters that begin shooting lasers at them.
(But then God shattered that dream's cage)
Four towers, each in a separate sector begins to glow red with monsters and an armored figure leading the monsters. Aelita lands on the platform and places her hand on the screen.
(And rose me up to a new stage)
The Total Drama contestants founds themselves back in the studio, their fellow contestants gathered with them as Chris laughs
(Cut it away like a sharp knife)
He gestures to the screens, showing them all in challenges…
(No, no, No Game No Life)
With each of them suffering a variety of misfortunes: Gwen vomits on Duncan, a soccer ball explodes in Bridgette's face, Geoff yells as a missile chases after him.
(Now suddenly there's a new twist)
Geoff's yelling suddenly stops and he changes into his Lyoko form, brandishing his weapons that cut the missile in half, causing the two pieces to fly past Geoff and explodes behind him.
(A reason to really exist)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors assume their Lyoko forms and battle down various monsters, some of them belonging to XANA and some are different but dangerous.
(I wanna breathe in the fame)
From legions of monsters, comes Men in Black, giant spaceships aiming their cannons down on the bewildered Lyoko Warriors.
(As this whole new world cheers my name)
The camera zooms in on the lead space ship as it prepares to fire.
(I'll never leave it to fate)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors are shown running through the streets of France, the sky darkening and the Eye of XANA appearing on every monitor they pass.
(And when I see a chance I'll pave the way)
They reach the factory, sliding down the ropes and reaching the elevator.
(I'll call checkmate)
The elevator reaches the scanner room, Aelita and William waiting for them.
(This is the time to breakthrough)
The Lyoko Warriors then gather before a scanner, the camera facing them inside with the group staring at it critically. A hand reaches up, giving them a thumbs-up before the scanner doors close.
(So I'll rewrite the story and I'll finally change all the rules)
The Lyoko Warriors are now gathered in the Forest Sector of Lyoko, suddenly separated by a crescent shaped wave of red energy and out of the flames emerges a humanoid warrior in dark armor, their face covered by a horned helmet and the Eye of XANA on its chest and forehead.
(We are MAVERICK)
William charges forward, his large sword clashing against the equally sized weapon of Shadow, both glaring hatefully at each other.
(We won't give in until we win this game)
Both disappear into white and black smoke before we then see Bridgette in the Ice Sector, battling a giant monster resembling a polar bear.
(Though I don't know what tomorrow holds)
The monster is about to cut Bridgette down with its claws before a blast of pure lightning blasts it to pieces.
(I'll make a bet and play my cards to win this game)
The origin of the attack is revealed to be Geoff, holding a giant axe instead of his chakrams as he charges forward to help Bridgette, a look of determination replacing his normal carefree smile.
(Unlike the rest I'll do my best)
A pair of Wasps are shown chasing Dawn who is on the Overwing before Gwen shoots up, her cape morphing into bat like wings as she slashes through the Wasps with her scythe.
(And I won't ever lose)
A pair of Krabs fire on her but DJ's barrier saves her before Cameron flies down and blasts the Krabs with his arm cannons.
(To give up this chance would be a deadly sin)
LeShawna is then staring up at the hulking form of the Kolossus as it approaches her.
(So let's bet it all)
Gripping her hammer tightly, LeShawna charges to meet the biggest of XANA's monsters head on.
(I put all my faith in us)
Aelita is then shown in a red version of Sector 5, turning to glare at the Avatar of XANA who smirks back at her.
(So let the games begin)
Aelita readies her energy field and charges at XANA who summons his own sword, clashing with Aelita's energy fields. Pink and red energy erupt from their clash, covering the screen in white before changing to a black screen with blue lines of coding filling it and the title appearing on last time:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(This Game (From 'No Game No Life') Ends)
Episode 33: Mapping New Lyoko
It was late, very late but Sissy knew she still had plenty of time to get back to the dorm before Jim woke up and did his routine morning check. Besides, this was too important for her to just leave now.
She had finally done it, she had discovered the secret of the Weirdo Bunch…
After two years of supposedly making peace with them…
When it was anything but real.
A false friendship to shut her up.
"Where is Jeremy? Why isn't he with you?"
Aelita looked down at the ground while Ulrich, Odd and Yumi couldn't bear to speak. Their silence caused Michael to pale.
"No…" The father of Jeremy fell to his knees. "Please tell me-"
"I'm sorry. It's true." Aelita lifted her head, a tear coming down her cheek. "XANA killed him."
Sissy paused as she sat on her bed, thinking back to what had happened in that office. Ulrich, Odd and Yumi captured by some kind of digital monster and Jeremy was…
Dead.
Likely actually dead.
Is it wrong to still feel made about them lying to her when Jeremy was dead?
Sure, she was upset but she never would have wanted for one of Ulrich's friends, not even Yumi to die. She wasn't a murderer. Still, Aelita and William were up against something too big for them to stop on their own, even with their new friends.
The contestants from the Canadian reality show Total Drama of all things.
Yeah, Sissy had watched it and was an advent fan of contestants like Heather, Courtney and Alejandro who did whatever it took to win. That's how you win big both on television and in real life after all. Still, she had wonder how Aelita had met them and even dragged them into this insane digital war of hers. Heck, she couldn't even figure out why William would want back in.
She had seen how coldly he had been treated by Aelita's other friends, Yumi and Ulrich especially.
And now she had learned he had been a prisoner of the deranged AI they had fought since their first year and for nearly three years before they thought they had won and pulled the plug.
Until now…
Now the monster was back, Ulrich, Odd and Yumi its prisoners and Jeremy was dead.
'And Aelita and William trust complete strangers over me…' Sissy thought to herself.
That perhaps hurt as much as Jeremy's confession.
They didn't reach out to her or anyone else at Kadic. They reached out to a bunch of contestants on a reality show. Did they expect to fix things before the show ended? Jeremy's diary went over three years before they thought it was over.
How long would it take this time?
Sissy shook her head. "Okay, learn what you can now and then you can decide what to do later. So, they think I'll run to Daddy and rat them out huh? Well, maybe I'll be the one who saves the day in the end."
She picked up the instruction book and started looking through it, wanting to learn everything that she possibly could in the next couple of hours.
"So, you saved Bridgette's life and, in the process, found out why she was mad at you?"
The next morning had come rather quickly for the TD Lyoko Warriors. The chance to just sleep in and rest before having to deal with the next challenge or the next XANA attack. Like the first season, eliminations happened every three days and due to the cyber attack happening, the schedule had been affected badly to the point that only one elimination had happened before it was the weekend, giving them a couple days before the next episode was aired. To say things had not been easy was an understatement but at the same time there was a bit of silver lining.
At least she and Bridgette had managed to repair or at least start repairing their friendship.
The therapy session had allowed them to air out all the frustration they towards each other since Season Two and surprisingly she found herself back with her fellow warriors at the same spot in the morning after breakfast with Dawn, attending another therapy session.
Hey, if it works, it works.
"I guess, that's kind of how it went." Gwen shrugged, looking at Bridgette. "So, you were mad at me for breaking up with Trent and then not getting back together with him?"
"I guess. I always thought he brought out the best in you, Gwen. And then when Season Two began, it's like you both changed…and then you broke it off and Trent broke down and…" Bridgette trailed off and sighed. "It felt like you did something horrible, and I felt so bad for him… But that's not an excuse and I'm sorry."
"Okay, Bridge. You don't have to keep apologizing. We did that already." Gwen pointed out with a small smile. "I am glad we got a chance to clear the air though."
"Well, I'm saying I'm sorry because I didn't give you a chance to explain your side of what happened." Bridgette admitted. "Not just as the co-host of the Aftermath Special but as your friend. I should've at least heard your story but even after Trent stepped up and admitted he cheated I didn't really talk to you again at all. I'm sorry again for that."
"It's okay and I admit, I was stupid for not explaining why I broke up with Trent in the first place. I felt so bad about what I did and between Trent's team judging me and having to sabotage my own team, I didn't feel I had the right to defend myself." Gwen admitted as she looked down at the ground. "I guess it was between being afraid I would get roasted anyways and because I didn't want to blame Trent…Looking back, I wonder if I would have made myself look worse if I tried pinning it all on him."
"At least you were trying to be considerate." Bridgette sighed. "So, you really asked Trent to take you back?"
"I did." Gwen nodded. "But he…he moved on…and pretty quickly too. Between Katie and Sadie and that other girlfriend he had before Season Three."
"Oh yeah, I thought I heard something like that." Geoff recalled.
"Yeah, it's safe to say Trent and I were finished. Luckily, we were able to forgive each other and move on as friends." Gwen smiled softly.
"Good on you, girl." LeShawna patted Gwen on the back. "Nice to see you two back to being nice to each other again."
"Indeed." Dawn nodded with a smile. "Your auras are brighter now compared to before."
"But I'm guessing we still have a few things to workout?" Gwen asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It's not my place to say." Dawn simply said.
"No, but I got a good feeling what it might be, and it's focused on Gwen's relationships like before." Bridgette sighed. "Only it's her current one."
"Duncan, huh?" Gwen crossed her arms. "Look, I know you don't like him but he's not a bad guy. DJ, Geoff, you were both his closest friends before me."
"True." DJ admitted, petting his pet Bunny on his lap. "He roped me into a few of his pranks, and he showed his nicer side at times. I haven't really talked with him since I got booted early in Season Two and he quit early in World Tour."
"Yeah, Duncan's okay even if he puts on the tough guy act." Geoff shrugged. "But I got to admit, his love life does bring out the worst in him like it did with Courtney in Season Two and in World Tour with…"
"With me?" Gwen frowned at Geoff. "Go ahead, say it. Considering this is therapy and all, I guess we might as well not beat around the bush."
"I don't mean anything bad, Gwen but you got to admit it kind of came out of nowhere." Geoff rubbed the back of his head. "I mean, when did you even start liking him?"
"Probably after Season Two and the reason why is because he's one of the people who didn't give me grief about what happened with Trent." Gwen answered. "We were good friends during Season Two and he was the only I could talk to about the whole number nine thing. No one else was offering to help, LeShawna, you wanted me to focus on the game even though my boyfriend was making it hard, Harold offered his two cents and what do you think I would have got from Heather?"
"Look girl, I know you had problems, but you can't expect everyone else to solve them for you." LeShawna reasoned.
"I wasn't asking for a solution from you, but I needed you, I needed my friends to help me in my first relationship. I had no experience or idea how to handle that on my own." Gwen argued with a sad face. "No one aside Duncan would give me any advice and when we broke up, he was the only one outside of the few in the Aftermath who offered me any kind of condolence."
"That's what led you developing feelings for Duncan, correct?" Dawn softly asked.
Gwen nodded. "He supported me, I supported him, it felt like it was just us against everyone else and the entire world."
Everyone, except Dawn shifted a bit, Gwen's reasons for hooking up with Duncan painting a clearer picture of how she started falling for the punk.
"Well, I guess that's a good a reason as any. I supported Bridge all the way up from when we first met to when we got together." Geoff admitted, sharing a look with Bridgette. "But it's still kind of odd that when Duncan came back, he not only suddenly hooked up with you, he also was fine with singing. Isn't that why he quit?"
"Okay, if I tell you all why he dumped Courtney will you all please lay off?" Gwen asked, feeling frustrated now. "Or at least keep your opinions to yourselves?"
Everyone shared a glance with each other before Dawn answered. "Go ahead, Gwen."
"Look, I know it was sudden and to be honest I was caught off guard too. But Duncan explained everything to me when we were at Hawaii and after that, I came to understand why." Gwen began. "First off, you all saw how she treated him, especially in Season Two after she sued her way back onto the show."
No one answered but she knew they all remembered.
"Well, after Duncan was kicked off and refused to go home and by that, I mean be dragged onto the Aftermath show, he went on the run. He found himself relying on the kindness of fans who snuck him out of Egypt, and he pretty much went on the run because he knew Chris would be searching for him." Gwen continued.
"Oh yeah, that was a subject in the Aftermath. People were posting sightings of him all over the place." Geoff recalled.
"Well, he went from Egypt to Africa and Trollhättan and then he pulled off a disguise as Elvis in Texan and then he made it to Italy where he joined a monastery by pretending to be a monk…" Gwen continued.
"I knew it!" Geoff pointed at Gwen. "I knew some of these sightings weren't fake, but I just knew those ones were real! Except the one on Scotland, that was obviously fake."
"Well, after he got ran out of the monastery he met the Der Schnitzel Kickers, the band he was with when we found him in London. He joined up with them on their tour that brought them to London where our next challenge was. On the way, he watched reruns of Total Drama, and he discovered something Courtney did that that was as bad as everything else she put him through during Season Two that he didn't know about until he saw the final episodes." Gwen continued.
"Really? What could that have been?" DJ asked.
Gwen sighed. "Courtney…she cost Duncan the chance to win the million dollars."
"Huh?" Geoff and DJ puzzled.
"What do you mean?" Bridgette asked.
"You know in the episode where Duncan and Beth had to go through all the previous challenges and then answer questions about us that would allow them to skip said challenges?" Gwen asked.
"Yeah. Beth got all the questions except that one about Courtney right." Geoff recalled.
"That happened with Duncan too…Because Courtney gave him a question he couldn't answer." Gwen replied.
"Wait, I don't get it." Bridgette raised her hands. "You're telling us Duncan got mad at Courtney because of a question?"
"No, I am saying Courtney gave Duncan a question he could not answer because he didn't have the answer. She expected him to know what her favorite color was, but she never told him that." Gwen answered. "Instead, she gave the question he could have answered to Beth who didn't either."
"Right, the question being which band Courtney was in." Geoff recalled.
"Instead, Duncan got asked 'What color is Courtney thinking of right now?' Ignoring whether that meant guessing if it was her favorite color or not, Duncan found out that Courtney was furious with him for not guessing the color she was thinking was burnt sienna which I am not sure anyone, even you Bridgette would have been able to guess." Gwen continued, glancing at Bridgette who said nothing. "Seeing her reaction to him not able to answer the question, both of which he thought were ridiculous, really upset him. Because of that, he couldn't skip the challenge and get right to finish line where he would have avoided the tie he had with Beth which of course led to him being outvoted in favor or her."
"Oh, okay. I am starting to see why he would think that." Geoff rubbed his head.
"Be honest, I think I'm the only person present who voted for Duncan." Gwen added. "You all voted for Beth, didn't you?"
"I mean…" Geoff trailed off.
"Sorry." DJ shrugged. "Duncan was no villain, but I leaned towards Beth."
"No using denying." LeShawna added, not sounding remorseful nor looking like she felt bad along with Bridgette.
"Yeah, he admitted to me he thought he now knew how I felt when practically supported Owen over me in Season One." Gwen continued, this time causing all of them, including Bridgette to look a little sorry. "Between Courtney's unfair question, her reaction and that vote being almost one-sided, he was upset, and he decided he couldn't deal with Courtney's unfair treatment anymore. If he had won the money, he would have thought it would have been worth it, but he felt like he had been cheated out of winning the money fairly, all because Courtney didn't tell him what her favorite color was."
"Trent knew your favorite color." Bridgette pointed out.
"Trent and I spent the first of the season bonding before we got together. Courtney and Duncan only got together just before she was eliminated, and they only spent a couple of days together with you all before the finale and then Season Two happened." Gwen replied. "He was nowhere close to knowing everything about her by that point and yet she still expected him to know something she never once told him."
"She's got a point there." Geoff admitted.
Still though, now that Gwen had properly explained everything the rest could see why Duncan had suddenly become fed up with Courtney. It didn't excuse his actions in their eyes but the way Gwen had explained made at least DJ and Geoff understand what was going in their friend's head at the time. LeShawna and Bridgette on the other hand still retained their dislike of Duncan but LeShawna could admit that given how likely it was that practically everyone voted for Beth in favor of Duncan it could be argued that Courtney did indeed cost Duncan the win for Season Two. Bridgette felt conflicted due to the fact that she didn't want to feel like she was being unfair by believing Duncan didn't deserve to win but she also couldn't forget that Duncan's own actions were what made him so un-likeable to most of the cast outside of the few he called friends.
Bridgette finally sighed before looking at Gwen. "Okay, maybe he was supportive with you and maybe he had valid reasons to be mad with Courtney. Still, he's treated everyone else he doesn't consider a friend pretty badly."
"Don't you think you're being a little too harsh?" Gwen asked.
"No, Gwen, I don't think I am." Bridgette shook her head. "I know you see the good in him but so did Courtney and that doesn't mean he's as good as you might say. He brings out the worst in people, that's why I didn't want Geoff hanging around him anymore."
"Okay, that's not fair, Bridge. Need I list the things Courtney did to him, again?" Gwen scowled. "There are literal mental scars, and he can't even look at underwear without being reminded of the you-know-what she shoved into his mouth."
"I know and it wasn't right, but I think you're letting him off the hook too easily." Bridgette replied.
"I have to agree with Bridge, girl. The guy's a user." LeShawna added, much to Gwen's surprise. "I saw it on World Tour."
"How? You were eliminated before he came back." Gwen pointed out.
"I watched the episodes that came after and I saw and heard things, Gwen." LeShawna sighed. "I would keep my mouth shut since it's your life and your business but between the show and you-know-what, I got to warn ya: I don't like him and he's nothing but trouble."
Gwen sighed and rubbed her head. "Guys, please. I just fixed one friendship, please don't make me break another."
"She's right, guys. It's not fair of us to try and push her away from Duncan, especially since they've been dating for a year now." DJ cut in.
"Thank you." Gwen sighed in relief.
"Besides, Aelita said we can't anyone without consulting her and making a group decision." DJ continued. "And to be honest, I don't think we have the right to ask anyone else to risk their own lives for us."
Everyone became silent but they all agreed with DJ. They quickly found out how dangerous this life with Lyoko was and to ask any of the others risk themselves in a war like this…
Not even Gwen and LeShawna could imagine themselves asking Duncan or Harold to join them if it meant putting them in danger.
Aelita had finished her homework and was now looking over Jeremy's laptop showing the latest data on Lyoko. She frowned, seeing that she had been completely right when she had mentioned that XANA had not only made changes to Lyoko but also has been modifying everything so that the current programs she had were useless. She was also looking over the data of XANA's new Avatar along with the sample of his old codes included in the Super Scan and she did not like what she saw. The scan had showed that XANA's codes were different than before.
Knock-knock
"Who is it?" Aelita asked.
"Me." William's voice came from the other side.
"Come in." Aelita allowed, watching as the door opened and William entered. "Here to check on me?"
"Well, you never know. Though I made sure no one was watching as I came here." William replied, closing the door behind him. "The last thing you need is more misunderstandings."
"Thanks." Aelita smiled.
"So, what's up?" William asked. "I haven't seen you since this morning."
"I wanted to do some more research, both on Lyoko in its new form and on XANA." Aelita said, bringing up an image of Lyoko's map and XANA's new Avatar.
"What have you found?" William asked, crossing his arms.
"For starters, do you know how the Super Scan works?" Aelita started with a question.
William shrugged. "It's meant to detect an activated tower. That's all I really got. Guessing it's a little more complicated."
"A little." Aelita nodded with a smile. "The Super Scan is an upgraded version of the original scanner we used before I was materialized for the first time. It would only activate when Jeremy ran the program. The Super Scan on the other hand, it's always active which allowed me to start living here permanently rather living on Lyoko and listening for pulsations. Jeremy connected it to the Way Towers in each sector that would allow for constant monitoring."
"Okay, I'm following so far." Willia nodded.
"To make sure it worked, Jeremy inputted a sample of XANA's codes into the program so that it would detect whenever a tower was activated. The Super Scan monitors all towers for XANA's codes and when a tower is activated it is instantly detected." Aelita continued. "I compared the old codes that Jeremy had in the Super Scan to the ones he found when he scanned XANA's Avatar."
An image of XANA's Avatar appeared next to the Super Scan and Aelita brought up red coding from both programs.
William leaned forward. "…They're different."
"More than different. Compared to before, XANA's coding was more advanced, more in tune, and more complex." Aelita stated. "It's probably the reason the Super Scan didn't detect the four activated towers until it was manually reset. That allowed it to scan for any variant of XANA's data, old or new."
"Well, we both know XANA is a lot stronger and he's upgraded everything compared to two years ago." William mused.
"It's more than that. If this keeps up than the multi-agent program Jeremy had created could become useless if XANA had somehow been able to alter his own code." Aelita sighed. "He already neutralized it when Jeremy tried using it just to destroy his monsters. Upgrading it will be very difficult against him now, plus it explains how well his monsters have fared. They reacted faster and smarter and were in every way powerful than before."
That might be an understatement.
"Okay, we know XANA's evolving and he's clearly upgraded himself and his monsters. The question is how do we counter him?" William asked. "Even with the others helping, we're barely holding him back."
Aelita closed her laptop. "First off, we have to map all of Lyoko and understand just differently things are now. And we may need the others to help us."
"Hey," Gwen looked up as Duncan sat down after having finished spotting for DJ, who was bench pressing currently with Tyler as his spotter-truthfully the larger teen feared Tyler would somehow mess that up too. "Haven't seen you around too much. Are you avoiding me or something?"
"Nah, just wanted find a quiet place and relax." Gwen shrugged. "Just been taking time to sketch the town since we're kind of stucuk here."
"So, what's up then?" Duncan asked casually.
"Oh, just been working on some personal things," Gwen replied. "Sorry, if I am acting weird."
Duncan smiled. "No problem. You have a problem; you can just talk to me."
'Yeah, my problem is that a demonic AI is out to kill the human race and me, and a few others are the only ones standing in its way.' Gwen thought.
"About we go out into town tomorrow? I so want to get out of this dump." Duncan suggested.
"You mean sneaking out?" Gwen raised an eyebrow. "Not afraid of getting in trouble?"
"Please, like Chris would actually dump us before he can torture us." Duncan shrugged.
As much as Gwen thought the smart thing to do would be to say 'no', she needed a break from both the show and fighting on Lyoko. "Sure, why not?"
"Great. Where do you want to go?"
Gwen shrugged. "You pick."
"Deal." Duncan smiled as he went back to his team's dorm.
Gwen smiled as he left. Tomorrow would be a nice break from everything.
Next Morning
Duncan smiled as he walked back into the Blue Rat's dorm. Noah was there reading a book while Justin was posing in front of the mirror.
Noah looked up noticing how happy Duncan was. "Well, the delinquent comes back and is looking very happy."
"And the book worm comes back from his cheap book." Duncan shot back.
"So why so happy? Make out with Gwen?" Justin asked, turning around.
"No." Duncan answered. "But I am going with her today."
"Well, that's great." Justin simply said.
"Why are you so nice?" asked Duncan.
"Well, Duncan, after what happened to me on season 2 and what I saw happened to Alejandro on season 3 I realize that if I kept using my good looks to manipulate everyone, I could possibly end up worse than Alejandro, perhaps losing my looks forever." Justin shuddered.
"That makes sense." Noah nodded.
"So now while I still treasure my good looks in order to avoid karma back firing on me, I shall be nice and honest so I can get far in this contest." Justin continued, looking back at the mirror as he flexed his muscles.
"Good luck." Duncan said rolling his eyes as he left.
Gwen sat at a table in the mess hall playing her food, while thinking of where she and Duncan would go for the day.
"Hey Gwen."
She looked up and saw LeShawna, Bridgette, Geoff, and DJ sitting at her table. "Hey guys, what's up?"
"Nothing. Just wondering what you're thinking of."
"Well, Duncan asked me out last night and I'm wondering what he is planning today." Gwen replied, noting the smiles on LeShawna and Bridgette growing smaller but chose to ignore that.
"Awesome." Geoff simply said.
"That's a good idea to spend the day." DJ agreed.
"I wonder what he's planning." Gwen wondered aloud.
"It's a surprise." She looked up and saw Duncan grinning down at her. He wrapped one arm around her causing her to blush but snuggled closer to him.
"Well, so Gothie and the jerk are planning a date?" A sneering voice was heard.
They looked to see Courtney holding a tray.
"Hello, Courtney." Gwen stated neutrally.
"Gwen. Planning a date with Duncan for the day?""
"Yes. We both got bored of staying in here." Gwen answered not betraying any emotion.
"Where to? A dark depressing sewage hole like the one you came from?" asked Courtney.
"Well, it would be better there than here with you." Said Duncan without even looking at her.
Courtney huffed and walked away. Gwen mentally sighed at this.
"Well, that was one way to make take out the boredom." Geoff commented.
"Cody!" A familiar voice yelled.
They watched as Sierra came over to the table Cody was sitting, the boy jumping slightly. He glanced in their direction, frowning a bit when he saw Duncan and Gwen.
"Hi Cody! What's going on?!" Sierra sat down next to him.
"Oh, nothing."
Gwen had a smile on her face as she looked apologetically at him; Duncan had a smirk on his face while the others weren't going to get in the way.
"Well, let's go, Gwen."
She nodded and took Duncan's hand as he led her out to enjoy a day out on the town. Courtney watched them leave from her table giving them a glare. Watching as Duncan smiled at Gwen, the way he used to smile at her. He gave her look all the time they were together even when she was mad at him, and he would call her 'Princess'. Well, she's not his princess anymore.
Now it's like he doesn't even care anymore.
He gave her a look when Gwen was not looking that she could tell was a victorious look. She so wanted to get even with the both of them. Make them break up and have Duncan come crawling back to her.
Just was it about Gwen that suddenly makes her so better?
How did things go wrong?
Why does Duncan think of Gwen and not her?
She shook her head.
She was not jealous.
She was over Duncan.
But still…
She thought things would be different with Gwen…
Meanwhile Sierra watched the two leave through the corner of her eye. 'Is Duncan aware of what is going on? He wasn't with them that night…Could Gwen be keeping a secret from her boyfriend?'
"Well, at least he treats her nice." DJ remarked once they were gone.
"For now." LeShawna muttered.
"I know Gwen and I just made up, but I really don't like this." Bridgette sighed.
She didn't miss the smile Duncan gave Courtney as he walked away with Gwen. It was like he was deliberately taunting her. Bridgette didn't like that. She didn't approve of Courtney's actions but what Duncan was doing right now was a clear sign that he was trying to get some kind of reaction out of Courtney.
Bridgette thought back to what Gwen had said…
"He supported me, I supported him, it felt like it was just us against everyone else and the entire world."
Bridgette could understand why Gwen would feel that way and could even understand that she was trying to see the good in Duncan as well. But to Bridgette, she feared that Duncan was still using Gwen to get back at Courtney and that was unforgivable in Bridgette's eyes.
It reminded her all too well of how things went between her and Alejandro.
Alejandro, the handsome and charming newcomer…
And her…
The surfing girl who fell for his charms, too late to realize he had only been using her.
"Still have your doubts?"
"Gah!" Bridgette jumped, seeing Dawn next to her. "Dawn, please don't do that!"
"Do what?" Dawn innocently asked.
"Sneaking up on us like that!" Bridgette took a deep breath and exhaled.
"But I wasn't trying to sneak up on you." Dawn replied, looking confused.
"Girl, ninjas make louder noises than you." LeShawna dryly said.
"I notice you two, looking rather disheartened as Gwen left with Duncan." Dawn stated, seemingly moving on to a new topic.
"Yeah…" Bridgette sighed. "I know Gwen said he's not as bad, but I just don't believe he doesn't have some kind of agenda…"
"Cheer up, Bridge. I got an awesome idea." Geoff pulled out his cellphone.
"And what's that?" DJ asked.
"Just going to play a few jokes on Duncan."
Duncan had led Gwen out into a clearing with a beautiful view of the city and the sky was a breath-taking site as well. She wished had her notebook so she could try and sketch the whole thing.
"It's beautiful." Gwen said feeling the wind through her hair.
"I knew you'd like it." Said Duncan smiling at her.
She sat against a tree that was much like the special tree she would hang out back at home. It sat in a meadow where she could relax fear of being bothered.
"Thanks." Gwen sighed in contentment,
Duncan smiled but then his cell phone rang. He pulled it out and answered.
"What?"
"Hello, Duncan." Geoff said over the phone in a French accent. "I am just calling to ask because someone wants to know if you have started making out yet?"
Duncan let out a growl, but he calmed down because Gwen heard and started giggling.
"Is that all you called for?" He asked.
"Yep." Geoff replied sheepishly.
Duncan hung up. He sighed, cursing himself for giving Geoff his number. Gwen had a humorous smile on her face.
"That must have ticked him off." Geoff chuckled.
DJ snickered alongside him.
"Hey guys, what's so funny?" Cody asked, walking over to the group with Sierra following him.
"Well Duncan called us on his cell phone and asked me and Bridge the same question." Geoff answered.
"And were you making out?" LeShawna asked with a smirk.
Both Geoff and Bridgette blushed at that question.
"The point is this is about getting even." Geoff said to avert the subject away from him. "Besides think of how much it could annoy Duncan."
Cody thought it over and smiled. "Can I have that number?"
RING!
"What is it now, Geoff?!" Duncan demanded into his phone.
"Sorry, wrong guy."
"Cody? What are you calling for?" asked Duncan.
Gwen had a confused look on her face when he asked that question.
"I just want to know where you two are."
"Why? So you can spy on us, you little creep?" Duncan asked with a scowl.
"No. Just because."
Cody was actually having fun here. He doubted Duncan would do anything to him since it would make Gwen unhappy.
"Yeah, no. Now leave us alone." Duncan said firmly.
"Okay, but under one condition."
"What?" Duncan asked groaning.
"I want you to admit that I am the coolest, most hottest looking guy in the world." Cody said smiling big on the other end.
"YOU WANT ME TO SAY WHAT?!"
Gwen heard and she was about to roll over the ground in laughter. She knew that Geoff was doing this to get back at Duncan but she knew that Cody was just having fun and not ruining the date so she would let him have some fun. Cody smiled big as he heard Gwen laughing. She wasn't the only one.
The others at the table were laughing as well, but they were trying to keep quiet to hear Duncan say it.
"Forget it, dweeb!" Duncan growled.
"Are you sure? Cause I'll just keep asking." Cody said.
"And I'll just come back and smash that phone." Said Duncan threatened.
Which wasn't a smart thing to say because Gwen gave him a stern glare. Bad thing to threaten one of her friends in front of her. He sighed.
"You're . . ." He looked at Gwen, blushing who was smiling.
Gwen was struggling to hold her laughter in.
"Excuse me, I didn't quite hear it." Cody was having a lot of fun.
"You're the coolest, most hottest guy looking guy in the world." He muttered into the phone.
He was blushing now. He was just glad he didn't have to it on live cameras. He can handle it in front of his girlfriend who gave him an apologetic look but she gave him a laugh.
"Now is that all?" asked Duncan, annoyed at Cody.
He was just lucky Gwen cared for the little dork.
"Why, yes. Tell Gwen hi for me."
"Bye!" Duncan growled and hung up.
Cody and everyone else started laughing at their table.
Duncan growled as he put away that phone.
"Don't take it too personally, Duncan. They were just having fun." Said Gwen smiling at him.
"I guess. You have been hanging with those guys an awful lot lately." Said Duncan looking at her.
"They are my friends. There's nothing wrong with that." Gwen shrugged. "Bridgette and I are finally talking again."
"I guess not. But what do you guys talk about when you hang out? You certainly make sure no one can hear."
Gwen broke their eye contact. "It's nothing."
"Yeah, right. Gwen I know you well enough to know when it's not nothing you guys talk about." Duncan sighed. "Don't you trust me?"
"Of course I do." Gwen replied looking at the sky.
"Well, then why don't you tell me what's going on? Are you guys in some sort of secret alliance?"
"No. This has nothing to do with the show."
"I figured it would be. So why not just tell me?"
Gwen frowned. "It's not important."
"It is if you won't tell me. We know a lot about each other Gwen; we hardly keep any secrets from one another. How can we be a couple if we don't trust each other?"
Gwen's look hardened. "I find it funny to hear you say that. Courtney trusted you, and she trusted me and look at what happened."
"That was different." Duncan said defensively.
"Really? Explain to me what so different about that. I'd love to hear what your reason is." Said Gwen looking at him with a glare.
Duncan looked away. "Forget it; you're right it's not important."
"Don't look away from me! Come to think of it you never explained why you suddenly left Courtney for me. Why the big secret, Duncan?" Gwen asked.
"Okay, about I tell you if you tell me what you and the others are talking about." Said Duncan turning back to face her.
Gwen had to control herself. Looks like she hit a sensitive spot. That means there was more to than just dumping Courtney because he got tired of her.
"They are my friends, Duncan and yours too; they have nothing to hide from you or anyone else." Gwen said sternly. "But even if I was hiding something I would have a good reason too. And when you said how can we be a couple if we don't trust each other? Does this mean you don't trust me to tell my why you suddenly decided to kiss me behind Courtney's back?"
"There's no big secret about that. And it's funny you are asking that question after how she treated you."
"That didn't make what happened any more right than it did. Do you feel any regret for breaking her heart?"
"No more than she regretted kicking me in the balls after she found out."
"That was because you went behind her back."
"Well, so suddenly you feel sorry for her. It's not a big deal. It's a relationship, someone always cheats." Duncan said.
Gwen glared at him for that.
"So should I expect you to cheat on me?" She asked dangerously.
Duncan held up his hands in defence. "I just want to know what the big secret is."
"Nothing. What so ever." Gwen turned and started walking away.
"Gwen, wait!" Duncan reached out grab her.
She turned back and looked at him.
"Okay, I'm sorry about making it such a big deal. How about we forget it and just relax?"
Gwen's frown faded as she looked him in the eye.
She sighed. "Sure."
RING!
LeShawna picked up her phone.
"Yo."
"LeShawna? I need you and the others to come to the factory as soon as possible." Aelita's came through the speaker.
"Trouble?"
"Not yet. But there is a mission that I need help with."
"On our way." She put down her phone. "Yo, Dawn."
Dawn turned to face LeShawna. "Yes?"
"Cam called and said he's ready for therapy." LeShawna said, making note of Cody and Sierra being with them. "Want to meet in the usual spot?"
Dawn's senses told her it was more than that.
Aelita had called.
"Sure." Dawn nodded.
"What's up?" Cody asked. "What's this about therapy?"
"Oh, well, Dawn here has been us helping sort through a lot of issues that we got through the show that's really been keeping us down up to now." DJ cut in. "She's been great at it. She even got Gwen and Bridgette to make up."
"It's true." Bridgette shrugged.
"So now, we're going to ask Cam to join us since he's on our team." LeShawna added.
"Oh, therapy." Sierra leaned forward with a smile. "Can I join?"
"Uh…" The group shared a nervous look but Sierra surprised as them as she stepped back.
"No, that's understandable. You all want to keep things secret between you all." Sierra raised her hands in a placating manner. "Maybe you would consider adding me if I ask nicely next time."
"Sure, Sierra." Bridgette smiled nervously as the group headed for the door. "We'll talk it over and if you really want to, we'll see about you joining our next session."
"Okay!" Sierra happily waved. "Bye guys!"
"Later, Cody!" Geoff called back.
Cody nervously waved back as he watched them leave.
Aelita looked up and smiled as the others came out of the elevator.
"So, what's up, Aelita?" DJ asked, stepping into the lab.
"Things are well, DJ, for now." Aelita stepped around the computer, looking at the group and saw Gwen was not with them. "Where's Gwen?"
"She had a date with Duncan. I didn't want to call her and have Duncan get suspicious, if there is no attack. Sorry." LeShawna answered.
Aelita nodded. "It's all right. All of you should be enough for the mission."
"So what did you call us for?" asked Bridgette.
"I did say there was no attack this time, but it is important." Aelita answered. "William and I have designed a new program similar to the Multi Agent program, but this one will map everything for us, pointing out the specific locations of towers, and even a live feed of monsters that would usually be too far off for us to detect. In order to do that we would need to activate the tower in Sector 5 and launch the program from the four Way Towers in the original regions. The power from the tower in Sector 5 and the information from the way towers would spread the program over Lyoko and provide a one hundred percent accurate navigation system allowing better support from the computer."
"Ok, I'm game." Geoff grinned, one thumb up.
"But you'll still have to be ready to fight; XANA usually hates it when we play with his towers." Aelita cracked a smile. "He might try to stop us, especially since this would be a major convenience to us."
"I'm open to inconveniencing XANA." William added with a smile.
"We're ready, just say the word girl." LeShawna crossed her arms.
"Alright, we have five sectors to go to. One of you has to remain here to activate the tower in Sector 5, I wrote down the instructions for you. Meanwhile one of you has to go to each region and input the code 'GLOBAL', your characters have been modified to enter programs into towers with the exception of the LYOKO code to shut down or activate towers. I'll head to Sector 5 and input the program there myself." Aelita instructed.
"And I'll be back up for Aelita in Sector 5." William stated.
"Alright, I'll take the Desert Region." DJ volunteered.
"I'll take the Forest Region." Bridgette said.
"I've got the Ice Region." LeShawna added.
"Guess I'll take the Mountain Region." Geoff shrugged.
"If anybody needs a replacement, I'm on top of things then." Cameron smiled and took over for Aelita at the computer. "I'll monitor things from here."
"Alright," Aelita nodded. "Let's go."
"Transfer."
"Scanner."
"Virtualization."
First DJ was virtualized, then Geoff, then LeShawna, and then Bridgette and finally Aelita. They were all in separate sectors.
Aelita landed on the blue colored floor in Sector 5. She looked and saw she was in the Arena. A few seconds passed as she waited for the passage way to open. She located the tower before being virtualized and knew where to go.
Coming out into the Core Zone she saw the passage way and ran through the maze to locate the Central Tower. Navigating the maze she soon found it in the same room the last time she had seen it. Activating her wings she flew over the gulf and flew into the tower.
"Cameron, I'm in the tower." She said flying up to the second platform.
"Okay, I'm punching in the instructions now."
"Is everyone at the way towers?" asked Aelita.
"I'm here." Said Bridgette jumping off her board in front of the Forest Way Tower.
"Made it, dudes." Geoff said looking at the Mountain Way Tower.
"I'm at the tower." Said LeShawna hopping off the Over Jet at the Arctic Way Tower.
"I see it." DJ said seeing the Desert Way Tower.
"Okay, Cameron tell them to enter the Way Towers and go the center of the platform. It'll take them to upper platform where they'll need to input the code." Said Aelita.
"Okay, telling them now."
As much as Aelita hoped their little mission would not be noticed XANA had indeed noticed their arrival in Lyoko and he already knew what Aelita was planning.
WARNING
DETECTING ENTRY INTO WAY TOWERS
DETECTING SECTOR 5 TOWER BEING ACCESSED
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'You stumbled upon my little secret, Aelita. I'm impressed that you found out so soon. However, it doesn't matter if you now know.'
'Shadow.'
Shadow appeared in the red Sector 5 of the Carbon Copy, standing on a red block. "You called for me?"
"I have a mission for you."
DISPATCHING GENERAL SHADOW AND ADDITIONAL FORCES TO THE WAY TOWERS
CONNECTING TO REPLICAS
PREPARING KOLLUSUS
Bridgette walked into the center of the tower and felt herself being lifted into the air. She looked to see herself land on the second smaller platform.
"Okay, I'm here." Bridgette said.
"Okay, there should an interface in the center of the platform. Just walk towards it." Cameron instructed.
Cameron meanwhile pushed the final command and the tower in Sector 5 was activated. Instead of glowing blue it now glowed green.
"Everything is good, Cameron. The tower is active." Said Aelita checking over the programs.
"Okay, everyone, the tower is active. So now everyone should now input the code." Cody said into the intercom.
Everyone in the Way Towers put their hands on the interface.
Code: GLOBAL
Aelita looked at the data as it was now being processed.
"The code has been accepted. The program is powering up." Said Aelita.
That was when Cameron saw something on the screen.
"Aelita! You've got company!"
(Code Lyoko William Theme Starts)
William glared as Shadow entered the chamber, accompanied by a large group of Aliens and Tripods into the chamber with the green glowing tower. William gripped his Zweihander, willing to fight his dark counterpart and all of the monsters he had with him.
Shadow grinned, pointing his own large sword at William. "Still the bodyguard, no matter side you are on, huh?"
"Guess so." William retorted. "This time, I'm guarding the right one."
CONNECTING TO SECTOR 5 TOWER
DISPATCHING ALL UNITS TO SECTORS ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR
ORDERS: TERMINATE ALL ENEMIES
'Aelita, you may think you have gained an advantage, but you are just creating another opportunity for me.'
(Credits)
Chapter 33: Episode 33: A New General
Summary:
Despite XANA and Shadow's efforts, Aelita's program successfully maps all of New Lyoko, leaving XANA and Shadow to form a new strategy.
Chapter Text
(Code Total Drama Reality Introduction Song Starts)
(This Game (From 'No Game No Life'))
The intro begins with the sun rising over the city of Paris, before the camera angles down on Kadic Academy. Stepping into view is Aelita, standing at the school gates as she looks up and watches as dark clouds suddenly cover the sky. Her eyes widen as she suddenly morphs into her Lyoko form, energy fields appearing in her hands.
William appears next, a dark copy of him, resembling his Lyoko form as a warrior of XANA appearing behind him, both clashing their swords, causing a flash of light as the title appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(I never wanted to be)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors appear with her as they are surrounded by the monsters of XANA.
(Another gear in that corrupted world's machine)
A giant bird appears above the city, letting out a loud screech.
(All my life felt like a dream)
One by one, the Lyoko Warriors enter the scanners and the doors closed, a ring of light traveling up their bodies as the camera shows and alternates each Lyoko Warrior before they vanish in a flash of light.
(I was never who I really wanted me to be)
Vehicles resembling a hovercraft, a board, a motorcycle appear with new vehicles resembling a sled and a hoverbike with a jet engine appears, carrying the Lyoko Warriors off as they are surrounded by monsters that begin shooting lasers at them.
(But then God shattered that dream's cage)
Four towers, each in a separate sector begins to glow red with monsters and an armored figure leading the monsters. Aelita lands on the platform and places her hand on the screen.
(And rose me up to a new stage)
The Total Drama contestants founds themselves back in the studio, their fellow contestants gathered with them as Chris laughs
(Cut it away like a sharp knife)
He gestures to the screens, showing them all in challenges…
(No, no, No Game No Life)
With each of them suffering a variety of misfortunes: Gwen vomits on Duncan, a soccer ball explodes in Bridgette's face, Geoff yells as a missile chases after him.
(Now suddenly there's a new twist)
Geoff's yelling suddenly stops and he changes into his Lyoko form, brandishing his weapons that cut the missile in half, causing the two pieces to fly past Geoff and explodes behind him.
(A reason to really exist)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors assume their Lyoko forms and battle down various monsters, some of them belonging to XANA and some are different but dangerous.
(I wanna breathe in the fame)
From legions of monsters, comes Men in Black, giant spaceships aiming their cannons down on the bewildered Lyoko Warriors.
(As this whole new world cheers my name)
The camera zooms in on the lead space ship as it prepares to fire.
(I'll never leave it to fate)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors are shown running through the streets of France, the sky darkening and the Eye of XANA appearing on every monitor they pass.
(And when I see a chance I'll pave the way)
They reach the factory, sliding down the ropes and reaching the elevator.
(I'll call checkmate)
The elevator reaches the scanner room, Aelita and William waiting for them.
(This is the time to breakthrough)
The Lyoko Warriors then gather before a scanner, the camera facing them inside with the group staring at it critically. A hand reaches up, giving them a thumbs-up before the scanner doors close.
(So I'll rewrite the story and I'll finally change all the rules)
The Lyoko Warriors are now gathered in the Forest Sector of Lyoko, suddenly separated by a crescent shaped wave of red energy and out of the flames emerges a humanoid warrior in dark armor, their face covered by a horned helmet and the Eye of XANA on its chest and forehead.
(We are MAVERICK)
William charges forward, his large sword clashing against the equally sized weapon of Shadow, both glaring hatefully at each other.
(We won't give in until we win this game)
Both disappear into white and black smoke before we then see Bridgette in the Ice Sector, battling a giant monster resembling a polar bear.
(Though I don't know what tomorrow holds)
The monster is about to cut Bridgette down with its claws before a blast of pure lightning blasts it to pieces.
(I'll make a bet and play my cards to win this game)
The origin of the attack is revealed to be Geoff, holding a giant axe instead of his chakrams as he charges forward to help Bridgette, a look of determination replacing his normal carefree smile.
(Unlike the rest I'll do my best)
A pair of Wasps are shown chasing Dawn who is on the Overwing before Gwen shoots up, her cape morphing into bat like wings as she slashes through the Wasps with her scythe.
(And I won't ever lose)
A pair of Krabs fire on her but DJ's barrier saves her before Cameron flies down and blasts the Krabs with his arm cannons.
(To give up this chance would be a deadly sin)
LeShawna is then staring up at the hulking form of the Kolossus as it approaches her.
(So let's bet it all)
Gripping her hammer tightly, LeShawna charges to meet the biggest of XANA's monsters head on.
(I put all my faith in us)
Aelita is then shown in a red version of Sector 5, turning to glare at the Avatar of XANA who smirks back at her.
(So let the games begin)
Aelita readies her energy field and charges at XANA who summons his own sword, clashing with Aelita's energy fields. Pink and red energy erupt from their clash, covering the screen in white before changing to a black screen with blue lines of coding filling it and the title appearing on last time:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(This Game (From 'No Game No Life') Ends)
Episode 33: A New General
(Dark William Theme Starts)
Shadow roared and charged, his blade meeting William's with a loud clash, causing sparks to fly. William grunted as he struggled to hold Shadow back, but his dark copy's strength easily matched his.
That was what he thought before he started getting pushed back.
Shadow grinned, before he vanished from sight. William's eyes widened as he realized that Shadow didn't use Super Smoke. He left a dark purple 'comet trail' that was reminiscent of Ulrich's Super Sprint.
"Surprise." His own voice came from behind.
William only had time to turn his head before he felt his digital form being sliced in two.
The scanner doors opened, revealing a furious William who banged his fist against the wall in disappointment.
"Aelita, William's been divirtualized!" Cameron called out in panic.
Shadow levitated off the ground and flew into the tower. Aelita turned and fired an energy field as Shadow entered the tower. He held up his sword and blocked it.
"Is that anyway to say hello?" He asked sarcastically.
"No, it's how I say goodbye!" Aelita replied firing another energy field down at him.
He blocked again and held out his hand firing a blast of smoke. It hit her and bound her arms and legs to her body. He used his smoke to throw her out of the tower. Luckily, she activated her wings before she fell into the void.
Flying up she saw the monsters waiting for her.
"Guys, Shadow and a bunch of monsters have shown up and taken the tower! William's been devirtualized." Cameron said into the intercom.
"Cameron, you must tell them to make to the edge of the sector. You can't access Sector 5 through a Way Tower. Tell them to head for the edge of the sector they are in and then input the password 'Scipio'. It will summon the transport orb and get them here." Aelita instructed while dodging dodging lasers.
"Okay, I'll tell them…Holy-"
"Hang on, Aelita! LeShawna's on her way!" LeShawna said jumping out of the tower.
However as soon as she jumped out lasers came down from the sky. She turned to see her attacker. Her eyes widened to see a hoard of flying Mantas circling a huge alien looking monster made up molten lava.
It had no hand on its left arm; instead, it was a huge sword with an elbow with a normal right arm. The legs were small compared to the arms making the creature slow, but it was close enough to be a major threat.
STOMP!
STOMP!
STOMP!
"Oh man...I cannot get a break, can I?" Readying her hammer, LeShawna rushed towards a path leading up to a nearby cliff. "Ok, a monster the size of Texas made of lava with one big ass sword for an arm...I'm screwed six different ways and none of them are the good kind."
"Sorry, LeShawna. I have no clue on how to help. That monster's attack power and size is higher than any other monster. The ID card calls it the Kolossus."
"Ok, time for basics then." LeShawna swung her hammer up and smashed a Manta into the ground as it dove at her. Then she leaped from the cliff edge, onto another Manta, and right towards the Kolossus. The monster swung its sword.
"LeShawna, move!"
LeShawna jumped off the Manta just in time, the giant lava sword shattering it and crashing into the ground, causing multiple cracks to form and spread.
LeShawna landed on the ground and looked back, seeing the Kolossus sweep its sword arm at her. "You got to be kidding me!"
She took off running as fast as she could. Luckily, there was a cliff ahead leading to lower ground. LeShawna jumped over the edge, the lava sword arm missing her by mere inches and she landed on the ground below.
"Cameron, there's got to be a weakness to this thing!" LeShawna exclaimed, hearing the stomping noise of the giant monster that was after her.
"I'm looking for it. This monster is so powerful, it actually has four 'Eye' locations on it. Maybe if you take one out it will fall." Cameron suggested.
LeShawna sighted, gripping her hammer. "Guess I have no choice."
Geoff jumped out of the tower but as soon as he got out the Overbike was smashed by a large foot. Looking up he saw the imitating image of the Scorpion glaring down at him.
"Uh oh."
DJ ran out of the tower and jumped onto the Overboard. He took off and headed for the edge of the sector.
"DJ, you got company!" Cameron shouted.
He looked and saw the Terror Bird in the direction he was going. Surrounding it was a swarm of Wasps and Hornets.
"Oh, man."
Bridgette had run out of her tower to see that a group of Dragon Knights had surrounded the tower.
"Oh boy." She said splitting her board into her two swords.
Shadow smirked as he flew to upper platform in the green glowing tower and placed a hand on the interface.
Code: XANA
Outside the tower's aura changed from green to red.
(XANA Attack Theme Starts)
Cameron looked at the screen with concern. "Aelita, the tower's not under my control. A virus is infecting the program."
Ducking for cover Aelita fired an energy field that destroyed an Alien shooting at her. "Try to take back control, Cameron. I'll try to get back into the tower."
XANA smirked as he watched the battle from a tower in his dwelling. He was casually sitting down while five screens showed the battle in all five sectors.
'The virus will alter your program's purpose, Aelita. Instead of mapping out Lyoko it will spread through the sectors destroying anyone and anything designated as an enemy.' XANA thought. 'All the programs you have made will be gone. Leaving you and the others trapped.'
Cameron looked at the virus as it spread.
Code: GLOBAL
Program Activated
Warning: Program infected
Tower linked to Restricted Section
Danger: Security to all classified programs compromised
Countdown to launch: 10:00
Warning: Possibility of all classified programs corrupted when GLOBAL program launches
"Aelita, what happens if the program launches with this virus?" Cameron asked.
"I'm afraid when it launches the virus will likely destroy the programs for your characters, the devirtualization program, the vehicles, everything. In order to use the program I had to connect the tower to the restricted section." Aelita answered. "When it launches it gather the data and send it to the restricted section the virus will follow and infect everything."
"So, we lose big time? Oh man! Hang on Aelita, I'm coming!" Cameron stood up.
"No, don't Cameron! If you leave then no one can get to Sector 5! Someone must be at the computer!" Aelita yelled.
"And if I stay here you guys could be killed!" Cameron argued.
"There's still a chance to win this, Cameron, but you must stay there!" Aelita ordered him.
Cameron wanted to argue with her badly. How could she ask him to just stay there while she and the others were in danger?
That was when he felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked to see it was Dawn. "Cameron, send me to help Aelita."
Cameron looked surprised but then nodded. He started up the virtualization sequence as Dawn took the elevator down to the scanner room.
"Okay, here we go. Transfer, Dawn."
Dawn stepped into the scanner just as the doors began to close.
"Scanner, Dawn."
A ring of white light traveled up her body.
"Virtualization."
She closed her eyes as a white light enveloped her.
Alert: Virtualization Sequence Initiated
Avatar Designated Dawn Detected
Warning: Coordinates for Lyoko Warrior Designate Dawn confirmed to be Sector 5
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Control of Sector 5 Tower 01: 90%
Access to Restricted Section Limited
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Virtualization Coordinates Located
Altering Coordinates
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I had anticipated that a few Warriors would be held in reserve following Aelita's attempts to map Lyoko 2.0 and had already prepared countermeasures. A hidden program I managed to embed in the virtualization sequence will allow me to alter the coordinates of any avatar I choose. It is likely that if this fails, Aelita will work to remove the program, but I am willing to take this risk.
When Dawn opened her eyes, she quickly realized she wasn't in blue surroundings of Sector 5. She was…
"Where am I?" She looked around, seeing only black ground and mountains…and countless volcanos erupting. "Cameron, where am I?"
"Dawn, I can't see you!" Cameron's voice cried out.
"I think I'm in one of the other sectors…The Volcano Sector!" Dawn realized with widened eyes.
There was a stomping sound behind her and she turned around to see a Volcanoid approaching her. She stepped back, unsure what to do. Even if she could fight, she wasn't sure if she could summon her plant vine or whip or whatever it was supposed to be in this place.
A growling sound was heard but it didn't come from the Volcanoid.
Dawn barely had time to blink before there was a sudden explosion behind her, causing her to stumble and trip. "Gah!"
She rolled and looked up, seeing a hulking figure made of rock and magma approaching her. Unlike the Kolossus, this one was only about twenty feet tall. Its body was a mass of black rock armor that covered glowing red magma inside. It had only one Eye, blazing red on its chest. Unlike the Kolossus, its feet matched the size of its muscular arms that allowed it to move faster than its larger counterpart but like the Kolossus it had a sword for a hand…
Or rather, swords for hands.
"Cameron, I see a new type of monster before me." Dawn stepped back with a nervous look on her face. "It's different from the others."
"I still can't see what's going on." Cameron replied.
SCORCHED SENTINEL ONLINE
ORDERS: TERMINATE INTRUDER DESIGNATE DAWN
The lava golem let out a growling snarl before it swung its down, impacting the ground in front of it. Before Dawn could question what it was going, red glowing cracks traveled along the ground towards her exploded in a fiery blast, obliterating her from the digital world.
The scanner doors opened and Dawn fell out, gasping for breath. "…Cameron…I'm sorry…There was nothing I could do."
Cameron gulped, seeing Dawn struggling to stand up in the scanner room through the security camera. "What happened?"
"It blasted me with some sort of fiery attack…I couldn't react in time." Dawn answered as she managed to stand up. "Why did you send me there?"
"I didn't…Something interfered with virtualization and sent you there…" Cameron ran a quick diagnostic, looking over the Virtualization sequence. "It appears XANA glitched the coordinates and sent you to this Volcano Sector instead."
"What about Aelita?"
Cameron stiffened, remembering Aelita was still in trouble and had no back up.
"Hey," He turned to see William, having come up a few seconds after Dawn was virtualized. "You can go help Aelita. I can man the computer from here."
Cameron blinked. "Right…But just in case, we might need back up."
"Back up?" William blinked but then he remembered someone else who could help.
He watched as Cameron quickly dialed Gwen's phone number.
(Transition: Lyoko Theme)
Gwen's phone rang and she answered it quickly. "Hello?"
She and Duncan were in the lounge of the studio, which was fairly empty now.
"Gwen, this is Cameron, we have a major crisis over here! As in 'if XANA wins this one time we are all royally screwed'!" Cameron said. "Get to the factory, hurry!"
"Ok, I'm on it." She hung up. "Duncan, I seriously have to go."
"What's the hurry?" Duncan asked.
"That's really private, now excuse me, I have to go." Gwen got up.
"Gwen-"
Gwen already slammed through the door with her shoulder to save the time of opening it like a civilized person and rushed down the hall as Duncan called her name. She was out of the studio, praying they would return to the past after this and began her flight to the Factory.
"Gwen!" Duncan saw her heading for the gates. "Is she crazy? She'll be kicked off she leaves!"
"No, wait!" A hand grabbed him by the shoulder, pulling him back.
"Wha-Sierra?" Duncan turned around, seeing it was the 'Number-One Fan' of Total Drama stopping him. "What are you doing? Have you been spying on us?!"
"Gwen won't be caught." Sierra whispered into his ear. "She and a few others snuck out. I tried tailing them to some old factory, but Chris busted me. But when I told him Gwen and the others left too, he said they were all in their rooms."
Duncan looked surprised. "They found a way to sneak out and didn't tell me?"
"Yeah." Sierra quickly nodded. "She's been sneaking out with LeShawna, Bridgette, Geoff, DJ, Cameron and Dawn."
Duncan raised an eyebrow.
Last, he had heard, Gwen hadn't been on good terms with either Geoff or Bridgette since dumping that loser Trent in Season Two. LeShawna and DJ were understandable since she was likely still friends with them.
But the other two…
Last, he had heard, Dawn was some hippie girl, and Cameron was just another Cody.
So why would she be sneaking off with all of them and not tell him?
"So, you've been following them?" The delinquent asked Sierra who nodded.
"I trailed them to a park and found a sewage hatch they had gone down and went to some old factory." Sierra explained. "But then I got busted by Chris."
"But he didn't bust Gwen and the others?" Duncan asked skeptically.
"I know!" Sierra threw her arms up. "Chris even checked the security cameras, and they didn't show them leaving the studio grounds but caught me! They must have altered the footage somehow!"
Normally, Duncan wouldn't entertain Sierra's delusions since she was a complete nut-job who had it out for Gwen just because Cody liked her, but he had seen Gwen sneaking off studio grounds without so much as a glance and wasn't telling him why. Duncan wouldn't call himself the caring, sensitive guy but Gwen was his girlfriend.
If she was in trouble, he needed to know.
"Okay, say I believe you." Duncan held up a finger. "I don't want to be accusing my girlfriend of doing anything rotten or stupid. That's how Trent got paranoid and led to them breaking up. On the other hand, maybe Gwen has a good reason for not telling me."
"And you would simply trust her?" Sierra asked skeptically.
"Would you trust Cody if he was doing the same?" Duncan retorted.
"Of course, but that's not the issue!" Sierra exclaimed hotly.
"And besides, she's with LeShawna who she is best friends with, Geoff and DJ who were both my buds in Season One and Bridgette who is surfing do-gooder. I can't speak for the last two but it's not like the rest are strangers or bad influences." Duncan shrugged. "So, it's not likely they are not up to anything bad. At worst, they could be considering an alliance."
"And they have to sneak off the grounds, violating their contracts and risk getting kicked off?" Sierra questioned.
"We have all taken risks at this point. Besides, how can we find out what they are doing if they can sneak out without being and we can't?" Duncan pointed out.
For once, Sierra had no reply.
(Lyoko Battle Theme)
"Woah!" Geoff shouted dodging the Scorpion's tail.
It fired lasers from its beak and feet to prevent him from using the same attack that destroyed the last time it faced the Lyoko Warriors. He threw one chakram while blocking the lasers with the other one. However, like last time the blow was ineffective and the Scorpion swiped at him, knocking him back several feet.
"Okay, this is not good." Geoff muttered getting back up.
Bridgette charged forward, dodging a slash from one of the Knights then dodging a stab from another. She parried a slash and stabbed it in the chest. She ducked under a sword meant to decapitate her and launched her foot out kicking the Knight that swung that sword. She stood back up and parried a slash from another Knight and slammed the hilt of one her swords into the attacker's face.
She was able to stay in the fight because she was mainly dodging and defending. If she attacked against the group that outnumbered her she would be done for. But she knew time was running out.
LeShawna jumped again as the Kolossus brought its fist down on her. Her super strength was not enough to repel it.
"Damn it!" She cursed as dodged more incoming lasers.
It didn't help her that the Mantas were firing on her. The Kolossus was slow, but the Mantas were distracting her for it to attack.
Shadow came out tower smirking as he looked down and saw Aelita running from the Aliens and Tripods. With a mere gesture, they stopped chasing Aelita, and their weapons powered down.
"You all stay here and guard the tower. The rest of you come with me." Shadow walked past the monsters, brandishing his Zweihander.
He disappeared in a cloud of black smoke and headed for Aelita.
"Cameron, are they here yet?" Aelita asked as she fled the chamber.
"They ran into trouble. DJ's on the run from the Terror Bird, Geoff is fighting the Scorpion, a bunch of Dragon Knights is attacking Bridgette, and LeShawna has a giant lava golem on her tail."
"Lave golem . . . The Kolossus! Cameron, tell LeShawna that the only way to destroy it is to stab the Eye on its face and on its sword." Aelita quickly said in an alarming tone.
"I will and Dawn somehow ended up in one of the new sectors. I think XANA glitched the program." Cameron answered.
"Here, let me try and fix it." William offered and Cameron agreed, quickly getting out of the chair, allowing William to sit down.
The elevator doors then opened to reveal Gwen. "Cameron, what's going on?"
"Aelita wanted us to help her with a program to map all of Lyoko. But the problem is infected by a XANA virus so unless we get Aelita to the tower in Sector 5 we lose everything and the guys are trapped for good." Cameron quickly replied.
"Okay, send me down to the scanners."
"You both go." William instructed, putting the earpiece on. "I'm running a debugging program now."
Aelita had made it into another chamber when Shadow appeared in his black smoke form. Taking solid form he smirked as his sword appeared.
"Looks like you lose this time, Aelita. When that program launches everything that you use to fight us goes and you are trapped here again. Only difference this time you'll have company." Said Shadow.
Aelita glared at him preparing to attack. Creepers slithered into the room, charging their lasers.
"Oh? Going to fight me head on? That's not like you at all. Usually, you would run and hide waiting for someone to save you." Shadow said smirking.
"I don't need anyone to protect me from you. You're nothing but a puppet." Aelita said.
Shadow's smirk faded as he glared.
"With you and Jeremy I was a puppet that made a fool of himself in the name of that idiot you rescued. And when you did you sent me to in a dark empty void. I was trapped, alone for so long. If you think you'll have your friends to keep you company than I am afraid to say that the only place you will be going is the same abyss you left me to rot in." Shadow said swinging his sword and releasing an energy wave.
Aelita jumped out of way and fired an energy field. Shadow blocked with his sword and turned to the Creepers.
"Don't interfere. Attack only if she heads for exit."
The Creepers nodded and backed away. Shadow held his sword over his shoulder.
"Just you and me now, Aelita."
Aelita held out another Energy Field, preparing to fight.
Gwen and Cameron stepped into their scanners as William started the sequence.
"Transfer Gwen."
"Transfer Cameron."
The scanner closed.
"Scanner Gwen."
"Scanner Cameron."
Gwen and Cameron felt the familiar light travel up their bodies.
"Virtualization."
Bridgette backed away as the Dragon Knights ganged up on her. She parried two strikes and quickly cut one down before another left a cut across her side. The wound leaked what looked like bits of data as it sealed up. Bridgette stumbled and looked over her shoulder. She had been backed to the edge of the river. Now only three of the knights were attacking while the rest stood by as if watching. Bridgette suffered another blow and fell back into waist deep water. She found it harder to move around as fast, but she took down another dragon knight before one of her swords was knocked away.
She was left parrying strikes with her one good blade and just managed to cut down another Dragon Knight before the other began to smash her down with its blade. She pressed her own sword up in defense but was losing ground.
'They are too many!' Bridgette thought. 'Aelita needs help and if we lose it's all over! I need to move! I have to take them!'
That was when a blue aura surrounded her. Something reacted to Bridgette's desperation and frustration. Her tattoos glowed bright and the water seemed to react. She knew what do immediately.
She was up to her chest in the water, when the Dragon Knight was suddenly sent flying into the air. Geysers of water shot up and smashed into multiple Dragon Knights, sending them flying. Bridgette's tattoos were glowing bright white as she held her arms up. She watched as a tidal wave sent the dragon knights down a miniature whirlpool through one of the gaps in the forest floor and into the digital sea below.
"Wow...did I do that?" Bridgette tested this by having the water form into shapes at her command. She then got out of the water and collected her blade. "Cameron, did you see that?"
"Sorry, Cameron's gone to help Aelita. But I just saw all the Dragon Knight signatures go screwy and then fall to the digital sea, what happened?" William answered.
"I used the water! I made a tidal wave send them all packing!" Bridgette combined her swords into their board form. "Am I awesome or what?"
"You're awesome," William admitted. "But you better hurry."
"Right."
Geoff jumped as the Scorpion swiped its arm at him again. He growled in frustration. He managed to fuse his chakrams into his axe, but the Scorpion was dodging all of his attack.
'Maybe I should do what Gwen did and just threw thing at it.'
He was sent flying back as a laser hit him the chest dropping his life points down to thirty.
"That's it!"
He threw his axe at the beast. As it spun through the air it glowed bright yellow turning into a lightning disk that sliced through the Scorpion's neck. The axe flew back into his hand as the Scorpion fell off the mountain and into the digital sea.
"Yeah. Geoff two, Scorpion zero!" Geoff yelled.
Gwen and Cameron ran through the maze.
"You're almost there, you two. Just get through that room and you'll find Aelita. But hurry, Shadow is with her." William informed.
"No problem. I'll deal with that creep." Gwen replied.
They were about half through the room when William shouted a warning. "Gwen, Cameron, there's three monsters in the room. They're coming after you."
Gwen and Cameron stopped and saw a shower of lasers coming down on them. Gwen jumped out of the way and pulled out her scythe while Cameron activated his jet boots and shot out of the way. The three Tripods fell down from the ceiling, landing in front of the pair.
"These guys again." Gwen noted.
The Tripods pointed their guns at the two and fired. Gwen blocked the shots and jumped swinging her scythe. The Tripods however jumped aside as the scythe flew by and went back into the hands of its owner.
They began firing more red beams at her forcing her on the defensive.
"Fine, they want a fight. We'll give them one." Gwen said, twirling her scythe.
"I got your back." Cameron raised his hands, the blaster palms starting to glow.
Gwen's cape formed into bat like wings, and she flew straight at them. The monster jumped away as she swung her scythe down. Cameron fired his palm blasters, striking at the Tripod he targeted but the three-legged monster mostly shrugged off his attacks while the one Gwen attacked aimed its cannon and fired. Gwen side stepped its blast and brought her scythe down on the Tripod's head.
Stabbing the Eye the Tripod exploded. Gwen then jumped as another round of lasers fired at her.
'I don't have time for this. I need to get to Aelita.' Gwen thought as she swung her scythe at another Tripod but it dodged. 'I need to tap in my special ability that Aelita told us about. Maybe something that'll make these guys stop moving so much! Hold still!'
As if on her command something in Gwen's mind reacted and she held out her hand while glowing white. Suddenly the Tripods found their bodies glowing white like Gwen before their legs were bound together.
Gwen looked at her hands. "Awesome."
She quickly threw her scythe and sliced through both of the monsters.
"What was that?" Cameron asked, landing next to Gwen.
"Not sure, but it helped a lot." Gwen shrugged. "We'll find out later, we got to move!"
With that, they ran into the room Aelita was in.
LeShawna swung her hammer taking out the final Manta leaving her and the Kolossus which was almost on top of her.
'I can't take it out directly. It's too big.' That was when LeShawna got an idea.
"Hey, you want me big guy?! Come and bring it!" LeShawna shouted running to edge that overlooked the digital sea.
The Kolossus accepted her challenge and followed her. She looked over the edge and then back at the ever-approaching lava beast. She held out her hammer, closing her eyes as she thought over her plan. The Kolossus was almost right on top of her, obviously planning to stomp her to death.
Just as it raised her foot she took off and ran underneath the beast. The monster began to turn but because of its small legs it was difficult. LeShawna raised her hammer over her head. Yelling she slammed down onto the icy ground with all of her might.
Cracks spread all over the cliff from the impact. They increased because the Kolossus was stomping its small feet. That was when it happened. The cliff broke apart, sending the small piece of the ice land and the lave monster into the sea below. A large pillar of light signalling that the Kolossus was dead shot out of the void.
"That's what you get for messing LeShawna, baby!" LeShawna shouted in victory.
She then ran towards the edge of the sector.
"Not good, not good, NOT GOOD!" DJ shouted as he continued to dodge lasers from the swarm of Hornets and the monsters on the Terror Bird.
He had a barrier up which blocked most of the incoming fire but it was already strained from the amount of enemy fire it had absorbed. He was nearing the edge but unfortunately the enemy was not about to let him leave. The Terror Bird fired a powerful laser from its beak that slammed into the barrier. It shattered from being hit and DJ was sent flying off from the force of the impact.
"OW!" He said from landing on the ground.
He got up and saw the Terror Bird getting closer. The hornets flew down to finish him off. He quickly took off, sprinting towards the edge. However he would not make it.
The Terror Bird fired another shot that hit him in the back and devirtualized him.
Back on Earth the scanner DJ went into spat him out. He groaned as he stood up.
Aelita dodged another energy wave sent at her from Shadow and fired another Energy Field. Shadow ran at her with his sword raised. She jumped to the side avoiding a slash. She activated her wings and jumped into the air firing several energy spheres which Shadow blocked and dodged.
Shadow preformed his Super Smoke and flew above Aelita. He took solid form and fell towards her. She dodged as he brought his sword down but he grabbed her leg and pulled her down with him. Aelita hit the ground hard. She looked up to see Shadow bringing his sword down.
Rolling out of the way she jumped up and fired an energy field. But once again Shadow dodged it. He then tried to slice her in half but she created two energy fields in her hands and held them above her head, creating a current of energy that blocked the attack. Aelita grunted, straining to hold out.
Raising a foot, he kicked her in the chest and knocked her on her back. He quickly sent a cloud of smoke at her which bound her arms and legs to her body. Floating helpless in the air she watched as Shadow smirked, proud of his victory.
"Now it's over."
"For you."
Shadow turned and saw a scythe flying at his head. He jumped back but it sliced his arm forcing him to release Aelita. She landed on her feet and watched as the scythe flew back into Gwen's hand. The Aliens growled as they charged their lasers but Cameron fired his blasts, knocking two Aliens down and striking a third in the Eye, causing it to explode.
"No! This is my fight." Shadow growled.
He gripped his sword with two hands. Gwen held out her scythe as they prepared to fight.
"So, the goth shows up? I thought you were on a date." Shadow commented.
"I heard that someone was harassing my friends." Gwen answered.
He smirked and swung his sword unleashing an energy wave. Gwen dodged and charged. Shadow swung his sword which Gwen blocked with her pole. Shadow shoved her back and tried to stab her. She blocked and swung her blade at Shadow's head.
He ducked and jumped back. "I still owe you for last time."
"Not my fault you ran off." Gwen retorted.
He smirked before sprinting at her leaving a purple trail like a comet. Gwen's eyes widened as Shadow kneed her in the gut which knocked her feet off the ground. Shadow slammed the hilt of his sword into which sent her flying back.
"I've still got a few tricks." Shadow said walking over to her.
"Funny . . . So do I." Gwen said standing up.
Shadow ran at her again using his super speed, but Gwen jumped into the air. She flew down on him with her scythe. As she did a red aura surrounded her. Shadow raised his sword to block . . . As the red glowing scythe sliced through Shadow's sword.
Shadow's eyes widened as he jumped back as the scythe hit the floor and red veins spread from contact. He glared at her which she returned with her own. She flew at him, but the Aliens fired. She managed to avoid most of them, but she was hit in the shoulder.
She grunted as the monster surrounded her. Cameron flew in and fired his blasters, striking an Alien with enough power to bring its life points down to zero. Shadow held out a hand and fired a blast of smoke that hit Cameron, freezing him in mid-air.
"I can't move!" Cameron exclaimed before he was hit by lasers from the remaining Aliens that brought his life points down to zero.
"Cameron!" Gwen called out as the armored Lyoko Warrior was devirtualized.
"Looks like I still have some friends." Shadow said smirking.
"Energy Field!"
Two Aliens were destroyed by Aelita. She prepared to fire again but Shadow caught her in his smoke again.
"Aelita!" Gwen shouted pinned by the Aliens.
"Time to send you where you belong. The Digital Void." Shadow said bringing her to a hole that led right out the large sphere Sector 5 was and into the space it resided in.
"Any last words?" Shadow asked.
"How about this? Wipe out!"
Shadow turned and saw Bridgette fly into the room on her surfboard and slam it into him. The impact sent him flying back while Aelita was released. She landed on Bridgette's board as she brought them back into the room.
"Don't forget about me! LeShawna's in the house!"
LeShawna ran swinging her hammer, sending Creepers crashing into the wall as she rampaged through them. Shadow got up and growled.
"Hey, dude."
He turned and saw Geoff holding his axe over his shoulder.
"I think you should call this one a loss." Geoff said smiling.
Shadow growled again as he turned into black smoke and flew out of the room.
"I guess he did." Geoff said.
They finished off the last of the monsters.
"That was close. We better hurry. William, how much time do we have left?" asked Aelita.
"You got about fifty seconds."
(Tower Deactivated Theme)
They ran back to the tower at high speed. Aelita activated her wings and flew into the tower. She flew into the upper platform. Placing her hand on the screen she entered the code.
Aelita
Code: Lyoko
The tower's changed from red to green.
William sighed as the virus was deleted. "We're good."
"Is the program ready?" asked Aelita.
"We're just at the last five seconds." William answered, watching the countdown on the screen. "Five . . . Four . . . Three . . . Two . . . One."
That was when the program activated. The tower released the built-up energy as hundreds of white orbs blasted from it and flew out of the room. They flew through the data tunnels and spread throughout Lyoko. Dawn and DJ looked in awe as the screen showed the data the program was collecting.
"It's working... its working...there we go!" William smirked. "Devirutalization! Come take a look!"
The entire group was gathered in the lab, staring at the new, updated interface that allowed them to see clear pictures of Lyoko terrain instead of general shapes. It was as though they were staring through a camera that allowed them to look anywhere in the entire world.
"Wow...it all looks so real." Bridgette said as they passed over the Tropical Region, showing many islands of varying shape and size with trees, rivers, lagoons, and even had clouds in the air.
"Man, XANA really does go all out with this." DJ added.
"I was in the Volcano Sector earlier and as far as I can tell, it's got some dangerous monsters there." Dawn stated, taking a deep breath.
"I'd hate to see that swamp region then." Gwen shuddered. "Oh wait, I just realized! Duncan! I don't suppose we could uh...return to the past could we?"
"Sorry Gwen, we can't use the Return to the Past unless we have to undo damage made by XANA." Aelita replied.
"Ah crap, now I need to explain why I ran off." Gwen sighed. "This'll be hell."
"Ah don't worry Gwen, this is Duncan! He's mad about you, not mad 'at' you." Geoff said with a confident smile. "I'm pretty sure he'll understand."
"Besides, we'll help you come up with an alibi." Cameron offered.
"Thanks, Cameron." Gwen smiled at him which made him blush slightly.
PROGRAM LABELLED 'GLOBAL' SPREADING THROUGHOUT LYOKO
LYOKO MAP UPGRADED
SECTORS 05,06,07,08 DISCOVERED
"Real fair, one of me and six of them. Those monsters are useless." Shadow growled as he appeared in the Sector 5 of the Carbon Copy.
He walked into the Celestial Dome and saw the main interface showing the recordings of Lyoko 2.0 being mapped by Aelita's program.
"Did you hear me, XANA?" Shadow called out. "Despite all these new, more powerful monsters, they're still winning."
ACTIVATING AVATAR
Shadow stepped back as XANA's Avatar appeared in front of him with its back turned to him as XANA continued to watch the recording.
"Don't dismiss them, Shadow. You are the general of these monsters. But you are right." XANA stated once the recording ended. "Despite your upgrades from William's own form and the considerable improvement of my monsters, these new warriors are growing stronger than their predecessors. I do not know for sure why they are progressing so fast but clearly we must refine our efforts and build upon the tactical advantage we currently have at the moment."
"Our tactical advantage?" Shadow asked in confusion.
XANA closed his eyes and focused.
ACTIVATING SYPHOZOA
LOCATION: FOREST SECTOR REPLIKA 64
On the interface, a new screen appeared, showing Ulrich Stern meditating on a tree stump. Shadow raised an eyebrow but silently watched, curious as to what XANA was up to.
How long had it been since he had been dumped here?
The Forest Sector was the most beautiful sector of all the sectors in Lyoko. Calm, serene and completely quiet that Ulrich wondered how long it would be before he had gone completely mad?
Or had he already gone mad?
He truly didn't know.
Were his friends all right?
Were they still sane?
Were they coming to rescue him?
Look at him, the warrior of the group practically praying to be rescued. He didn't even know if Aelita was all right or if she had somehow rescued Odd and Yumi yet and was on her to find him.
A familiar screeching sound opened his eyes, and he saw the Scyphozoa approaching him. Ulrich stood up to his feet, surprisingly eager for some action, even against XANA's most terrifying monster. It didn't matter if he was without weapons, he still would fight to the very last.
"Finally deciding what to do with me, XANA?" Ulrich spat, taking a fighting stance. "Fine, just try it."
Before he could attack, the Scyphozoa pulsed with red electricity as it lashed out with one of its tentacles, striking Ulrich and an aura of red light surrounded him.
"I…can't…move…" Ulrich grunted, struggling against whatever the jelly-fish like monster had done to him.
The Scyphozoa wrapped its tentacles around him and placed three tentacles around his temples before preforming its task.
"This monster was one of my most valuable creations. It was able to steal anything from the warriors, their memories, their digital DNA, and even implant a virus that would allow me to control them on Lyoko. Now it shall be useful again." XANA said, him and Shadow watching as it grabbed Ulrich.
Shadow watched as a new window appeared the interface, showing Ulrich's form being scanned.
"What gives you your form Shadow is the DNA and genetic codes that Jeremy scanned from William that he used to give you your form, your voice, and your ability to think. In order to create an AI that can think like you and I can human DNA must be scanned as a base code for the AI." XANA explained as he accessed Ulrich's digital DNA and genetic codes.
"Scanned DNA and genetic codes? But that would mean . . . That you . . ." Shadow said looking at XANA.
He resembled Aelita, except he was a male.
"At Antea's suggestion it was Aelita's DNA whose was scanned and integrated into my code to give me the human ability to think outside the box as humans say. She was only a year old when her parents did this. However, because I am a multi-agent AI I am capable of shapeshifting, manipulating any program I want, as well as create digital constructs for combat and I am not bound to a single form." XANA replied not even looking at Shadow.
XANA always had the ability to take a human form but chose not to since he believed that since he was an AI he was above humans. What good would it be having a body that left you vulnerable to attack, that could be injured and feel pain? However after fighting the warriors for so long he believed that in order to defeat them he would have to fight them on their level. The results were better than he hoped.
"Just because an AI has digital DNA scanned from a human doesn't mean it would be the same as the human its scanned DNA came from. You should know this."
The Scyphozoa was done with Ulrich and dropped him on the ground. He groaned and looked up, watching as the Scyphozoa retreated.
"Wha…What did you…do?" Ulrich called out, shakingly standing. "What did you do, XANA? What are you up to?!"
No one, not the Scyphozoa or even XANA answered back.
A black and red swirling portal appeared before XANA and Shadow and from it emerged the Scyphozoa.
"Now what?" asked Shadow as the monster glided past them.
"The DNA will give them the ability to assume a human form. Now to work on the next step." XANA turned around and Shadow followed his gaze, watching as a Dragon Knight appeared.
"What is that for?" asked Shadow.
"The strongest will become your new comrades' bodies." XANA answered.
The Scyphozoa floated forward and landed in front of the Dragon Knight.
"The Scyphozoa will inject the DNA scanned from the Warriors. The Dragon Knights are the most human of my monsters and can be modified to learn, adapt, and evolve." XANA said.
The Scyphozoa placed three tentacles on the Dragon Knight's head and injected the scanned human DNA along with upgrades needed to make it like Shadow. The Dragon Knight began convulsing as if it was actually in pain. The Scyphozoa released it and it looked down at its hands as the armor began to crack. XANA and Shadow watched as the Knight reacted painfully to the mutation.
It fell to the ground as its armor continued to crack. That was when it led out a very human scream when the armor exploded. When the debris cleared, they looked to see a human shape where the Knight stood.
When it stood, it was about Shadow's size. It had long black hair that was spiked with red tips and was tied in a ponytail. Its eyes were black with an orange sclera, and its skin was pale grey. It wore a red and black hexagonal patterned kimono and black baggy pants and his wore black steel toed knee-high boots on his feet.
He had a set of armoured gauntlets ending in semi fingerless gloves. Finally, he had plates of armour on his shins, outer thighs, over his chest, shoulders, and biceps, all of them a dark red colour with a black sash tied around his waist and black plate resembling Eye of XANA. There was a single long katana hanging on the boy's back, and two daggers from his belt.
"Excellent..." XANA examined the boy. "Do you understand me?"
After several moments the boy spoke. "Yes."
"Do you know who I am?"
"Yes."
"Do you know what you are here for?"
"To serve XANA and eliminate my key targets." The boy replied.
"And your name?" XANA tilted his head.
The boy paused to think for several moments. "My name...is Ryder."
"Ryder it is then. This is your comrade and your superior, Shadow," XANA allowed the two copies to look at each other. "Ryder, you shall obey Shadow's orders while on assignments, only I may countermand an order he gives."
"I understand, master." Ryder nodded.
"Excellent." XANA looked at Shadow. "I trust that my hard work has not disappointed you, Shadow?"
Shadow looked over Ryder for several moments. "Let's see how he does in the field."
"Good, because he is not the only one you will be looking after. There are three more that you will be responsible for." XANA said. "Ryder, go with Shadow. He will take you to Lyoko and we will test your powers."
"Understood." Ryder replied.
Walking back to the studio Gwen was wondering what she would say to Duncan. That she had to run off to save the world from a demonic AI out to kill them all? No way! Like he's ever going to believe that.
Gwen shook her head. Aelita did explain that the return trips to the past made XANA stronger and she understood that it was a good idea to limit them, but she would have a lot less trouble if they did. Great, what kind of excuse was she going to come up with?
"Relax, Gwen. Nothing bad is happening yet." Geoff said, noticing how distressed she looked.
"Yeah. Just be calm when you speak to him and you'll come up with something." Bridgette added.
Leave it to them to be optimistic. Well, Gwen was not like them. She was a not a pessimist but at the same time she didn't get optimistic. They walked through the gate and found themselves in the lobby of the studio.
"I only hope he'll give me a chance to explain myself. He was already suspicious and I might have just made it even worse." Said Gwen.
"Hey, come on. Don't be such a downer. Just be cool and you won't have a problem." Geoff said.
That was when they entered the lobby Gwen noticed Duncan was sitting in the lobby. He was waiting for her.
'Oh, crap.'
He looked up and smiled.
"Hey, Gwen. Take care of whatever you were doing?"
Gwen walked over and sat down next to him. The others quickly walked back to their dorms to give them some privacy.
They were both quiet for a moment when Gwen finally spoke up. "Duncan, I'm sorry for running off like that. I didn't plan for that to happen. They needed my help with something important."
"And just what is that?" asked Duncan.
Gwen sighed.
"Duncan, I promise that I will not lie with some half-baked excuse but I also cannot tell you because I promised them that I would keep it a secret."
She looked down away from Duncan. She closed her eyes fearing that this might be the end of their relationship. That was when she felt Duncan's hand around her shoulder.
"Hey, if it's not no big deal than I won't worry. Besides what guy would enjoy having a hot chick as a girlfriend that was predictable?" Said Duncan.
"So, no trouble?" asked Gwen.
"Almost none, if you give me something to assure me that you're keeping your promise." Duncan said, smiling wickedly.
Gwen rolled her eyes knowing what he was talking about. He pulled her in and kissed her. After a moment they pulled away and smiled.
"See ya." She said getting up.
"See, ya." He replied.
Gwen internally sighed in relief that Duncan did not pressure her for answers. Little did she know, Duncan had looked in the direction Gwen had gone which happened to be the same direction the rest of the TD Lyoko Warriors had gone, frowning slightly.
(Credits)
Chapter 34: Episode 34: Soccer, Total Drama Style
Summary:
The next episode of Total Drama airs with the contestants playing soccer, a variety of it by Chris McLane.
Chapter Text
(Code Total Drama Reality Introduction Song Starts)
(This Game (From 'No Game No Life'))
The intro begins with the sun rising over the city of Paris, before the camera angles down on Kadic Academy. Stepping into view is Aelita, standing at the school gates as she looks up and watches as dark clouds suddenly cover the sky. Her eyes widen as she suddenly morphs into her Lyoko form, energy fields appearing in her hands.
William appears next, a dark copy of him, resembling his Lyoko form as a warrior of XANA appearing behind him, both clashing their swords, causing a flash of light as the title appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(I never wanted to be)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors appear with her as they are surrounded by the monsters of XANA.
(Another gear in that corrupted world's machine)
A giant bird appears above the city, letting out a loud screech.
(All my life felt like a dream)
One by one, the Lyoko Warriors enter the scanners and the doors closed, a ring of light traveling up their bodies as the camera shows and alternates each Lyoko Warrior before they vanish in a flash of light.
(I was never who I really wanted me to be)
Vehicles resembling a hovercraft, a board, a motorcycle appear with new vehicles resembling a sled and a hoverbike with a jet engine appears, carrying the Lyoko Warriors off as they are surrounded by monsters that begin shooting lasers at them.
(But then God shattered that dream's cage)
Four towers, each in a separate sector begins to glow red with monsters and an armored figure leading the monsters. Aelita lands on the platform and places her hand on the screen.
(And rose me up to a new stage)
The Total Drama contestants founds themselves back in the studio, their fellow contestants gathered with them as Chris laughs
(Cut it away like a sharp knife)
He gestures to the screens, showing them all in challenges…
(No, no, No Game No Life)
With each of them suffering a variety of misfortunes: Gwen vomits on Duncan, a soccer ball explodes in Bridgette's face, Geoff yells as a missile chases after him.
(Now suddenly there's a new twist)
Geoff's yelling suddenly stops and he changes into his Lyoko form, brandishing his weapons that cut the missile in half, causing the two pieces to fly past Geoff and explodes behind him.
(A reason to really exist)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors assume their Lyoko forms and battle down various monsters, some of them belonging to XANA and some are different but dangerous.
(I wanna breathe in the fame)
From legions of monsters, comes Men in Black, giant spaceships aiming their cannons down on the bewildered Lyoko Warriors.
(As this whole new world cheers my name)
The camera zooms in on the lead space ship as it prepares to fire.
(I'll never leave it to fate)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors are shown running through the streets of France, the sky darkening and the Eye of XANA appearing on every monitor they pass.
(And when I see a chance I'll pave the way)
They reach the factory, sliding down the ropes and reaching the elevator.
(I'll call checkmate)
The elevator reaches the scanner room, Aelita and William waiting for them.
(This is the time to breakthrough)
The Lyoko Warriors then gather before a scanner, the camera facing them inside with the group staring at it critically. A hand reaches up, giving them a thumbs-up before the scanner doors close.
(So I'll rewrite the story and I'll finally change all the rules)
The Lyoko Warriors are now gathered in the Forest Sector of Lyoko, suddenly separated by a crescent shaped wave of red energy and out of the flames emerges a humanoid warrior in dark armor, their face covered by a horned helmet and the Eye of XANA on its chest and forehead.
(We are MAVERICK)
William charges forward, his large sword clashing against the equally sized weapon of Shadow, both glaring hatefully at each other.
(We won't give in until we win this game)
Both disappear into white and black smoke before we then see Bridgette in the Ice Sector, battling a giant monster resembling a polar bear.
(Though I don't know what tomorrow holds)
The monster is about to cut Bridgette down with its claws before a blast of pure lightning blasts it to pieces.
(I'll make a bet and play my cards to win this game)
The origin of the attack is revealed to be Geoff, holding a giant axe instead of his chakrams as he charges forward to help Bridgette, a look of determination replacing his normal carefree smile.
(Unlike the rest I'll do my best)
A pair of Wasps are shown chasing Dawn who is on the Overwing before Gwen shoots up, her cape morphing into bat like wings as she slashes through the Wasps with her scythe.
(And I won't ever lose)
A pair of Krabs fire on her but DJ's barrier saves her before Cameron flies down and blasts the Krabs with his arm cannons.
(To give up this chance would be a deadly sin)
LeShawna is then staring up at the hulking form of the Kolossus as it approaches her.
(So let's bet it all)
Gripping her hammer tightly, LeShawna charges to meet the biggest of XANA's monsters head on.
(I put all my faith in us)
Aelita is then shown in a red version of Sector 5, turning to glare at the Avatar of XANA who smirks back at her.
(So let the games begin)
Aelita readies her energy field and charges at XANA who summons his own sword, clashing with Aelita's energy fields. Pink and red energy erupt from their clash, covering the screen in white before changing to a black screen with blue lines of coding filling it and the title appearing on last time:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(This Game (From 'No Game No Life') Ends)
Episode 34: Soccer, Total Drama Style
"Welcome back to Total Drama Reality. Last time we put the contestants through another challenge on the digital plain of existence. The teams had to solve riddles, puzzles, and Chef. Team Hamster led by geek king Harold walked into a trap and were visited by Team Rat when Owen stepped on a trap door and fell into the room. Luckily with some quick thinking they escape but were too late when Team Victory scored . . . a victory. About time if you ask me. In the end it was Katie of the Wonder Twins. Who will win this time? Find out on Total, Drama, Reality!" Chris introduced the show.
(Total Drama Intro)
Red Vultures – LeShawna, Gwen, Zoey, Izzy, Cameron, Bridgette, Brick, Beth, Geoff, Jo, Sadie
Yellow Hamsters – Harold, Heather, Lindsay, Cody, Sam, Mike, Dawn, DJ, Scott, Dakota, B, Eva
Blue Rats – Alejandro, Noah, Tyler, Owen, Anne Maria, Sierra, Duncan, Courtney, Justin, Lightning, Trent
Eliminated – Staci, Katie
The gang was mostly able to relax the next day after that when it came. Or at least until it was time for the next episode.
The new Lyoko warriors were sitting at a table away from the others.
"So you and Duncan are okay?" asked DJ.
"He said he doesn't mind because it would be boring if I was predictable." Gwen said.
"So, no trouble." Geoff said smiling.
"For now. I just hope no one else gets suspicious." Said Gwen.
"Hey guys." The group perked up as a voice spoke from behind, revealing themselves to be Zoe with Mike standing next to her. "Can we join?"
"Of course." Cameron said happily, allowing them to sit down.
"Thanks." Mike sat down next to his best friend. "Haven't seen you a whole lot, Cam. I know we're on different teams and all…"
"Oh, sorry, Mike. I didn't mean to make it look like I was avoiding you." Cameron quickly said with a remorseful look on his face.
It wasn't easy and it's not like he could just tell Mike and Zoey what he and the other TD Lyoko Warriors had been up to. As much as he hated keeping secrets, he also wanted to keep the first two friends he had ever made safe from the war with XANA.
"That's on us." Geoff quickly said, catching on quickly. "We've been welcoming the little dude since he won last season and all that. Way to show everyone the underdog can beat the mean jock, dude!"
"Yeah! It's amazing what you pulled off!" Bridgette added.
Cameron was blushing in embarrassment now, a modest smile appearing on his face. "Gee, thanks guys. It wasn't that much."
"Not that much? You survived not just the island, but an island filled with monsters and radioactive waste. Anyone who can survive that and Chris is good in my books." LeShawna quickly said with an honest smile. "I'm glad Chris dumped us that season."
"Didn't stop him from bringing some of us in as extras." Gwen mumbled. "And you guys didn't get buried alive in your cameo…again."
"True. I could have gone without the mine explosion." Bridgette shuddered. "But I feel bad about Dakota and what she went through. I was only one for one episode, she got stuck as his intern."
"Oh, yeah. That's right." Zoey recalled. "She definitely didn't have it easy when Chris got her mutated."
"How is she back to normal anyways?" Gwen asked.
"Dakota's dad used his connection and Dakota's portion of the prize money I gave her to fund for a treatment." Mike answered. "Though I heard it wasn't a perfect treatment."
"Just another crime Chris had to answer for when he went to jail." Dawn took a sip of herbal tea. "Though he should have stayed in prison much longer."
"Agreed." Nearly everyone at the table nodded.
Confessional: Zoey
"I wasn't sure what to make of everything but I think everyone I feared about Cam drifting away was all in my head. It looks like he's making more friends here than he did last season."
Meanwhile, Lindsay staring sadly at Tyler who made a point not look in her direction. Soon enough breakfast was over and everyone walked outside as Chris waited for them.
"Good evening, contestants. Welcome to the great outdoors. Now seeing as how it wouldn't be good to stay inside all the time, we decided today you play some great outdoor sports." Chris said.
"All right! Yeah!" Tyler shouted in enthusiasm.
"Now are any of you good at soccer?" asked Chris.
"I rule at that game!" Tyler called out.
"I can handle that." Geoff shrugged.
"Good, because we will be playing soccer Total Drama style!" Chris announced grandly.
"Oh great." Noah groaned.
"As you can see the field has a lot of soccer balls and there are three nets." Chris said pointing out to the field.
There was an infinite amount of soccer balls covering the field with three nets on the other side of the courtyard. The nets were colored red, yellow and blue, corresponding to the teams they represented but that was not all they had.
In front of the red net was a chicken, while the purple Sasquatch guarded the yellow net and a bear guarded the blue net.
"There are nine different types of balls with a different color. Three correspond to each team. Kick the right one and nothing happens but kick the wrong one and it sets off a paint bomb. Each team will send one person to kick one of the soccer balls. When you kick the right one or wrong one someone else will take their turn." Said Chris snickering. "And you'll have to find a way to get past goalies of each net with the colors representing the teams."
The bear snarled at Team Blue Rat while Sasquatch clenched its fists, snarling at the Yellow Hamsters.
"And we got the chicken?" Gwen asked, looking at the chicken.
"Since Team Red Vulture won the last challenge, they get the least dangerous goalie." Chris explained. "As for the other two, you have to try and get the soccer ball you pick past the goalie of your net."
"So which color corresponds to which team?" Cody asked.
"You'll have to find out yourself." Chris replied smirking.
He walked over and sat on a chair that would allow me to see everything in the field.
"So, who goes first?" Duncan asked his team.
"Let me go! Let me go!" Tyler raised his hand.
"Fine."
Confessional: Duncan
"Better to let the so-called jock go so if he kicks the wrong ball no one important is hurt."
Confessional: Tyler
"I am a pro at soccer. My coach said that he never met anyone who has the kind of good footing skills I have." Tyler said not realizing that his coach met that he should quit while he was still walking.
He ran forward to kick the nearest ball which was colored purple which exploded as he kicked it. He was sent flying back and hit the ground. He was now covered in purple paint.
"No!" Lindsay cried.
She ran forward and knelt next to Tyler.
"Are you okay, Tyler?"
Tyler looked stared at her…and then looked away. "I'm…fine."
Lindsay wanted to say something else but the way Tyler refused to look at her…she could only stare with teary eyes. "Oh…okay."
Confessional: Lindsay
"Why is Tyler acting like this? Did I really hurt him that bad?"
Confessional: Tyler
"…." Tyler just stared at the camera and sighed.
"Humph! I'll deal with this since most of this team is completely useless." Courtney said preparing to run out.
"Fine by us." Duncan shrugged.
"I should add this one thing: Sierra is guilty of sneaking off studio grounds and breaking her contract." Chris added, causing all eyes to fall on Sierra who shifted nervously. "I decided not to eliminate her but there is a penalty that Team Blue Rats must now follow."
"A penalty?" Trent asked.
"What?!" Courtney exclaimed. "Why are you punishing us for her mistake?!"
"For ratings, duh." Chris rolled his eyes. "The penalty is that the Blue Rats have to skip their turns until it is turn three for the other teams."
The Blue Rats all groaned while the other teams cheered.
"This is abuse of power and I will not stand for it!" Courtney pointed at Chris. "I'll call my lawyers!"
"Go ahead, the contract is ironclad, and I covered for any scenario that involves someone breaking the terms of the contracts they signed." Chris shrugged.
"Hey, Chris, what about Heather and Scott?" Cody asked, gesturing to the two, Heather still in her wheel chair and Scott still in the Trauma Chair. "Neither of them are in any condition to play this game."
"Like you'll do any better!" Heather retorted.
"Fair point." Chris conceded. "All right, I'll give you a freebie. For Heather and Scott, anyone who acts in their place gets an extra turn."
"We have someone who can't play either." Noah gestured to Alejandro.
"Fine. Since Alejandro is not able to grace us with his likely athletic skills." Chris rolled his eyes. "I'll give you one freebie before you have to sit and wait for everyone's third turn."
"I happen to have won three soccer medals in a row. I can handle this. Sit back and watch." Courtney said.
"You can't just run and kick a ball. What if you're wrong?" asked Beth.
"I won't be. Now shut up and watch!" Courtney said before she ran off.
"Courtney wait!" Trent called out to stop her before she made a mistake.
"Let her go. If she kicks the wrong ball better, her than me." Duncan shrugged, earning a scowl from Trent.
Confessional: Trent
"I am not Courtney's biggest fan but I am not a fan of the way Duncan is just letting her risk getting hurt. Just what does Gwen see in him?"
Courtney ran forward to kick the nearest ball that was colored green but as soon as her foot made contact it exploded…
SPLAT!
Courtney ended up getting tossed back and covered her in green paint.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Courtney screamed, flailing her arms around. "Green jelly! Get it off me! Get it off me!"
"Why is she freaking out so much?" Cameron asked.
"Season one, Phobia Factor challenge! She's terrified of that stuff!" Sierra answered.
Confessional: Jo
Jo laughs her head off. "Who's afraid of jelly?! What a wimp!"
"Ouch!" LeShawna shook her head.
Courtney screamed in outrage from the pain and jelly staining her clothes and hair.
"Well, I guess this one medal you won't be winning, Ms. Soccer Champ." Heather taunted.
"And what are you going to do?! Wheel up and push one into the net?!" Courtney snapped.
"I guess I'm next." Brick said, volunteering for Team Red Vulture.
"Whose next?" Tyler asked trying to get the purple paint off him.
"Bad idea to send me." Said Justin.
Izzy glared at him.
Confessional: Justin
"I know I said I changed after what happened to me on the second season and seeing what happened to Alejandro would show even me how real karma is. But still who wants to have a paint bomb explode right in front them?"
Confessional: Izzy
"Once a liar, always a liar." Said Izzy ribbing apart a picture of Justin.
"Bookworm, you're up." Duncan said.
"You know I think you would be better." Noah said.
"About you do it and I don't follow up with my piercing threat." Duncan pulled out a piercing.
Noah sighed and stepped up.
"Remember, Team Blue Rat has to wait until the rest of the other teams have had three turns." Chris reminded them, causing most of the team to sulk.
Gwen looked over all of the balls while the rest of the teams stepped back to monitor them. Yellow, purple, red, green, brown, black, blue, white, and... Teal? The same color as her hair. Looking at the other teams she noticed that the red balls had same color as Izzy's hair, and the green ones were the same color as Duncan's Mohawk.
She looked at Brick, noting his black hair…
"Hm...hey Brick!"
"Hm? Yes?" Brick looked over his shoulder at her.
"See that black one there?" Gwen pointed at another ball. "Go for it, I think I have a theory!"
"Oh, okay." Brick nodded, looking a little nervous but steeled himself as he ran and kicked the ball…
And unlike what happened with Courtney and Tyler, the ball didn't explode and shot past the chicken goalie, slamming into the red net.
"Huh?!" Practically everyone was surprised by what happened.
"It's didn't explode!" Brick sighed in relief, turning around with a smile and a salute towards Gwen. "Thank you, Gwen! But how'd you know it wouldn't explode?"
"Can't tell you. We don't want everyone to hear if we want to win." Gwen replied, gesturing to the other teams. "I still need to make sure I'm right."
"Understood." Brick nodded in understanding.
"Hey, why should you lead us, goth-ball?" Jo stepped forward, glaring at Gwen.
"Do you want to win?" Gwen retorted.
Jo glared…and said nothing.
"Let's give Gwen a chance." Bridgette stepped in between the two. "She figured something out and is trying to keep the other teams from figuring it out. We've got the advantage now."
"Yeah, my girl's got a plan." LeShawna added.
Confessional: Jo
"Great, I'm stuck playing back seat to these slackers and trusting Count Gwenula to win. Don't they have any respect for team leaders?"
Confessional: Dawn
"Gwen's aura suggests she believes the color of the balls is the key to winning the challenge. And noting the colors of each ball…I see. Now I understand."
Confessional: Cameron
"It took me a second, but I've got it. The color of the balls match the colors of people's hair. Brick's hair is black so he kicked the black ball and it didn't explode."
Confessional: Courtney
"Great, I'm stuck on the team with the stalker who cost us the challenge and worse…Gwen is going win the challenge for her team! There is some obvious bias here! And since when does Bridgette stick up for Gwen?" Courtney threw her arms up. "She caught onto Gwen's evil in Season Two! Now it's like she's forgotten!"
"I will step up for my team." Harold stepped forward, looking between the balls.
He was about to make his move when he felt a hand on his shoulder, turning to see B standing next to him. "Hm? What's up? Can't you see it's my turn?"
B made a gesture, pointing to the balls and then Harold's head. Harold followed B's finger, pointing at a brown colored ball and then followed the finger as it pointed at his head.
"You think my head is connected with the balls?" Harold asked.
B face-palmed himself.
Confessional: B
B shook his head.
B then pointed to a strand of Harold's hair and Harold seemingly understood. "Of course, it's so obvious!"
"What is?" Heather asked impatiently, having not picked up B's signals.
Harold didn't answer, choosing to kick the ball at Team Yellow Hamster's net but unfortunately, the Sasquatch blocked, denying them a point.
"And no point for the Yellow Hamsters." Chris stated.
None of the other teams had gone first since they still could not figure out which color was their or how Gwen figured it out.
"I'm up!" Zoey said wheeling up to the field.
"Zoey, go for one of the red balls." Gwen said.
"Got it."
"Hey Chris, was there any rule about intercepting?" Noah asked.
"Nope." Chris shrugged.
"So let me see...if I know what Gwen is going for..." Noah looked at Duncan, specifically his green Mohawk, and then to the green ball, which he kicked with precision that knocked the red one away from Zoey.
SPLAT!
"Gah!" Zoey cried out, now covered in green jelly like Courtney.
"Hey!" Mike shouted, outraged over what happened to his girlfriend.
"Crap!" Gwen said, knowing that Noah figured it out.
"Knew it," Noah crossed his arms.
"Knew what?" Duncan asked.
"Let Izzy hit the orange one and find out, genius." Noah rolled his eyes.
Duncan did so, watching as Izzy kicked the ball past the bear and scored his team a point. "It didn't blow up!"
"Crap, should have known the book worms would figure it out," Chris sighed.
"What's going on?!" demanded Courtney trying to get the green jelly out of her hair.
"Guess there's no use trying to keep it a secret anymore. The colors of the balls correspond to the hair color of certain people on each team. Zoey's hair is red so a red-colored soccer ball is our team along with the black soccer balls because Brick, LeShawna, Cameron and Sadie all have black hair and the teal-colored balls are ours because I have the same hair color." Gwen explained.
"But since Mike, Trent, Eva and Anna Marie have black hair too, it must mean the colors are not just limited to teams." Cameron continued, having caught on with Gwen's theory. "They correspond to the color of our hair and tell us which ones are safe for every team and person."
"That's clever." Sam admitted.
"Duncan has a green Mohawk, so the green balls are ours, Izzy and Scott's hair are orange, so they are ours too. Along with possibly the brown colored balls because Tyler, Alejandro, Justin, Courtney and I are brunettes." Noah said.
"But Sam, Harold and I are brunette too." Cody pointed out, gesturing to himself and Sam."So it's not limited to a single team but more like letting us know who can kick which ball safely."
"So then . . ." LeShawna said looking at Bridgette and then the yellow soccer balls.
Bridgette nodded before she ran and kicked one into her team's net scoring a point.
"Geoff, Lindsay, and Bridgette are blonde, so the yellow soccer balls are ours." LeShawna said.
"But Dawn and Dakota are blond too." Harold realized. "And Heather has black hair."
"You mean had black hair." Duncan corrected, earning a dirty look from Heather.
"Owen is blond too, so he can kick the yellow ones." Noah added for his team.
"I guess the last two are ours." Said Trent.
"Purple and white." Alejandro spoke from the Drama Machine. "Sierra's hair is dyed purple, and Lightning's hair is white."
"She-bang!" Lightning flexed his muscles. "Now we know what to do! The challenge is in the bag!"
"We still need to wait for everyone else to have a third turn." Noah stated. "But since Chris said intercepting is fine, we just need to intercept the other teams so they can't score any points until we have our turn."
"Fine by me." Duncan grinned.
"Go for them! Hurry!" LeShawna said.
Geoff was up along with Cody and Darth Alejandro. He ran up kicked one of the yellow balls. Cody and Alejandro could not intercept him since he was too fast.
However, Alejandro was somehow moving his body very fast thanks to the wheels of the Total Drama Machine and he moved in a brown ball to stop Geoff's ball before it reached his team's net.
"All right!" Tyler cheered, seeing they managed to avoid the lead team scoring another point.
"I'm next." Duncan said, stepping forward.
Cody kicked one of the brown balls and began to move it to the net. But Duncan kicked a green ball in the way and Cody accidently kicked it causing it to explode.
"CODY!" shouted Sierra in fear.
Cody flew back hitting the ground covered in green paint.
Duncan laughed at him. "That's payback for the phone call."
Gwen glared at him for that.
Confessional: Gwen
"It was just a joke. He didn't have to do that to Cody. And besides, Duncan, Geoff and Bridgette were in on it too." Gwen said pointing to the camera.
Confessional: Duncan
"Hey it wasn't too bad. I was being easy on the guy since Gwen would get mad if I did anything worse. What's so bad about getting stained with some paint?"
Little did he know he was about to find out the answer to that question.
"How dare you?!" Sierra yelled.
She charged straight at him and jumped at him. They fell down with Duncan trying to cover his face as Sierra punched and clawed at him.
Courtney laughed at this as she looked at Gwen. "Check it out, Gwen. Your boyfriend's getting a beating!"
Gwen rolled her eyes at the poor attempt to taunt her. Justin and Trent ran up and pulled Sierra off Duncan.
Cody got up and looked at himself, seeing the paint covering his face, hair and clothes. "Aw, man."
"You okay, Cody?" Gwen asked.
"Sure, he can't do anything bad to me." Cody replied.
"That's my Cody! Always acting so strong!" squealed Sierra.
"Hey! I'm hurt too!" Duncan said.
"You started it all because of a simple joke. If you can't handle someone making a joke which was not a big deal than don't get mad over it." Gwen replied crossing her arms.
Confessional: Cody
"Wow, Gwen stood up for me. I didn't see that coming." Cody smiled happily before he quickly cleared his throat. "Even though I am totally over her, it's nice she did that."
Confessional: Duncan
"Did Gwen just scold me in favour of the geek? Oh, he is so going down." Duncan said.
Confessional: Bridgette
"I am proud of Gwen standing up to Duncan even if he is her boyfriend."
Confessional: LeShawna
"That's my girl. Showing that punk he can't pick on any of her friends."
"Hurry up! We're falling behind!" Heather shouted, seeing that only the Red Vultures had a single point.
What happened next was the teams struggling to get a point in before the number of balls ran out. Though the Blue Rats had to wait until everyone had at least one turn, Chris had given them the go-ahead to intercept the balls of other teams before they hit their designated nets. Alejandro in the Drama Machine and Scott in the Trauma Chair were wheeled out to intercept the balls, their wheels allowing them to move fast enough to intercept the multi-colored soccer balls.
However, when their metallic shells collided with balls that didn't match the color of their hair or teammates' hair, the balls exploded, covering them in multi-colored pain and jelly.
"Oh yeah! Look at me go!" Izzy shouted as she kicked a green and an orange ball into their net at the same time.
By that point, everyone on the other teams had their third turn, allowing the Blue Rats finally start aiming for their net. However, the net goalies, specifically the Sasquatch and the Bear guarding the yellow and blue nets were making it difficult.
"Come on! Move faster!" Heather shouted, seeing the Red Vultures and the Blue Rats were ahead of their team.
"Oh yeah! Look at me go!" Izzy shouted as she kicked a red ball that collided with a green ball, sending both into their net at the same time.
"Come on! Move faster!" Heather shouted.
"Shut up!" Eva shouted back, kicking a black ball.
This one missed the net.
"What kind of kick was that?! Aim for the net!" Heather shouted.
"Want me to try aiming you into the net!" Eva growled.
She had not forgotten how Heather got her eliminated in the first season. LeShawna was up next, and she was kicking a brown one at her net.
"Lindsay, you're turn!" Harold called out.
"Ok!" Lindsay said running out.
However just as she ran out, she accidently kicked a green one that exploded.
SPLAT!
"NO!" Tyler shouted, running over.
Lindsay was covered in green pain.
"Oh no! My hair, my clothes!" Lindsay cried.
"Tyler, wait!" Trent called out, rushing over to Lindsay.
"Focus, music boy." Noah grabbed Trent's arm. "We're almost tied."
Tyler knelt down and wrapped his arm around Lindsay's shoulder. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine…but my hair…my clothes…" Lindsay whimpered as she looked at Tyler. "Tyler…why won't you talk to me?"
Tyler sighed. "Lindsay…Okay, we can go talk…Alone."
"Okay, Tyler…" Lindsay whispered softly.
Confessional: Lindsay
"Omg! Tyler is talking me! I hope he lets me say sorry."
"Where are you going?!" Courtney shouted as the two turned and walked away. "The challenge isn't over!"
"Get back here, Lindsay!" Heather called after her own teammate but they weren't paying attention.
"The Red Vultures are in the lead, three to two with the Blue Rats while the Yellow Hamsters are struggling to catch up. Will they make a come back?" Chris asked. "Find after the commercial break, on Total…Drama…Reality!"
Inside the digital world of Lyoko Ryder was waiting in the tower chosen for the next attack about to be activated. In his mind he was thinking of his latest mission.
(Flashback)
"The scanned DNA from the original Lyoko warriors will create three more warriors to battle our latest enemies." XANA said sitting casually on a blue floating block in Sector 5. "In the meantime I will be working on my latest project. Shadow, you will go with Ryder to the new Tropical Sector and wait for the tower to activate."
Shadow nodded but paused. 'Three more…The last ones are Yumi and Ulrich so that would only make two…Why would…'
Shadow had no time to consider who else XANA was talking about as he continued with his instruction.
"Ryder, we shall see how you perform against the warriors. Defeat them and bring Aelita to me." XANA said looking at Ryder.
"As you wish." Ryder bowed his head.
(End Flashback)
He opened the files on his targets.
Accessing Enemy Files:
Opening Enemy File 1:
Name: Aelita Schaeffer
Weapon: Energy Field
Weapon Damage: One Hundred Life Point Damage
General Info: Target is daughter of Waldo Schaeffer otherwise known as Franz Hopper and has ability to deactivate towers.
Abilities: Alter environment of Lyoko to favourable conditions in battle and is able to fly through use of wings activated by a bracelet on her left arm.
Character Behaviour: Designated leader of current enemy team. Provides information on Lyoko, when tower is activated, and directs tactical plans.
End File
.
Opening Enemy File 2:
Name: LeShawna Edwards
Weapon: Hammer
Weapon Damage: One Hundred Life Point Damage
General Info: Is contestant on show 'Total Drama Reality' and has been on the series for four seasons. Is head strong and defensive.
Abilities: Target's weapon grants super strength. Strong enough to crush all enemies and can damage landscape.
Character Behavior: Highly aggressive when provoked target will attack recklessly. Super Strength proves to keep her alive in battle.
.
End File
Opening Enemy File 3:
Name: Gwendolyn 'Gwen' Fahlenbock
Weapon: Scythe
Weapon Damage: Thirty life points
General Info: Like previous target this target is contestant on show 'Total Drama Reality' and has been on the series for four seasons.
Abilities: Target's abilities are unique as she has shown to have the ability to fly by converting her cape into wings. Previous battle has suggested she has other hidden ability. A red aura allows her to seemingly burn through enemy targets and a white aura produces energy strings to bind her targets.
Character Behavior: Target is not aggressive in battle and is level-headed in battle and is skilled in close range combat. She still inexperienced compared to her predecessors but that is likely to change as she gains more experience.
.
End File
Opening Enemy File 4:
Name: Devon Joseph 'DJ'
Weapon: None
Weapon Damage: Zero
General Info: Like previous targets this target is contestant on show 'Total Drama Reality' and has been on the series for four seasons.
Abilities: Target is able to create barriers to block enemy attacks and against himself and allies. Able to transform into a moving stone golem.
Character Behavior: Despite his large size this target is non-aggressive except when allies are threatened. Because of this his character is almost purely defensive except when in golem. Target matches Target 2 in strength when in this form.
.
End File
Opening Enemy File 5:
Name: Bridgette Fairlie
Weapon: Two Swords
Weapon Damage: Ten Life Points
General Info: Like previous targets this target is contestant on show 'Total Drama Reality' and has been on the series for four seasons.
Abilities: Target's weapons are unique as they function as both vehicle and swords. When in vehicle form they resemble a surf board but split apart and form into two swords that can fire waves of energy. Target has hydrokinetic powers which allow her to attack and defend in battle. This ability makes her formidable in large bodies of water.
Character Behavior: Target has shown to be calm, outgoing and friendly. In battle she watches out for allies, especially target designated Geoff. When ally is in danger target will become highly aggressive and dangerous.
End File
.
Opening Enemy File 6:
Name: Geoffrey 'Geoff' Petronijevic
Weapon: Two Chakrams that turn into Axe
Weapon Damage: Ten Life Points
General Info: Like previous targets this target is contestant on show 'Total Drama Reality' and has been on the series for four seasons.
Abilities: This target's weapons can fuse to become a double bladed axe. This weapon can fire waves of lightning when swung and can be swung similar to how target designated Gwen can with her scythe and return to his hand.
Character Behavior: Target has been known to be the first to charge into battle. Despite being aggressive target keeps a level head and is difficult to defeat.
End File
.
Opening Enemy File 7:
Name: Cameron Corduroy Wilkins
Weapon: Armored War Suit with palm based laser weapons
Weapon Damage: Ten Life Points
General Info: Like previous targets this target is contestant on show 'Total Drama Reality' and has been on the series for four seasons.
Abilities: Target's War Suit allows for flight abilities and extra protection.
Character Behavior: Target shows high intellect and is able to operate Supercalculator with skills possibly on par with designate: Jeremy Belpois. Inexperienced but resourceful, target will distance himself from enemies to accurately shoot them.
End File
.
Opening Enemy File 8:
Name: Dawn Medrek
Weapon: Plant Vine
Weapon Damage: Unknown
General Info: Target has spent the least amount of time on Lyoko and does not engage in battle unless absolutely necessary.
Abilities: Unknown
.
Opening Enemy File 9:
Name: William Dunbar
Weapon: Zweihander
Weapon Damage: One Hundred Life Points
General Info: Target is former General Unit that retains Keys to Lyoko, thus is able to access and use the Supercalculator. Target retains modified abilities from time as General Unit and like Aelita can deactivate towers.
Abilities: Super Smoke allows for target to become smoke that travels at high speed while becoming immune to physical attacks.
That was when he sensed XANA preparing to take over the tower. Pulsations were heard as the wiring that was connected to the tower pulse red. That was when the tower's aura changed from blue to red.
"Tyler, I'm so sorry." Lindsay immediately said once they were alone. "I didn't mean to embarrass you like that in front of your parents! I couldn't even remember your name when I was with you and your whole family, and I forgot right after! I'm so stupid!"
Lindsay broke down and cried her heart out, not stopping even as Tyler hugged her.
"No, I'm sorry, Lindsay. I am the one at fault here." Tyler mumbled, burying his face in Lindsay's paint-stained hair. "I know you have problems remembering but I didn't say anything, not even to convince my family that you weren't trying to embarrass me. I was wrong to cave and push you away because they thought you were making fun of me…I'm so sorry."
He brought a finger under her chin and lifted her head up, the two staring into each other's eyes.
"Do you think we could…start over?" Tyler slowly asked, his voice filled with hope.
"But what about your parents?" Lindsay asked, wiping her face.
"I don't care if they don't like you or think you're not good enough. I love you, Lindsay Vermeer!" Tyler loudly and proudly declared, not caring who saw or heard.
Lindsay's eyes watered, tears of happiness streaming down her cheeks. "OMG! YES, YES, YES, YES, YES! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"
"AWESOME!" Tyler exclaimed, hugging Linday as tight as he could without hurting her.
Confessional: Lindsay and Tyler
The two were now making out in the confessional, much like Bridgette and Geoff.
They pulled away to smile at the camera.
"WE'RE BACK TOGETHER!" Lindsay cheered with the biggest smile on her face.
Izzy ran out again and somehow managed to kick another two balls for her team into the same net, causing their points to be tied with the Red Vultures.
"Is that even fair?! She's kicking more balls!" Courtney complied.
"Hey, if you can't think of a way to kick more than one ball with one turn it's not my problem." Chris said smirking.
Courtney growled.
"Who smells another lawsuit?" Izzy asked with a smile.
"I do!" Nearly everybody said.
"You'll all see. I'm going to win this!" Courtney shouted.
"In the meantime, get out there and win!" Anna Marie shouted as it was Courtney's turn, and she was wasting her time whining.
Courtney ran to kick a ball colored brown that matched her brunette hair when Duncan did something unexpected.
"Watch out!" Duncan suddenly pointed at the Red Vultures, specifically Gwen and kicked a green ball.
The green ball came between Courtney and the ball she was guiding to her next and when her foot came into contact, it exploded.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Courtney screamed, covered in more green jelly.
Duncan held back a snicker. "Whoops! False alarm!"
However, anyone who knew Duncan knew it was anything but an accident.
Confessional: Noah
"Okay, just what is this guy's deal? It's one thing for him and Courtney to argue but is he trying to sabotage us? If he wanted to go home he could just say so…" Noah brought a finger to his chin. "On the other hand, Sierra's the reason we're working so hard to play catch-up so she could go if we lose…or we could use the loss to kick Ale-jerko out."
Confessional: Trent
"Okay, that was just uncalled for. What is Duncan's problem?"
Confessional: Bridgette
"That was deliberate! He put that green ball in Courtney's way to make her get covered in green jelly! Ugh, I so dislike him!"
Confessional: Duncan
"You want to know what my problem is? She's a blood thirsty animal who will rip the flesh from the bones and suck the blood of anyone who she suddenly thinks has made her life so miserable."
….
"It's Courtney in case you couldn't figure it out. This is payback for her sabotaging her own team in Season Three and getting Gwen eliminated. She almost died of an allergy attack because of Courtney. If I have to put up with her every episode of this season, I'll make sure she pays her dues every step of the way."
Confessional: Gwen
"What was that for? Since when does Duncan try to stop his own team from winning? I know it's Courtney but…Still…This is too much like Trent during Season Two."
Justin kicked a ball into the net, earning a point and then Trent came to kick a white ball. Courtney sudden ran out with an enraged growl and kicked a green ball imagining it was Gwen's head into Gwen's path as she was kicking a teal one. She accidently kicked it which exploded, knocking her down.
SPLAT!
"Gwen!" Half of the Red Vultures rush over to Gwen as she groaned.
Zoey and Bridgette helped her sit up as Cameron produced a cloth to help clean off the jelly.
"Are you okay, girl?" LeShawna asked, kneeling in front of her friend.
"I'll be fine." Gwen answered, accepting Cameron's cloth.
"What in the world was that for?!" Brick shouted, glaring at Courtney. "That was needlessly aggressive and out of line!"
"Shut up!" Courtney snarled, the green jelly covering her snarling face making her look like some sort green monster. "This is her fault!"
"Her fault?!" LeShawna stood up. "Duncan was the one who did that!"
"Because of her!" Courtney pointed at Gwen. "Because she stole him from me and now she's having him make me miserable!"
"I don't need anyone to tell me to make you miserable!" Duncan shouted, glaring hotly at Courtney. "And you wonder why I couldn't deal with you anymore! It's been a year already! Get over it!"
"Get over it?! Get over you cheating on me?!" Courtney shouted. "Get over you covering me in this green jell just for kicks!"
"Not like you didn't have it coming for everything you did to me!" Duncan retorted.
"You weren't the one who got cheated on Duncan!" Courtney shouted.
"You also weren't the one who force fed a decade old diaper, got kicked on the balls over and over again, or given a whole list on how to improve to my impossible standards!" Duncan retorted. "Even when I did apologize, you just threw a fit, crying on the ground like an overgrown baby! Do you even understand the concept of 'living embarrassment'?"
"I was embarrassed because my boyfriend cheated on me!" Courtney shouted even louder.
"We weren't back together! THAT MAKE OUT ON THE BUS WAS A STUPID FLING!" Duncan shouted back, somehow being louder. "I HAD NO INTENTION OF EVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER WITH A PYSCHO LIKE YOU! I AM WITH SOMEONE WHO IS BETTER AND GOOD FOR ME AND YOU WILL LEAVE HER ALONE!"
"OR WHAT?!" Courtney snarled.
"OR I'LL MAKE YOU LIFE ON THIS SHOW A LIVING HELL!"
"YOU ALREAD DO!"
"Oh, shut up!" Jo kicked a ball, a teal-colored ball at Duncan and then a blond one at Courtney, dousing them in more paint. "We're trying to win a challenge! Take your lover's quarrel somewhere else!"
"Hey, we need those!" LeShawna walked up to Jo. "We can't win if we're kicking these balls at each other!"
"Tell that to them!" Jo retorted.
"How about have a taste of your medicine?" Duncan retorted before he kicked an orange ball at Jo, causing her to instinctively block and end up getting covered in orange paint.
Jo snarled and kicked another ball but this one missed and hit Anne Marie instead, covering her in red paint.
Anne Marie trembled…with rage. "You b(bleep)!"
She kicked a white ball back at Jo who dodged but LeShawna was hit.
SPLAT!
LeShawna blinked…and then snarled. "Oh, you did not just do that!"
"Okay, everyone, just calm down." Brick slowly said but it was too late before LeShawna picked up and threw a ball at Anne Marie who ducked and Owen got hit.
"FREE FOR ALL!" Izzy cackled as she shot two green balls at Cody and Harold but Sierra took the hit for Cody.
Aelita was in the library reading a book when her laptop's super scan went off. Muttering, she grabbed the laptop and was about to leave before a scream stopped her. She looked at the entrance, watching as the air became distorted with electricity coming out of the walls and lightbulbs shattering as the energy converged together.
And then it appeared.
Aelita paled as she stepped back, eyes wide as dinner plates and her jaw nearly dropping to the ground.
Before her was a monster from her nightmares.
The Scyphozoa, materialized in the real world, let out a screech as its tentacles were posed to grab her.
(Credits)
Chapter 35: Episode 35: Ryder of the Storm
Summary:
The TD Lyoko Warriors barely finish their latest episode when an attack by XANA forces them to face a new, more deadly foe.
Chapter Text
(Code Total Drama Reality Introduction Song Starts)
(This Game (From 'No Game No Life'))
The intro begins with the sun rising over the city of Paris, before the camera angles down on Kadic Academy. Stepping into view is Aelita, standing at the school gates as she looks up and watches as dark clouds suddenly cover the sky. Her eyes widen as she suddenly morphs into her Lyoko form, energy fields appearing in her hands.
William appears next, a dark copy of him, resembling his Lyoko form as a warrior of XANA appearing behind him, both clashing their swords, causing a flash of light as the title appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(I never wanted to be)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors appear with her as they are surrounded by the monsters of XANA.
(Another gear in that corrupted world's machine)
A giant bird appears above the city, letting out a loud screech.
(All my life felt like a dream)
One by one, the Lyoko Warriors enter the scanners and the doors closed, a ring of light traveling up their bodies as the camera shows and alternates each Lyoko Warrior before they vanish in a flash of light.
(I was never who I really wanted me to be)
Vehicles resembling a hovercraft, a board, a motorcycle appear with new vehicles resembling a sled and a hoverbike with a jet engine appears, carrying the Lyoko Warriors off as they are surrounded by monsters that begin shooting lasers at them.
(But then God shattered that dream's cage)
Four towers, each in a separate sector begins to glow red with monsters and an armored figure leading the monsters. Aelita lands on the platform and places her hand on the screen.
(And rose me up to a new stage)
The Total Drama contestants founds themselves back in the studio, their fellow contestants gathered with them as Chris laughs
(Cut it away like a sharp knife)
He gestures to the screens, showing them all in challenges…
(No, no, No Game No Life)
With each of them suffering a variety of misfortunes: Gwen vomits on Duncan, a soccer ball explodes in Bridgette's face, Geoff yells as a missile chases after him.
(Now suddenly there's a new twist)
Geoff's yelling suddenly stops and he changes into his Lyoko form, brandishing his weapons that cut the missile in half, causing the two pieces to fly past Geoff and explodes behind him.
(A reason to really exist)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors assume their Lyoko forms and battle down various monsters, some of them belonging to XANA and some are different but dangerous.
(I wanna breathe in the fame)
From legions of monsters, comes Men in Black, giant spaceships aiming their cannons down on the bewildered Lyoko Warriors.
(As this whole new world cheers my name)
The camera zooms in on the lead space ship as it prepares to fire.
(I'll never leave it to fate)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors are shown running through the streets of France, the sky darkening and the Eye of XANA appearing on every monitor they pass.
(And when I see a chance I'll pave the way)
They reach the factory, sliding down the ropes and reaching the elevator.
(I'll call checkmate)
The elevator reaches the scanner room, Aelita and William waiting for them.
(This is the time to breakthrough)
The Lyoko Warriors then gather before a scanner, the camera facing them inside with the group staring at it critically. A hand reaches up, giving them a thumbs-up before the scanner doors close.
(So I'll rewrite the story and I'll finally change all the rules)
The Lyoko Warriors are now gathered in the Forest Sector of Lyoko, suddenly separated by a crescent shaped wave of red energy and out of the flames emerges a humanoid warrior in dark armor, their face covered by a horned helmet and the Eye of XANA on its chest and forehead.
(We are MAVERICK)
William charges forward, his large sword clashing against the equally sized weapon of Shadow, both glaring hatefully at each other.
(We won't give in until we win this game)
Both disappear into white and black smoke before we then see Bridgette in the Ice Sector, battling a giant monster resembling a polar bear.
(Though I don't know what tomorrow holds)
The monster is about to cut Bridgette down with its claws before a blast of pure lightning blasts it to pieces.
(I'll make a bet and play my cards to win this game)
The origin of the attack is revealed to be Geoff, holding a giant axe instead of his chakrams as he charges forward to help Bridgette, a look of determination replacing his normal carefree smile.
(Unlike the rest I'll do my best)
A pair of Wasps are shown chasing Dawn who is on the Overwing before Gwen shoots up, her cape morphing into bat like wings as she slashes through the Wasps with her scythe.
(And I won't ever lose)
A pair of Krabs fire on her but DJ's barrier saves her before Cameron flies down and blasts the Krabs with his arm cannons.
(To give up this chance would be a deadly sin)
LeShawna is then staring up at the hulking form of the Kolossus as it approaches her.
(So let's bet it all)
Gripping her hammer tightly, LeShawna charges to meet the biggest of XANA's monsters head on.
(I put all my faith in us)
Aelita is then shown in a red version of Sector 5, turning to glare at the Avatar of XANA who smirks back at her.
(So let the games begin)
Aelita readies her energy field and charges at XANA who summons his own sword, clashing with Aelita's energy fields. Pink and red energy erupt from their clash, covering the screen in white before changing to a black screen with blue lines of coding filling it and the title appearing on last time:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(This Game (From 'No Game No Life') Ends)
Episode 35: Ryder of the Storm
Aelita had spent most of the day, going about her normal routine, ignoring stares and whispers as she brought up Jeremy's laptop in the library and opened it, logging onto Lyoko's files. She accessed the avatar files of her new friends, the TD Lyoko Warriors, specifically Gwen's file.
Gwen's cape turning into a pair of bat shaped wings…
Shadow ran at her again using his super speed, but Gwen jumped into the air. She flew down on him with her scythe. As she did a red aura surrounded her. Shadow raised his sword to block . . . As the red glowing scythe sliced through Shadow's sword…
Then there was Bridgette…
Bridgette's surfboard splitting into two swords that released energy waves…
Her control over water…
Aelita knew that her new friends were skilled but they seemed more skilled and better equipped than Odd, Ulrich and Yumi who had years of experience ahead of them. Actually, when she looked over their Avatar programs, they seemed superior like they had been upgraded to included more abilities and were more versatile. Aelita hadn't been sure what to make of this but it was possible that since XANA had modified and upgraded Lyoko, changing the very coding that it was made of, it was possible he unintentionally made it so that Avatars, both old and new were capable of hosting a new array of abilities and weapons being more adaptable.
Then again, it was also possible that given what they had been through on the show called Total Drama, that their Avatars had heavily compensated for all the physical and mental trauma they had been through. Aelita had only seen a few episodes, but they had been enough to show that what they had been through was heavily comparable to a XANA attack happening nearly five days a week, maybe even more from what Geoff had said. The scanners worked by scanning the DNA, physical and mental capacities of whomever was being virtualized, digitizing not just their bodies but even their minds and the scanners would work to create a form based on the individual's subconscious representation of themselves.
Bridgette had talked plenty about being a surfer, in addition to loving the ocean, regularly surfing and swimming nearly every chance she got. Her form was naturally made from her inner feelings towards the sea and her beliefs.
Gwen was an aspiring artist, dark and mysterious with a hesitance to open herself up to others. Her Avatar certainly existed in a way that conveyed the parts of herself she had difficulty expressing, even amongst friends. The goth theme she had going on was more like a cover than an actual lifestyle since Gwen didn't act like an actual goth.
Not that Aelita had met a lot of goths.
Still, she couldn't tell if these new, powerful forms were a result of their experience on Total Drama, the upgrade of Lyoko or if someone had modified their Avatars to be naturally superior.
Or all three.
That was when the laptop's super scan went off.
Muttering, she grabbed the laptop and was about to leave before a scream stopped her. She looked at the entrance, watching as the air became distorted with electricity coming out of the walls and lightbulbs shattering as the energy converged together.
And then it appeared.
Aelita paled as she stepped back, eyes wide as dinner plates and her jaw nearly dropping to the ground.
Before her was a monster from her nightmares.
The Scyphozoa, materialized in the real world, let out a screech as its tentacles were posed to grab her. Acting on instinct, Aelita turned and ran as fast she could, her heart pumping as she reached the rear exit and bolted down the hallway.
"Well, I have to say I did not see any of this coming." Chris remarked, seeing the three teams before them.
They were all covered in multiple layers of paint, nearly every color that had been used staining their clothes, skin and hair. Some had bruises, others were rubbing their heads, and they all just looked miserable.
"What was meant to be a simple challenge, devolved into the craziest form of paintball without any guns anyone has ever seen…IT WAS PERFECT!" Chris laughed his head off. "I didn't think it was possible but you all found a way!"
"Just say who the winners are!" LeShawna snapped.
"Yeah, I need to hurry and get this gunk out of my hair!" Anna Marie snapped, before turning to Mike. "And some Vito love!"
She then proceeded to rip off Mike's shirt, earning a surprised cry from him. "Hey!"
"Come on, Vito! Momma Marie needs love!" Anna Marie cried, hugging Mike.
"Get off him!" Zoey cried unhappily.
Surprisingly, Mike remained…himself as he gently pushed Anna Marie off. "Look, I'm me now. Not Vito."
Anna Marie looked glared and then turned away with an upset look on her face.
Confessional: Cameron
"That's odd. Vito usually comes out when Mike's shirt gets ripped off. I know I helped Mike to better control his personalities, but I don't remember Vito not ever coming out after the shirt gets ripped."
"Well, I said Team Blue Rats would be facing a penalty for the actions of one of them," Chris gestured to Sierra. "And in that wake, I can safely say…That they are the winners!"
"What?!"
"Come on!"
"How?!"
"Well, simply put, they started the whole entertainment. Between Duncan getting Courtney to try on green more than once," Chris started to which Courtney shuddered. "Courtney striking Gwen and Jo retaliating that led to the entertainment, the Red Vultures would have been in the lead, but I am awarding the Blue Rats five extra points."
"You can't do that!" LeShawna growled.
"That's unfair!" Bridgette agreed. "If anything, they should have an extra penalty for instigating this fight!"
"I just did, and I decide what's fair." Chris shrugged.
Confessional: LeShawna
"So, he just ups and declares a winner just because he was entertained!" LeShawna crossed her arms. "Unbelievable."
Confessional: Bridgette
"Now that I am back on this show, for some reason I think I just realized that not only does Chris never once plays fair, but he also encourages this bad behavior! Maybe it's because I got booted early in Season Three, wasn't competing last season, but I suddenly realize that maybe why some of us keep getting worse is because being stuck on this stupid show, is because Chris keeps enabling this bad behavior and makes everyone worse!"
Confessional: Duncan
"Figures. He gets to laugh at our expense and just let us win to keep us entertaining him."
Confessional: Sierra
"Chris's need for entertainment from the drama of this show is an important factor to be considered. I am just lucky it got me out of being eliminated early. LeShawna and Bridgette seem to have repaired their old friendship with Gwen, meaning there is likely an alliance to keep them all competing. I might need to start looking into alliances myself."
"But the good news is that I was so entertained that tonight is not going be an elimination. It's a reward challenge." Chris stated, causing a few contestants to sigh in relief. "By which Team Blue Rat, Sierra's mistake has been rectified, and you won't be on the chopping block tonight."
"Gee thanks." Noah rolled his eyes.
"Now, let's get you back inside where you can wash off." Chris chuckled as he turned around.
The contestants were walking back into the studio when the first ones backed away screaming.
"What is it?" asked Trent.
That was when it came out. A knight in black and red armor with a large sword appeared in the lobby.
"Uh...Chris? What is this?" Noah asked nervously.
"Not mine man!" Chris replied.
"Chris this isn't funny!" Chef glared at the host.
"Dude! It is not mine-" A fist struck the host and sent him flying back. He hit the wall, twitching as his hair shot out in all directions. "Momma." He slid down to the floor.
"Uh...I'm just going to leave now!" Darth Alejandro began to back up, but then the Knight struck him in the side, and he slammed into a wall.
His fragile body was protected, but it still hurt and made him scream in pain. To almost everyone it was now clear that this thing was dangerous and hostile. However, no one knew what it was or what it wanted. Except for six of them as they saw the Eye.
To them they knew what it was.
They looked at each other and knew who was responsible.
XANA.
Duncan pulled out a knife as it got close. Acting on instinct he swung his knife, but the creature grabbed his arm and slammed its fist into his stomach. He screamed as he was grabbed by the neck and lifted into the air.
"Duncan!" Gwen shouted.
"Oh, hell no!" Reacting, Geoff reached for a nearby fire extinguisher and struck the Dragon Knight, making it stumble a bit as it dropped Duncan.
"Boo yah!" Geoff smirked before the Dragon Knight grabbed the extinguisher from Geoff's grip, crushing it and tossing it aside. "Uh...my bad?"
It struck him and sent him flying. By then DJ had grabbed a broom from a closet and snapped the tip off. He began to sneak around while the monster advanced on the campers. Dakota, Sadie, Beth, Lindsay, and Sierra screamed in fear the monster prepared to swing its sword. DJ stabbed the sharp stick into the creature's armor.
It raised one fist and hit DJ in the shoulder. DJ was sent flying back and hit the wall hard.
"DJ!" Bridgette shouted as she ran and looked at the wound.
"We have to go, now!" LeShawna said.
That was when three Krabs blasted their way into the lobby. They fired their lasers at the Lyoko fighters ignoring the other contestants. They ducked under the lasers as they ran for it. Another Dragon Knight floated in and grabbed Beth.
"Beth!" Lindsay screamed.
Chef grabbed a bat and charged forward. The first Dragon Knight snatched the bat from his hand and snapped it in half.
"Well, that's not good." Chef said stepping back.
They tried to run but the Krabs blocked the exits. They fired lasers which forced them back into the room with the two armoured monsters waiting for them.
"Hang on!" Bridgette said as she grabbed Duncan's knife.
"I need a lift!" She shouted as pointed to one of the Krabs.
"Got it." Said DJ.
He lifted her up and tossed her into the air. She landed on top of the middle Krab and plunged the knife into the Eye. She jumped off as the Krab fell over and the others took advantage of the chance to escape.
"Hey! You want us! Come and get us!" shouted Bridgette.
The Krabs responded to her by chasing her and the others out. The Dragon Knights turned to DJ who ran out the other exit. They followed him out.
"Gwen!" Duncan called out, seeing Gwen run out the entrance, followed by the monsters.
"LeShawna!" Harold called out as well.
They took off after them, the monsters having diverted their attention to the TD Lyoko Warriors and leaving the rest of the contestant stunned.
"So…what do we do?" Chef asked Chris as he got up. "If those kill those kids-"
"We'll be liable for a big lawsuit!" Chris panicked. "Quick, get out there and make sure they are safe!"
"What are you going to do?!" Chef questioned.
"Damage Control." Chris ran off, not giving Chef a chance to reply.
Meanwhile Sierra took the chance to slip after the TD Lyoko Warriors and the monsters chasing after them.
'This is my chance!' The number one fan of Total Drama thought to herself. 'This is my chance to finally learn what they are hiding.'
William was rushing down the hallway, having heard screams from nearby students about a monster in the library. He didn't think twice, just rushing there.
But when he saw the monster, he wished he hadn't.
The Scyphozoa turned to him, screeching as it raised its tentacles. Words couldn't have described the shock and terror of the monster that had caused his original possession, and he let out a scream as he turned to run in the other direction.
XANA had materialized the Scyphozoa of all monsters!
Just as he was taking another step, he felt a tentacle grab his leg.
"No! No!" William felt himself being tripped and was pulled back towards the monsters. "Not again! Not again!"
That was when a book was thrown, hitting the Scyphozoa in the head. It paused, wondering who had attacked it.
"Let him go!" A female voice shouted.
William blinked and turned his head, turning to see Sissy having grabbed a nearby chair and swung it on the tentacle holding his leg, forcing it to let go. William hastily scrambled to his feet, grabbing Sissy and pulling her out of the library as the Scyphozoa began to pursue them.
"Come on, come on!" William muttered as he speed-dialed Aelita.
Aelita had made it to the boiler room when her cell phone rang which she quickly grabbed and answered. "William?"
"Aelita, where are you?!" William's panicked voice shouted.
"In the boiler room, getting to the factory." Aelita answered, opening the door. "Are you okay? Did you run into-"
"I ran into the library, and I saw it! I saw it right there!" William hastily said, his voice trembling and he sounded like he was about to have a break down.
Not that Aelita could blame him.
"William, calm down. I know how you are feeling. I saw it materialize in the library." Aelita quickly said, trying to sound as gentle as she could given the circumstances. "I got through the back door."
"Okay, okay…" William was panting now. "It almost got me…I thought I was going to be…"
"William, stop for a second and take a deep breath." Aelita urged him. "If XANA's materialized the Scyphozoa he's either getting serious or desperate. Just come to the factory and we'll shut down the tower."
"I…I can't right now…Sissy's with me."
Aelita paused. "Sissy?"
"She helped me in the library and we're running right now. I can't give her the slip and I don't want her running into that thing." William quickly said in a hushed voice.
This complicated things.
The last thing she needed to deal with right now was Sissy discovering the lab and ratting them out to her father and the police.
"Okay, hang back and wait until you have the chance." Aelita grabbed the skateboard resting against the wall. "I'll get the others and we'll handle the tower."
"Okay…" William took a deep breath and exhaled. "I'm sorry, Aelita. I'm barely holding myself together at the moment…When I saw it, I just-"
"I know." Aelita took a deep breath, closing her eyes. "I know, William. I've been there enough times to understand exactly what you're feeling."
"I…I know…I'll join as you as soon as I can." William said in resignation before hanging up.
Aelita lowered her cell phone, placing a hand over her beating heart.
She did know what William was going through, because she had experienced the same fear, the same panic, the same feelings of terror when she saw the Scyphozoa literally materialize in the library…
Right in front of her.
It had been like the bogeyman leaping out of the closet, letting everyone know he was real and just as scary as the myths had told.
But she knew this was no myth.
The bogeyman was real.
And his name is XANA.
"We got to give these guys the slip!" LeShawna exclaimed as a laser shot past her head. "And get to the factory!"
"At least we got them away from the others." Bridgette pointed out as they ran into the park. "If they're focused on us, they're not focused on hurting anyone else."
Little did they know was that Duncan, Harold and Sierra were trying to follow them but surprisingly, as the TD Lyoko Warriors reached the manhole cover, the Dragon Knights turned around and blocked the three contestants from following.
"What the-?!" Duncan stepped back, raising his hands as one of the knights pointed a pistol at him. "Okay, there's no need for that."
As soon as the manhole was covered up, the Dragon Knights suddenly vanished, their forms fizzling then disappearing right before their eyes.
"Huh?" Duncan slowly lowered his hands. "What in the world?"
"They just vanished." Harold was finding it hard to explain what had happened.
"We got to follow them!" Sierra pointed ahead. "We have to follow them through the sewer to that factory!"
"Factory?" Harold asked. "What factory?"
"I was busted following them to an old factory through the sewer. Only they never got caught because they somehow messed with the cameras." Sierra quickly explained before running ahead. "Come on, I'll show you!"
Aelita was already at the factory. She sat in front of the computer as the super scan confirmed the location of the activated tower.
"A tower in one of the new sectors. XANA knows it's no use to keep it secret anymore." Said Aelita as she dialled the others.
However, there was no answer. Aelita quickly opened a link to the studio to see through the cameras. Her eyes widened as she saw three Krabs and the Dragon Knights attacking them. LeShawna and the others managed to lure them out of the studio and away from everyone.
The others made it to the factory while making sure none of the monsters went back to the studio. That was when something odd happened. They disappeared.
"Is it just me or did they vanish?" Bridgette asked turning around as they made it to the entrance.
"It's not just you." Geoff answered.
"We better get inside before more show up." Said LeShawna.
They nodded and swung down the cables, landing in the factory lobby on their feet and ran into the elevator. After going down to the lab the door opened to reveal Aelita at the computer.
"Good, you all made it." Aelita stood up but paused when she saw them, noticing the paint on their clothes.
"Yeah, just barely." Said DJ with a hand pressed over his wound.
"What happened?" Aelita could only asked.
"Don't ask." LeShawna shook her head. "So, what's the news?"
"The tower is in the Tropical Sector. Since we now know of the changes XANA has made to Lyoko, he's not bothering to hide it anymore." Aelita answered.
"We better hurry before more monsters show up." Cameron suggested.
"Agreed. Cameron, you take the controls. We will head down to the scanners." Aelita said as they went into the elevator.
"On it." Cameron sat down at the computer, Dawn choosing to remain with him while the rest went down to the scanner room.
The elevator went down to the scanners and Aelita, LeShawna, and Gwen were the ones to go in.
"Transfer Aelita. Transfer LeShawna. Transfer Gwen. Scanner. Virtualization!"
When they landed, it was on a beach. A beach that was part of an island with palm trees, a green forest leading up a small mountain top. The island sat in the middle of a blue sea with more islands off in the distance.
"I could get used to this sector." LeShawna looked around. "So where's the tower?"
"Its north, you'll have to go to a nearby high cliff that connects to the island it's on. I would have gotten you closer if I could. Don't be afraid to get wet, the water's non harmful according to Aelita's notes." Cameron said. "So, feel free to take a dive. Oh, and Geoff, Bridgette, and DJ are incoming...three...two...-"
All three appeared in mid air and fell into the water. They splashed around, cursing and yelling.
"Uh...sorry guys."
"I hate this sector already." Geoff said, ringing water out of his hat before putting it on again.
"Wow." Bridgette said looking at the ocean.
It was beautiful to see as it even a sun setting with a few clouds making it remind her of her home.
"It's so beautiful." Bridgette marveled.
"I admit, it's something I would sketch if I had my notebook here." Gwen admitted. "Hard to believe this all designed by something so evil."
"I guess no matter what we think of him, XANA is an amazing architect." Aelita watched as they came out of the water. "It seems the water is none hazardous like in the Ice Sector, unlike the Digital Sea."
"Well, if a little water is so bad, you might hate the swamp even more then." Gwen replied. "Now let's go, we have to head north!"
They started along the shore, heading to the north side of the island.
"Ok, no monsters so far, I'd say that's the best luck you've had." Cameron commented.
"Dude, don't jinx it!" Geoff complained before they rounded the tip of a peninsula and spotted the cliff, which connected to another island next to the one they were on.
"Ok, now we need a way up there." DJ said. "Cameron, have any vehicles?"
"Trying to, it's downloading slow." Cameron replied. "But if you go into the forest and find a trail, it'll lead you to a path along the cliff wall that goes up to the top."
"That's where we're going then," LeShawna led the way into the forest, her hammer ready. "Ok, still no monsters, I am officially spooked."
"Consider it a lucky break then," Geoff said.
"Yeah, maybe they're having a little trouble finding you." Cameron added. "From what I can tell they strictly use audio and visual sensors, nothing else."
"How do stone blocks and pyramids have ears?" Bridgette asked.
"In the virtual world, if you design something to do a task, it can do it and it will do it. XANA has a psychic link to his monsters through his symbol on them. And he has programs set up to alert him of where we are on Lyoko, so he could provide them a general location accurate up to at least several hundred feet, perhaps an even smaller area now that he has upgraded." Aelita looked over her shoulder at the group. "But LeShawna is right; XANA has been flooding us with monsters the last few battles, so why isn't he bringing any squads of Hornets down on us? Or making Spiderlings rush us from the sides?"
"It's highly likely that he has something big set up."
Cameron leaned back in his chair, him and Dawn watching as the group reached the beginning of the path leading to tower. "I'll go look ahead at the tower." He moved the view to the tower, and saw one figure. "I think he has a Dragon Knight there...nope, no, it isn't...uh...Aeltia, we have something new. I don't know what it is, but whatever it is it isn't a monster but it is armed to the teeth."
"What is it?" Geoff asked.
"Well from what I can tell its signature is similar to Shadow. You know, in the way that he's not a monster but...more like you guys. Although you guys aren't as rude, have to admit that."
"Ok, so it isn't Shadow, then what is it?" Gwen asked as they reached the top. "Wait a second. Damn it I forgot! Aelita, Bridgette and I can fly!"
"We can scout ahead and see who is waiting for us." Aelita leaped into the air and spread her wings while Bridgette mounted her board. Gwen flew up into the air.
"Leave us a piece! And be careful!" Geoff called after them.
"Don't worry Geoff! It's just one guy!" Bridgette called back to him. "How bad can it be?!"
DJ sighed. "I really wish she wouldn't say that every time somebody thinks it'll be easy it ain't."
"I see him," Gwen's eyes narrowed as she, Bridgette and Aelita flew down towards the clearing where the Tower rested.
It was on top of a slope, and in front of it sat a black clad figure, legs crossed and eyes closed until they came into view.
Ryder slowly stood up. "Finally."
"Who's this guy?" Bridgette slowed down a bit as they began to land.
"Something new." Aelita landed in a crouch.
"Deductive." Ryder slowly drew out his katana, which was longer than Ulrich's single handed swords and had more of a curve to it. He held it in a stance. "If I had to venture a guess, I'd say you're Aelita."
"And you're with XANA, aren't you?" Aelita formed a sphere in one hand.
"Yes, allow me to introduce myself." Ryder cracked a smile. "The name's Ryder and I have been sent to stop you from entering this tower."
Suddenly he vanished in a flash of red lighting that arched over the ground and hit in front of Aelita. Ryder appeared again and swung his Katana at her, only for Gwen's scythe to block him.
She forced him back and got between him and Aelita. "Nice try pretty boy."
"Ah, the scythe wielder," Ryder dragged the tip of his katana on the ground as he paced slowly, keeping his gaze locked on them. "And the surfer girl judging from that fancy board. Perfect portrayals of your personalities."
"Enough talk! Out of our way!" Bridgette shot down, aiming the tip of her board at Ryder, who crouched under it to avoid it.
"Too quick to make a mistake, you'll need to do much better." As Bridgette came around for another pass, he swung his katana, and the board split into its two pieces as it struck his katana.
Bridgette hit a tree and flopped to the ground. "Ouch!"
"If you think that hurt... let's see my next trick." Suddenly a red light travelled up the length of the katana blade and gathered at the tip as Ryder raised it over his head.
"ENERGY FIELD!" Aelita shot a sphere at him.
Bridgette shot a wave of energy from one sword as she slowly got up.
Gwen shot her binding spell at Ryder.
All three were about to strike when he swung the sword down.
"LIGHTNING ARC!"
A wave of energy shot out from Ryder and sent all three of the fighters flying.
"Oh man!" Cameron shouted as they rolled down the slop.
Bridgette hit a tree again while Gwen half fell into a shallow stream. Aelita was the furthest up the hill, and Ryder was heading right for her.
"That took off seventy life points each! Don't let him hit you again!"
"Too late," Ryder raised his katana, but then something shot through the air and knocked it out of his hands.
The chakram returned to Geoff, who stood with DJ and LeShawna on the other side of the stream. "Ten points!"
"Ah, the rest of you." Ryder mused, turning to face them.
"You made a big mistake there, dude. You hit my girl, twice!" Geoff formed his axe, and energy gathered in the blade.
"Ah yes, you can use lightning attacks like I can." Ryder smirked.
"Who are you and where did you come from?" Geoff demanded.
"My name is Ryder...and I have no origins." Ryder gripped his sword in both hands. "And now, let's continue."
Suddenly, he swung his katana and crescent shaped arcs of red energy shot at them. DJ made a barrier that reflected it, but Ryder leaped into the air, dodging his own attack. He fired another energy arc at Gwen; she spun her scythe and deflected it again. Ryder landed and brought his katana up in one hand, red electricity beginning to spark around his form.
Aelita shot two Energy spheres, but Ryder deflected them and almost cut Bridgette down. DJ moved in, using his Golem power but when Ryder's katana struck him it took off twenty life points.
"Ow! Man, that thing is strong!" DJ backed away as Ryder swung again.
Bridgette called upon the water and had it shoot towards Ryder. His katana blade glowed red, and when he swung it an energy wave split the water and continue on to DJ and Gwen. DJ blocked it with another barrier before Gwen leaped over him and swung her scythe down at Ryder, who rolled backwards to avoid it.
LeShawna charged forward with a battle cry. Ryder vanished in a flash of red light as she sung her hammer. She quickly turned and blocked Ryder's sword.
"Not this time!" She pushed him back with her super strength which sent him flying back.
He landed on his feet and looked up at them. He looked down as he came up and noticed he was now in the river. He looked to the group as they began to close in on him.
He raised his katana over his head. "Big mistake, you're all in one spot and I have plenty of power to spare!"
Aelita gathered her hands together. "So do I."
She let out a hum, summoning her Creativity and surprisingly, a bright pink light began to gather between her hands, much stronger than her energy spheres.
"LIGHTING STORM!"
"PLASMA BEAM!"
When Aelita fire, it came out as a solid beam of energy that struck Ryder before his blade came into contact with the ground and sent him flying into a massive, thick tree. When it cleared, he was stuck in an outline of himself on the tree. The bark slowly crumpled and released him.
He fell into the river.
As they all watched, he slowly got up. "This…fight…is…not over."
"Yeah, it is." Geoff held up a charge axe and walked to the edge of the water. "Big mistake to leave so much water lying around in this world now man, reality still applies here. Suck to be you."
He then dipped the blade into the water. The energy spread through the water. Ryder was suddenly sent flying as the energy hit him.
He landed on the far shore, and Geoff kept up what was now a barrier between them and him. "Go to the tower, he isn't going anywhere, this river goes a long way!"
"Right!" Aelita rushed up the slope.
Ryder slowly got up again. His life points were now down to 3 out of over three hundred. "This isn't over!"
"If I had a penny for each time I-oh wait we're in Paris so...if I had a 'euro' for every time I heard that I'd have bought Total Drama by now." Gwen smirked.
Ryder growled before a familiar figure materialized behind him. "Ryder."
Ryder looked over his shoulder. "Shadow."
"That's enough, return to XANA." Shadow stared past him at the fighters. "We'll talk later."
Ryder grudgingly vanished into a cloud of smoke.
"My new partner was foolish; I guarantee he'll be more... disciplined next time we meet." Shadow vanished a moment later.
"... these guys are either broken records or are implying the same things every single villain does. You'd think XANA could get creative." Geoff said.
Few moments later Aelita entered the tower, and it was released from XANA's control. Cameron launched the Return to the Past.
"Return to the Past now!"
"It's here!" Sierra said, opening the sewer hatch onto the bridge leading to the factory.
However, before she, Duncan or Harold could climb up, the white light of the Time Return Program engulfed them along with the rest of the world.
SPLAT!
"Gwen!" Half of the Red Vultures rush over to Gwen as she groaned.
Zoey and Bridgette helped her sit up as Cameron produced a cloth to help clean off the jelly.
"Are you okay, girl?" LeShawna asked, kneeling in front of her friend.
"I'll be fine." Gwen answered, accepting Cameron's cloth.
"What in the world was that for?!" Brick shouted, glaring at Courtney. "That was needlessly aggressive and out of line!"
"Shut up!" Courtney snarled, the green jelly covering her snarling face making her look like some sort green monster. "This is her fault!"
"Her fault?!" LeShawna stood up. "Duncan was the one who did that!"
"Because of her!" Courtney pointed at Gwen. "Because she stole him from me and now she's having make me miserable!"
"I don't need anyone to tell me to make you miserable!" Duncan shouted, glaring hotly at Courtney. "And you wonder why I couldn't deal with you anymore! It's been a year already! Get over it!"
"Get over it?! Get over you cheating on me?!" Courtney shouted. "Get over you covering me in this green jell just for kicks!"
"Not like you didn't have it coming for everything you did to me!" Duncan retorted.
"You weren't the one who got cheated on Duncan!" Courtney shouted.
"You also weren't the one who force fed a decade old diaper, got kicked on the balls over and over again, or given a whole list on how to improve to my impossible standards!" Duncan retorted. "Even when I did apologize, you just threw a fit, crying on the ground like an overgrown baby! Do you even understand the concept of 'living embarrassment'?"
"I was embarrassed because my boyfriend cheated on me!" Courtney shouted even louder.
"We weren't back together! THAT MAKE OUT ON THE BUS WAS A STUPID FLING!" Duncan shouted back, somehow being louder. "I HAD NO INTENTION OF EVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER WITH A PYSCHO LIKE YOU! I AM WITH SOMEONE WHO IS BETTER AND GOOD FOR ME AND YOU WILL LEAVE HER ALONE!"
"OR WHAT?!" Courtney snarled.
"OR I'LL MAKE YOU LIFE ON THIS SHOW A LIVING HELL!"
"YOU ALREAD DO!"
"Oh, shut up!" Jo kicked a ball, a teal-colored ball at Duncan and then a blond one at Courtney, dousing them in more paint. "We're trying to win a challenge! Take your lover's quarrel somewhere else!"
"Hey, we need those!" LeShawna walked up to Jo. "We can't win if we're kicking these balls at each other!"
"Tell that to them!" Jo retorted.
"How about have a taste of your medicine?" Duncan retorted before he kicked an orange ball at Jo, causing her to instinctively block and end up getting covered in orange paint.
Jo snarled and kicked another ball but this one missed and hit Anne Marie instead, covering her in red paint.
Anne Marie trembled…with rage. "You b(bleep)!"
She kicked a white ball back at Jo who dodged but LeShawna was hit.
SPLAT!
LeShawna blinked…and then snarled. "Oh, you did not just do that!"
"Okay, everyone, just calm down." Brick slowly said but it was too late before LeShawna picked up and threw a ball at Anne Marie who ducked, and Owen got hit.
"FREE FOR ALL!" Izzy cackled as she shot two green balls at Cody and Harold, but Sierra took the hit for Cody.
During the insane free for all, Mike got hit in the head by one of the soccer balls…
"Mike?"
"Mike? Mike? MIKE!"
Inside Mike's subconscious, his four personalities resided in a room made entirely of brain matter, sitting at a table, a large portrait of Mike hanging on the wall behind them.
What were they doing?
Svetlana stood up. "Go with the fishing!"
"Hey, yo! It's Go-Fish, not fishing." Vito corrected.
The four stopped when they felt the room shake.
"Uh-oh." Chester said with a worried face. "That can't be good."
"Do you feel it?" Manitoba stood up with a grim face. "The Malevolent One…He's coming!"
Svetlana cried out in fear as the others reacted in fear, the room shaking. They turned to see the portrait of Mike burning away, replaced by a new one. The new person resembled Mike, only he was covered in shadow, hair dropped over one eye and an evil smirk.
A dark and evil was heard, echoing through Mike's mind as he regained consciousness.
"Mike, are you okay?" Zoey asked anxiously.
"Ugh…" Mike rubbed his head. "Yeah, I think I'm okay."
What happened next followed the same as before, only this time monsters didn't appear out of thin air. Chris dismissed the teams, and all went back to get cleaned up and rest after the particularly harrowing challenge.
With the challenge over, school was done for the day, the Lyoko Warriors were all gathered in the lab to discuss the latest battle.
"So, you're saying that this Ryder is an AI created by XANA?" asked Bridgette.
"It is a very high possibility." Aelita said at the computer.
"Man, he was tough." Said Geoff.
"It could be possible. XANA is an AI that is super intelligent. It's very possible for him to create another AI." Cameron surmised.
"Good point. He put up a good fight, but he didn't seem all the experienced." Bridgette said.
"But he was still very powerful. Who knows what could happen if XANA could create more like him." DJ said.
"But why now? Don't you all think it's odd that he would do something like this now? I mean, you fought XANA for nearly three years with your friends, Aelita. If he could do that, why didn't he do it before?" asked Gwen.
"That is a good question. Hopefully the scans Cameron took during the fight will answer that." Aelita said. "There is a possibility that it's not because XANA didn't chose to do it but because that he couldn't do it before."
She looked at the screen. As it showed the data she wanted her eyes widened.
"Oh no." She muttered.
"What is it?" Cameron asked.
"I am looking at the bio scan of Ryder and I found something. A human DNA signature. It's similar to Ulrich." Aelita said leaning back in the chair.
"Ulrich?" William perked up.
"Ulrich? One of your friends who XANA captured?" asked Geoff.
"Yes. It's not Ulrich's DNA so he's not a polymorphic clone. But a copied base code for Ulrich's DNA. It must be how Ryder has a humanoid body." Said Aelita. "Ryder has similar genetic data as Ulrich which when combined with a Dragon Knight which was a digital construct made from XANA's code it created a humanoid AI."
"So, XANA used your friend's DNA to make him?" asked LeShawna.
"Yes. On his own XANA couldn't just make a new AI. At least not one with a humanoid body. He needed something that would give the AI to think creatively like a human. That's where Ulrich's DNA came in. Scanning it and using it as a base code to create a new AI he was able to create one that would fight for him but was not a monster or possessed like William was." Aelita explained. "And now things could become a lot worse."
"How's that?" asked DJ.
"XANA captured Ulrich along with Odd and Yumi. With Odd and Yumi, he could create two more." Aelita continued. "That means he'll have four fighters at his side with who knows what powers they'll have."
"But we still have the numbers. I mean eight to four gives us some kind of advantage right?" asked DJ.
"Not by much, DJ. When William was possessed by XANA he almost never lost when we fought him. The only times when we were able to defeat him was when he was outnumbered or we outsmarted him. What he lacked in skills he made up for in raw power. Ryder is similar, he is lacking in skills because he was only recently created but his power makes him formidable to almost the entire group." Aelita said, noting William seemed… distracted. "Two more could be a great threat."
"Yeah, but you got that new ability. That plasma beam." Cameron pointed out.
"That was the result of me combining my Creativity with my Energy Fields." Aelita said smiling. "I never used them both that way before, but it paid off."
"Cool. Can you program any new equipment for us?" asked Geoff.
"Possibly. But it would take time, and you all still need to learn what powers you have." Aelita replied.
"Sounds good to me." Said LeShawna.
"All this green stuff…" Courtney threw her old, green colored clothes into the garbage. "Chris will be hearing from my lawyers for this."
KNOCK-KNOCK
"Go away!" Courtney barked.
KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK!
Courtney grunted and stomped over to the door, opening it. "What?!"
"Hi." On the other side of the door was none other than Sierra.
"What do you want?" Courtney narrowed her eyes. "You almost cost us the challenge today."
"I know but I have a good reason for it…and it involves Gwen." Sierra quickly said.
Courtney raised an eyebrow. "And why would I care about Pasty McJerkface."
"Because she snuck out of the studio too and somehow messed with the cameras." Sierra answered. "She's got a secret she's hiding from Duncan."
Courtney paused. "…Go on."
Duncan was relaxing in the lobby. That was until someone walked into the room.
"Well, well, the moron seems to be in a good mood from his lack of victory." Said a female voice.
He looked up and his look soured when he saw it was Courtney.
"I heard Gwen ran off in the middle of your date. How heartbreaking is it to know she is hiding something from you?" Courtney asked casually hoping to get under Duncan's skin.
"Hey, she has her reasons. Besides I'm not going to act all obsessive like Trent or whine about not getting enough attention." Said Duncan.
"Ha! You don't even know what gothie is up to and you're letting her run off without any explanation. Maybe she's bored with you and decided to go back seeing Trent or even hooking up with that nerd, Cody." Sneered Courtney.
Duncan chuckled.
"Yeah, who would be excited to have a hot and unpredictable chick as a girlfriend? Poor me." Duncan said smirking. "And like she would hook up with that little dork. Plus after what happened last time she and Elvis were on different teams I doubt it."
"So, you don't care that she along with a few of the others disappears suddenly at random times with no reasonable explanation?" asked Courtney.
Duncan raised an eyebrow but frowned, knowing that Sierra must have told Courtney. Still, even if he was suspicious, he wasn't going to let Courtney get under his skin. "They're probably just going out into town. No one says they have to stay here."
Courtney scowled as her attempts to make Duncan suspicious were failing. Looking back, it had seemed Gwen was getting close with Bridgette and LeShawna again but that mattered little to Courtney at the time. However, in the wake of what Sierra had told her, she was tempted to find out what the backstabber was up to. They could be in a secret alliance for all anyone could know.
She also wanted Duncan to get suspicious of Gwen so she could enjoy watching them fight and break up.
It was obvious Gwen was hiding something; Duncan even knew it so why wasn't he suspicious?
"Fine! But if she cheats on you just to let you know I'll enjoy seeing the miserable look on your face!" Courtney sneered before turning around and walking out.
Duncan simply shrugged.
"That jerk is impossible!" Courtney growled as she walked outside. "Doesn't even care that his goth of a girlfriend is hiding something? How can they be a couple if they hide secrets from each other?"
Courtney's self rant was cut off when she noticed a certain group coming through the gates. She quickly hid herself as they walked through the entrance.
"What a day. Can you believe that even happened?" Cameron asked.
"I know. Since we got here, I've seen a lot of crazy stuff but that was something new." Said Geoff.
"And another danger to us and the whole world." Gwen said.
"Hey, cheer up, Gwen. We can handle it." Said DJ.
"Yeah, as long as LeShawna is in the house we are unstoppable." LeShawna said.
"But for how long? Anyone of us could be sent home during the next challenge." Gwen said.
"Then we'll just have to work hard and win." Bridgette said.
"True." Gwen smiled. "I'm glad I'm on a team that doesn't have everyone at each other's throat twenty-four seven, unlike the last couple of teams I was on. Plus, spending time with you all through Dawn's therapy is really helping."
"You should join, Cam." Bridgette turned to Cameron. "You must be getting stressed out."
"I'm okay. I'm working on something super important next time there is a you know what." Cameron replied.
"Okay, but if you're feeling down, let us know, little dude." Geoff advised. "We warriors got to stick together through thick and thin."
"Especially trying to juggle that and this stupid show." Gwen sighed as they walked inside.
Courtney peeked out from her hiding place. Those six were up to something. She had to find out because it would probably humiliate Gwen.
But how?
Bridgette! She was one of the only friends Courtney had on the show. Maybe she could give a clue.
Bridgette was sitting on her bed with a book at her side. After the last few days of fighting against XANA and competing on the show she was glad to have some time to herself.
A knock was heard on Bridgette's door.
"Who is it?" Bridgette asked her book down.
She was reading a book she bought when whoever came to see her knocked on her door.
"Bridgette?"
That was Courtney's voice. Bridgette was kind of surprised to hear her voice.
"Can I come in?"
"Sure, it's open." Bridgette replied.
With a soft swish Courtney opened the door and entered the room.
"What's up?" asked Bridgette.
"I've noticed that you along with several of the others had been hanging around a lot recently and you've been disappearing recently without warning." Courtney said.
Bridgette's eyes widened.
"Really?"
"Yes, in fact Gwen had to run off in the middle of her date with Duncan." Said Courtney.
"Yeah, I heard. Good for Gwen that Duncan didn't get mad." Bridgette said smiling nervously.
Courtney would have preferred that Duncan had done that.
"So, what is it you guys do when you're together?" asked Courtney.
"Oh, we're just bonding. A lot of us haven't been able to talk for a long time. Probably not since Season One." Bridgette said shrugging.
"Really? Talk about interesting?" asked Courtney.
"Lots of stuff." Bridgette said.
"So you don't mind if someone tags along?"
Bridgette's eyes widened slightly as she struggled to think of an answer. If she finds out about the factory it would be extremely bad. While Bridgette liked Courtney as a friend there's no way she could keep a secret this big.
"Oh, gee Courtney is that a good idea? I mean, Gwen's with us and you two well, hate each other." Bridgette said rubbing the back of her head.
Ok, Bridgette had her there. It would look suspicious if she suddenly asked to hang out with the group when everyone knew that she and Gwen were enemies. Could she even stomach the thought of being in the same place as Gwen for a whole day without getting angry or throwing up?
"Courtney, hello?" Bridgette asked waving a hand in front of her face.
Courtney snapped out of her thoughts.
"Oh, sorry, Bridgette." Courtney said rubbing the back of her head while smiling sheepishly.
"What were you thinking?"
"Oh, nothing."
"Well, like I said if you can't stand being around Gwen during the challenges what makes you think you can handle hanging out with her for a whole day?" Bridgette asked.
"I get the idea." Courtney replied grumpily.
"Courtney, hold on. I'm sorry." Said Bridgette getting off her bed as Courtney walked to the door.
"No, you're right. It's a bad idea." Courtney said as she walked out.
Bridgette sighed as she sat back down.
"Something tells me this isn't over."
"One by one, they will all fall."
(Credits)
Chapter 36: Episode 36: Lyoko's Blizzard
Summary:
Just as the next episode of Total Drama airs, trouble appears in the form of a blizzard while a new threat rises: Yuki of the Blizzard
Chapter Text
(Code Total Drama Reality Introduction Song Starts)
(This Game (From 'No Game No Life'))
The intro begins with the sun rising over the city of Paris, before the camera angles down on Kadic Academy. Stepping into view is Aelita, standing at the school gates as she looks up and watches as dark clouds suddenly cover the sky. Her eyes widen as she suddenly morphs into her Lyoko form, energy fields appearing in her hands.
William appears next, a dark copy of him, resembling his Lyoko form as a warrior of XANA appearing behind him, both clashing their swords, causing a flash of light as the title appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(I never wanted to be)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors appear with her as they are surrounded by the monsters of XANA.
(Another gear in that corrupted world's machine)
A giant bird appears above the city, letting out a loud screech.
(All my life felt like a dream)
One by one, the Lyoko Warriors enter the scanners and the doors closed, a ring of light traveling up their bodies as the camera shows and alternates each Lyoko Warrior before they vanish in a flash of light.
(I was never who I really wanted me to be)
Vehicles resembling a hovercraft, a board, a motorcycle appear with new vehicles resembling a sled and a hoverbike with a jet engine appears, carrying the Lyoko Warriors off as they are surrounded by monsters that begin shooting lasers at them.
(But then God shattered that dream's cage)
Four towers, each in a separate sector begins to glow red with monsters and an armored figure leading the monsters. Aelita lands on the platform and places her hand on the screen.
(And rose me up to a new stage)
The Total Drama contestants founds themselves back in the studio, their fellow contestants gathered with them as Chris laughs
(Cut it away like a sharp knife)
He gestures to the screens, showing them all in challenges…
(No, no, No Game No Life)
With each of them suffering a variety of misfortunes: Gwen vomits on Duncan, a soccer ball explodes in Bridgette's face, Geoff yells as a missile chases after him.
(Now suddenly there's a new twist)
Geoff's yelling suddenly stops and he changes into his Lyoko form, brandishing his weapons that cut the missile in half, causing the two pieces to fly past Geoff and explodes behind him.
(A reason to really exist)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors assume their Lyoko forms and battle down various monsters, some of them belonging to XANA and some are different but dangerous.
(I wanna breathe in the fame)
From legions of monsters, comes Men in Black, giant spaceships aiming their cannons down on the bewildered Lyoko Warriors.
(As this whole new world cheers my name)
The camera zooms in on the lead space ship as it prepares to fire.
(I'll never leave it to fate)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors are shown running through the streets of France, the sky darkening and the Eye of XANA appearing on every monitor they pass.
(And when I see a chance I'll pave the way)
They reach the factory, sliding down the ropes and reaching the elevator.
(I'll call checkmate)
The elevator reaches the scanner room, Aelita and William waiting for them.
(This is the time to breakthrough)
The Lyoko Warriors then gather before a scanner, the camera facing them inside with the group staring at it critically. A hand reaches up, giving them a thumbs-up before the scanner doors close.
(So I'll rewrite the story and I'll finally change all the rules)
The Lyoko Warriors are now gathered in the Forest Sector of Lyoko, suddenly separated by a crescent shaped wave of red energy and out of the flames emerges a humanoid warrior in dark armor, their face covered by a horned helmet and the Eye of XANA on its chest and forehead.
(We are MAVERICK)
William charges forward, his large sword clashing against the equally sized weapon of Shadow, both glaring hatefully at each other.
(We won't give in until we win this game)
Both disappear into white and black smoke before we then see Bridgette in the Ice Sector, battling a giant monster resembling a polar bear.
(Though I don't know what tomorrow holds)
The monster is about to cut Bridgette down with its claws before a blast of pure lightning blasts it to pieces.
(I'll make a bet and play my cards to win this game)
The origin of the attack is revealed to be Geoff, holding a giant axe instead of his chakrams as he charges forward to help Bridgette, a look of determination replacing his normal carefree smile.
(Unlike the rest I'll do my best)
A pair of Wasps are shown chasing Dawn who is on the Overwing before Gwen shoots up, her cape morphing into bat like wings as she slashes through the Wasps with her scythe.
(And I won't ever lose)
A pair of Krabs fire on her but DJ's barrier saves her before Cameron flies down and blasts the Krabs with his arm cannons.
(To give up this chance would be a deadly sin)
LeShawna is then staring up at the hulking form of the Kolossus as it approaches her.
(So let's bet it all)
Gripping her hammer tightly, LeShawna charges to meet the biggest of XANA's monsters head on.
(I put all my faith in us)
Aelita is then shown in a red version of Sector 5, turning to glare at the Avatar of XANA who smirks back at her.
(So let the games begin)
Aelita readies her energy field and charges at XANA who summons his own sword, clashing with Aelita's energy fields. Pink and red energy erupt from their clash, covering the screen in white before changing to a black screen with blue lines of coding filling it and the title appearing on last time:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(This Game (From 'No Game No Life') Ends)
Episode 36: Lyoko's Blizzard
Yumi wondered how Aelita had not gone insane from all those years she spent in Lyoko…
Then she remembered that in the beginning, Aelita had no memory of her life as a human, everyone and herself thinking she had been an AI to begin with. Since she didn't remember being a human, she had no idea what she had lost.
But Yumi did.
Sure, she now had a sense of smell, could feel the rocky surroundings of the Mountain Sector and there was gentle breeze sensation but, in the end, it was all fake.
No true sunlight shining down on her.
No calming mountain sight that could have calmed her nerves.
There was no sense of time here, meaning she didn't know if it was day or night back home.
How were her parents?
Were they out of their minds with worry?
How was Hiroki handling it?
She wished she had a way to contact or even see them.
She had to believe that Aelita and William were working hard to find her, Odd and Ulrich and rescue them from this…this…purgatory.
A screeching sound came from behind her, and she opened her eyes, spinning around to see none other than the Scyphozoa having appeared more several feet away. Yumi jumped to her feet, taking a stance, ready to punch, kick and even scratch and bite the monster if it came anywhere near her. Just when she was about to make a move, there was a flash of red light and she found herself paralyzed.
"Still the brave and defiant to the end, Yumi?"
Yumi's eyes widened before narrowing as she tried to look behind her. "You…"
"I would be glad to entertain your mistaken resistance but there is little time for such games." XANA's Avatar spoke as he walked past her. "Don't worry, it's not your memory or your materialization codes I'm after this time."
The Scyphozoa wrapped its tentacles around her, lifting her off the ground. She grunted and struggled as three tentacles were placed at her temples before a pulsing red light paralyzed her.
"Don't fight." XANA's voice whispered behind her. "The more you try, the longer you prolong your predicament."
Yumi struggled anyways, even as the Scyphozoa showed no signs that her attempt at resistance was a bother to it. Finally, it removed its tentacles and dropped her back onto the ground.
Swearing in Japanese, Yumi glared up at XANA as he turned away. "What have you done now?"
XANA said nothing as he stepped over the edge and seemingly fell into the Digital Sea, the Scyphozoa retreating into the shadows.
And Yumi was left all alone again, terrified at what they might have done to her.
Aelita stretched her arms a bit before she got back to work on the keyboard on the computer in the lab. Today she was able to have the day off because of building inspectors which was good. It allowed her more time to work here on Lyoko.
'This must be how Jeremy worked when he was trying to materialize me.' Aelita thought.
She remembered telling him to take a break when she thought he was working too hard. She could almost hear him and the others saying the exact same thing to her. But right now she was working the tracking system. So far, all attempts to locate her friends have failed.
Something was wrong.
Was it perhaps that XANA was somehow shielding them from being detected?
'There must be something I'm missing.' Aelita thought.
Despite the fact that she was able to access and use Lyoko's programs like Jeremy, she wasn't exactly the same kind of genius he was. She didn't have his unique gifts that allowed him to effortlessly program and create so many of what she and others had used. From the vehicles, the Skidbladnir, to even their upgraded virtual equipment, all of which had come Jeremy.
'And my father.' Aelita thought sadly to herself.
Her father had supplied the data to rebuild Lyoko, create the Skid and even the multi-agent data to complete Jeremy's XANA-Destruction Program.
But he wasn't here to help anymore and neither was Jeremy.
It was just her, William and their Total Drama friends who had been caught up in the fight. She had to find a way to be the leader they all needed her to be if they were to have any chance of surviving, let alone winning the war.
'I don't know if I can be as good as my father or Jeremy, but I have to try.' Aelita closed her eyes and steeled herself. 'For them.'
The Avatar of XANA was waiting in the Ice Sector of his Lyoko for Shadow and Ryder to appear. Shadow appeared out of cloud of black smoke while Ryder appeared in a flash of red electricity.
"You sent for us?" asked Shadow.
"I did. Ryder, how has your training been progressing?" XANA asked not turning to face them.
"It has been adequate." Ryder responded.
"Good, because you two shall inherit a third comrade." XANA said.
A Dragon Knight appeared in front of them. XANA's Scyphozoa appeared out from the darkness and floated over to the knight.
"I have just finished the programs that will increase its intelligence. Now the Scyphozoa will upload the data and the necessary codes." XANA said. "Just as you were created from the scanned DNA of Ulrich this one will be born from Yumi's genetic codes."
The Scyphozoa hovered in front of the knight and placed its tentacles on its head. It began to inject the data into the knight. The Knight began to crack with blue energy when the Scyphozoa released it. Cracks traveled through its armor as the body inside it was reconstructing itself.
Shadow and Ryder watched in fascinated silence as they watched that another one like them was being created it. That was when the armor could not hold the power in anymore and exploded in a flash of white light. When it was over they looked to see what their new comrade looked like. One difference was that this time it was actually a female.
Blue eyes surveyed her fellow virtual being before her. Her hair was white and long that fell to her waist. She wore a white top with long sleeves, white shorts, white boots; white gloves covered her hands, and a white cape with a hood. On her shirt was a blue colored Eye of XANA.
"I don't see a weapon on her." Said Ryder.
"You should know not to underestimate your opponent, Ryder." Said XANA. "I gave you the power of lightning while Shadow's power is that of darkness."
"And what is her power?" asked Ryder.
XANA turned and nodded to her. Her eyes glowed white as icy claws formed in her hand. XANA summoned three hornets to fight her. She raised one hand and fired a bluish white beam that froze one hornet instantly.
It fell to the ground and shattered on impact. The other two fired which she dodged with amazing reflexes and fired several icy spears that took out one hornet leaving one more. She jumped into the air and slashed through the hornet with her ice made claws. It exploded as she landed unharmed.
All this time her face maintained a calm, serene look.
"Her power is ice." XANA said.
"Impressive." Said Shadow.
The girl bowed to XANA for her performance.
"So, what is the name of our newest addition?" Ryder asked.
"You are not the one to ask that," The girl stared coldly at Ryder. "Your arrogance lead to your defeat where Shadow could have held them off long enough to eliminate Aelita. Quite frankly I find it odd that you are a creation of our master."
Ryder narrowed his eyes and whipped out his sword. Without a word he sent a stream of lightning at the girl, who raised a barrier of ice between them. The lightning struck the ice, and shattered the wall, but the girl was gone.
Ryder looked around, knowing he had not destroyed her so easily. He got his blade into a stance and prepared for an attack. Suddenly a hand reached out of the ice and grabbed him by the ankle, tugging him off his feet. He grunted and rolled away as the girl rose out of the ice. She formed a spear of ice from her surrounding environment.
They circled one another for several moments and then leaped forward. Blue energy gathered into the spear while red lightning gathered into the katana as the two fighters closed in on one another...only to be blocked by Shadow. He glared at both of them as he parried away their respective weapons with his Zweihander.
"Enough." He said. "Ryder, you must learn to watch your temper. And you...you must learn to respect your comrades no matter how you feel about them."
The girl nodded and bowed her head. "Yes sir,"
"I think I know just what to call you then...Yuki." Shadow relaxed. "An alternate of Yumi...and if I recall the meaning of the name is 'snow' among other definitions. It fits you perfectly."
The newly named Yuki nodded. "I live to serve Master XANA, I am ready."
"Perfect, the three of you shall be more than a match for these new Lyoko warriors." XANA stated. "Now, let us prepare for our next move. I believe we should allow Yuki to make use of her abilities here. I shall see to it that the Lyoko warriors are brought to the ice region."
Yuki smiled. "Thank you master."
"Okay, so that didn't work out." Courtney muttered.
Bridgette was a good friend and what Courtney liked about her was her honesty. She was the only one who has never betrayed unlike Duncan, Harold, LeShawna or Gwen. But she was right. Suddenly asking to hang out with her group where she nearly hated every one of them except Bridgette would look suspicious to everyone.
As much as she wanted to get Duncan suspicious of Gwen so that they might be broken up she did not want to hurt Bridgette. She was not Heather. But whatever they were hiding could ruin Gwen and Duncan's relationship. After that they did to her they did not deserve to be happy.
Even though Gwen and Duncan were on opposite teams it did not affect their relationship like it did with Gwen and Trent. They still enjoyed being with each other, Duncan knew Gwen was hiding something yet he did not question her. What kind of relationship has two people hiding secrets from each other? That was what annoyed her.
'She's hiding something from him. But how do I find out? There's no way to know when they are sneaking out.' Courtney thought. 'Something fishy is going on with them and I'll find out.'
"So, you see my point?"
Courtney stopped, looking at Sierra who was standing at the door to her room. "…I do. They are obviously in some kind of alliance."
"An alliance where they can sneak out and not be noticed." Sierra held up a finger. "Gwen, LeShawna and Bridgette are tight, with Geoff being Bridgette's boyfriend and DJ has been a good friend to them all since Season One. But adding Cameron and Dawn, the latter being on another team with DJ, that makes an alliance between two teams."
"And we have no clue what they are up to." Courtney muttered, crossing her arms. "It's not like we can walk up and ask them."
"Maybe not, but we can ask someone who has spent time with them." Sierra pointed out. "I saw Lindsay hanging out with them earlier in their first secret meeting."
"Lindsay?" Courtney scoffed. "Doubt we'll get anything useful out of her. She's probably forgotten everything by this point."
"Well, if they are open to talking with others, why not ask someone we know to go talk to them?" Sierra shrugged.
Courtney raised an eyebrow. "That's…not a bad idea."
It was actually quite brilliant.
Insert a double agent into their alliance and then the agent will report to them on whatever it is that they are up to.
"There's still one question: who do we pick?" Courtney asked, crossing her arms.
"Hmm…" Sierra pondered, tamping her chin with one finger. "It can't be Cody. I don't want him anywhere near Gwen. He only calls me by her name half the time now and being near her would ruin all the progress."
Courtney rolled her eyes at Sierra's one-side infatuation with Cody.
Confessional: Courtney
"Personally, I never saw what made her so attracted to that little pervert. Then again, they are similar enough so it must be some kind of similar wavelength."
"We're on the same team but we can't just ask any of our teammates to help us." Sierra remarked, now staring at a chart Courtney had made.
The chart showed LeShawna, Gwen, Bridgette, Geoff, DJ, Dawn and Cameron all together with names attached to them:
LeShawna: Faker
Gwen: Pasty McJerkface
Bridgette: Only Sane One
Geoff: Idiot
DJ: Mamma's Boy
Dawn: Hippie
Cameron: Useless
They were now in Courtney's room, the chart before the two with names for possible candidates to help them.
Duncan's name was on it but immediately crossed off by Courtney. "Never."
Justin.
"He might work, if the ladies are still susceptible to his looks and charm." Sierra reasoned.
"Only when people play into his Prince Charming act." Courtney rolled her eyes.
Noah.
"Yeah right." Courtney crossed his name off next.
Izzy.
"No." Courtney simply said.
Tyler.
"Too dumb."
Alejandro.
"I doubt he's much help to us the way he is now." Courtney said and Sierra nodded, crossing Alejandro's name.
Anna Marie.
"Too obsessed with her hair to be of use." Courtney crossed the next name off.
Lightning.
"He's practically a Tyler clone." Courtney shook her head, crossing his name off.
That left…
"Oh please, this is all we have to work with." Courtney rolled her eyes at Owen's name being the last. "It's bad enough being around him on the same team but he was already unfairly brought back as Chris's spy in season two!"
"Maybe that can work for us." Sierra mused. "No one will suspect him of being a spy for a second time. It's either him or we try going to someone on the other teams."
"That will be too suspicious. If we're caught, then our own team will eliminate us for thinking we're consorting with the enemy." Courtney argued and then sighed. "Fine, we use Owen. But how do we ask him?"
"Easy." Sierra smiled. "They already spoke to Lindsay who was having relationship problems with Tyler which is a shame because they are a cute couple."
"The point." Courtney muttered impatiently.
"Owen can talk to them if he's still feeling down about his break-up with Izzy." Sierra simply said.
That…
That might work.
"Okay, so how do we do that?"
"They like to do these 'therapy' sessions early in the morning and late at night before and after challenges depending on the day. And there are challenges every three days before the next elimination." Sierra reasoned. "Meaning, we're on day number two tomorrow."
Courtney was starting to catch on.
Confessional: Courtney
"For once, Sierra's knowledge of our habits and traits comes in handy. Not that it makes her any less of a maniac. So, I'll go along with her idea and if it goes wrong, I'll cut her off and leave her to be eliminated. A win either way."
Confessional: Sierra
"I've watched every episode of Total Drama and know everything there is to know about each contestant, so I know what moves they'll make even before they think it. Courtney's fine with my plan but she doesn't know that I know that she'll be fine with cutting me if the plan fails and leave me to take the fall. But I know how to turn the tables and make her take the fall." Sierra holds up Courtney's chart. "Just one look at her chart and everyone will think she's trying to manipulate them and she'll be the one to take the fall. Classic Courtney."
Next Day
"Last time on Total Drama Reality, the teams were all set to play soccer, Total Drama style that ended with explosive results."
A rewound footage showed Courtney getting covered in green paint.
"My mistake, I meant explosive and hilarious results with a simple sport devolving into an all out soccer brawl that had everyone covered in every kind of color." Chris laughed. "In the end, no one was eliminated because I was too entertained and wanted to get a little more. Will we get that same entertainment on today's episode? Find out now, on Total…Drama…Reality!"
(Total Drama Intro)
Red Vultures – LeShawna, Gwen, Zoey, Izzy, Cameron, Bridgette, Brick, Beth, Geoff, Jo, Sadie
Yellow Hamsters – Harold, Heather, Lindsay, Cody, Sam, Mike, Dawn, DJ, Scott, Dakota, B, Eva
Blue Rats – Alejandro, Noah, Tyler, Owen, Anne Maria, Sierra, Duncan, Courtney, Justin, Lightning, Trent
Eliminated – Staci, Katie
It was breakfast now and the teams were all at their tables, chowing down…Or at least trying to.
"Powdered gruel?" LeShawna shuddered. "Is he trying to feed or poison us?"
"Is there a difference?" Gwen rolled her eyes.
Confessional: Courtney
"I wish Chef would pass on the whole 'breakfast' thing and let us starve instead! It would be more humane."
Confessional: Anna Marie
"Today's challenge better not be like yesterday." She took out a can of hairspray and spayed her own hair. "It took me ten hair spays to get yesterday's pain out. Today, I am to win and bag me a Vito."
"Here, try some of my home-made tea." Dawn offered, holding up her own tea set. "It will make things better by washing down the gruel."
"Works for me." DJ accepted a cup from Dawn and took a sip. "Oh wow…this is good."
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" A voice screamed outside the cafeteria.
"SAM!" Dakota jumped to her feet
Sam came in bawling his eyes out, holding the remains of his GameGuy. "My GameGuy!"
Dakota gasped and rushed over. "What happened to it?"
"I just woke up and found it like this." Sam sniffed.
Dakota turned around, her eyes becoming red slits. "Who…Did…This?!"
Almost everyone looked nervous, some even looking away while others like Jo and Eva were brave enough to glare back.
"Who broke my boyfriend's GameGuy?!" Dakota shouted, spikes emerging from her arms.
"Dakota, calm down! Your mutation!" Zoey pointed at Dakota's arms.
"I WANT TO KNOW WHO BROKE MY BOYFRIEND'S GAMEGUY RIGHT NOW!" Dakota shouted, her voice growing deeper.
"It wasn't us!" Cameron quickly said. "We're not on the same team!"
"Right!" Geoff nodded in agreement. "We're not in the same dorm as you!"
"It wasn't me!" Mike shook his head, eyes darting back and forth.
As Sam slept, a shadowy figure stood over his bed. It looked like Mike but with his falling down, covering one eye. He reached down and picked up Sam's GameGuy and with both hands, he snapped it in two, causing wires to sparkle.
The shadow gasped and his hair went back up, revealing himself to be Mike who looked confused. "What the…How did I…" He stopped and looked down at the sleeping Sam and then at Sam's broken GameGuy. "Oh no!"
He quickly put it back in Sam's bag and then quickly but quietly rushed out of Sam's room.
"I WANT TO KNOW WHO DID THIS!" Dakota's skin began to turn orange.
"Dakota, no one here did that!" Zoey stood up and hastily looked around. "Right, everyone!"
"Right!"
"Absolutely!"
"Me no touchie!"
"Didn't touch it, don't care!"
Dakota snarled, not believing them but felt Sam's hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Dakota. I don't think anyone here did this."
Dakota turned around, slowly turning back to normal. "But who did?"
"Maybe it fell off bed and broke on the floor." Sam sighed sadly. "It's going to be a rough season without this…" He looked at Dakota with a smile. "When I'm not paying attention to you."
"Awww…." Dakota gushed.
Confessional: Brick
"I admire Sam's bravery and the fact that he's the only one here who can calm Dakota down, stopping her from going on a rampage."
Confessional: Zoey
"Dakota's parents spent a fortune trying to cure her from the mutation that she got from the toxic waste back at Camp Wawanakwa. She's mostly normal unless she gets angry."
Confessional: Eva
Eva scoffs. "She's not so tough. I bet I can take her one on one."
"Attention campers, outside on the double! Over!" Chris said over the speakers.
"It's been so long but home sweet home, I guess."
Aelita stared at the old, abandoned house with the name written on the front gate.
HERMITAGE
The house she had lived in with her father before it all began.
Lyoko.
XANA.
And everything that came after.
She hadn't been here in over two years, not since that day when her father died. Being here would have brought up too many memories and she feared coming back would have only made things worse.
Only now, things had gotten worse without her having thought of this place.
She opened the gate and walked up to the front door. It looked as run down as ever, possibly being the one thing that hadn't changed in over two years…
Or rather a decade since anyone has last been here.
It kind of looked nicer than she had remembered. Had someone been squatting here? That was the last thing she needed at the moment. No one knew she was out here, not even William.
As much as she was growing to trust him, this was something personal and she needed to handle it on her own. The topmost floor of the Hermitage was isolated from the rest of the house and devoted to a gigantic study. There were no computers; however, only a large desk covered with papers and three blackboards covered with half-rubbed-out mathematical equations. Pushed into a corner was a little sideboard on which rested a coffee machine and an electric stove, along with a dirty and chipped mug.
And the rest of the space was taken up with books. Books upon books. Hundreds of them piled upon precarious shelves or stacked on the floor, opened and closed, big and little. Years upon years of old magazines and periodical back issues were sealed in big cardboard boxes.
The attic was lit by three windows. The first overlooked the Hermitage's driveway and the road. Through the second, which looked in the opposite direction, could be seen the snow-mantled park and beyond, the buildings of Kadic. And finally the third window, the widest and largest, offered a striking view of the old industrial quarter, and in the distance could be seen the bridge and the old factory on its island.
The Hermitage.
Kadic.
The factory.
Three places separated by several kilometres of asphalted roads but connected by a dense network of underground passages.
And by secrets.
Aelita started down in the basement, finding the trapdoor and taking a deep breath to steel herself before she took the first step down. The basement of the Hermitage had more in common with a warehouse than a cellar. Aelita emerged from the hidden passage and closed the door behind them: it was covered with a cement panel so as to make it practically indistinguishable from the walls around it.
Straight in front of them was an industrial-strength refrigerator, an entire chilled room sealed off by a reinforced metal door. On the right another room served as a pantry, a cluster of metal shelving units still stacked with boxes of food purchased in bulk. Now Aelita started to follow the dark passage, lit only by opaque windows at ceiling level. She found wardrobes crowded with brooms and cleaning detergents, and emerged in a huge room, almost empty and only occupied by a pair of clotheshorses and an old washing machine.
Aelita walked down the hallway, taking a left and then entered the first room she saw. The room was barely illuminated by Aelita's cellphone light, and what little dusk light could seep through the windows. It was enough to paint a picture of the room that Aelita could recognize. In the middle of the room laid a decades-old couch that had changed color with age, alongside a crooked coffee table.
At the end of the room opposite them was an unlit fireplace, and piles of unopened and opened boxes surrounded the hearth on each side. Aelita picked up a box at the bottom of the pile and opened it. Inside was an array of formulas.
Aelita sighed, knowing this would be a long day.
The three teams exited the studio and continued following Chef as he led them across a field and into a forest. As they walked, Gwen noticed Courtney glaring at her and simply sighed. If not for the added stress of being a Lyoko Warrior, she might have been more upset with Courtney's constant glaring but at this point she knew she couldn't focus on that.
"Something wrong?"
Gwen slightly jumped, seeing Duncan walking next to her. "Oh, nothing big. Just Courtney glaring at me. You'd think she'd have anything better to do."
"Well, let me fix that for you." Duncan said before glaring in Courtney's direction.
However, he had anticipated Courtney glaring back even harder, perhaps even shout but she didn't do any of that.
She just looked away.
"Huh?" Duncan was now confused. "Hello? Courtney? Hey?"
Courtney just continued walking, not even giving Duncan a glance.
Confessional: Duncan
"I'm having used to girls yell at me and even punch me, but blank me? That's—that's just wrong. Uh, I mean… Pffft, whatever."
Lindsay leaned over and whispered into Courtney's ear. "Psst, I think Duncan wants you to yell at him, y'know, for old times' sake."
"What's the point? He never listens." Courtney scoffed. "Besides, it's over between us. He's a bad boy; I knew it couldn't last forever. But Gwen, I thought we were friends. Last time I make that mistake."
Lindsay gasped as she stopped and shook Courtney. "You know how to stop making mistakes? Teach me!"
Meanwhile, Sierra noted the reactions and was keeping a close eye on Gwen along with her conspirators. If she wanted to figure out their secret, she needed to somehow get close to them.
Confessional: Sierra
"I know I got in trouble and nearly got kicked off, but I know there's a secret alliance between LeShawna, Bridgette, Geoff, DJ, Cameron, Dawn and Gwen. I just need the perfect way to trick them into telling me what they are up to. And the best way to start is doing the unexpected."
Sierra walked up to Duncan and Gwen, catching their attention. "Y'know, a lot of my blog readers were mad about you guys hooking up, but I get it."
Gwen and Duncan shared an annoyed glance.
"Love is love! Just like me, and my Cody-Wody!" Sierra gushed.
"Yeah, we're just like you guys." Gwen rolled her eyes.
"Actually, I've been looking to update my blog and I was hoping you could tell me how things have been since World Tour." Sierra continued. "I'm even willing to bury the hatchet with you, Gwen since Cody only sometimes calls me 'Gwen' when he's sleeping now. You can even join us for lunch or dinner whenever you want."
"O…kay." Gwen raised an eyebrow. "Thanks, I guess. But there's not really a lot to say. A year went by, I went back to school and now I'm back here on this stupid show."
"It's not all bad, we're back together on this show." Duncan reminded with a smile.
"Interesting, interesting." Sierra nodded carefully. "No special plans this season?"
"Aside from trying to win, not really." Gwen shrugged.
"Hmm…"
Confessional: Sierra
"Gwen's on guard but that's to be expected. No doubt I'll have to be subtle and smart…Which I am. I'll know what they are up to before the teams merge."
"At ease soldiers!" Chris greeted everyone with a military salute while wearing a military helmet. "Welcome to today's experiment with your pain thresholds."
Everyone looked nervous as they watched Chris rub his hands together menacingly, chuckling. A TV was wheeled behind Chris, showing visual aids as he spoke.
"Get ready for an ingenious twist on the war movie challenge from season two. There are two weapon caches in the heart of this forest. The big one is filled with state of the art paintball weaponry, and the little one has a bunch of crappy old paintball slingshots. Whoever gets there first gets their pick, and then you've gotta pick off the competition."
Courtney glared at Gwen. "Looking forward to it."
"You get one point for each opponent you splatter; first team to 8 points wins, and one of the losers will get a dishonorable discharge tonight." Chris continued.
"Um, there are only two weapon caches, where is the third?" LeShawna asked skeptically.
"Oh yeah…there isn't one." Chris chuckled. "Guess whoever is last will have to improvise."
Confessional: Brick
"This is essentially a paint ball challenge which is perfect for me due to my military training!"
Duncan scoffed. "Paintball again? Ooh, original! What a twist."
"Oh yeah, that." Chris sighed dejectedly as Chef walked up behind him. "...One of the conditions of my parole is I can't use or be around hard projectiles like paintballs. Sooo, instead, you'll be using leeches!"
Chef displayed a wriggling leech, causing all the contestants to react in disgust.
Confessional: Heather
"Leeches? Chris is really making us earn the million this year." Heather pouted. "Jerk."
Confessional: Izzy
"Leeches! That…Is…Awesome! I'd love to see what it feels like to have them sucking on your face. I might have too much blood in me, which would explain why I have so much energy! Too much blood for the brain to handle!"
Confessional: Dawn
"That is just like Chris to abuse even the smallest of Mother Earth's children for his own sick game." Dawn crossed her arms. "Even bloodsucking leeches should be respected."
"As winners of yesterday's challenge, the Blue Hamsters get a full 1-minute head start."
The Hamsters cheered in response.
"Ready."
Chef raised a pistol.
"Set."
Chef fired the pistol, a leech fires out and lands on Scott's face, clinging to it. Sadly, Scott couldn't react at all, not even showing any signs of pain as the leech began sucking his blood.
"Go!"
The Blue Hamsters took off running, Alejandro wheeling after them. The other two teams were left to watch and wait for the one minute countdown to end.
Monster Creation Program: Activated
Monster Design Program Activated
Beginning New Design
Monster Designation: Polar Klaw
Installing Weapon Design: Freeze Cannon
Initiate
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Process Complete
Monster Designation: Polar Klaw
Monster Program Keyed to General Designate: Yuki
In the Carbon Copy of Lyoko Ryder and Shadow stood behind XANA in the Celestial Area of Sector 5.
"After watching your battles with them I can see just strong they are together. Go to the Ice Sector and wait there for them" XANA said looking at the screen. "Shadow, make sure Ryder does not underestimate them again."
Shadow nodded.
"And where is the new girl?" Ryder asked which earned a glare from Shadow.
"Yuki has already been sent." XANA replied.
In the Ice Sector of Lyoko a girl dressed in white walked across the frozen wasteland. Behind appeared two brand new monsters, both of them as large as a Krab but more muscular. They resembled Polar Bears. Wearing thick coats of snow white fur, with blue intricate patterns running down their bodies and intertwining with the heads that had no eyes but a single Eye of XANA imprinted above a mouth that opened to reveal fangs…and a cannon.
These were XANA's newest monsters that had been modified personally for Yuki to summon, and they fit perfectly with her snowy theme and perfect for use in the Ice Sector.
To others it was nothing to see but to her she enjoyed it. This sector would give her power similar to how Lyoko was gave her master the power to enter the real world. She looked to see the tower that her master would activate.
'Create a barrier around it to stop them.' Yuki thought.
She raised her hand and ice rose from the ground, covering the tower.
'The only to break through would be Aelita's creativity.' Yuki thought.
That was when the tower glowed red.
From the satellite dish of a skyscraper a spectre flew into the sky and in seconds dark clouds blocked out the sun. At Kadic, William looked out a window and saw the gathering dark clouds, suddenly getting a feeling of deja-vu from when XANA had returned and launched his first attack.
Only this time, it wasn't a storm.
Aelita sighed as she opened yet another folder in another box. Most of what she had already went through had to do with subjects her father had covered as a teacher at Kadic. She briefly wondered to herself if she had hope a little too much when the next folder she opened showed something.
Drawings…
Drawing of what looked like the Forest Sector for Lyoko.
Perking up, Aelita looked through the folder, seeing it was mostly drawings resembling the landmass of Lyoko. Perhaps this was how he started designing Lyoko. She looked down at the latest box she had been shuffling through and paused when she name on the header of the next paper.
XANA
Aelita's eyes went wide and she quickly started to look through the folder. Sure enough, the Eye of XANA was at the front, followed by series of drawings resembling XANA's original monsters with formulas and equations.
Ever since we left Project: Carthage, my wife, Anthea and I had desired to end Project: Carthage for the threat it posed to the world and to our growing family. I kept a copy of the prototype digital landscape, and we have already finished the designs for the supercomputer. Anthea's work with coding has been brilliant and by the time Aelita was born, the final line of coding for our plan was finish.
The virtual world would house the AI, the Xenomorphic Artificial Network Agent, or X.A.N.A. for short. We had already finished the supercomputer and created the virtual world. Anthea has carefully watched the AI's progress, believing its progress is running smoothly, having attained a high level of intelligence and showing signs of self-awareness.
I always knew Anthea was brilliant but the method she proposed to further XANA's growth and ensure its success against Carthage. She worked by literally scanning live human DNA which is used for virtualization and materialization and integrated it into the AI's programming as a base program which is something that has never been done before. She believed that if a piece of humanity, even digital, would allow XANA to surpass Carthage, combining the precise calculating abilities of a supercomputer with the on-the-fly reflex of a human being.
Unfortunately, this version of XANA I am working is meant to host a simple AI since I have been pressed for time. A simple AI would better to use without needing to train and guide it as Anthea planned with the original XANA. It's a shame she was taken when we were making progress, but I had to protect Aelita and could only take the blueprints for the computer and XANA with us. It was unfortunate but with the help here in France, I was able to improve the original designs of the supercomputer and no doubt XANA will still be able to carry out its directive.
Aelita looked over the report and the schematics that showed designs similar to the supercomputer. So her mother had worked with her father in creating Lyoko and XANA…and her mother had used human DNA, somehow scanning it and then integrating it into XANA's program to expedite his growth?
Aelita grimaced, suddenly reminded of what she had seen from the scans XANA's Avatar along with Shadow who hosted William's scanned DNA and genetic codes and then Ryder who was scanned from Ulrich's DNA.
Was this how it started?
But then whose DNA did her mother use?
And what did her father mean by the 'original' XANA?
Aelita felt a chill as she remembered the scans Jeremy had managed to take of XANA's Avatar.
William stiffened as he looked at the Avatar again, noticing some certain similarities. "Aelita, whose DNA did he copy?"
"…Mine." Aelita faced the screen. "He copied my original DNA and genetic codes from the time I was trapped in the supercomputer and merged it with his own codes to simulate a form that resembles me."
Did her mother…use her DNA?
Aelita nearly jumped when her cellphone vibrated and she looked at it, seeing a text from William.
SOS
XANA
'No. Not now.' Aelita thought biting back a curse.
Before the timer was even half-finished, everyone started to notice the strange weather conditions.
"Hey, is it me or is it getting chilly?" Geoff asked as he started shivering.
"It's not you, man. Look!" Mike pointed up at the sky.
What was once a sunny day was now dark clouds with snow starting to fall, causing everyone to look up in astonishment.
"Snow? Here? At this time of year?" LeShawna asked.
"It can't be snowing, it's only September." Noah held up his hand, catching a single snow flake.
Dawn was shivering and not from the cold. She could instantly tell this was no normal weather pattern but something else.
A malevolent force was imposing its will on Mother Earth.
The snow suddenly began to pick up, gust of wind blowing with such force that a few of the contestants such as Cody and Cameron were knocked down.
"What in the world?!" Chris covered his hair. "I didn't call for early winter!"
"We got to move!" Chef suggested, hand over his face with his voice partially muffled by the howling winds.
"What?!"
"I SAID WE GOT TO MOVE!"
It was not just snowing as the gusts of wind came with a very cold sensation, telling everyone it was getting very cold.
"The temperature must be dropping exponentially!" Cameron shivered, feeling frost covering his skin. "It must be below freezing already."
"EVERYONE, DOUBLE TIME IT BACK TO THE STUDIO!" Chef shouted.
"What about the other team?!" Mike asked.
"On their own!" Chris simply said, running through the snow back to the studio.
"NO, TYLER'S OUT THERE!" Lindsay cried out as she tried to run in the direction Tyler and the rest of the Blue Hamsters went.
"Lindsay, no!" DJ called out, still able to see.
Lindsay didn't get very far before she slipped and fell face first into the snow. She cried out and curled up into a ball as she shivered, her choice of clothing not suitable for the current weather at all. DJ rushed over and picked her, cradling her against his chest with the hope that his body heat would help her.
Dawn appeared next to DJ. "Take her and go with the others."
"What?" DJ asked with a surprised face.
"We both know this is XANA's work. He's forcefully manipulating the weather, imposing his will over Mother Earth." Dawn said, her eyes narrowed even as she shivered. "I'll go find the other team and get them to safety."
"Dawn, that's crazy. You won't last long in this cold weather!" DJ protested.
"Just trust me and hurry, DJ!" Dawn gently pushed him back.
DJ would have tried to stop her but she disappeared into the snowy gusts. Realizing he had no choice, he turned around and struggled to make his way through the blizzard that had suddenly appeared.
"DJ!" He heard LeShawna calling out for him.
"OVER HERE!" DJ called back.
He finally spotted his fellow Lyoko Warriors, all of them shivering and huddling close together.
"DJ!" Bridgette said with a smile even as she shivered. "Where's Dawn?"
"She went to find the Hamsters." DJ answered, still cradling Lindsay to his chest. "She's going to try and get them out of here."
"We need to get to the factory." Gwen shivered, looking at Lindsay. "But Lindsay…"
"We can't leave her here or waste time getting her into the studio." Geoff replied, holding Bridgette close to him. "If we shut down the tower, we'll just go back in time."
Knowing there was no time to argue, the TD Lyoko Warriors all nodded and took off running in the direction of the factory, instantly wishing they were wearing something warmer because not only was it snowing, but it was also freezing.
"Can we even see the way to the factory?" Gwen grunted as she pushed her way through the falling snow.
"We can't take the sewage passage in the park." Cameron replied. "We'll have to just run there."
"If we can even make it." Gwen mumbled.
"It's okay. I've memorized the route to the factory." Cameron managed to grab onto Gwen's hand, surprising her. "If we stick together and follow me, we can make it."
Gwen stared at Cameron, still surprised but nodded as she held out her other hand which LeShawna then grabbed. One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors held each other's hand, forming a line behind Cameron as he led them through the snow and onto the streets of Paris with Cameron hopefully leading them to the factory.
Aelita had just emerged from the Hermitage to see the falling snow and gusty winds. "A snowstorm again, XANA?"
This was odd.
XANA wasn't the type to reuse an old attack.
He had used this attack even before he had escaped the Supercomputer. Still, it didn't matter. Aelita needed to get to the factory as soon as possible. She looked at her phone and tried calling LeShawna, but there was no answer. She knew an episode was filming today but had hoped they would keep their cell phones with them.
Still, she had no time.
She turned around and ran back into the Hermitage. She could take the secret route leading from the Hermitage to the factory. It was risky but so was trying to get through the Xanafied blizzard and hoping she would get there before it was too cold.
She then called William who immediately picked up. "Aelita! Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, William. I'm on my way to the factory now." Aelita replied as she walked down the stairs back into the basement. "Where are you?"
"Stuck inside the school. As soon as the weather hit below zero, the principal and Jim locked the whole place down. I can't make it to the boiler room without being seen."
"Okay, sit sight. I'll get to the factory and hopefully the others will be there." Aelita replied before hanging up.
Meanwhile, Dawn was pushing her way through the cold climate, eyes closed as she focused on trying to find the Blue Hamsters before they froze to death.
'Mother Earth, please guide me to those in need.' She thought to herself. 'Help your children defend this world and its children.'
Her skin was growing even more pale than usual, but she kept focused.
'Everyone, I believe in you and I know Mother Earth blesses you with her guidance. Please, end this monstrous action before it is too late.'
(Credits: Code Lyoko Theme)
One by one, the Lyoko Warriors are shown, their real and virtual forms appearing side by side.
First is Aelita, appearing in her normal form, followed by her original and upgraded Lyoko forms, her angel wings sprouting from her upgraded form.
Next came William, in his original Lyoko form, followed by his darker form, brandishing his Zweihander.
Then came Gwen who was sketching her notebook, followed by her Lyoko form with her cape spread out to form her bat wings.
LeShawna was next, smiling confidently in her normal appearance, and brandishing her hammer in her Lyoko form.
Geoff was shown relaxing on a beach chair before his Lyoko form appeared next to him, ready to throw one of his chakrams.
Bridgette was next, in holding her surfboard while wearing her swimsuit, followed by her Lyoko form with her actually surfing waters on her board.
DJ was then shown, sitting in a forest and surrounded by animals before his Lyoko form appeared next to him, smiling as he stood over the animals like a guardin.
Cameron was then shown with a case that he opened and in a flash of light, he was in his armored Lyoko form.
Dawn was shown sitting on a stump, her legs crossed and was seemingly meditating, her Lyoko form appearing next to her, matching her normal self's position perfectly. Several more Lyoko cards were shown, all of them blank as the credits ended.
(Credits: Code Lyoko Theme)
Chapter 37: Episode 37: Yuki of the Blizzard
Summary:
After barely surviving the blizzard and reaching the factory, the TD Lyoko Warriors find themselves contending with XANA's newest General: Yuki of the Blizzard.
Chapter Text
(Code Total Drama Reality Introduction Song Starts)
(This Game (From 'No Game No Life'))
The intro begins with the sun rising over the city of Paris, before the camera angles down on Kadic Academy. Stepping into view is Aelita, standing at the school gates as she looks up and watches as dark clouds suddenly cover the sky. Her eyes widen as she suddenly morphs into her Lyoko form, energy fields appearing in her hands.
William appears next, a dark copy of him, resembling his Lyoko form as a warrior of XANA appearing behind him, both clashing their swords, causing a flash of light as the title appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(I never wanted to be)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors appear with her as they are surrounded by the monsters of XANA.
(Another gear in that corrupted world's machine)
A giant bird appears above the city, letting out a loud screech.
(All my life felt like a dream)
One by one, the Lyoko Warriors enter the scanners and the doors closed, a ring of light traveling up their bodies as the camera shows and alternates each Lyoko Warrior before they vanish in a flash of light.
(I was never who I really wanted me to be)
Vehicles resembling a hovercraft, a board, a motorcycle appear with new vehicles resembling a sled and a hoverbike with a jet engine appears, carrying the Lyoko Warriors off as they are surrounded by monsters that begin shooting lasers at them.
(But then God shattered that dream's cage)
Four towers, each in a separate sector begins to glow red with monsters and an armored figure leading the monsters. Aelita lands on the platform and places her hand on the screen.
(And rose me up to a new stage)
The Total Drama contestants founds themselves back in the studio, their fellow contestants gathered with them as Chris laughs
(Cut it away like a sharp knife)
He gestures to the screens, showing them all in challenges…
(No, no, No Game No Life)
With each of them suffering a variety of misfortunes: Gwen vomits on Duncan, a soccer ball explodes in Bridgette's face, Geoff yells as a missile chases after him.
(Now suddenly there's a new twist)
Geoff's yelling suddenly stops and he changes into his Lyoko form, brandishing his weapons that cut the missile in half, causing the two pieces to fly past Geoff and explodes behind him.
(A reason to really exist)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors assume their Lyoko forms and battle down various monsters, some of them belonging to XANA and some are different but dangerous.
(I wanna breathe in the fame)
From legions of monsters, comes Men in Black, giant spaceships aiming their cannons down on the bewildered Lyoko Warriors.
(As this whole new world cheers my name)
The camera zooms in on the lead space ship as it prepares to fire.
(I'll never leave it to fate)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors are shown running through the streets of France, the sky darkening and the Eye of XANA appearing on every monitor they pass.
(And when I see a chance I'll pave the way)
They reach the factory, sliding down the ropes and reaching the elevator.
(I'll call checkmate)
The elevator reaches the scanner room, Aelita and William waiting for them.
(This is the time to breakthrough)
The Lyoko Warriors then gather before a scanner, the camera facing them inside with the group staring at it critically. A hand reaches up, giving them a thumbs-up before the scanner doors close.
(So I'll rewrite the story and I'll finally change all the rules)
The Lyoko Warriors are now gathered in the Forest Sector of Lyoko, suddenly separated by a crescent shaped wave of red energy and out of the flames emerges a humanoid warrior in dark armor, their face covered by a horned helmet and the Eye of XANA on its chest and forehead.
(We are MAVERICK)
William charges forward, his large sword clashing against the equally sized weapon of Shadow, both glaring hatefully at each other.
(We won't give in until we win this game)
Both disappear into white and black smoke before we then see Bridgette in the Ice Sector, battling a giant monster resembling a polar bear.
(Though I don't know what tomorrow holds)
The monster is about to cut Bridgette down with its claws before a blast of pure lightning blasts it to pieces.
(I'll make a bet and play my cards to win this game)
The origin of the attack is revealed to be Geoff, holding a giant axe instead of his chakrams as he charges forward to help Bridgette, a look of determination replacing his normal carefree smile.
(Unlike the rest I'll do my best)
A pair of Wasps are shown chasing Dawn who is on the Overwing before Gwen shoots up, her cape morphing into bat like wings as she slashes through the Wasps with her scythe.
(And I won't ever lose)
A pair of Krabs fire on her but DJ's barrier saves her before Cameron flies down and blasts the Krabs with his arm cannons.
(To give up this chance would be a deadly sin)
LeShawna is then staring up at the hulking form of the Kolossus as it approaches her.
(So let's bet it all)
Gripping her hammer tightly, LeShawna charges to meet the biggest of XANA's monsters head on.
(I put all my faith in us)
Aelita is then shown in a red version of Sector 5, turning to glare at the Avatar of XANA who smirks back at her.
(So let the games begin)
Aelita readies her energy field and charges at XANA who summons his own sword, clashing with Aelita's energy fields. Pink and red energy erupt from their clash, covering the screen in white before changing to a black screen with blue lines of coding filling it and the title appearing on last time:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(This Game (From 'No Game No Life') Ends)
Episode 37: Yuki of the Blizzard
UPGRADE TO LYOKO AVATARS
AVATAR DESIGNATE: Aelita
WEAPON: ENERGY FIELD
UPGRADE: PLASMA BEAM
.
AVATAR DESIGNATE: Gwen
POWER ABILITY: BAT WINGS
ADDITIONAL ABILITY: MYSTIC AURA
"It hasn't been easy to provide upgrades for all of Aelita's helpers, especially since they are still inexperienced and unfamiliar with their own powers. She has a large group now and they are unique compared to before. And from the looks, their experience on a reality show that has put them in more danger than I ever could have imagined has left them with the physical and mental endurance that their Avatars have seemingly adapted to the newly upgrade Lyoko faster than Aelita and the other veteran warriors have." Hopper sighed, running a hand through his hair. "No one, not even XANA could have predicted, and his upgrades allowed him to take the others surprise when he returned."
Still, Hopper found it hard to believe that a reality TV show was allowed to put a bunch of children through such horrible conditions. Jumping off a cliff into a shark infested lake, swimming in leech-filled pools, mentally taxing trials like the 'Awake-A-Thon, wrestling a bear, literally sending children into a radioactive mine, forcing them to face their worst fears, preforming disgusting and humiliating tasks, a punishing military style regimen, bobsledding down a mountain inside a massive sausage and even climbing to the top of a volcano.
How in the world could anyone get away with forcing children to go through such ridiculous and life-threatening challenges?
Better yet, how did the children survive all that?
All Hopper had to say was that it was likely because enduring these challenges, their physical and mental states were both impressive and likely barely hanging by a thread. He looked over their character stats and it seemed they were fine for the most, their stats even higher than Aelita and William's and that of Aelita's previous allies. The abuse they went through had likely hardened them so much it has heightened their ability to assist Aelita on Lyoko.
Hopper's musings were cut off by a familiar scan activating. "A tower…I should have known you would be on move very quickly, XANA."
Given the reveal of his last new pawn, a new AI working alongside Shadow, it's likely that XANA had more ready.
"You are using the same methods that Anthea and I used to expedite your original growth. I never thought you would reach this point but it's clear you've evolved highly if you are capable of this level of programming."
A news report appeared on the screen, showing all of France experiencing what appeared to be a snowstorm.
"A snowstorm…" He quickly ran a program, showing a map with icons matching Aelita, William and the TD Lyoko Warriors. "Aelita is at the Hermitage, making her way to the factory through the secret entrance. William seems to be detained at Kadic and the others…Their icons say they are in the studio but I believe an episode was airing today."
He brought up the Total Drama channel.
"Folks, it seems our challenge has been cancelled for the time being." Chris McLane said from inside the studio. "Given the sudden blizzard outside but rest assured, the show will go on."
"Uh, Chris?" An intern spoke up next to him. "We're missing the Blue Hamsters, along with several other contestants."
"Can't you see I'm on the air!? You can't say that on the air!" Chris shouted.
"Missing…And they are likely out in that blizzard." Hopper realized. "If XANA lowers the temperature below freezing than they will freeze to death!"
That could not happen.
Dawn in the meantime kept her eyes closed and rubbed her arms against herself under her green sweater.
'I can hear Mother Earth crying out in despair. This weather is not natural and it's endangering all of Mother Earth's children.'
She needed to stay behind to make sure none of the contestants died in the blizzard. She just knew this was where she was needed instead of being on Lyoko with the others. The blizzard, created by XANA who was out to destroy them.
Dawn clenched her hands into fists under her sweater. 'I don't want to do this. It goes against your teachings but if I don't then innocent people will die.'
Dawn brought a hand to her face and a soft sapphire glow emanated from it, melting the frost covering her face. She opened her eyes, and they began to glow as well.
"My purpose is to make the Earth a better place as best as I can before it's my time." Dawn glared up at the sky. "And I will not let anyone bring harm to it! Do you hear me, XANA?!"
A red aura surrounded her and the snow around her began to melt. She looked around and could see the vague aura outlines of the missing Blue Hamsters.
They were alive but barely.
'I need to move fast before I use up all my energy.' She thought, holding out her hand and from it came a wave of soft sapphire light.
The snow between her and the Hamsters melted and a shield prevented more snow from falling as she made their way to them.
'I need to teleport them all to the studio but once I do that, my energy will be too low to reach the factory.' Dawn thought to herself.
The gust was gone and she could see them.
Tyler, Eva, Owen, Noah, Duncan, Courtney, Anne Maria, Justin, Lightning, Trent and Alejandro.
They had all collapsed and were freezing when Dawn found them, unable to move or get up. Their skin had turned pale, frost formed in their air and Dawn suspected they were close to developing hypothermia.
Only Alejandro seemed to be handling things better but that was because he was still in the robot suit.
'I must move fast.' She held her hands and a sapphire aura surrounded the Blue Hamsters, bringing them all together for Dawn to touch.
She closed her eyes and as the snow began to fall over them again, they vanished into the gusty, snowy winds.
It was cold…
So cold.
The TD Lyoko Warriors were all still holding each other as they followed Cameron down the snow covered streets, snow still falling, gusty winds blowing and the cold air making their bodies shiver and teeth chatter without end. They tried to ignore it as they ran towards the factory.
"Oh man! And I thought the Yukon was cold!" Bridgette whimpered, pushing herself against Geoff's chest. "I haven't been this chilly since Siberia."
"At least you weren't in the water." Geoff pointed out in an attempt to remain optimistic.
It didn't work.
"What I wouldn't give for a snow blower right about now." Gwen muttered, her eyes straining to see in front of her.
The cold was becoming too much for them to handle and it was getting hard to see where they were going.
Were they getting any closer to the factory or where they going in the opposite direction?
"I always figured I would die on Chris's stupid show…" Gwen muttered, shivering as her face became pale blue. "Just not off camera."
"We'll make it, girl." LeShawna replied, trying to remain strong. "We've been through worse than this."
"Have we?" DJ asked, keeping Lindsay pressed against his chest. "I'm really having a hard time remembered."
"We dove off a cliff into a lake of sharks, we ate food too disgusting to imagine, faced down bears and all sorts of crazy things." Geoff replied. "We can do this, guys."
"You were booted early in Season Two and you didn't endure the craziness on Season Three." Gwen retorted with a soft smile.
"No, but I know what you all went through, and you made it through." Geoff replied.
"Made it through?" LeShawna chuckled bitterly. "We bombed so bad. I fell for Ale-jerko's charm and let him mess with my head. I lied to my teammates and insulted them behind their backs."
"I did the same except I cheated on Geoff when that happened." Bridgette muttered. "I always tried to be the nice one, to avoid conflicts but I took sides and acted like a total hypocrite."
"I-I let myself be tricked by that curse nonsense and ended up hurting so many animals." DJ sniffed.
"And I let my relationships come in the way between me and friends." Gwen admitted.
"Come on, guys." Cameron looked over his shoulder, just as cold and tired as they were. "Yeah, we endured a lot and that's why we're here now. Despite everything you've been through, you're still here and trying to help Aelita and William with Lyoko…Can you think of anyone else who would go this far?"
That was a good question.
Who would go through this much to help someone they had just met with a virtual world and battle an evil AI out to rule the world?
Can they think of anyone else on the cast who would be out there with them?
A few thoughts shot up in the minds of them, picturing a few friends:
For Cameron it was Mike, Zoey or Brick.
For Gwen, it was Duncan, Trent, maybe Cody.
For LeShawna, it was Harold.
For Bridgette, outside of Geoff and the friends she was with now, the only she could think of helping them right now was maybe Owen.
For Geoff, he wanted to think of his best bro Brody.
For DJ, he wasn't sure he wanted anyone else to be out here, risking their lives like he and the others were.
He looked down at the shivering Lindsay, regretting he didn't have the time to take her back to the studio and feared she would die from the cold with them before reaching the factory. The cold seemed to get worse and they feared they wouldn't make it and if they failed what would happen?
Would Aelita find a way to reach the tower on their own?
Would anyone find out what happened to them if they died here and now?
Would anyone else step up to help Aelita against XANA?
Just as all seemed lost, a light in the blizzard was shown.
"Here, over here!" A man's voice called out.
"W-ho-i…that?" LeShawna asked, her teeth chattering.
Walking out of the gusty, snow winds, a man in a dark coat, his face completely obscured approached them. "Are you lost?"
"We….Yeah…" Gwen groaned, about to fall over.
"It's all right. I will get to where you need to be." The man said before he seemingly vanished into a black cloud, engulfing the vision of the TD Lyoko Warriors.
William grunted, seeing everyone was gathered in the library to wait out the blizzard but he knew he couldn't stay here. Aelita was no doubt trying to reach the factory, out there somewhere in the cold and he had no idea if she would make it there or if she even had backup. William knew that XANA was behind the blizzard, and he was worried that if Aelita was on her own, she would be easy pickings. The heater wasn't much help, the temperature was lowering with each passing minute.
If he could just reach the boiler room…
"Considering running for it?"
William jumped and turned to see Sissy, wearing a pink winter coat with a scarf. "Sissy? What do you want?"
"To see if a friend needs help." Sissy shrugged. "You look bothered, William."
"Considering there's a blizzard out there in the middle of September, who wouldn't be?" William dryly said as he turned away.
"You're worried about Stones, aren't you?" Sissy asked, watching as William paused. "She's not here."
William took a deep breath, knowing now was not the time to say the wrong thing. "I am sure she's okay."
"I am sure she is but if you want to go looking for her, you'll need a distraction." Sissy stated.
William turned around, facing Sissy with raised eyebrows. "…Are you offering?"
"Maybe." Sissy shrugged as she turned around. "But if you see Jim and my daddy distracted, it wouldn't hurt to take a chance."
William stared, watching as Sissy walked away towards the Principal and Jim as they were at the librarian's desk, talking quietly. She spoke up, earning their attention, diverting their eyes away from the students. William eyed the door…and took off. He heard a few voices cry out in surprise but paid them no mind as he rushed out of the library and for the boiler room.
'I'm coming, Aelita!'
Aelita could already feel the cold as she made her through the sewers, reaching the end with the latter leading up to the bridge that would lead to the factory. As soon as she opened it up, snow fell on her, nearly making her slip and fall but she held on dug her through it. Her hands and fingers were already number as she soon as she climbed out and she staggered through the snow, reaching the factory.
Hugging herself, she reached the elevator and pressed the down button, sighing in relief as the doors closed. When she opened the doors, she was greeted with a surprising sight.
"Huh?"
Lying around the lab where the TD Lyoko Warriors and one other, a girl with a rather…developed chest that made Aelita feel very insecure about herself.
She rushed over to the nearest one, Geoff and gently shook him. "Geoff?"
Geoff groaned slightly as he opened his eyes. "…Aelita?"
"Geoff, are you all right?" Aelita asked.
"I…" Geoff looked around. "I think so. The last thing I remember was freezing with the others out in the snow…Did you drag us in here?"
"No, I just got here." Aelita shook her head, glancing at the blond girl. "Who is that?"
"Oh, that's Lindsay. She's a fellow competitor from Total Drama." Geoff answered shakingly stood up. "Sorry, Aelita. I know you said don't bring anyone else here without asking first, but Lindsay was with us when the blizzard hit, and DJ picked her up when she fell in the snow. We couldn't leave her or she would have frozen to death."
"I see…Well, given the circumstances, you did the right thing." Aelita stated.
By then, the others were starting to wake, except for Lindsay who remained unconscious.
"Good thing the lab has a heater." DJ said, rubbing his arms.
"Yeah." LeShawna nodded in agreement.
They all noticed Aelita was there…and that Lindsay was there too.
"Oh, Aelita." Bridgette perked up. "Um, we can explain."
"Geoff already did and you don't have to worry. I think me and my friends would have done the same thing." Aelita said with reassuring smile. "Was it hard getting here?"
"Yeah. The weather was insanely cold and we should be used to this by now." Bridgette said glad to be in a warm place.
"Well, something is not right here. This isn't the first time XANA has created a blizzard, and I said before he does not repeat a failed plan. I don't understand why he would do something like this since it would be illogical." Aelita stated, getting back on track.
"So what now?" Geoff asked.
"We go to Lyoko and deactivate the tower. We can think about why later when the city is safe." Aelita answered but stopped and looked around. "Oh, I just noticed but where is Dawn?"
"She stayed behind to find the other contestants." DJ answered. "We were all outside when the blizzard appeared and she wanted to save them from freezing to death."
"Then we better hurry and get to the tower." Aelita nodded.
"So, who goes and who stays?" LeShawna asked before looking at Lindsay. "And whoever stays will have to watch over Lindsay."
"I'll go this time," Cameron volunteered. "I need to keep up my combat skills in case I'm needed somewhere aside from the computer."
"Same," Geoff nodded.
"I'm in." Bridgette and LeShawna said at the same time.
"I'm game," Gwen shrugged.
"I'll stay and send you over. Besides, I was the one who brought Lindsay so I'm responsible for her. " DJ sat in the chair. "Just gonna need a minute to get this right."
The others went down to the scanner room. Aelita, Cameron, and Geoff went in first.
"Scanner Aelita. Scanner Cameron. Scanner Geoff."
All three fighters appeared in the ice region, on one of the many generic fields of ice and snow.
"Somehow it's not surprising it would be in the Ice Sector." Cameron muttered, taking a moment to adjust to his 'Iron-Cam' Avatar. "So where is the tower?"
"West, it's quite a walk and I might need some time to get vehicles down there." DJ replied. "Oh, and here comes Bridgette, Gwen, and LeShawna."
No sooner than he said it did the surfer girl, spell caster and the group enforcer landed next to them.
Gwen sighed as she stood up. "Great. A winter vacation."
"We'd better hurry, things looked like they could get bad outside if snow keeps falling like it did." Bridgette said.
"I would but you and Cameron are probably faster than me on your board and his rocket boots." Gwen pointed out.
"I'm on it." Bridgette got onto her board and went into the air.
Meanwhile at the tower Yuki looked out towards the empty frozen land.
'They are here.' She thought.
She held up her right hand and it glowed light blue. Back with everyone else they were running towards the tower when something happened. A hand sprouted from the ground right in front of them.
"Woah!" Geoff jumped back as it came out.
It looked humanoid and it was an average height but there was no eyes, ears, nose, mouth, or hair. It was made of ice.
"What is that?" Cameron asked.
"I don't know. DJ do you see the monster in front of us?" asked Aelita.
"Monster? What monster? I don't see anything." Said DJ.
Aelita looked at the monster again.
"No sign of weapons on it. I don't see the Eye anywhere." Said Aelita.
The icy monster lunged at Geoff but with one chakram he sliced through.
"Well, that was easy." Said Geoff.
"And kind of pathetic. You think XANA is having a malfunction if he thinks a wimp like that can take us?" asked LeShawna.
"That was no monster. If it was it would have the Eye somewhere on it." Said Aelita.
"So, what was it?" Cameron asked.
"I don't know. But whatever it is could be a prelude to something much worse." Said Aelita.
"These kind of things usually are." Sighed Gwen.
"So, what now?" asked Bridgette coming down.
"Bridgette, go on ahead of us and check out the tower. If there are any enemies don't fight them until we get there." Said Aelita.
Bridgette nodded.
"All right."
She flew off on her surfboard.
"Good luck, Bridge!" Geoff shouted and waved.
Yuki could see what was happening through her puppet. She opened her eyes and her hands glowed again.
The Lyoko warriors were about to run towards the tower again when something else sprouted from the ground.
"Uh oh!" Cameron exclaimed as he jumped back.
This time, the icy themed puppet resembled a Dragon Knight with a sword and shield. It lunged at Cameron who fired his palm blasters, taking it out easily.
"Nice shot." Geoff complimented.
"Thanks." Cameron nodded but still sounded weary.
However, there was no time to move as more ice knights sprouted from the ground.
"Oh boy." Geoff gulped, stepping back and holding his chakrams tightly.
The ice knights surrounded them in larger numbers.
"This is not good."
"Don't be so sure. They may outnumber us, but we got them beat." Said LeShawna pulling out her hammer.
She charged forward smashing through the ice puppets. They piled on top of her but she threw them off easily. Geoff threw his chakrams that sliced through a lot of them before flying back into his hands. Gwen and Cameron stayed close to Aelita as they took out ice knights that tried to attack them.
Cameron fired off his blasters that blew off the heads of the ice puppets running at them while Gwen sliced them in half.
"This is way too easy." Cameron said once he blasted the last one.
"So, we can expect something horrible to happen." Said Gwen slicing another knight apart.
It seemed there was no end to them. The monsters were easy to destroy but for everyone they destroyed another took its place.
"What with these guys?" asked LeShawna smashing another with her hammer.
"I don't know but we're not getting anywhere like this." Said Gwen taking out another one.
"You guys are dense, aren't you?" A familiar voice was then heard.
They turned and saw Shadow and Ryder approaching but remained far enough away that neither side could attack.
"You can't stop them from spawning because they are not monsters or even what you would you consider in Lyoko living." Shadow stated.
"These guys again." Said LeShawna holding her hammer.
"Are you behind this?" asked Aelita.
"No. That's the work of Yuki." Ryder answered.
"Yuki?" Cameron asked.
"Yes, a new warrior created like we were. Her power is of ice, and the Ice Sector grants her the ability to spawn these puppets without limit. Something not even XANA can do with his monsters." Said Ryder.
"Another one?" Cameron stiffened.
"Should have known." Gwen narrowed her eyes.
"Now then, I believe we should pick up where we left off. This time our battle won't end like last time." Ryder unsheathed out his sword.
"Where's this Yuki?" asked Aelita.
"At the tower controlling these puppets." Said Ryder.
Geoff's eyes widened. "Oh no. Bridgette will be there."
"What's the matter? Afraid she can't handle herself?" asked Ryder smirking.
"That's enough, Ryder. Just hurry up and destroy them." Said Shadow.
"Cameron, Gwen, get Aelita to the tower. We'll handle these jokers." Said LeShawna glaring at them.
"On it." They both said.
Aelita and Gwen activated their wings while Cameron's rocket boots activated, propelling him into the air alongside the girls.
"We better hurry and catch up with Bridgette." Aelita advised as they flew in the direction Bridgette took.
"I still hate leaving LeShawna and Geoff behind like this." Gwen admitted.
"I'm sure they can take care of themselves, Gwen." Cameron said to her in an assuring tone.
They flew towards the tower leaving Geoff and LeShawna to face Shadow and Ryder.
"If you think you can handle us by yourselves than you are sadly mistaken." Ryder stated stoically.
"You need to learn how to stop talking, turkey!" LeShawna shouted, done with all the trash talk.
She ran forward and slammed her hammer down. Ryder and Shadow both dodged by vanishing red lightning and black smoke. LeShawna made sure to not let Shadow stab her from behind again as Ryder appeared in front of Geoff.
"I owe you for that little shock you gave me last time." Said Ryder pointing his sword at Geoff.
"Dude, it's not healthy to hold a grudge." Said Geoff as his chakrams formed into his axe.
"Well, after this I'll be the only one who wields lightning!" shouted Ryder as he swung his sword to the ground.
"Hey, Bridgette, watch yourself. There's another AI like Shadow and Ryder waiting at the tower and it was the one that created those ice things." DJ said, having listened to the conversation with Shadow and Ryder.
"Right." Said Bridgette as the tower came into view, seeing an icy dome surrounding it. "DJ, there's some kind of dome over the tower. I can't get in."
"Let me guess, it's made of ice."
"Yeah."
"They did say that the new AI's power was Ice. So be careful."
That was when Bridgette saw icy spears flying up at her. "Got to go!"
She quickly dodged them and increased speed as more spears flew up at her.
"Where is it? I don't see it."
Bridgette looked around to find her new enemy but so far she couldn't see anything.
"DJ, do you see the shooter?"
"Yeah. Right below you."
She quickly flew down and saw someone dressed in white.
"I see her."
She flew down and tried to ram her board into the figure, but a wall of ice formed and crashed into it. The board split into both swords as it went through but Bridgette was sent skidding across the icy ground because of the impact. She finally stopped and got up groaning.
"That might have cost me."
"You are the one who can control water." Came a female voice.
She looked and saw the new AI. It was a girl around the same age as her dressed in almost all white with white hair and blue eyes and the blue Eye of XANA on her shirt.
"I am Yuki." Said the girl with a calm look.
"Are you the one who created those icy monsters and that dome?" asked Bridgette.
"Yes."
Bridgette picked up her swords.
"Then I must ask you to let us through or I will have to fight you."
"My master has commanded that I guard the tower from all his enemies." Yuki replied raising her hand.
Bridgette sighed. "I guess I have no choice then."
She ran forward and swung her swords, but ice sprouted from the ground between Yuki and Bridgette's swords. She jumped back as an icy spear blasted from the ground, missing her by a few inches. Back-flipping from the attack and landing on her feet Bridgette swung one of her swords unleashing her energy wave. Yuki raised her hand and created a wall of ice that the energy wave shattered.
However, Yuki was not behind the wall anywhere. Bridgette looked around to find her enemy.
"DJ, you see her?"
"Hang on. Behind you!"
That was when Bridgette's feet froze, and icy hands rose up and grabbed her arms. Her hands froze completely immobilizing her. Yuki walked out back into sight.
"You are strong. But against me you have two disadvantages. Your power is controlling water which against me is useless since I can freeze and then control it. The other is that this sector makes me even more powerful because I can control the ice here. That is how I created those puppets. It is similar to how my master can create monsters but the difference is that here in this sector I can produce an unlimited amount something not even he can do but they have no life points and are weak against you and the others." Yuki stated, her tone as cold as the very ice she controlled.
Claws made of ice covered her hand right hand as she raised it.
"This battle is over for you."
She prepared to strike her when a voice was heard.
"Energy Field!"
She jumped back as a pink sphere of energy along with several lasers fried at her. Gwen, Cameron and Aelita landed between the new general and Bridgette.
"Guys, you made it!" Bridgette smiled in relief.
"Just in time." Cameron replied, smiling under his helmet.
"So, this is the new general XANA has made." Aelita kept her eyes on Yuki.
"Yeah. Aelita, she can control ice, and she used the ice here to make those things. As long as there is ice she can control it." Bridgette informed as Cameron shot the ice holding her.
"That explains why she was able to create so many. Not even XANA can create that many monsters at once." Said Aelita.
"You are Aelita. XANA has ordered me to capture you." Yuki said.
"I'm not surprised. But you won't succeed." Said Aelita holding her hand.
"LIGHTNING STORM!"
Geoff jumped out of the way of attack which slammed into the last few ice puppets. Geoff turned and looked at Ryder.
"What's the matter? You keep running away." Said Ryder.
"I'm just taking it easy." Said Geoff.
"Well, that's what will get you killed." Said Ryder as he prepared to attack again.
Geoff swung his axe which unleashed his own lightning attack. Ryder responded by swinging his blade again.
"LIGHTNING STORM!"
The attacks collided and created a huge explosion. Meanwhile LeShawna and Shadow continued to fight. Shadow dodged the girl's hammer, rolling and leaping out of the path of the attacks and tried to strike at her with his sword, but she countered by blocking with the staff part of her massive weapon. She swung at the ground to send out shock waves and made him stumble back, and followed up with trying to smash him, only for him to back flip out of range.
Geoff and Ryder exchanged blows, moving fast as lightning. Geoff used his chakarams as makeshift weapons in their separated forms to knock aside Ryder's katana and dodged the long two handed blade. Ryder was not able to afford attacking as much due to how his weapon was slower to maneuver than Geoff's small and lighter chakrams.
"LIGHTNING STORM!" Ryder called upon his attack again.
"Getting old dude!" Geoff shouted after dodging once again, cart wheeling out of the way. "Gotta do way better than that!"
"I'm not trying to hit you, human, I've herded you." Ryder smirked.
Geoff looked over his shoulder and saw he was near one of the corners of the plateau the fight was on. "Oh crap."
Ryder began to force Geoff back with a series of stabs and slashes. Geoff tries to get away from the edge, but Ryder cut off every escape he made. Finally, Geoff formed his axe and started to go on the offensive. Soon they were moving back and forth, striking out at one another in an endless push against each other.
Shadow dodged another swing from LeShawna when he looked at Ryder. "Let's go, Ryder. We have a mission to complete."
Ryder growled as Shadow vanished in a cloud of black smoke. He looked back Geoff before vanishing in a flash of red lightning.
"Guys, you got to move! They're heading to the others!" said DJ.
"On it!" LeShawna replied as they ran towards the tower as fast as they could.
The elevator doors opened, causing DJ to look up and he saw it was none other than William, dressed in a winter coat with goggles over his eyes. "William, oh am I glad it's you. Are you okay, man?"
"Felt like I walked through the arctic, but I'll be okay." William stepped into the lab. "How are things going?"
"Not good, man. A new general has popped up and she's got ice powers and she's wicked strong in the Ice Sector." DJ answered.
"A blizzard followed by a general with ice powers and a tower in the Ice Sector? I guess XANA's never heard of 'too on the nose'." William said dryly, stopping when he saw Lindsay groaning against the wall. "Who is-"
"That's Lindsay, a fellow contestant. She got caught up in the blizzard outside with us and I couldn't leave her, or she would have frozen to death." DJ quickly answered. "Sorry, man. We didn't have time to drop her off."
"Right, I get it." William nodded.
"Oh, have you heard from Dawn?" DJ asked.
"Dawn?" William blinked. "No. Why?"
"She stayed behind to help the other contestants from the blizzard. I thought she would catch up when she was done but she hasn't shown up." DJ explained. "She still doesn't have a cell phone so I can't reach her."
"Then we better hurry and shut down that tower." William nodded, turning back to the elevator. "Send me in and I'll help the others."
DJ nodded.
As the elevator doors closed, Lindsay opened her eyes and she slowly began to look around. "Huh? Wh-where am I?"
"Hey, Lindsay." She looked over to see DJ sitting at a weird looking computer. "You okay?"
"DJ? Where are we?" Lindsay rubbed her head. "What happened?"
"Sorry, Lindsay. I had to bring you here or you would have froze to death out there in the cold." DJ admitted, starting up the virtualization sequence for William. "But we're doing what we can to save everyone?"
"Cold? Everyone?" Lindsay blinked in confusion before it all came back. "The weird blizzard! Tyler!"
"Lindsay, wait!" DJ called out as Lindsay turned and ran for the elevator. "If you go up there, you'll die from the cold."
"But Tyler-"
"I am sure Tyler is okay. Dawn might have found him and brought him back to the studio." DJ said, activating the sequence as William stepped into the scanner. "And we're trying to stop the blizzard right now."
"Stop it?" Lindsay turned around and walked up to the computer. "What is going on, DJ? What is this place?"
"That's…" DJ trailed off, not sure how much he could tell. "Just trust me, Lindsay. We're doing everything we can."
Lindsay looked nervous, watching as DJ turned and began virtualizing William. "Okay, I think it goes like this: transfer William, scanner William…Virtualization!"
Yuki raised her hand and fired very sharp icicles from at Aelita and the others. They dodged and Gwen threw her scythe. However, Yuki raised a hand the scythe was frozen and it fell to the ground not even close to Yuki.
"Plasma Beam!" Aelita shouted as she fired a beam of pure energy.
Yuki dodged and a blue aura covered her.
"Wrath of the Blizzard!"
From her hand a whirlwind of snow and ice blasted from her hand towards them.
"Look out!" Bridgette shouted.
She pushed Aelita out of the way and took the full force of the attack.
"Bridgette!" Gwen shouted as her digital body was pierced by ice devirtualizing her instantly.
The scanner doors opened, and Bridgette groaned as she fell out.
"One down, three to go." Yuki said turning to them.
"Actually, you are leaving next." Said Aelita holding her hand. "Energy Field!"
She fired her attack, but Shadow appeared and blocked the attack. His sword absorbed the attack and then swung it firing the attack back.
"Move!" Cameron shouted.
They dodged the attack as flew past them. Shadow appeared next to Yuki.
"Good, job, Yuki. You weakened them and took out one of them." Said Shadow.
"Everyone all right?" asked Gwen.
"Yes." Aelita said getting up.
However, Ryder appeared and slashed them all, knocking them down and Shadow used his smoke to grab them, binding their arms and legs to their bodies.
"Well, this was easy." Shadow remarked, his hand remaining outstretched. "I would have expected more of a challenge."
"We're still standing." Cameron retorted, struggling against the black smoke holding him.
"Not for long." Shadow said, pointing his arm off in the direction of the edge of landscape, forcing Aelita, Gwen and Cameron to follow his movements. "You have an appointment to take nice long soak in the Digital Sea, the three of you. Though I am sure XANA will be more than to enjoy your company, Aelita."
Aelita grunted as she struggled against the smoke bindings.
"Say hello to Jeremy for me, will you?" Shadow grinned as he brought them close to the edge…
"Not on my watch!" A cloud of black smoke shot in front of Shadow, solidifying into William who then proceed to slug Shadow in the face, breaking his concentration.
The black smoke holding Aelita, Gwen and Cameron vanished, and they landed on the ground. LeShawna leaped into the air and swung her hammer down at Yuki, who sank back into the ice to avoid it. Cameron paused and held out his hand with the palm blaster ready, watching the ice beneath the fighters while the display in his helmet was beeping. When he saw a lump begin to form in the ice, he locked on it and fired. It hit Yuki just as she was out of the ice up to her waist and hit her right in the heart. She gasped in pain and fell over.
"Nice try." Cameron remarked, the display in his helmet allowing him to track Yuki through the ice.
Geoff and made his way to Ryder. "You're going down you ninja wannabe."
"Maybe another day. LIGHTNING STORM!" Ryder unleashed a wave of energy at the warriors forcing them to dodge.
LeShawna growled as she swung her hammer at Shadow who dodged by vanishing into his super smoke and reappeared behind her. He fired a cloud of black smoke that caught her and slammed her into an icy boulder.
"It's sad. You have no idea what your ability is so you rely on that hammer's ability to grant you super strength. Without it your nothing." Said Shadow.
LeShawna growled. "I'd watch that mouth of yours, turkey."
Shadow smirked. "Why, you can't hit from that distance, but I can."
A dark aura surrounded Shadow. "Darkness Arrow!"
Hundreds of arrows made of the same black smoke from before shot out towards the LeShawna. She held her hammer to block but she was still hit several times. DJ watched her life points went down to twenty. Growling she charged forward to strike Shadow.
"Super Smoke!"
He disappeared back into a cloud of black smoke and retreated away from her.
"Come back here and fight!" shouted LeShawna.
"Why? I'm having fun toying with you right now." Shadow replied becoming solid again.
Once again he was surrounded by a dark aura as he prepared another attack. LeShawna growled and in that anger something in her mind opened up. Her hammer glowed as she prepared to swing.
"Don't make me laugh. You won't be able to reach me." Said Shadow.
Unfortunately, Shadow underestimated his enemy as LeShawna swung her hammer above her head, flames began to circle around it. Shadow's eyes widened as he looked to see a giant version of her hammer coming down on him.
"Super Smoke!"
BOOM!
Shadow vanished into smoke just in time as the hammer hit the ground, creating a large explosion that shook the landscape. Everyone paused, watching the smoke as it cleared, revealing LeShawna standing up and holding her hammer over her shoulder.
Shadow appeared next to Ryder and Yuki as they regrouped, now surrounded by the five warriors.
"Aelita, go. Shut down the tower." William pointed his Zweihander at Shadow. "We got this."
Aelita nodded and activated her wings, flying off towards the tower. However, rather than looking disappointed, Shadow grinned.
Aelita landed in front of the icy dome surrounding the tower, let out a soft hum, her power of Creation allowing her to form an opening in the dome. She stepped in and saw the tower.
"So, an evil computer is causing all sorts of bad stuff to happen?"
DJ nodded, glad to see Lindsay was getting the gist of it. Him and Bridgette had been taking the time to explain what was going on to Lindsay as they watched the battles in the virtual world.
"And you're helping this Lita-"
"Aelita." Bridgette corrected.
"To stop this computer by finding a tower?" Lindsay continued.
"That's the main gist of it, Lindsay. We've been helping since the season started, ever since that cyber attack." Bridgette nodded and continued. "It's been rough, but we've done good so far."
"And now this evil computer is making the blizzard outside?" Lindsay asked, trying to understand everything she had been told but unfortunately it's never been an easy thing for her.
"Luckily, I think we're about to solve…" DJ stopped as he looked at the computer screen. "Oh crud! Aelita, look out!"
Just as Aelita was several feet away from the tower, a giant claw broke out of the icy ground in front of her and swatted at her, knocking her back and sending her rolling back near the ice wall. She managed to lift her head and watched as a monster resembling a polar bear emerged from the ground, snarling at her.
And it wasn't alone.
Three more polar bear-like monsters emerged from the ground, surrounding her. "DJ, the others!"
"Guys, it was a trap! There are four monsters surrounding the tower and they are very big and very mean!" DJ shouted, alarming the other Lyoko Warriors. "And just one hit brought Aelita's life points down to quarter!"
Shadow chuckled, causing William to glare at him. "Oh, did I forget to mention another new monster? Aelita is getting her first introduction…to the Polar Klaw."
Eyes widening, William looked in the direction of the tower. "Aelita! Go help her!"
Gwen activated her bat wings, taking off into the air, followed by Cameron using his rocket boots. LeShawna and Geoff would have followed by an ice wall sprouted from the ground, cutting them off and leaving them and William alone with the three generals.
"Going somewhere?" Shadow summoned his Zweihander.
Geoff grunted as he gripped his chakrams while LeShawna readied her hammer. William grit his teeth, realizing that it had been a trap all along.
Aelita stepped back, warily eyeing the four polar bear monsters, named Polar Klaws by Shadow.
"Aelita, Gwen and Cameron are on their way!" DJ's voice called out. "Just get out of there and wait for them."
As much as Aelita didn't like the idea of turning tail and running she was outnumbered and knew she had to regroup with the others. She turned and ran for the entrance she had made but one of the Polar Klaws opened their mouths and let loose a beam of blue light, shooting past Aelita and form ice in front of her, covering up the opening she had made.
"A Freeze beam." Aelita turned around, forming an Energy Field with one hand. "Like the Freeze Spray used by the Bloks."
This was not good but Aelita knew she couldn't give up now. She aimed and threw her Energy Field at the nearest Polar Klaw but it fired its Freeze Beam and it collided with Aelita's Energy Field…
Freezing it on contact.
Aelita gasped as another charged at her. She activated her energy wings and flew over it, leaving it to run headfirst into the icy wall. She aimed her hand down and fired an energy field, hitting it before it could recover. The pink energy covered its body and it let out a howl before exploding a second later.
One down, three to go.
She turned to see the other three firing their freeze beams at her, forcing her to spin and fly out of the way as she fired back. However, her Energy Fields were frozen in mid-air by the ice beams. She flew at the tower but the Polar Klaws turned and fired, covering the tower completely in ice. Aelita gasped as she flew straight into the ice face-first. Her wings disappeared and she fell to the ground, not hurt but disoriented.
A Polar Klaw charged at her and sank its claws into her torso before she could get up.
Aelita cried out as her body disappeared.
Outside, Gwen and Cameron landed outside the dome, in front of the icy covered entrance Aelita had made just in time to see her vanished.
"Oh no!" Cameron cried out.
"DJ, we're too late!" Gwen turned around, an alarmed look on her face. "William's the only one who can shut down the tower."
The scanner door opened and Aelita staggered out, groaning as she rubbed her head. She made her way to the elevator and pressed the up button. The doors closed and the elevator took her up to the lab, the doors opening a moment later.
"Aelita!" Bridgette ran over and looked the pink haired girl over. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine but the tower is still active." Aelita replied, letting Bridgette lead her over. "How are things looking?"
"Not good. Yuki's used her ice powers to trap William, LeShawna and Geoff with her, Shadow and Ryder." DJ answered, standing up and allowing Aelita to sit down at the computer. "They're holding out but they need help."
"Then you better go and help, DJ." Aelita suggested, taking the head-set. "William can't be devirtualized or it's all over for everyone in France."
"Uh…" Aelita turned to see Lindsay looking at her with a raised hand and a shy look on her face. "When you say 'all over'…"
"She means everyone out there will likely die, Lindsay." Bridgette placed a hand on Lindsay's shoulder. "But don't worry, we're not going to let that happen."
Lindsay looked very distressed, even as DJ patted her on the shoulder. "Don't worry, I'm going to make sure no one dies."
She watched as DJ entered the elevator and took it down to the scanner room.
"All right, here we go." She turned and watched as Aelita started up the virtualization sequence. "Transfer, DJ."
Lindsay wasn't sure what to do other than watch as Bridgette stood next to Aelita, watching as the image of DJ's digital card filled up.
"Scanner, DJ."
'Tyler…' Lindsay thought miserably to herself, unable to leave to find him or Beth or any of their friends who might still be out in the cold.
"Virtualization."
Meanwhile, in the Total Drama Studio, Tyler was lying on a bed in the infirmary with the rest of his team, eyes blurry as he stared up at the ceiling.
"Lindsay…"
(Credits: Code Lyoko Theme)
One by one, the Lyoko Warriors are shown, their real and virtual forms appearing side by side.
First is Aelita, appearing in her normal form, followed by her original and upgraded Lyoko forms, her angel wings sprouting from her upgraded form.
Next came William, in his original Lyoko form, followed by his darker form, brandishing his Zweihander.
Then came Gwen who was sketching her notebook, followed by her Lyoko form with her cape spread out to form her bat wings.
LeShawna was next, smiling confidently in her normal appearance, and brandishing her hammer in her Lyoko form.
Geoff was shown relaxing on a beach chair before his Lyoko form appeared next to him, ready to throw one of his chakrams.
Bridgette was next, in holding her surfboard while wearing her swimsuit, followed by her Lyoko form with her actually surfing waters on her board.
DJ was then shown, sitting in a forest and surrounded by animals before his Lyoko form appeared next to him, smiling as he stood over the animals like a guardin.
Cameron was then shown with a case that he opened and in a flash of light, he was in his armored Lyoko form.
Dawn was shown sitting on a stump, her legs crossed and was seemingly meditating, her Lyoko form appearing next to her, matching her normal self's position perfectly. Several more Lyoko cards were shown, all of them blank as the credits ended.
(Credits: Code Lyoko Theme)
Chapter 38: Episode 38: Wonder Lindsay
Summary:
As the stakes get even higher, to save the their friends and all of France, the Lyoko Gang turns to an unexpected individual for help.
Chapter Text
(Code Total Drama Reality Introduction Song Starts)
(This Game (From 'No Game No Life'))
The intro begins with the sun rising over the city of Paris, before the camera angles down on Kadic Academy. Stepping into view is Aelita, standing at the school gates as she looks up and watches as dark clouds suddenly cover the sky. Her eyes widen as she suddenly morphs into her Lyoko form, energy fields appearing in her hands.
William appears next, a dark copy of him, resembling his Lyoko form as a warrior of XANA appearing behind him, both clashing their swords, causing a flash of light as the title appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(I never wanted to be)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors appear with her as they are surrounded by the monsters of XANA.
(Another gear in that corrupted world's machine)
A giant bird appears above the city, letting out a loud screech.
(All my life felt like a dream)
One by one, the Lyoko Warriors enter the scanners and the doors closed, a ring of light traveling up their bodies as the camera shows and alternates each Lyoko Warrior before they vanish in a flash of light.
(I was never who I really wanted me to be)
Vehicles resembling a hovercraft, a board, a motorcycle appear with new vehicles resembling a sled and a hoverbike with a jet engine appears, carrying the Lyoko Warriors off as they are surrounded by monsters that begin shooting lasers at them.
(But then God shattered that dream's cage)
Four towers, each in a separate sector begins to glow red with monsters and an armored figure leading the monsters. Aelita lands on the platform and places her hand on the screen.
(And rose me up to a new stage)
The Total Drama contestants founds themselves back in the studio, their fellow contestants gathered with them as Chris laughs
(Cut it away like a sharp knife)
He gestures to the screens, showing them all in challenges…
(No, no, No Game No Life)
With each of them suffering a variety of misfortunes: Gwen vomits on Duncan, a soccer ball explodes in Bridgette's face, Geoff yells as a missile chases after him.
(Now suddenly there's a new twist)
Geoff's yelling suddenly stops and he changes into his Lyoko form, brandishing his weapons that cut the missile in half, causing the two pieces to fly past Geoff and explodes behind him.
(A reason to really exist)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors assume their Lyoko forms and battle down various monsters, some of them belonging to XANA and some are different but dangerous.
(I wanna breathe in the fame)
From legions of monsters, comes Men in Black, giant spaceships aiming their cannons down on the bewildered Lyoko Warriors.
(As this whole new world cheers my name)
The camera zooms in on the lead space ship as it prepares to fire.
(I'll never leave it to fate)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors are shown running through the streets of France, the sky darkening and the Eye of XANA appearing on every monitor they pass.
(And when I see a chance I'll pave the way)
They reach the factory, sliding down the ropes and reaching the elevator.
(I'll call checkmate)
The elevator reaches the scanner room, Aelita and William waiting for them.
(This is the time to breakthrough)
The Lyoko Warriors then gather before a scanner, the camera facing them inside with the group staring at it critically. A hand reaches up, giving them a thumbs-up before the scanner doors close.
(So I'll rewrite the story and I'll finally change all the rules)
The Lyoko Warriors are now gathered in the Forest Sector of Lyoko, suddenly separated by a crescent shaped wave of red energy and out of the flames emerges a humanoid warrior in dark armor, their face covered by a horned helmet and the Eye of XANA on its chest and forehead.
(We are MAVERICK)
William charges forward, his large sword clashing against the equally sized weapon of Shadow, both glaring hatefully at each other.
(We won't give in until we win this game)
Both disappear into white and black smoke before we then see Bridgette in the Ice Sector, battling a giant monster resembling a polar bear.
(Though I don't know what tomorrow holds)
The monster is about to cut Bridgette down with its claws before a blast of pure lightning blasts it to pieces.
(I'll make a bet and play my cards to win this game)
The origin of the attack is revealed to be Geoff, holding a giant axe instead of his chakrams as he charges forward to help Bridgette, a look of determination replacing his normal carefree smile.
(Unlike the rest I'll do my best)
A pair of Wasps are shown chasing Dawn who is on the Overwing before Gwen shoots up, her cape morphing into bat like wings as she slashes through the Wasps with her scythe.
(And I won't ever lose)
A pair of Krabs fire on her but DJ's barrier saves her before Cameron flies down and blasts the Krabs with his arm cannons.
(To give up this chance would be a deadly sin)
LeShawna is then staring up at the hulking form of the Kolossus as it approaches her.
(So let's bet it all)
Gripping her hammer tightly, LeShawna charges to meet the biggest of XANA's monsters head on.
(I put all my faith in us)
Aelita is then shown in a red version of Sector 5, turning to glare at the Avatar of XANA who smirks back at her.
(So let the games begin)
Aelita readies her energy field and charges at XANA who summons his own sword, clashing with Aelita's energy fields. Pink and red energy erupt from their clash, covering the screen in white before changing to a black screen with blue lines of coding filling it and the title appearing on last time:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(This Game (From 'No Game No Life') Ends)
Episode 38: Wonder Lindsay
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09:
STATUS: ONGOING
CODENAMED: COLD WAR ii
PROGRESS: ENEMY UNITS AELITA AND BRIDGETTE HAVE BEEN DEVIRTUALIZED. NEW UNITS CODENAMED 'POLAR KLAW' HAVE PROVEN EXEPTIONALLY WELL IN COMBAT AND GENERAL UNIT: YUKI HAS SHOWN REMARKABLE PROGRESS IN HER ICE ABILITY AND CONTROL OVER THE ICE SECTOR. WHILE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN PREFERABLE THAT AELITA HAD BEEN CAPTURED, THE POLAR KLAW UNITS STILL DEVIRTUALIZED HER, PREVENTING HER FROM DEACTIVATING THE TOWER. ONLY WILLIAM REMAINS AS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN DEACTIVATE THE TOWER.
OBJECTIVES: DEVIRTUALIZE ALL REMAINING ENEMY UNITS AND CAPTURE WILLIAM
ACCESSING MONSTER PROGRAM: SCYPHOZOA
PREPARE FOR VIRTUALIZATION
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PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS: 80%
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SAVING ALL DATA
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WARNING: ENERGY SURGE DETECTED
LOCATING
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TOTAL DRAMA STUDIO
ACCESSING SURVEILANCE CAMERAS
"Mike! Mike!" Zoey was shivering, almost barely able to move through the blizzard that had come out of nowhere.
Where had all the snow come from?
Was this some new twist from Chris?
She could barely see, barely breath, barely hear and she was so worried about Mike, Cameron and the others. Were any of them okay or where they all lost in the blizzard like she was?
'Got to think positive, got to think positive, got to think positive…' Zoey repeatedly thought to herself as she tried to keep moving…
Only she ended up falling forward, losing all feeling in her body…
"Zoey…"
Zoey slowly opened her eyes, feeling a pair of warm arms encircle her and there was the smell of pine cones.
Suddenly, the white blinding snowy winds were gone, replaced by the familiar ceiling and walls of the studio. Zoey lifted her head, seeing more of her friends lying down on beds in the infirmary, many of them shivering.
"Wha…How…" Zoey mumbled, her lips numb from the cold.
She was too tired to speak and what little strength she had faded as she fell back down and dozed off…
TOTAL DRAMA SURVEILANCE SYSTEM ACCESSED
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Camera 34: Infirmary
The infirmary of the Total Drama was studio at first before suddenly in the center of the room, Total Drama contestants designated: Alejandro Burromuerto, Noah Hayden, Tyler Beckham, Owen McCord, Anne Maria, Sierra Obansawin, Duncan Nelson, Courtney Barlow, Justin Reid, Rudolph 'Lightning' Jackson, Trenton 'Trent' Lennon and Dawn Medrek all appear while camera image becomes distorted for a brief moment. Dawn then places almost all one a bed while leaving Alejandro off to the side.
Then she disappears, causing more distortions.
A moment later she appears again as distortion blurs her image but there is quick compensation, placing Total Drama Designate Zoe Mamabolo, disappearing again, followed by a minor distortion. She continues to disappear and reappear, placing more Total Dama conestants on infirmary beds until all them aside from the enemy TD units are present.
She sighs, her form shaking but resolved…as she looks up at the camera and scowls.
Then she vanishes.
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SURVIELANCE SYSTEM SUFFERING DISTORTION FROM STRANGE ENERGY SURGE
ATTEMTPING TO CLEAR DISTORTIONS
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Replay:
Total Drama contestants designated: Alejandro Burromuerto, Noah Hayden, Tyler Beckham, Owen McCord, Anne Maria, Sierra Obansawin, Duncan Nelson, Courtney Barlow, Justin Reid, Rudolph 'Lightning' Jackson, Trenton 'Trent' Lennon and Dawn Medrek all appear with no visible sign of entry. Dawn then places almost all one a bed while leaving Alejandro off to the side.
Then she disappears, causing more distortions that is cleared up.
A moment later she appears again as distortion blurs her image but there is quick compensation, placing Total Drama Designate Zoe Mamabolo, disappearing again, followed by a minor distortion. She continues to disappear and reappear, placing more Total Dama conestants on infirmary beds until all them aside from the enemy TD units are present.
She sighs, her form shaking but resolved…as she looks up at the camera and scowls.
Then she vanishes.
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SCANNING PHENOMINA
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OBSERVATION: HUMAN UNIT DESIGNATE DAWN MEDREK DISPLAYS ILLOGICAL ABILITY TO DISAPPEAR AND REAPPEAR, SUGGESTING SHE HAS THE ABILITY OF 'TELEPORTATION'.
EVIDENCE: UNIT IS LITERALLY SEEN TELEPORTING TOTAL DRAMA CONTESTANT UNITS TO INFIRMARY DURING OPERATION: COLD WAR II.
FINDINGS: LITTLE INFORMATION ON DAWN MEDREK OUTSIDE DATE OF BIRTH, MEDICAL HISTORY AND SOCIAL SERCURITY NUMBER. UNIT HAS NO ELECTRONIC DEVICES, DOES NOT USE NETWORKING SITES AND HAS VIRTUALLY NO CONTACT OUTSIDE OF COMPETATION DESIGNATED TOTAL DRAMA
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ANALYSIS: INCONCLUSIVE
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PROBABILITY: UNKNOWN
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RESULTS: …
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NO LOGICAL CONCLUSIONS CAN BE MADE ABOUT THIS OCCURANCE
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CONCLUSION: HUMAN DESIGNATE DAWN MEDREK HAS UNKNOWN ABILITIES NOT CONNECTED TO LYOKO.
CONSEQUENCE: UNKNOWN ABILITES MAKE HUMAN DESIGNATE DAWN MEDREK AN EVEN GREATHER THREAT THAN PREVIOUSLY CALCULATED
SOLUTION: HUMAN UNIT MUST BE CAPTURED FOR STUDY OR TERMINATED
DJ opened his eyes and he landed perfectly on his feet as he fell onto the snowy ground of Lyoko's Ice Sector. Standing up, he looked around and stretched his limbs for a second.
"DJ, are you there?" Aelita's voice asked.
"I'm here, Aelita and everything's cool." DJ answered. "Where is everyone?"
"Straight ahead. Sending you the Overboard." Aelita replied and a second later, the Overboard appeared right in front of DJ. "Remember, DJ, William is the only one who can shut down the tower now. You have to stop him from being devirtualized or everyone in the city will likely die from the cold."
"I hear ya." DJ nodded with a serious gaze as he stepped into the board. "I won't let that happen."
With that, he took on the Overboard, shooting straight towards the battlefield.
Meanwhile, the battle with the Generals raged on but even though the odds were even, William, LeShawna and Geoff were being pushed back.
"Take this!" Shouted Geoff swinging his axe.
He unleashed his energy wave, but Ryder deflected it with his sword. "It's futile to fight. You have to know how outmatched you are by now."
"Don't kid yourself, boy. You're going down." LeShawna retorted.
"With the three of us you don't stand a chance." Geoff added.
"Try it! LIGHTNING STORM!" Ryder unleashed his signature attack which forced them to dodge.
Ryder unleashed wave after wave of lightning to blast them. LeShawna ran and swung her hammer. Ryder dodged and they clashed. Meanwhile Geoff moved to assist but a whip made of pure ice lashed out, knocking him down.
"Geoff, your down to thirty life points!" Aelita called out.
Geoff looked up to see it was none other than Yuki, brandishing a whip made of pure ice. She swung it again, forcing Geoff to roll out of the way. His axe disassembled back onto two chakrams and Geoff threw one at Yuki, the bladed disk cutting through her whip. Yuki side-stepped and spun out of the way, firing ice shard as she spun.
Geoff rolled out of the way, holding out his hand as the chakram flew at him while Yuki had her back turned…
An ice pillar shot up from the ground, intercepting the chakram before it hit.
And Yuki didn't even glance behind her.
Ryder then swung a fish at LeShawna with electricity gathered in it.
"Take this!" He punched her in the gut which sent her flying back. "Had enough?"
"LeShawna, you've got twenty life points left!"
"Don't you know you're not supposed to hit a lady?"
Ryder looked up in time to see Cameron flying down at him, firing his palm blasters. Ryder stepped back, blocking several shots with his sword. Meanwhile, Gwen landed in front of Yuki, a red aura surrounding her.
"Mystic Aura…" Gwen whispered, somehow knowing the name of this power she was using. "Flame!"
She swung her scythe that was now burning red at Yuki, forcing to duck and roll out of the way. The scythe clashed through the icy pillar holding Geoff's chakram, allowing her to grab it and throw it back at Geoff who caught it.
Ryder narrowed his eyes, jumping into the air as Cameron circled and managed to land a grazing slash on his shoulder. Once he landed on the ground, he twisted his sword in his hand and threw it up at dodged but it turned and stabbed him through the shoulder.
"What-?!"
"Boom."
The sword let loose a blast of red lightning, electrocuting Cameron who cried and his form immediately devirtualized.
Cameron groaned as he fell out of the scanner.
"This is not good." Aelita murmured. "They're isolating William from the others so Shadow can take him out."
The elevator doors opened, allowing Cameron to enter the lab. "Sorry, Aelita. We're doing our best here."
"It's okay, Cameron. It's not your fault." Bridgette patted Cameron on the shoulder. "They were just too well prepared."
That was what was bothering Aelita the most. With three Generals and still showing a new batch of monsters, it was clear that XANA was well prepared in advanced for anyone who would try to stop him. He either made those Polar Klaw monsters along with the other new ones before he announced his return or kept on making new monsters to throw her, William and the rest of the new Lyoko Warriors off balance.
They even managed to devirtualize her before she even got to the tower.
That had never happened before.
XANA's new monsters, in fact everything had changed and Aelita feared that as they were now, even with the numbers on their side, she and the others just didn't have what it took to hold XANA back anymore.
"Cameron!" Gwen called out.
Ryder raised his hand over his head, catching his sword. "I magnetized that armor of your friend and my sword can channel electricity even when I am not holding it. Too bad, I was hoping your friend would figure it out."
SMASH!
"Don't forget about me!" DJ called out in his golem form, having smashed his way through the icy wall and charged at Ryder.
"I don't have time bother with you!" shouted Ryder as he swung his sword and unleashed another wave of lightning.
DJ dodged as Ryder fired waves of lightning at him.
'Crap. The most I can do is dodge.'
"Aren't you a pest?" asked Ryder as he swung his sword again.
"LIGHTNING STORM!"
DJ quickly changed back put up a barrier that blocked the attack. Gwen jumped over him and flew at Ryder.
"Take this!"
Ryder smirked before he vanished in a flash of red light. Gwen looked and saw Ryder appear above her.
"Fool! Don't think you can take me out that easily!"
He swung his blade down at her.
"LIGHTNING STORM!"
Gwen jumped out of the way of the attack as it blasted the ground where she once stood. Ryder landed in front of them and plunged his sword into the floor.
"Say goodbye!" He said as channelled electricity into his sword.
"Gwen, no!" DJ called out, rushing
He rushed forward, getting in between Gwen and Ryder as he swung his sword…
"DJ, no!" Gwen called out from behind him.
"LIGHTNING ARC!"
He held up his hands, ready to sacrifice himself…except that's not what happened.
He was ready to cast a barrier but to his and Gwen's surprise a shield around DJ's arms much Odd's shield and instead of just blocking, Ryder's own attack was reflected right back at him!
Eyes widening, Ryder hastily brought his sword in front of him, taking the blast head on. DJ and Gwen watched as Ryder slid back, the blast pushing him away from them and straight over the edge, leaving him to fall into the Digital Sea.
DJ stared with widened eyes as he looked at his hands. "How did I do that?"
"Maybe your barrier does more than just block." Gwen suggested, a grateful smile on her face. "Either way, thanks DJ. Not many people would have taken a hit like that."
DJ blinked but smiled. "I'll always be there for my friends, Gwen."
Gwen nodded.
"What just happened?" Bridgette asked.
"It looks like DJ's shield changed. Instead of blocking, it reflected Ryder's own attack back at him." Aelita surmised, looking just as surprised as everyone else.
A beeping sound brought a halt to any celebration.
"Oh no." Aelita paled. "William, the Scyphozoa has appeared."
William's own large sword was currently locked with Shadow's matching Zweihander, both of them struggling to overpower the other when Aelita's voice cut through.
Sure enough, the screeching noise the Scyphozoa made could be heard behind William which would have made his heartbeat very fast if they were in the real world.
"Well, well, looks we're having a real union here." Shadow taunted with a smile. "Just get it over with, William. It's going to happen one way or another."
William glared. "Never!"
With renewed strength, William shoved Shadow back, spinning around to face the Scyphozoa. "You're not getting me ever again, XANA!"
Before he could move though, a beam of blue hit him and encased him completely in ice. Shadow grunted, watching as the three Polar Klaws approached.
"Unlike the usual ice beam, these ones can be modified to just immobilize you without taking your life points." The dark version of William remarked, casually bringing his Zweihander over his shoulder.
With William unable to move, the Scyphozoa began to approach him.
"Gwen, LeShawna, Geoff, DJ, William's been immobilized." Aelita hastily spoke into the headset. "You have to hurry and save him before the Scyphozoa takes his memory."
"On it." LeShawna nodded, about to run to save William when another ice wall sprouted from the ground, cutting them off from William. "What in the-?!"
The wall then suddenly split open and from the other side came an ice beam that hit LeShawna before she could blink.
"LeShawna!" Gwen shouted, watching as ice statue of her best friend shattered, ejecting her from Lyoko.
The scanner opened and LeShawna was curled on the ground, banging her fist on the ground in frustration.
On the other side of the ice wall stood Yuki and the three Polar Klaw monsters, standing between the remaining Lyoko Warriors and William.
"Aelita, we're cut off." DJ stepped back. "Those polar monsters and the ice lady are in our way."
Geoff swung his axe, unleashing a lightning wave at the monsters but all three fired their ice beams and to the surprise of the Lyoko Warriors and those watching, Geoff's lightning blast was completely frozen upon making contact with the ice beams.
"No way!"
"You have to hurry and find a way past them!" Aelita urged. "If William's memory is drained, he will die!"
Poor Lindsay was hanging back, confused about everything happening in front of her and worried beyond measure for Tyler. She so badly wanted to leave but the cold temperatures and frosty weather would be a death sentence for her if she stepped outside. All she knew was that whatever everyone here were doing it was supposed to help stop the blizzard but Lindsay was still confused and scared.
"Aelita."
"Gah!" Lindsay jumped, along with Bridgette and Cameron as they turned to see Dawn standing behind them.
"Dawn?!" Bridgette caught her breath. "I wish you wouldn't do that!"
"I managed to get everyone inside the studio, but the temperature is dropping. If we don't hurry, it won't matter. Everyone in the city will freeze to death." Dawn stated, seemingly having not heard Bridgette.
"Get down to the scanners and I'll virtualize you." Aelita nodded.
"I might not be of enough help against those monsters and generals." Dawn pointed out. "My powers and weapons are plant based. I might not last long."
"You have to try, Dawn." Aelita typed away, readying the scanners.
"Or we could ask someone for help." Dawn turned to Lindsay.
Bridgette's eyes widened as Cameron spoke. "Dawn, are you suggesting…"
"We need all the help we can get on this." Dawn reasoned.
Aelita paused, looking at Dawn before looking at Lindsay who stared back with a frightened and confused face. "That might not work, Dawn."
"It's a risk but we might have to take it." Dawn reasoned, turning to the frightened girl. "Lindsay, do you want to help?"
"Help? Help how? With what? I don't understand what is happening." Lindsay frantically said. "I just want to help Tyler!"
"And this will help. Helping the others shut down the tower is the only way and if we do not help soon, the others will fall and we'll lose our chance to save this city, including Tyler." Dawn placed a hand on Lindsay's shoulder. "I know you are scared but I know you can do this. You stood up to Heather, made it all the way to sixth in Total Drama Action, broke free of Justin's attempts to manipulate you, survived months in jail and now you are here. You want to save Tyler, right?"
Dawn stared deeply into Lindsay's eyes and Lindsay found herself unable to look away. She trembled slightly but nodded.
"Okay, take a deep breath and follow me." Dawn gently took Lindsay's hand and led her to the elevator as it opened, revealing a disgruntled LeShawna.
"When I get my hands on that white girl, I'll-Lindsay?" LeShawna paused as Dawn led Lindsay into the elevator. "What is going on?"
"Lindsay has agreed to help save everyone." Dawn pressed the down button. "We'll do what we can."
LeShawna watched as the doors closed and then turned to Aelita. "You sure about this?"
"I am not but Dawn seems to believe she can help. What do you all think?" Aelita asked, preparing the virtualization sequence.
"Lindsay and I haven't spoken much." Bridgette admitted. "We interacted a few times on the show, and we were even on the same time in World Tour we're not super close."
"She might not be the smartest but what she lacks in brains, she makes up for in heart." LeShawna added. "She survived the show along with all of us so she might pull through. If she's got Dawn with her, she might be able to help."
"All right, I'll trust you all on this." Aelita complied.
Down in the scanner room, Dawn led Lindsay into the nearest scanner. "Just stand there and don't move."
Lindsay nervously watched as Dawn entered the scanner across from her.
"Ready, Aelita."
"Here we go. Transfer, Dawn."
(A World Without Danger Theme Starts)
The scanner doors closed around Dawn.
"Transfer, Lindsay."
Lindsay let out a startled cry as the doors closed.
"Scanner, Dawn. Scanner, Lindsay."
A ring of white light traveled up Lindsay's body, making her close her eyes, just waiting for it to be over.
"Virtualization!"
(A World Without Danger Theme Ends)
An exclamation mark appeared over Lindsay's profile, surprising Aelita. "Huh?"
"What is it?" Bridgette asked nervously.
"The scanner reads damaged data in Lindsay's scan…" Aelita answered. "Specifically in her brain, specifically the hippocampus."
"Uh, not good with biology." LeShawna admitted.
"The hippocampus is the part of the brain responsible for forming and consolidating new memories." Cameron explained. "It looks like the scanners ready Lindsay has brain damage."
"Say what?!" LeShawna and Bridgette gaped.
"You two didn't know?" Aelita asked, glancing at them.
"No, we didn't. I mean, we knew the girl wasn't the brightest, but we never thought she had actual brain damage." LeShawna admitted.
"But it explains a few things." Bridgette sadly admitted. "So what is happening?"
"The scanners are reading the damage as corrupted coding…and I think it's working to repair it!" Aelita explained, eyes widening as the screen showed the red highlighted section of Lindsay's brain turning green.
"How can it do that?" Bridgette asked.
"The scanners convert organic material into data, creating literal data envelope in the form of an Avatar that stores memories, DNA and genetic codes. It must have the option of also repairing anything damaged once it's converted to data." Aelita theorized.
Two forms appeared in the air above the snowy surface of the Ice Sector. One landed perfectly on their feet while the other…
"Ow!" Lindsay cried out, rubbing her rear end as she stood up. "What happened?"
"Welcome to Lyoko, Lindsay." Dawn greeted as she stood up.
"Wha-Where?" Lindsay stopped, looking at the outfit Dawn was now wearing…and then looked down at herself. "What is this?!"
Lindsay's hair was now pulled into pigtails, and she wore white opera gloves that extended past her elbows, leaving only a little skin leading up to her shoulders. She wore a white sleeveless blouse with a blue sailor collar with a red ribbon. She also wore silver chest armor with golden bracelets on her wrists and a golden tiara with a red star rested on her head. Under her shirt was a rainbow-colored short skirt followed by knee high red high heeled boots with white trim covering her feet.
Small angelic wings sprouted from her back, giving her an angelic appearance much like Aelita's own form.
"Whoa…What is this?" Lindsay looked down at herself.
"Now, Lindsay, I know you have questions but-" Dawn was cut off as Lindsay squealed.
"Oh my gosh! This is amazing!" Lindsay jumped up and down, looking at herself. "Just how did I change so fast?"
"This comes from being brought here." Dawn answered, causing Lindsay to look at her. "This world is called Lyoko and it creates forms customized for us based on our subconscious selves, basically who we might truly be no matter how we act on the outside."
"So, I'm like a hero now?" Lindsay asked.
"Basically." Dawn nodded and pointed behind her. "There's something hanging off your back."
"Hm?" Lindsay reached behind and pulled out what appeared to be a pink parasol. "An umbrella? A stylish looking one too."
"That's more of a parasol." Dawn corrected as Lindsay opened it.
The parasol was pink, decorated with red hearts and patterns.
"Aw, this is amazing." Lindsay gushed.
"Okay, you seem to be keeping up." Dawn nodded with a smile. "And that must be your weapon."
"Weapon?" Lindsay looked at Dawn.
"When someone is what Aelita calls virtualized here, they are given a form along with a special power and weapon." Dawn explained. "My weapon is this."
She reached into the sleeve of her robe and pulled out…
"Are those seeds?" Lindsay asked, looking confused.
Dawn nodded. "I am not much of a fighter. The last time I used these, I found I could grow them on command."
One seed grew into a vine that wrapped around Dawn's arm, forming into what appeared to be a vine-made whip. She threw another seed a few feet away and the seed grew into a plant with vines growing.
"I am what people in a fantasy game would call Dryad, a fairy of the forest." Dawn explained, looking back at Lindsay. "As for you, I'd say you're some kind of heroine."
"You think so?" Lindsay asked to which Dawn nodded.
"I do." Dawn nodded and pointed up ahead. "But right now, we have to move. Gwen, DJ and Geoff are in trouble and of course, so is Tyler and the rest of our friends."
"Oh, right! Let's go!" Lindsay nodded.
"I'm loading a vehicle for the two of you now." Aelita's voice chimed in, making Lindsay jump in surprise.
"Don't be afraid, Lindsay. That is just Aelita, our new friend and the leader of Team Lyoko." Dawn said to calm Lindsay down as the Overwing appeared before them.
"Oooh…" Lindsay marveled at the vehicle. "What is that?"
"Transportation." Dawn stepped on and motioned for Lindsay to follow, which she did. "Let's hope we're not too late."
The Overwing shot off in the direction of the battle.
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ALERT: VIRTUALIZATION SEQUENCE DETECTED
TWO AVATARS HAVE BEEN ACTIVATED
IDENTIFYING
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AVATAR ONE IDENTIFIED AS DAWN MEDREK
ADDING SECOND OBJECTIVE: CAPTURE DAWN MEDREK
AVATAR TWO: NO MATCH TO ANY AVATARS IN DATABASE
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CONCLUSION: UNIDENTIFIED AVATAR MUST BE NEW.
So Aelita has recruited a brand-new ally in the midst of battle. Rather desperate, but given the current state of battle, it is logical. Still, with two generals and three Polar Klaws still active, the chances of this new warrior being a threat is minimal, especially now with William immobilized.
ADDING THIRD OBJECTIVE: NEUTRALIZE UNKNOWN AVATAR
Yuki fired spears made of ice from her hands at them. DJ created a barrier that blocked the attack. DJ then activated his golem power and charged her. Yuki created a wall of ice but DJ punched through it easily.
Yuki created a spear made of ice and charged at DJ.
"I do not really want to hurt you, even if you are an AI created by XANA." DJ dodged her first swing.
He tried to grab her, but she jumped back and created kunai made of ice that she threw at him. He held up his arm but grunted as the kunai embedded themselves in his arm.
"Okay, this is might be tougher than I thought." DJ muttered to himself.
Meanwhile, Geoff and Gwen were on the defense, forced to take cover as the Polar Klaws fired their ice beams.
"Okay, this is not good." Geoff muttered as he and Gwen hid behind an icy boulder. "Those things are like super tough."
"We can't just let them keep us pinned like this." Gwen muttered, flinching as another ice beam flew past their cover, missing her head by mere inches. "If we could just surprise them somehow."
The three Polar Klaws slowly advanced, emitting growling sounds that sounded too real to be digital.
"I got an idea." Geoff gripped his chakrams.
"Yeah?" Gwen glanced at him.
"I run out and create a diversion and you take 'em out." Geoff offered.
"What? That's crazy!" Gwen exclaimed.
"So crazy, it might just work!" Geoff said before dashing out into the open and making a run for it. "Hey, polar dudes! Here I am! Come and get me!"
The Polar Klaws looked in Geoff's direction, their growling becoming even louder as two took off and chased after him. Meanwhile, Gwen dashed out from the other side and charged at the third Polar Klaw, swinging her scythe. Gwen let out a battle cry as she swung her scythe down on its head but the Polar Klaw raised its left arm and actually blocked Gwen's scythe! The blade buried itself in the arm but the monster remained functioning as it swung its arm out, flying Gwen back.
Gwen hit the ground hard, her scythe landing next to her. The Polar Klaw growled as it approached her, opening its mouth to fire its ice beam…
"Gwen!" A voice shouted from above.
Gwen blinked, recognizing the voice. "Lindsay?"
A pair of seeds fell on the Polar Klaw, growing into vines that wrapped around it. The Polar Klaw roared as it struggled to break free.
Gwen looked up and saw Dawn on the Overwing with Lindsay, flying towards William. "No way!"
The Scyphozoa's tentacles glowed red, emitting a red shock that shattered the ice, freeing William and grabbed him before he could react. Just as it placed its tentacles on his head, Shadow turned to see the Overwing flying straight at the Scyphozoa.
"No!" Shadow turned into smoke and flew up, solidifying right in front of them and swinging his Zweihander down, shattering the Overwing.
Dawn and Lindsay fell onto the ground, skidding across the landscape before coming to a halt a few feet away from William as the Scyphozoa began draining his memory.
"Dawn, Lindsay, hurry!" Aelita cried out.
Shadow chuckled as he approached the two girls. "This is the best you can do, Aelita? Wow, you really are scraping at the bottom of the barrel."
Dawn summoned her vine wipe from her sleeve and swing it at Shadow who raised his Zweihander and swung it, releasing a purple crescent shaped energy wave that cut through the vine and Dawn herself. Lindsay gasped in horror as Dawn was devirtualized and Shadow turned to her. The evil grin he made paralyzed her with terror.
"I guess you were along for the ride and thought you could help save your friends." Shadow remarked with a scoff. "Too bad for you, no one told you this wasn't a story for heroes."
"Lindsay, use your weapon! Your parasol!" Bridgette cried out.
Lindsay reached back, pulling out her parasol and opened it. "Wh-what do I do?"
"Here's one suggestion: stand still and I'll make it quick." Shadow raised his Zweihander, ready to fire another energy wave.
Lindsay trembled, holding her parasol in front of her like a shield. "Dawn, Bridgette, please help!"
"Lindsay!"
Shadow swung the energy wave, and it collided with Lindsay's parasol…only it did not break. The energy wave was absorbed into the parasol, surprising both Lindsay and Shadow.
"Huh?!" Both exclaimed.
The parasol was glowing now, a pink light emanating from it. Lindsay stared at it, unable to look away. Shadow growled and charged at Lindsay who stepped back, crying in fear.
"Guys, help me! I don't know what to do!" Lindsay shouted in terror.
"Lindsay, you've got some kind of power that just saved you! You got to use it!" Bridgette exclaimed.
"I don't know how!"
"Lindsay, think of Tyler! Think of Beth! They're all counting you to save them!" LeShawna added. "You got to do something, or they will all die!"
Lindsay's eyes snapped and she let out a scream as Shadow swung his giant sword…just as she raised her parasol that exploded in a blast of pink light.
"What?!" Shadow had no time to react as streams of pink glowing cherry blossoms blasted out of Lindsay's parasol, engulfing him and literally tearing him into black and red smoke that fled from the surprise attack.
It was not just Shadow.
The Scyphozoa was in the path of the attack and cherry blossoms cut through its tentacles, releasing Willliam and forcing the monster to retreat. William fell to his knees, gasping for air that did not exist in Lyoko.
Aelita looked at the monitor showing William's memories.
00006
William's memories had been down to six percent before Lindsay's attack had freed him. That was way too close and oddly enough, Aelita thought back to all the times Jeremy had to watch her memory being drained, the suspense of watching along with urging the others to save her…
'I can't believe he managed to keep it all together through all those close calls…and the one time my memory was completely drained.' She thought to herself.
William opened his eyes as he groaned. "Whe-what?"
"William, get to the tower now!" Aelita shouted.
"Ri-Right!" William nodded. "Super Smoke!"
He dissolved into smoke and shot off towards the tower, passing DJ and Yuki who paused. Yuki realized that they had failed their objective stepped back.
Retreat my general.
Heeding XANA's command, Yuki sank into the ice without a word.
DJ just watched before looking back and saw Lindsay sitting on her knees. "Lindsay!"
The poor girl was panting now, as DJ and Gwen rushed up to her.
"Are you okay?" Gwen knelt down next to her.
"Wh-How have you been doing all this?" Lindsay managed to say, the scary experience leaving her very shaken.
"It's been a lot, but we've managed to adjust." DJ knelt down, patting Lindsay on the shoulder. "You did great, girl."
Meanwhile, Geoff noticed the two Polar Klaws had stopped chasing him and snarled before they vanished into the icy ground. "Huh? Did we win?"
"Yes, Geoff. We won." Bridgette's relieved voice answered.
William stepped into the tower, the platform lighting up with soft chimes. He stepped into the center and began to ascent to the upper platform.
"Lindsay, I promise we'll tell you everything." Gwen said, softly rubbing Lindsay's back to help calm her. "Just when you see the bright flash of light, just take a deep breath and we'll be back at the studio with the others."
"Huh?"
William landed on the platform and placed his hand on the screen.
WILLIAM
CODE: LYOKO
"Tower deactivated." William said as the screens fell to the darkness below.
"Return to the Past now." Aelita's voice spoke and both worlds were engulfed in a bright light.
(Credits: Code Lyoko Theme)
One by one, the Lyoko Warriors are shown, their real and virtual forms appearing side by side.
First is Aelita, appearing in her normal form, followed by her original and upgraded Lyoko forms, her angel wings sprouting from her upgraded form.
Next came William, in his original Lyoko form, followed by his darker form, brandishing his Zweihander.
Then came Gwen who was sketching her notebook, followed by her Lyoko form with her cape spread out to form her bat wings.
LeShawna was next, smiling confidently in her normal appearance, and brandishing her hammer in her Lyoko form.
Geoff was shown relaxing on a beach chair before his Lyoko form appeared next to him, ready to throw one of his chakrams.
Bridgette was next, in holding her surfboard while wearing her swimsuit, followed by her Lyoko form with her actually surfing waters on her board.
DJ was then shown, sitting in a forest and surrounded by animals before his Lyoko form appeared next to him, smiling as he stood over the animals like a guardin.
Cameron was then shown with a case that he opened and in a flash of light, he was in his armored Lyoko form.
Dawn was shown sitting on a stump, her legs crossed and was seemingly meditating, her Lyoko form appearing next to her, matching her normal self's position perfectly. Several more Lyoko cards were shown, all of them blank before one of them changed to show Lindsay in her Lyoko form, smiling as the credits ended.
(Credits: Code Lyoko Theme Ends)
Chapter 39: Episode 39: Saving Private Leechball
Summary:
Time resumes at the start of the challenge for the Total Drama cast, now having to survive the latest challenge while Aelita receives some unsettling news.
Chapter Text
(Code Total Drama Reality Introduction Song Starts)
(This Game (From 'No Game No Life'))
The intro begins with the sun rising over the city of Paris, before the camera angles down on Kadic Academy. Stepping into view is Aelita, standing at the school gates as she looks up and watches as dark clouds suddenly cover the sky. Her eyes widen as she suddenly morphs into her Lyoko form, energy fields appearing in her hands.
William appears next, a dark copy of him, resembling his Lyoko form as a warrior of XANA appearing behind him, both clashing their swords, causing a flash of light as the title appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(I never wanted to be)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors appear with her as they are surrounded by the monsters of XANA.
(Another gear in that corrupted world's machine)
A giant bird appears above the city, letting out a loud screech.
(All my life felt like a dream)
One by one, the Lyoko Warriors enter the scanners and the doors closed, a ring of light traveling up their bodies as the camera shows and alternates each Lyoko Warrior before they vanish in a flash of light.
(I was never who I really wanted me to be)
Vehicles resembling a hovercraft, a board, a motorcycle appear with new vehicles resembling a sled and a hoverbike with a jet engine appears, carrying the Lyoko Warriors off as they are surrounded by monsters that begin shooting lasers at them.
(But then God shattered that dream's cage)
Four towers, each in a separate sector begins to glow red with monsters and an armored figure leading the monsters. Aelita lands on the platform and places her hand on the screen.
(And rose me up to a new stage)
The Total Drama contestants founds themselves back in the studio, their fellow contestants gathered with them as Chris laughs
(Cut it away like a sharp knife)
He gestures to the screens, showing them all in challenges…
(No, no, No Game No Life)
With each of them suffering a variety of misfortunes: Gwen vomits on Duncan, a soccer ball explodes in Bridgette's face, Geoff yells as a missile chases after him.
(Now suddenly there's a new twist)
Geoff's yelling suddenly stops and he changes into his Lyoko form, brandishing his weapons that cut the missile in half, causing the two pieces to fly past Geoff and explodes behind him.
(A reason to really exist)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors assume their Lyoko forms and battle down various monsters, some of them belonging to XANA and some are different but dangerous.
(I wanna breathe in the fame)
From legions of monsters, comes Men in Black, giant spaceships aiming their cannons down on the bewildered Lyoko Warriors.
(As this whole new world cheers my name)
The camera zooms in on the lead space ship as it prepares to fire.
(I'll never leave it to fate)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors are shown running through the streets of France, the sky darkening and the Eye of XANA appearing on every monitor they pass.
(And when I see a chance I'll pave the way)
They reach the factory, sliding down the ropes and reaching the elevator.
(I'll call checkmate)
The elevator reaches the scanner room, Aelita and William waiting for them.
(This is the time to breakthrough)
The Lyoko Warriors then gather before a scanner, the camera facing them inside with the group staring at it critically. A hand reaches up, giving them a thumbs-up before the scanner doors close.
(So I'll rewrite the story and I'll finally change all the rules)
The Lyoko Warriors are now gathered in the Forest Sector of Lyoko, suddenly separated by a crescent shaped wave of red energy and out of the flames emerges a humanoid warrior in dark armor, their face covered by a horned helmet and the Eye of XANA on its chest and forehead.
(We are MAVERICK)
William charges forward, his large sword clashing against the equally sized weapon of Shadow, both glaring hatefully at each other.
(We won't give in until we win this game)
Both disappear into white and black smoke before we then see Bridgette in the Ice Sector, battling a giant monster resembling a polar bear.
(Though I don't know what tomorrow holds)
The monster is about to cut Bridgette down with its claws before a blast of pure lightning blasts it to pieces.
(I'll make a bet and play my cards to win this game)
The origin of the attack is revealed to be Geoff, holding a giant axe instead of his chakrams as he charges forward to help Bridgette, a look of determination replacing his normal carefree smile.
(Unlike the rest I'll do my best)
A pair of Wasps are shown chasing Dawn who is on the Overwing before Gwen shoots up, her cape morphing into bat like wings as she slashes through the Wasps with her scythe.
(And I won't ever lose)
A pair of Krabs fire on her but DJ's barrier saves her before Cameron flies down and blasts the Krabs with his arm cannons.
(To give up this chance would be a deadly sin)
LeShawna is then staring up at the hulking form of the Kolossus as it approaches her.
(So let's bet it all)
Gripping her hammer tightly, LeShawna charges to meet the biggest of XANA's monsters head on.
(I put all my faith in us)
Aelita is then shown in a red version of Sector 5, turning to glare at the Avatar of XANA who smirks back at her.
(So let the games begin)
Aelita readies her energy field and charges at XANA who summons his own sword, clashing with Aelita's energy fields. Pink and red energy erupt from their clash, covering the screen in white before changing to a black screen with blue lines of coding filling it and the title appearing on last time:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(This Game (From 'No Game No Life') Ends)
Episode 39: Saving Private Leechball
"Last time on Total Drama Reality, the teams were all set to play soccer, Total Drama style that ended with explosive results."
A rewound footage showed Courtney getting covered in green paint.
"My mistake, I meant explosive and hilarious results with a simple sport devolving into an all out soccer brawl that had everyone covered in every kind of color." Chris laughed. "In the end, no one was eliminated because I was too entertained and wanted to get a little more. Will we get that same entertainment on today's episode? Find out now, on Total…Drama…Reality!"
(Total Drama Intro)
Red Vultures – LeShawna, Gwen, Zoey, Izzy, Cameron, Bridgette, Brick, Beth, Geoff, Jo, Sadie
Yellow Hamsters – Harold, Heather, Lindsay, Cody, Sam, Mike, Dawn, DJ, Scott, Dakota, B, Eva
Blue Rats – Alejandro, Noah, Tyler, Owen, Anne Maria, Sierra, Duncan, Courtney, Justin, Lightning, Trent
Eliminated – Staci, Katie
"Lindsay, I promise we'll tell you everything." Gwen said, softly rubbing Lindsay's back to help calm her. "Just when you see the bright flash of light, just take a deep breath and we'll be back at the studio with the others."
"Huh?"
Lindsay blinked, finding herself back in her room. She looked around at first, looking confused…and then simply headed for the door.
Outside, DJ and Dawn were already waiting in the hallway, watching as Lindsay smiled and greeted them. "Oh, hi, DJ, Dawn."
"Hi, Lindsay." DJ greeted back with a smile. "You okay?"
"Sure, why wouldn't I be?" Lindsay asked.
Dawn and DJ exchanged glances. "…No reason."
It was breakfast now and the teams were all at their tables, chowing down…Or at least trying to.
"Powdered gruel?" LeShawna shuddered. "Is he trying to feed or poison us?"
"Is there a difference?" Gwen rolled her eyes.
Confessional: Courtney
"I wish Chef would pass on the whole 'breakfast' thing and let us starve instead! It would be more humane."
Confessional: Anna Marie
"Today's challenge better not be like yesterday." She took out a can of hairspray and spayed her own hair. "It took me ten hair spays to get yesterday's pain out. Today, I am to win and bag me a Vito."
"Here, try some of my home-made tea." Dawn offered, holding up her own tea set. "It will make things better by washing down the gruel."
"Works for me." DJ accepted a cup from Dawn and took a sip. "Oh wow…this is good."
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" A voice screamed outside the cafeteria.
"SAM!" Dakota jumped to her feet
Sam came in bawling his eyes out, holding the remains of his GameGuy. "My GameGuy!"
Dakota gasped and rushed over. "What happened to it?"
"I just woke up and found it like this." Sam sniffed.
Dakota turned around, her eyes becoming red slits. "Who…Did…This?!"
Almost everyone looked nervous, some even looking away while others like Jo and Eva were brave enough to glare back.
"Who broke my boyfriend's GameGuy?!" Dakota shouted, spikes emerging from her arms.
"Dakota, calm down! Your mutation!" Zoey pointed at Dakota's arms.
"I WANT TO KNOW WHO BROKE MY BOYFRIEND'S GAMEGUY RIGHT NOW!" Dakota shouted, her voice growing deeper.
"It wasn't us!" Cameron quickly said. "We're not on the same team!"
"Right!" Geoff nodded in agreement. "We're not in the same dorm as you!"
"It wasn't me!" Mike shook his head, eyes darting back and forth.
Flashback
As Sam slept, a shadowy figure stood over his bed. It looked like Mike but with his falling down, covering one eye. He reached down and picked up Sam's GameGuy and with both hands, he snapped it in two, causing wires to sparkle.
The shadow gasped and his hair went back up, revealing himself to be Mike who looked confused. "What the…How did I…" He stopped and looked down at the sleeping Sam and then at Sam's broken GameGuy. "Oh no!"
He quickly put it back in Sam's bag and then quickly but quietly rushed out of Sam's room.
"I WANT TO KNOW WHO DID THIS!" Dakota's skin began to turn orange.
"Dakota, no one here did that!" Zoey stood up and hastily looked around. "Right, everyone!"
"Right!"
"Absolutely!"
"Me no touchie!"
"Didn't touch it, don't care!"
Dakota snarled, not believing them but felt Sam's hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Dakota. I don't think anyone here did this."
Dakota turned around, slowly turning back to normal. "But who did?"
"Maybe it fell off bed and broke on the floor." Sam sighed sadly. "It's going to be a rough season without this…" He looked at Dakota with a smile. "When I'm not paying attention to you."
"Awww…." Dakota gushed.
Confessional: Brick
"I admire Sam's bravery and the fact that he's the only one here who can calm Dakota down, stopping her from going on a rampage."
Confessional: Zoey
"Dakota's parents spent a fortune trying to cure her from the mutation that she got from the toxic waste back at Camp Wawanakwa. She's mostly normal unless she gets angry."
Confessional: Eva
Eva scoffs. "She's not so tough. I bet I can take her one on one."
"Attention campers, outside on the double! Over!" Chris said over the speakers.
"So, these are notes that your dad kept while making Lyoko?" William asked, opening a notebook Aelita gave him, seeing drawings that resembled the Forest Sector.
"Yes. I was looking around to see if we missed anything." Aelita said, sitting down.
After the Return trip to the past, Aelita had brought William to the Hermitage and showed him the secret room in the basement.
"Did you learn anything?" William asked.
"There were some notes he had on making Lyoko and…XANA's creation." Aelita answered, glancing away for a second.
"Really? That's good." William smiled. "Maybe we have something we can use against him."
Only Aelita didn't look so sure.
"Aelita?" William noticed her distant look. "Are you okay?"
"I am…But there's some disturbing things I learned." Aelita answered as she opened the last file she had been looking at before the blizzard.
"Disturbing things?" William raised an eyebrow. "It's not saying your dad was in some kind of trouble…or more than the trouble he was already in, was it?"
"No, nothing like that…" Aelita sighed. "In this file, it detailed the steps my father took towards creating XANA…Only according to it, both him and my mother were involved in designing and laying down the groundwork for XANA's creation."
"Your mother?" William blinked.
Talk of Aelita's mother had been brief, almost none-existent even when the original Lyoko team had been present. Aelita admitted to only have few vague memories of her mother but remembered her name: Anthea Scheaffer.
"And I learned something…According to the file, my mother suggested using human DNA to expedite XANA's growth and I'm not even sure it's the same XANA." Aelita opened the file.
"Same XANA?" William looked the file. "Xenomorphic Artificial Network Agent, which I guess is why he went for XANA to short it out…Original XANA? As in not the same XANA we've been fighting?"
"I'm not sure but it suggests that the version we know is not the one my parents created together." Aelita clarified.
"So, you're saying there might be another XANA out there…" William looked alarmed and Aelita couldn't blame him. "I'm not sure how to properly say how scary that sounds."
"We might not even be facing the same XANA as before." Aelita stated, causing William to look even more confused. "The XANA we knew, never used a personal Avatar but this one does, using my own DNA but what if the reason for that is because it's the version my parents used human DNA…My DNA to help it grow."
William paled. "So, we might be facing a brand new version of XANA that's completely different from before…One who already has three generals, one of them being a copy of me and the other two made from the DNA of Ulrich and Yumi. But…where has it been this whole time then? You were in the supercomputer for a decade, you and Jeremy and the others fought the old XANA for nearly three years and then the last two years the computer was off."
"I don't know." Aelita sighed, leaning back in her chair. "I don't know anything…I thought this was all over, but it feels like we've just stepped into something deeper than before…"
William looked sad for Aelita, not sure what he could do to console her…especially since he had news of his own to share. "Aelita, this will likely not help but we might have another problem."
"Another problem?" Aelita looked at him.
"…I think Sissy's onto us."
The three teams exited the studio and continued following Chef as he led them across a field and into a forest. As they walked, Gwen noticed Courtney glaring at her and simply sighed. If not for the added stress of being a Lyoko Warrior, she might have been more upset with Courtney's constant glaring but at this point she knew she couldn't focus on that.
"Something wrong?"
Gwen slightly jumped, seeing Duncan walking next to her. "Oh, nothing big. Just Courtney glaring at me. You'd think she'd have anything better to do."
"Well, let me fix that for you." Duncan said before glaring in Courtney's direction.
However, he had anticipated Courtney glaring back even harder, perhaps even shout but she didn't do any of that.
She just looked away.
"Huh?" Duncan was now confused. "Hello? Courtney? Hey?"
Courtney just continued walking, not even giving Duncan a glance.
Confessional: Duncan
"I'm having used to girls yell at me and even punch me, but blank me? That's—that's just wrong. Uh, I mean… Pffft, whatever."
Lindsay leaned over and whispered into Courtney's ear. "Psst, I think Duncan wants you to yell at him, y'know, for old times' sake."
"What's the point? He never listens." Courtney scoffed. "Besides, it's over between us. He's a bad boy; I knew it couldn't last forever. But Gwen, I thought we were friends. Last time I make that mistake."
Lindsay gasped as she stopped and shook Courtney. "You know how to stop making mistakes? Teach me!"
Meanwhile, Sierra noted the reactions and was keeping a close eye on Gwen along with her conspirators. If she wanted to figure out their secret, she needed to somehow get close to them.
Confessional: Sierra
"I know I got in trouble and nearly got kicked off, but I know there's a secret alliance between LeShawna, Bridgette, Geoff, DJ, Cameron, Dawn and Gwen. I just need the perfect way to trick them into telling me what they are up to. And the best way to start is doing the unexpected."
Sierra walked up to Duncan and Gwen, catching their attention. "Y'know, a lot of my blog readers were mad about you guys hooking up, but I get it."
Gwen and Duncan shared an annoyed glance.
"Love is love! Just like me, and my Cody-Wody!" Sierra gushed.
"Yeah, we're just like you guys." Gwen rolled her eyes.
"Actually, I've been looking to update my blog, and I was hoping you could tell me how things have been since World Tour." Sierra continued. "I'm even willing to bury the hatchet with you, Gwen since Cody only sometimes calls me 'Gwen' when he's sleeping now. You can even join us for lunch or dinner whenever you want."
"O…kay." Gwen raised an eyebrow. "Thanks, I guess. But there's not really a lot to say. A year went by, I went back to school and now I'm back here on this stupid show."
"It's not all bad, we're back together on this show." Duncan reminded with a smile.
"Interesting, interesting." Sierra nodded carefully. "No special plans this season?"
"Aside from trying to win, not really." Gwen shrugged.
"Hmm…"
Confessional: Sierra
"Gwen's on guard but that's to be expected. No doubt I'll have to be subtle and smart…Which I am. I'll know what they are up to before the teams merge."
"At ease soldiers!" Chris greeted everyone with a military salute while wearing a military helmet. "Welcome to today's experiment with your pain thresholds."
Everyone looked nervous as they watched Chris rub his hands together menacingly, chuckling. A TV was wheeled behind Chris, showing visual aids as he spoke.
"Get ready for an ingenious twist on the war movie challenge from season two. There are two weapon caches in the heart of this forest. The big one is filled with state-of-the-art paintball weaponry, and the little one has a bunch of crappy old paintball slingshots. Whoever gets there first gets their pick, and then you've gotta pick off the competition."
Courtney glared at Gwen. "Looking forward to it."
"You get one point for each opponent you splatter; first team to 8 points wins, and one of the losers will get a dishonorable discharge tonight." Chris continued.
"Um, there are only two weapon caches, where is the third?" LeShawna asked skeptically.
"Oh yeah…there isn't one." Chris chuckled. "Guess whoever is last will have to improvise."
Confessional: Brick
"This is essentially a paint ball challenge which is perfect for me due to my military training!"
Duncan scoffed. "Paintball again? Ooh, original! What a twist."
"Oh yeah, that." Chris sighed dejectedly as Chef walked up behind him. "...One of the conditions of my parole is I can't use or be around hard projectiles like paintballs. Sooo, instead, you'll be using leeches!"
Chef displayed a wriggling leech, causing all the contestants to react in disgust.
Confessional: Heather
"Leeches? Chris is really making us earn the million this year." Heather pouted. "Jerk."
Confessional: Izzy
"Leeches! That…Is…Awesome! I'd love to see what it feels like to have them sucking on your face. I might have too much blood in me, which would explain why I have so much energy! Too much blood for the brain to handle!"
Confessional: Dawn
"That is just like Chris to abuse even the smallest of Mother Earth's children for his own sick game." Dawn crossed her arms. "Even bloodsucking leeches should be respected."
"As winners of yesterday's challenge, the Blue Rats get a full 1-minute head start."
The Rats cheered in response.
"Ready."
Chef raised a pistol.
"Set."
Chef fired the pistol, a leech fires out and lands on Scott's face, clinging to it. Sadly, Scott couldn't react at all, not even showing any signs of pain as the leech began sucking his blood.
"Go!"
The Blue Rats took off running, Alejandro wheeling after them. The other two teams were left to watch and wait for the one-minute countdown to end.
"Sissy? What makes you say that?" Aelita asked, now alert and attentive.
"Well, when Yumi was beating the tar out of me, she showed up and distracted her long enough. And then during the blizzard, she offered to distract Jim, her dad and the teachers so I could slip out, no questions asked." William explained. "The way she acted, it was like she knew I needed to be somewhere and that you needed help. I don't know how else to explain it, Aelita but I think Sissy might have somehow figured out what's going on."
'Great, just great.' Aelita rubbed her head.
Sissy had been a very old pain for the original Lyoko Gang and if she was poking her nose into their business again, things were going to get worse.
"Are you sure she might have found out?" Aelita asked with a sigh. "The last few times she found out, she ratted us out to her father. If she found out again, why wouldn't she have gone to the principal?"
"Not sure but I know she at least suspects something. It was too much of a coincidence for her to show up when Yumi was fighting me at the manhole and it may be paranoia on my part, but I find it hard to believe she didn't ask anything of me when she helped me slip out of the library." William replied. "I know it's a bit of reach and I don't have any proof, but I just feel something is off."
"Well, if you feel that way, William I'll do a little checking." Aelita stood up.
"Uh, how?" William asked.
"I'll check the security cameras at the factory and make sure Sissy didn't find her way there like before." Aelita answered. "If she's been there, we'll know and we'll think of something."
"One minute is up!" Chris announced, gesturing to the two waiting teams. "Red Vultures, Yellow Hamsters, go!"
The teams took running, chasing after the Blue Rats. Cody got behind Heather and helped her wheel alongside the rest of the team while Scott was able to wheel the Trauma Chair enough to keep up with the rest of the Yellow Hamsters.
"We need a way to catch up to them!" LeShawna said as she ran along with her team.
"No, we just need to find the weapons before them." Geoff pointed out.
"Does anyone even know where the heart of the forest is?" Bridgette asked.
"I'll get a better look!" Zoey, having been near the TD Lyoko Warriors enough to hear them, leapt up into the trees, jumping from branch to branch until she reached the top.
Confessional: LeShawna
"Whoa! Indie Girl's got some skills!"
Confessional: Brick
"Wow! I knew Zoey was skilled but that's commando level training! We're sure lucky to have Zoey on our team!"
Confessional: Jo
"Big deal." Jo scoffed. "I could do that if I wanted to."
Confessional: Mike
Mike sighs dreamily. "That's my Zoey…" Mike then gasped as another personality took over, his hair falling over one eye and he let out a disgusted groan. "Oh, barf."
"Move it, hustle! Or so help me, you'll never see another sunrise!" Courtney shouted as the Blue Hamsters continued running.
Confessional: Justin
"One time, I found Courtney's scariness attractive but now, only scary."
Owen was panting heavily and stopped, falling to his knees. "So much running…"
Noah stopped next to him. "You okay, big guy?"
Courtney stopped and spun around. "Leave him! We got to find those weapons first!"
"By all means, go on then." Noah retorted as he left Owen's arm around his shoulder. "We probably running in the wrong direction anyways."
"No, we are not! We're running to the heart of the forest. We just keep running until we find it." Courtney retorted.
"That makes absolutely no sense." Trent spoke up. "We'll just keep running in circles or we reach the other end."
"Zip it, Goth-Loser. I know what I'm doing!" Courtney scoffed.
"I'm not a goth!" Trent exclaimed.
"Know, but you lost the Goth you stupidly had as a girlfriend and couldn't keep her on her leash." Courtney rudely retorted.
Confessional: Trent
"Okay, maybe Gwen wasn't right with how she and Duncan hooked up, but Courtney is making it really hard to feel sorry for her."
Sierra eyed one of the nearby trees. "Oh, I know. I'll just climb up to one of the trees and use my Cody-vision to spot Cody!"
"Uh, we're looking for weapons. Not your geek boy." Anne Maria scoffed with hands on her hips.
"Knowing Cody, he's probably zeroed in one the heart of the forest." Sierra replied as she started climbing up the tree.
She made it to the top and looked around, squinting her eyes. She spotted the other teams marking their way to the weapons cache.
"Their!" She pointed in the direction the Blue Rats had ran. "I see the weapons and the other teams are getting close!"
"We got to double back then." Noah replied, grunting as he and Izzy helped carry Owen back in the direction of the other teams.
"This is a job for Lightning! Sha-bam!" Lightning said, sprinting the direction Sierra had pointed.
"Move it, people! Move, move, move!" Courtney shouted, running after Lightning.
The Red Vultures ran towards the heart of the forest, spotting the weapons cache just up ahead.
"There it is!" LeShawna pointed ahead with a smile.
"Hurry!" Jo shouted, aiming to win this challenge.
"SHA-BAM!" Suddenly, Lightning ran up and claimed the large weapon's pile for the Blue Rats, all of them appearing a few seconds after Lightning.
"Huh?!" The Red Vultures came to a sudden halt.
"Where did they come from?!" Geoff exclaimed.
"BADA-BING BABY!" Anne Maria said, pulling out a can of hair spray, earning Justin's attention.
"Oh, is that latest addition Minty Spring?" Justin asked with an intrigued look on his face.
"The perfect kind for this weather, baby." Anne Maria answered with a smile.
"My compliments on your fine taste." Justin nodded, earning a small giggle and blush from Anne Maria.
"Go for the smaller one!" Bridgette pointed to the smaller pile…where Dawn was standing. "Huh?!"
"Sorry, Bridgette but I took a short cut for my team." Dawn smiled apologetically as the Yellow Hamsters ran up.
"Awesome!" Harold remarked as he opened the smaller crate, seeing buckets filled with leeches and slingshots. "This is perfect. I aced my slingshot skills during my time as a possum scout."
"Ew!" Lindsay flinched from seeing the leeches. "Do we have to touch those?"
Meanwhile, the Blue Rats opened their crate, finding actual machine guns and a cannon for them to use.
Confessional: Noah
"Modified machine guns for firing leeches and a cannon? How is this any safer than paint balls, Chris?"
"I call the cannon!" Duncan, Izzy and Anne Maria called at the same time which caused them to glare at each other.
"This is…high tech." Trent picked up a gun already loaded with leeches.
"It's perfect." Courtney picked up her own, sending a nasty smile at Gwen.
Tyler picked up his own gun, looking uneasy as he noticed Lindsay with the Yellow Hamsters.
Confessional: Tyler
"I know we're on different teams, but they can't expect me to actually shoot my girlfriend after we just got back together…Do they?"
"What do we do?" Zoey asked nervously, since her team was the only one without weapons. "We have no weapons!"
"This wouldn't be an issue if I was in charge." Jo muttered.
"So, what's your plan?" LeShawna asked, throwing a look at Jo who glared back.
"Well, we can…If they can't hit us they can't win right?" Jo asked.
"Yeah." Half the team nodded.
"So…run!" Jo said, taking off into the woods.
"Hey, a leader doesn't abandon her team!" Brick called after her.
"Never made me leader! That's on you!" Jo called back.
Confessional: Brick
"She's not wrong."
"We can still turn this around." Cameron said as the other teams looked in their direction.
"How?" Beth nervously asked.
"If we're stealthy and can get some leeches of our own, we can score." Cameron answered.
"Not a bad idea." LeShawna nodded, even though Sadie was shaking with fear.
"Lightning gets double guns!" Lightning said as he picked up two machine guns from the crate.
"Okay, we go with Cam's idea." Geoff quickly said. "We split up but stay in pairs. No one runs alone."
"Right." Bridgette nodded.
"And…run!" The Red Vultures took off running, trying to pair off with at least one partner.
"Come and get us!" Izzy laughed as she jumped up, grabbing onto a branch and began jumping in between the trees.
"Wait for me!" Zoey jumped up as well, her athletic skills surprising most of the group.
Bridgette and Geoff obviously paired up while LeShawna, Gwen and Cameron, perhaps due to being on a team on Lyoko ran off together. Beth ran off with Brick while Sadie tried running, only to get hit in the back by several projectile leeches.
"And Sadie is eliminated!" Chris's voice came out of nowhere, likely through a hidden P.A. system.
"Ha-ha! They work!" Duncan laughed.
"Good to know." Courtney ran past Duncan, going in the direction she last saw Gwen. "Don't be mad when I cover your pasty girlfriend head to toe with them!"
"Hey!" Duncan shouted.
"Move!" Lightning ran past Duncan, following Courtney. "Noodle-Arms is going down!"
"For Cody!" Sierra rushed off after the two.
Confessional: Lightning
"Cameron was the one who beat me last season in the finale. Though he did me a big favor by giving this new dew," Lightning gestured to his white, formerly hair. "He still humiliated me and I'm going to settle the score!"
Confessional: Courtney
"This is the perfect chance to get Gwen out of the competition. I may not be able to sabotage her like I did in Season Three but covering her head to toe with leeches will make me very happy."
Confessional: Sierra
"This will be the perfect chance to let things play out and see what I can learn from the secret alliance."
"Ew." Lindsay flinched, not wanting to touch the leeches. "So gross."
"Oh, grow up, Barbie." Eva rolled her eyes, picking up the bucket of leeches. "They're just maggots."
"Actually, they're leeches. They are completely-" Harold started only for Eva to harshly cut him off.
"DON'T CARE!"
"I share in Lindsay's reluctance to touch them, but my reasons are different." Dawn gently picked up a leech, holding it in both hands. "I refuse to use one of Mother Earth's children for a sick sport like this."
"Oh, you'll do it! I am not losing because of Barbie or a Hippy." Eva grunted, grabbing some leeches and shoving them into Lindsay and Dawn's faces.
Lindsay screamed and ran off into the forest.
"Lindsay!" Tyler called out, running after his screaming girlfriend.
"Don't forget to hit her with a leech!" Duncan called out to the wannabee jock.
"Eva, while I understand your desire to win, trying to force Lindsay or anyone else here will not help." Dawn stated, frowning at Eva.
"Hey, I was kicked off early on this crummy show and didn't compete for the last three. I'm not getting sent back because some of you can't handle something as simple as throwing leeches." Eva snarled, pointing at Dawn who stared back.
"Well, then you can go and take out the other teams because I am with Dawn." DJ crossed his arms. "I ain't flinging no animal, leeches or not at anyone."
"Oh great." Heather complained, still stuck in her wheelchair. "Does anyone on this team actually want to win?"
"Stow it, Heather!" Eva snapped. "You're not one to talk since you're practically useless in that chair along with the other useless vegetable."
By which she meant Scott.
"If you don't want to be kicked off early, you'll stay out of my way!"
Heather gulped and wheeled back a few feet.
"Eva, calm down." Cody stepped up. "Even if a few of us can't or won't do it, we're not that bad. Besides you, we have Dakota who is super strong. She can help take down the other teams."
Sam perked up. "Yeah, my Dakota has this in the bag!"
Dakota blushed. "Aw, Sam."
"Yeah, like I need help from a mutant to win." Eva picked up a bucket of leeches and grabbed one slingshot before she took off.
Confessional: Eva
"My whole team is completely useless, so I'll take out the others on my own. Good luck voting me off then."
Confessional: Dakota
"My Sam knows the exact thing to say to motivate me. I'll win this for him!" Dakota held up a fist that slowly turned orange. "And we'll find out who broke his game!"
Confessional: Sam
"I know I should be focused on game, I mean the challenge but it's hard to forget. I've had the GameGuy for a long time and I've played all my best games on it. Dungeon Demons, Mario Kart, Mortal Combat, Call of Duty, Super Smash Bros-"
"Hey, Sam." Cody turned to his fellow competitor. "If you need help with your GameGuy, I can take a look at it."
"Uh, no offense, Cody but it's smashed." Sam skeptically pointed out.
"True but if the memory card is intact, I can transfer all the data to my laptop. That way, your games will be saved for when you get a new one." Cody pointed out.
"You can do that?" Sam asked with a hopeful look in his eyes.
"Of course. My laptop has the tools needed for me to do that. So as long as we don't lose, it will only take a couple of days." Cody smiled.
"Dude, you're a life saver." Sam said with renewed happiness. "I might not be able to play anymore right now, but if you can get me my saved files, I'll be fine."
Cody raised an eyebrow. "You do know that the GameGuy costs only a couple hundred dollars, right?"
"Ok, maybe not financially but I do have a rich girlfriend." Sam said, smiling at Dakota who smiled back. "She'll probably get me a new one while we're here…if Chris allows it."
"I'm more surprised he allowed you to have your GameGuy at all." Cody admitted.
"True that, but I'm not complaining either." Sam shrugged, picking up a bucket of leeches. "We'll help you win; Cody and you just take care of my memory. I deeply appreciate it, man."
"Of course." Cody smiled, watching as Sam and Dakota ran off into the woods. "Man, he's lucky."
"In what way?" Heather asked, having been scowling at the entire conversation.
"He's like me, but he got the pretty girl who becomes super strong and scary if anything happens to him. Plus, she loves him back." Cody admitted, a bitter nostalgic smile on his face.
"Oh great. You're still hung up on Gwen, aren't you?" Heather rolled her eyes.
"Wha-No, I'm over her!" Cody quickly replied, shaking his head.
"Yeah, right. Obsessed little boys like you don't let go of their crushes, ever." Heather wheeled past Cody. "Just remember she's on another team, not into geeks like you and has a boyfriend."
Cody just stared at Heather as she wheeled away.
"Hey, don't listen to her." Harold patted Cody on the back. "She's still upset about losing her money."
"I HEARD THAT!" Heather's voice shouted from the woods.
Harold flinched and cleared his throat. "I know your struggle. I have to remind myself that LeShawna won't forgive me if I don't play to my best, even against her."
Confessional: Cody
"Look, I admit I had a thing for Gwen. I was young, teenage hormones kicking in all that but I accepted she's not into me and more into guys like…Duncan." Cody scowled at the name of Gwen's latest boyfriend and sighed deeply.
Confessional: Harold
"My fellow Drama Brother may be fine on the outside but he's a romantic at heart and he was the peacekeeper of our band. As the former leader of the Drama Brothers, I make it my personal mission to watch out for my brothers."
"Yeah, like there is no way I am touching any of these freaky little things." Anne Maria flinched at the sight of the leeches. "Just about any one of them could get into my hair."
"I have to agree with Maria." Justin took a step back. "The last thing I need is those things touching my skin, let alone sucking my blood."
"Great, stuck with the two most vain contestants." Noah rolled his eyes before looking at Alejandro. "Present company excluded of course."
Alejandro said nothing.
"Beauty is not something I'd expect you to understand, Noah. Now, if you and the others would be so kind to take out the others, Anne Maria will be discussing the seasonal appropriate hair spray." Justin produced a can of his own hair spray. "I especially like using this when in the fall."
"Oh, a fellow hair enthusiast." Anne Maria grinned as she followed Justin away.
"Un-believable." Noah sighed.
"Hey, if we lose, we can vote off one of them." Duncan shrugged, pushing the cannon forward. "Might as well be prepared to dump any useless baggage…Present company excluded, Al."
Again, Alejandro said nothing.
"He can hear you guys, you know?" Owen pointed out.
"Good. Let him hear it all." Noah rolled his eyes, walking off with a machine gun ready. "Come on, Owen. If we can scare enough hits, we'll at least be runner up. If you help Duncan push the cannon, we can use it for a quick win."
Confessional: Noah
"More than half of the bigger jerks are crippled this season. Al's stuck in that robot suit after his lava incident; Heather's in a wheelchair after stupidly trying to steal the prize money last season and that Scott guy is a vegetable. Any other jerks are manageable, and I plan to do better here than the last few times I competed."
Confessional: Anne Maria
"Let's be clear, I only came back for some Vito action…but a little Justin on the side can't hurt."
Confessional: Justin
"I know I'm taking a risk here, but I want to play things a little differently. I watched Alejandro do the whole manipulating women with charms on World Tour and I've noticed the pattern of every manipulative guy or lady suffering huge consequences, myself included. So, I am thinking of trying things differently by bonding with my teammates and actually motivate them to win. It's not even being evil like Heather or Alejandro, I am doing things the nice way."
"Okay, it's safe to say both the other teams are aiming for us to get an easy win." LeShawna remarked, her, Cameron and Gwen walking through the woods with alert looks on their faces. "Unless we come up with a plan of our own, we're toast."
"Well, I know Brick and Zoey will be the hardest from the second cast to hit." Cameron pointed out. "And we're pretty skilled now too. Maybe if we build our own weapons or even steal the weapons from the other team, we might have a shot."
"Stealing from the other teams?" Gwen raised an eyebrow. "Good idea but I doubt it's going to be easy. All it takes is one shot and we're out."
"There's plenty of things we can use here." Cameron muttered as he looked around. "If you have the right idea."
"You thinking of making traps?" LeShawna asked before smiling. "Okay, I'm in."
"By the way, how do think Lindsay is holding up?" Gwen leaned in and whispered. "We didn't hear any screams and she'd didn't seem to be freaking out."
"Maybe DJ and Dawn already talked to her." Cameron reasoned, his voice as quiet as Gwen's.
"Still, we're going to have to explain things to her." LeShawna pointed out.
"SHE-BANG!"
The three turned around and saw Lightning barreling towards them, Cameron paling. "Lightning!"
"You're in trouble now, bubble boy!" Lightning laughed as he fired both his gatling leech guns.
LeShawna, Gwen and Cameron ran for cover behind some trees, barely making it in time, Leeches hitting the bark of the trees protecting them.
"You cost me the chance to win last time, string-bean. Lightning's knocking you out before you have another chance." Lightning advanced.
ACCESSING TOTAL DRAMA DATABSE
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INTERCEPTING WORLD WIDE TOTAL DRAMA BROADCAST
RUNNING SUREILANCE PROGRAM
TARGET: DAWN MEDREK
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LOCATION OF TARGET CONFIRMED
LOCATION OF ALL OBSTACLES CONFIRMED
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The strange abilities used by the human Dawn defies all logic and yet it cannot be disputed she has abilities not connected to Lyoko or the supercomputer.
This perhaps makes her more dangerous than the rest of 'TD'(Total Drama) Lyoko Warriors. I must discover the source of her abilities and either learn how to replicate them or terminate them along with Dawn to prevent her from continuing to be a threat. She is currently with the others, taking part in a challenge of the reality show she is part called Private Leechball.
It is the existence of these leeches that has provided me with the best strategy for dealing with Dawn Medrek quickly and without need for possessing any humans this time around. I will have to consider the best way to hinder the rest of the Warriors.
Activating Monster Program: Wurms
(Credits: Code Lyoko Theme)
One by one, the Lyoko Warriors are shown, their real and virtual forms appearing side by side.
First is Aelita, appearing in her normal form, followed by her original and upgraded Lyoko forms, her angel wings sprouting from her upgraded form.
Next came William, in his original Lyoko form, followed by his darker form, brandishing his Zweihander.
Then came Gwen who was sketching her notebook, followed by her Lyoko form with her cape spread out to form her bat wings.
LeShawna was next, smiling confidently in her normal appearance, and brandishing her hammer in her Lyoko form.
Geoff was shown relaxing on a beach chair before his Lyoko form appeared next to him, ready to throw one of his chakrams.
Bridgette was next, in holding her surfboard while wearing her swimsuit, followed by her Lyoko form with her actually surfing waters on her board.
DJ was then shown, sitting in a forest and surrounded by animals before his Lyoko form appeared next to him, smiling as he stood over the animals like a guardin.
Cameron was then shown with a case that he opened and in a flash of light, he was in his armored Lyoko form.
Dawn was shown sitting on a stump, her legs crossed and was seemingly meditating, her Lyoko form appearing next to her, matching her normal self's position perfectly. Several more Lyoko cards were shown, all of them blank before one of them changed to show Lindsay in her Lyoko form, smiling as the credits ended.
(Credits: Code Lyoko Theme Ends)
ewisko on Chapter 1 Sat 19 Oct 2024 03:17AM UTC
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