Code Lyoko: The Archer Returns (Book 2)

Chapter 16: The Trouble with XANA

"Alright, Dunbar, Della Robbia, Stern! You're up first." Jim said. Everyone was in gym class outside at the track. Dallas, Odd, and Ulrich lined up at the start. Once Jim blew the whistle, they were off, with Dallas in first place, Ulrich in second, and Odd in third. Odd made it two laps, while Dallas and Ulrich finished all three, Dallas making it there first. She stretched, looking over at Odd and laughing a little.

"Jeez, Odd, and I thought Jeremy was out of shape." She said, giving Ulrich a fist-bump.

"Hey, cut me some slack, alright?"

"Della Robbia! You call that running? Go again with Stones and Poliakoff!" Jim said. (Poliakoff is Nicolas' last name.) "Great job you two. You can go sit down now. "He told Dallas and Ulrich. They went and sat next to Jeremy.

"It's pretty funny to watch Odd have to run three more laps." Jeremy stated.

"Oh, you mean like you always do, Einstein?" Ulrich said, both he and Dallas laughing. Jeremy frowned.

"Eh, we don't blame you, Jeremy, your forte is computers, not sports. Everyone's got something they're good at." Dallas said.

"Yeah, I guess. Anyway, last time you guys went to Lyoko, excluding you Dallas, William tried throwing Aelita into the digital sea. So it seems he wants both of you in the digital sea." Jeremy replied.

"You didn't tell me this before...why, exactly?"

"They had to go and do some stuff, remember? Uh...programming the submarine, right?" Ulrich asked. Jeremy nodded at his question.

"Yeah, the submarine that will let you guys be able to go into the network and find William."

"I've never seen such slow runners in my life! Dunbar, do me a favor and go again. Show everyone how it's done." Jim was saying.

"That's my cue. I'll be back." Dallas said. She got up and went over to the starting line again, this time by herself as Aelita and Odd sat down.

After running the track again, she still wasn't out of breath. Fifty-four seconds, Jim had said. She went back and sat down with everyone else again.

"How can you go like that without even breaking a sweat?" Odd asked, still trying to catch his breath from running. Dallas shrugged.

"I'm pretty athletic, if you haven't noticed."

"I thought you had archery class to replace P.E.?" Aelita asked.

"Mr. Delmas said archery would technically count as an elective. So he replaced one of my elective classes with it." Dallas replied. They all looked at her. "Hey, it'll give us more time to talk rather than me missing out on the conversation." She shrugged.

"Alright everyone, go get dressed! It looks like it's going to storm or something..." Jim told everyone.

"Hey cool, we get to go inside early!" Ulrich grinned. He and Dallas fist-bumped again, which made everyone confused, especially Yumi. Once they got back to the girl's locker room, the girls started getting dressed.

"Hey, uh...Dallas?"

"What's up, Yumi?" Dallas asked.

"You...don't have a thing for Ulrich...do you?" Yumi asked in return. Her question made Dallas laugh.

"Yumi, I'm not after your man, alright? He just...understands me. You wouldn't get it." And the conversation ended right there.

Later, at the vending machines, Dallas decided to buy some hot chocolate...for the first time since she's been at Kadic. Her mistake, since the hot chocolate tasted awful. She choked on it and spit it out.

"Ugh, that is disgusting!" She said, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

"I...probably should have warned you about that..." Odd said, laughing nervously.

"You think? I just wasted good money on horrible hot chocolate." Dallas rolled her eyes.

Beep beep beep beep.

Jeremy opened his laptop. "It's XANA. We have to get to the factory. By the way...I reprogrammed your outfits on Lyoko. Also, Dallas, I've programmed a new power for you." Dallas perked up at that.

"Really? What is it? Wait, no, don't tell me, wait until I'm on Lyoko."

"Well, let's get going!" Aelita said.

They ran to the sewers and hopped on their skateboards and scooters, heading for the factory. Once they were there, the girls got in the scanners first.

"Transfer Yumi, Transfer Aelita, Transfer Dallas..." Jeremy was saying. Dallas was really excited. It wasn't just getting new outfits on Lyoko, but the fact that she was getting a new ability, too. "Scanner Yumi, scanner Aelita, scanner Dallas...Virtualization."

They arrived on Lyoko in the desert sector. Dallas took a minute to look at Yumi and Aelita, then looked at whatever she could see on herself. The gold bands were still there, just over her chest rather than her stomach. Plus there were some shoulder pad things. Everything else was a mixture of blacks and grays. No combat boots this time. Oh well.

"Alright Jeremy, tell me!" She said.

"At least let me get Odd and Ulrich there with you." Jeremy replied.

Once everyone was virtualized, Dallas repeated what she said before.

"Its called 'Sure Shot.' Its basically like a lock-on thing but for your bow and arrows." Aelita answered before Jeremy could.

"However, it has limits. For example, if you use it once, you'll have to wait a while until I reprogram the ability." Jeremy said.

"Cool!" Dallas said.

"Uh...guys? It won't be easy to get to the tower this time..." Odd said. Everyone turned around to see about fifteen Bloks, four Krabs, and Three Tarantulas. They were all blocking the activated tower. William was nowhere to be seen.

((Credit for the base of the image: http://bombonicamea.deviantart.com/art/base-bow-and-arrow-213839270 ))