Code Lyoko: The New Girl (BK 1)

Chapter 3

Thank you for reading and voting!

Thankfully the rain didn't start to pour until the whole group was present at the factory. As soon as they all shuffled downstairs where the scanners were, Odd heard the tap, tap, tapping of rain splattering against the windows. Lightning lit up the room allowing him to take in the appearances of the rest of the group.

Yumi was dressed in her summer pajamas (tank top and loose bottoms, all black, of course) and was yawning repeatedly into her palm. Jeremie's hair was puffy and out of its normal shape. Aelita was the only one who looked alert and awake. She probably didn't need much sleep anyway. She was asleep for years on Lyoko.

Odd realized something then: did that mean Saphire too was asleep on Lyoko for those eight years? And if so, how did she know it had been eight years? It didn't make sense. Even if it was a dream - a highly vivid and memorable one at that - so many things didn't make sense that should have. And why didn't those little things make sense?

If this was all Odd's imagination playing tricks on him, then those anomalies should be clear. If this random girl had lived a similar life to Aelita's - maybe that's how they shared a connection? - then Jer would have stumbled upon her presence the way he did with Aelita at the very beginning. Aelita never sought the group out herself.

"Odd, are you listening?" Jeremie asked louder than he needed to.

"Huh? Yeah. Of course." He lied. Truth be told, he hadn't heard a word.

Jeremie didn't look convinced but he seemed too impatient to repeat himself.

"As I mentioned earlier: there are weird things going on with the system. Supercomputer looks all normal but we can't be totally sure unless we go onto Lyoko and see for ourselves."

"You mean us," Odd added.

"Same thing," Jeremie muttered.

"Oh, how I wish it was."

"What, tired of playing the hero all of a sudden?" Ulrich slapped Odd's shoulder.

He jumped. He didn't mean to. But along with the remnants of the weird dream he had just moments ago swirling through his memory and the terrible weather outside, it was just a really bad combination. If this were a movie, then all signs clearly pointed to: run the other away ASAP!

It was decided that Odd, Ulrich, and Yumi would be virtualized first to give Aelita some time to look through the Supercomputer to see if Jeremie had missed anything the first two times he checked it.

Virtualization went fine. Being in the scanner put Odd back in his evil-fighting mood. Transforming into his Lyokian attire which enabled him with powers and superhero action moves was always a fun part of the whole crazy nightmare they'd been living.

Except when Odd landed on Lyoko, it wasn't where he was supposed to be. He expected to see blue ice or purple stones, but instead he found himself landing on green grass. Why was he in the Forest sector?

"Hey Jer, I know I was only half-listening earlier, but aren't Ulrich and I supposed to be in Ice or Mountain?" He called up to the yellow sky.

No response. Also, no Ulrich beside him.

Maybe it was the nerves of everything that had happened so far, but Odd was feeling crept out again.

"Uh, Jer...you there?"

A heavy silence resonated back.

"Jeremie!"

Odd tried to remain calm. He located the nearest tower. He'd been dumped in the Forest sector enough times to know where the different towers were located. He just had to get there and maybe he'd find Ulrich or Yumi and Aelita there as well.