Always there

Before lunch could end Jeremy’s laptop went off. “Xana.” He said, quickly packing up. Everyone left the table and headed out of the cafeteria, Yumi a bit slower than the others. Ulrich noticed and hung back to see if she was okay.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Hmm?” she asked. She was lost in thought at the moment and didn’t hear him.

“I asked it you were okay.” Ulrich asked.

“Oh, um, yeah.” Yumi said. Ulrich didn’t believe it for a second. The others had already crawled down the manhole, leaving the two of them alone in the forest.

“Yumi…” Ulrich said, taking her hand in his, “I just want you to know that…I’ll do anything to make you happy.” She looked up from the ground and into his eyes. He was sincere. “We will rescue William. Just, please, stop crying. I can’t stand to see you sad.”

“Ulrich I-“ Yumi began to say but was interrupted from a shout from down below.

“HEY! GUYS! LET’S GO!” Odd shouted. The moment had ended. Yumi and Ulrich were both blushing. Then they headed down the sewers.

* * *

“…Virtualiziation.” Jeremie said. The four warriors appeared in the desert sector of Lyoko.

“It’s all quiet.” Ulrich said.

“It always starts that way.” Odd commented. Aelita pointed in a seemingly random direction.

“This way.” She said, and the group took off running. Minutes later, the monsters appeared.

“Mantas!” Jeremy said to them, “Five of them. And they’re not alone.”

“You mean,” Aelita asked.

“William.” Jeremy finished. Sure enough, he was riding on the back of the lead Manta.

“He’s mine!” Yumi said as she jumped in time to dodge an energy blast from the sting-ray like beasts. She flipped through the air and kicked William off of his steed and they both fell to the ground. Odd Ulrich and Aelita took it upon themselves to eliminate the Mantas.

“Jeremy, what’s going on in the real world anyway?” Ulrich asked.

“I’m not sure.” Jeremy replied, “Nothing seems out of the ordinary.”

“Kyaah!” Yumi shouted as she kicked William’s hand away from his sword. Before he could recover she kicked him again, in the chest this time, sending him farther backwards.

He got up and delivered a powerful punch that sent her flying through the air towards the edge of the sector. She wouldn’t go over right away, but she would slide off. Ulrich sprinted over to catch her and jumped, tackling her in mid-air but changing her trajectory enough so that they stayed on the sandy sector. Unfortunately for them, but to Odd’s unlimited amusement, Ulrich landed with his face in Yumi’s crotch and vice-versa. A moment of awkward ness then the two scrambled up and ran back to the battle, embarrassed. Yumi jumped onto a rock and flew through the air, kicking William in the side of the head.

“William!” she said, “Listen to me! You need to fight off Xana’s influence!” she pleaded, trying to get him to come around, “I need you right now!” William stood up and fired a blast of smoky energy at her, but she evaded it, “I’m-“ she began shouting so he could hear her. Just then the last Manta was destroyed, “-pregnant!” she yelled in the silence. For a second, no one moved. Not even William. Then the Xanatar made an evil laugh of victory and leapt into the digital sea.

“Xana just deactivated the tower himself.” Jeremy said slowly. Odd and Aelita were staring at Yumi in shock. Ulrich was looking away. “I’ll, uh, begin devirtualizing you four now.” Jeremy said.

* * *

The group left the scanner room quietly. The elevator ride was silent to the point of awkwardness. The elevator stopped and Jeremy got on and they continued on their way up to the ground floor of the abandoned factory. Aelita, Jeremy, and Odd kept stealing glances at Yumi and Ulrich. Ulrich was staring at the elevator doors as if his gaze would melt them and Yumi was standing in the corner, arms crossed, looking at the floor. A shamed.

The doors opened and the group left. Once they got back to the school grounds they split up. Yumi opted to sleep in Aelita’s room for the night since it was past midnight and her parents would be furious if she went home now. Ulrich and Odd headed to their room and Jeremy went to his.

Once in their room, Odd looked worriedly at Ulrich. “Hey, you okay.” He asked as Ulrich laid down to go to bed.

“Good night Odd.” Ulrich said with finality. Odd, unusually, stayed quiet and went to sleep, not pursuing the matter further.