♦♣♠♥♠♣♦~CHAPTER 13: AELITA~♦♣♠♥♠♣♦

"Hello. We're here to see Mr. Delmas." I said to the school nurse. Coda stood beside me with a small duffel bag in front of her. She'd been here for a day already, but had asked us to wait until today to sign up for classes.

"Go ahead on in. He's not busy at the moment." The secretary nodded at the door. I gestured for Coda to follow me. When Coda had told me her back story it was impressive. She'd obviously put some thought into it. Of course, it would have been easier if my father had been materialized, but it didn't matter.

"Mr. Delmas?" I stepped in.

"Oh, Miss Stones, what can I do for you?" He asked, looking away from his computer screen.

"I have a friend who wants to enroll. She's here with me." I stepped in with Coda right behind me.

"Well hello there. What's your name?" Mr. Delmas asked.

"I'm Coda Jones." She and I sat down in front of his desk.

"So, where's your parents?" He asked, looking around. She waited while he looked, until he turned back to her.

"They're gone, Mr. Delmas." She said.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." He said. Coda simply smiled.

"Gone, not dead, Mr. Delmas. They went missing a few years back. I've been staying with my dad's friend, but when I heard Aelita was here I thought I'd see if I could join her. Aelita and I have been friends for years, and our parents before us. We grew up together." Coda said.

I thought about it and realized she wasn't technically lying. We had: only she was in the computer and I wasn't. And our parents were friends: they were the same person. "Oh, I suppose we could set you up. Tell me, are you related to Della Robia or just an old friend?" He asked.

"Della Robia?" Coda looked at me confused.

"Odd, my cousin." I said. It sounded like she knew who he was.

"Oh, I remember. No, I've only met him once or twice. Cool kid, if a little unusual." Coda answered. Mr. Delmas smiled slightly. Coda was good at manipulating people.

"Well, I suppose we have room for another student. Miss Stones, is it alright if she stays with you?" Mr. Delmas asked. I nodded.

"Oh, of course, but there really isn't all that much room in my room. If you have another open one that might be better." I suggested.

"Well, there is the one at the end of the hall. That would work. I'll let the secretary know and you can fill out your papers with her. Is that all you have?" Mr. Delmas asked.

"Yes. Here at least. I have more at my parents old shop." Coda said.

"Shop?" Mr. Delmas asked.

"Yes, my parents run a technology company and movie studio. It's really small, called Coda Tech." Coda answered.

"Very nice. Now, I have some work to do so fill out the papers with the secretary and you'll start school tomorrow." Mr. Delmas turned back to his computer. I stood up and led the way out.

"Nice story, Coda." I muttered to her.

"Thanks. I've been working on it." Coda replied. "You can head back to class or whatever while I do the papers if you want." Coda said. I nodded and headed out with a wave.

"Come find us at the vending machines after your done." I told her. She nodded and I headed off towards the stadium. Ulrich, Odd, and William were all playing soccer. Yumi was watching along with Jeremy (though I figured Jeremy would be on his computer).

I headed outside, passing Jim as I went. "Stones, what were you doing in the principles office?" Jim asked me.

"My friend is enrolling here." I answered, skipping past him. I reached the stadium in no time. "Guys, it's all set up." I said.

"Great." Odd grunted as he kicked the ball as hard as he could. I could tell that he, William, and Ulrich were winning against Herb, Nicholas, and Sissy's fan club's newest member: a boy named Shawn. Surprisingly, he was actually cute, since Sissy didn't get many, or rather any, cute boys after her.

"So, what's she up to right now?" Jeremy asked as I sat down next to him.

"Filling out papers." I answered.

"Hope she remembers everything about her papers." Jeremy said distractedly.

"Jeremy, she's a computer program. I think she'll be remember it." I replied quietly. "Anyway, I told her we'd meet her at the vending machines so we can't hang around to long."

"Alright. Let us finish up this round and then we can go." Odd said as he kicked the ball. They passed it around and in a matter of seconds had scored another point.

"Alright, that's twenty one to two. We're done." Ulrich said. They walked off the field and over towards us. Shawn kicked the ball as hard as he could at them.

"Look out!" I jumped up as the ball flew at Ulrich's head. Someone jumped in between, lept up, and kicked it right back. The ball flew past them and into the goal. When she landed I realized it was Coda.

"Nice shot, Coda." Odd said as she straightened up.

"Thanks. When all you do is sit around for a few years, you learn a few things." She replied.

"Hey, can we see your room?" Yumi asked as they came up to us. Coda shook her head.

"Not just yet. I'm still putting up the finishing touches." Coda smiled. Suddenly Jeremy's laptop started beeping.

"XANA. Let's head for the factory to deactivate the..." Suddenly it stopped beeping and Jeremy started typing.

"It deactivated itself. I don't know what XANA's up to, but I think it'd be safer to check it out." Jeremy closed his laptop and stuck it in his bag, standing up as he did.

"Alright. Led the way." Coda said.

"Follow us." Odd said. We all took off running, Ulrich and Odd in the lead as always. I followed close behind with Jeremy, with Yumi and Coda in the back.

"Duck!" Coda shouted. We all ducked aside from her. She grabbed something that had been flying about level with our heads and held it out in front of her.

"What is it?" William asked.

"Looks a little like a bowling ball." Yumi commented.

"Or Jeremy's Marabunta." I shuttered at the memory.

"Actually, it reminds me of a Megatank." Ulrich commented. Coda yelped suddenly and dropped it as the whole thing lite up with electricity.

"Um...it's not alone." She was looking up, the rest of us at the ground. I turned around to see what Coda was seeing and my eyes widened. There was a huge network of these little black balls surrounding the school creating a net of electricity. One started pulling energy and I got pushed to the side by Jeremy as it electrocuted the ground where I'd been standing.

"We've got to get to Lyoko." Ulrich said as Jeremy helped me up.

"How? The entrance is blocked. Look." I pointed past the wall. The entrance to the sewers was on the other side.

"The boiler room." Yumi said. I nodded and we took off running the other way. Code and Ulrich were in the front, but slid to a stop long before we reached the boiler Room, or even the gym.

"No. How do we get to Lyoko without the factory?" William asked.

"I could do it." Coda said. We all looked at her. "I'll have to digitize you first, then Virtualize you, but I could do it." Coda said honestly. We all shared a look.

"I don't see any other option." William said.

"Besides, it's not like we have a choice." Odd pointed out.

"Alright, Coda. Do your stuff." Ulrich said. Coda nodded once and knelt, her hands up.

"Ezitigid." She said, her eyes closed. "Ezilautriv." She said. There was a flash of purple from her and suddenly we were on Lyoko.