♦♣♠♥♠♣♦~CHAPTER 11: ULRICH~♦♣♠♥♠♣♦

I tossed my empty soda can into the trash can just as Yumi and Aelita walked up.

"Hey." Yumi said with a wave

"Hey. No Jeremy?" I asked Aelita. There was a bang behind me and I rolled my eyes. Odd was in the process of getting his usual every day hot chocolate and any day it didn't work he hit the machine. Apparently today was no exception.

"No. I think he was up late working on Coda's papers. Remember, tonight we're materializing her along with my father." Aelita said.

"Your father?" Yumi asked.

"Yes. Coda has enough of his genetic code saved that through using mine she'll be able to recreate him. He won't be allowed to go to Lyoko though." Aelita added.

"I can understand that. But that means you'll be moving into the Hermitage with him." I pointed out.

"That's right. I forgot about that. At least I won't be all that far from the factory." Aelita said.

"You mention this to Jeremy yet?" Odd finally joined us, a cup of slightly steaming hot chocolate in his hand.

"No not yet." Aelita said, downcast.

"Hey, princess, we'll see you every day at school and you'll be able to met us at the factory. Don't worry about Einstein, he'll be alright. Besides, you deserve a chance to stay with your dad." I put a hand on her shoulder and offered a smile.

Aelita smiled and nodded. "You're right. Thanks, Ulrich." She said with a bright smile of her own.

"Let's just hope tonight goes off without a hitch." Odd muttered so only I could hear. I laughed.

"Since when does that ever happen to us?" I asked back in an undertone.

♦♣♠♥♠♣♦

"Coda's not here yet, Jeremy." I said. I'd been Virtualized directly into sector 5 along Aelita after the others. It was late, almost midnight, by our standards.

"Give her a few minutes. It takes her a little, don't forget." Jeremy said. I rolled my eyes and looked around, my hand on my sword.

"Should we go ahead without her?" Aelita asked.

"No, best not. I'd wait for her." Jeremy advised. "We don't want to accidentally Materialize her before she Materializes your dad, Aelita. I don't think she'll be able to do it from our world." Jeremy answered.

"Doesn't matter. She's here." Odd nodded up at the ceiling in the center of the platform. It looked like one of Coda's Sector 6 entrances. Coda dropped out of it and it closed behind her. She landed in a crouch and rolled and before smiling at us.

"Hi." Odd offered her a hand and pulled her up as she waved.

"Hey angel." Odd said.

"Glad to see you're here. It's about time we got Aelita's dad out, and you as well. Jeremy was up all night last night working on your papers." I said.

"He didn't need to do that." Coda said. "I could have done it myself. Jeremy, let me look over them. I've already got a background story in mind."

"Oh. Alright then. Now get going before XANA shows up. He'll cause problems, I don't doubt that." Jeremy said. I nodded and took off, leading the way through sector 6.

"So, where do we need to go to free Aelita's dad?" I asked.

"The core." Coda answered. She was fast, as fast as I was (when I wasn't using supersprint anyway).

"Alright. How about we grab her code, free Aelita's dad, and virtualize them both before midnight?" I suggested.

"Let's go. I'm ready to see your world." Coda replied. We passed the main hall and reached the main access point for XANA's memory.

"Aelita, get the code and then we'll get your dad." William said. Aelita nodded and set to work. She and Coda couldn't be devirtualized or our entire plan was busted so the rest of us stood watch as they worked together getting the code.

"Got it. Jeremy, I'm sending it to you now. Don't activate it yet." Aelita reminded him.

"And one more thing: save it, as in back it up. You'll need it since it's reusable. XANA's going to try and get me into the digital sea and as long as you have that key I'm only a button away to get me out." Coda warned.

"Got it. Alright, here's your vehicles. Hurry up to the core, get Aelita's dad, and I'll devirtualize you." Jeremy said. The four vehicles appeared. Aelita rode with Yumi on the Overwing, I was on the Overbike, Odd and Coda on the Overboard (with Coda sitting in front, oddly enough), and William on his Overglider.

"Let's go." I shot off, heading down to the bottom of the Sector 5 sphere. They all followed me and we slowed, hovering below the snapping entrance to the core. I shot through along with Yumi and Aelita. The others waited for it to close again and open before following.

I jumped off my bike and hit the key that took us to the core. The key looked like XANA's symbol, a circle with one line on top and three beneath, with two rings in the center. The middle one was what you hit to active the key: it sunk into the second one as it glowed blue and the second ring did the same. Finally the last one closed in and the path leading up appeared.

Odd shot up, still on the board along with William, Yumi, and Aelita. "Supersprint." I said. I took off running, a yellow speed trail behind me as I lept from block to block quickly climbing up the spiral blue staircase leading up to the core of Lyoko.

"Alright. Aelita, stand on the other side of the core." Coda ordered. Odd dropped her off on the far side of the core, opposite of all of us. She stacked her hands and closed her eyes. Aelita opened her mouth and started to sing, her head tipped back. She started glowing white while Coda started glowing purple. Aelita's voice filled the chamber.

As much as I wanted to be entranced by the sight I was more concerned with looking for monsters. Aelita, Coda, and Frans Hopper would all be venerable while he was being rebuilt. The four of us took up posts around the room.

I was facing the girls, looked around. Aelita was on the same platform as I was while Odd was up with Coda. Yumi and William were flying around, ready to protect Frans Hopper. Coda extended her left arm all the way, her fingers pointed at the core. The core started glowing both purple and white (completely separated, but spiraling) and Fans Hopper's digital form appeared above it.

He looked like a giant glowing pale blue orb with pink around the edges. The color started fading and he turned into white little spheres. The spheres joined together and formed the shape of a slightly plump, slightly muscular white man. The colors returned, this time he was in an all white jumpsuit and lab coat.

"Jeremy, now!" Coda shouted. Franz Hopper opened his eyes and gasped, then was devirtualized by Jeremy.

"Alright, he's here. Ready Coda?" Jeremy asked. Coda and Aelita set back down, the colors fading from both of them. I caught Aelita when she started to sway and glanced at Coda. She stumbled a step, her hand on her head, and suddenly she got blasted off the platform with a laser.

"Coda!" Odd shot after her as she fell. I looked up to see several mantas (6 to be exact).

"Jeremy, devitualize her. Fast." I added. "Stay here Aelita." I jumped on the Overwing as Yumi shot past and we, along with William, aimed straight at the Mantas. I drew my swords.

"Guys, problem. Franz Hopper's not here. I just went to check. It's only a box, addressed to Aelita." Jeremy said.

"You mean all of this was for nothing?" I asked, leaping at the nearest Manta. "Impact!" I shouted and I dug the sword into the Manta's back.

"No. We can still get Coda out of here." Jeremy said.

"Well, hurry up. We're up against 6 Mantas and Coda's not going to last long." I warned, jumping to another Manta as the one under my feet exploded. I stabbed this one as well, but didn't hit it right on target and the Manta spun, sending me flying. I managed to grab onto a ledge, one of my swords falling through the hole in the floor and into the digital sea below.

"Alright. I've almost got it." Jeremy said. I pulled myself up as a manta fired. I rolled to avoid the shot the bolted up using supersprint.

"Well, hurry up Jeremy." I shouted along with Yumi and Odd. Odd shot past me with Coda again on the front of his board. She jumped up and off, skating on the air as she did. I shot up the steps using Super speed.

I jumped on another Manta and stabbed it. Just before I did it fired and hit Coda straight in the chest. Coda was knocked back and devituralized in front of our eyes. There was a moments silence until Odd shouted "Coda!"