A large group of monsters guarded the Polar Region Tower. There were twenty that Blocks searched the surrounding landscape as twenty Hornets flew air cover for them. Ten Mega Tanks formed a tight circle around the Tower and were prepared to fire in an instant
Crouched behind an ice formation, a raven-haired girl studied the landscape and her enemies. Flicking her fan open with an experienced snap, Yumi gave a small smile.
"There's too many," her pink haired friend beside her said. "We wouldn't make it halfway to the Tower."
"We wouldn't," Yumi agreed. "But you would."
Aelita looked at her questioningly as Yumi continued to scan the area. Taking out a second fan, a recent upgrade from the her computer genius Jeremy, Yumi said, "I'm going to distract the Blocks and Hornets. If I can destroy enough of them, Xana will have to send some Mega Tanks. That should give you enough room to get inside."
Before Aelita could object, Yumi started scooting forward, rushing from one ice cover to the next. If she were human at the moment, Aelita would've sighed resignedly as she began moving forward as well.
The blonde boy watching the computer screen was restlessly shifting in his chair. As the two girls crept forward, Jeremy could feel his anxiety grow. If they didn't get to the tower soon, the city would be a nuclear wasteland in a couple of minutes.
"Yumi," he said into his microphone. "Hurry! We've got less than four minutes!"
He watched on his screen as Yumi suddenly stepped out of her hiding and two enemy icons vanished. Then, like an evil flood, the remaining Blocks and Hornets charged her. Yumi blocked their lasers as she dodged around, leading the monsters in the opposite direction of Aelita.
Suddenly, Yumi's health bar lit up as a glowing red section on her back illuminated. She faltered for a split second as the laser did its damage. It was that second's hesitation that landed three more blasts on her vulnerable form. The sheer impacts of the multiple attacks knocked Yumi onto her stomach.
"Yumi," Jeremy called, concerned. "Don't stay there! You've only got forty Life Points left!"
Peering carefully around an iceberg, Aelita waited impatiently as the Mega Tanks guarded the Tower. Seconds passed like hours as Aelita waited. All was silent in Lyoko except for distant echoes of explosions and lasers, as well as a mocking laughter. Then, after a series of four nearby explosions, three Mega Tanks closed their casings and rolled away. Aelita sighed with relief and waited impatiently for them to pass.
Dashing around her shelter, Aelita sprinted for the Tower. There two Mega Tanks in the area who spotted her instantly. They angled themselves and powered up their dangerous lasers.
Putting on a renewed burst of speed, Aelita leapt forward as they both fired. Two walls of red laser passed on either side of her as she hit the ground. Climbing to her feet, Aelita started running again. She was nearly to the Tower when two more Mega Tanks rolled forward and blocked her path.
Swallowing her fear, she raced forward toward the Mega Tanks. Seeing that she wasn't going to stop, the tanks adjusted their positions. Just as they prepared to fire again, two fans flashed passed Aelita. They struck the Lyoko symbols in the center of the tanks, flew around, and whipped around behind Aelita.
Glancing long enough to see Yumi with a large grin, Aelita put on a renewed burst of speed to the Tower. As she passed into the Tower interior, Yumi gave a yelp as a series of Hornets' laser blasted her from above and behind. Yumi devirtualized instantly.
Moments after Yumi stumbled out of her scanner in the old factory, a blinding white light engulfed everything she saw and felt. She felt herself suddenly go weightless and a sensation of exhaustion lulled her into sleep.
Sitting up from her bed, Yumi looked at clock in the darkened room. It read: 2:51 a.m. Smiling slowly, Yumi rested her head on the pillow and waited patiently for sleep to reclaim her.