I had a lot of spare time on my hand, summer does that so I've decided to go back and correct this story. My most common review is , ' Love it, but a lot of typos,' There might still be few here and there, but now not nearly as many. Plus I hope reposting this will get more reviews for it.
Disclaimer-I don't own code lyoko, and this statement applies for all chapters.
Jeremie woke up slowly, with the alarmclock on his night stand, doing what an alarm clock does. He looked at the time, and was surprised that it had been going off for more than ten minutes before stirring him from his pillow. Turning off the alarm and turning on the light next to it, he put on his glasses and stood up. Before walking down stairs he kissed his wife on the cheek and whispered in her ear, " Time to get up Aelita."
" Already? Fine," she complained then flung the blanket off her. " I'll be in the shower, get the coffee started." She walked into the bathroom that was connected to their room and shut the door behind her. Jeremie made his way down the hall and stopped at the door next to the stairs.
He knocked twice and was going to speak before someone in the room shouted," I'm awake dad!"
" Just checking." Jeremie walked down the stairs, made a right and was in the kitchen. He opened the cabinet above the coffee maker and began to fill a coffee filter. When the coffee began to fill the pot he opened another cabinet and took out a bowl, then moved to another cabinet to get some cereal. He heard foot steps coming down the stairs and saw his daughter walk in the room in her pajamas. " Sleep well?" He asked filling the bowl of cereal with milk.
" Are you kidding, I was up all night studying for the test your giving third hour. I'm the teacher's daughter, why can't I have the answers?" she asked in an annoyed manner.
" Ask your mother," answered Jeremie taking a bite of his food. She just shook her head and walked upstairs into her room, walking back out a moment later with her towel to use the bathroom down stairs. Jeremie turned on the television and began to watch the news. It was mostly things he could care less about but then he stopped eating and turned up the volume, not noticing Aelita walking into the room in her rope.
" It's a mystery," the reporter started, " In four major cities on two different continents, the power grid for the entire area was strangely shut down for what seems to be for no reason. Chicago Illinois, and New York city areas are without power, as well as London and Paris. Details when we return." Jeremie's mind began to wander. His initial thought being xana, the power bent computer program he and his friends stopped when he was a teenager. He finally noticed Aelita standing next to him and looked at her.
Over the years, she had aged well, though she didn't look like she was twenty, but you wouldn't guess she was forty-three. Her hair was still as pink as ever, though most of it at the moment was wrapped in a towel. Jeremie was hansom, his hair was a little shorter, not by his own choice of course. Age is a bastard. The only thing that hadn't aged in Aelita's mind was his eyes, deep blue eyes that were still as young as ever.
" Are you alright, what did the news say?" asked Aelita, seeing almost dread written on him.
" Four cities blacked out over night. I think..."
" Stop being paranoid, xana is gone. We shut down the computer thirty years ago," Aelita cut in, knowing what he would say next.
" Yeah your right, just a coincidence," he answered taking another bite of his cereal. She walked over to him and kissed him before getting herself a cup of coffee. When the news came back, they didn't have any clues to what could have caused this. That didn't help Jeremie's paranoia. He had a feeling it wasn't a coincidence.
Their daughter walked in ten minutes later fully dressed, but still groggy. " Good morning Angela.," Aelita said as her daughter walked in.
" Is that sarcasm, it's Monday," Angela answered putting books in her backpack. Angela, the cute thirteen year old, and was as mixed with her parents genes as she could possibly get. In most cases the child tends to look more like one parent. Example, you look just like your father. Her hair was pink like her mother's though she had her fathers eyes. For the most part she looked exactly like Aelita with Jeremie's eyes. She had Aelita's nose and ears, Jeremie head shape and chin.
The personality couldn't be further away from either of them. Jeremie and Aelita were in kid terms, boring and uneventful, and both being teachers didn't make it any better. Angela was however, in kid terms, fun, energetic, brave, and adventurous, thus why her parents worry about her.
Her studies were still a major role in her life. Both her parents were geniuses so naturally she took the gene from one of them, even managing to skip a grade in elementary. It didn't consume her social life, she still had friends at the school. Jeremie finished his breakfast and went upstairs to shower leaving the girls alone.
" So did you study for your fathers test today?" Aelita asked taking a sip of her coffee.
" Of course. Why can't you teach physics. Dad doesn't ease on any test."
" He got the degree in physics, not me. Besides if you had Ms. Hertz for that class., you wouldn't be complaining." She said with a small laugh.
" Who's Ms. Hertz?"
" The teacher me and your father had at Kadic. She was nice but never went easy on our friend Odd. Not like he'd pay attention if she was going easy." After a small conversation about daddy being mean, Aelita went to her room to get dressed. She closed the door behind her and let her rope drop. Jeremie walked out of the bathroom and looked away for a brief second to reserve Aelita's modesty. " Don't worry, nothing you haven't seen before." She began to dress and Jeremie did the same.
" She's still upset because of your nasty little test."
" She'll get over it when she see's the class final. I remember Ms. Hertz's final. Long and boring. I didn't really even study and I still got an A."
" So did I. I almost miss those days. Almost."
When the family was ready they locked their doors, got in the car and drove to the school. Kadic hadn't changed much at all since Aelita and Jeremie went. Some additions were added, like the south wing for extra dormitories when the school expanded to fifth through twelfth grade but that was there when they were in ninth grade. The school was already busy when they arrived and Angela quickly ditched her parents to meet her friends before class began.
Angela looked at a boy sitting on the bench reading a book as she made her way to the cafeteria. He lifted his eyes for a moment to see who was looking at him and when he found out, went back to his business turning a page. She knew who the boy was. She knew him because he was the son of her parents closest friends. His name was Xi Ulrich Stern. At least twice a year Xi's parent's and her's would meet for dinner as well as some other kid's parents who also went to the academy, though she couldn't think of his name at the moment.
Xi has very dark brown hair that is cut just passed his eyes. Because his mother is Japanese his eyes are slightly slanted but no one could really notice unless they were trying to. His eyes were the same color as his hair. He was husky, but was still pretty short for his age, barely passing five feet. For some reason he preferred to be alone but was occasionally talking with some acquaintances. He really only had one real friend though. Odd Della Robbia jr.
Odd doesn't look much like his father but when the two stand next to each other, you could tell jr was senior's son. Odd's personality is the same as his father's; carefree, fun loving, joke telling and most of all, annoying as hell when any of the things that describe his personality goes too far. Like his father at his age he had his hair spiked up, but without the purple mark in the center, which made him wonder is that real or not, and if it is real is that purple hair anywhere else. He was taller than his father was at his age thankfully inheriting height from his mother.
" Good morning, you left the dorm pretty early today," Odd jr said as he walked over, with coffee in one hand and his backpack flung over his shoulder with the other.
" I like hot water in the morning so I have to get up early before you take it all. Your shower could peel skin off," said Xi, closing his book and putting it on the bench.
" It makes my hair smooth. Unlike your hair that looks like it should of been washed yesterday."
" Sucker punch. I sleep with ear plugs because you snore louder than a car horn. Two nights ago Xavier came to our room thinking it was something weird like a bomb or something. I don't remember what he thought he heard, I was too groggy."
" Can we just eat?" Odd jr asked, another trait he shared with his father.
" After you."
" Good morning boys." They looked up to see Mrs. Belpois next to them. " Have a good weekend?"
" Mostly just boring but sleeping kept me entertained," answered Xi.
" Nice to hear, how are your parents?" Aelita asked trying to keep track of her friends. Since post highschool she was finding it harder to keep in touch, so when Xi and Odd jr started at Kadic, she was finding it easier.
" Well with me and Justin here this year they have time to relax after work. Probably celebrating no clothes Saturday with us gone." Aelita looked at him, wondering to take his comment as a joke or a serious statement. " Don't ask," said Xi after a long pause.
" Okay..." Aelita said wondering about that, " So Odd how about your family?"
" My old man said he and my mom are going to take a vacation pretty soon. It's not even October and they're out in Fiji soaking up the sun."
" You sound upset."
" I am, I'm not in Fiji. I'm in France and in three hours I'll be taking your husbands physics test." Aelita laughed to herself, she'd been hearing about that test all morning and was never getting tired of the moaning.
" Have fun with that, see you both fifth hour." She walked away with a wave and moved toward the science department.
Odd jr and Xi walked into the cafeteria that was filled with life as the students talked about their classes, and the regular school gossip of who was dating who, who might date who, when who and who would break up and why was who dating who to begin with. They got their breakfast from the line and sat at their usual table next to the door. A tray landed next to Odd jr and a girl sat next to him with a broad smile across her face.
" Julie, what took you. Usually you're here first?" Odd jr asked his girlfriend looking at her from a side glance.
" Traffic in the girls showers, I slept in and didn't make it before the crowd came." She answered with a yawn. " So did anyone study for Mr. Belpois' test?"
" I looked at the book, took some notes on key stuff that looked important because it was in bold print," answered Odd jr, shoveling some eggs into his mouth.
" Can I see those?" Odd jr handed her his backpack and she found his physics book with a book marked page. The book mark was labeled, ' Bull Shit Exam,' and had a face drawn next to those words with angry eyebrows. She giggled when she saw that and found the sheet of paper that held his notes.
" So Xi, are you going to date anyone this year?" Odd jr asked after swallowing his meal sized bite.
" Maybe, but no one really tickles my fancy. I like to keep my options open," Xi answered looking up from his breakfast.
" Keep your options open? For the entire time I've known you, you've had two girlfriends. Even though I shouldn't say it in front of mine but for the sake of example. I've had five in the last year. We all keep our options open, but you don't try your options."
" Whatever," said Xi very unenthusiastically.
The table was quiet for a moment before Odd jr asked," Do your parents really walk around the house naked on Saturday?"Xi shrugged with a laugh.
The rest of the day went by normally. Seven classes, with lunch in between fourth and fifth. Then dinner followed by night showers for those who took them and working out for Xi and Odd jr. Xi hated to admit it but Odd jr had more arm strength than him. Odd jr usually wore long sleeved shirts but when he wasn't his arms were being shown off as girls watched him from a distance gigging amongst themselves. The teachers let them use the gym for their exercise. They worked out every other day, occasionally with a few spectators watching them.
They would do, push ups, pull ups, sit ups, suicides, and then leave for the day. They would do one-hundred push ups, Xi having to rest half way with Odd jr not resting the entire time. When it came to running, Xi was superior. He was faster and could run longer. They would practice boxing sometimes with a hanging bag that they let them keep it the closet if they put it back when they're done. Odd jr would only box the bag while Xi would practice pencak silat that he learned from both his parents.
When they got to their dorm they would finish their homework, which went pretty fast because they had all the same classes together. Then Odd jr would go and hang out with his current girl friend leaving the room to Xi. Xi didn't do much besides read but on work out days he'd take a shower so he didn't have to smell his sheets the next morning.
Angela's day went by in it's usual boring way. She felt a little annoyed that her parents were teachers at her school. She had to deal with them all day. When she first came to fifth grade she thought having your parents be the teachers would mean you could get away with more, but she found herself getting away with less because she couldn't play the sweet and innocent act to her parents who had learned ways to defend against it. In her biology class Aelita would say things like, " Could you please turn the lights off for me sweety." With the intension of embarrassing her.
After a four years with her parents she didn't mind it so much. Her parents gave her space even with their occupations. If she'd forgotten her wallet at home she could ask her parents and when she got home pay them back. She'd hadn't learned to love it, but at least it didn't drive her insane.
The next morning Jeremie woke up and did his usual morning routine, with the coffee and news. The news today, made him paranoid again.
" The black outs continue," started the reporter. " Last night three more cities went dark almost at the exact same time. The people of Tokyo, Miami, and Budapest are like last nights cities, completely without power." Then the phone rang making Jeremie jump. He shook of the momentary fright and looked at the caller id that said, 'STERN, ULRICH'.
" Hey, good morning," answered Jeremie, not sure if Ulrich or Yumi called so didn't use a name.
" Have you been watching the news," Ulrich's voice said, " Seven giant blackouts in two days. Little creepy." He stopped talking and Jeremie heard him take a drink of coffee.
" I know, at first I thought it was just weird but now I think it could be more than coincidence," answered Jeremie.
" I think we should check the factory. Xana's gone but something doesn't feel right."
" I agree, how about Saturday?"
" Can't, clothing optional day with the Mrs."
" I keep hearing about that, is that true?"
" Come over Saturday and find out. How about Sunday."
" That'll work. I'll call Odd and tell him."
" See you then." They both hung up and Aelita walked into the kitchen and asked who just called.
" Ulrich. He says it's a good idea if we check the factory just to be safe." The blackouts were scaring Aelita too, but was the factory really necessary.
" Jeremie, you promised you wouldn't."
" Three more blackouts just happened over night. I hate to say it, but xana is written all over it." Aelita sat on the chair and held her head up with the palms of her hands, thinking. " Look, we're not going until Sunday. If a logical reason for all this happening turns up till then, we'll call it off and go back to our lives."
" Fair enough," she answered standing from the chair and kissing her husband before getting coffee.
The next week went slow for Jeremie, watching the news for any sign of this mystery not being xana. On Saturday night still nothing so he gathered a few supplies for going to the factory. He called Odd on Thursday who seemed completely oblivious of the events happening around the world. He said he'd come as well but it would delay his arrival in Fiji. Jeremie thanked him for coming along and when he hung up muttered, " Rich bastard. Fiji in the fall."