Code: Doctor

(The story takes place before Anthea, Aelita's mother was kidnapped, so Aelita's a little girl in this. I hope you enjoy it. Lyoko498)

Franz Hopper was sitting in a chair, his daughter on his lap, as he read her a story before bed. She held Puck in hand, her beloved doll being something to hold on too, as her father read The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley, otherwise known as Frankenstein.

"Satan has his companions, fellow-devils, to admire and encourage him," read Franz, wishing his daughter wasn't as smart as she was. Since he started reading this book to her, Franz and his wife Anthea, would wake up the next morning to seeing a little pink head in their bed. But Aelita was interested after finding it in her father's library.

A knock came on the door. "I wonder who that could be?" questioned Anthea, standing up from the chair she sat on and walked towards the door. It creaked as she opened it, stopped by the chain lock. Before her was a raggedy man. His hair was brown and a tad out of control, he wore dark trousers, a white and brow striped shirt and a tan over coat and a bow tie.

"Hello." said rang the British voice cheerfully. "May I come in? I have very important business to speak about with your husband." He flashed out a piece of identification paper, "I worked with him, and I must see him. Now, nothing is wrong, not currently."

The man's eyes peered around to the left and he saw Franz and Aelita, "Franz! Ooh I see you got a little girl now! Hi there!" Aelita looked up to her father and asked him who the man was.

"Uh, he's a former associate of mine. Um, let him in Anthea." Reluctantly she undid the chain, and opened the door to the strange man. "Thank you very much Anthea." the man smiled.

He turned to Aelita, "And who might you be?"

She smiled and answered, "Aelita."

"You don't say? Like the rose? Well it suits you. Oh you're so cute. Anyway, Franz, I need to talk to you in private about a pressing matter."

Franz looked back down at his daughter and back to the man, "Well I'm kind of busy reading to my daughter."

"I see, mind if I join? I love a good book." laughed the man , taking a chair in the kitchen, moving it to the living room. Anthea looked at the strange man. She wasn't upset with him in any way, but she was curious about him, as if something was not quite right with him.

So Franz read a little more, as the man then quipped, realizing what was read, "Really Franz? You're reading Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus to your young daughter?"

"Well she found it and was instantly interested in it." Franz defended.

The man shrugged his shoulders and sat back, listening to the story. After a few more minutes, Franz was done reading. The man smiled at his daughter, before looking at his guest, who was also smiling, but a more nostalgic smile.

"Mary Shelley was a wonderful writer, don't you agree?" said the guest. Aelita was hugging her doll, the book persisting to scare her.

The guest kneeled down and gently grabbed the girl's shoulder and said, "'ey don't worry about the story. It's only that a story. The Creature isn't real and it can't hurt you. Now, why don't you go upstairs, say whatever prayers you say, and go to sleep. I assure you that you'll be fine."

The guest kissed her head and gently lead her to her room.

With their daughter and the man gone Anthea asked her husband, "So, who is he?" Franz groaned slightly. He wanted to not mention him to his wife. Not that he was a bad man, as she now just witnessed. But Franz sighed and answered, "And old friend of mine, who goes by the alias of "The Doctor". We worked together on something when I was working on that project."

She nodded and said, "I understand." Just then the man came creeping away from Aelita's room, tip-toeing his way to them, putting a finger to his lips. "Shhhh, she's asleep. So precious."

Anthea then asked, "So you needed to talk to Franz about something?" The Doctor's face quickly changed from soft and kind to hard and somewhat stern. "Yes, it's about that project Franz." Anthea pretended to look at a watch, saying, "Oh, well I should also start getting ready for bed. See you in a bit Franz?"

"Yes Anthea.." And like that she walked to her room. Now all that remained in the room was Franz Hopper and the mysterious man known only as The Doctor. Franz noticed that the Doctor was upset, he saw that in his eyes, but also he saw great sadness.

"Franz how could you?"

Franz was confused, "What are you talking about, you told me to sabatage Project Carthage?"

"Not that project Franz!" snapped the Doctor, "My TARDIS' scanners noted that this days have been rewinded, the largest "replayed" being over 2,546 times!" Franz was shocked The Doctor noticed. "I don't know what you're talking about Doctor," Franz lied, walking to the kitchen, grabbing a glass, filling it with milk (Anthea hated it when he drank alcohol before he went to bed.)

"Ooh but you do!" The Doctor replied, "You don't think I can recognized a hyperspacial chronotonic reversal wave? Which is still expanding across the universe might I add! Over 2000 of these time reversing waves, forcing planets to go through temporal instability, granted in this case it's not cataclysmic but it's still a big deal!"

Franz snapped at the Doctor, "I have no choice!" After the two men glared at each other for about three minutes, Franz finally spoke, "I'm building something important Doctor. Something that'll bring Project Carthage to it's knees."

The Doctor questioned, "What? What have you done Franz?" Franz put his glass to his lips and took a sip. Franz could understand The Doctor's concern. But in the end, the rewind function might never be used again.

"I created a quantum supercomputer, Doctor. And within it… a sanctuary." Franz answered, trying to regain his cool. The Doctor looked shocked, "No." He turned around, went back to the living room, repeating the word "No." He was worried, as he concluding by saying, "This is not good, on a list of things that are good, this would be near the bottom!"

Franz inquired, "How? The men in black are after me and my family Doctor! We need a place to be safe!" The Doctor turned to face him and stopped his pacing, "Don't tell me you did what I think you did…"

Franz answered, "I created a virtual world. Originally called XANADU, but eventually, it evolved beyond that, and I called the perfected version LYOKO. I put in a program, called X.A.N.A. to use structure I created, towers, to destroy Project Carthage. I have digital avatars ready. A whole world to live in, and hide from the wrath of my former associates."

The Doctor grabbed Franz's arms firmly, sternness replaced by worry, "Franz! You're playing God! Do you know how many times I've seen that happen? Every single time, I've witnessed a factor, something that's almost bound to happen. It will betray you, beat you…kill you. The Prometheus Effect…The Lucifer Factor…"

Franz knew this was irrelevant but from all his time of knowing The Doctor, the allegories were a tad strange and said, "I always thought you were atheist."

The Doctor shrugged and corrected, "Transtheist actually…That's besides the point! Franz, you're a loyal companion, and a good man. I'd hate to see something bad happen to you because of a stroke of insanity!"

A small noise came from the corner, causing both men to look to the side. There stood Aelita, hugging Puck, scared. The Doctor let go of Franz, letting him pick up his daughter. "Did he hurt you Daddy?" Aelita asked her father.

Franz shook his head, "No, no. This man is my friend Aelita. He wouldn't hurt me on purpose. I know he means well, but I fear that he is a tad…overprotective on a little project I'm doing." The

Doctor walked towards the girls and continued, "That's right Aelita. You're father is a good man, and I'm just concerned about something he's doing. I'm not going to hurt him, you, or anyone else."

Franz walked Aelita to her room, tucked her in, and returned to the living room.

"Please Franz," said The Doctor, concern filling his voice even more, if that were possible. Franz sadly shook his head, "I'm sorry Doctor. But this is something I must do." With that The Doctor nodded, "Alright Franz. I understand. It's a good idea in your head and I can see why. But please remember this one thing Franz, when I say "Run," I don't mean "Run away from your problems."

Franz nodded, "I know Doctor, I know." The Doctor hugged the man, surprising Franz, but he eventually returned it.

And with that the Doctor walked out the door and returned to his little blue box across the street. A strange noise emitted from it, fading, fading, until it was finally gone.

(I was considering extending this to a full story, but I'll let you all decide on that. I hope you liked this story, and maybe would like to see it continued too. :) If you didn't like it, I'm sorry. J Lyoko498)