A/N: I apologize for the odd spacing and any inaccuracies I have here. Enjoy, and review if you like!

"The activated tower is in the arctic sector. I'll send you there right away!"

"Got it, Jeremy," said Yumi as Odd pressed the button on the elevator.

"All right then," Jeremy said, adjusting his microphone and typing on the keyboard of the supercomputer. "Transfer Yumi! Transfer Odd! Scanner Yumi! Scanner Odd! Virtualization!"

"We're here, Jeremy, but I don't see the tower."

"This is as close as I could virtualize you guys. I'll send your vehicles." The Overwing and Overboard appeared. "The tower is due north. Did you guys get ahold of Aelita?"

"Yeah, she should be here any second now."

"All right." Jeremy turned, hearing a whirring noise. "Okay, good, Aelita, you made it. Get to the scanners." Aelita nodded as the doors to the elevator closed and locked. Jeremy virtualized her as well. "Look out, guys, you have company."

"Thanks, Jeremy, I can see that! Laser Arrow!" Odd pointed his wrist at the hornets. His weapon stuck one right in the Eye of X.A.N.A., and it exploded. "Bull's eye! Laser Arrow!" he said as Yumi threw one of her fans at the swarm. The quick-moving hornets dodged the arrow, but two were sliced by the fan, which returned like a boomerang to Yumi. "Try to hurry, guys! I can't reach Ulrich!"

"Oh, no," Yumi said quietly, jumping back on the Overwing. "Come on, Aelita! Let's go!" Aelita hopped on behind her and the Overwing shot off.

"Hey, wait up, guys!" Odd turned around. "Laser Arrow!" The last hornet exploded and Odd jumped on his Overboard, speeding up to catch the Overwing. "Race ya!" Odd sped up, flying ahead. "Oh, no, you don't!" Yumi leaned forward a bit, and the Overwing raced across the ice. Or, rather, right above it. "You're almost there. Careful, there are a couple of tarantulas up ahead."

"Got it, Jeremy." Yumi withdrew one of her fans from its holster.

"It's William!"

"Yep. I'll take the tarantulas!"

"And I'll get Aelita to the tower." Odd nodded and angled his board up, soaring high. "Laser arrow!" he yelled, shooting down one of the tarantulas. The other raised its arms and fired at him. Odd dodged the first laser, but was struck by the second. His virtual form unraveled, and he reappeared on earth. He panted, leaning on the scanner before he rode the elevator back to the control room. "Ugh! Not good!" Yumi said, jumping off of the Overwing to avoid a laser blast. "Yah!" she yelled, throwing both of her fans at the tarantula. "Good job, Yumi!"

"Thanks. Now go get to the tower!"

"Hm!" Aelita ran closer to the tower, but just before she got there, William used Supersmoke to appear in front of her. "Eep!" Smoke surrounded her and she fell limp, floating towards the digital sea. "Oh, no! Aelita!" Jeremy yelled. The smoke dissipated, dropping Aelita over the edge. Aelita froze for a moment before unfurling her energy wings and flying back up. William ran towards her, but a fan almost struck his nose, and he took a step back. "Long time no see, William," Yumi said, now in front of him. William's giant sword appeared, and he took a swing at Yumi. She barely dodged it, drawing out her other fan. "It won't do you any good." William knocked the fan out of her hands with his sword, and it disappeared. Yumi took a glance at the tower and sighed in relief. Aelita was walking in. William swung at Yumi again, and she let herself be devirtualized. Inside the tower, Aelita stepped to the center, swinging her head back and ascending to the next level. Her feet touched the surface, the rings lighting up as she stepped on them. A virtual interface appeared on which she placed her hand. The word "Aelita" appeared on the screen, soon being replaced by "Code". Aelita tapped on the screen and typed out "Lyoko". "Tower deactivated," she said as the binary data around her dropped.

"Good job, Aelita," Jeremy said, typing on his keyboard. "Return to the past now!" He pressed enter. An orb of white light appeared, spreading through the factory and covering everywhere else.

"So, I guess you made it, huh?" Odd said to Ulrich, Odd pushing a button for something to drink. Liquid poured into the cup.

"Yeah, I made it, all right. No thanks to you."

"Hey, I was going to the factory!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

"Oh, just relax, will you, Ulrich? You're still alive, aren't you?" Aelita chuckled, picking up her books on the bench. "Come on. Class is going to start soon."

"Yeah, Ulrich. I need my beauty sleep, you know!" Odd chimed as he put the empty cup in the trash can. Ulrich rolled his eyes and walked into class with the others.

Soon after they were seated, the bell rang. The English teacher closed the door and told the class to get out last night's homework but was interrupted by a faint knocking. The teacher turned to the door and saw a girl peering in. She opened it, exchanged a few words with the girl, and walked her to the front of the class. "Class, we have a new student today. Her name is Hinata." Hinata had short, shiny purple hair, a beige jacket and dark blue pants. Her eyes were a very light lavender, and she had a headband with a metal plate on it tied around her neck. "You can have a seat here, next to Yumi," said the teacher, pointing to the empty spot next to Yumi. Hinata nodded and sat down. Looking closer, Yumi could see that the metal plate on the headband had a leaf inscribed in it. "Please get out your pens, and we'll grade the homework..."

The bell rang. Time for lunch. Of course, Odd booked it at top speed to the cafeteria, the others following a little more slowly. "Hey, look, it's that Hinata girl again," Yumi said, Jeremy, Aelita, and Ulrich turning to look.

"Mmm-hmm, that's her. Hey, hasn't she been in all of our classes?"

"Now that you mention it, Aelita, I think she has."

"Huh." Odd got his lunch, buttering up the lunch lady as usual for a larger serving. The rest of the gang recieved their lunches as well and sat next to Odd, who was wolfing down his spaghetti. "So, anything new on Lyoko, Jeremy?"

"No, nothing that I know of."

"Oh, okay, then." Aelita forked a meatball. "Oh, look, she's sitting all by herself," she said.

"Well, we aren't talking about Lyoko or anything, so..."

"Why not?" Odd waved at the girl. "Hey, Hinata! C'mon, you can sit with us!" The girl turned towards them. "Oh, um, okay," she said quietly, picking up her lunch and walking towards the group. She sat down next to Aelita.

"So your name's Hinata, right?"

"Mmm-hmm." Hinata twirled some spaghetti with her fork.

"All right, well, I'm Yumi."

"I'm Odd!"

"I'm Ulrich."

"My name is Aelita," said Aelita, placing her hand on her chest, "and this is Jeremy." She pointed to the blonde-haired boy sitting across from her. Hinata nodded, putting her fork in her mouth.

"So, tell us about you, Hinata! What kind of stuff do you like?"

"Adding another girlfriend to your trophy room, Odd?" Ulrich whispered.

"I am not! I just want to know what stuff she likes."

"Uh-huh. I believe you, Odd."

"Oh, just shut it, Ulrich. So what do you like, Hinata?"

"Um, well..."

"Well, well, well! If it isn't the new kid!" Hinata whipped around to see a black-haired girl facing her.

"Hey, back off, Sissi!"

"Oh, yeah? Why should I?"

"Hey, Odd, did you just hear something?"

"Yeah, it must have been the wind. It sounds all weird and shrieky today."

"Uh! You little--Hmph!" Sissi turned her back to them with a pout and walked away. Aelita gave Odd a high-five. "Well done."

"Not bad yourself. You okay, Hinata?"

"Mm-hmm." Hinata picked at the noodles on her plate.

"You don't talk much, do you?"

"Um, well, not really..." Ring!

"Uh-oh, there's the bell. See you later, Hinata," Yumi said, picking up her tray and walking away from the table.

The gang was soon at gym.

"Hey, look, Hinata's in this class, too!"

"Weird. I wonder if she's in all of our classes." Aelita saw Hinata walk up to Jim, hearing her faint voice but not enough to make out the words.

"Well, all right, but as soon as you're better, come back, okay?" The purple-haired girl nodded and walked away. "I guess Hinata's not doing too good," Ulrich said. A muted, urgent beeping came from Jeremy's bag. "Looks like we aren't, either," Jeremy said, sneaking a peek. "X.A.N.A. attack, guys. I'll play sick. Any ideas for the rest of you?"

"We'll figure something out, Jeremy. You go ahead." Jeremy nodded and walked, staggering a bit, to Jim. "Ub, Jib?" Jeremy said, faking a stuffy nose, "Ibe not feeling too well. Can I go to the infirbary?"

"All right, go ahead, Belpouis. I don't want you getting anyone else sick." Jeremy nodded and walked out the door.

He didn't head for the infirmary, of course, speeding his pace until he got to the factory. He sat in the chair, located the activated tower, which was in the mountain sector, and waited.