The bustle of students returning to the French Junior High school pushed the newest eigth grader forwards. She stopped in front of Sissy. "Excuse me, can you help me?" she asked the girl, brushing her maroon hair out of her hazel eyes.

Sissy skimmed her over. A scarlet tinge spread across her nose. "Whadda you want? The autograph of the school's prettiest girl?" she asked in response.

"No, I never get along with stuck-up, self-centerd, I'm-so-cool, Carmen Electra wannabes!" the replied abruptly, pulling her suitcase in the direction of a random coridoor.

Lucky for her, the coridoor she picked led straight to the office. A brunette boy was at the counter. "But whadda ya mean, I'm not in their class???"

She shook her head and approached the counter, trying to be inconspicuous. Miss Weber transferred her attention to her. "Name please." the secretary stated.

"Ana Marie Fakhoury" the girl responded somewhat joyously.

Miss Weber looked over a list and copied down some information. "Your dorm is this...Your homeroom is this...And if you need help, go here..."

Ana Marie almost fell asleep during the secretary's explanation. The brunette boy saved her. "Miss Weber, how about I show her where to find her mentor?" he asked.

"Great idea, Ulrich. Seeing as you are his room mate." She turned to Marie. "Good luck at Kadic." she smiled.

Jeremie sat at his computer desk, like he had most of the summer. Aelita and Odd sat on Einstien's bed, so at least someone used it.

"So, Einstien, what's so important?" Odd asked, a lazy hint to his tone.

Jeremie swiveled in his chair. "I can virtualize you into the internet!" he exclaimed.

Aelita grinned. "That's great, Jeremie!" she congratulated.

Jeremie opened his mouth to speak, but a sharp rasp on the door made him think twice. He stood and approached, opening the door. Ulrich was there, along with a girl he'd never seen before. "Uh, Ulrich?" he asked, confused.

"She's looking for the stink fairy." he informed.

"I do not stink!" Odd protested.

"Why do you need him?" Aelita asked Marie.

"He's my assigned mentor." Marie responded acutely.

That made Aelita and Jeremie laugh. Odd stood up, fists on his hips. "What's so funny?" he asked.

"It's just, it's unfathomable to picture you, the boy with straight Z's, as a mentor." Jeremie managed between laughs.

"I'm the boy withstraight F's, 'cause Ulrich's the only one that has Z's here. Like a Grizzly Bear." Odd retorted. He made a mock snore.

"Oh, I'll get you, Mr. Mentor!" Ulrich growled.

"Anyways, back on topic. What's your name, dorm, and grade?" Odd asked, hints of a serious tone traceable in his voice.

Marie smiled. "I'm Ana Marie Fakhoury. I'm in 8th grade, in dorm 303." she replied sweetly.

Aelita's jaw dropped. "That's my dorm!" she cried.

"Alright, let's set this beauty up in Princess's dorm!" Odd joked.

"I'm coming!" Aelita cried, standing up. Jeremy shook his head. "I have to fine tune that program, then I'll be there." he explained.

Marie stood on tiptoe to peer over Jeremie's shoulder. She shook her head. "You screwed up on line 3.96!" she informed, not removing her eyes from the scrolling text.

Odd's eyebrows shot up. To Ulrich, he whisperd, "Here it comes!"

Jeremy stepped aside. "Explain" he said, gesturing to the computer.

Marie sat in the warm swivel chair. She grabbed the mouse and highlighted line 3.96. "You put 'x4937bj' but after examining the rest of the code thouroughly, it should be 'x3479jb'." she explained while doing the action. She hit a few more keys, and a screen popped up, reading:

[Code accepted. Actions available]

Jeremy took off his glasses, wiped them off, and looked again after replacing them on his nose. "Thank you!!!" he cried, very happily.

"No problem." she smiled, "So, to my dorm?"

Aelita, Jeremy, and Ulrich nodded.

"You go ahead, I need to speak to Marie." Odd stated.

Aelita pulled a semi-restraining Jeremie and Ulrich out of the room, closing the door with her foot behind them.

As soon as they were gone, Odd turned to Marie. "I didn't know girls as gorgeous as you could be smart!" he complimented.

Marie felt her nose and cheeks turn crimson. "It was simple. Anyone would know that he was trying to trap some people in an alternate universe. I didn't know who he'd be targeting, so I followed my gut. I tweaked it so the effect would be neutral."

"So, if there would be no effect, why'd that screen pop-up?" Odd asked, actually understanding.

"To fool him into thinking I helped him!" she concluded.

Odd paced in front of him. He stopped almost suddenly. "I can think of only one program-er, person that would be evil enough to alter Jeremie's free will to do it's-his bidding."

"Who's that?" Marie asked.

"I'll tell you on the way to the factory." Odd said, not taking time to think if it was the right thing to do.

Yumi relaxed in the cafeteria, a bowl of now cold oatmeal in front of her. Her mobile rang, sending off farmilliar vibrations against her thigh. She dug it out and held it up to her ear. "Hello?"

"Yumi, it's Odd."

"What's up?"

"Good news or bad news? Or the not-so either news?"

"How about good news?"

"My mentee is gorgeous!"

"Good for you."

"And, she outsmarted Jeremie!"

"Woah...Did she??"

"Yep!"

"What about so-so news?"

"I'm starved."

"Great. Want me to snag you a muffin?"

"Sure!" 

"Alright, Bad news, please."

"We think Jeremie's the body of you-know-who again."

"Oh, God. Did you come up with it?"

"No, Marie did."

"Who?"

"My mentee."

"Did you--"

No answer.

"Odd, you did, didn't you?"

"Eh..."

"Great. Just great."

"Yumi, just meet us at the factory."

"You, and Marie, your mentee, right?"

"Yep. So, meet us there?"

"What about Aelita? And Ulrich?"

"And leave out Einstien/Xana? Do we wnant to raise suspision?"

She thought a moment. "As soon as I snag your muffin, I'll be there."

"You rock Yumi! See you on Lyoko!"

"Your there already?"

"No, but I'm getting ready to enter the factory."

"Oh...See ya!"

Marie and Od just got out of the elevator. She was gaping at the map. "So, you were right!"

Odd nodded, then explained what he'd need on Lyoko, once he got there. Marie nodded. "Got it!"

"And, when a Japanese girl comes, tell her I'm waiting on Lyoko. Okay?"

"Yeah,but Odd?"

"What?"

"Be careful."

Odd's nose turned slightly scarlet. He nodded, ran to the elevator, got in, and disappeared behind green metal doors. Marie turned to and sat in front of the monitor. She propped the headset over her ear, only to geta call. From Ulrich.

"Odd?"

"Yeah?"

"Ulrich's calling. What do I do?"

"Answer it and say no one's home, then hang up!"

"Odd, don't you think Ulrich would be a little smarter then that?"

"Probably not, Marie."

She giggled. "Okay."

She hit enter. "Hello? Ulrich?"

"Marie? What are you doing?"

"Uh..."

"Did Odd-?"

"Yes, especially after..."

"After what?"

"I can't tell you. Just keep an eye on Jeremie, will ya?"

"I'll try, but no promises."

"Odd and Yumi are on their wayto Lyoko, so don't worry. We'll get-" She stopped. She couldn't tell him.

"Get what?"

"If this works, I'll tell you, but I have to go."

 "Alright, good luck."

"Thanks Ulrich."

~~~~

As Ulrich hung up, Aelita was getting more and more worried about Jeremie. He just wasn't himself.

"Who was that?" she asked Ulrich.

"Odd"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Alright..."

Then, she saw it. Very small, hiding behind Jeremie's ear. She jumped for the door and ran, not turning back. All the way to the factory, she didn't stop running. She slid under the elevator's shutter door. The elevator descended slowly.

"What's wrong, Aelita?" Yumi asked.

"Jeremie-I-He-Xana" she managed as a reply.

"Ulrich..." mutterd Yumi.

"No, I saw it myself." Aelita responded, partially out of breath.

The elevator doors slowly opened. "Marie, scanners for 2, please!" Yumi ordered.

Marie faced them. "Aelita? Did you? Or Ulrich?"

"Me" Aelita replied.

"To the scanners!" Yumi cheered, brimming with false enthusiasm.

Marie laughed. "Odd's a'waitin!" she informed, setting up the virtualization process. The camera view popped up, showing the two girls entering scanners. Marie hit enter. "Virtualization!" she cried.

Odd looked at the Kankrelat swarm that surrounded him, Yumi, and Aelita. "At least Xana remembered his manners!" he chided.

Very funny, Odd. Marie scolded.

"At least someone appreciates comedy!"

"Cut it out!" Yumi ordered, knocking out 3 Kankrelats with one fan. Odd shot 4 in a row, but got hit himself.

Odd, you lost 30 life points. And, so you know, I'm coming in. Marie informed.

"Be careful!" Odd mocked.

Aelita kicked him in the shin.

"Fight Xana, not each other!" Yumi ordered.

Okay. Marie responded to Odd with an unseen nod.

Marie hit several keys and switched the headset plugged in with her mobile's bluetooth wireless headset. She entered the elevator, and exited at the scanner room. Pausing a moment, she asked "Odd?"

"Why aren't you coming?"

"I am. Hold on!" she replied.

Entering the scanner, she cried, "Virtualization!"

Light engulfed her. She fell on her rear with a gentle thud. She struggled up. Odd was gaping at her. "What?" she asked, feeling her ear. Luckilly, the bluetooth was still there.

"Your hair...It's..."

"Hold on. Computer, virtualize mirror." she commanded.

A mirror appeared in her hand. She didn't see the girl with long maroon hair and jeans. She was looking at the reflection of a girl with extremely short red hair, wings  of flame, and a red dress with orange flames tickling the bottom. "Wow." she muttered.

"Less talking, more fighting!" Aelita yelled.

Yumi got hit once. "Computer, status report." Marie ordered.

Odd=70 life points, Yumi=50 life points, Aelita=100 life points, Marie=100 life points.

"Better?" Marie asked.

The Japanese girl nodded. "I see the tower." she stated.

Marie nodded. "Computer, virtualize Overboard"

A purple floating surfboard appeared in front of her. She jumped on, Aelita after her. "See ya!" The two girls cried rather joyfully.

The two boarded over to the tower, talking all the way. The, it happened. A manta appeared out of nowhere and shot Aelita twice. Odd and Yumi screamed "No!".

However, Marie kept on. She stopped 2 feet from the tower. She didn't know why, but she dismounted it with grace and entered the tower. To the middle she went. The pull upwards was a sensation she enjoyed. She headed to the middle again, this time holding out her hand.

MARIE

Was what the screen said. Then,

CODE: LYOKO

She appeared out of the tower, face to face with Odd. "You did it?" he asked.

Marie shrugged. "Computer, activate return to the past." she commanded.

Another white light engulfed her, Odd, Yumi, the entire forest sector, the whole world.

{Didn't I do this before?" Marie thought.

Jeremy openeed the door, and Marie slipped in, pulling her suitcase in and rested it against the wall. She crashed on the bed next to Odd.

"Hey Yumi?" she asked.

"Yeah?"

"Did-"

"Yep!"

Jeremie glanced at Aelita and said, in a barely audible voice, "Thanks, Aelita."

"Marie's the one who should be getting kudos." Odd grumbled. Marie elbowed him.

"Marie? But, didn't Aelita?"

Aelita shook her head, while Marie nodded hers.

"So," said Ulrich, "We have another member?"

"I guess so!" replied Odd gleefully, "Cause it beats you anyday!"

Ulrich gave Odd a death look while everyone laughed.