Aelita came out of the scanner and quickly went up the elevator. Ulrich, Yumi, Odd, and Jeremy were all standing in the computer lab waiting for her.

     “Are you ok, Aelita?” Odd asked.

     “Yeah I’m fine,” she looked at Jeremy. “Are you ok, Jeremy?”

     “Yeah,” he answered. “I guess so.”

     “Well?” asked Yumi. “What happened, Jeremy?”

     “Hmmm?” he looked at Yumi in a puzzled way. “What do you mean ‘what happened’?”

     “When you screamed,” said Ulrich.

     “I have no idea what that was,” Jeremy said.

     “Maybe we should run a test,” Aelita suggested. “I mean, it is Xana after all. It could have been something really bad.”

     Jeremy got into the scanner and Aelita scanned for any problems.

     “Oh no!” she said.

     “What? What’s wrong?” Odd asked.

     “Jeremy has a Xana virus!”

     “A what?” asked Ulrich. “A virus,” Aelita explained. “But, it’s different then the one I had. According to the computer it’s suppose to cause him pain at different times.”

     “Kinda like a seizure?” Yumi asked.

     “Uh,” Aelita said. “Sort of. My guess is that Xana doesn’t want him to be able to find that message.”

     “So, it’s like a distraction?” Odd looked at Aelita hoping he was right.

     “Basically,” she replied. “This way he’ll have to decide whether he wants to find a cure for his virus or the message. Xana’s stalling for time.”

     “Xana must really have something bad in mind for his big plan,” said Ulrich.

     “I can only imagine,” Aelita told them. “Maybe the message has something to do with his plan and that’s why he did that to Jeremy.”

     “Poor Jeremy,” Yumi sighed.

     “Poor Jeremy what?” Jeremy walked in the room as they were talking.

     “I have some bad news,” Aelita looked up at his face. “You have a virus.”

     “A virus?” he asked.

     “Yes,” she answered. “It’s suppose to cause you pain, Jeremy…” Her eyes started filling with tears as she spoke.

     “What’s wrong?” Jeremy asked.

     “Nothing,” she replied. “Let’s just go back to Kadic.”

     “Good idea,” said Odd. “I’m getting kinda hungry after saving the world.”

     “When are you not hungry, Odd?” Ulrich asked.

     “Very funny, Ulrich,” Odd said. “When are you not grumpy?”

     “I’m never grumpy, Odd! Why are you always scrawny?”

     “I’m not scrawny! I’m svelte!”

     “Sure you are.”

     “Knock it off you two,” Yumi snapped. “You’re starting to get on my nerves.”

     “Forget it, Yumi,” Aelita said. “They’re just boys.”

     “Oh,” Yumi looked at Jeremy. “Jeremy qualifies as one too, doesn’t he?”

     “Well,” Aelita blushed. “He doesn’t act like Odd and Ulrich.”

     Yumi just laughed. “Oh course he does. You just don’t think so because you like him.”

     They all went up the elevator and headed back to Kadic.

*The End*