Chapter Text
(Code Total Drama Reality Introduction Song Starts)
(This Game (From 'No Game No Life'))
The intro begins with the sun rising over the city of Paris, before the camera angles down on Kadic Academy. Stepping into view is Aelita, standing at the school gates as she looks up and watches as dark clouds suddenly cover the sky. Her eyes widen as she suddenly morphs into her Lyoko form, energy fields appearing in her hands.
William appears next, a dark copy of him, resembling his Lyoko form as a warrior of XANA appearing behind him, both clashing their swords, causing a flash of light as the title appears:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(I never wanted to be)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors appear with her as they are surrounded by the monsters of XANA.
(Another gear in that corrupted world's machine)
A giant bird appears above the city, letting out a loud screech.
(All my life felt like a dream)
One by one, the Lyoko Warriors enter the scanners and the doors closed, a ring of light traveling up their bodies as the camera shows and alternates each Lyoko Warrior before they vanish in a flash of light.
(I was never who I really wanted me to be)
Vehicles resembling a hovercraft, a board, a motorcycle appear with new vehicles resembling a sled and a hoverbike with a jet engine appears, carrying the Lyoko Warriors off as they are surrounded by monsters that begin shooting lasers at them.
(But then God shattered that dream's cage)
Four towers, each in a separate sector begins to glow red with monsters and an armored figure leading the monsters. Aelita lands on the platform and places her hand on the screen.
(And rose me up to a new stage)
The Total Drama contestants founds themselves back in the studio, their fellow contestants gathered with them as Chris laughs
(Cut it away like a sharp knife)
He gestures to the screens, showing them all in challenges…
(No, no, No Game No Life)
With each of them suffering a variety of misfortunes: Gwen vomits on Duncan, a soccer ball explodes in Bridgette's face, Geoff yells as a missile chases after him.
(Now suddenly there's a new twist)
Geoff's yelling suddenly stops and he changes into his Lyoko form, brandishing his weapons that cut the missile in half, causing the two pieces to fly past Geoff and explodes behind him.
(A reason to really exist)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors assume their Lyoko forms and battle down various monsters, some of them belonging to XANA and some are different but dangerous.
(I wanna breathe in the fame)
From legions of monsters, comes Men in Black, giant spaceships aiming their cannons down on the bewildered Lyoko Warriors.
(As this whole new world cheers my name)
The camera zooms in on the lead space ship as it prepares to fire.
(I'll never leave it to fate)
One by one, the TD Lyoko Warriors are shown running through the streets of France, the sky darkening and the Eye of XANA appearing on every monitor they pass.
(And when I see a chance I'll pave the way)
They reach the factory, sliding down the ropes and reaching the elevator.
(I'll call checkmate)
The elevator reaches the scanner room, Aelita and William waiting for them.
(This is the time to breakthrough)
The Lyoko Warriors then gather before a scanner, the camera facing them inside with the group staring at it critically. A hand reaches up, giving them a thumbs-up before the scanner doors close.
(So I'll rewrite the story and I'll finally change all the rules)
The Lyoko Warriors are now gathered in the Forest Sector of Lyoko, suddenly separated by a crescent shaped wave of red energy and out of the flames emerges a humanoid warrior in dark armor, their face covered by a horned helmet and the Eye of XANA on its chest and forehead.
(We are MAVERICK)
William charges forward, his large sword clashing against the equally sized weapon of Shadow, both glaring hatefully at each other.
(We won't give in until we win this game)
Both disappear into white and black smoke before we then see Bridgette in the Ice Sector, battling a giant monster resembling a polar bear.
(Though I don't know what tomorrow holds)
The monster is about to cut Bridgette down with its claws before a blast of pure lightning blasts it to pieces.
(I'll make a bet and play my cards to win this game)
The origin of the attack is revealed to be Geoff, holding a giant axe instead of his chakrams as he charges forward to help Bridgette, a look of determination replacing his normal carefree smile.
(Unlike the rest I'll do my best)
A pair of Wasps are shown chasing Dawn who is on the Overwing before Gwen shoots up, her cape morphing into bat like wings as she slashes through the Wasps with her scythe.
(And I won't ever lose)
A pair of Krabs fire on her but DJ's barrier saves her before Cameron flies down and blasts the Krabs with his arm cannons.
(To give up this chance would be a deadly sin)
LeShawna is then staring up at the hulking form of the Kolossus as it approaches her.
(So let's bet it all)
Gripping her hammer tightly, LeShawna charges to meet the biggest of XANA's monsters head on.
(I put all my faith in us)
Aelita is then shown in a red version of Sector 5, turning to glare at the Avatar of XANA who smirks back at her.
(So let the games begin)
Aelita readies her energy field and charges at XANA who summons his own sword, clashing with Aelita's energy fields. Pink and red energy erupt from their clash, covering the screen in white before changing to a black screen with blue lines of coding filling it and the title appearing on last time:
CODE: TOTAL DRAMA REALITY
(This Game (From 'No Game No Life') Ends)
Episode 30: Lyoko's Shadows
Aelita and William were extra careful about sneaking out of the dorms, knowing that any further scrutiny on Aelita would only lead to more questioning which was the last thing they needed. Once they were outside, they headed for the manhole which would lead them directly to the factory.
However, they didn't realize was that someone not only knew they were sneaking out but was also following them.
As William and Aelita opened the manhole cover, a pair of eyes carefully watched them as they slipped down into the sewer.
'They are using the sewer? Disgusting!'
But then she remembered to herself why she was doing this.
"It's amazing to think she almost joined the group at the beginning of everything and that one thing that has never changed about her is that she always selfishly thinks of herself and is always trying to break up our group from her silly obsession with Ulrich. She told her dad everything at the beginning and three years later when we're finally ending it, she does it again after she puts a tracker on Ulrich's jacket that led her to the factory, found my diary and then spilled everything to the principal, forcing us to use one last Return to the Past to stop her. If I have to pretend to be friends with her until the 12th grade, then so be it even if it means putting up with her childish and delusional clingy behavior. It is clear that no matter how much things have changed; Sissy never will change for the better and will always be an annoying thorn in our sides."
Those words…
They had hurt her more than almost anything in her life.
They were an admission that the people she trusted her lied to her, played her like a fiddle while snickering behind her back.
'Never changed for the better huh?' She thought to herself as she came out once the manhole was covered again. 'That might be true…but I'm not letting them push me away this time.'
She opened the manhole cover and climbed down into the sewer.
To say the journey to the factory was awkward was putting it mildly.
Gwen ignored eye contact with anyone, especially Bridgette as they made their way down the streets and into the forest where the sewer hatch was located. Despite the silence, an invisible dark cloud of unease hovered over the entire group, caused by Dawn's attempt at therapy which the child of nature felt immensely guilty over. She hadn't been attempting to unearth old wounds in such a way but she knew that the rest of the group had scars, some actually physical and most mental from their time on Total Drama and heard Mother Nature cautioning her that she needed to help them deal with these wounds in a way that could promote healing and the reforging of old friendships that had been strained as their time on the show continued.
As for Gwen, she hadn't meant to explode on Bridgette like that but the surfer girl's constant need to remind her and blame her for what happened between her and Trent had reached a boiling point even Gwen herself hadn't seen coming. In fact, she hadn't even thought she had been angry with Bridgette or any of the others for choosing Owen's party idea if he won the money over her, but with a few minutes of silent contemplation, she considered that she had always felt like that and pushed it down deep into her mind to focus on winning and just forgot about it after the season had finally ended.
As for her explosive reaction…
Well, suffice to say Gwen really hasn't had it easy. Besides competing on a show with a sadistic host for five seasons, she had been bullied repeatedly by Heather, had to break up with Trent, gotten the entirety of the blame for said breakup and forced to vote herself off, gotten involved in a love triangle with Duncan and Courtney that cost her the latter's friendship, and was now in the middle of a fight with a crazed computer program out to destroy the world. It was only through her persistent will to constantly improve herself had she not gone insane.
And it kind of felt really good to get that all off her chest.
As for Bridgette, she avoided making eye contact with Gwen as well. The goth's words echoed in her mind, and she desperately tried to block them out. Was it because she didn't want to consider that maybe Gwen was right, and she wasn't being fair? Bridgette found this feeling uncomfortable and pushed it aside, feeling that if she went down this road, she might be too forgiving.
And why should she?
Gwen was the one who dumped Trent after all and broke his heart in the first place. Worse, even if she and Trent made up, she went on to start liking Duncan of all people. Bridgette just couldn't fathom it why anyone, even Courtney or Gwen would like that punk for how he has acted. In Bridgette's eyes, Duncan was a bully with the way he treated everyone, especially Harold.
Just what did Courtney or Gwen see in him?
As for Gwen's whole tirade that she had been a bad friend since the end of season one…Well, she liked the idea of a big party, how is that a bad thing? Sure, with the way Gwen phrased how she acted, it sounded like she was a lousy friend, but it hadn't been done out of some personal idea of hurting her. Who was Gwen to judge her for that?
And yeah, she felt bad for cheating on Geoff with Alejandro, but it was all in the past…
So why didn't that quench the uneasy feelings in her?
She couldn't consider the chance that maybe Gwen was right, and she was just as bad, maybe even worse as a hypocrite for not considering Gwen's side of everything. Was she afraid to admit that Gwen was right and she was too harsh? Maybe Gwen was just trying to divert the blame away from her to alleviate her own guilt. But then why admit she felt bad for everything that had happened?
Heck, even Geoff admitted that they had been unfair with Gwen.
If Geoff thought Gwen had a point, then maybe she did…
Bridgette didn't want to feel bad about this and she didn't want to fight her boyfriend about this like they had in Total Drama Aftermath. She just…She couldn't bring herself to admit that she had been wrong and that maybe Gwen's actions hadn't been malicious in nature. Trent had been perfect for her and she just…
"I guess we were never really friends to start with."
Why did those words hurt so much?
Bridgette shook her head as they made it to the manhole cover and DJ quickly opened it. "Come on, let's go."
One by one they climbed down into the sewer, Gwen taking an extra deep breath before climbing down, DJ being the last to close the hatch. A few moments later, someone came upon the hatch…
"Okay, they slip out of the studio, sneaking off of Total Drama property in direct violation of their contract and now they've gone into the sewers…" Sierra recounted and grinned. "This is so juicy."
She lifted the sewer hatch opened and peeked down…
She spotted William and Aelita taking a skateboard and scooter down the sewer and spotted a few more lined up against the wall…She had debated taking one of them but figured it would look suspicious, so she was forced to try tracking them on foot. She heard the faint sounds of the wheels on the ground and tried following them as best as she could.
That was when she heard sounds from…behind…
She ducked and ran around a corner, watching as others moved past her in the direction, she thought William and Aelita took.
'Those are…' She thought with surprised eyes. 'I've seen them before! They're on Total Drama!'
What were they doing down here?!
Sniff-sniff-sniff
Sierra had her face literally touching the ground of the sewer ground.
She winced and lifted her head. "Sniffing ground like this is obviously too much…I may have tasted the sweat, pee and splinter but this sewage crap is covering all of that. That must be why they came down here. To throw me off their scent!"
Clever…
"You might be smart but you forget who you are dealing with!" Sierra grinned. "Then you forget you are messing with Sierra Obansawin, Total Drama's Number One Fan and future Mrs. Cody Emmet Jameson Anderson!"
Aelita smiled at her new friends came out of the elevator.
"Hey, sorry about calling you all just after an episode."
"No problem. It can't be helped." Bridgette said simply but Aelita noticed an off tone in her voice.
Gwen looked away, which Aelita and William noticed but said nothing.
"So, what's happening?" asked Cameron.
"Well, so far nothing is happening on Earth but a tower is active in the Forest Sector." Said Aelita looking at the screen.
She looked at the screen showing the tower.
"I had already been able to recover some information on the portals XANA used to capture the others and where he might be hiding." Aelita turning to the others. "But there's been something strange going on Lyoko."
"Like what?" DJ asked.
"I think whoever helped us doing the last attack has been making modifications behind our backs." Aelita said as she brought up an image of Sector 5. "They recreated the hangar we used to store our virtual sub."
"A virtual sub?" LeShawna asked.
"Right, I haven't explained everything to you all yet." Aelita sighed. "Well, basically after XANA got out of the supercomputer, his multi-agent system invested the network. We designed a virtual sub to take us out of Lyoko and to track XANA down. Near the end of our previous fight, the sub was destroyed but now it seems to have been rebuilt."
She brought up an image of the hangar along with the virtual sub.
"Wow." Cameron marveled as he took a closer look at the screen. "That's amazing."
"So what? You literally took a sub into the Internet?" Gwen asked curiously.
"Well, it's hard to explain but as you know, Lyoko is made up of five sectors and all of these sectors are located in a sort of a giant hollow sphere. Imagine a giant digital bubble that is submerged all the time in water or some kind of digital liquid. That liquid is the Digital Sea that exists at the very bottom of the sphere." Aelita took a deep breath as she explained what she knew. "This liquid element is part of the information network, otherwise known as the Internet. It's kind of overflow that is accessible by a flood gate at the bottom the sphere that holds Lyoko. XANA goes through this flood gate to attack us on Lyoko and the digital sub we made allows us to access the network."
"So, the entire internet is one big endless sea? Is that what you are saying?" DJ asked, trying to keep up.
"Essentially yes, DJ." Aelita nodded.
"Wow. Think of that, Bridge." Geoff smiled at his girlfriend. "One endless sea."
"Yeah, cool." Bridgette managed a small smile.
The others noticed Bridgette's lack of enthusiasm along with her and Gwen not making eye contact with each other. The TD members looked a little worried now.
"We named the submarine the Skidbladnir." Aelita continued. "Named after a mythical ship-"
"That could sail even on land and reach its destination no matter direction the wind was blowing." Cameron excitedly exclaimed.
Aelita looked at Cameron with a surprised look but smiled. "Yes. Exactly."
Shadow was leaning against a boulder watching the red tower in the distance. He was looking forward to meeting Aelita who was close to Jeremy, the one who created him and then locked him away. The look on her face would bring him great pleasure.
And then there was William…
Shadow scowled at the thought of the human who replaced him and who he had been made to replace.
It was all his fault, and he would make him pay dearly…
"At this point it doesn't matter. There is an activated tower and something bad could happen. Cameron, I showed you how to operate the scanners. You will be sending the rest of us in and monitor the battle." Aelita said, getting up.
"Got it." Cameron heading to the computer.
"When we get there, everyone stay on guard. XANA's not even attempting to hide the tower." Aelita continued instructing.
"Understood." Said DJ.
BEEP-BEEP!
Everyone stopped and looked at the screen, seeing a red icon appearing on the map of Sector 5.
"What is that?" LeShawna asked.
Aelita walked up to the screen to get a better look, her eyes widening in recognition. "The Scyphozoa!"
The Scyphozoa hovered along the outer surface of the massive sphere that was Sector 5, coming up to the opening that led to the hangar holding the new Skidbladnir.
"It's trying to attack the new Skid." Aelita informed the group.
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Geoff asked.
"I may not know who designed the new Skid but if XANA wants it destroyed, we need to protect it." Aelita replied. "We'll have to split up."
"What about the tower?" Bridgette asked.
"I might be able to deactivate the tower." William raised a hand. "I think I got enough of what XANA left me to do it. Aelita, you know the Skid best. Maybe you should go to Sector 5."
Aelita nodded before looking to the others. "Okay. Cameron, I'll need you at the computer to monitor the Skid. I'll open the programs for you so you can read up on the Skid's designs."
"Right." Cameron nodded.
"Meanwhile there are six here, so I suggest that William and I take groups of three to help with our objectives." Aelita continued.
"I vote that William takes Gwen and Bridgette at least." Geoff raised a hand, surprising both girls while causing Aelita and William to raise eyebrows.
"Geoff?" Bridgette blinked.
"And maybe Dawn should go with them." Geoff continued, not sparing his girlfriend a glance.
Dawn nodded. "I agree. Perhaps having the heavy hitters of the group with you well be beneficial."
Aelita looked between the group before nodding. "Very well."
"Geoff," Bridgette grabbed her boyfriend's sleeve and tugged him towards her. "What are you doing?"
"You and Gwen got to work this out and Dawn can keep things smooth." Geoff reasoned.
"This isn't the time for this!" Bridgette hissed in annoyance.
"Maybe not but you can't be distracted either. Just give it a shot." Geoff clasped his hands together. "Please?"
Bridgette stepped back, looking at Gwen who looked away before she sighed. "All right, fine. I'll go with Gwen and Dawn."
"That's my girl." Geoff smiled, giving a thumbs 'up.
Bridgette only shook her head as she along with Gwen and Dawn headed to the elevator. William quickly followed after them, sparing the rest a glance as the doors closed.
Once the doors began to close, Aelita turned to the rest of the group. "Is there something we're missing?"
"Dawn offered to be a group therapist because she was worried, we would get all stressed out because of this Lyoko thing while competing on Total Drama." DJ answered. "We all decided to humor her and give it a try."
"Only the therapy quickly reminded us of a few unresolved issues between Bridgette and Gwen." Geoff continued.
"Issues?" Aelita questioned.
"Right, you didn't watch the show that much." LeShawna recalled. "Basically, Gwen and Bridgette used to be good friends in the beginning but in Season 2, Gwen and her old boyfriend Trent broke up following a series of drama themed issues. One of those issues is that Trent thought Gwen was getting too close to her now boyfriend Duncan."
"And so, he started throwing challenges for her without even talking to her to try and keep her liking him which turned out not to be a very good idea. So, she dumped him and a lot of people, including Bridgette didn't take it too well." Geoff added. "It didn't help that later Duncan and Gwen did hook up, while Duncan's old girlfriend Courtney though they were still together, causing Bridge to lose some respect for Gwen while Gwen called out Bridgette on the mistakes she made and even said she was being a hypocrite."
"Like not supporting Gwen during the Season One finale or the fact that she cheated on you with Ale-jerko." LeShawna crossed her arms.
"Yeah those…" Geoff rubbed his arm. "Long story short, they used to be good friends, but the show got in the way."
"And you're suggesting they go together to help William?" Aelita asked, now concerned. "There might be a serious attack about to happen, and you paired them up?"
"Well, they got to learn work together somehow." Geoff shrugged. "I am sure they will take this serious enough to put their beef aside and I suggested Dawn go with them to keep it cool."
"The so-called therapist who had the idea in the beginning?" LeShawna asked. "I'm kind of surprised you didn't offer to go."
"Well, Aelita pointed out Bridge and I are too focused on each other which I totally get." Geoff explained. "So, this is my way on trying to work on that. We're the heavy hitters and Aelita's been the main target so I figure we would be best going with her and William's tough on his own. He can look after the others just fine."
Aelita sighed. "Okay, we don't have time for this, so I'll just trust you on this, Geoff."
"Right." Geoff replied.
She was close, she could feel it.
She spotted tire tracks in the ground that were recently made and followed them through the sewer. She had a hand covering her nose to keep the smell out.
'Honestly, how did they deal with this for years?'
But she knew she was getting close.
In the scanner room, Bridgette, Gwen and Dawn were the first to enter the scanners while William waited.
"Okay here goes!" Cameron starting up the procedure. "Transfer Bridgette. Transfer Gwen. Transfer Dawn."
One by one, the scanner doors closed.
"Scanner Bridgette. Scanner Gwen. Scanner Dawn."
A ring of light traveled up their bodies.
"Virtualization!"
Dawn, Bridgette, and Gwen landed in the Forest Sector. Standing up they looked around making sure there were no monsters. Waiting a few minutes they watched as William appeared, landing in front of them.
"All right, the tower is actually very close to you."
"I see it." Said Bridgette pointing up ahead.
The red glowing tower stood on a grassy platform connected to the mountains by two bridges.
"Something is not right. I do not see any monster guarding it." William muttered, looking around. "Cameron, is there anything on the holo-map?"
"No. Aside from you guys."
"Sounds like a trap." William sighed.
Everyone pulled out their weapons as they slowly walked onto the bridge towards the tower. Gwen and Bridgette walked aside each other, both of them not sparing each other a glance. Dawn remained behind them, looking between the two.
"Okay, first group virtualized. Second group is ready to go." Cameron announced as the elevator doors opened, allowing Aelita, Geoff, DJ and LeShawna to enter. "And I got the coordinates straight for Sector 5."
"Good." Aelita nodded.
"Guess we'll take the first plunger." Geoff said as he stepped into a scanner.
"Here we go. Transfer, Geoff."
Geoff's scanner closed.
"Transfer, LeShawna."
Next was LeShawna.
"Transfer, DJ."
And DJ was last.
"Scanner Geoff."
"Scanner, LeShawna."
"Scanner, DJ."
"Virtualization."
A moment later, the scanners all opened, allowing Aelita to enter the nearest one. "How's the Skid looking, Cameron?"
Cameron brought up a window, showing the Skid's hangar. The Scyphozoa entered the hangar and placed its tentacles on the ship, only for an invisible shield to block the tentacles.
"Looks like there's some kind of shield protecting the sub." Cameron answered. "It can't touch it. Wait a sec…"
The Scyphozoa's tentacles then began to glow red, seemingly draining the Skid's shields.
"Aelita, I think this Scyphozoa thing is trying to drain the Skid's shields." Cameron answered.
That was when a new window appeared.
"Hm?" Cameron perked up. "A message window?"
Instructions on how to boost Skid's shields
Aelita frowned. "Meaning it's trying to break through the Skid's defenses so that it will be vulnerable to attack."
"What do we do?"
"Send me in there with the others." Aelita stepped into the scanner. "We'll take of the Skid."
"Okay, here we go." Cameron said just as the scanner closed. "Transfer, Aelita."
The scanner closed.
"Scanner, Aelita."
A ring of light traveled up her body.
"Virtualization!"
Aelita closed her eyes as a great light enveloped her.
When Aelita opened her eyes again, she was landing on her feet in the Arena with Geoff, DJ and LeShawna waiting for her.
"Okay, we're all here." DJ said nervously. "We all good?"
That was when Cameron's voice cut in, sounding alarmed. "Hang on, another window just popped up! I don't' recognize this one!"
"Describe it, Cameron." Aelita replied.
"Well, there's some kind of chamber with an object that has two layers of shielding around it that's surrounded by monsters." Cameron reported.
Aelita's eyes went wide in alarm. "The Core of Lyoko."
"Say what?" LeShawna asked.
"How many monsters?" Aelita quickly asked.
"Looks like three Aliens and three Mantas." Cameron hastily said.
"This is bad." Aelita turned and faced the others. "Okay, new plan. We have to stop those monsters from destroying the Core or all of Lyoko is destroyed and any who is virtualized will be gone with it!"
"Gone?!" DJ jumped in alarm. "Like gone-gone?"
"Gone-gone." Aelita nodded gravely.
"What about that sub?" Geoff asked.
"We'll have to try and save it after we save the core." Aelita replied as the door opened. "Come on!"
She took off with the three following her.
VIRUTALUZATION DETECTED
LOCATIONS:
FOREST SECTOR
SECTOR 5
DIRECTING STATIONED UNITS TO INTERCEPT
He watched in anticipated pleasure as the intruders came into view. "William, leading his own group now. I am looking forward to seeing your performance."
Sniff-sniff-sniff
She stopped sniffing the ground when she noticed the tire tracks on the ground and actually licked at the markings with her tongue.
"Rubber like that of tires on skateboard or scooters…" She grinned in excitement. "I am on the right track!"
Cameron's ears perked as the computer began to beep. "Guys, I am picking enemy signals coming your way!"
William held out his sword, gripping it with both hands as he spotted at least three monsters approaching. "I can see them right now, Cameron."
These monsters were indeed different from any previous monsters the group had encountered. They had red pincer protrusions sticking out of their fronts, long blue antennas sticking out of the top of their heads with a pair of blue glowing eyes staring at them. Their fronts were red but gave way to black metallic armor covering their rear ends like a shell. They had six legs, three on both sides and red metallic arms that split open to reveal blue glowing energy cannons.
They stopped and their 'tails' lifted them up to reveal their underside with blue glowing 'core' on their chest with the Eye of XANA imprinted on them. The cannons began to glow as they were pointed at their targets and a second later, they opened fire.
(Lyoko Battle Theme Starts)
"Take cover!" William shouted, blocking the first incoming barrage with his Zwiehander before he ducked behind a tree. "Cameron, what do you got on them?"
"The computer is labelling them 'Labsturs', kind of like lobsters given their forms. Life points 120 and attack power 40."
Dawn had ducked behind a stump, peeking her head but then ducking again as another barrage of lasers sailed over her head. She looked to see Gwen and Bridgette taking cover behind a log, both of them crouched down.
"This is not good." Bridgette grunted. "We're pinned down!"
"Leave it to me!" William called out. "Super Smoke!"
His body dissolved into smoke that shot out from behind the cover of the tree and moved along the ground towards the Labsturs, even as they started shooting at it. It moved in behind them before re-solidifying back into William as he raised his Zwiehander…
Only for a black cloud of smoke to shoot out from behind him and paralyze him.
"Huh?!" William was suddenly thrown back and slammed into the ground.
"What happened?" Gwen asked as she peeked her head out.
"Holy…Guys, you're not going to believe this!" Cameron exclaimed.
Dawn managed to lift her head and see William…and another William?
The newcomer resembled William perfectly, only he wore a black suit with red outlines and the Eye of XANA on his chest in contrast to William's brighter colors.
"Who is that?" Bridgette asked before she had to duck as the Labsturs opened fire again.
The copy of William smiled cruelly in her direction. He held out his right hand and a large sword with black vines crawling up the blade and the Eye of XANA appeared out of a cloud of black smoke.
(Dark William Theme Starts)
When William saw his attacker, he froze in absolute shock.
"Hello, William." The darker version said, snarling his name.
Before William could even think of anything to say, the clone swung his own Zweihander down, forcing William to roll out of the way. The large sword hit the ground with such force it left a small crater.
"Seeing you staring with those eyes and that shocked face…Both that I thought were mine." The clone snarled as it approached William as he stood up. "At least, when I thought I was human."
"What is this?" William asked, taking a step back. "Trying with your own avatar not enough, XANA? Now you want mess with me with a copy?"
"I am no copy!" The clone snarled, its eyes flashing red. "I was human! Or at least, I thought I was! Perhaps I was only a mere shell of what they wanted me to be! But I remember, being out there in the real world! I remember the sensations, the ability to see, smell and touch, I had those before I was taken back and left in a mere file to be discarded!"
"What?!" William gaped. "What are you talking about?!"
"You don't know?" The clone took another step forward. "You, who were gone for months as a prisoner of XANA, suddenly came back and no one asked where you had been?"
William's eyes widened in surprised and realization, figuring out what his duplicate was now talking about. "You're that clone Jeremy made!"
Cameron's eyes widened in surprise as he listened. "…Aelita, we have a problem."
"Yes. I was a mere duplicate that Jeremy created as a means to fool everyone while you were left here." The copy gestured to their surroundings. "To everyone out there, I was William Dunbar. I used to go by that name when I was created. When you were released, I was no longer necessary."
William was stunned to say the least.
His own clone, now standing before him, taking his place as XANA's new general.
"But how are you here?" William could not help but ask. "Why are you here and working for XANA now?"
"Simple. In return for freeing me I will drag Aelita to him by her pretty pink haired head." The clone answered with a grin. "You on the other hand will not be so lucky."
William's eyes widened but then narrowed.
"This is your fault from the beginning. Or maybe I should say it is both Aelita and Jeremy's fault. After all, they both locked me up after I wasn't of any use to them anymore." Shadow growled. "One second, I was in the real world...the next I fell into a dark void and slept for apparently two full years! I awoke in XANA's dwelling where he did what they didn't have the intellect or time to do: he made me into my own person! I am no mere program, I am sentient, I am superior to you, William! I, am, SHADOW!"
He pointed his sword at William. "And when I am done both you and Aelita will be trapped in the same dark place you sent me to."
With that, Shadow charged forward, swinging his Zweihander at William who barely time to raise his won to block.
CLANG!
When both swords met, there was a shockwave followed by a shower of blue sparks as William was knocked back. The sheer strength Shadow wielded was enough that William was barely able to hold onto his own large sword.
"William!" Dawn called out but could do nothing as the Labsturs continued to keep her, Bridgette and Gwen pinned down with laser fire.
Gwen peeked and saw the trio of mechanical lobsters still firing. "Oh, we're not getting anywhere like this."
"You have an idea?" Bridgette asked, her back pressed against the log they were using for cover.
"Maybe we can sneak around them somehow." Gwen suggested.
"How?" Bridgette asked skeptically. "There's only one path."
"Okay, you got the flying surfboard. Why don't you flew up and over them?" Gwen looked back at the surfer.
"Sure, let me be the decoy and I'll get shot down." Bridgette retorted.
"Girls?"
"And what's your brilliant idea?" Gwen asked.
"You can fly too. You can take off into the air and I'll attack while they're distracted." Bridgette suggested.
"That's the same thing I suggested!" Gwen exclaimed.
"Girls?"
"You just want me to take the fall just because you still can't trust me!" Gwen accused.
"Can you blame me?" Bridgette retorted.
"Yes, because you're being completely unreasonable and petty!" Gwen shouted.
"Girls!"
"I'm being unreasonable and petty? You're the one who's accusing me of being a bad friend just because I didn't want to choose you winning in season one which was forever ago over a great party or that I should forget how badly you treated Trent and Courtney!" Bridgette shouted back.
"Like you forget how badly you treated me and Geoff?" Gwen shouted back. "Or how badly Courtney has treated everyone, Duncan and me included?"
"What are you talking about?! I never treated Geoff badly!" Bridgette replied, absolutely clueless about what Gwen was implying.
"You slammed a surfboard into his face just for looking at another girl!" Gwen clarified.
"I'm his girlfriend! He's supposed to look only at me! Would you think it was okay if Duncan or Trent did that?" Bridgette exclaimed.
"Yes, because they never gave me a reason to doubt them!" Gwen answered. "There's bound to be countless girls out there prettier than me or even prettier than the both of us! It's okay if your boyfriend notices them as long as they remember you! Even if Geoff was staring, he still considered you his girlfriend and he's so nice he didn't think twice about forgiving you for whacking him!"
Bridgette stuttered for a second. "So, it's okay if Duncan cheats on you like he did with Courtney?!"
"He didn't cheat on her, they weren't together anymore." Gwen glanced up to notice the laser barrage had seemingly stopped.
"Says who?" Bridgette apparently had not noticed.
"Says Duncan! He told me himself that he wasn't back together with Courtney and that moment on the bus was a one-minute fling they had. By the time we were in Egypt he remembered why they broke up but only competed with her to try winning." Gwen explained. "Are you surprised? Do you remember the abuse she gave him in Season Two? It's not our fault that Courtney thought they were suddenly back together."
"Nothing justifies him leading her on like that or you taking part." Bridgette argued.
"But it's okay assaulting him, slamming heavy objects into his crotch, shoving a ten-year-old diaper in his mouth just to win a challenge and giving him a list of what she wanted him to change about himself just on a baseless suspicion?" Gwen retorted.
"GIRLS!"
"What?!" Gwen and Bridgette looked up, hearing Cameron shouting at them.
"Look out!"
That was when a pair of red pincers pierced the log they had been using for cover, missing both girls by mere inches.
"GAH!" Bridgette and Gwen jumped and rolled back as the log was lifted by a Labstur that immediately tossed it aside and advanced on the pair.
Meanwhile, Dawn stepped back as the tree she had been hiding behind was pierced by a similar pair of pincers with the tentacle like antenna wrapping around the trunk and crushing it a second later. The tell fell over into the Digital Sea while the Labstur advanced on Dawn. It stood on its tail and aimed its laser cannons at her before opening fire…
"Oh man!" Cameron exclaimed as the Labsturs had the girls on the run.
"Cameron, what is happening?" Aelita's voice came over the speakers.
"It's bad, very bad, Aelita. William's being cornered by a clone of him and three new monsters have the girls on the run." Cameron urgently reported.
"A clone?"
"Yeah, a clone calling itself Shadow. Funny thing, it says it's a clone that Jeremy made to look like William." Cameron clarified.
Aelita and the others were just getting on the elevator that would take them to the Celestial Dome when Cameron reported what was happening.
"The clone we made…Impossible." Aelita trailed off with a surprised look on her face.
"What's he talking about?" LeShawna asked.
"When William was captured by XANA, we made a clone of him so no one would notice he was missing. But when we got William back, Jeremy deleted it." Aelita explained.
"Well, it's back and it's not happy about that." Cameron replied. "Three new monsters have Gwen and Bridgette on the run and Dawn…Actually, I'm not sure what happened to Dawn."
"What do you mean?"
"Here it is." She climbed up the latter and opened the hatch.
Lifting her head, she looked around and saw the abandoned factory that was likely the one mentioned in Jeremy's diary.
"This is it."
"GAH!" William was knocked back by another strike from Shadow.
"Pathetic." The dark clone spat as he approached. "This is what they spent so much time trying to save? No wonder XANA captured you so easily."
William grunted as he got back up, glaring at Shadow as he gripped the handle of his Zweihander with both hands.
"I'd just throw you in the Digital Sea and be done with it, but XANA wants something from you first. Something he gave as a gift but now he wants it back." Shadow remarked, hefting his Zweihander over his shoulder.
"Yeah, well come and get it!" William leaped into the air.
Swinging his sword down, William missed Shadow, who back flipped out of the way of it. Shadow swung his own blade which William ducked under, aiming at Shadow's legs.
"Super Smoke." Shadow dissolved into smoke and appeared behind William before elbowing him in the back.
William hit the ground, dropping his Zeihander and before he could move a blast of smoke hit him and lifted him into the air. He turned around to see Shadow holding out his hand, the smoke attack he used immobilizing William.
"I'm a whole new class unlike you and I'm fully aware of the power you discarded by leaving XANA." Shadow stated before a screeching sound was heard.
William's eyes went wide in panic and horror as a familiar jellyfish monster appeared from behind the tower. "Cameron, the Scyphozoa is here!"
"What?! I still see it in Sector 5!" Cameron replied. "There's two of them now!"
Two of them?
Two Scyphozoas?
One was bad enough!
"Cameron, devirtualize me!" William called out as the Scyphozoa ensnared him with its tentacles. "Before it turns me-"
Three tentacles were placed on his head and there was a pulse of red light.
Cameron watched in frenzy suspense as the Scyphozoa began to drain William's memory. "Aelita, William's been caught by another Scyphozoa!"
Aelita and the others were on the platform of the Celestial Dome when Cameron gave her the bad news. "Another one?! There's only supposed to be one!"
"Well, there's the one with the sub and the other that's got William!" Cameron exclaimed. "It's draining his memory!"
Aelita paled, fearful that XANA was going to possess William again despite what Cameron had just said. "Where are Gwen, Dawn and Bridgette?!"
"Gwen and Bridgette got pushed back by the new monsters but I can't see Dawn anywhere! All I know is she wasn't devirtualized!"
"Then where is she?"
Shadow was grinning with satisfaction as the Scyphozoa drained William's memories, feeling satisfied in gaining revenge against the one who had taken everything from him…
"STOP!"
There was a sudden slash through the air and the tentacles were cut, freeing William. The Scyphozoa screeched before pulling back. Shadow spun around to see Dawn standing there, her arm held out with a furious expression on her face.
William groaned as he looked up. "…Dawn?"
"William, you must move." Dawn stated. "I'll hold him off!"
"How did you-"
"Go! Get to the tower!" Dawn barked at him.
"Uh right!" William blinked before he started running towards the tower.
Shadow growled as he raised his Zweihander. "Oh no you don't-"
"Stop!" Dawn made a slashing movement through the air and suddenly Shadow was cut by a green vine that shot right out of Dawn's sleeve and knocked him off his feet. "I do not condone violence of any kind but your violation of William's mind is something I will not allow!"
"Whoa!" Cameron gasped. "Aelita, Dawn just saved William and she's got some kind of vine whip power."
"Really?"
"Yeah. William's on his way to the tower now. She's holding off the clone." Cameron reported.
"That's good but in the meantime, we need the vehicles to access the core." Aelita replied.
"Right, on it."
Back at the Celestial Dome, the three vehicles appeared for the warriors waiting for them.
"Sweet!" Geoff hopped onto the Overbike.
DJ took the Overboard while LeShawna and Aelita took the Overwing.
"Okay, follow me and be ready. The entrance to the core is tricky." Aelita explained. "Speaking of, Cameron how is the core's shield?"
Just as Aelita asked that question, the fire shield layer was destroyed.
"One layer down and the second one is down to seventy percent." Cameron reported.
"All right. Okay, follow me!" Aelita angled the Overwing down which was followed by Geoff and DJ.
They flew to the bottom of the giant sphere that was Sector 5 where they could see the entrance to the core that opened and closed repeatedly and very fast.
"How do-" Geoff asked.
"Just follow my lead and we'll time it perfectly." Aelita instructed. "And…now!"
They shot up towards the entrance just as it closed…and opened right back up. All three vehicles made it through.
Meanwhile, Gwen and Bridgette were still running as the Labsturs chased them through the Forest Sector. They came upon another grassy landmass with a pond in the center that had a small island with two logs on either side for travel. Gwen was panting, looking back as the Labsturs still chased after them. Even though they were now on their feet, their could still aim and fire their laser cannons which was what allowed them to continue attacking the pair and forcing them on the defense.
"Okay, I've had enough." Gwen pulled out the rod from its holster and it immediately extended to form her scythe.
The three Labsturs took to their standing positions and began firing. Gwen spun her scythe to block the incoming lasers while Bridgette deflected the incoming fire directed at her with her swords. Gwen pushed forward, aiming towards the nearest Labstur that was firing at her. Once she was close enough, she charged and leaped into the air, swinging her scythe down…
Only for the Labstur's pincers to catch the scythe and it then thrust itself to the left, flinging Gwen backwards. Gwen cried out in surprise as she hit the ground.
Gwen: 70 Life Points
Gwen grunted as she tried to get up while the Labsturs aimed at her. Suddenly Bridgette flew in on her surfboard, picking Gwen up with both hands and took off into the air.
"We got to get back to the others." Bridgette said over her shoulder to Gwen as she angled her board back in the direction of the tower.
The Labsturs immediately began chasing after them again.
The three vehicles came up into the Core Chamber, allowing them to see the Core that was being attacked by monsters.
"Whoa. So that is the core?" DJ pointed to the glowing orb with images of other sectors attached to it.
"Yes…" Aelita nodded but then noticed something. "There are eight landmasses attached to it."
"So?" LeShawna asked.
"There should only be four, representing the four sectors. For there to be eight…" Aelita shook her head. "Never mind, we have to destroy those monsters now!"
Two of the Flying Mantas noticed them and angled down, firing their lasers.
"Oh, you asked for it!" LeShawna shouted as the Overwing shot up and she swung out her hammer, striking one Manta in the back.
Geoff ran up the stairs leading to the core, throwing one chakram at the other Manta as it flew to the bottom, catching it by surprise as blade disk cut into the Eye on its back.
The Manta exploded and Geoff punched a fist into the air. "Oh yeah!"
DJ flew alongside LeShawna and Aelita on the Overboard as they reached the top level where the core was. The Aliens and remaining Manta took notice of this and aimed their weapons on the interlopers.
"Energy Field!" Aelita shouted, throwing one orb of pink energy at an Alien, blasting it on impact.
Another Alien leaped out and landed on top of the Overwing, causing to spin out of control. It opened its mouth to fire a laser blast but LeShanwa grabbed its mouth and forcefully shut it.
"No hitchhikers!" LeShawna shouted and with a mighty heave, threw the Alien off the Overwing.
The Manta aimed its laser and fired but DJ conjured a barrier around him that blocked the attack before he flew at the Manta, the barrier slamming into it and crashing it into the wall, causing it to explode.
"Nice one, Deej!" Geoff called out from below, giving the gentle giant a thumbs-up.
One Alien remained and it charged a laser to strike the Core but Geoff made it up and threw a chakram at it, striking it in the back and causing it to fall over the edge.
"Awesome guys! You got them all!" Cameron exclaimed in excitement.
"How are the others?" Aelita asked quickly.
"William's just about to reach the to-Oh no!"
Just was William a few feet from the tower, a hissing sound was heard and from behind the tower came a Kobra that caused William to stop in surprise. It fired a laser that hit William in the chest, knocking him back before he could react.
William: 50 Life Points
"Oh crap." William muttered to himself, having lost his Zweihander while fighting Shadow.
The Kobra slithered towards him, so William turned and started running. Meanwhile Shadow was glaring at Dawn who a hand pointed at him. Just as William was about to reach them and grab his sword, Shadow made his move.
"Shadow Storm!"
A wave of black clouds shot out in all directions, knocking the two fighters back but no causing damage to them. It formed a protective sphere around Shadow.
"Is this best you can do? What a pathetic display." Shadow chuckled.
The sphere exploded, making the fighters cover their faces as the smoke washed over them.
When it faded, Shadow was gone.
William grabbed his Zweihander and picked it up. "Is he gone?"
"No, he's not." Dawn took a deep breath…and a bright green light surrounded her before vanished into the ground.
William raised an eyebrow in surprise and watched as a green light traveling along the grassy grounds, allowing him to see in the dark. The light shot forward and moved under William's feet before Dawn shot up and swung an arm out…
SLASH!
"GAH!" Shadow staggered back, his shoulder sparkling. "What are you?!"
"When the others told me my form looked like a Dryad, I did some research. It appears, I am able to travel along the ground and emerge like a plant that has just begun to bloom." Dawn explained as pair of vines emerged from her sleeves. "And these vines…these are my weapons."
"Dawn…" William marveled at the sight Dawn as her form continued to glow.
Shadow snarled at this but grinned as the Kobra approached.
"Hang on, guys!" The three turned to see Gwen and Bridgette flying in on Bridgette's surfboard.
Gwen jumped off and swung her scythe down on Shadow who hastily blocked and began to exchange blows with him, catching his blade on the pole or blade of her scythe and trying to jab or bisect him.
Bridgette joined in and all four of them began to close in, coordinating to try and catch Shadow off guard. He ducked under one of Bridgette's swords and swung his own blade. Bridgette back flipped out of the way and Dawn caught Shadow's sword with one of her vines. Dawn then swung her other vine right into Shadow's chest, knocking him back a few feet where William swung his blade down.
Shadow swung his right arm up and caught it on his gauntlet, which successfully negated the attack's power. Shoving William back, Shadow spun, almost bisecting Bridgette and Gwen when they tried to attack. That was when the Kobra slithered in and fired, separating Gwen and Bridgette from the others again. The Kobra slithered towards them, firing its laser and forcing the pair back.
Gwen flung her scythe at the Kobra, but the snake themed monster leaned its head to the other side, easily dodge the attack. Not only was the Kobra very quick but also very flexible. Just as it aimed to fire, Bridgette stepped in front of Gwen and blocked the lasers with her sword.
"Girls, it's pushing you to the edge." Cameron quickly said and he was right.
They were getting close to the edge that led to the Digital Sea.
"Bridge, I'll cover you. Get into the air and strike from above." Gwen suggested.
"No, you get into the air." Bridgette argued.
"Will you stop arguing with me?!" Gwen exclaimed.
"I'm trying to protect you!" Bridgette shouted back.
"Now, you're trying to protect me?!" Gwen shook her head. "Just trust me!"
"Trust me!" Bridgette shouted.
However, the Kobra wasn't going to give them a chance as it suddenly twisted its body and lashed out with its tail, hitting both Gwen and Bridgette and sending them skidding over to the edge. Gwen managed use her scythe to stop herself from going over but Bridgette lost her swords and went over the edge.
"BRIDGETTE!" Gwen shouted and jumped down after the surfer.
"What are you-" Cameron started but stopped.
The Kobra turned around, seemingly sure it had destroyed the two warriors before something shot upwards.
"Hey!" The Kobra spun in time to see Gwen holding Bridgette in her arms, with her cape taking the form of bat like wings. "You missed!"
With that, the pair flew at the Kobra, both gripping Gwen's scythe as they swung it down and cut into the Eye on the Kobra's head. The monster let out screeching hiss before it exploded. Gwen and Bridgette flew back, hitting the ground but luckily they landed far from the edge.
Shadow watched as the Kobra was destroyed, growling before looking to William and Dawn. With one final glare, he vanished into smoke that shot away. William sighed before nodding to Dawn and taking off towards the tower.
(Dark William Theme Ends)
Cameron sighed in relief before remembering he had one last thing to do. "Okay, activating program and boosting shields."
Once he pressed the 'Enter' key, there was a surge of energy through the Skid's shields that was transferred into the first Scyphozoa, blasting it back into the wall where it died a second later.
Meanwhile Bridgette and Gwen stood up and looked each other.
"Gwen…"
"Bridgette…"
"You…saved me." Bridgette remarked, seemingly in shock.
"Well, yeah." Gwen shrugged. "Why wouldn't I?"
"I just…" Bridgette sighed. "We used to be good friends, didn't we?"
"We did." Gwen nodded with a sad face. "And I really don't know what happened. Was it really just about Trent? Did the fame get in the way?"
"Did I really hurt you by not supporting you?" Bridgette asked.
"It's just I went through being tortured by not just Chris but also Heather who stole my diary, made out with Trent to break us up, even ripped my skirt off and showed my underwear off on live TV. It was like every moment was spent making my life miserable and just when I think it's worth it when I have my friends with me at the season finale, you all jumped ship when Owen offered a big party!" Gwen sighed heavily. "And no one besides Trent, you, LeShawna and Cody tried cheering me up but you still changed sides and even cheered as I lost."
"I…I just wanted to party." Bridgette stuttered.
"And then came Season Two…I lost Trent out over some silly jealousy issues, but I get blackmailed and accused of cheating by everyone, including you!" Gwen exclaimed. "I get it, I messed up with Trent but I never meant to hurt him. He was the best thing to happen to me during Season One!"
"Then why didn't you take him back?!" Bridgette asked.
Gwen paused with surprised eyes. "What?"
William made it to the tower and took a deep breath as he entered.
(Tower Deactivated Theme Starts)
"He got you to come out of your shell, Gwen. He really was the best thing that ever happened to you." Bridgette continued with a saddened face. "If I could forgive and take back Geoff during his Captain Hollywood phase why you didn't take Trent back?"
"I…Is that why you've been so mad at me?" Gwen asked with a surprised face.
William walked into the center of the platform, the lights and chimes signaling each step.
"I guess. I mean, I thought you were perfect for each other. Duncan and Courtney survived all of Season Two and they were still together." Bridgette reasoned. "LeShawna and Harold survived Season Three after Alejandro."
"Duncan and Courtney fell apart before Season Three and it was for the same reasons they broke up before." Gwen sighed. "And Bridge, I did ask Trent if he would take me back."
Bridgette blinked. "You did?"
Gwen nodded.
William rose to the upper platform.
"After the show ended, I thought about giving us a second chance but he…He said no." Gwen shook her head.
"Why?" Bridgette asked, unable to believe what she had heard.
"He said he didn't think he could be the kind of man I needed, that he failed to trust me which would have prevented everything." Gwen answered, looking at the ground. "That being on the show didn't cause our problems."
"Gwen…" Bridgette took a step forward…and hugged Gwen tightly.
William landed on the upper platform.
"I'm so sorry." Bridgette whispered. "I should have had your back all those times."
"And…I shouldn't have left you stuck to that pole." Gwen admitted as she hugged Bridgette back.
Bridgette sniffed and chuckled. "I had that one coming."
"Give me another chance?" Gwen asked.
William placed his hand on the screen.
"Only if you give me one."
WILLIAM
CODE: LYOKO
"Tower deactivated." William said as the screens fell to the dark abyss below.
Sierra grinned she found the ladder at the end of the trail she had followed. "This is it. This is the secret!"
Meanwhile Sissy looked around the factory, spying the elevator.
(Credits)