A/N: Apologies for not updating last week, I had a bit of writer's block. But it's passed and now we should be back to our regular schedule!

Friday's morning sun skimmed warm fingers over the ground, causing the snow to sparkle like diamonds. The bare branches of the trees glittered with fresh icicles. Silence blanketed everything, the usual bustle of Kadic closed behind classrooms and schoolwork.

As they walked along Kadic's main road, Jim glanced at the boy next to him. "Why does it have to be me, specifically?"

"Professor Hertz asked you to," Jeremie responded promptly.

"Ok, but why aren't you and Aelita and all your friends in class like everyone else?"

"I told you, Professor Hertz spoke with Principal Delmas about excusing us from classes for a few days."

Jim hmphed. "Well, 'extracurricular science activity' seems awfully vague."

Jeremie just shrugged and shoved his hands in his pockets. It was true, technically. Still, he didn't want to test how long it would hold water. The sooner they fixed the scanner, the better.

He and Professor Hertz had tried, yesterday, but found it beyond their capabilities. So they'd decided to bring in 'the old team'-his father and Yumi's parents-for more help. Dido had agreed to lend them one of the men in black's memory-machines, having confiscated Hertz's, and an agent had dropped it off last night. All Hertz had to do was use it to reverse the amnesia.

As he walked with Jim to meet them at the gate, Jeremie inhaled, drinking in the crisp scent of snow and yesterday night's rain. Things he took for granted, almost never noticed. But these senses were so precious to Aelita. He could still remember her excitement the first time she was virtualized on Earth, how new she'd found everything…the way she treated something as mundane as the texture of a leaf as something to be treasured...

His mind drifted, from pleasant thoughts of Aelita back to another pair trapped in a virtual world.

Today marked their third day inside the Mirror. He didn't want to worry the others, but he was concerned about Odd and William. Barring Aelita and cases of possession, none of them had been virtualized for this long. There was no telling what kind of impact it could have on them. And being in a foreign virtual world just added to the possible problems. Were the rules like Lyoko, or were they experiencing genuine hunger and thirst? Was time flowing differently for them? Would there be some sort of whiplash when they returned?

And that's assuming they're still alive…

He shook his head quickly, as if the thought was a fly that could be dispelled. Odd was wily and William was stubborn as a mule. They'd be fine. What he should be worrying about was getting them back before their absences became conspicuous.

When they were about to reach the gate, Jim stopped suddenly. "Hey, uh...you sure everything's alright, Jeremie?"

"Of course," he said automatically, the lie as easy as breathing. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, you just haven't dropped by for training at all these past few weeks, is all."

Ah, yes. He had taken up some physical exercises with Jim during their battle against XANA, figuring it couldn't hurt to be in better shape. After XANA was dead, Jeremie had kept up with a loose training regimen, mostly for the health benefits. But with everything that had been going on, with the men in black and the Green Phoenix and looking for Aelita's mom, it had dropped to the back burner. "I've been busy."

But that just made Jim frown. "You mean like you were for the past two years?"

"Ah…"

"And, if I'm not mistaken, those are bags under your eyes. Don't tell me you're up to something sneaky again!"

"Firstly, I've never been up to anything sneaky. Secondly, you're overreacting," Jeremie said. "A few stressful weeks aren't anything to get worked up over."

"They are when it leads to you neglecting your health! You were well on the path to a hermit last year, and as your teacher it's my job to keep you on the straight and narrow."

A huff of frustrated air left Jeremie's lips. It was touching, he supposed, that Jim was concerned about him, but really, this wasn't an opportune time. "Well, thank you, but my friends have already warned me about neglecting myself. Now shall we turn back to the task at hand?"

Without letting Jim respond, he hurried to the front gate. Takeho and Akiko Ishiyama were already waiting-of course, they lived close by. With one last skeptical glance at Jeremie, Jim moved to greet them.

Jeremie chewed the inside of his lip, eyeing the Ishiyamas critically. According to Hertz, they had been responsible for the creation of the scanners-the logic circuits, the arm of the transformer, the motherboard, all that. With repairing the fried motherboard impossible, they hoped to get the Ishiyamas to create a new one. Even with Hertz's assurances they could, he found himself skeptical.

And then there was his father, who had just stepped out of his car.

No matter how Jeremie tried, he couldn't wrap his head around what Professor Hertz had revealed. His father, once working alongside Professor Hopper? Oh, he had the programming skills, certainly-but all Jeremie's life, he'd always been so...open. Honest. Surely if he'd been capable of the secrecy for Hopper's work, Jeremie would have known.

But then again, he supposed the same could be said about him.

His throat squeezed shut as Dad approached. Suddenly, he found himself remembering moments from his childhood-Dad teaching him how to program, Dad taking him to pick out his first pair of eyeglasses, Dad buying him his first laptop.

Was that man...a lie?

No, that was ridiculous. It wasn't like Dad had lied to him, not knowingly. And surely Mom wouldn't have married him if he'd been anything but the man he had been all Jeremie's life.

Still, he wanted to run to his father, embrace him, demand all kinds of answers-and even confide his fears. Jeremie restrained himself. He wasn't a child. "Hey, Dad," he said.

Dad smiled and hugged him anyway. "Hey, Jeremie. How've you been?"

"Good. You?"

"Good. Mom sends a hug and kiss." Dad's easy-going smile faded a little, a serious expression replacing it. "Is something wrong, Jeremie? Your professor called me here all of a sudden, and you're not in class…"

Jeremie pushed his glasses up his nose and cast a quick glance at the Ishiyamas. "Well, it's not like something's wrong, exactly…she just needed to speak with you and the Ishiyamas about something, as soon as possible."

"Well, I guess we shouldn't keep her waiting, then."

In the two days he'd been here, Hannibal had grown to despise the factory. It was a living safety hazard, with its old cables and creaky stairs and out-of-date elevators. But even worse, it didn't have running water. And even with his army cleaning the place up, there was still a thick enough layer of dust to cause him to explode into sneezes. As soon as it was feasible, he was going to call someone to get this...this hovel into proper shape.

Hannibal's childhood had lacked privilege; he'd come from a very poor family with too many siblings to look after. Every day was a fight to survive, and he would have lost eventually unless he got out. That out was lying about his age to enlist in the army as soon as possible, and he'd never looked back. This place reminded him of that poverty, something he found intolerable. He found himself fantasizing about the soft beds of five-star hotels, the richest wines and rarest steaks, his private collection of priceless art and jewels...

"Sir, may we enter?"

Splashing a last bit of water on his face, Hannibal looked up from the dish and studied his appearance in the mirror. All traces of dirt were wiped away, his hair was well-combed, his suit immaculate. "Come in," he called.

Hera and Grigory obeyed. They stood, posture straight, as he settled on his comfortable cushions.

"Well Hera," Hannibal said, lacing his fingers. "I hope you have something for me today."

Yesterday morning, she'd reported the discovery of a second diary in the supercomputer-one belonging to a boy named Jeremie Belpois. Hannibal had told her to leave that one alone and focus on Franz Hopper's, but it was massive and spanned many years. One evening hadn't been enough for her to find what Hannibal was looking for; it was his hope that another day would prove more fruitful.

It had better.

"Yes, sir. I left the Belpois diary alone as you ordered, and spent all of yesterday reading through Hopper's. I made excellent progress, and discovered several interesting experiments he conducted and projects he created."

Hera handed him a folder with some sheets of paper. "Here are my notes on the ones that seemed particularly prospective. Things like a neural headset to increase your intelligence or a cutting-edge multi-agent system. If the Green Phoenix could mass-produce and sell these, it would bring great monetary gain."

He leafed through the papers quickly. Hera's notes were detailed in small, neat handwriting that crammed the pages full to the brim. He nodded to himself. Something to read through for a later date. "Did you find anything to solve our virtualization problem?"

Hera hesitated.

"Hera," he said, in a voice like sheathed steel. "Don't make me hurt you. Just answer honestly."

She glanced at the rings on his fingers. Touched her cheek. Averted her eyes. When she spoke, reluctance dragged the words out. "It...seems as if children can be virtualized successfully onto Lyoko."

Rising from his cushions, he stepped very close to her and patted her cheek. "There, that wasn't so hard, was it?"

Hera shrank a little. When he returned to his seat, Grigory spoke up. "Permission to speak, sir?"

Hannibal glanced at Grigory. His narrow face was thoughtful, his pale eyes intense-like a snake preparing to strike. Grigory wasn't one to speak idly or foolishly. In the past, his suggestions were reliable. He tilted his chin. "Go ahead."

"I didn't remember until Hera mentioned kids, but those brats told their friends they've been able to go into the supercomputer. As well as one adult, Professor Hopper. He brought his daughter with him; that's why she's still a teenager."

Hannibal inhaled sharply. He didn't care about Hopper's offspring. All he cared about was that they'd found Hopper. "Are you saying he's in there right now?!" If we could rematerialize him, I can force him to help-

"No. Those kids said they fought some kind of AI that killed the professor."

"Fantastic," Hannibal grumbled, slouching in his cushions.

But no. Not all the news was bad. Look on the bright side-now he knew entering Lyoko had been done. He smiled. "Well, if children can enter Lyoko…all we need to do is kidnap one." Children were easy to manipulate. Threaten mommy and daddy and they'd cry their eyes out-but they'd obey.

Hera shifted, looking uncomfortable, but Grigory hadn't batted an eye. He was nodding, in fact. "I recommend Jeremie Belpois, the author of that second diary. From my surveillance, he's another genius in the making, and he seems to be in charge. If we take him, we not only remove their boss, we remove a boy who was able to set up a top-level closed-circuit surveillance system in one day."

Hannibal whistled. "Impressive. Perhaps we'll have to keep him, if he survives." Recruitment wasn't on the top of his agenda right now...but as they say, keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.

The more he thought about it, the more he liked it. "Yes. Excellent idea, Grigory. Bring me that boy tonight."

"Yes, sir."

When Professor Hertz's office door opened, Jeremie leapt to his feet. The professor emerged, Mr. Belpois clutching her arm with shaking fingers. "Dad! How are you? Do you…"

"A bit overwhelmed by my memories and what Suzanne told me, but fine," Mr. Belpois said, smiling weakly. Hertz guided him to one of the chairs that had been set up in the hallway, where Ulrich and the rest of the Lyoko Warriors were waiting. He sank into a seat, his son at his side. "But you...I never knew what you went through. I'm so sorry…"

His voice trailing off, he pulled Jeremie into a hug. Professor Hertz gave the assembled teenagers a meaningful look, and they rose in unity and hurried away to give father and son some privacy. Yumi and her parents had already left earlier, planning to catch up at home and then meet them at the Hermitage.

As he trudged away, hands in pockets, Ulrich glanced back at the scene with not an insignificant amount of envy. Mr. Belpois was speaking too quietly to hear, but the look on his face told Ulrich everything he needed to know-he was proud of his son for fighting XANA, regretful he couldn't help, glad he could now.

Why couldn't his fa-Walter have been like that?

Stop, he told himself. You don't care anymore.

He didn't. He was done with Walter. Done with the pressure and trying to change himself for someone who never appreciated it. Done with trying to please a man who'd betrayed his own friend because 'staying friends would hold him back'. He meant that.

But there was an empty part of him that should have been filled with a father's love; just because he told it to stop aching didn't make it happen overnight.

A small hand skimmed across his arm. "Ulrich? Are you okay?"

He flinched away. Aelita.

He'd been avoiding her since he'd learned what Walter did. Even if she didn't hate him for it...how could he not hate himself? That man's filthy blood flowed through Ulrich's veins. It made him feel tainted. Unclean.

If Walter wasn't worthy to stand in her presence-and he wasn't-then neither was Ulrich.

"Ulrich?"

He realized she was probably waiting for an answer. "Yeah. I'm fine." There. Done. He picked up the pace, trying to shake Aelita. Maybe he could crash in his room for a bit before they all went back to the Hermitage-

"Then why won't you look at me? Why haven't you looked at me for the past few days?"

He sucked in a pained breath. Go away, Aelita.

"Is it because of your father?"

His temper flared. Ulrich wheeled around. "That man is not my father."

The sudden movement made Aelita stumble back; air whistled as his swinging arm almost smacked her in the face. He froze. Aelita's hand was extended out, as if to touch his shoulder. Her eyes were wide at the fury he knew must be etched on his face. Her hand pulled back a little.

Ulrich recoiled. He wasn't angry at her, not really. He hadn't meant to scare or almost hurt her. "I…I'm sorry, Aelita. I just…"

Why was it so hard to talk about personal things with other people?! Why couldn't he control this-this anger, whenever his buttons got pressed? Why did he always have to hurt people?

I am just like Walter.

He hung his head.

Slim arms wrapped around him. He blinked and found himself looking down at Aelita's head of pink hair. She squeezed him gently and stepped back. "It's okay. I should have known better than to push you when you're like this."

'Like this'. He snorted. That was a polite way of saying he was a broody mess.

"I'll leave you alone. But I just want you to...you're one of my best friends. You've saved my life more times than I can count. And frankly, you're worth a million of Walter. Never doubt that."

Finally, he looked into her face. Her green eyes held no hate or blame, just compassion.

It took him a moment to swallow the lump in his throat. "I'm trying. To believe that, I mean."

She smiled. "Good."

As she began to move away, Ulrich suddenly felt an impulse to not be alone, as he'd originally planned. "Do you mind if I walk you to the Hermitage?"

She turned, and feeling foolish, he clarified, "You never know who might be around."

"True," she said, and he relaxed. "Let me call Eva, and then let's go rescue our friends."

Sissi poked listlessly at her penne pasta, cheek resting in hand. Sunlight spilled through the cafeteria windows and slanted across the floor. Conversations about tomorrow's half-day and plans for Saturday afternoon drifted to her ears. All around her, students were laughing, talking, eating.

And then there was her. In a dark corner, alone.

Again.

She should be happy about that Milly had stopped pestering her about her 'break-up' with William (seriously, when did they start dating?) and that the Twin Wonders weren't around, but instead a black hole yawned in her chest.

What's wrong with me? She thought. What's so wrong with me that none of my friends will include me?

Her eyes, of their own accord, drifted towards their usual table. It was completely empty-as it had been yesterday.

Probably off doing more secret-club stuff, she thought bitterly.

Not that she cared. When she'd retreated to nurse her wounded heart, she'd decided she was done with them. Really done, this time. Ulrich was happily dating Yumi. William had been quick to rub shoulders with the people who'd spurned him. And if Eva-Eva, who was such a newcomer-could be privy to their little secret, and Sissi couldn't...then it was obviously something about her personally that made them exclude her.

Which brought her back to her original thought: what was wrong with her? Why wasn't she good enough? She'd tried to change. She'd stepped in whenever Jeremie got bullied. Went shopping with Yumi and Aelita. Befriended William when he was alone. Why wasn't it good enough?

It was tempting to say, well, if it's not good enough, why bother? and fall back into her bitch persona. If she couldn't be happy, why should anyone else?

But that felt like...she wasn't sure. Letting her so-called friends have too much power over her life. Like they could dictate her mood, her personality, and her future. And that was so not gonna happen. Besides, she liked being nicer.

If only being nicer meant she was no longer alone.

It was irritating, XANA had to admit, that he hadn't possessed William again by now. He had no idea how close the Lyoko Warriors were to breaching the Mirror, and he really would rather have William under his metaphorical thumb before then.

Still, if William wanted to run so much, fine. XANA would just ensure he never got the chance to rest.

He'd kept an internal clock functioning, and he knew it was now approaching seventy-two hours since they'd been trapped here. Seventy-two hours since William had last slept. His body may not exist for him to need to eat or sleep, but his brain did. His brain required sleep, and it wasn't getting it.

Having hacked the Mirror's system, it was easy for XANA to stay on the trail of William's smoke form. He was lightly jogging after it now, passing by the Arc de Triomphe. On June 4th, 1994, the time now was six in the morning. The streets were mostly empty, and the few people around rushed from cover to cover or collected under umbrellas. Gray clouds rumbled in the sky, while sheets of rain slicked Odd's hair to his scalp.

XANA had never felt rain before. He didn't think highly of the experience. It was warm, wet, obscured his vision, and could potentially damage a computer. Still, even with water dripping into his eyes, he didn't lose sight of the smoke winding across the ground.

Paradoxically, it looked like it was falling apart. Instead of rushing around at high speeds, it was sluggish. It couldn't execute sharp turns anymore. It was more solid-there were even occasions where William faltered and his avatar's human shape would stumble out, only to melt back in the next heartbeat.

Soon enough, he would be too tired to concentrate on maintaining his smoke form at all. He may have been forcing back his need for sleep, but he was only human. He had limits, was bound to basic human weakness. He would collapse from exhaustion sooner or later. And when he did, XANA would strike.

It wouldn't be long now.