Chapter 37. Stronger After all pt 1

CHAPTER 37
STRONGER AFTER ALL



Las Vegas, The Las Vegas Strip.

A loud siren squalled through the streets of the infamous Las Vegas Strip. The sound echoed through the entire Strip as a large series of police cars and fire trucks rolled down, single file in a straight and tight line. The presence of the convoy attracted the attention of many pedestrians.

"Attention, please. All civilians are ordered by the city government of Las Vegas to evacuate the Las Vegas Strip  immediately. This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill." an officer said on the loud speaker of a squad car.

The last to pull on the boulevard was a series of dark vans with four letters in large white lettering on their sides. They came to a halt. The rear doors flew open and several members of the Las Vegas SWAT team poured out. They were armed with sub machine guns, shotguns and sniper rifles. They quickly and neatly moved to their locations.

"Sigma leader to Omega, Alpha and Epsilon. Sigma taking far end of the Strip," The SWAT team leader said as they set up barricades and coordinated with the local police department.

Omega ran up to the entrance of Caesars Palace Hotel. Their goal was to provide sniper cover for the police forces below them. Alpha blocked off  the opposite side of the strip's main entrance, down near the Circus Circus casino, while Epsilon based up around the front of the Luxor casino.

Three large choppers roared over head as they began a patrol around  the Narrow Vegas strip.  Two of them had a pair of snipers on them. The other was a LVPD patrol chopper, which repeated the same evacuation message as the patrol cars down below.

After a half an hour the Strip was almost cleared.  Two Black SUVs  came barreling down the street. The vehicles stopped in front of the Luxor Casino and three government agents stepped out.

One of the SWAT members approached the agents.  His entire body was covered in black clothing, with the exception of his eyes.
"Sir, we have the strip secured.  All units are in position." The SWAT leader said.

"Have you made contact with any of the local state military bases?" George asked.

"Negative. For some strange reason we lost all communications. We can't get a hold of anyone or anything. Internet, cell phones and broadcasts are all down. We're limited to short wave radios." The SWAT commander said as two police officers armed with shotguns ran inside the Luxor.

The doors to the other SUV opened and the gang stepped out. Several of the police officers  walked over to escort the new arrivals onto the scene.  Some of them stared in awe at the kids in their virtual forms who looked like super heroes or a bunch of kids from some cosplay convention.

Sissi looked around in wonder as she began to take in the sights of the town. In the distance she could see the town's famous hotels and casinos she read about or saw in TV. The view matched the "glitter and glitz" she used to hear about.
She sighed. "If only we were here in Vegas when it was not during all of this."

"I know right? Its kind of a let down." Yumi added as she pulled out her fans.

Sissi stared at Yumi and her virtual form for a second. "Maybe I should go to Lyoko some time and get me a virtual costume and weapon. I bet I would look like Wonder Woman."

Odd came closer to Sissi. "Don't get your hopes up. I wasn't too thrilled about what happened to me."

"Why?"

Odd stopped and turned towards Yumi and Sissi.  He slowly lifted up his tail and pointed at it with a shade of disappointment on his face.

"I think you look good in purple and besides, your arrow like guns are really cool." Sissi said.  "Plus, cats are better then dogs anyways."

"What? Hell no they're not! Just hearing that makes me miss my little diggity dog." Odd lowered his tail and turned to Yumi. "I hope your family is taking care of him."

"Don't they always?" Yumi asked.

"The last time they watched Kiwi they fed him sushi. You'd rather not like to know how Ulrich's part of the room looked like the next morning. Raw fish and wasabi are not good for Kiwi's digestive System…"

Meanwhile, the second  man in riot gear walked up to Travis.  He wore a large blue vest with several pockets for carrying ammo magazines and other types of equipment for completing his job.  He removed his helmet, revealing a tall man with a shaved head and large green eyes. On his hip dangled a PSD assault rifle. It was standard issue for SWAT teams.  The gun looked like a shortened down M4, only this gun was heavier and fired a  6.8 mm round.

"Special Agent Dalesman? I'm Lieutenant Kruzan. Las Vegas police department. We got this part of the strip under control.  Right now we're working with other local agencies to secure the other half of the strip until the military arrives."  the man said.

"Good. Where is the local FBI agents at here in town?" Travis asked.

"About a hour or two out... They were investigating reports of a individual who we believe is some type of psychotic serial killer." Kruzan said as he led the team inside The Luxor.

The casino was eerily quiet. It was perhaps the first time that the casino was so empty. Poker chips and cards left by the crowd rushing off the casino littered the floor. Only the casino staff was on hand as they attempted to clean up the mess from the ensuing panic.

"How is the evacuation going?" Ulrich asked, concerned as he noticed the still large crowds outside on the streets.

"Well, it's having issues but I'm sure that in a few minutes the streets will be vacant." Kruzan replied.

"We don't have a few minutes! We got company coming and they aren't gonna care for pedestrians." Ulrich said firmly.

Kruzan stopped and turned to the young samurai.  He scoffed at the way he was dressed.

"Look kid.  This is a issue of national security." Kruzan said firmly.   "Why don't you and your little Justice League friends go play hero somewhere else?"

Hearing that, Jessica got in the SWAT leaders face. "Excuse me Lieutenant, but these Justice Leaguers are with us and they're the best chance of stopping what's on our way."

"You mean all this is so those kids can play Superman or something?" Kruzan asked with a hint of anger in his voice.

"This is a matter of national security… not even that, global security. They warned us about this and will help us deal with it. If you don't like what is going on then you are free to leave!" Jessica said loudly.

Kruzan's face hardened in anger as he nodded and  turned around and walked out. He walked over and coordinated with another SWAT member.

"OK so what do we do?" Odd asked. "If Xervix and his team is on the way, we need to get ready."

Travis looked around at the group. Aelita was still clutching the System, which glowed brightly.  Jeremy stood right behind her.  He stayed by her side the whole time ever since they left Area 51. Travis realized that without any sort of protection he would be an easy target.

"Ulrich, Yumi and George, you're with me.  We will go stand guard outside." Travis commanded as he unbuckled his hip holster from around his waist.  The holster carried his 1911 pistol that he was issued in the FBI.

"Jessica, Odd and William. You three stay here and watch Sissi, Jeremy and Aelita... And Jeremy…" Travis called him and handed the blond teen his pistol.

Jeremy's eyes opened wide as he realized what Travis was giving him.  Jeremy looked at the gun curiously as he looked up towards Travis.

"Keep her safe."

"I...I cant-" Jeremy stuttered in fear.

Before he could finish, Travis grabbed Jeremy's hand and lifted it up to revive the pistol.

"All you do is push the little red button on the side and squeeze.  There are only seven rounds in it so make it count." Travis explained shortly.

"What? I'm not a warrior, I'm just the tech guy, I can't fight! What if I mess up?" Jeremy started to defend himself from taking the gun.

"You haven't yet," Jessica said as she checked her MP5.  "Anyone who knowingly breaks the law, who sacrifices all his time and effort and is willing to do anything for the one they love is able to overcome and accomplish anything."

"Yeah Jeremy... we have faith in you. You got us this far. If it wasn't for you the whole world would have ended a long time ago." Yumi tried to comfort Jeremy as she wrapped her arm around the blonde's neck.

"Not to mention that when ever anything goes wrong;  you're always the first up to help with anything." William said.

"Think of the pistol like a mouse...Just point and click." George advised him.

Reassured Jeremy looked around towards all of his friends and nodded in agreement. He took the holster and clipped the buckle onto his waist line.

Travis pulled back the charging handle on his rifle as he led George, Yumi and Ulrich outside the casino, leaving Jessica, Sissi, William, Odd, Jeremy and Aelita inside.

The eerie silence once again filled the casino until Odd finally spoke up.
"I'm hungry." Odd said.

The other five inside the casino instantly face palmed right away.


Outside the casino the local law enforcement agencies were hard at work patrolling the areas and clearing the tourists and other civilians off the street. They were having a difficult time doing so though, as many of the pedestrians were too stubborn to work with.

Ulrich and Yumi walked over and sat next to a bench near the huge mock Sphinx that sat outside the large, black, pyramid shaped casino.

"Never thought it would come down to this, wouldn't it?" Yumi asked.

"I thought we were done with Xana and Lyoko. I guess in a way we are." the brown haired teen said.

"I'm worried Ulrich."  Yumi admitted quietly.  She folded her arms around her shoulders as she started to act timid and shy.

Ulrich looked over his left shoulder towards his girlfriend and wondered what did she mean.
"About Xervix?"

"And other things as well…" Yumi said

"Like what?"

"Mal-Tech. Think about it. They know about Jeremy and Aelita… what if they come after us, too?  What if they take my family away or you?  I've come so far in the past few years. I… don't want to lose everyone I care for."

"I'm not gonna let that happen to you," Ulrich reassured her.

"But what if you're wrong? What if you can't?"

Ulrich wasn't sure but for a minute he thought he saw some small tears forming in her eyes… which seemed impossible. Even though her head still looked normal, it was merely a virtual shell created from nano machines from Area 51.  Even though it was like she was wearing a skin tight mask or something along those lines, it could not hide her emotions.

"All I ever wanted was to feel like I belong... like I fit in. You and the others, my family... you give me that.  I don't wanna be the outcast anymore." Yumi said.

"You wont go back to that way again Yumi... You're no outcast. To me, you're an example of how people should live. And that is one reason why you're beautiful in my eyes." Ulrich said.

Yumi smiled timidly. "Am I beautiful?"  

"In many ways," Ulrich said as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "I'm so lucky to have you.  I would do anything for you... Just so you can smile the next day."

There was a small pause in between them as they stared at each other. Then they began to move closer to each other and slowly kissed each other on the lips.  They held there for a few minutes as a fire truck drove past them.

Finally they released the lip lock and looked at each other.
"I see you remembered," Ulrich joked.

Yumi gave him a questioning look.

"When I had to teach you how to kiss on the lips?" Ulrich said in a jokingly manner.

"Hey, if you're trying to make me blush it's not gonna work...Which that was weird." Yumi said.

"Yeah I noticed too... there was no heat from your lips when I kissed you. Almost cold."

"Must be the Nano Machines that created the virtual envelope." Yumi suggested.

"At least there was no Odd or your brother to interrupt us this time." Ulrich joked.


Sissi stood in the front hallway of the hotel.  She was admiring the replica of a Egyptian statue on the wall.  Even though it was obviously fake, the site of it reminded her of pictures out of history books. The unique carvings to resemble ancient hieroglyphics and the orange color of the rock truly added to the atmosphere of the hotel. Yet she still couldn't shake her mind off of everything that had happened… and what was to come.

"One day I will have a statue just like that." a voice joked from behind.

Sissi turned to see Odd walking towards her. Originally the sight of Odd in his Lyoko form was weird and almost alien to her. However it was starting to grow on her. Sissi smiled and walked over to the oversized cat.
"Think they can find enough rock for your hair?" Sissi added.

"Got that planed already." Odd said.

Sissi looked at the short teen.

Odd rubbed his hands through his hair. "Pure gold!"

Sissi snickered a little as she turned to look at the statue.

Odd noticed the teen girl was unusual quiet for some reason... She even seemed a bit off for some reason, like something was bothering her.
"Hey, you OK?"

"You don't wanna know. You got a lot on your mind with all that's going on…" Sissi tried to put him off.

Odd walked in front of Sissi.  Odd noticed Sissi's depressed face as her eyes hinted at something inside her. He would not give up so easily.

"I'm tired... of being alone." Sissi finally said.

Odd looked at her in confusion. He tried to figure out what she meant.

"Truth is, I never wanted to hurt any of you originally. I never had any friends either. I wanted to be friends with you guys, because for some reason we always connected and..." Sissi started.

"I didn't think it would be this bad" Odd thought.
"Wait what about Herve and Nicholas? Weren't they your friends?" he asked.

"No. I should have treated them better... Now they're with Tanell and hate me. It's because I'm a horrible person. I don't deserve to be with you guys."

Odd walked closer to Sissi as he tried to think of a way to comfort her.

"I'm just a spoiled little daddy's girl. My mother would be ashamed of me."

"Your mother?" Odd asked.

"She died when I was young... in a car accident." Sissi said. "And my father never had time for me outside of school... I had no one for the longest time. In a way I still am." Sissi said as her eyes turned red.

"Sissi… you're wrong." Odd said.

Sissi wiped some tears from her face and looked up towards the purple warrior.

"Sure, you may have been a pain some times but you changed... and now I'm glad you're with us." Odd said, trying to make her feel better.

Sissi sniffled a little.  "You... sure?"

"Yeah. You helped us get this far. You don't go after Ulrich anymore and-" Odd began until Sissi cut him off.

"I never had a crush on Ulrich." Sissi said.

"And if it... WHAT!?" Odd said loudly in surprise.

"We may have been friends in elementary school.  And I kind of liked him back then, but... I didn't have a crush on him."

"Wait, wait!" Odd buried his hands in his hair. "You mean Ulrich... Ulrich Stern. The boy you followed, stalked, and the boy who you always called, Ulrich Sweety or my personal favorite Schnockums... and you always tried to break him and Yumi up… Now you're telling me you didn't have a crush on him?"

Sissi averted her sight off Odd and gazed in the distance. "I was jealous… that Ulrich and Yumi had something I always wanted but never could have. A relationship." she admitted. Then she looked again at Odd, who stood there, shocked.
"I know! It was a horrible thing for me to do."

"What about Herve?" Odd asked.

"Herve was too shy even when I called his bluff on it once." Sissi said.

"Well… It would be weird dating him. You could play connect the dots on his face on a date." Odd joked.

Sissi smiled a little as she breathed out a little.

"Sissi… You're a beautiful woman. You're kind, caring, and gorgeous… but that's not why you're beautiful now." Odd said. She looked at him in confusion.
"Do you remember when Tanell brought Yumi at the verge of tears? You saw and knew what she was doing and you know what I know..." Odd said.

"And that is?"

"She wants to use Ulrich. After the lunch room incident I started observing Tanell and that's when I saw that she is worse then you ever used to be. She likes to make boys feel like they got a chance and then destroy them by using them and dumping them with the promise of a date. She takes pride in it. Remember when Nathan was dating her then she called it off and how she treated him?"
Sissi nodded in agreement.

"She enjoyed watching him in pain. And that is really horrid.
It's something you think you do but you don't. You used to have boys wrapped around your fingers, hopping around and obey your orders. You can still do that now, but you don't... You choose not to use boys and be their friend rather then their commander. And you always look out for everyone. You rather act like the big sister to most of the kids at school... And that is what makes you beautiful." Odd said as he put his hand on her arm. "Beautiful to me."

Sissi blushed so badly, she turned and covered her face.

"Great, Odd…  You just made it worse... I knew this was a job for William and not me... You're just a stupid kid, Odd. What would she want with you?" Odd thought.

Then, Sissi turned around. She felt it was the right moment.
"There is one person I have a crush on." She said.

Odd looked up at the teen girl.

"There is a boy at our school who used to message me on Okcupid and... he is in a lot of my classes, and I know who he is."

Odd's eyes grew large as he suddenly remembered what Sissi was talking about.
"Who?"

Sissi folded her arms as she looked at him.
"I'm not dumb. At first I was a little creeped out because we used to go at each others throats but...as of late..."

"Um... Well. Yeah, we have," Odd stammered.

Sissi suddenly realized what she had said. "Great Sissi.. .Great.  You just made this worse. I knew I should have asked Aelita or Yumi to help me with this. You're a stupid girl… .what would he want with you?"

"Sissi? Would you like to hang out just the two of us when we get back?" Odd and Sissi asked simultaneously. Both teens froze and turned away.

"Yes I would love to" they said again at the same time.

The two teens stared at each other. Neither of them moved or blinked.  Instead they thought long and  hard about what they had just agreed to. It shook their minds, here were two people who teased each other for the longest time... and now they were dating.
Suddenly, they burst into laughter. Their unanimous agreement made it easier to release the tension between them.

"We better go check on Jeremy and Aelita." Odd suggested.

Sissi finally stopped laughing and nodded in agreement.

"Hey Odd? I wanna help you guys but I don't know if I can." She admitted.

"I had the same issues too... but all you got to do is let it happen." Odd said in his usual high pitched voice.
Jeremy and Aelita both sat in a booth next to the wall.  They sat close to each other, both anticipating in fear the hell that would break loose within any minute. The System sat on the table.  It continued to glow in the usual rhythmic pattern.
Aelita continued to stare at the orb.  Something about it made her feel a tad bit peaceful.  It almost made her forget her worries... Almost.

Jeremy pulled out his cell phone as he hit the number that was on hold.
"Puck, any luck on the trap?" he asked.

"I had to activate all the towers on Lyoko, but I lost connection to the power plants all over Nevada... I can re-route the power from the nuclear plants in other parts of the country... but it would take a little longer." Puck said.

"We got no other choice... do it." Jeremy said hesitantly. The call went back onto hold as he placed the phone back into his pocket.
Jeremy looked towards Aelita.  She hadn't spoken much since they got here. It was a rare sight to see Aelita so quiet.  She was always sunny, cheerful and happy when she was near him.
"Aelita? You OK?"

"I'm scared." Aelita said hoarsely.

"I'm not gonna let anything happen to you I promise." Jeremy said.

"Not for me... for you," she confessed.

Jeremy looked towards Aelita in confusion.

"I know you said you would protect me but... I don't wanna lose you. Not now. Not ever. Not like I lost my father."

Jeremy moved closer towards Aelita as he waited for her to continue.
"You won't, Aelita. I didn't come all this way to have something happen…"

A growling noise came from the direction of her stomach.

"You're hungry, aren't you?" Jeremy asked.

Aelita nodded as she felt both embarrassed and disappointed that she couldn't finish what she had to say.

Jeremy looked around for something. He got up out of his seat and walked over to what looked like a bar.  But he noticed Aelita was right behind him.  She didn't want to leave his side.

Aelita's tummy growled again only louder.

"Can I eat something with these things on?" Aelita wondered.

"I guess so." Jeremy handed Aelita a glass of soda to drink.  
She  took a small swig out of it. She felt it go down her throat and into her belly. As soon as she felt that, she began to drink more. Aelita finished the glass and put it on the counter. Jeremy handed her another glass of soda. Without hesitation, the pink teen grabbed it and began to drink it.
As she finished, she turned towards the blond boy who was busy cleaning his glasses.

"Do you remember when we first met?" Jeremy asked as he walked around the bar. He tried to distract them from thoughts of the inevitable fight.

"How could I forget? I woke up looking at a video link of you. Didn't know who I was…" Aelita said as she sat the empty glass on the table. "I remember the time you tried to devirtualize me, and how I almost got deleted. According to Ulrich you were a mess."

"Yeah, I was.  I was relieved when I discovered you weren't really lost forever, but that your virtual code was scattered.  You were just fragments... do you remember what it felt like?" Jeremy asked.

"I don't. One minute I'm saying goodbye to you and the next I woke up on the floor of a tower. How did you do that anyways?"

"It was the virtual soul remember? Your body, mind and soul was stored in there. When you were devirtualized it stored you as memory inside the memory sector that we rediscovered.  Placing the hair inside the scanner fooled the computer into thinking you were virtualized. I never knew the truth of where your virtual soul was till we found out about the memory sector." Jeremy said.

"And remember when I finally came to earth? Oh, it was so strange... Yet even though we learned of my past it turned into a good time anyways." Aelita said.  "And our first kiss?"

"That was strange, too. I was shocked. Odd and Ulrich had to carry me back to my room. Not to mention our first date."

"And then there was the... gymnasium incident…" Aelita tried not to laugh. "When it happened it was really embarrassing, but now it's just something you can look back and laugh at."

"We had a lot of good times." Jeremy admitted.

"Why did it take two years for us to finally admit our feelings?" Aelita wondered.

Jeremy's smile turned to a frown as he thought about the words that just came out of Aelita's mouth.

"I mean, we had a crush on each other for so long... And sometimes I thought we were together... But for some reason you kept going inside your shell, only coming out when I needed help. Why? Was it me?"

Jeremy suddenly turned towards Aelita. His face was pointing down towards the ground.
"No, it wasn't you... It was me." he said as he removed his glasses. "Before I met you, I was alone. I literally had only my mom and dad.  I was always picked on as a kid and one day I got beat up at school... real bad."
Aelita looked towards Jeremy with sympathy as she listened. She never heard about Jeremy having this type of experience.

"Some kids beat me up. Broke my wrist and glasses and kicked me multiple times while I was down. All because I couldn't get on the school swim team.  What was worse was the principal did nothing. Then my parents transferred  me to Kadic where most kids were jealous of my perfect grades. I thought I was never gonna know what it's like to have friends... And then I met you, and Ulrich, Yumi, Odd, William and Sissi. Thanks to you I have honestly never felt better."

Aelita smiled as she listened to his story. " Well you're welcome Jeremy.  I'm glad I could help."

"Help is not enough. You saved me from myself and my fears. And then… I felt something I have never felt before. I would think about you almost all the time. I just wish I could have done more for you."

"You did. But from the way you're sounding, you need me as much as I need you." Aelita said, walking closer to Jeremy.

Jeremy looked towards Aelita as Aelita starred him in the eye.  Her small frail face warmed his heart in ways no one ever did. Aelita placed her hands on Jeremy's shoulders as she looked up into her best friends face.

"I don't deserve you." Jeremy muttered.  "After you got out of the computer and you were freed from Xana, I still acted like I had to free you... Because of that I neglected you and failed to save your father." He finished with tears forming in his eyes.

"We have had some rough times, but there is one thing I have learned from my father... The past is there to learn from, not to fear." Aelita said. "And Jeremy... don't talk like that! You deserve happiness." Aelita said.

The room fell silent as the two teens continued to stare at each other.  The smell from many cigarettes and cigars still filled the room. It made breathing a tad bit difficult for the conditions.
Jeremy looked around the room at the mess from the evacuating crowds.
"You mean it?"

"You've been trying to save me for so long now. Isn't it time some one saved you?" Aelita said. She bit her lip as she finally worked up the courage to say the words she had always wanted to say. "I need you… I'm in love with you." Aelita finally admitted.

"Aelita?" She turned to look at a fully red Jeremy. "I love you too." Jeremy said as a small tear ran down his cheek.
Never did Jeremy think he would ever feel or hear the words from a woman. He felt warm inside like never before.

Aelita reached out and held Jeremy's hands. "The day you saved me from shutting down the computer... the day you freed me from Xana and all you have done for me in the past few months... made me absolutely sure about it."

Aelita walked up to Jeremy and pressed herself against him as she wrapped her arms around his neck.  Jeremy placed his arms around her back as Aelita rested her head on Jeremy's chest.  She could still smell the fresh scent of pine trees on him. Aelita slowly closed her eyes as she listened to Jeremy's heart beat.  It was beating fast. Considering that this was the first time he had ever had some one care for him.
"You feel so warm." Aelita whispered.

Odd and Sissi slowly walked into the casino lobby.  As they entered, Sissi suddenly stopped and pointed towards their two friends in the center of the room. They both looked so innocent together.  It reminded her of a scene from a Disney movie.

Odd tapped on Sissi's shoulder.  He put his finger up to his lips as a gesture to stay quiet.  Slowly he led Sissi out of the lobby and back out into the hobby.

"Does that mean what I think it means?" Sissi asked.

"Its about time those two became boyfriend and girlfriend... Even though they didn't have as much drama as Ulrich and Yumi."


A fire truck entered the parking lot of the Luxor.  It was being used to help barricade the parking lot of the building.  Several police and SWAT teams stood in their positions, prepared and ready for anything. They were to originally clear the strip, but it soon turned into a futile effort as more and more crowds gathered to see what was going on.  Several news teams tried to enter the parking lot but were met with police who quickly turned them back.

A local news helicopter tried to enter the airspace but was turned back due to the overwhelming presence of the 3 SWAT helicopters.  Many members of the press were screaming harassment and that the Police were breaking their constitutional rights to broadcast the news.

"What a mess, huh?" George said as he stood outside the door to the casino.

"Never gets old." Travis said as he took a swig from a bottle of water one of the SWAT members had given him.  "They don't care about their rights or the story. They just want something to give them a little extra on their paycheck... Vultures," he scoffed.

Ulrich and Yumi approached the two feds, trying to keep a low profile.

"Hey uh... Agent Dalesman?" Yumi asked.

"Call me Travis. What's up?"

"Should we be outside during all of this?"

George chuckled a little. "The world was gonna find out sometime... Might as well be now."

Jessica stepped outside of the hotel.  She was holding her radio as she continued her attempt to get some form of communication with the world outside Las Vegas.  She looked frustrated as she finally put the radio away.

William also stepped outside. He held his hand over his forehead as he tried  to block the sun out of his eyes.  He noted all the activity outside, yet he still felt that it would not be enough.

"Any luck?" George called out.

"All I can get is the city's radio traffic... It's ridiculous." Jessica grunted.

"We got the latest in technology and the only thing we seem to put it into is our dam cell phones, computers and televisions. Ain't society great?" William joked in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"So what are we holding for?" Yumi asked.

"We're waiting for orders on where to take the System... As of right now though we can't contact anyone. The plan was originally to take you guys to Area 51 to devise a plan. I guess there is no plan now," Jessica explained.

"Don't worry. We'll get out of this no problem." Ulrich said.

"You sure kid?  We got some mean dudes heading this way." George asked.

"Ah... rookies." Ulrich joked.

Suddenly Jessica's radio buzzed and hummed as a lout noise came through it. Jessica held the radio up to her face and listened.  Travis and George walked closer to her as they tried to make something out of the noise.  Travis looked around and noticed that the other radios that the police were using were making the exact same noise.

Yumi looked towards Ulrich.  She realized it was the same noise  that they had heard weeks ago through Odd's cell phone. The last time they heard that noise the cafeteria exploded and Xervix appeared.

"What is that?" George asked.

After a few seconds, the noise stopped and they radios returned to their previous function.

"We're in trouble. Last time we heard that noise... Xervix attacked." Ulrich said as he slowly drew his sword.

The doors to the casino flew open as Aelita, Sissi, Odd  and Jeremy ran outside. Aelita was holding the System in her hands.

"We heard some kind of loud noise over the loud speakers of the casino... What's going on?" Odd asked.

One of the helicopters flying over head suddenly stopped.

"This is Sky-eye 2. We got a unidentified object flying due west. Heading here awfully fast." The helicopter pilot said over the radio.

"Do you have a visual?" asked Jessica. The answer came after a moment of silence.

"It looks like a giant bird man of some type... What the hell is it?" she heard the pilot's voice over the radio.

Hearing the pilot's report, the gang froze. They realized exactly what it was.

"Tell him to get out of the way! NOW!!!"  Jeremy yelled.

"Sky-eye 2 veer off, now! I repeat, veer OFF!" Jessica shouted over the radio.