Heart of a Warrior

Chapter 1:

Where am I?

Dark.

It’s so dark….. and cold.

But what choice do I have? Since my creation at the hands of that doctor, I have had purpose.

Not always the same purpose, nor was I always working towards the same goals.

Once, I admired humans. I revered them, as I was their crowning glory, their Piece de resistance. Or something to that effect. I never was good at other languages.

I once loved humans. Now? Now, I hate them. My only desire is to wipe them from the face of the Earth.

That is….. changing.

Since I met them, they have proved me wrong. I must admit, I was surprised when I found that a Navi and Human could work together. They fought and defeated me. I have never lost before.

They have changed much about how I think. But I could never go and ask them. I have always been alone. If I was to go to the civilized part of my world, I would be hunted down. I would be hated. I would survive, but what an existence.

I stare into the fire. It’s warm.

Not nearly warm enough to heat my heart.

I trust no one. I depend on only myself.

Once I trusted. But that one betrayed me. Left me for dead.

Yet I live.

Strange……

There is a light ahead. Not metaphorically, but literally.

I have traveled this blasted hellscape many times, yet nothing like this has ever happened before.

From this light, I sense…. Power. Purpose. An entity of unimaginable strength. A rolling, formless entity. Perhaps we shall meet, this entity and I.

I get up and move towards the light.

As I get closer, I realize that the light is not pure white. It is more of a green, with touches of yellow and brown.

It looks like a portal from that one TV show that my father and I used to watch. Before he betrayed me.

What show was that? Stragte? Sgtrat? Stargate, that was it. It’s getting hard to remember my past. I have done many horrible things, and they all blend together.

I step into the light, and the power washes over me like a warm breeze.

I’m on a platform, over a….. void. Interesting.

To my left is a tall, cream-colored cylinder with some kind of black growth on the bottom. I sense much power coming from it. I must come back later to investigate.

All around me are tall pillars. My father told me about them. Supposedly, they only grow in the world of the Humans.

Clearly, I am not in that world.

Pity.

I was hoping for a good hunt.

What were those pillars called again? Tears? Ters? Tres? Trees? Yes, that’s it. Trees.

I touch the tree. Its skin feels rough. No. Skin? No. My father told me the correct name once, along with the other parts of the tree. Brak….Berk…. Bark! The bark feels cool and rough underneath my hands.

I marvel at how old these trees must be. Like all things, they must get bigger with age, so these must be ancient!

The sound of combat filters through the quietness. To my right, several navis are fighting viruses. Wait.

Navis? These…. They are not navis. I can’t identify them.

How very curious.

I float away before anyone sees.

Heart of a Warrior

Chapter 2:

The Shadow Looms

Kadic High School

France

“For the last time, Sissy, NO! I won’t go out with you,” exclaimed Ulrich, a brown haired student at Kadic High School.

His nemesis/stalker, Elisibeth (“Sissy”) sniffed distastefully.

“Well, fine, Ulrich dear. If you’d rather go out with,” she gave a derisive snort, ‘Darling Yumi,’ be my guest.”

And with that, she spun on her heel, raven hair twirling out behind her, and stalked off.

Ulrich stared off after her. “Why won’t she leave me alone?” he asked one of his best friends, a blond-haired boy named Odd.

Odd pretended to think about it for a second, then responded in his usual cheerful manner, “She just can’t take a hint. She also has a skull made of solid bone.”

Aeilita, a pink-haired girl, sat down next to Ulrich (on his other side)

“Well, she does seem to think that she still has a chance, but obviously doesn’t. What with you and Yumi-”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing!” Odd and Aeilita both spoke at the same time.

“Speaking of nothing, don’t you think that it’s a little odd that XANA hasn’t launched an attack in over two weeks?”

Jeremie, the class brain and computer genius extraordinaire, had sat down opposite Aeilita.

Aeilita thought about it for a minute. “Yes,” she said slowly, “But maybe we should take advantage of this. I mean, we might not get another chance to have a normal day.”

“Yeah, and I actually want to get through one of my History classes.”

The last member of their group, an Asian girl named Yumi, had walked up behind the table.

Odd looked at her. “As much I hate to make it to class, my parents might take me out of school if my grades get too low.”

Jeremie winced at the prospect. You see, all five of these students at Kadic High School had discovered a supercomputer at a nearby factory that would transport them to a virtual universe called “Lyoko.” It was there that they had first met Aeilita, who was a computer program permanently stuck in Lyoko. Also in Lyoko was the diabolical creature known as XANA, who used monsters in Lyoko to protect the towers, which he would infect and cause mayhem in the real world. Aeilita was the only one who could deactivate the towers, but she had no weapons or fighting ability, so Ulrich, Odd, and Yumi had to go into Lyoko and keep Aeilita safe until she deactivated the tower. Usually, they would then activate a time machine, which would act as a reset button on the world, and set time back to before XANA activated the tower. However, two recent discoveries rocked the group. First, Jeremie found the program that would turn Aeilita into a human being, thus allowing them to turn off Lyoko. The program worked, but XANA put a virus into Aeilita that would kill her if he died. Thus, the battle against XANA continued. Secondly, it was found that XANA got stronger every time that they activated the time machine. He was now so strong that he was able to possess humans, something that he was unable to do before. Also, it was clear that he wanted Aeilita alive, because she had some memories locked away in her brain that he wanted. To this end, XANA invented a new monster, the Skipazoa, which could drain programs out of a person. Most of the time, this merely meant Aeilita’s memory, but Skipazoas could also attack the others. Once, one had sucked the DNA code out of Yumi, making it impossible for her to return to Earth. They had gotten the DNA back, but the fivesome became much more wary about the Skipazoa.

Jeremie shook himself mentally, bringing himself back to the present. He couldn’t fight in Lyoko like the others could, but he was the only one who could work the computer effectively enough to get the others in and out of Lyoko.

Almost as if XANA was waiting for them to mention him, an explosion suddenly rocked the courtyard, followed by William, Yumi’s boyfriend, blasting a tree into oblivion with a bolt of lightning.

As if their minds were linked psychically, the five students got up and dashed towards the park.

Interesting………

When I first arrived in this strange place, I would never have dared dream of the things that I have seen.

Not only trees, but grass, mountains, shifting sand deserts, and glaciers as far as the eye can possibly see.

Then there are the viruses.

They are unlike any I have ever seen. They vary so much.

There are ones that are shaped like gigantic spheres, ones that look like red, four-legged tables, brown snakes, spider-like things with weird snouts, walking chunks of coral, walking cubes, and huge jellyfish.

There are also those navis. No, the unknowns. I don’t know what they are. They are fierce fighters, but they don’t work together. They occasionally fly around on some type of vehicles.

“AAAAAAUGH!”

What the-?

It just felt like a wave of darkness just blasted through my war-torn, tortured heart. In all of my years, I have never felt a pain that excruciating. It….felt like my heart was being ripped out with a fork.

Yet…..

It felt… somehow…..

Familiar.

The entry. When I entered this strange land. That’s when I first felt this. Somehow, whatever entity inhabits this place is causing this!

It causes me pain.

My next action is obvious.

With a fluttering of my brown cape, I fly.

“Odd, watch yourself, you only have forty life points left!”

Odd, now in his virtualized form, dodged a laser fired from a Crab (the red, table-like ones that the other narrator just described) by a matter of inches. Odd now was wearing a purple jumpsuit with a tail and a logo that looked like Kiwi, Odd’s dog. On his hands were gloves that looked like cat paws, but those gloves could fire lethal Laser arrows.

“Guys, we’d better hurry! Remember, we only have so long before he tries to kill someone.”

“Don’t remind us Jeremy. We all know that you can’t bring someone back from the dead, even if we go back in time.”

This from Yumi, who looked like she was wearing an unusual type of Kimono. Her weapons were two fans (you know, those oriental-style ones) that could deflect laser bolts and be thrown like razor-sharp boomerangs. She had had more close calls and had more bad things happen to her on Lyoko then anyone else. She had fallen into the Digital Sea (meaning she would have been virtualized forever, but Jeremy found a program that would virtualize anyone. She had nearly died several times when XANA made it so that they would die when they devirtualized, and she also had had her DNA stolen several weeks before, so she was used to danger on Lyoko.

However, she was feeling a little off this particular week, because she got hit square in the stomach with a blast from a block.

Just as she was about to be Devirtualized, a samurai-style sword blocked her attacker’s bolt of energy.

This was Ulrich. He wore an outfit similar to Yumi’s, only his was yellow with black trim and hers was red, orange, black, and white. His weapon was a samurai-style sword that could deflect laser bolts and slice things.

They were up against a group of two crabs and one block.

In the real world, Jeremy was working fast, so that he would not have to worry about XANA sending one of his Ghost-posessed people after him. It had happened several times before, and it could happen again.

Finally, he made an executive decision.

“Odd, you take Aeilita to the tower and deactivate it. Ulrich and Yumi, you stay and hold them off.”

Quickly, Odd pulled Aeilita onto his hoverboard and flew over the wide expanse of the digital sea. Within a matter of seconds, Odd and Aeilita were at the tower.

Aaaaah… just the creatures that I wanted to see.

Odd and Aeilita walked up to Ulrich and Yumi.

“I see that, once again, you two got to hog all the fun. Why don’t I get to blast the monsters more often?”

A panicked voice sounded from above.

“You’ll get your chance, Odd. There are four Megatanks headed your way, wat-”

But at that exact moment, the spherical monsters vanished in a huge blast of energy. The blast was so powerful, it punched a hole in the walkway and temporarily blinded the four virtualized humans.

The first one to recover his eyesight was Odd, who was shocked at the scene before him.

The platform in front of him, the Megatanks, and the walkway were all obliterated. Floating towards them was a figure, wrapped completely in a brown, tattered cloak, so that no view of the body was available. His helmet had a strange four-pointed star between two yellow fins that protruded from the top of his head at forty-five degree angles. His eyes were red, and carried a distinct sense of coldness and anger.

The figure touched down in front of the four stupefied humans.

“My name is Bass.” Bass said. “We need to talk.”

Sithking Zero: YES! BASS WILL PWN YOUR N00B SOULS! Sorry, big Bass fan over here. Please review what you thought of this chapter or of the story in general.

Someone on Fanfiction.net once asked me how powerful Bass really is.

It all depends on the Bass that you use.

Bass.exe, when you first meet him: 1000 life points, with a 100 point aura (a shield that deflects all attacks that have power under the points of the aura)

Copy Bass.exe: 1000 life points, no aura.

Bass.exe GS: 2000 life points, with a 200 point aura. I’m using him for the story.

Bass.exe Omega: 3000 life points, with a 300 point aura. The most powerful incarnation of Bass ever.

Bass.exe, fused with Dark power: 2000 life points, no aura, but the attacks are the most powerful ones in the game.

BassXX.exe (more powerful version of Bass+ Dark power): 3000 life points. No aura. Most powerful navi in MMBN4, but is still less powerful then Bass Omega.

This chapter is dedicated in loving memory to my parakeet, Snowy, who died November 11, 2005. May she live in all of our hearts forever.

Disclaimer: I. Don’t. Own. Code. Lyoko. Or. Megaman. ‘Nuff said.

Chapter 3:

The Wraith of the Shadow

Or

Why it is not smart to Eavesdrop on Bass

The five figures currently standing in the middle of the forest sector did not move for many minutes.

On one side, a cyber-entity known to the world as Bass stood in front of a huge chasm, over which the debris of the platform Bass had obliterated were now falling.

On the other? Our four Lyoko heroes: Odd, Ulrich, Yumi, and Aeilita. All staring at the being who had just destroyed four Megatanks in one blast.

Ulrich was the first to move, slowly tightening his grip on his katana-style sword.

“Jeremy!” he hissed. “What do you have on this guy?”

“Nothing!”

“What?”

“It’s like he’s not a monster! I’m trying ever scan I know, and I still can’t get anything!”

Odd slowly raised his arm, placed his other hand on it, then sighted down it.

“How about I get the information for you, Einstein? Remember the Marabounta?”

“Oh, yeah! I’m transmitting a virus that will scan this thing to one of your arrows. If you get the arrow into him, we’ll find out what ‘Bass’ really is.”

Several long seconds passed.

“Virus implanted, Odd! Fire away!”

Odd sighted down his arm.

Odd was at point-blank range. There was no way that he could miss.

With a slight burst of light from the end of his arm, Odd’s virus arrow fired straight towards Bass.

Bass’s arm was barely a flicker of movement, and only Aeilita saw it.

Bass extended one arm towards the cat-esque human.

“I believe that you dropped this,” he said calmly, opening his hand to reveal Odd’s laser arrow, resting gently in the middle of his palm.

Odd, who had never had one of his arrows blocked before, had his jaw hanging open in shock and horror.

Naturally, Ulrich and Yumi took steps back, knowing that this was an obscenely powerful monster.

“I would also suggest, unless you’d like to lose your arm, that you not do that again. There is a reason that no one has ever faced me and lived.”

Bass’s tone hinted of coldness, death, and… was that a hint of smugness?

In the real world, Jeremie was tracking this development with interest. This creature, “Bass,” was unbelievably powerful. What his intentions were, however, was decidedly less clear…..

“I have reason to believe that you four can help me get home. I do not wish to stay in this place. Furthermo-” but the Black Shadow was cut off by Jeremie’s frantic yell.

“Guys, you have two more megatanks and a Skipazoa heading towards you. I sugg-”

Bass gave a growl, knocked Aeilita and Ulrich out of the way, and flung his arm forward as if to say, “STOP!”

Aelilta and Yumi both let out a huge gasp. In flinging out his arm, Bass had pushed the cape out of the way, and gave them a good look at his body.

A gash stretched from his right shoulder to his left hip, bisecting a circular object that seemed attached to his chest. Over his body, he wore a black jumpsuit On his sides were two white stripes that ran straight from his boots, colored gold and black. His wrists and forearms were done in a similar color scheme.

To say that the blast of pure energy that leapt from Bass’s hand destroyed the Skipazoa and one of the megatanks is actually a huge understatement. The term “completely wiped off the face of the planet like dust off a plate,” comes close, but still does not describe the level of the energy used.

The other megatank, noticing the loss of its companions, prepared to fire a blast of energy at Bass.

It was almost like Bass teleported, he moved so fast.

Picking up XANA’s monster with one hand, he flung it with all of his might.

Jeremie has hypothesized that if the megatank went unimpeded, it would have sailed right into sector 5. However, a tower got in its way, and the effect was similar to that of an egg hitting a brick wall, complete with a slight splatter effect.

Angrily, Bass turned back to the four humans, who were now almost cowering in fear.

Bass let out a weary sigh. “Be at peace,” he said tiredly, “If I had wanted to harm you, I would have deatomized you from halfway across this abysmal place.”

Bass sucked in a breath, then spoke again. “My name is Bass. I come from a land that is far from this one. I wish nothing more then to get home, because I have an important mission.”

“So…” Aeilita asked tentatively. “You’re NOT from Lyoko?”

“Is that what this place is called?” Bass asked mildly. Aeilita nodded.

“Then no. I come from Scilab and the Cyber Network, in Japan.”

Bass turned towards the nearest tower. “What is that?”

Yumi answered this one. “That’s a tower. They control Lyoko and are a link to the real world. They also help regulate Lyoko itself by keeping the monster population in check; when XANA takes one over, he can overbreed the monsters and create armies of them. Then, he uses those monst-”

Bass flung out his hand. Naturally, considering what happened when he did it last time, the four humans leaped out of the way.

Angrily, Bass let out a furious snarl, and plasma began to crackle around his fingers.

“I told you, I have no intention of harming you yet. My word is as good as gold.”

However, Ulrich never quite let go of his grip on his sword.

“Now,” continued Bass, “Who is ‘Zah-Nuh’?”

A voice from the sky answered him.

“XANA is a computer program that wants to create a perfect, peaceful world. To do this, he’s trying to destroy the one obstacle to his goal: humans.”

Bass whipped around, energy again crackling around his fingers. However, seeing that this voice was not worrying the humans, he gradually lowered his gauntleted hands.

“What… was that?” he breathed.

Odd fieled this question with his usual nonchalance.

“That’s just Jeremie. He’s the one who transfers us to and from Lyoko.”

Mentally, Bass shut that little piece of information away in his brain for future reference. Perhaps he had an ally in this world after all…

“Recently, XANA has gained the ability to assimilate humans and turn them into puppets.”

Bass then scratched any ideas that he might have had of allying himself with XANA. Anyone so desperate as to integrate directly into HUMANS…

“To attack our world, he takes over a tower, and uses that tower’s connection to the real world to attack us.”

Aeilita stepped forward. “It used to be that the only way that we could detect if a tower had been infected by XANA was through pulsations that only I could feel. However, Jeremy has devised a way to scan for infected towers that-”

“Wait.” Bass held up his hand again.

“When XANA takes over a tower, you say that you can feel it?”

Aeilita nodded.

Bass continued. “Is it like energy waves?”

Aeilita shrugged. “Yes, why?”

“Just a hunch.”

While he had been speaking, underneath his cloak, Bass had been pointing his hand at each member of the party in turn.

Turning, Bass began to rise off of the ground. “Farewell, creatures. We shall meet again.”

And with a fluttering of a cloak, the Messenger of Darkness was gone.

All was quiet on Lyoko for a moment. Then, Odd said in a low voice, “What the hell was that all about?”

“Your guess is as good as mine, Odd.” Jeremie’s voice wafted from up above. “I’m bringing you home so we can talk about this.”

BASS’S POINT OF VIEW

Well… that was… interesting. At least I now know how and why that pain occurred. The energy of when one of the towers activates sends energy through this place, what did that navi call it? Leeowkow?

I also know that I must escape from this abominable place. I have no allies. I never have, and I never will.

Though….

I found it was difficult to copy those navi’s powers. I can still use them. But it is much more difficult then other navi powers. Could it be…

ELSEWHWERE…

In the darkest heart of Sector 5, also known as “Carthage,” a dark force brooded.

There was an uncontrollable entity in its domain. Not that this was any different from any other given day, but this entity could destroy the darkness, and all of Lyoko.

Monsters had proved ineffective against it, and no virus that the force had was designed to handle the entity.

Except…

The dark force, if it could, would have given out a slow and malicious grin.

The entire sector was soon rocked by high, evil laughter.