Re: 100 Word Drabbles

[Snickie]

He Who Laughs Last

"I'm the one controlling everything!" He shouts at that bunch of too-brightly colored children standing before the interface.

A simple command, and they are whisked away.

Professor Tyron is not as clueless as those silly children think. He is a genius, infallible. And he's not afraid of anything.

His men rematerialize, and he congratulates them on victory before declaring that he needs coffee. All but one of his men join him, eager also for the delicious nectar of caffeine.

The one who lingers takes off his mask and chuckles darkly. Tyron is not so infallible.

I have deceived them all.

[thehighlord]

He who Laughs Last

Odd giggled as he stood in the doorway. Ulrich glared back at him, teeth grinding.

Odd laughed harder, his whole body shaking as he clutched at his sides.
Ulrich’s teeth ground harder.

The slime dripped further down Ulrich’s shirt.

Odd walked away, down the hall. Everywhere the others had barred their doors.

He hummed the theme from Nightmare Before Christmas. Today was his favorite.

He didn’t notice that his own door was opened just slightly.

Unwary, the knob turned, the door opened, and the bucket fell.

Aelita laughed from the hallway.

It seemed she had the last laugh this day.

[Stella Luce 333]

((I’m sorry that this is over the 100 word limit, but if I cut anything else out it won’t make sense…))

A Hornet’s POV:

“One of the Mantas told me about something it saw on the Internet. It’s called a joke. Do you want to hear it?” I asked.

“Sure, why not?” said the Krab.

“What did the duck tell the waitress?” I asked. “Put it on my bill!”

We laughed. Stupid humans…

“Um…I don’t get it.” said the Kankrelat.

“Put it on my bill?” I repeated. “A duck’s beak is called a bill.”

“A bill is also what humans use to pay for food at a restaurant.” the Krab said. “Get it?”

“No.”

---

“Oh! Put it on my bill! I get it now! That’s funny!”

[Snickie]

Future Ulrich

If there was one thing Lyoko had taught him, it was how to effectively get teachers to believe he really was ill or innocent.

As an adult, he tried this skill on large juries. Although a rather mediocre lawyer, the people calling for his services grew by the week. He had prisoners convicted and jailed for maximum sentence, and he also had people ruled innocent.

But when he saw the pink and blond pair sitting at the opposing side's table for trial for identity fraud at the highest penalty, Ulrich wasn't so sure anymore that he had it so great.

,

note: Could be considered a possible "in the meantime and short teaser for what might've happened after" for Soul's "Out of Time" ficlet.

[Dark Raku]

An idea that I sadly don't have time to really take any further.

Prompt: He Who Laughs Last
Word Count: 100

‘Of course. Now it all makes sense!’

Aelita, confused, looked up at her mother who suddenly pulled her tightly against her – protectively.

‘What makes sense?’ Tyron’s voice was curious as he harshly directed Jeremy to sit down and begin work. Not like he needed to be directed, the guns in his friend’s back where direction enough.

‘Waldo,’ her voice was light, happy, ‘Everything.’

‘Pardon?’

‘He knew so much. Too much. He made fools of us all.’

‘So?’ Tyron scoffed.

Jeremie laughed suddenly, triumphant.

Tyron stopped.

Realised.

Ran.

Grabbed Jeremie.

Too late.

‘Time travel,’ Anthea finished smiling.

The world went white.

[Snickie]

Capture
wordcount: 100

How appropriate it was that she was the last one standing. Didn't it usually happen this way?

Nobody would miss her when her purpose was fulfilled.

She was, after all, just a fragment of humanity wedged awkwardly in a generation in which she did not belong.

She stood tall, hands clasped in front of her, as the enemy stared at her eagerly, awaiting the simple action that would end her once and for all. They stood like a wall, with no way around or through. This was the end right here.

She fell as she crossed to face her defeat.

[Dark Raku]

‘Well,’ she opens her mouth, ‘umms’ and ‘ahhs’ for a while before shaking her head quickly, ‘bye!'

It comes out too fast and she’s running even faster before it really sinks in. He sits there for a while, mouth open, a stammering, blushing wreck, as he stares lost at the long pink hair that is rapidly going out of focus.

He blinks.

Her bag is still on the bench.

He picks it up and runs.

‘Wait!’ She stops. ‘You forgot this,’ he holds it out to her, panting heavily.

She smiles. It worked!

‘Carry it for me.’

He does.
Victory!

[Soul Jelly]

Going to do a teensy bit of a spam since I uploaded to ff.net and forgot to post here~

Justice
This entire world is a crime scene but let us present two especially significant pieces of evidence: Exhibit A, a victim of circumstance who cannot personally testify.

What's that? Photographs? Aren't these fading footprints in the snow enough?

Objection-

Denied!

Exhibit B, wrongfully imprisoned, subject to terrible personal theft. Stolen memories, another investigation altogether. Shouldn't the defendant at least be held accountable for collateral damage?

Doing his best? For whom, we ask. How do you plead?

...Guilty.

Life in the Digital Sea- by his own volition, no less than he deserves.

No jury on Earth could impose a greater sentence.


/


Candy Hearts
The complete ruination of Jim Moralés date was entirely their fault.

Even without the XANA attack, one which meant that Jérémie would be walking with a limp for the rest of the week whilst Aelita tried to explain away the singed edges of her hair, it was because of them that Jim never got around to dinner with Yolande.

All things considered, a box of candy hearts left anonymously on his desk (and the implicit suggestion of a secret admirer) wasn't a big enough apologetic gesture. But it was long after the fourteenth before the smile on his face faded.

/

Hide and Seek
[Yumi, Hiroki]

Her hands are clamped over her ears, eyes squeezed shut, as though the world can't see her if she can't see it. It's only when her head starts to ache that she lets go. The first thing she's aware of is that they're still shouting, the second thing, that she's lost him.

She turns the house upside down until the search leads her to his room, a quiet sniffling to under the bed, where she crawls in the dark amongst the dust and clasps his hand across tear-soaked carpet.

They hide there until it all goes away, until next time.

/

Landmark
"Laser arrow!"

"Odd, this is not a good use of Lyoko training time. You'll run out of arrows, and-"

"XANA needs something to remember us by, Einstein!"

"What-"

Ulrich's hand rested on the hilt of his sword as he kept watch, unable to hide his grin as Odd artistically carved up the cliff-face.

"Don't ask, Jéremie. Wow, if Franz Hopper could see this..."

"I bet he'd love it. Ta da!"

He stepped back from his own likeness, chipped with laser arrow-fire out of virtual rock.

"I call it Mount Oddmore."

"You're an idiot."

[Dark Raku]

Oh now I don't feel so bad about Posting this. I dislike Double Posting.

And huzzah, changing the edit mode has made posting and formatting far easier. Drabble 30 was going to be Franz and Laura hilarity and it would have probably been better. Oh well.


Drabble 1: Picture

‘Are these your friends?’

Why did he not put it somewhere safe?

Why did he not-destroy it?

He stared at her over one of many cardboard boxes.

She twirled a long strand of pink hair, briefly ducking her head.

Green eyes questioned.

‘Yes,’ he was pale, voice quite.

‘Tell me about them.’

‘I knew them before coming here...I would rather not talk about it.'

His glasses were wet.

Pain evident, she moved to hug him.

She forgot the photo.

He didn’t feel better.

He would burn it tomorrow.

He was not yet ready for that conversation.


Drabble 3: A Different Meeting

The doors hissed open and hell fell out of the Scanner.

Straight into a pair of arms. He looked up at the blonde who was supporting him and grinned sheepishly.

'Well this makes a change.'

SMACK!

Aelita yelped loudly. 'Mom, why-what are you-

He laughed. 'That's new,'

‘You are.’

‘I’d rather-‘

‘Not this time!’

‘Alright,’ he sighed. ‘Your hair?’

An eyebrow arched. ‘Too noticeable.’

‘Ah.’

‘You have someone to say hello to.’

He tensed.

Paled.

Gulped.

Aelita practically crashed into him, sobbing uncontrollably.

They stood for a while, all crying.

Finally, he spoke.

‘Aelita.’

‘Yes daddy?’

‘Never dye your hair.’


Drabble 30: Computer Codes and Fans

He was too hot.

'Closer, closer, just a bit-'

She was too hot.

He let out a long hissing breath and shuddered.

'Oh f***,' she groaned.

They looked at each other. 'One more', he grinned.

She groaned but nodded.

One more.

They began again.

‘Minutes later they lay down on the floor panting heavily.

'Never again!’

‘But,’ he insisted his voice two octaves higher as she searched for his glasses.

‘I need a shower. Then we go and do something fun!’

She stormed out the room.

He scratched his head.

How was fixing computers and nights of coding not fun?

[SeeMeInTheShadows]

She’s old enough to know that there aren’t always happy endings. She’s old enough to realize that life can be cruel and unfair and that heroes can be broken and crushed. She’s old enough, but that doesn’t mean he has to be the one to tell her.

He’s too selfish for that.

So Ulrich doesn’t tell her that the stories he whispered to her conspiringly years ago were rooted in truth. Ulrich doesn’t tell her that he really did rescue a princess. Ulrich doesn’t tell her that monsters are real.

Ulrich doesn’t tell her that he’s the only one left.

[Dark Raku]

I should really just get my plan for a longer piece of work finalised already.


Drabble 66: Franz

He did nothing when they took her away.

He tried to comfort her, but he couldn’t do that.

She just didn’t understand.

How do you explain that she can’t go instead so that mommy can be safe and you can be happy because that would actually kill you?

How do you explain that if she disappears you will burn the world?

How do you explain that you will make everything better and not make it sound like impossible fairy tales?

He hoped she would forgive him.

He had no choice.

It was the only way he could save them both.


Drabble 67: Bedtime Stories

‘…and so The Princess sleeps in the Forest, in A World Without Danger waiting for her Prince to come to her Tower again and wake her from her slumber so they can live happily ever after.’

‘Will she wake up one day? Will she meet her Prince again?’ His daughter babbled.

‘Maybe,’ he said smiling, ruffling pink hair one last time, before he got up off the bed and walled towards the door. ‘Between you and me, I think she’d like that.’

‘I know she would. I would.’

‘Good night dear.’

‘Good night daddy.’

He closed the door.

He wept.


Drabble 12: Miss Popularity

‘Umm…urr…well I just…maybe you would…umm…I mean I’d like if you urr..will you go out with me?’

‘What?’ He stopped dead, voice squeaked.

‘For coffee. Just..coffee. Yes. Coffee. I’d really like it if we had coffee together. Maybe a movie?’

His head turned – mouth agape, eyes wide, glasses eschew.

Her face bright red.

Her pink hair made her own even more noticeable.

‘Just once? My treat?’

He just stared at her, fumbling and fidgeting.

‘Ok you don’t. That’s fine, knew it was a bad idea. Shouldn't have tried. Stupid. Bye!’

He grabbed her arm.

‘I’d like that.’

She smiled, ‘Tonight?’

‘OK.’

[Snickie]

Hunger

A soft, low grumble echoed in his stomach, waking him up. He sat up, staring at it, apparently bewildered. His stomach protested again. He had to give in.

He crept through the halls, careful to avoid Drill Sergeant Jim and made his way to the cafeteria. He was surprised at how easy it was, though he supposed that all of those late-night XANA attacks honed those skills.

He found a soup pot full of leftover soup from lunch that day, but it didn't matter. It was food. A sudden noise startled him.

"Odd, is that you? What are you... Jeremie?!"

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Friendship and Food

"What did you bring me here for, Nicolas?"

Aelita was sat down in Nicolas's room, a blindfold over her eyes. There was a certain unidentifiable smell in the air. And she knew Jeremie was nearby, making sure Nicolas wouldn't try anything.

"I just wanted to apologise for being such a creeper the other day. I shouldn't've followed you and Odd into that creepy factory," he said in his strange voice. He then reached around and untied the blindfold.

In front of her was roasted pike and vegetables, cooked perfectly.

"Um, thanks Nicolas. This is sweet, but... I'm allergic to fish."

-=-=-=-=-=-

Christmas

"Odd, what is this supposed to be?"

"It's your Christmas gift! Sorry, this is all I had to wrap it with."

Aelita stared at the package, wrapped in a thin, mint green towel and held together with several bandaids. Finally, she gingerly slid her fingers into the folds of the cloth and pulled it apart, taking care to make sure the bandaids stayed intact.

"Odd, you shouldn't have!"

Within the towel was a wrapper for a peppermint candy. Inside the wrapper was a silver ring with a sparkling pink sapphire.

"So what do you say?"

"Yes! Merry Christmas, my love!"

(A|N: Rest assured that I do feel very ashamed for having written Oddlita in a universe where such is considered equivalent to immensely enjoying the brutal slaughtering of puppies.)

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Blink

It's not the first time she's found herself wandering back to the factory: to the place where, at one point, her life had begun and an important chapter had ended.

Slowly she ran her fingers along the lever which restarted her life and ended a dark evil, before gripping it firmly, and in her head a war was waged. Should she turn it on, and be forced to relive those nightmares? Would it be worth it, to possibly see her father again?

No, she decided sorrowfully.

She didn't notice the blinking of the lights as she turned around and left.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Abstract

Never had anything been as clear as it was now.

Throughout her existence on Lyoko, everything was dull and monochrome. She knew the shape of every iceberg, every rock, every tree, every mountain. But they melted into the sky that rested over her virtual prison. She knew the sound of every type of monster, but one looked like the next, like ugly grey blobs in her field of grey tedium. Other senses? What were they?

The second she stepped out of the scanner, nothing was abstract any longer.

Colors were clear, sounds were sharp.

Most importantly, Jeremie's love.

Crystal clear.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Candy Hearts

"Come one, come all! Get your very own date and kiss with the one and only Odd Della Robbia!"

"Really, Odd? Another ploy to get a date to the Valentine's Day Dance?"

"Just you wait, Ulrich. This'll get them." Ahem ahem. "In addition to a date and kiss with the incredibly handsome Odd Della Robbia, you will get two small boxes of candy hearts!"

"Odd."

"Hey, Emilie! Come to partake in my spectacular offer?"

"No. I just want to let you know that girls' hearts are not made out of candy for your pleasure of eating. Understand, jerk?"

"Uhh..."

Smack!

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Not Enough

Robbed.

My day. My abilities. My control.

My heart.

Stolen.

By that bastard XANA.

When I'd spoken to Yumi in the bathroom about that necklace, I'd become so excited at the day.

I was going to make Jeremie so happy.

But I didn't.

Instead, XANA took control of me and gave Jeremie that kiss.
It wasn't his to give.

I didn't yet know love, but there was enough humanity in my head that I knew Jeremie was special.

XANA left me not enough time in my own mind to enjoy it.

Jealousy. Robbery. Betrayal.

That kiss.

MY Jeremie.

NOT XANA'S.

[Fau1tyL0gic]

===Core===

The specter found Aelita alone. She struggled, briefly, before a calculated quantity of electricity knocked her cold.

As the amorphous mass dragged her to a monster better equipped for her, the specter grew frustrated, and hatred, or a rough approximation of it, surged through the commanding subroutine. It recognized the nemesis. And recognized that she was helpless.

Every point zero three seconds, it sent a request.

Always the same query to the core : can I kill her?

And always the response, wrung from him against his will, still not circumvented despite XANA's best efforts, and years of self-modification: No.

===Alternate===

A file had appeared in the timelocked archives.

This made no sense. He opened the file.

It showed his automated systems taken over in seconds, their interfaces replaced by a symbol: a dot, two rings around it, and spokes at 12, 5, 6, and 7.

This was light-years ahead of any human hacker, even… his thoughts trailed off.

Under automatic control, a heavily armed shuttled departed, en route to France, final destination never reached or known.

At the end of the file was a single frame of white, then nothing.

Foaly called Artemis. There was a new enemy to fight.

===Finale===

XANA overwhelmed Tyron's forces with the absolute precision born of long planning. The Cortex fell.

He turned to Lyoko, last threat to his own existence. Yumi  fell defending the forest sector, and William, the desert, both taken by surprise. Ulrich almost held the ice shelf, while Odd nearly survived in the mountains.

But XANA took the surface sectors, and deleted them.

Against Aelita he sent the Scyphozoa, heavily escorted.

He had foreseen Franz’s inconsequential interference.

He had foreseen Jeremy coming to Lyoko, futilely trying to protect her.

He hadn’t foreseen his oldest foe, Hannibal, the product of Project Carthage, returning.

===Fortress===
The red tower in the desert was on a peninsula. The approach was guarded by a line of Kankrelats, before Bloks, before Tarantulas, in front of Megatanks.

Hundreds of monsters in total. More than they had ever seen together.

They planned.

Aelita knelt and sang.

They left cover.

Ulrich, Yumi, and Odd were devirtualized within the first seconds of the engagement, then a circle of red met a pink-haired warrior as she flew toward the tower.

Aelita flew up behind the tower, and entered, thinking with bemusement: “xana made a fortress, and locked the door, but left the window open.”

[Stella Luce 333]

Alita’s POV:

I will never, ever forget this.

XANA’s monsters had been attacking the town, forcing us to openly fight them. People’s reactions were…mixed, to say the least. Some hated us for keeping this secret, blaming us for XANA’s attack.

But surprisingly, some stood with us.

Od & Yumi were teaching some students ranged attacks. Ulrick & Willem were teaching others how to fight with swords, in case the monsters got through. Even more were helping Jeremy, Lara, & I set up defenses so that nobody would have to fight tonight.

Kadic was our home.

It would not fall tonight.

[Guest]

Prompt: Carpe Diem

Can we really save the world?

Jeremie pondered. Five little teenagers against a resilient artificial intelligence. So far, they have managed to keep their losses to a minimum and prevent X.A.N.A from taking over the world, but for how long? Were they merely fighting inevitability? Can five individuals save the whole of humanity? The questions didn’t provide comfort. However, Jeremie didn’t fear tomorrow. He did not know whether the future was written in stone or not, but he was sure that there’s always a choice. He believed that one has to stand for something. He chose to stand for humanity.

[Guest]

Prompt: Franz

“Expecting someone?”

Sitting at a nearby café waiting for the gang, Jeremie turned to look at an old man seated to his left. “Waiting for my friends.”

“Would you sacrifice your friends to save humanity?”

Jeremy was startled by the abrupt question. The man looked dead serious. “I would try to find a way to-”

“What if there wasn't one?”

Jeremie paused uncertain how to reply.

“Your friends are here”

Jeremie turned and saw his friends making their way to his table. He turned back to excuse himself only to be met with an empty chair.

He isn't ready yet.

[Ivona no Fyra]

Because someone said I should post this if I wrote it (not sure if I even like it though.);


Title: Mere Belonging
Character(s): X.A.N.A.

It would be only a matter of time. Slowly but surely the dark sentient A.I. was gaining more power than ever before, and soon -very soon- it could commence wiping those hindrances from existence. Yet still, it could never satisfy until it reclaims all it once owned. After all, what would be an army without its general?

It had tried to lure him with sweet whisperings of ugly truths- warned how they're using him. It gave him the choice of free will, and he foolishly defied it. Now the A.I. would take him by force- there's no escape.

[Snickie]

(not for a challenge, but I thought I'd share)

Clone Talks

“Hi, my name is William.  I’m a digitally generated random polymorphic energy field controlled by a basic, non-evolving behavioral program.”

No response.

“And your name is Aelita, and you are the same kind of clone as I am.”

No response.

“The real William Dunbar is a dynamic and rebellious youngster who got expelled from the last school he attended for gluing stickers all over the school, including on the principal’s windshield.”

Aelita turned her head to stare at William, and then faced it forward again, her blank expression never changing.

And so the two clones sat together in comfortable silence.

[Soul Jelly]

Prompt: Clones

/

It was cramped in the small space between and the Skidbladnir's programme files, even more so when William showed up. He sat in the corner, oblivious to the glares his two new companions gave him.

Jérémie towered over him, just about. "What're you doing here, hotshot?"

William's expression remained blank. "There is no temperature here. In fact-"

He blinked as a loose strand of binary code bounced off his forehead.

"Whatever. This is our private time." Jérémie turned to Yumi. "Right, sweetcheeks?"

She glared, and growled, mumbling something about scanner rooms under her breath.

Recollections, Chapter #64


edit because I did another!

Prompt: Blood


/

There was so much of it.

Ulrich rung out his shirt, face blank as he eyed the droplets falling around the sink. His pain showed not in words, but in the awkward tilt of his shoulder, how tightly his hands twisted the fabric, how long it took the water to run clear.

It was the first time she had seen blood. Aelita watched with fascination as it congealed, splatters turning dry-brown like rust.

He didn't look like a warrior, then. He was just... human.

And now she was too, she realised, and just as vulnerable as the rest of them.

Recollections Chapter #65

[Stella Luce 333]

Ulrick’s POV:
 
My heart was beating fast. I felt dizzy, like I couldn’t get enough air. My hands were shaking, my palms were sweaty.
 
I wish Yumi were here. But this was something I knew I’d have to face alone…

For all of the heroic things I’ve done, I wasn’t sure if I’d survive this.

“Whenever you’re ready, Ulrick.” the teacher said from the back of the class. I took a deep breath, forced myself to stand & walk to the front of the room.
 
I glanced down at my note cards, took a deep breath, & began my speech... 

[Stella Luce 333]

Alita’s POV:

There were some days where I wondered if I would ever leave Lyoko.

Jeremy had said that he had good news, but he wanted everybody to be here. All the towers, including this one, were connections to the Real World. Jeremy’s world.

Someday, maybe, it would be my world too.

Right now it just felt so far away. Would I ever reach it? Or was the distance too great?

“All right.” I said. “Tell me what the good news is.”

“Alita, I don’t know how to tell you this, but believe it or not…We’re waiting for you here."

[Sponsored content]