Isolation

                                    

                                          
Her eyes dug and scooped into the computer screen as her fingers danced like a spider at a rodeo. The speed of her fingers tapping at the keyboard was hard to follow for Yumi, Odd, and Jeremie. "Wow, Sissi, I'm surprised you picked up the supercomputer so quickly," Jeremie commented.
                          
"It's not easy. I'm definitely sticking with machines," Sissi muttered, still typing away. She pulled away from the screen and rolled her wrist around. Grimacing, Sissi balled her hand into a fist before slowly relaxing. She did this several times over. "My poor hands are gonna be crippled by the time I master it."
                          
"But on the bright side, we have someone else who can operate the supercomputer," Yumi said.
                          
"Actually, now that you mention it, there's something I've been meaning to ask. How is Sissi so smart?" Odd asked.
                          
"Well, I'm not you, so that's one reason," Sissi grinned slyly.
                          
"Ha, ha, ha," Odd muttered.
                          
"When I was in the scanner, I remember feeling something like electricity coursing through me. Maybe the supercomputer altered my thinking capacity. I don't know everything, but it seems like I can learn anything. At the most, I can make machines, but complex programming is not my specialty," Sissi shrugged.
                          
"Jeremie, is that possible?" Yumi asked.
                          
"Yeah, sure, why not?"
                          
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'Yeah, sure?!'" Odd and Yumi yelled.
                          
"After Sissi explained how she got here, I'm willing to believe anything about the supercomputer's capabilities." Sissi stood up and stretched her back. She grabbed her cane and rolled her wrists around, hearing the pops of stiff bones.
                          
"For now, I just know how to virtualize/devirtualize you guys, locate towers and monsters, and launch a return to the past. I don't know how to get your vehicles up and running yet," Sissi said.
                          
"Don't worry. For now, you know the basics," Jeremie replied. Cracking the tension in her back, Sissi blinked her yawning tears away. "I think that's enough for one day. Why don't we get to bed?" Jeremie yawned.
                          
"Yeah, but I think you might need a shower, Sissi," Yumi commented.
                          
"What do you-" She sniffed herself and coughed at the smell. "Okay, noted." As they laughed their way out of the factory, Jeremie quietly walked behind them. It was a weirdly heavy silence, not unlike a first awkward date. "Hey, what's wrong? Missing Aelita already?" Sissi smirked. "Don't worry, you'll see her tomorrow."
                          
"No, it's not that. I'm worried about her virus... and something else," Jeremie replied.
                          
"What is it?" Odd asked.
                          
Jeremie stopped just after the factory bridge. "How is Aelita going to fit in here? I mean, Kadic Academy isn't the friendliest place for new people."
                          
"Don't worry, buddy. She's got us for company," Odd smiled. Jeremie smiled back, but then he saw Sissi's frown. She said nothing for a while. It was only until they got to the school that Jeremie finally spoke up.
                          
"Sissi, are you okay?"
                          
"I'm just thinking," she sighed; her weight closer to the ground. "When I was in the previous timeline, I was a big bully to you guys, especially to Aelita when she first came."
                          
"So? You're not that way anymore, right?" Odd asked.
                          
"No, but whenever a villain leaves, another fills his or her place. I'm just wondering if Aelita will still be bullied by someone else," Sissi sighed sadly.
                          
"Well, the only way to make sure that doesn't happen is to stay close to her and never leave her side," Odd smiled.
                          
"Even if she's in the bathroom?" Sissi smirked. Odd chuckled nervously while the others laughed.