#long-shot

Part 1 (page 1 - 10) of my comic, based on the fanfiction “I bet”.

If you want to read the fic, it’s here ~ !

Authors: Ronkeyroo & RaiderNLD

Aelita woke up in a cold sweat, Plunging herself forward in a silent, breathless scream. It was another nightmare, and is was the same damned one. The taunting dream She experienced was a mixture of lost memories; her childhood; XANA, and everything it did to her and her friends.

They used to be a blur, memories pushed aside now that the supercomputer was down. But no... It was like another XANA attack in itself, they were all surfacing back in small flashbacks, materializing to the flesh in her dreams.

A quiet sob left her lips at that fact. The pink haired girl sighed, wiping the sides of her eyes from the remaining tears. What time was it anyway?

Her tired eyes glanced towards the small clock beside her bed, 4 AM. It wasn’t the first time she woke up around that hour from this nightmare, and what made it even more difficult was that she already knew she couldn’t go to the comfort of her friends; they were all asleep, blessed with a normal night rest- and she didn’t want to take that from them, especially with how often she had them herself. Sparing them the trouble felt like the noble thing to do. However the second reason saddened her even more. ‘They wouldn’t understand in the first place..’

She stayed laying in her bed, alone in her room, unable to go back to sleep, fearing for more nightmares to come. She tried thinking of her friends, how they might’ve dealt with the aftermath of XANA.. They all suffered just as much as she did, but seemed to have days full of smiles and laughter.

Then, a sudden realization hit her. William.

It was no secret he was also waking up screaming in the middle of the night, at least not to her. When she thought about it, no one in the gang really paid full attention to how damaged he was after the returned from XANA’s possession. They casted him aside, as if he was just another liability to the group, even AFTER his return.

The thought boiled her mind, her heart clenched in anger; at her and her friends. She wished she had paid more attention herself, prevented the same nights he shared with her; waking up in that cold sweat, plagued by these awful nightmares. And she bet his were even worse; feeling XANA’s wrath personally for months while she only caught glimpses of it. She stood up rubbing the sleep off her face. She had to talk to him, if not to comfort him in his battle, she just has to be there for him. She could only imagine how he must feel facing this on his own.

Determined, she stepped towards the door, opening it slightly only to peek in the dorm’s corridor. Jim patrolling around would be a challenge, as well as her nervous mind, but her heart was set, she had to go.

————————————————–

“William.”

“William…”

“YOU SWORE TO IT, WILLIAM!”

William woke up in a jolt. He panted heavily as he sat upright in his bed. He just woke up for the second time tonight.

He closed his eyes and pulled the covers off him in frustration, turning to sit on the side of his bed. His hands covered his sweating face. “It was just another nightmare.” he said to himself.

He looked up towards his window, the moon shining directly into his face. All he could think about were the horrible comments his former friends made on Lyoko. It was the side effect of six months of torture, watching how XANA used him as a weapon against the Lyoko Warriors. Wishing for some air, he stood up and walked towards his window, opening it. A cold breeze from outside felt like a cold blanket to his face. With a small jump he climbed in his window frame and sat in his window opening.

Outside, the skies were crystal clear. A heaven of stars were clearly visible on one side while sun started to rise on the other. After balancing himself, he looked outside aimlessly, his thoughts wandering.

It has been a few weeks now since he was freed from his possession, but picking up his life after his possession was a challenge on its own. At first, he had missed six months’ worth of class material, which hit him hard. It had forced him catch up on everything. Luckily thanks to additional classes he had the opportunity to catch up, but it still required him to put in some personal effort during his free time.

Then there was the Lyoko gang. Ever since he was back, after a while the group started to avoid him, especially Yumi, which lead him to abort his pursuit for her. It was a painful decision for him to make, but he knew deeply in his heart, it was for the best. He didn´t wanted to be the bad guy anymore. After all, it was obvious Ulrich who had won the competition, especially after everything that happened. Despite he was happy for them, the bitterness was still there, and it made him feel alone.

Suddenly he heard a soft knock on his door. William snapped from his trance and looked towards the door. His mind started to race. If Jim would caught his at this time, he would be a deadman walking, or for that matter, sitting. “But wait. Jim doesn’t knock, nor that soft.” he thought. Jim would be more like opening the door in a ‘gotcha’ kind of way. But that was not the case.

William waited for a few seconds, questioning who else could be at the door. After some time he jumped down from the window opening, he walked softly towards the door. Luckily his socks damped the noise as much as possible. As he opened the door he found no one standing behind it. He looked bewilded. “Is this some sort of joke?” he questioned himself.

As he popped his head into the hallway and started to scan around, he managed to catch a glimpse of someone’s pink t-shirt.

“Who out of three hundred students knew where he slept and wore a pink t-shirt.”

It was definitely not one of the boys, that would be social suicide, well except for Od-… William paused for a second.

“Odd feakin’ Della Robbia” he thought. “But wait.” he stopped himself from overreacting. He replayed what he had seen. He saw that he or she was going to the stairs, so that means that she is from the other dormitory. He stepped outside, shuffling towards the stairs.

Once there, he again he catched more of the female who presumably stood at his door. He saw a noddle of bright pink hair entering the girls dormitory.

“Aelita? But what could she wanted from me?” he asked himself quietly.

As he looked at his watch, the display showed him that it was 04:11. After rethinking his options, he decided to ask her today after classes and returned to his room.

————————————————–

Aelita looked back over her shoulder as she quietly walked towards her room, her hand holding her other upper arm as she did. Aelita’s original plan was to talk William in his room, but it seems he might be finally sleeping stirless for the first time since he was freed.

Unlike the others, she knew about William’s nightmares and restless nights, and she felt responsible for it. After all, she felt that she could have prevented him from turning to XANA.

When she got to her room, she closed the door and tucked herself in, telling herself she would bump into him next morning anyway.

————————————————–

Instead of going to bed, William decided to stay up for the rest of the day. He wanted to take a run along the river nearby, the same river which leads to the factory. Sports was what kept him from thinking about his struggles. He grabbed a navy blue hoody, a black track pants and a pair of blue running shoes. He put on his clothes and walked towards the door, taking one more look into the room before he walked out.

Passing through the dormitory, he started planning a 9 mile journey, focusing on clearing his mind. Once outside, he took a deep breath. It was a beautiful early morning. When he left the gate, he focused on nothing but the scenery, his breathing and speed.

————————————————–

Mile by mile his breath sharpened. William had a decent fitness and was perfectly capable of finding his perfect speed. When he started to approach the factory he instinctively slowed down. The memories he made there started to come back to him.

“You swear to keep our secret?”

“I swear.”

Willliam fell to his knees, his face towards the ground. The flashbacks felt like needles stabbing him in the head. Anger started to take over. “Why, why was I so stupit.” He said punching the ground.

Despite he tried to fight the tears off, it was no use. He remembered just last night’s dinner when almost the entire group looked at him in a cold stare. XANA destroyed any trust they had in him and now he’s alone once again.

“No… I don’t want this” he told himself. William stood back up from the cold ground below him. As he raised his head he showed a face of pure determination.

“I’m not going to let XANA destroy me like this.” he said to himself. “I shall win my friends back.”

Full of determination he continued his run, returning back at the school around 05:00 am, spotting Jim at the main entrance.

“Dunbar! Where the hell have you been at?!”

William stopped in his tracks, shocked. He didn’t think that Jim would open the gate so early this morning.

“I was just taking a run, Jim. I just needed to clear my head.” He answered under his breath.

Jim’s look changed from authoritarian to surprised. As being a sports instructor and former member of the French special forces he did admire those who take time to develop themselves physically, especially early in the morning.

“Oh, well like how far did you go?” he asked interested, raising an eyebrow.

“6 miles, but that is not important. I have to go now..” William answered trying to pass Jim as he did. Suddenly, he felt an arm falling on his shoulder. He looked back and saw Jim smiling.

“Whatever is on your mind William, don’t let it get to you.”

“Thanks Jim.” William nodded.

————————————————–

During classes William tried to act as normal as possible while trying to be a new him. Instead of letting his ego take control, he listened to his head. Even Yumi noticed this shift in his personality. She even thought for a split second that XANA took control of him.

When classes were over, William searched for Aelita. He was still questioning himself why Aelita would knock at his door at 4am in the morning. After he searched the school, he managed to find her in the library, alone.

 “That’s weird, she usually studies with Jeremy.” He thought.

William stood in the door and found out she didn’t noticed him. She was reading a book, and by the cover it looked to be a roman. He crossed his arms and leaned against the doorpost, waiting for her to notice him. But she didn’t, and the longer he waited, the more he started to look at her with a different eye differently.

As she continued reading, William realized that she was actually quite beautiful. She had grown a lot, and he diving into her personality she was very independent. The thing was that William never had any other ‘love’ interests when he was still competing for Yumi. So he never thought or looked at anyone else. But now, now it seemed that his interests started to make a rather odd shift.

When a smile appeared on Aelita’s face, it made William feel like something started to burn inside of him.

“She’s beautiful when she smiles…” he chuckled.

When Aelita noticed a presence, rather late though. she looked up to the door where the dark haired boy stood in, like a .

“William? How long have you been standing there?” Aelita looked up in surprise, laughing a bit at the idea.

“Not long.” William responded

“Whatcha reading?” the boy walked over, peeking his head behind her and hovering closer to look at the book curiously.

Aelita straightened up a the sudden closeness, turning slightly pink at the sudden yet kinda pleasing intrusion. She smiled warmly, both at him and the book in her arms.

“One of my favorite books, its ah..one of my childhood favorites.” She recalled the memory of her father reading her the same book she held, each time before bed. She smiled bitter sweetly, at this distant dear memory.

“Its about Viking Gods and Myths. A story about adventures, danger, romance, you name it. Its a thrilling mix. She said under a shy tone

“Woah, that sounds really cool.” William grinned, grabbing the back of the chair beside her so he could sit next with her.

“To be honest I never expected you to be into this kinda ‘savage’ stuff.“ scratching the back of his head. William chuckled at her a bit awkwardly.

“I mean, I always had the impression you’re into thick science books and all.”

To the thought of it, she does hang out with Jeremie almost all the time, and Ulrich..and Odd..and Yumi. Williams face slightly dropped. He caught himself in a moment of vulnerability again. The reminder of the friends he could’ve had but didn’t. Too many blames followed that fact..at himself mostly.

‘Pull yourself together, you idiot.’ he scolded himself. ‘nows not the time.’ 

He couldn’t allow himself to wander there; not in front of Aelita. He was set on not letting anyone destroy him, ever again. Not Xana; not the nightmares; and not them - In one way or another. And yet, the hard tug of self doubt in his heart was not easy to ignore.

Still, he couldn’t let himself be sad around Aelita. He wanted to see her smile more, she was like warm light, and it completely engulfed him.

“Hey, I know I’m smart, but there’s more to me then just brains!” She exclaimed playfully, her mouth curling into a sly smile. ‘God, that smile.’

“Besides, I think it’s quite obvious by now. I’m not your average innocent nerd.” She grinned at him, initiating a fast wink right afterwards and leaving the boy dumbfounded and bashful.

He suddenly knew exactly what she meant. Memories of their previous encounters rolled in his mind; Their first meeting, how he figured out her amazing music skills, her obvious sassy, rebellious and intelligent demeanor, as well as her intense devotion to protect what she loves. The fierce princess who fought XANA to her fullest and managed to reach him even through that miserable possession. There was so much more to her. Everything about her just screamed fierceness, bravery, strength. Not your average nerd indeed.

William smiled gently at how close Aelite feels to him. She definitely grew a lot in all this time. Both in mind and soul. He wished he could’ve seen more of it. 

William found himself mirroring her actions, grinning at her in a way he thought was lost among all the wreckage that was left of him.

“You can’t be more true about that.”

————————————————–

For the rest of the evening, William decided to keep Aelita company. Having some laughs and eventually reading the book together. The longer he spent time with her, the most he saw she was right about her not being an average innocent nerd. But after a while, something else started to happened to William.

Letting go of Yumi allowed him to feel again and this new feeling crashed on him like a lightning bolt. Since he had been paying attention in Italian class, the only thing William could think about were two innocent words.

“sei bella, Aelita.”

A rather curious sounding language has caught Aelita’s attention, away from the book the moment when the foreign sentences left William’s mouth. It was in such gentleness as well.

“Hm?” She turned her head curiosly at the boy sitting next to her.

William’s chin rested on his folded arms, staring forward which looked like a million miles, that famous dreamy expression he always had when he was, well, day dreaming…

But, in what language was that? The first she could think of was Italian, but for all she knew he could be talking in any language. Much to Aelita’s dismay, she was a total wreck when it came to this subject. But considering her fellow dorky classmate just uttered some pretty good Italian may mean he has some lead to offer her to understand it better?

“Woah, looks like you’ll be getting all the A’s in Mr. Dolareo’s class, William.” she smiled at him kindly. Not knowing why he smirked back at her, she started to wonder what he said in the unfamiliar language in the first place.

“Did you understood what I said?” His hand coming to rest under his chin as he lifted him up from his previous posture. He was clearly amused.

“Educate me?” Aelita replied with a smirk of her own. her head moving closer to the boy while her remain eyes half closed, challenging.

“It’s Italian for,-”

As William was about to tell her, he closed in on her, placing his head next to her’s whispering it in her ear. “You’re beautiful, Aelita.”

Taken aback by the sudden compliment, Aelita experienced a sudden sensation, a pinkish blush crept its way to her cheeks, and a giggle followed.

“Why thank you.” she leaned back with her hand resting on her chest. The sensation felt like she was about to melt, the warmth, the pumping in her chest.

William flashed her a grin, winking at her in the process. He spotted all the symptoms that he did it just right. After all, William liked making an impact.

Man.. Her eyes when her voice softens, and the way she smiles that gentle smile at him… He wanted to pour his entire heart in Italian for her if that’s the reaction he pulled. He became hyper aware of her movements, especially how Aelita’s delicate finger found its way to her chin as if she had something interesting in her mind.

She was beyond beautiful, and the first thing to his mind was the word ‘gorgeous’. His thoughts were however shortly interrupted by her excited gasp. “Ah!! Oh hm… and how do you say: ‘You make my heart flutter and sing far greater then any songs of the subsonix.’ Mm?” Her own grin widened at her sentence, waiting in total glee to hear William’s translation of it.

On the opposite side of her, William’s heart swelled in his chest at her sweet reply, for a brief moment he was left speechless; lightly wide eyes fixed on her, lips parted, and raging burning cheeks - the whole package. He was positively emotional from her entire presence and radiating warmth that even her laughter could send him fluttering himself, not to mention such a compliment as that. She was absolutely charming.

The short silence was starting to get noticeable, but Aelita waited patiently with that sweet smile of hers. Oh god, He had to do something. William closed his eyes when he opened then again, the same forgein language left his mouth.

“ti voglio baciare…”

That, didn’t sound like the translation to what she said. Something in the way he said it made Aelita think it was something completely different then what she initially said.. It was much more.. Passionate, directed at her. Maybe it was the sensual look he gave her. When his gentle hand closed in on her, something told Aelita to experience what was about to happen. 

William placed it just behind her right ear, and gently closed her mouth to his… 

He translated his reply to action much better then words, and she loved it. He kissed her gently, pressing softly against the lips. The passion she felt was unknown to her, like she experienced a new feeling.

When she parted with him, she was astonished. William let go of her and leaned against the chair. She noticed a worry on his face, like a criminal waiting to be judged and executed for his crime. “Need a translation for that?”

“No I… I think I understood that one.” Aelita replied, her lips glossy from the damp wetness of the kiss, eyes wide at the intensity she was feeling, her breathe was leaving her just as much as his did.

William smiled gently, sighing happily.

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/bennet-faces-steep-hurdles-in-long-shot-campaign/

Bennet faces steep hurdles in long-shot campaign

Michael Bennet acknowledges the steep odds of qualifying for the first Democratic debates over the next month, but has vowed to stay in the race until the Iowa and New Hampshire contests next year. | M. Scott Mahaskey/Politico

2020 elections

The Colorado senator is struggling to make the stage of the first debate.

Michael Bennet has every reason not to run for president.

The low-key Colorado Democratic senator has a relatively centrist record that may be out of step with some primary voters, a recent cancer diagnosis and no real national profile. He’s not a cable news staple and shies away from the press in the Capitol.

Story Continued Below

And Bennet’s already facing crunch time. He’s the Democratic senatormostin danger of missing the first debate in June, which would mark a major setback to Bennet’s already narrow path toward breaking out in a field of 22 other prominent White House hopefuls.

In a 30-minute interview with POLITICO ahead of a swing to New Hampshire, Bennet acknowledged the steep odds of getting 65,000 donors and cracking 1 percent in the polls one more time over the next month in order to qualify for the debate stage. He wouldn’t disclose how close he is to hitting the donor threshold and declined to guarantee he could make it happen.

“It’s not trivial,” Bennet, who jumped into the race only three weeks ago, said of the challenges he faces. “A lot of people in America don’t know me and that’s something I have to overcome … I may not be able to overcome that between now and the first debate.”

And if he doesn’t make it?

“I don’t think that’s fatal but we’re going to keep going,” Bennet said. He vowed to stay in until the Iowa and New Hampshire contests next year.

Those closest to Bennet wondered whether he would even go through with a presidential run after his cancer diagnosis, which he disclosed April 3. Bennet had initially planned to announce that month. The delay made an already difficult campaign that much tougher.

But for the second-term senator, the diagnosis of prostate cancer was a “clarifying” moment. Now cancer-free, Bennet conceded that the diagnosis was the “best excuse” to back out, but instead he’s using it to fuel his message. Like many Democrats, he decries Republican rule. But he also defends his private insurance, tries to gird against further exercises of partisan warfare and bluntly criticizes his own party.

Now, Bennet says the race is “more open today” than it’s been in a year. But his colleagues say the former Denver superintendent of schools with the baritone voice doesn’t view his own chances without skepticism.

But there are some centrist Democrats who are eager for someone to carry a message of realism and pragmatism. Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), who has hinted he will endorse a candidate soon, said he’s been “harassing” Bennet for three years to run.

“He is realistic about the big field,” said Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), a close friend who worked on health care legislation with Bennet. “The way he looks at it: … with a field so big it’s not like anybody is a prohibitive favorite.”

He’s also facing plenty of competition even among pragmatists. Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, Senate colleague Amy Klobuchar and former Vice President Joe Biden, who is leading the polls and the chase for endorsements, all are of similar ideology.

“I don’t think he is the right candidate for our country at this moment but I think he has a lot to offer the Senate and this country,” said Sen. Chris Coons. (D-Del.), who went to law school with Bennet and praised him but supports Biden.

In past presidential cycles, Bennet’s political bio would be formidable: He’s fended off a liberal primary challenge and was twice elected in a swing state. He has donor connections from chairing the Democratic Senate campaign arm. But what’s set him apart thus far is his emotional approach to politics, sometimes translating into sheer exasperation.

In a field filled with liberals and bold ideas like “Medicare for All,” Bennet has emerged as a teller of unpopular truths. And he signaled his entry into the race this winter by angrily lashing Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on the Senate floor, part of a still-simmering personal feud with one of liberals’ archenemies.

Bennet spoke to former President Barack Obama before launching his run, but his message isn’t exactly “hope or change” or “yes we can.” Instead, he says in so many words, that Republicans are thrashing Democrats.

Bennet’s had multiple “disagreements” with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the architect of the party’s strategy to filibuster Neil Gorsuch’s Supreme Court nomination. And he grows most animated when discussing his party’s “terrible failure” on Supreme Court justices and judicial nominations, which have dominated the Senate during the presidency of Donald Trump.

“I’m sick and tired of losing to those guys,” Bennet said. “We lost to [Mitch] McConnell on judges … And then what we say is that, ‘Well, our solution to that is we’re going to pack the court,’ with no predicate being set with the American people for that as our agenda. What we create is the opportunity for Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell to set themselves up as the saviors of our institutions. And we shouldn’t do that.”

Bennet has been notably tangling with Demand Justice, a progressive group advocating for hard-line opposition to Trump’s nominees.

“When it comes to fighting Trump’s judges, Michael Bennet is the George McClellan of the Senate Democrats,” said Brian Fallon, who heads Demand Justice, a reference to a flailing civil war general. “The only difference is, McClellan actually did go on to win the Democratic Party nomination for president.”

Yet as liberals seek to make structural changes to the American political system, Bennet finds himself defending it. He opposes getting rid of the legislative filibuster, has recanted his support for gutting the filibuster on nominees and argued against trying to block Gorsuch.

Bennet says that by filibustering Gorsuch, who did not change the high court’s ideological leaning, Democrats gave McConnell “a gift.” The filibuster prompted McConnell to go “nuclear” and change the voting threshold for Supreme Court nominees from 60 to a simple majority.

None of that is exactly electricity to jolt his party’s outside liberal wing. But Bennet experienced his first real national energy when he clashed with Cruz, accusing the Texas Republican of crying “crocodile tears” for the government shutdown in 2019 after leading the GOP into one in 2013. The clip of their exchange became the most viewed C-SPAN video on Twitter.

The spat hasn’t been forgotten.Asked about Bennet’s campaign, Cruz responded: “As far as I can tell that [speech] is the only basis for his run.”

As his 2020 colleagues discuss killing the filibuster or Medicare for All, Bennet prefers to focus on what he sees as more politically defensible. He says Sen. Bernie Sanders’ Medicare for All bill would make private insurance “illegal” and prefers creating a public option. He wants to get rid of the influence of money in politics and ban ex-members of Congress from lobbying. Many of the ideas he has — and even his run for president — are shaped by a book he’s set to soon publish about restoring the state of American politics. The first chapter: “The accidental senator.”

But whether his ideas get widespread attention may depend on whether he can make the debates next month. And even if he does qualify for the debate, he still could be cut based on his polling numbers.

While Bennet says he can win,he knows he faces a brutal mix of challenges, from polling to fundraising to a late start.

“I think we’re going to get there on polling and we’re working hard to try to get to the 65,000. It’s not easy,” he said. “It’s a challenge … I haven’t spent the last 10 years of my life running for president and I haven’t spent the last 10 years on cable television.”

Zach Montellaro contributed to this report.

The outside of the house seemed promising enough. It was on a street in a small town called Alexandria, only a block away from one of the seventeen churches. The street’s houses were a bit close together, not leaving much room for a yard, just enough space for a small garden. There were two stories to the house and its yellow siding and white trim was inviting enough. There were even two sets of steps, one wooden and one stone, all leading up to the same stone porch. From the street, the house looked average for a small town. 

Move a bit closer and stand in the miniscule front yard and it was clear that some things were a bit off. The house set at a slight angle, as did both sets of stairs. There was a wooden board nailed to a small part of the house where the siding had fallen off. The grass was long, probably because the house hadn’t been lived in for a bit of time. Even the bricks in the sidewalk were raising their heads and jutting out at weird angles. But one must remind themselves that in a small town, such things were commonplace.