The Matrix Revenge(PG-13)

[Founder]

The Matrix Revenge

Chapter 1

Two Days After Matrix Revolutions

Streets all over the world were overcrowded with people, all screaming and yelling in confusion. They wanted answers and perhaps rightfully so, even though they knew the truth about everything. Their work was meaningless, their families weren�t real, and their world didn�t even exist. The mysterious, but beautiful sunset that randomly appeared did not quell their fears. They were all mindless slaves, working to feed the war machine that oppressed their own race hundred of miles underground. The long struggle between man and its creation was finally over due to the sacrifice of the One. A battle had raged inside of the familiar city, but ever since the Matrix reloaded, one could never even tell. The crowded masses were frightened of the truth they now knew. While many were grateful to be free, many refused to accept this new life. They wanted to go back to the safety and anonymity of the Matrix world. Where there was no war between man and machine. There was only the simple mediocrity of 21st century life. Day continued to go by until the screaming crowds gained answers. As if God Himself came to speak to the masses, a trembling throughout the world was heard as if He was clearing his throat to speak. The clouds began to swirl as if a horrible storm was approaching. A bright light suddenly appeared in the sky and voice spoke collectively to Humanity within the Matrix. The screams and cries of the people suddenly went silent as they stared into the sky in wonder and listened to the voice speak...

Present Day

The loud clatter of running footsteps could be heard echoing down the empty street. A single voice could be made out on a cellular phone.

�Run you damn idiot! Run!�

A man, dressed aptly in all black, was running down the street as fast as his legs could take him. Sweat covered his face as he snapped the cell phone shut, no longer wanting to hear the voice coming from within it. He looked behind his back and raised his machine gun over his shoulder, ready to fire at anything behind him. There was nothing there, but he was no fool. He was being hunted. The man turned into an alleyway against his better judgment. He looked around in desperation and saw a ladder hanging about ten feet into the air. While to the average person that was impossible to reach, it wasn�t for him or people like him. He ran towards the wall and leapt at it. His feet pushed off of it and he literally was thrown several feet into the air, enough to clutch the bottom rung of the ladder. Due to his weight, the ladder began to slide downwards. This did not deter him and he simply climbed it as it clanged loudly, hitting the ground. As he reached the balcony, he looked down to see if there was anyone there. Yet again, his eyes saw nothing. A fleeting thought entered his mind that maybe he had lost his assailants. He shook his head and opened fired at the window, shattering into hundreds of pieces. He swung one leg into the empty room and as he put the other leg inside; he heard the ladder clanging loudly as if someone was climbing it quickly. His eyes widened in fear and he rushed towards the hallway, slamming the door shut behind him. A phone could be heard ringing somewhere down the hallway. He knew which room it was in, Room 01. The irony of the room number did not escape him whatsoever. The room where his salvation laid was the number the Machine City used to call itself. The machines, ever masters of mathematics and science, would often use code. He opened the door in time to hear the slammed shut door explode open. His feet literally went from 0 to 60 miles per hour in one second out of sheer fear of what was after him. All he was focused on was the ringing. His hand gripped the phone and he placed it against his ear, praying that he would no longer be inside of the Matrix.

�Welcome back.� A voice said.

He, Prophet, opened his eyes to find himself lying in the familiar chair, the proverbial gateway between the real world and the Matrix. He breathed in relief while his heart raced inside of his chest.

�The bastards almost got me.� He sputtered, while trying to breath.

The voice laughed at him as he stared down at the sweating man.

�You�re damn right they almost did,� He said in an accent, �But thanks to the brilliance of this operator, your butt was saved.�

As soon as the wire attached to his head was pulled out, Prophet sat up, relishing in the realness of reality. Here he was safe from the things inside of the Matrix. He looked up and stared at the ship�s operator, Divide. The man was a tall, slender, German male. His skin was a pale white and his hair was a dirty blonde. It was a definite contrast to Prophet�s brown skin and sleek black hair.

�Did you find him?� Divide asked curiously.

Prophet shook his head in response to his query. He offered no further answers and walked away to be alone. The muscular male walked towards his room onboard the ship, Iniuria. It was Latin for revenge and perhaps ironically named considering their mission? He walked past the plaque near the operator�s computers that read �an eye for an eye� (Exodus 21:24). Prophet opened the door to his room and plopped down on the uncomfortable mattress. He leaned his back against the wall and stared at the rather dirty wall on the opposite side�

Two Days After Matrix Revolutions

�You all now know the truth,� The powerful voice in the sky said, �You are now, for the first time, given a choice.�

People stared in awe and wonder, but did not speak. This was one of the most pivotal moments in the Matrix�s history.

�You�re first choice will be to stay with me,� He said, �Remain in the comfort and safety of your old lives and you will never have to fear anything again. Inside of the Matrix, you will be safe and taken care of. Remain here, and you can go on with your lives as if none of this mattered or even happened.�

There was a moment of silence from the voice, as if he was letting them carefully understand his words. After nearly an entire minute passed, 60 seconds of eternity for some, he spoke once more and continued his offer.

�Your second choice is rather obvious,� He said, �Leave the Matrix and return to the real world, but I warn you, you may not like what you find there. The world is desolate, dreary, and depressing. The lives that you built will not matter there and be considered non-existent. But of course, you will be living in the real world. No more fiction, no more lies, no more hidden doors. Just, plain, boring reality.�

A light chatter came across the crowd as they remarked at the choices. Their discussion was interrupted when there was a clap of thunder and it began to rain. People felt the rain drops were slightly harder then usual. They looked at the ground and realized it was not water, but pills. Thousands, perhaps even millions, of pills dropping to the ground. Blue and red ones�

�CHOOSE.� The voice said loudly, �Blue pills will return you to safety and red pills will set you free.�

The bright light in the sky disappeared, but the pills continued to rain down on the people. They slowly began to bend over and make their selection�

Present Day

Nearly two hours passed since Prophet had been sitting at the edge of his bed. He had dozed off, exhausted by his reconnaissance mission into the Matrix. His eyes shot open as soon as he heard a loud banging at the door. He rose from the rather uncomfortable mattress and opened the door. A large male of Haitian descent stood staring at him.

�What do you want Night?� He asked him.

Night was a towering and wide black male. He was extremely built and tall, but funny enough, he was timid and shy.

�Hey boss,� He said, slightly stuttering, �I was just concerned. You locked yourself in your room. I just though��

Prophet offered a fake smile, to ease the fear.

�I�m fine,� He said, �Just a little beat up. Any news?�

Night shook his head and stared at the ground.

�None,� He replied, �Divide has been running searches all day, but with the new firewalls, it�s hard to focus in on any one person.�

Prophet nodded his head and stared across the room in disappointment. He wasn�t really mad or disappointed at anyone in particular, it was just frustrating.

�Don�t worry,� Prophet comforted, �We�ll get him eventually.�

Night quickly changed the subject to something better.

�We�re all going for some training in the martial arts construct,� He said, �We�re going to pick the Triad mission. You in?�

Prophet shook his head and looked back into his room.

�No,� He said, �I think I�m just gonna sleep. Thanks��

He gently shut the door, leaving Night outside of his room. The black male had a hurt look on his face as he turned to join the others�

[Omet'Ikilan]

its lookin good Founder! Im looking forward to more....

[Lord Borg]

Wow, good work man. I look foward to more!

[Founder]

(Thanks for the kind words)

Chapter 2

Nearly Eight Months After Matrix Revolutions

Lines had been drawn and sides had been chosen since the raining of the pills. Minds were freed and released on massive wagon ships created by the machines. Hundreds of millions of humans chose to be released. They were brought to Zion, led by the newly repaired Logos. Captains Morpheus, Niobe, and Roland were onboard the ship and watching as newly freed humans were finally being brought to their new, and very real, home.

�This is such bull,� Roland remarked, �I don�t trust a squiddy any further than I can throw one.�

Niobe rolled her eyes, while sitting in one of the jack-in chairs.

�Ever the pessimist, eh Roland?� She asked.

Roland scoffed rudely at her comment.

�Well one of us has to be damnit,� He yelled, �You two are so eager to make peace with these�things. Are we forgetting that they have enslaved humanity? There are still people back there!�

Morpheus, who stood, facing one of the open ports, finally spoke up.

�I once told a good friend that we would never be free until the Matrix was destroyed,� He said quietly in his strong voice, �I may have erred in that comment. Neo made a choice for peace. I don�t know what happened to him or Trinity, but I fear the worst.�

Roland quickly replied, seeing an opening for his viewpoint.

�All the more reason why we should reject this false peace.� He interjected.

Morpheus gave a sad smile and shook his head.

�While I do fear the worst,� He continued, �I do know that none of this would have happened without them. Both humanity and machines are hurting from this war. Its time we set our past hatreds aside and work together. Neo understood this, so we should as well.�

Niobe cast a dark glare in Roland�s direction. She was sick and tired of the man�s complaints.

�And if you don�t seem to recall,� She argued, �The machines whooped our butts back in Zion. You want a repeat of that?�

Roland looked at her with bitter distaste but said no more, having lost the argument. Morpheus went back to staring at the open port. Sentinels flew alongside the giant wagon ships, guarding them with their �lives�. That was a strange sight to see. Usually they were doing everything possible to tear humans apart, not protect them. This peace was strange and alien to both sides. For the first time in forever, humans and machines were on equal footing. One was not a slave to the other. Morpheus wondered how long this peace would last and where Neo and Trinity was. All inquiries made on that subject were never responded to by the machines. He planned on making a trip into the Matrix and visiting the Oracle. She would hopefully have answers, however cryptic they would be. Within the hour, all these red pills would be entering Zion and a large welcome was prepared for them�

Present Day

Prophet was kneeling on a rather crude rug, preparing to pray. It was time for the Dhuhr prayer. The Islamic prayer that was simply the noon prayer. Inside of the Matrix, Prophet had been a practicing Muslim. He was born in Egypt but raised in the United States. He was liberated as a child by the Oracle for being one of the potentials. His parents were killed through mysterious circumstances that no one really understood or knew. To this day, Prophet did not understand it. He leaned his body forward and laid his arms and hands on the floor, praying towards the east. Towards a now ruined Mecca. The Oracle did not really offer him an explanation on the disappearance of his parents, but did offer him a way out of being an orphan. He had taken it, accepting the new reality rather easily. It did not strike him as strange, because his entire life he always believed there was something more to what is seen. Although, he meant it on a much more Religious level than scientific. Prophet could not help but comment on the sheer irony of his new home being called Zion. Many in his home hated the Zionist, but that was on a much different level. Unlike many of his Muslim friends, he harbored no hatred against Christian or Jew. He felt that hate was baggage that dragged people down, that in the long run it meant virtually nothing. He had no idea how right he would be�.

Meanwhile, in the training construct, five people sat at one table. They stared at the table, filled only with cups of tea. One of the males, Libre, lifted a small Asian cup to his mouth and sipped the tea. Libre, the Cuban male with short, spiky brown hair, stared at the girl across from him. She had tanned skin and black hair that was tied back in a three foot long ponytail. She gingerly wrapped her slender fingers around one of the cups and took a sip of the tea.

�Parvati?� He asked, �I bet I kill twice as many as you.�

A sly smile crossed her beautiful face.

�Why do you always talk the same crap with every training mission?� She asked.

Samurai, a Japanese male with shoulder length black hair and fair skin, stared at Libre.

�Because he enjoys futile efforts to win your heart.� He joked.

Libre stared at him in mock surprise.

�Mira,� He said in Spanish, �I think you have been eating a little too much sea weed and fish bait ok?�

Samurai was about to respond but Night quickly interrupted.

�Quiet,� He said, �Divide is about to send the signal�.�

[Lord Borg]

Still the same: Awesome. Continue the good work, Andy. It's starting to get better

[Founder]

Chapter 3

Lakota, a Native American girl, sat next to the Indian woman who was dressed in black. The two had similar features in many ways. Both had long black hair and tanned skin. They were around the same height, but their facial features were much more different. Lakota, while wearing modern clothing, had a beautiful Native American necklace on. Her eyes darted around the room. They were in a large tea house filled with Chinese patrons. The group stuck out like a sore thumb. All of them dressed in black and not one of them were Chinese.

�Why the hell does that damn Croat always take so long in starting it up?� Hawk asked.

Hawk was a white male born and raised in America. He was actually raised rather racist in his views and was close minded until he was freed. He completely changed his views, but that didn�t change the fact that he would let a few slurs out every now and then.

�Would you be quiet?� Parvati demanded.

He raised his hands in defense.

�Whatever you say.� He relented.

The cellular phone on the table began to vibrate loudly, shaking the desk. All of them looked down at the table and Night snatched the phone up.

�Yeah?� He asked.
He slowly nodded his head and shut the phone.

�Its time.� He said while putting the phone into his jacket pocket.

All of them mumbled an agreed �about time� under their breaths and waited. Right on schedule, the doors to the tea house flew open and a group of Triads walked in, demanding their usual table. The leader of the group was named Fu Chen. He said something in Mandarin and the others laughed loudly in response. The rebels placed their hands within the jacket and gripped the hilts of their guns in preparation�

Prophet was finished with his prayers and walked out of his room, tired of all the thinking in solitude. He walked past all the chairs that were occupied with his crew. The young Arab noticed Divide sitting at the computers and staring at the screen and walked up behind him. Prophet placed a hand on his shoulder and stared at the glowing green screens.

�How are they?� He asked.

Divide gave a cocky smile and motioned towards one of the screens.

�We�re about to find out,� He said, �I added a little dilemma in their program. The impatient bastards were trying to rush me, so I threw in a little surprise. Watch and enjoy��

Prophet leaned over his shoulder and waited�

Night, Libre, Hawk, Parvati, Lakota, and Samurai sat at the table and cast casual glances at the Triads, waiting for something. They were about to call Divide and demand he get on with it when finally they heard the screams. A gun shot was heard and they looked back to see the Triads kill someone. They didn�t know who it was, but knew it was simply part of the story. Now it was their turn to beat the hell out of the Triads and save the day. A simple story, but a complex way of getting to the ending. All of them rose from their seats and yanked out fire arms from within their clothing. They aimed at the proverbial bad guys and pushed down on the triggers. A few moments of complete silence passed, save for the screams of the people who were running out of the building. They stared at their guns and emptied their clips to see that no bullets were inside.

�That little prick!� Hawk screamed about the operator, Divide.

Libre threw his guns down and rushed to duck behind a booth.

�I bet I kill him before you do Guajido!� He yelled.

All of them jumped to hide behind various objects to avoid the rain of bullets flying at them. Fu Chen rose from his table and ran towards the back of the tea house.

�Damnit,� Night yelled, �He�s getting away!�

Parvati rose from behind a pillar and ran towards one of his guards. He raised his gun and opened fired at her. She did a side flip to avoid the bullets. Splints of wood flew into the air as the bullets rammed into the tables behind her, instead of hitting her. She landed gracefully and kicked the gun out of the goon�s hand. She brought the same leg up to his head and kicked with as much strength as she could muster. The man dropped to the ground, knocked out. Another guard tried to slap her with the hilt of the gun, but she ducked and came back with a punch across his face. Meanwhile, Night rose from behind his hidden location and ran after Fu Chen. Lakota got up and ran after him. Hawk and Libre rushed from their respective hiding spots and ran to help Parvati, as if she needed any help. Three men were attacking her simultaneously and she was holding them all off. She blocked a kick to her head, while at the same time twisting her head so fast that he long ponytail whacked another guard in the face. Libre jump kicked the remaining guard before he could attack the Indian woman. She did a spin kick and took down the remaining one. Hawk stared at them in mild anger.

�Damnit!� He yelled, �Leave me one of the Japanese guys!�

Samurai slapped him in the back of his head.

�I�m Japanese,� He explained, �They are Chinese.�

Hawk shrugged his shoulders.

�Sorry sorry,� He said, �I just wanted to fight!�

Samurai nodded his head and motioned for Hawk to follow.

�Then follow me,� He said, �There is plenty more where they came from!�

He rushed after Night and Lakota, letting Hawk trail behind.

Prophet continued to stare at the screen and smiled. He didn�t imagine his crew would be working together. When they formed, none of them had any similarities and didn�t really like each other. All of them were such polar opposites. Then again, Prophet didn�t ever think he would ever do something like what they were meant to do. A beep rang out and Divide rushed to check it.

�Whoa,� He said in his thick German accent, �We got a fix on a location boss.�

Prophet looked over at the screen and slowly nodded his head.

�Get an exact fix,� He said, �I don�t want any more mistakes. The last one almost got me killed.�

Divide grimaced in response and tapped rapidly on the keyboard.

[Lord Borg]

Wow, on the edge of seat reading. Remind me never to piss off my operator, I may end up in the matrix with no ammunition

[Founder]

(You just might Chris. )

Chapter 4

Night smiled as he saw the Triads that were trying to flee would soon run into a wall. He quickened his pace and almost caught up, but to his surprise, the wall suddenly shimmered and disappeared. More �tricks� from Divide no doubt. The wall disappeared and opened the way to a myriad of alleyways that twisted and turned. Night and Lakota tried to keep up with the Triads, but it was hard to stop and avoid being shot. They needed fire power and soon. The Native American woman stopped while Night continued after the men. Lakota kicked a glass covered emergency box. It contained an axe and a fire alarm for any emergencies. Her fingers gripped the wooden handle of the axe and she yanked it out of the wall, breaking any remaining glass. One of the Triads raised their gun and fired at Night and Lakota. Both pressed their backs against the wall and tried to dodge the barrage of bullets. Lakota rushed forward and leaped literally 15 feet into the air. The Triad watched in fear as she brought the axe over her back and came down, slamming it into his skull. He dropped to the ground, immediately dead. Fu Chen and his remaining guards ran into a night club, packed with people. It was a strange sight to see indeed. Literally one of the walls were gone and showed long, twisted alleyways. Only inside of these programs would something like this be seen. The Triads opened fire behind their backs once more and the people in the club rushed out in fear. Night scooped up the dead Triad�s gun and returned fired. One of the guards was filled with lead and fell to the ground, firing his weapon as he fell. Lakota yanked the axe out of the dead man�s head with a loud sloshing sound. She gave a rather disgusted look and rushed towards the remaining guards. Night pushed down on the trigger and fired at Fu Chen, with rather wild shots. The Chinese leader was no fool and leapt over a bar. The glasses and bottles of alcohol took the brunt of the bullets, shattering in many pieces. Lakota threw the axe sideways and jumped into the air. The Triad bodyguard stared at her and for him; it almost seemed as if time slowed down. Her mind rejected the pathetic rules of the program and leaping into the air was simple for her. The man flew back as the axe cut into the soft flesh of his stomach. His sunglasses flew into the air as he slid across the smooth ground. Lakota landed on the ground, did a side flip while simultaneously grabbing the axe from his body, and landed beautifully, slamming the axe�s edge on the foot of the remaining guard. He screamed and aimed at her, determined to kill her. A foot slammed into his face before he could fire and he fell back in pain. Samurai stood over his body and smiled before finishing him off. He brought his leg down and stomped on his head, crushing it with all the force he could. Fu Chen stood up from the bar and aimed his gun at Samurai and Lakota. He muttered something to them in Chinese and pushed down on the trigger. Before enough force could be exuded to make the bullet leave the chamber, a large hole appeared in his head. Blood sprayed out from the side of his head and he dropped to the ground, dead. Night stood about six feet away, lowering the weapon. Hawk, Parvati, and Libre rushed into the club in time to see everything was over.

�Figures�.� Hawk muttered.

All of them suddenly felt themselves yanked out of the fake world and brought back to reality. Their eyes shot open in surprise, not usually pulled out without a warning of some kind. Prophet stood in the center of the chairs and looked over at all of them.

�We�re going in.� He announced, not really giving any more details.

Parvati raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

�What�s up?� She asked with curiosity, �We found a target?�

Prophet glanced at the computer screen in the center of all the chairs and then looked at the south Indian born woman.

�More or less,� He said, �We�ve been contacted by an unknown source who told us that he knows of our search and is willing to assist�for a price.�

Divide was making his way around the chairs, helping them all out. Hawk sat up as soon the jack-in wire was unplugged.

�Are you kidding me man?� He asked, �That is a trap if I ever heard one��

Night nodded his head in complete agreement.

�He is right Prophet,� He said, �Barely anyone knows what we are trying to do except for a select few in Zion. Much less some random person inside of the Matrix��

Prophet couldn�t help but agree, but he didn�t want to give up this kind of a lead. It was strange that someone inside of the Matrix discovered their task. They were careful to avoid anything that could lead the information back to them.

�Was it a blue pill or�.a program?� Lakota asked.

Divide quickly answered while helping Samurai out of the chair.

�They didn�t say,� He said, �We know nothing. Only that they could give us the information.�

All of them sat in silence, taking in the information and waiting for someone to speak up. Prophet sat down in the chair and laid back, waiting to be jacked in.

�We�re going in.� He said in a firm tone.

His decision had been made and that would be that. The others knew better than to disagree and laid their heads back, waiting to enter a familiar world�.

Nearly One Year After Matrix Revolutions

Morpheus, Niobe, and Ghost walked into an open park, filled with dozens of people. It was the first time they had ever been in the Matrix since Neo�s sacrifice. It was definitely a strange sight to behold. The people left behind were either programs or blue pills. People so dependant on their lives that they refused to give it up, even in the name of reality. The memory of Cypher couldn�t escape Morpehus� mind as his feet crushed the soft grass in the park. The man rejected reality not really out of a lust for power, but because he simply could not deal with the real world. Morpheus knew that there were many people who would want to remain in the Matrix. He assumed that once the war was over, they would all want out. It was obvious by the blissful looks on the faces that he was wrong. They were acting as if nothing had ever happened. It took a long time for Morpheus and the others to be allowed into the Matrix. Not because the machines prevented it, but there was a general fear for the rebels. Not from large agents, dangerous rogue programs, or sentinels, but from the blue pills. An organization had been formed that resisted any further contact with the �real world�. They believed the rebels were trying to destroy their paradise and poison their minds with their �rhetoric�. They swore to kill any rebel that set foot in the Matrix. This would not deter Morpheus from his mission though. He remembered telling Neo about this very thing.

�You have to understand, most of these people are not ready to be unplugged,� He remembered saying, �And many of them are so inured, so hopelessly dependent on the system, that they will fight to protect it.�

Niobe accompanied him for two reasons. The first is general worry for Neo and Trinity. She wanted to find out what happened to them just as much as the next person. The second reason is because she wanted to remain with Morpheus, to ensure that nothing happened to him. After the battle in Zion, Niobe realized that her feelings for Morpheus never left, but simply were buried inside after he became overzealous in finding the One. Ghost looked around, paranoid as always. His hand was inside of his coat, prepared to pull out the machine gun under his arm. He accompanied his captain, Niobe, determined to stand by her side.

�They�re acting like nothing happened,� Niobe said in awe as she looked around, �What the hell is wrong with them?�

Children ran past them, playing some juvenile game. Parents were standing around a barbecue, laughing about something. Two guys were tossing a Frisbee to each other and a couple was kissing on a park bench. Ghost could only smile at the various sights.

�I believe the phrase goes as �Ignorance is bliss.�?� He replied.

A voice, behind the group, replied in turn to Ghost.

�If ignorance is bliss than why do you people always seek knowledge?� She said.

The group turned to see a familiar face. Well, not so familiar but her spirit was the same. The Oracle stood behind them with a smile in her face and a cigarette in her hand. She looked different due to a sacrifice she made for a young girl. Her outer shell had been given to the Merovingian in exchange for saving Sati. She now stood in her new form, with the same old smile.

�I knew you would eventually come Morpheus.� She said.

Morpheus bowed his head in deference to her.
�Then I�m sure you know why I am here.� He replied

The Oracle brought the cigarette to her mouth and inhaled deeply. Smoke bellowed from it as she brought the death stick to her side.

�You don�t need to be an Oracle to know why,� She said, �You want to know what happened to Neo and Trinity.�

Her eyes shot over to Niobe and Ghost, two people she had met in the past. They recognized her new form because they had seen it before.

�It is good to see you two are alive.� She told them.

Ghost nodded his head and gave his serious smile.

�Of course we are,� He responded, �Then again, if we had died, we would simply be reborn in some other for. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, we can never be truly killed and will come back with a vengeance. So in essence, you can never truly get rid of us.�

Niobe chuckled and looked at Ghost.

�No doubt.� She replied in agreement.

Morpheus interjected, not wanting to waste anymore time with talking. They shouldn�t be in any one place for too long.

�Do you know what happened to them Oracle?� He asked.

She looked back at Morpheus and gave a sad sigh.

�Yes,� She said, �But the question you must ask yourself now is if you truly want to know.�

Morpheus stared at her through his sunglasses.

�Of course I do,� He said, �That is why I�m here, speaking to you.�

The Oracle began to walk, motioning for them to follow her.

�No you�re not Morpheus,� She said, �You�re here because once more you�re unsure of what is happening and what is going to happen, so you seek my counsel. I can understand that. These are unsure times for all of us, even me.�

She pointed, using two fingers that held her narcotic, towards a blind woman walking a dog.

�Look at that,� She said out of no where, �A blind person walking their dog, a daily exercise for the animal. Yet, the animal leads her around due to her defect. Who walks who Morpheus?�
He looked at the blind woman and shrugged his shoulders.

�I don�t see what this has to do with my question.� He said, walking alongside of her.

She laughed and then took another puff of the cigarette

�It has everything to do with it,� She replied, exhaling the smoke, �The Matrix is full of strange mysteries Morpheus, even know. Just because the truth is known to all, does not mean that secrets are gone. You want to know what happened to Neo and Trinity after they came to 01, correct?�

Morpheus nodded his head, but remained silent.

�You have to understand,� She said, �You�re searching for an insignificant part of a much larger puzzle. Neo and Trinity did what they set out to do, if it isn�t obvious. Neo faced Smith and the two fought to save or destroy existence, depending on who won.�

She stopped there, leaving Morpheus in utter suspense.

�And?� He asked.

Ghost and Niobe, remaining silent, were just as curious. They stared at the Oracle and waited for a response. She stopped and put a hand on Morpheus� arm.

�Neo and Trinity are both dead,� She said, hitting them with the news, �In a�physical sense.�

Morpheus felt his heart shatter into a million pieces. A part of him knew that Neo and Trinity were more than likely dead. Although with the victory over Smith, a part of him held out, believing that maybe Neo and Trinity were alive, but simply trapped in 01, the machine city.

�What do you mean in a physical sense?� He asked.

She shook her head quickly.

�Not even I have all the answers,� She said, �I just know that nothing is as it seems. A lot of strange things have been happening in the Matrix. This�anti-rebel movement grows with each day. Agents are rarely seen, but remain to keep order if needed. Even the machines are behaving strangely. Neo and Trinity had their bodies taken, but I don�t know to where. Another thing that is strange is that there have been rumors that Neo has been seen. I don�t know how and I don�t put much stock into it. A cult following has grown within the Matrix. Many people love what Neo did and the idea of an under-dog rebellion, but don�t want out of the Matrix.�

Ghost quickly chimed in.

�Sounds like potentials to me.� He said.

The Oracle offered a mysterious smile and nodded.

�Perhaps there are,� She said, �I think if you want to find out what happened to Neo and Trinity, then you need to go to the Source. I know you think of me as some God-like figure Morpheus, but I have my limits and I�ve tried to see as far as I could. I don�t have al the answers, because I don�t have all the pieces. Only a select few. Others have more and it will be up to you to find them.�

She started to walk away, but stopped and opened her purse. Her hands pulled out a chewy candy, wrapped in a yellow plastic.

�Candy?� She asked, �I�m sorry for the bad news Morpheus, but I only deal with truths. If you want to deal with lies, then visit the Merovingian��

He raised an eyebrow, seeing her hint. His hand gently grabbed the candy and he nodded in thanks.

�Good luck Morpheus,� She said, turning away, �I hope you find what you�re looking for.�

She began to hum a song and disappeared over a sloping hill, leaving the trio to ponder her words�

Present Day

Divide sat at the operator�s chair and stared at one of the computer screens. He tapped on the keyboard and waited for a response. The crew sat in the jack-in chairs, their eyes shut. To many, it would look like they were asleep and in a metaphorical sense, they did just enter a dream world�

Prophet, Night, Lakota, Parvati, Libre, Samurai, and Hawk stood against a wall and heard a pay phone ringing. All of them had just entered the Matrix. Prophet approached the phone and lifted it to his ear.

�We�re in.� He said.

[Lord Borg]

Wow, this is even better Keep it up andy I want to see more

[Omet'Ikilan]

Its looking AWSOME Andy...Its full of action and its gone some humor ...I love it, cant wait for more.

[Seven of Nine]

This is brilliant!

Do you want it made a Sticky?

[Founder]

(Thanks everybody, I appreciate it. Sure Seven of Nine, thanks. )

Chapter 5

He placed the phone back on the hook and then took a step back. Prophet wore a long flowing black leather coat and pants. His shirt stuck tightly to his body and was the same color. His coat was littered with weapons, including two grenades. He motioned towards the others so they would follow. It had been some time since Prophet had been inside of the Matrix. The differences between the old Matrix and new were staggering on a subtle level. If you didn�t know what happened, you would never see the difference. A parade was going on. Well, it looked like it was a parade. Really it was a march by hundreds of people, dressed in strange uniforms. Prophet recognized it from the intelligence briefing. It was the anti-rebel movement that had grown into power. The group watched as people cheered the �army� that marched down the street. Prophet wondered about the extent of their power, if they really had any. He wondered if the machines were watching in amusements as their slaves marched in defense of their own captivity. It was a sick sight to behold to any rebel. Hawk gripped the hilts of his guns and prepared to fire into the crowd. Samurai grabbed one his arms and shook his head.

�Don�t even try it.� He warned.

Hawk motioned towards the crowd in complete disgust.

�Look at them,� He said in anger, �They�re marching for their right to remain the machine�s little bit-�

Night cut him off quickly.

�Would you shut the hell up?� He asked, �You�re trying to draw attention to us or something?�

Before Hawk could respond, Prophet spoke in a firm, but quiet voice.

�All of you,� He ordered, �Quiet!�

He looked at the street sign and saw they were in the right place. This was where the contact said they would meet them. Well, it was inside of the building where the meeting would take place. A man, dressed in a fancy suit approached them, while lighting a cigar.

�He is waiting for you,� He said out of no where, �10th floor.�

The man didn�t even look at them when he spoke. He turned away quickly and joined the crowd, leaving the group to wonder just what the hell that was all about. Prophet arched an eyebrow and nodded his head towards the building. He walked into the building and made his way towards the elevator�

Nearly One Year After Matrix Revolutions

The elevator doors opened and Morpheus walked in, flanked by Niobe and Ghost. His finger pushed down on the 10th floor button.

�I don�t see why we�re meeting him.� Niobe said.

Ghost could only nod in agreement. When Niobe and Ghost faced the Merovingian in the past, they had almost been killed. The man acted civilized but he most certainly was a monster.

�Because he holds one of the many keys Niobe.� Morpheus replied firmly.

He was determined to find out just what the hell is going on. The doors opened with a loud dinging sound and the group stepped out�

Present Day

Prophet and his group stepped out of the formerly crowded elevator. They looked around in surprise.

�What the hell?� Hawk asked.

They were no longer in the building in America, but somewhere else. It had a European look to its architecture. French writing was written all over the place and the people were dressed very formal. The elevator had brought them to a completely different building. It looked like some kind of fancy chatue. Prophet stopped and turned back to the others.

�Parvati and Night are with me,� He ordered, �Hawk, Libre, you two stay here near the elevator and keep watch. Lakota and Samurai, I want you two to follow us to the doors and wait there. Is that understood?�

They all nodded, now knowing their orders. The group continued to the large doors where they had to meet a familiar host. Two men stood in front of the door, guarding it. One of them stepped forward and motioned for them to raise their arms. They patted the group down and found the weapons, pulling them all out from their coats. Prophet sighed and let them take the weapons. If things got bad, they had their martial arts training to back them and four other members nearby, who were heavily armed. Prophet, Parvati, and Night stepped through the doors and made their way to a large room. It was filled with weapons all over the walls and two staircases that spiraled and curved. Little did the group know, a battle had occurred between Neo and several of the Merovingian�s lackeys. The Merovingian, dressed in a long sleek and formal black outfit, stood admiring a scimitar on the wall. A beautiful woman dressed in a red dress, stood next to him. Her hair was black and hung down her back, lying against her smooth skin. Prophet was taken aback at how beautiful she was, but remained alert. There were several guards walking about, remaining close by if anything happened.

�Ah accueillir a mon chatue.� He said, not turning to face them.

The woman turned her head and smiled at Prophet in a provocative way.

�I�ve been expecting you,� He said in a thick French accent, �Where is the rest of your little band of assassins?�

Prophet gave a fake smile and shook his head.

�I don�t know what you�re talking about.� He replied.

The Merovingian turned to face them finally and offered an even more fake smile.

�No?� He asked, �Well then I will enlighten you.�

Nearly One Year After Matrix Revolutions

�You�re here to find out what happened to Neo and Trinity.� The Merovingian told Morpheus.

Morpheus, Niobe, and Ghost all stood in virtually the same location as the others would in the future.

�I�m here because I was told you have something I need.� Morpheus said firmly.

The Merovingian eyed Niobe closely and smiled.

�Mon cheri,� He said, �Can I offer you some�wine?�

Persephone, his beautiful wife, quickly answered for her.

�I don�t think they are here for that,� She said in a subtly angry tone, �My�love.�

The Merovingian nodded his head and smiled.

�Of course of course,� He said, �You want to know about Neo and Trinity, our fallen heroes.�

He took a sip of a glass of wine that he held in one hand.

�Or are they fallen?� He asked, �No one knows.�

Morpheus countered his comment.

�You know,� He said, �I believe you are known for having a business of knowing��

The Merovingian raised his glass to Ghost.

�Good memory my little rebel leader,� He replied, �I do know, but only as much as I can find out. Unfortunately, we are all discovering that we have our�limits.�

Ghost smiled at his, happy to see that even the Merovingian could have his hands tied behind his back. The Frenchman caught sight of the smile.

�I wouldn�t look so smug my little philosopher,� He said, �You�ll find that even I don�t have as many limitations as you.�

Morpheus stepped in between the two men and spoke.

�Are you going to tell us what we want to know or not?� He asked.

Present Day

�Yes,� He said, �I will tell you what you want to know. You�re looking for targets and I happened to know where one is right now.�

Prophet folded his arms and waited for the information.

�His name is Robert Kane,� He explained, �He is a tailor in a small shop in Mega city on the corner of 24th street. He leads a mediocre and pathetic life, but it is what he loves, because it is what he knows. He is willing to kill people over it. Sad isn�t it?�

Persephone eyed Parvati closely and gave a sincere smile. The rebel could only avert her eyes in response. Prophet took in the information, trying to remember it to the letter.

�What do you want in return?� He asked, �Money?�

The Merovingian laughed and motioned towards the massive room.

�Do I look like I need money?� He asked sarcastically, �Besides, any tangible object in the Matrix is as artificial as my smile, why would I want more of it?�

Nearly One Year After Matrix Revolutions

�There is nothing I can offer you in return.� Morpheus said, truthfully.

The Merovingian placed the glass of wine on the edge of the staircase.

�That is not entirely true,� He said, �Once before I had information that you sought out and your Trinity forced me to reveal it. I didn�t like that and I won�t have that done to me now. I once asked you for the eyes of the Oracle��

Niobe shook her head.

�Don�t even think about it,� She said forcefully, �It�s not going to happen.�

Persephone smiled and placed a gentle hand on the Merovingian�s arm.

�Perhaps there is something else?� She suggested.

The Merovingian slowly nodded his head.

�Yes there is,� He said, "Lucky for you."

Present Day

�I would like for you to eliminate a personal enemy of mine,� He said, �I had asked Morpheus and his little group to do it, but they were�well�you know what happened to them don�t you?�

Prophet stared at the ground and thought about it. He hated not being in control, but he had little choice. It was either help or never get more information again.

�As you wish,� He said, �Who is the target?�

Nearly One Year After Matrix Revolutions

�He goes by an alias,� The Merovingian explained, �He is simply known as Hacker. The little merde decided to take control of some of my programs. Can you believe that? A normal human, not a brilliant program such as myself. The Agents of the system do nothing, because if it disrupts my program, then it is good for the system. Don�t let that fool you. Hacker is dangerous. He seeks to control the system and is trying to do it through my programs.�

Ghost raised an eyebrow in confusion. What the man was saying made absolutely no sense.

�Are you saying that a blue pill managed to attack the system?� He asked, �How is that possible?

Persephone responded for her husband.

�He is obviously getting help from a program,� She said, �We just don�t know which. All we know is that he now controls the train station construct that my husband used to control.�

Niobe responded in turn.

�Location?� She asked.

Present Day

�He hides in his little apartment in Tower Heights apartment buildings,� The Merovingian explained, �I would be careful though. I�ve sent programs to apprehend him, but they failed��

He scooped up the glass of wine and turned to leave.

�Now leave,� He said, �And take care of my problem FIRST. Then you deal with your little�revenge. Do not fail me or I kill you, understood?�

He motioned towards his guards.

�Now kill them.� He ordered.

Parvati looked at him in shock.

�What!? Why!?� She yelled, �You didn�t even let us try to kill Hacker.�

The Merovingian smiled and bowed his head.

�Someone who used to work for me always said �You do not truly no someone until you fight them,� He quoted, �Now if you can�t handle my men then you won�t be able to handle Hacker. Good day.�

He walked away, flanked by Persephone and exited through one of the myriad of doors. His men grabbed weapons from the walls and slowly approached the trio.

�Now what boss?� Night asked.

Prophet grabbed the scimitar that the Frenchman was admiring earlier and turned to face the others.

�Now we fight.� He replied.

[Lord Borg]

WOW! I cannont WAIT to read more! fight fight fight fight! *starts breathing excorsiese...* I'm calm...

[Founder]

(lol Chris. These stories have been a great way to take my mind off of my current problems. Thanks to all for reading them.)

Chapter 6

-Iniuri-

Meanwhile, Divide was watching the whole thing on the familiar computer screens. To many it looked just like falling random code in green letters, but it was much more. He tapped on the keyboard and called the others who stood, oblivious to their friend�s dilemma. The phone rang and he waited for one of them to pick up. Finally, a recognizable voice was heard.

�Dime?� Libre said in Spanish.

Divide checked on Prophet and the others real quick to see if they were still alive. He sighed in relief when he saw they were.

�Prophet, Parvati, and Night need your help!� He said, �Get your butts in there now!�

He cut the connection and waited, hoping his friends would be ok.

�Hurry�� He muttered to no one in particular.

-Chatue-

Night grabbed two sickles off the wall and prepared for a fight. Parvati decided to use the Indian martial arts style of Adithada. The Merovingian�s men, five of them in total, stared at the others. They were extremely pale and had sharp fangs, which could be seen when they hissed at the trio. To any blue pill, they would think the men were vampires. The Merovingian had a strange fetish with making his programs in the form of either vampires or werewolf type creatures. It did not frighten Prophet, Night, or Parvati though. They knew very well that none of the men existed and were simply programs. Prophet rushed forward and slashed at the nearest vampire�

-Elevator Lobby-

Meanwhile, Libre warned the Samurai and Lakota of the trouble. Hawk rushed forward and threw his shoulder into the doors. They slammed open to reveal, not the chatue, but a French restaurant. People rose from their tables in shock and began to chatter loudly. Hawk sighed and looked towards the others, realizing this was not the same room they saw the others walk into.

�Oh crap�� Hawk muttered.

-Chatue-

The vampire ducked as Prophet swung the sword down. He twirled the scimitar around his back and tried to cut him again. This time, the vampire was not so quick and his head flew off his body. Night attacked another vampire who was wielding a long metal staff. He held the staff over his head to block the two sickles from stabbing his head. His foot flew into Night�s stomach and the man fell backwards, hitting the floor in pain. Parvati was fighting off two vampires, using only her martial arts. She dodged a punch to the head and grabbed the arm quickly. Her fingers pushed against a pressure point, causing the man to scream and his arm to go slack. She kicked the other vampire away as he tried to attack. The remaining vampire leapt into the air and tried to knock her onto the floor. Prophet�s scimitar flew into the air and rammed the vampire�s back, throwing him several feet forward. By the time he landed, he was already dead. Parvati twisted the injured vampire she was fighting and wrapped her arm around his neck. He brought his leg across his body, trying to hit her head. She blocked it and snapped his neck in return. Night was having trouble with his vampire still. The man was twirling the staff, blocking every hit by Night and even whacking the man, over and over. Night slid forward, between his legs, and slammed the sickles into the area behind his kneecaps. The vampire screamed and dropped to the ground, no longer able to stand. Night stood up, yanking the staff out of his hand and then slamming into his head. The three breathed heavily and stared at the dead bodies, surveying the damage they caused. Night tossed the staff on the ground and looked to Prophet, his friend and leader.

�This is already starting off badly.� He commented.

Prophet, still staring at the bodies, slowly nodded his head in agreement.

�Yes it is,� He replied, �But we�re getting results. That is all that matters.�

He turned away and walked towards the door that would lead to their exit from the carcass filled room.

-Iniuri-

Divide stared at the screen and sighed in relief. They were safe, for now at least. His fingers raced over the keyboard and he tried to run a search for this blue pill they were about to look for. He waited patiently as the search ran and could only wonder how some no name copper top could figure out how to affect the system�

-Elevator Lobby-

The rest of the group stood in the lobby, waiting for any word from Prophet, Night, and Parvati.

�We should just storm through every door.� Hawk demanded.

Libre, who stood against a wall, spoke up.

�No,� He countered, �That�s stupid. We could go breaking down every wall and still never find them. This place�it is like some damn labyrinth.�

Lakota, who took the name after her tribe, responded in agreement.

�He is right Hawk,� She said, �I know it is frustrating, but there is nothing else we can do.�

As soon as she finished saying that, the doors opened and the trio walked towards them. The rest of the group walked over to them, relieved to see them alive.

�Where the hell have you all been!?� Night yelled, �We needed your help!�

Libre held his hands up in defense as he responded.

�We tried to find you all,� He argued, �But no door leads to where it should around here.�

Prophet raised a hand to quiet the group.

�It doesn�t matter,� He said, �We have an assignment to take care of and I fear it may take all of us to deal with it. Come.�

He stepped into the elevator, followed by the others, and pressed for the 1st floor.

-Elevator-

Prophet quietly explained the task at hand given to them by the rogue French program. Hawk, paranoid and angry as usual, criticized their mission.

�This is stupid,� He said, �We didn�t come here to kill that blue pill.�

The doors opened on the 4th floor and a man dressed in a business suit and slicked back hair stepped inside. The group suddenly went silent and simply stared forward. The businessmen leaned towards the side and pressed for the 2nd floor. He looked back at the others who smiled and nodded at him in return. His eyes darted from one to the other and he could only wonder why they were dressed so strangely. Hawk leaned over to the man and whispered.

�So how about them Lakers?� He asked, �Think they can go all the way this year?�

The man looked in him in surprise and responded in French, not understanding a single thing Hawk said. The rebel could only widen his eyes in response and took a step away from him, forgetting they were possibly in France.

�What ever you say man�� He said sarcastically.

The doors opened and the man rushed out, grateful to no longer be in an elevator with the group. As soon as the doors closed, Libre slapped Hawk alongside the head.

�Please tell me what the hell is wrong with you?� He asked rhetorically.

Hawk shrugged his shoulders while rubbing the spot Libre had slapped.

�What!?� He asked, �I hate when elevators get all silent. Then all you have to listen to is that damn elevator music from the 1980s.�

He began to hum �Love Shack� by The B-52�s to try and convey his point. Everyone turned and stared at him, leaving him to stare back.

�See!?� He yelled, �I can�t get that garbage out of my head.�

Prophet squinted his eyes at him.

�Are you done?� He asked.

Hawk, not wanting to anger Prophet, slowly nodded his head and looked at the doors.

�Yeah cap�n.� He replied.

The doors opened and they all walked out, back towards the march on the streets and back in the familiar city. Prophet reached into his leather jacket and pulled out a cell phone.

-Iniuri-

Divide answered the ringing �phone� that was his headset.

�Operator.� He said.

A recognizable voice was heard on the other end.

�I�m gonna need a location and a way to get there.� Prophet said.

Divide quickly inserted a �disk� into the drive and slid it inside. He tapped on the keyboard and loaded several objects into the nearby area.

�You�re nearby actually,� He said, �Nine streets down on your left. Take another left and it will be there. You can�t miss it. As for your transportation�go to the corner of the street.�

-Matrix-

Prophet snapped the phone shut and walked towards the end of the street that met with the intersection where the march was going on. The sidewalk was lined with seven Ducati 916 sports bikes. A smile crossed Prophet�s face, a very rare thing.

�Thank you Allah.� He said, knowing it was Divide who was to really thank.

Prophet leaped onto the black motorcycle and started it with a loud roar. He placed the helmet and looked for a way for them to get to the other side of the street. The march was going on and them barreling through would cause a ruckus. He began to move and headed towards the next intersection. The roar of six other motorcycles could be heard as they rushed after Prophet. He turned towards the desired area. Thankfully, this side of the street was relatively quiet as most of the traffic was trying to stay away from the march. On the vehicles, it didn�t take too long to reach the apartment buildings. Prophet stopped the bike and looked at the desired location. The building was not poor, but not rich either. Very average indeed. He parked the motorcycle near the sidewalk, right next to a no parking sign, not caring. The others follow his example and parked in the same area. As Prophet was walking towards the doors, his jacket began to vibrate. He reached in and yanked the cell phone out.

�Yeah?� He asked.

-Iniuri-

Divide was staring at one of the screens intently while he spoke.

�You have a problem�� He reported.

-Apartment Building-

Fifteen men, dressed in black bulletproof armor and carrying heavy weaponry, stood in the hallway. They had helmets shielding their heads and stood in a line, preparing to break the door down. All of them stood outside of room f233, which in Leet speak spelled �free�. The hallway was pitch black save for the lights coming from the men�s flashlights. The S.W.A.T. team turned their head when they heard loud foot steps approach them.

�Gentleman,� A voice said, �You�ve all been briefed on the situation.�

The voice stepped into the radius of the flashlights and revealed he was agent Johnson, an upgraded agent. He wore a plain black suit, black tie, and white shirt. His eyes were covered by sunglasses and an earpiece stuck out from the side of his head.

�Jonas Barker,� He continued, �A deadly adversary and a terrorist. He has pushed his limits and his time has run out. You all know the man is dangerous. Do everything you can to bring him down, and if necessary, death.�

They all nodded their heads and loaded their guns, prepared to rush in at his word. He raised two fingers and motioned towards the door.

�Move in! Move in! Move in! Move in!� One the officers yelled.

The first man kicked the door down and they rushed inside, follow by the deadly agent. As he walked through the doors, the elevators at the end of the hall opened up. Prophet, follow by the others, stepped off the elevator in time to hear the gunfire. They stopped and stared at the only open door in the small hall. People were screaming orders to each other and the steady sound of gunfire continued.

�Looks like they beat us to it eh?� Night asked.

Prophet shook his head, not fully convinced. He remembered the Merovingian�s warning about how dangerous this man was.

�I�m not so sure about that.� He replied quietly.

He took a cautious step forward, while keeping close to the wall. Prophet jumped in surprise when he saw agent Johnson being thrown out of the room and slamming into the wall of the opposite side of the door. He looked back at the others and then motioned for them to get ready. All of them quickly pulled out weapons of various kinds. The gunfire finally stopped and the cries that had gone from loud orders to cries for help went silent. Prophet approached the door, carefully avoiding the agent. Even though Neo proved they could be beaten, agents still evoked fear in the rebels. Although, the way this man was laying on the floor, he didn�t appear to be a threat. It was strange to see one actually unconscious. Prophet motioned for the others to follow him as he stepped into the room.

[Lord Borg]

WOW, this still just keeps getting better and better. I cant wait for more

[Seven of Nine]

Nor can I

[Founder]

(Thanks you two. Heres some more. )

Chapter 7

Dead bodies littered the floor, sprawled in various positions. The room itself was extremely odd in the sense that it seemed the code was broken inside. Random objects were floating here and there, including one of the officers. Parts of the ground had grass growing out of it, even though the ground was wooden tiles and not dirt. One side of the wall simply looked like falling code, bright green in color. Prophet�s eyes darted to the edge of the rather dark room. A figure was sitting quietly, staring at his laptop. Due to the darkness of the room, Prophet couldn�t make out the form too clearly.

�Are you Hacker?� He asked, stepping over another dead body.

As he took a few more careful steps forward, he noticed literally dozens of floating bullets behind the figure�s back. All of them were mere inches away from hitting him.

�Maybe�� The unknown man said, �Who�s asking?�

Prophet kept his gun leveled at him, aiming at his head. Night and Lakota quickly stepped up besides him.

�It doesn�t matter who we are.� He replied calmly.

The figure turned to face Prophet, but his face covered in shadow.

�I know who you are,� He said, �You�re one of the�what is the phrase? Red Pills? Why are you all here?�

Hacker�s tilted his head to the side as the rest of the group walked in.

�Damn!� Hawk exclaimed from the doorway, �These guys were messed up��

They began to file into the strange room, spreading out and preparing to do whatever Prophet demanded. Hacker stared at their weapons and noticed they were all aimed at him.

�Oh,� He said, now understanding, �You�re here to kill me. Why? What do you all have to gain from that? I�m trying to destabilize the system. I seem to recall that was you all�s personal mission.�

Prophet gave a sardonic smile in response.

�Is that so?� He asked sarcastically, �And what do you have to gain from that?�

Hacker looked back at his laptop, not immediately answering. The large screen was showing a familiar sight, the Matrix code.

�Power,� He said, �What else? I�m stripping the system apart, piece by piece. I�ve made a lot of enemies��

His hands laid out on the keyboard and his fingers loudly tapped each key.

�I�ve had to�borrow several things from various people,� He explained, �I�ve taken from the system, rogue programs, and my brother and sister slaves. I had no idea I pissed off red pills though.�

Prophet pondered if he should tell him they were sent by the Merovingian or simply open fire. Then again, it didn�t look like bullets affected him. Hacker had a rather soft and calm voice. A lot can be discerned from a person�s voice. If they were large or small, forceful or timid, strong or weak.

�So are you trying to free mankind?� Prophet asked, stalling while he figured out what to do.

Hacker continued to type away on the keyboard, not being courteous enough to face them when he spoke. Then again, one doesn�t have to be polite to one�s own assassin.

�Not really,� He said, �I�m trying to control it and the machines as well. I�m not stupid; I know what�s at stake. If I destroy the Matrix just for the sake of it then those�machines will kill everyone in Zion right?�

Prophet looked at Night in surprise. He didn�t expect Hacker to really understand the situation that well.

�Yes,� He responded, �Exactly. Which is why it would be in your best interest to step away from that computer�.�

Hacker laughed loudly at the threat and made no move to step away from the computer. Hawk stepped forward, nearly tripping on of the dead S.W.A.T. officers.

�Oh hell no!� He yelled.

Hawk raised the two Uzi�s he was wielding and fired at Hacker. Prophet rushed forward and forced the guns to aim downwards. He immediately stopped firing and took a step back from an angry Prophet. Hawk always had a habit of being impulsive and stupid. It usually got them in trouble, but in this case, it didn�t. The bullets simply joined the many others that floated harmlessly behind Hacker.

�Who sent you?� The man asked, not fazed by what had just happened, �I just want to know so I can send them my sympathies for hiring bumbling idiots to carry out this task.�

Prophet wondered if the bodies that littered the floor ended up that way by Hacker himself. He sounded like a young punk, someone not capable of this. So how did these bodies end up like this? How was an agent literally thrown out of the room and knocked into unconsciousness?

�The Merovingian,� He explained, �It�s nothing personal. I certainly don�t hate anyone that would want to destroy the Matrix, but if killing you helps us, then I�m up for it.�

Hacker suddenly stopped typing and turned back to Prophet in a rather eerie way.

�Is that so?� He asked, �You should be careful, you�re a pawn in a much larger game. A game you simply don�t understand. Ironic isn�t it? You guys and the agents used to be the only ones who knew what was going on. Now you all are out of the loop and blue pills have all the answers. Must be a sad change, but I really don�t give a crap. I have so much work to do. This is a race against time and thanks to you all, I�m now behind. You�ve overstayed your �welcome�. Good-bye.�

Lakota looked at Prophet and then back at Hacker.

�You�re out of your league kid,� She said softly, �Now we either do this the hard way or the easy way��

Hacker motioned towards the rafters that hung over their heads.

�I choose my way.� He said.

Their eyes follow to where he pointed to. A figure was standing on the rafters, staring down at them. All of them raised their weapons, but the figure was quick. He dropped down, nearly ten solid feet. His drop was harmless to him and far too quick for the others. They reacted in surprise and too sluggishly to resist his attacks. He kicked the gun of Prophet�s hand and did a quick spin kick, knocking him to the ground. The mysterious man quickly grabbed Lakota and held her in front of him, so the others couldn�t fire without killing her. They quickly lowered their weapons and looked at each other, wondering what to do. He shoved Lakota forward, knocking the poor girl into Night. Both fell to the ground while the others quickly raised their weapons and opened fire. The man did several impressive flips and twists, avoiding each shot. After about twenty seconds they unloaded their entire clips at him, while he sustained absolutely no damage.

�My turn�� He said in a very soft voice.

He rushed forward and did a backwards kick, knocking Libre backwards. Hawk tried to punch him, but the man simply dodged and came back with an uppercut. The white male flew backwards and landed on one of the dead bodies. Samurai and Parvati quickly charged forward, knowing there was strength in numbers. Samurai kicked at the man, while Parvati reached to grab him and administer a push at a certain pressure point. The man kicked Samurai�s leg while it was heading towards him and sweeped him, knocking him to the floor. He quickly grabbed Parvati�s arm punched her directly in the chest. All of them were now lying on the ground in pain.

�Enough,� Hacker yelled out, �That�s enough Seraph. I don�t want them dead��

The familiar guardian program, Seraph, bowed to Hacker.

�As you wish.� He replied.

[Lord Borg]

WOW! I'm on the edge of my seat!

[Ziona]

Wow... craziness... good job, Founder!

[Seven of Nine]

Locked as requested.

Seven of Nine