The First Hunt
Neo looked around for Dean Winchester, his hunting partner. Instead, he only saw the scattered Agents watching him from the copper-top crowded side-walk. Well, since the Human-Machine War was at a stand-still and he'd needed something to do. In the last months he'd watched Dean and his little brother Sam hunt. It looked more interesting than being cooped up in Zion. You had to live in the Matrix, sure, but it was as dangerous in the Real-world. If not more because you couldn't leave, except for a few days a month. He couldn't believe the Agents had actually let him become a Hunter.
Smiled and said "Hey, Dean." as his brown-haired and green-eyed friend walked up. Dean was wearing a brown-leather jacket, dark-gray shirt and the pendant from Sam, along with a pair of jeans. How he wished they could be more than just friends.
His heart-beats sped up as the man hugged him and whispered "Hey, Neo." God, he loved hearing Dean say his actual name. Before he'd been freed a year ago when they'd met Dean'd always called him Tom. Ever since Dean's dad, John Winchester, had saved him from being turned into a vampire as a kid he'd wanted to help them. They hadn't let him because it was "too dangerous", he knew the real reason now. He hadn't been freed, so the 'supernatural' programs would have probably slaughtered him.
As they moved apart, his vision flashed into the Matrix's code and he saw the Agents walk away. Followed the slightly younger man down the street to the black Impala. Laughed as Dean patted the mirror and said "See, baby, finally someone who can appreciate you. Unlike Sammy."
Got into the 'Imp' as he called it, on the passenger. Winced as once again it shocked him, whenever he got in it liked to do that, hence the nick-name. Asked "So, we're hunting vampires right ?."
Dean pulled out into the traffic before he answered "Yep. You remember what you learned ?."
Neo repeated the list he'd remembered the old-fashioned way, "Enough dead man's blood can slow their code down simulating paralysis. 'Sun-light' can irritate them but it won't kill them. Only decapitating a vamp will delete it. They like to sleep in the day cause their programming runs better at night. They can smell us from a distance if their awake, so we need to surprise them."
Grinned as Dean smiled "Better than Sammy his first time. He forgot the sun won't kill them. Figured I'd scout out the nest too, a few days before you got here."
He nodded and questioned "Find anyone we need to save ?."
"A black-haired woman, she's chained up but they haven't drunk from her yet. I think your gonna have to break it. Cause I looked and couldn't find the key. "
'At least, since I'm the One and stronger than the other Rebels, like Dean. I'll finally be some use against more than just Agents, or Smith.'
Shivered as he thought of the 'lead' Agent's cold blue-eyes. Pushed the thoughts that came with them away, Smith would have had to 'approve', his request to become a Hunter, for the System.
"I can do that. They'll probably be waiting for us won't they ?."
"I don't know, might be. Let's hope not."
The city slowly faded from high-rise buildings to suburbs and into open country.