Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in ReBoot. The only claim I have on characters are ones that come into play in later chapters. I am making no money off of this, but am enjoying borrowing the characters for a short time.
Author's Note: This story is meant to be my interpretation of how Season 4 could have ended. However, CHBV does not allow for a smooth transition to do this. For season 4 to blend successfully into this story, disregard practically everything in CBHV with the exception of Megabyte's capture and Bob's reformatting program.
The ReBoot Timeline used in this series is as follows: Day = decade/ Hour= year/ Minute=month/ Cycle=week/ Second=day/ Microsecond=hour/ Nano=minute/ Nanosecond=second
Sins of the Past
Chapter 1: Not Good Enough
Matrix found Bob at his apartment. After having defeated Megabyte by isolating him in a cell chamber and reformatting him to a data sprite, the Guardian had contacted Turbo for a private meeting regarding the changed virus. It was decided Megabyte would remain imprisoned until Bob took him to the Supercomputer and the slowly rebuilding Guardian Collective. Bob said nothing more than this, and walked out of the principal's office.
Now, the renegade was standing outside the door of his hero's apartment, flinching at the loud noises coming from inside. Doors slammed, boxes were thrown, and Matrix felt unease in his heart. Bob sounded mad, and that was an understatement. For whatever reason, Matrix had no fear of the games, or of viruses like Megabyte, but facing the Guardian in this state left him cold.
Summoning the courage to knock, he held his breath as he waited for a reply. "Bob?" The door opened, but no one stood there. Matrix looked in at the sound of shuffling, and saw Bob packing up some files on a book shelf. He had changed attire, and was now wearing dirt stained blue jeans, a plain red shirt, and the silver armband on his left wrist where Glitch linked to him. Matrix frowned at the variety of scars on his arms, not having seen them before because of the silver body armor. Although Bob's code was returned to him, repairing his damaged hair and healing his silver web degradation scars, it didn't heal those he earned surviving; another blow to his perception that Bob was infallible.
"What is it, Matrix?"
The green renegade jumped slightly at the even toned question, but Bob was still focused on his packing. Just like in the Principal Office, he was avoiding eye contact.
"How are you, Bob?" Matrix found himself wincing. The words sounded hollow.
A dry laugh, empty of humor, filled the apartment in response. "Peachy."
"Bob-"
"You said you've been having a hard time finding an apartment?" Bob cut him off.
"Yes," Matrix responded, surprised at the question.
"Well, you should go down to the front office and put in a request for this one, before someone else gets it." Bob sealed off a box and started filling another.
Matrix felt his heart drop, but refused to accept it. "You're moving out? Great, it's about time you moved in with Dot!"
The files being packed were slammed hard into the box. Bob seemed to take a nano before he spoke. "I'm taking Megabyte back to the Guardians for study regarding the reformatting program."
"Well, I'm sure you don't need to put your stuff in storage, you shouldn't be gone for more than a cycle. I can watch the apartment for you," Matrix gushed, suddenly feeling like the young sprite he used to be, helpless to the doubt building in his mind.
"I'm not storing anything. I'm transferring."
A blow from Megabyte would have been less traumatizing. "You're leaving? But... you can't! You're Mainframe's Guardian!"
"Was," Bob corrected him. "Guardian 626 will be arriving here within the second." He finished emptying the book shelf and moved to the table by the couch. "His name is Flash Drive, and he was the best of the last class before Daemon's take over. This will be his first system, but he's gained valuable experience from the war. Though I'm sure you could teach him a few things."
"No."
"Ok, if you don't want the place, maybe he will," Bob deliberately changed the subject. He stood with the box and moved it towards his garage. Matrix blocked him.
"I don't care about the damn apartment, you can't leave!"
Bob maneuvered around him. "Sorry, bud, it's already done."
"What about Mainframe? What about everything you've done, every citizen you've helped-"
Bob continued into the garage. "Flash will be doing the same-."
Matrix grabbed the edges of the box, holding it still, and forced his face into Bob's. "What about Dot?!" Brown eyes met violet, and Matrix almost shuddered under the coldness in them.
"What about her?" he asked, his voice light and carefree and deliberately fake. "She's a big girl, she can take care of herself." He pulled the box from Matrix's hands. "Besides, she has you and Enzo, right? One big happy family that works together, plays together, believes the same lies together." He placed the box in the car. "I'd say she has nothing to worry about." He moved back into the apartment, leaving Matrix standing in shock.
Not even when they were in a tiff did Bob seem so angry. Matrix was stung by Bob's low blow regarding Matrix siding with the other Bob, but knew that was the least of his worries right now. With a sense of defeat, Matrix's chin dropped to his chest. Dot had really broken Bob's heart. He was finally just showing it.
The renegade's fist clenched at his side. He couldn't give up, he couldn't let Bob leave. But he wasn't the one who needed to convince Bob. He followed into the apartment and heard the Guardian moving around in his bedroom. Resisting the urge to physically knock sense into his idol, he quietly left the apartment, immediately pulling up a VidWindow to Dot when he was out of earshot.
/
Bob packed the last of his personal effects from his bedroom and walked towards the garage, refusing to look back one last time. He stopped dead at the door, erasing the surprise from his face to a blank stare.
"Don't do this."
"I'm amazed you found time in your schedule to stop by. What a waste." He moved forward to brush her aside, but Dot stood firmly in his path.
"I know you're angry, but running away isn't going to fix this."
"Angry?" he asked, his voice incredibly soft with spite. "Why would I possibly be angry?"
"Bob. Talk to me, help me make it better."
"Oh, end file already. Your pep talks may work on everyone else, but I'm tired of hearing them."
Dot grabbed the box from him, threw it onto a table, and pushed him down onto the couch. He fell back, surprised, and went to stand when she leaned down and put her face inches from his face. "Well I'm just starting!" she fumed. "You think this didn't affect me? Do you think I don't want to crawl under a rock and delete? I made the wrong choice in front of hundreds of citizens of Mainframe, I made a fool out of all of us to that Virus-!"
"Is that why you're so upset? Worried you won't get re-elected as Command Dot Com next hour?" Bob cut in.
Dot's eyes went wide. "What in the net kind of question is that?! Of course not!"
"Then maybe you're sorry to see your lover go," Bob seethed. "Perhaps you should be saying goodbye to him, he's down in cell block 2."
Dot recoiled as if she was slapped, her response dying on her lips. Bob felt shame fill his heart and he couldn't bear to look at her. No, he needed to get out of there, before he said anything more to hurt her.
As he stood, the anger from earlier came slowly back, breaking away his sorrow. He was doing it again, falling for her, pushing down his pain to defend her first. Always, it was her feelings, her needs, her pain first. He had to stop loving her; it was only going to tear him apart. The anger building would soon explode if he didn't get away.
"Dot, you need to go. Your new Guardian will be here soon." He walked towards the garage.
Dot shook her head. "No, I won't accept this. I'm not leaving until you talk to me."
"There's nothing to talk about," Bob remarked roughly, exasperated. "It's done."
"It's done when I say it is," Dot argued, stepping forward and poking a finger in his chest. "I am not leaving until you talk, because I am not letting you leave angry." She shook her head, "No, by the User, I don't want you to leave at all!"
Bob's ire was building to a boiling point. "Trust me. If you don't leave right now, you're going to regret it."
"And just what are you going to do, Guardian? Reformat me into a Virus, because it's not like you'll delete me."
His voice dropped to a soft, menacing whisper. "What is that supposed to mean?"
Dot refused to be intimidated. "I'm saying that I am not scared of empty threats, especially when they're coming from a sprite whose heart beats to protect his friends and his home." She stepped over to him, her voice softening. "There is too much good in you to do anything else, and I'm sorry that my mistakes have upset you." Her eyes shined with the despair of those mistakes, with the guilt of her bad decisions and the pain she had put him through. "Please, give us a chance to fix this before you do something you'll regret."
Bob closed his eyes and sank back against the wall. He heard her come around in front of him, felt her move close, and then her hand touched his cheek as she whispered, "Please."
His hand shot up and clamped around her wrist, pulling it roughly from him. "Don't," he hissed, his eyes narrowed at her. "Don't try and act like we can just smile and laugh and be all right again." He registered her shocked expression, a deep sadness building in her eyes. "This isn't some small cut that can be fixed with a patch, Dot. You turned your back on us. On me."
Dot leaned back, putting distance between them. "Bob…"
"Have you already forgotten what I went through to get back here?" he whispered darkly. "Did you just decide to ignore everything I told you, everything I showed you like it doesn't matter anymore?"
Dot tried to pull away, but he wouldn't let go of her arm. "You of all sprites know I did things that went against my format as a Guardian all so I could come back and protect the only sprite I have ever loved."
He dropped her wrist and pushed away from the wall, bearing down on her as she backspaced across his living room. "And what do I get for it? I get pushed aside for a sprite who wasn't scarred, who didn't have the dark memories of the Web, who didn't fight through with you to the end of the system crash, or Constantia or Daemon." He kept advancing on her until he pinned her between himself and the front door.
"Stop it-."
"I was abandoned for a sprite who you barely knew for a cycle before throwing yourself into his arms and promising yourself to him!"
Dot's face crumbled, and he could see her struggling to fight off tears. "Stop…"
"And you know what really takes the cake?" Bob laughed coldly, "Oh, you're going to love this. I nearly deleted myself to change who I was to look more like the Guardian you wanted. After all, that's what matters most, right? It's not about the sprite, but how he looks, and he has to look perfect, right?! No damages to remind fragile little Dot that we went through a war to save Mainframe!"
"Stop it!" she screamed and shoved him away. She turned and pressed her forehead against the door, grabbing onto the frame to keep her steady, her breathing ragged.
Bob stepped up behind her and leaned close to her ear, his quiet tone doing little to soften the sting of his words. "Don't cry, Dot. I love you so much I made sure to get a handsome little Guardian to take my place. Perfect and gullible, just as you like them."
A strangled cry fell from her throat, and Bob felt a cold pit in his stomach. User, what am I doing? He had the urge to hold her and comfort her… but he backed away. "I told you, you should have left," he whispered.
She didn't move, only leaned against the door with a hand over her mouth and her head bowed. Bob felt a sudden pressure in his chest, the same feeling he had when she whispered at the wedding, "Bob, please," and her hand grabbed the other Bob's hand, her choice made clear. He closed his eyes and couldn't believe his heart was still breaking.
A small chirp drew his attention down. 'You can still fix this,' Glitch said, always the supporting friend of whom he had so few left.
Bob hesitated, his eyes looking back at the woman he loved, a woman he was effectively breaking into as many pieces as his heart.
'You still love her. Tell her.'
Bob took a breath, but as he continued looking at her, all he could see was the rejection in her eyes there on the altar, his confession of love meaning nothing to her. He shook his head at Glitch and sighed. Reaching for the last box, he closed his eyes. "Goodbye, Dot."
"You bastard."
Bob's breath caught. In all the time he had known her, he had never once heard her speak in such a tone, so soft, so cold, so angry. "How dare you turn this on me?" He looked back at her, seeing her back still turned to him, her fingers digging into the frame, her head resting against the door.
"What?"
"Who betrayed who, Bob?" she hissed. "You want to be upset that I almost married someone who looked exactly like you, acted exactly like you? Fine!" Dot turned her eyes to him, narrowed and burning with anger. "But don't stand there and make me suffer when you were out down-timing some random vixen Dell bent on keeping you as her little toy in the Web!"
Bob reeled, nearly dropping the box in his hands. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words were formed. Not cycles ago, he had prepared himself for this, knowing the risk of sharing those memories with Dot. And yet, with everything that had happened since the destruction of Daemon's virus, he had allowed himself to forget that he had put Dot through his suffering.
The harsh reality of her words stung worse than the Web's atmosphere.
"I made a choice," Bob defended. "I did what I thought was right, to get back home." 'To you,' he thought, but couldn't bring himself to say the words.
"And I also made a choice, Bob." Dot moved for the first time from the door, turning to face him fully. Her face showed determination, masking the sorrow that was ready to burst free. "It was the wrong one, but I did what I thought was right."
Bob shook his head. "It's not the same thing, Dot."
"The Dell it isn't!" Dot snapped, moving closer. "We both made mistakes, and we both survived. We can move on from this, if you'd get past your pride and try-."
"Did you love him?"
Dot stopped mid-sentence, her arms hovering in the air where she had been gesturing in exasperation. "What?"
Bob stared her down. "Did you love him?" he asked, emphasizing each word clearly.
"Bob, I-," Dot faltered. "It's not that easy."
"Yes it is, Dot. Yes or no." The silence was enough for Bob. "That is why, Dot. That's why it's not the same thing. I never loved Constantia. I used her, and the User knows I hate myself for it, but I did. And if I had to do it all over again, I would, because it got me back." He took a deep breath and turned away from her. "But you… you gave your heart away." A dry laugh escaped him. "The nano I was out of Mainframe, frozen in that shell, and you were committing your life to another."
"Bob… no," Dot moaned softly.
"I could live with you hating me over Constantia. I could understand if you were never able to forgive me. I knew the consequences of my actions, and I was willing to face them. But this… Dot." He hung his head in defeat. "I can't."
"Maybe, with time…" Dot pleaded, desperation edging into her voice as tears threatened to overwhelm her. "Please don't give up on us," she begged, her voice breaking.
Bob could find no other words to say than, "I'm sorry." He moved forward again.
"You promised you wouldn't leave me again," she whispered.
Bob stopped long enough to relive that memory, unbidden and terribly painful as he recalled the taste of her lips during their first kiss, so soft against his, before forcing it from his mind. "And you told me you loved me," Bob replied without turning. "I guess we are both terrible liars."
He got into his car and drove off to the Principal Office to collect Megabyte and say goodbye… and he didn't look back.
A/N: Welcome to 2013! Starting the year off right, with a "WTF?!" Or at least, I hope that's the reaction. So, my new resolution is to try and post a chapter every Sunday. Keep in mind, though, that I am currently doing two stories at once, so every other week will be a ReBoot chapter. In the event I don't make my deadlines, please feel free to drop me a PM telling me to get my ASCII in gear . I have updated my profile page with stories coming down the line, so please take a look if you're so inclined!
So a toast to hoping this New Year is a great one! Cheers!
