D/C: I don't own the matrix blah blah blah, so Wachowski brothers, don't sue as me and every other matrix fan knows that you created this masterpiece of a movie and not me. :P I do own Eve and Axel, at least, the boy who I christened Axel without realizing the name was already used. Pooh. I'm not gonna change it now. I like the name. Soooooo, enjoy the story! And now, I must go bang my head against a wall, as I am utterly devoid of a witty comment to end this disclaimer. Bye!
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"Eve! Axel! Come here!" A motherly, but stern voice rang out across the open air of Zion. Down at the dock level, where they weren't supposed to be, two small children froze.

The little girl, formally known as Eve, appeared to be about six, the age where rules began to wear and tear in her eyes and adventure was certainly more interesting then sitting around. She had long black curls that went past her waste and her skin was a brilliant cappuccino hue with the complexion of any child her age.

The boy was seven, but he had a lanky form that gave him the appearance of ten. He was pale for a Zion born, and his jet black hair did nothing to help the incessant teasing he received for looking so much like Neo, the man who had ended the war many years before he or Eve were born.

Eve laughed delightedly at the fact that they had managed to escape their mother once again. Axel had been taken in by Eve's family after his parents abandoned him and disappeared somewhere on the surface, so, in some senses, the two were siblings, but they had never considered it that way. Axel chuckled as he watched Eve scramble over mounds of debris still left from the war. Her sparkling brown eyes were filled with mischievousness and intellect that was astounding for her age. She leapt smoothly over a pipe and beckoned for Axel to follow. His eyes darted cautiously around before he followed suit and disappeared into the shadows.

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"Eve!"

"Axel!"

A woman who looked like a blown up version of Eve, and a dark, bad man cried out over the railing outside their apartment. It was hopeless, but they kept screaming anyway.

Eve and Axel had been missing for weeks now. They had disappeared without a trace. Nothing. And now, more were going missing. Dozens of children had already vanished, and at this rate, there would be no Zion born children left in the entire city by next month.

Councilor Roland approached the grieving woman. It had been many years since he had put his ship in someone else's hands and accepted a councilor position, so he had softened up, if you could call it that. Roland still had the roughness of a man who had seen and done things he both regretted, and embraced. He placed a gnarled hand on the woman's shoulder and spoke reassuringly.

"We will find them. I promise, Niobe."
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What... Where... Where am I?

A blurry face leaned over the boy's bed, murmuring softly. As the figure sharpened, he noticed that they were beaming down at him with unbelievable joy.

"Doctor! Doctor! He's awake! Oh god, he's awake!" The figure, apparently a woman with short blonde hair, was quickly joined by a tall man with raven colored hair and a pale face. The woman gathered the boy up into her arms and ruffled her face in his hair, crying uncontrollably. "We thought you would never wake. Oh god, we thought we had lost you."

The man reached out and patted the boy on the shoulder. With barely contained tears, he said. "I love you, Jason."

Jason lay in his hospital bed, bewildered. His "parents" sat dozing in some chairs in a corner of the room. He had never met these people, much less had them for parents. But where had he been, then? 12 years of his life, gone. Jason hadn't even known he was twelve. How could he have been in a coma for 12 years? It was impossible, he knew it was. The doctors would have cut off life support after a few years, even if he wasn't brain dead. Yet, he couldn't remember anything before now. Except, for a name.

Eve.