A/N: Hey guys and welcome to another installment. This time, Matrix, Frisket, AndrAIa, and Akari are still trying to find their way back to Mainframe. With their hopes dwindling, the somehow find themselves in a Game Cube that has a similar and unusual twist, it turns out to be the pseudo-System they had once known.
"Warning. Incoming Game. Warning. Incoming Game." A vehement male tone was announcing the arrival of yet another Game Cube.
The main quartet have found themselves in the middle of a lift as a Game was falling over the desolated Satellite System. Everyone excepting AndrAIa had very little hopes on ever finding home, especially Akari and her Pokémon who were growing weary with every minute past, fighting in the unforgiving domains set by various Users.
"The Game's almost landed." The Game Sprite chimed.
"I've had enough of this." Matrix said in nearly a whisper.
"Not again. We have to get into this Game; it's the only way out of here."
"Is it? This is the fifth Game we've played in this System. It doesn't matter if we download into this Game. It's up to the User where we go!" His voice softened in hopelessness. "We're not in control here..."
"For once I have to agree with you, Matrix; I'm gonna live this up to Samus now." Akari sulked with him.
Though AndrAIa seems to be the only cheerleader here. "I've got a real good feeling about it; this one could get us to another System."
"Yeah...this one and dozens before. We've never even found a System with ports to the Net." With that last statement, Akari had no clue on what he was saying. She made a mental guess that it has to do with a System that has Internet access, something that their beloved Mainframe was lacking.
AndrAIa put a reassuring hand on his chest. "Don't give up heart know. We'll find Mainframe. All we need is a little luck."
All they could do was sigh, especially the renegade, "I give up..."
Just then the lift opened as the glass door descended, and the Game was dropping on them. "Too late, lover," chirped the Sprite again.
They were then surrounded by radical purple energy. As it cleared, they saw an overcast sky. There were also some floating islands ahead of them, each one had artificial green turf.
"Oh, great. Another golf game." Matrix moaned. "Glitch, stats." When he took out his Keytool, it never activated. He gave it a couple taps and a shake, "Glitch, stats!" Unfortunately, it stayed in its dead state. "It doesn't work."
AndrAIa took a quick gander. When she turned, though, "Uh-Enzo?"
"I told you not to call me Enzo. Call me-" He faced in the same direction, as did Frisket and Akari. "Mainframe?"
Over the hill they were standing on, they saw the Principal Office, shiny and new. Of course there were a few grassy and sandy putting spots, everyone excepting the girl with Artificial Intelligence was in complete shock. The buildings surrounded the center of the repaired, fully-functional city.
"But it can't be! We're inside a Game. How can Mainframe be here?" she reasoned.
"I don't care. I'm home!" Matrix led the foursome over the rise and saw more of the metropolis. Akari was on the fence on whether it was real or just an illusion created by the User, whoever that might be.
AndrAIa tried to reconvince the group once more. It was obvious since she had adapted into Games naturally her whole life. "But we're in a Game Cube! It can't be the real Mainframe."
"But it is Mainframe. Look!" Matrix had his thoughts mixed up as well. "Maybe it's a program copy or a System backup. It could be." The Game Sprite held him back, then he dropped his head. "It has to be."
"But it's not. I'm sorry."
It took him a few nanoseconds to process it all. Even Akari had her doubts. "I know, you're right. It just looks like the place I knew, but there are none of my friends, family, no-"
"Bob!" The Trainer pointed up toward the sky. Everyone was startled as they looked up at him and Dot chasing after Hack and Slash upon Zipboards. They were all heading straight toward Megabyte's turf, and the Guardian had his own fixed version of Glitch.
"We'll never catch them."
Dot winked and added in sarcasm, "Oh, Bob, I have never seen you so angry. Please don't hurt Hack and Slash when you catch them!"
They abruptly halted and bickered with each other as always. Hack led the silly quarrel of nonsense, "Uh oh! Now you've done it, you've got Bob mad at us!"
Slash snapped back, "Me? Why is it always me? He's mad at you, too, you know?"
"No he's not. He's madder at you."
Bob rose into the fray. "Hi, guys." The two bots faced him bashfully. "Actually I'm not mad at either one of you."
"You're...not?" Hack calmed down at the thought.
"Aw, I feel better already." Slash added.
"Good. Glitch, Energy Driver." His gizmo changed into a contraption which was actually a golf club. "Assume the position..."
"Awww!" Shaking in their jets, they turned and made their bodies curl. Bob spanked them both to the next dimension. Actually, it was toward the Tor where he was sure they'll have their bitmaps rearranged by their viral boss.
"Be seeing you!" he greeted. Both bots looked as if they were tiny golf balls that dropped through the roof as they entered the massive hole. "Hey look, Dot, a hole in one."
"Are you feeling happy now?" Dot asked.
"Actually, yes."
Suddenly, Phong ringed in from his own domain. Bob received it on his Keytool, rather than Dot's organizer. "Bob, Dot, return to the Principal Office immediately. We have a problem."
"We're on our way, Phong." Bob spoke. They both flew off and the foursome just watched in stunned silence. Matrix couldn't believe his own Keytool malfunctioned because the Guardian had his own, or probably the User's...
"Is it possible they found a way to convert the entire city to Game Sprite mode?" AndrAIa queried.
"It's possible." Matrix paused. "No it's not. The city is firmware and that wouldn't explain Bob. Or a functioning Glitch."
"Try to see if you could call to them."
"I wanted to. But I couldn't..."
"So, is this a Game or not. Let's reboot and see what happens."
"Yeah, besides my Pokémon could use a little break." This was actually Akari's second time ever downloading herself into a Game.
"No!" Matrix yelled.
"What's the matter?" AndrAIa worried.
"I can't. I might reboot as Little Enzo."
"Little or large, size doesn't matter. I will always love you."
His voice rose a few decibels, "I've worked hard to become what I am. I put that weak, little boy behind me. There's nothing of him in me now."
"Well, there's only one way to find out."
"Ok, let's do it." He reached down to his dog while at the same time tap his icon. They all chanted, "Reboot!"
As the group changed in a flash of green light, Akari inconveniently transformed into a Null, which was known to be as Megabyte's pet, Nibbles. While AndrAIa turned into Hex, Frisket turned into her spy, Scuzzy, and Matrix changed into Megabyte of all Sprites. .
"Oh my..." AndrAIa looked at herself and couldn't possibly fathom what she just became.
"What have we done?" Matrix said doing the same.
"We've gone viral! I guess this rules out the family reunion."
"Can it get any worse?"
From the newly-formed Nibbles, every Pokémon went completely nonexistent, except one. A Poké Ball landed and burst open, revealing a small creature with tan skin and was in a meditating pose. Two pointed ears with yellow interiors protruded from its head, his eyes were squinted on his kite-like face, and he donned on black skin on his upper chest and shoulders. He also had a tail and three spiked toes and three digits. Abra then teleported away, never to be seen again, before a couple special guests appeared.
"Hack."
"And Slash."
"Reporting for duty."
"Boss!"
Matrix did a face palm, "Alphanumeric..."
Meanwhile at the main hall of the Principal Office, Phong gave the scoop to Bob and Dot. "Surveillance reports that Megabyte and Hexadecimal had teamed up."
"Teamed up?" Bob grew suspicious.
"Yes, they are in the Tor." There was little to no threatening activity there.
"If those two are working together, we're all in trouble." Dot stated.
Bob intervened, "But when they do join forces, Hex's insanity or Megabyte's greed stops them every time." This was always true since they were known to war against each other.
Phong was deep in thought. "But, they are acting out of character." Little did the trio know that the viruses were watching a hologram on Scuzzy's head.
"They must never find out about Number 1." Bob said.
"Stop replay, Scuzzy!" Hex ordered in her usual demeanor, making the former pooch snap at her. She immediately changed her act, especially with every wave over her mask. "I-I'm sorry. Frisket." She then had an epiphany, "Number 1 must be the objective of this Game."
Matrix wasn't sure how it happened, but he was sitting in Megabyte's throne and was completely immobilized now that his legs were missing. Nibbles was stuck in a small, barred cage. "This is weird."
"LISTEN!" Hex let out a scream. "Number 1 must be the objective of this Game."
"If it's a Game. I thought it was, but now I'm not sure. To be honest, I'm not sure about anything anymore."
Hack and Slash continued with their rambling. "If he's not sure, imagine how I'd feel."
"Yeah, double, that goes double for me."
"Oh it goes triple for me."
It was interrupted by Megabyte's commanding tone, "Will you two imbeciles be quiet?!"
They replied in rushed words before they retreated. "Be seeing ya!" they said in unison. They bumped into each other twice before they finally fled.
"Nice touch." AndrAIa commented.
"What do you mean?"
"Megabyte's voice. You got them frightened, and it certainly did the trick."
"I never wanted them frightened. I just wanted them quiet."
She couldn't help but be fascinated by it, and by how much he has changed with just a simple transformation. "But that voice was so strong and commanding. Definitely not a little boy's."
Matrix didn't have that much faith. "No, something much worse. Represents everything I hate."
"Is that everything you hate? Or everything you're afraid of becoming?" She sneered at the thought.
"This is weird, I better go find Number 1. Maybe then this will all make sense." He looked over and found his limbs which were somehow standing in a corner. "Um, could you...pass me my legs?"
"I don't like this, it's quiet." The Guardian/User said.
"Yeah, too quiet. This is not Megabyte at all." Dot added.
"Perhaps Megabyte has done it about face." Phong tried to theorize with them and the unusual situation.
"Changing face is more Hexadecimal's style than Megabyte's." Bob concluded.
"True, but something doesn't add up; Megabyte's not acting...normally."
Suddenly, a VidWindow appeared behind them. Two Binomes outside the Principal Office reported. One of them was the Chief of Mainframe's army. "Sir, looks like there's a bogie heading for the Principal Office."
Another Binome with a tannish look and a sort, black do spoke next to him, "Uh, Bob sir, I think it might be a birdie."
"Well, what is it? A birdie or a bogie?" The Guardian asked.
"Definitely a bogie, a bogie named Megabyte!" Dot was completely sure now.
"Well, Phong, looks like the same Megabyte to me!"
On his own large viral cycle, Matrix flew toward the Principal Office. Through a long, dark hall, Megabyte marched toward the hall and burst through the entrance. He saw his old friends and sister give him stern looks, but he left himself unfazed. "Bob, we need to talk. Now!" as he commanded, he slammed a fist on a table rocking a tea cup.
"No way, Megabyte! I don't know how you got in but I'm showing you out." Bob stormed toward him, then he was caught in his metallic, strong grasp.
"Bob, if this was a Game, I could end it. Right now. But I won't." He put him down gently. "I need you to trust me."
"Why should we trust you, Megabyte?" Dot retorted.
"No, not Megabyte. Sis...it's me. I am...Enzo."
"He's crazier than Hexadecimal." Bob said unconvinced, thinking he'd just escaped from a file asylum.
"You're not my brother! You're not Enzo!"
"You have to believe me. Maybe if I find Number 1. He can help me."
"I knew it!" The Guardian declared. "This is all a trick to get Number 1! Glitch, Particle Beam!" His Keytool responded instantly, shooting out a volley of energy toward Megabyte's chest. He tried to fight back and let out a roar in his rage.
"Stop! You could never be my brother! Enzo would never be that vicious!" Dot cried.
As he struggled he said, "Please, Dot. I have changed. But I'm still...Enzo!"
"It's not gonna work, Megabyte. Your cycles are numbered." Bob kept nearing toward Megabyte backspacing him.
A VidWindow appeared showing Megabyte's face. It was crossed out by numerous red X's. Phong analyzed, "He must be filed and indexed."
Making the same sign as Bob and the two bots did, Dot muttered, "Be seeing you!"
By the time the energy beam dissipated, a large crane carried Megabyte away toward some filing cabinets. Matrix tried to break free using all his weight. "No! I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own! You won't hold ME!" He managed to raise his arms and infect it by turning it into a viral dark green, causing the arm to release him.
Back at the Tor, AndrAIa was sitting on a red chair playing around with her mask in front of a mirror, switching with every feeling. "Happy. Sad. Happy. Sad. Happy. Sad. Intrigued..." She let out a smile. "I've never been so in touch with my emotions."
The ceiling opened up and Matrix's bike descended through it.
"That's a nice bike." AndrAIa remarked.
"What is it with you in bikes?" She shrugged in Matrix's response.
He leapt off and looked more depressed. "They didn't believe me. Why should they? To them I'm Megabyte. I got nothing to prove otherwise."
"What's wrong with being Megabyte?" AndrAIa queried in Hex's tone.
"How can you say that!? Everything about Megabyte is wrong." Matrix pointed out.
"Is it really? The fuel, the strength, the power? Isn't that everything you wanted?"
"Yeah, that is what I wanted, but not like this. Not the expense with Bob and the others. I need to somehow make them see that I'm sincere. I need to prove to them that I'm Enzo." Uncontrollably, his face shook and he replied in his nemesis' tone and shot out his claws. "Even if I have to delete them all to do it." Hex cackled in the verge of chaos.
With Scuzzy and Nibbles in tow, Matrix burst from Level 31 upon his new bike. He headed straight toward Baudway where Dot and Bod arrived. Hex said, "Looks like they're hiding Number 1 in Dot's Diner. Predictable, yet unexpected."
"Well, if this truly is a Game, I say we find Number 1 and end it now."
"SPOKEN LIKE A TRUE VIRUS!" she screeched baring her fangs and flashing her red eyes.
"AndrAIa! You're taking your role a little too seriously!"
She gave him a playful, though forceful, slap on the back. "I'm just playing! Brighten up, Megabyte."
His desperation was growing. "That's Matrix! This insanity stops now!" He would give anything to end this twisted nightmare. But, as he burst through the doors, however...
It was not the same. The room instantly transformed into a darker chamber. He surveyed seeing Mike the TV and Cecil on a seesaw in an emotionless manner. Then, there were rows of seats of twelve masked Sprites that were half black and half white. Next there was Dot in spectacles with her arms folded and glaring at him, and lastly there was a podium and a large speaker that had a huge angry blinking eye.
"Where is Number 1?!" he yelled.
The creepy disguised Sprites chorused in squeaky voices, "Here come the judge, here come the judge, everybody know that here come the judge. Here come the judge, here come the judge, everybody know that here come the judge."
From the podium, it turned out to be Bob. He slammed down the hammer. "Silence in court!" They all responded. "The prosecutor will read the charges."
It happened to be Dot. "M'lord. The defendant is charged with believing that the end justifies the means," She then faced Megabyte, "AND of becoming everything he claims to hate."
He was caught off guard by the mockery. "Well, Your Honor-"
"Jury! How do you find the defendant?"
"Guilty! Guilty! Guilty! Guilty!"
"Your Honor! This is no trial. Where's my defense!?" Matrix retorted.
"Good point. Bring in the character witnesses."
From two smoking pits with poles sticking up, Hack and Slash rose singing, "Dem bones, dem bones in dry bones. Dem bones, dem bones in dry bones. Dem bones..."
"And what do you have to say on the defendant's behalf?" Da Judge asked.
"He is a very bad man." Hack said.
"Oh yeah, and mean." Slash added.
"Yeah! I forgot mean-and mean!"
"How does the jury find the defendant?" Bob queried.
"Guilty! Guilty! Guilty!"
The results were clearly not in Matrix's favor; even his own babbling henchmen were against him. They both descended into the pits singing, "Dem Bones" again and the room was silent.
In a desperate attempt, he tried to implore Dot one last time. "But I'm Enzo. I'm your brother. You must believe me."
"Stop saying you're my brother!" She ran and then kept bashing her chest. Then as Enzo held her in an attempt to calm her circuits, she was deleted.
"Sis!" He couldn't possibly believe what just processed. "What have I done..?"
Bob spoke cruelly, "Action speaks louder than words. You betrayed the memory of your sister. How does the jury find the defendant?"
"Guilty! Guilty! GUILTY!"
Bob stepped off the patio and marched up until he was inches away from Megabyte's face. "Have you've anything to say before I execute you?" He faced the jury of nightmarish Binomes, "Sorry, pass sentence."
"Bob, please. Help me. I have to end this. I have to find out who is Number 1!"
Miraculously, he was on the podium again chanting with the Binomes, "Guilty...guilty, guilty, guilty! GUILTY!"
"NOOOO!" In his fury, Matrix slashed the entire courtroom in one fell swoop. Everything turned into shattered pixels. Until Hex appeared from behind.
"So, you've killed everyone... Good..." When Matrix faced her, she was behind him again in a humongous mask. "Have you figured it out yet? I know I have." Matrix's eyes squinted in the blinding light, until her mask shattered. Numerous rotating smaller masks appeared before him. "We all have! We all have!"
He was all alone now, then he bottled up his anger and demanded again, "Tell me! WHO is NUMBER 1?!"
Just then, he saw a reflection in a VidWindow. There was Megabyte, but he was actually the REAL virus himself. "I am Number 1. I'm the driving force in your life, I am hatred. I drag you on and consume you..."
"Nooo!" He smashed down the window and another one appeared in its place. He returned to normal, but his own mirror image mocked him.
"I am Number 1," he pointed to himself in pride. "I care for no one."
"That's not true." The real Matrix implied. "I love AndrAIa."
"No you don't, you love yourself. Just looking out for Number 1." He stuck up a finger. Matrix's Gun was activated and it shot the window apart. But the surreal terror just wouldn't end. Only one more figure stood in his way.
"No. Not you."
It was just as he feared. He was facing his younger self as he emerged from the darkness. He was wearing his outfit with the numerals, 01, and he had a different, deeper voice than his normal one. "I am Number 1, the original. Do you think this is all a Game? Do YOU?!"
"But how..? You're me."
"But you HATE me. You must! Look at what you've become." He clearly disgusted over the abomination and format of his future self.
He tried to convince his past shell otherwise, "You're wrong. I had to become bigger, tougher. I had to be ready for Megabyte and survive the Games."
"Do you like the Games more than Mainframe? More than your family?" Enzo belittled.
"No, no I didn't! I was trapped in the Games..." he spoke in despair.
"Games, Games, Games. It was only a Game." Enzo grew infuriated. "You killed my family!"
"My family!"
"You've forgotten your family! You let yourself become a prisoner in the Games. What would Bob think of you now..?"
This definitely broke Matrix's heartstrings. "Bob..." It was as if he failed, or he went all this way for nothing to save his fallen mentor.
Holding up a small golf ball, Enzo made the sign like the others did before. "There can be only one. Be seeing you." He threw it directly toward his adult double. It enlarged itself and was about to smother Matrix who was horrified to even move. He was so petrified that his smaller, weaker self had the upper hand over him.
Until it stood still with a few soundwaves. From the rear, somehow the hapless Abra evolved into an Alakazam and used Kinesis to freeze the enlarged golf ball that was about to delete Matrix. The Pokémon was holding a pair of spoons, had a large mustache and long, pointed snout, his body was larger and more muscular, he had spiked ears and cheeks, there were brown armor plates on his chest, shoulders, knees, and forearms, and he had a red gem embedded on his forehead. From the amplified power from his silvery utensils, he then used a Psybeam to destroy it with a POP, then the renegade loaded his Gun directly at Enzo as the Psychic Pokémon bent his spoons, ready for the onslaught against the so-called innocent User.
"STOP!" Number One yelled; his voice immediately changed to that of Bob's. "It's over. The nightmare is over now. You have proven yourself." As he said this, Enzo started to grow, and his skin and clothes changed to the color blue. He had turned into the actual Guardian.
"Bob, is it really you?" Matrix questioned, looking shocked. Alakazam looked and felt the same.
"Yes, Matrix, or should I say Enzo, it is me." Bob said. "For real."
"But, but how? Why?" Matrix asked. The Psychic looked as puzzled as him, thinking it was another trick by Number 1.
Bob's voice lowered, "Matrix, don't you understand? You've faced the darkest part of yourself, and triumphed. You are worthy of being a Guardian."
Though he never wanted to be convinced as such, Matrix somehow felt an enormous feeling of relief flowing over him. "Bob, where are you?" he asked.
"Help me, Enzo Matrix, you're my only hope." Bob said in a monotone voice.
He wanted to know more. "Bob, where in the Net are you?"
Bob only repeated the message, as if he was a broken record. "Help me, Enzo Matrix, you're my only hope." He began to drift away.
"No, Bob! Come back!" Matrix cried as he and Alakazam chased after him.
"Help me, Enzo Matrix, you're my only hope." Bob said one last time before disappearing entirely. Then there was a bright flash, which caused Matrix and Alakazam to shield their eyes. After that, the renegade looked around minus his partner, and found himself in what looked like a golf course.
"You ok?" AndrAIa asked as she stood over him. Frisket was just watching beside her. Akari and her Alakazam were nowhere in sight.
"Yeah, I guess." He felt a bump on his aching forehead. "What happened?"
She giggled, "The mighty Matrix was not for a loop by an errant golf ball." She held one up; she was also wearing a large, flat hat with pink ribbons on it, along with a short outfit with an emblem of "Golf Mania" stitched into it. "By the way, Akari cheated with one of her Psychic powerhouses, so they had to sit this one out."
He looked over to see some opponents, consisting a tiger, a sombrero, and a shark. The first one swapped the ball and smiled at him. "Where are we? What happened to Mainframe?"
"You must be dreaming, we're on the final hole of Fairway Frolics. Why don't you wait here while I finish this hole and win the Game." she said happily holding a club.
Matrix then gave one of the best declaration lines ever. "I'm tired of waiting for things to happen. And I'm tired of these stupid Games." He stood up with a confidence he never had before. It seemed to rub off on the other Sprites. "We've been living like viruses, infecting Games and Systems. This has to end. We're taking control, the search for Mainframe, and Bob, begins now."
After that motivating speech, she smooched him on the cheek, "Welcome back."
"Now...who hit that golf ball?" He gazed over to the three frightened Users, like deer caught in the headlights, "Gun, Command Line. Targeting." He activated his rifle, his eye made the usual scan and gleam, and the dastard Sprites looked at each other for a few nanoseconds before scampering away. With the same attitude, Matrix replied one final "Be seeing you." before he shot the Game apart.
A/N: This was definitely the most trippy episode of the series I've ever seen before; nothing comes close. At first, I never thought it'd be a dream Matrix had, and I figured that he would be deleted forever by his younger self. Well, thank goodness he and Alakazam put an end to the dreaded nightmare. Also, the last sequence was based off of a segment from the fanfic, "Who was Number One" which was written by Kamen Sama.
Somehow, this episode always reminded me of the hit Nelly song, "I am Number One," even though I'm not really into rap; weirdness.
This was the second time Akari has ever rebooted, and I thought it might be hilarious to have her turn into the Null of Wellman Matrix and I also like green; I didn't have a lot of ideas for her anyway. I'd always been finding a way to end this dream, but thank goodness the fic helped me out, as did Abra who miraculously evolved into an Alakazam; I never liked the little Psychic Pokémon very much.