He took a deep breathe, then turned to the glaring TV.
Why now?
Why did Motherboard have to contact him now?
Stop it, Matthew!
He told himself, wiping the grimace off his face.
You're being selfish.
Pulling his left sleeve down, he grinned at the television.
"Motherboard!" He called, hiding any sign of annoyance.
"Cyberspace... in danger... Hacker... Clones...!"
"Hacker clones?! This can't be good."
The portal opened up, without another word from Motherboard, and Matt jumped in, only after hesitating a few seconds.
15 seconds
He counted in the back of his mind.
That's a new record
Matt was getting tired of traveling to this digital world. Not because he disliked the place, and especially not because he disliked the people there. There was something else...

Matt tumbled, yelping as he took a bad landing, in Solaria.
"Ouch!" Jumping up, he grabbed his wrist, and shook it, waving off the pain from his landing.
"You okay, Matt?" Said a familar voice.
Matt glanced upwards, and smiled as he spotted Jackie, with Inez peering over her shoulder.
He smiled... until he realized they were staring at his wrist.
Which he was still holding.
He quickly let go of it before they could speak again, and instead, spoke himself.
"I'm fine. Did either of you hear what Mother board said?"
Jackie and Inez snapped back into action, Inez being the first to respond.
"I heard something about Hacker cloning himself!"
Jackie stiffened and put her hands on her hips, "Are you sure? I thought she was talking about him cloning the Sunsisphere!"
Another portal opened up, and Digit flopped out, screeching with a start.
"Dige!" Matt exclaimed, reaching down to help the cy-boird.
"Thanks, Mattzer, " He opened his chest plate and pulled out a map, "No time to chit chat, though! Hacker's on his way to get the Sunisphere!"
Matt cringed, "So he IS after the Sunisphere!" He moved his arm behind him, feeling that all too familiar warmth running down his skin.
Jackie noticed.
"Matt, are you sure you're okay? You landed pretty hard."
The other two directed their attention to their ginger friend.
Inez frowned, "Does your wrist still hurt? I can take a look at it if-"
"NO!" Matt jumped at his own yell.
He wasn't the only one.
The three stared at him, totally forgetting their mission.
Digit stuttered in shock, " M-Matt? Are you feeling alright?"
The ginger boy lifted his unhidden arm and held his head.
"Yeah. I'm fine. Really. I just didn't sleep well last night."
The three stared at him for another moment, before nodding, and deciding it best to focus on their task. Since, you know... Solaria, and the entirity of Cyberspace were at risk.
Ugh... I can't get a break, can I?
Matt silently vented, staring at the map with a blank expression.
He was expecting to see a layout of Solaria, so it took him by surprise when he saw a map of all of cyberspace.
Digit paused, and then tried to speak , when suddenly a startled screech sounded from just over a sand dune.
The Cybersquad tensed, then raced towards the noise, without a second thought.
Matt was the first around the dune.
The first and the loudest.
As soon as he reached the sand pile, something grabbed his shirt and yanked him down.
"AH!"
"MATT!"
"Where did he go!?"
"And who screamed?!"
Everything was black.
He couldn't see a thing.
And now that he thought about it...
He couldn't breathe.
He tried to move.
His body felt heavy.
His arms and legs wouldn't budge.
He was starting to panic.
He felt himself being crushed.
When out of no where, a hand grabbed his hair and pulled him up.
He gasped for air, coughing and flailing from panic.
"Matt! It's okay!"
"Deep breaths, Matt!"
Matt realized that his friends had grabbed him. They had pulled him out of the sand.
His face went paler than snow, and he screamed, with what little breath his lungs had in them.
"SOMEONE'S BURIED IN THE SAND!"
The squad froze, before gently tossing Matt aside and desperately digging in the sand, which they now assumed had caved in on someone.
Matt just lay there, panting to regain his breath.
Sand clung to him. It itched. It was in his shirt, and his pants, and his shoes.
He spit. Some had gotten in his mouth.
Today sucks.

By now, Matt had sat up and was watching as his friends pulled a small girl out of the sand.
She was gasping for air, and panicked. Just like he had been.
Inez and Digit checked over her for any serious injuries as Jackie stood up and made her way to Matt.
Matt tensed up.
Go away. You can help that little girl. But get away from ME.
Jackie knelt down next to Matt.
In response, Matt shifted away from her.
"What are you doing?" He questioned.
Jackie huffed, "Matt. You just got buried in sand! Let me examine you!"
Matt shifted away further, "I'm fine, Jackie."
And to prove his point further, he stood up.
He shouldn't have.
Because the next thing he saw was more sand.
Jackie screeched, trying to catch Matt as his knees buckled under him.
Matt groaned.
Perfect... Just perfect. Can anything else go wrong today?!
He soon found himself being sat up by both Digit and Jackie.
As he was tilted, he saw Inez holding the little girl.
She seemed rather shaken up, but otherwise, uninjuried.
Matt huffed, just barely stopping himself from wishing she was injuired instead of him.
Matthew, shut up! What is wrong with you?!
His froze then screamed when he realized his shirt was being removed.
He grabbed onto the green fabric, "LEAVE ME ALONE!"
Jackie and Digit let go of his arms and back, allowing him to collapse back onto the sand.
Jackie's concerned face turned into one of anger.
"Matthew! We're TRYING to help you! Now sit still! You're hurt!"
"I didn't ask for your help!"
An older man came running over, having heard the rucus.
"What's going on?!"
Inez spoke first.
"Our friends were buried in the sand! We need help"
Matt felt rage wash over him.
He'd never felt so angry at the nearsighted child.
"I DON'T need help! Just get away from me! Leave me alone!"
Matt jumped up again, just barely catching himself as his knees buckled under him again.
He huffed in frustrastion, and tried to stand again.
But he couldn't get off the ground.
He started to panic.
He didn't want their help.
He just wanted to go home and be alone.
Suddenly he felt an arm on his shoulder.
He didn't know why...
But he felt himself become entranced by the sound of crying.
He didn't know why...
But he lifted his hands up and covered his ears.
He didn't know why...
But the sound terrified him.
He didn't know why...

But he did know why.