Hello there everyone! This is one of my first ReBoot fanfics. It's an ongoing series and I really hope you like it!
Disclaimer: They aren't even close to being mine. They belong to Mainframe Ent.
This fic is dedicated to my wonderful friend Lucy who will be making her grand debut in later chapters. Please enjoy! And don't
forget to review!! ;)
The Ties That Bind
by
Spookygirl
CHAPTER ONE
Dot Matrix sighed as she walked into her apartment. Today had been long and trying on her patience. It had only been three months since the restart and already Mainframe was in danger again. This time, it wasn't from an ordinary virus or web creature, it was from a very powerful super virus named Daemon.
Ever since Bob and Matrix had told them about Daemon, they had been making plans to prepare for her inevitable attack. Bob had said that it was only a matter of time until Daemon found Mainframe and when she did, she would be coming after the two remaining guardians.
Dot had feared this and was doing everything that she could to protect her family and her city. It wasn't an easy job, but if it meant that Mainframe would be safe, she'd do anything.
She had other problems as well, but they didn't have anything to do with viruses. Her biggest problem right now was Matrix. Since his return with Bob and AndrAIa, the renegade hadn't said a full sentence to her. He avoided her at all costs. It hurt a lot. She tried to talk to AndrAIa about it, but she had said that Matrix needed some time to get used to being home, not to mention having his younger self running around.
Dot had told AndrAIa to tell Enzo that she would be here whenever he was ready to talk to her, but so far, he hadn't tried. So, the only thing she could do was wait and go through life one day at a time. At least she had her family back. She smiled as she thought of them.
She and Bob had a steady relationship now and she mentally kicked herself several times for taking so long to admit her feelings for the handsome guardian. 'I've been doing that a lot lately, but it's worth it,' she thought. Bob couldn't seem to get enough of her. He was always coming to the Principal Office and trying to be with her as much as possible.
Little Enzo didn't remember anything about the war or even the game that brought AndrAIa. He had said that the last thing he remembered was the day before AndrAIa's game had come. She had tried to tell him what had happened, but he just ended up confused and frustrated. Other than that, he was happy and hung around Bob all the time, as usual.
She took off her head-set and set it on the counter in the kitchen and got a glass of data. "Enzo, I'm home!" she called.
A minute later, her hyperactive little brother bounced into the room and hopped onto the kitchen counter. "Hey, Dot! What's processing?"
"Not much, just glad to be home. How about you, sweetie?" she asked as she spun his cap around.
"I had an alphanumeric time with Bob today!! He took me jet bowling and I actually beat him!! Can you believe it, Dot?!" he said excitedly.
"Wow! You did? Great job! It's a good thing you did, because when he wins he brags forever! What else did you do?" she asked and moved to stand in front of him.
" Well, um...I talked to Matrix in the diner earlier," he said in a quieter voice.
'Hello!,' she thought, 'This is new.' "What did you talk about?" she asked a little warily. Everyone knew that Matrix wasn't too fond of Little Enzo. 'This could be a problem.'
"Um...he asked me if I wanted to go to Floating Point with him tomorrow afternoon after school," the boy answered.
"He did?" Dot asked.
"Yeah, and he said that he wanted to spend some time with me and he was sorry that he had treated me so bad when I first met him." Enzo said. "Can I, Dot? I want to get to know him. I know he's me, but I still don't know him and he seemed like he really wanted me to go."
"Well, I don't see why not. Is AndrAIa going with you?"
"No, Matrix said he just wanted to spend some quality time with me."
"Okay, Enzo, you can go. Just be home in time for dinner." Dot answered him. 'Now why won't he talk to me? If he can talk to Little Enzo, why not me?'
"Cool! Thanks, Dot!!" the little sprite exclaimed. Then, he hugged her and ran out of the room.
Dot sighed again as she watched him go into his room. 'I've been doing that a lot lately too,' she thought ruefully. 'What in the Net am I going to do about Matrix? He'll talk to Little Enzo, but not me? I don't understand any of this!' She sat down at the table and rubbed her forehead with her hand. "Oh, User, what am I going to do?" she said aloud.
She didn't have much time to contemplate this. A vid window popped up before her. It was Mouse.
"Hiya, sugah. Sorry t' bother you, but I've got a little problem here." The hacker turned and showed Dot her workstation. "A message just came for ya. It's addressed to all the Command.coms o' the 'Free Net.' I think you might want t' get down here."
"Alright...um, did you call, Bob?" Dot asked.
"I will as soon as I get off the window with you," Mouse said.
"Good, and call Matrix and AndrAIa. Have them meet me in my office." Dot stood and grabbed her head-set off the counter and put it on, "Oh, and get Hack and Slash over here to watch Enzo."
"Right away, Commander." Mouse replied with a wink. The window closed.
"Enzo!" Dot called again.
"Yeah, Dot?" the little sprite asked as he entered the room.
"Sweetie, I'm really sorry, but I have to go to the Principal Office. Hack and Slash will be here soon to keep an eye on you. Make sure you do your homework files and behave yourself," Dot said and kissed her brother on the cheek.
"Okay, Dot. I'll be good, I promise," he said and watched as she left the apartment.
Dot walked into the diner. It was closed for the night, so she wouldn't have to worry about anything here. Cecil had shut down already and the place was spotless. 'I really ought to give Cecil a raise,' she thought.
She left the diner and threw down a zipboard. She stepped onto it and was soon on her way to the P. O. She looked around the city as she zipped along. It was back to normal. The citizens went about their lives now as if Megabyte had never been there at all. She didn't want that peace to be shattered.
Finally, Dot arrived at the P.O. and headed straight for her office. When she entered, she found that the others were already there waiting for her. "Hi, guys, sorry it took me so long. So, Mouse, what's this message about?"
"Well, sugah, I didn't open it, but I think we all know who it's from and what it's about," the hacker replied. She handed the message to Dot.
"Daemon," Dot said in an emotionless voice.
The message was a small vid window. It was completely black. 'To the Command.coms of the Free Net' was written across it in blood red letters. The others waited in a tense silence as Dot tapped the window to play the message. A second later, the window expanded to regular size and the protectors of Mainframe saw Daemon for the first time.
Daemon looked exactly like a sprite. Her skin was a dark red and her hair was ebony. She had yellow veins pulsing all across her body. She wore a black dress that fell down to her ankles and had slits up the sides that went all the way up to her thighs. Her eyes, believe it or not, were the scariest things about her. They were white and had the yellow veins going across them. Then, Daemon spoke.
"Commanders of the Free Net, look upon me and cower in fear for I am your end. I am Daemon, the ruler of the Supercomputer and soon, the ruler of the entire Net. As I am sure you all know, the guardians are now my slaves. I have captured almost every system in the Net, except for two: System Alpha and System Mainframe.
"This message is to warn you that your time is very limited. I have almost taken System Alpha, so let me assure you, Dot Matrix of Mainframe, that you are next. I will have your system and the two remaining guardians. It is useless to try and stop me for I am invincible.
"I also have a little insurance that I will not fail." A second vid window appeared next to the first. In it, were three wanted posters. One of Bob, one of Matrix, and one of Dot. The money offered for their capture was an incredible amount, but Dot's offered the most. Dot was in shock, but she couldn't say anything because Daemon continued.
"Ten million credits for Dot Matrix and five million a piece for each of the guardians. These signs are posted all over the Net and there are many who would seek my favor, so you don't have much of a chance. If you choose to, you may surrender and I will not destroy your system, but should you refuse, I will turn your system to cyber dust.
I await your response." The vid window closed, leaving the sprites in a shocked silence.
"Ten million credits. That's not bad, sugah. I've never been wanted for that much in my entire career as a hacker." Mouse said, trying to ease the tension in the room.
"I'm flattered," Dot said sarcastically as she sat down in her chair behind her desk, "But the question is, why am I worth that much? I should think that Bob and Matrix would be her top priority since they're the only guardians that aren't infected."
"Maybe she thinks that if she gets the system commander, she'll get the system too," AndrAIa said.
"That's one possibility and the most likely, but how can we know for sure?" Matrix said with a thoughtful look on his face.
"I think you're right, Matrix, and until we find out, I suggest the three of us lay low for a while," Bob said.
"A wise idea, my son," Phong said, "There are rooms here that you may stay in."
"Thank you, Phong," Bob told him, "Could you have Hack and Slash bring Enzo here?"
"Certainly, Bob, I shall call them immediately," Phong replied and left Dot's office.
"I think I'll go t' the hanger. Ray's coming back from his latest adventure," Mouse told them and left as well.
"C'mon, Sparky, I think we should go find our room," AndrAIa told Matrix. The two sprites rose and walked through the door. AndrAIa walked out, but Matrix stopped and turned to Bob and Dot. "Look, Bob...Dot, don't worry about those posters. Nothing's going to happen to you."
"Or you." Bob replied.
"Goodnight, Bob." Matrix said and, after a moment, he added "Um...goodnight, Dot." He left before either could reply.
Bob turned to face Dot. The Command.com was looking at the top of her desk. He walked around the desk and kneeled next to her chair. "Are you alright, Dot?"
She looked at him, her violet eyes shimmering with tears, "Oh, I'm just fine, Bob. I'm alphanumeric! I've got a super virus after me, not to mention all the people who saw that poster, and my own brother can't even say two sentences to me. Why would you think anything's wrong?" She asked bitterly.
"Dot, I'm not the enemy here. I just want to help you," he said and took her hand in his.
"I know, Bob. I'm sorry, but this is just too much for me to process right now. Who knows what Daemon wants with us? I don't know what to think. The past six months have been the hardest times of my life. The only good thing that's happened is that I got all of you back, including the system. I'm just so tired of fighting." She said as a few tears slipped down her cheeks.
Bob wiped them away gently and pulled her to him. He wrapped his arms around her and she rested her head on his shoulder. "She won't get you or Matrix, Dot. I'll delete before I let that happen. I promise that I'll do everything I can to keep you and Mainframe safe," he whispered to her.
She looked up into his eyes and saw his love for her shining in them. She knew he would keep his word. He always did. She smiled at him through her tears, "I know you will, Bob. You'd never let me down. Nothing will happen to you either. I'll protect you and Matrix. I'm the commander of this system and I'll do anything that I can to keep it and the people safe."
He held her once more. She had to be the bravest sprite he'd ever met. He knew that she wouldn't let Daemon harm her system. She'd come up with a brilliant plan like she always did and Mainframe would be safe. Dot Matrix was not a good person to mess with when it came to the safety of her system.
"You know what?" he asked her.
"What?" she replied looking at him once more.
"I love you, Commander Matrix," he told her with a gentle smile.
"And I love you, Guardian 452," she said and stroked his cheek with her hand.
He leaned forward and his mouth claimed hers in a gentle kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and the kiss deepened. Dot let out all of her love for her guardian into the kiss and after a few more seconds, they separated.
"One of my main problems is Matrix. Have you talked to him lately, Bob?" Dot asked him.
"Um...yeah, I talked to him earlier today, just before Little Enzo and I went jet bowling," he replied, "Why? Is something wrong?"
"What did he say to you?" she asked, ignoring his question.
"He asked if I thought it was a good idea for him to spend some time with Little Enzo. I told him I thought it was a great idea."
"Well, he listened to you because he's taking Little Enzo to Floating Point tomorrow after Enzo gets out of school. Did he say anything else?" Dot asked.
"Yeah, he asked how things were going between me and you and I told him that everything was just fine. Then, he asked how you were. I said you were fine, but I didn't quite understand why he didn't go see you for himself. Is that what you're worried about?"
"Yes. He won't talk to me. Every time I try to talk to him he just makes up some excuse about having to be somewhere else or he has to go do something and leaves before I can say anything else." Dot answered sadly.
"Do you think that maybe he's afraid?" Bob asked her.
"Afraid? Of what? His own sister?" Dot asked, not quite understanding what Bob meant.
"No, not of you. I think he might be afraid of what you think of him and what he's become. He's told me some stories of what he, AndrAIa, and Frisket went through when they were game hopping. He said he was what he was because it was the only way to survive. Maybe he's afraid you think that he let you down when he lost that game? I don't know for sure, but I think it could be either one of those reasons, or it could be both." Bob explained.
After a few seconds of thought, Dot replied, "I think you're right, Bob. I just wish he would talk to me. I even talked to AndrAIa and she said to just give him time. I will, but I can't stand the thought of my own brother being afraid of me. He's my brother, I love him no matter what he's done or who he's become. I thought he knew that."
Before Bob could reply, a vid window opened showing Phong. "I'm sorry to interrupt, my child, but Little Enzo has arrived with Hack and Slash."
"Thank you, Phong. Could you get him a room close to mine and tell him that I'll be there in a few minutes to talk to him?" Dot asked.
"Of course, Dot," Phong replied. The window closed.
"You're going to tell him, Dot?" Bob asked.
"I'm going to have to. He'll start to wonder why he has to stay at the P.O." she replied.
"I have an idea. Why don't you go talk to Enzo about our situation and I'll go talk to Matrix." Bob suggested.
"Would you?" Dot asked hopefully.
"Sure. I think AndrAIa will understand when I tell her what I need to talk to Matrix about. She'll leave us alone. It'll be no problem," he said flashing her his cocky grin.
"Thank you, Bob, for everything," Dot said smiling at him.
"No thanks needed, sweetheart," he told her.
"Will you meet me later? We can talk some more," Dot asked him.
"Absolutely," he replied. Bob gave her a quick kiss and left in search of Matrix.
Dot stood and walked out of her office. She headed down the hall to the guest quarters. When she reached Little Enzo's room, she took a moment to plan out what she was going to say in her head. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
"Come in," she heard Enzo call out.
She opened the door and walked in. "Hey, little bro."
"Hey, Dot." Enzo smiled at her.
"Mind if I sit down? There's something I need to talk to you about." Dot requested.
"Sure, Dot," he said. She pulled a chair over next to his bed.
"I want you to understand that what I'm about to tell you is very important, Enzo. It's nothing to joke about. Do you understand?" she began.
"Yeah, I understand," he said, losing his playful air almost immediately.
"Phong told you that you have to stay in the P.O. for a while?" she asked him.
"Uh huh. He wouldn't say why though." Enzo answered, getting very curious.
"I'll tell you why. I need you to be here so I know you'll be safe." Dot explained.
"Why, Dot? What's going on?" he asked with a hint of fear.
"I received a message from Daemon today. It was very disturbing to say the least. Bob, Matrix, and I are wanted by Daemon and the guardians. She's put up wanted posters all over the Net and offered a reward for each of us. Anyone who sees those posters will want to get their digits on that money because it's a lot. They might also want to win Daemon's favor." Dot told him.
"How much is the reward?" Enzo asked.
"Bob and Matrix are worth five million credits a piece." Dot answered.
"What about you?" Enzo asked even though he was afraid of the answer.
"Ten million." Dot said in a quiet voice.
"What?!" Enzo asked fearfully, "Dot, they can't have you!! You can't let them!" He clung to her like a child would cling to their mother, "Dot, please don't let them take you!!"
"I won't, baby, I promise. They won't get me without a fight." Dot soothed him as best she could. She held him and whispered reassurances to him. She was used to doing this. She had been Enzo's 'mother' for the longest time that all this was natural to her.
"Dot, you can't let them have Bob or Matrix either." Enzo pleaded with her.
"I won't, sweetie. I'll fight her with everything I have if it'll keep everyone safe. I won't let her harm Mainframe or my family," she swore with a strong determination burning in her eyes.
Enzo saw this and he calmed down. He pulled away and rebooted into his pajamas. "Will you tuck me in, Dot?"
"Of course. Don't I always?" she responded with a grin.
Enzo climbed under the covers and snuggled in. Dot pulled the covers over him and kissed him on his forehead. "Goodnight, little brother, I love you," she said.
"I love you too, Dot," he replied with a big yawn.
Dot smiled and walked out of the room, turning off the lights and closing the door as she left. She opened a vid window and a CPU appeared on the other side.
"Yes, ma'am?" he asked and saluted her.
"Captain, I want two guards posted outside this room, understand?" she ordered.
"Of course, Commander," the CPU replied.
"I want them to stay there all night. If they need to change shifts that's fine, but I want two guards by this door all night," she said.
"Certainly, Ms. Matrix," the CPU saluted again and closed the window.
'Well, that's done,' she thought, 'I wonder how Bob is doing with Matrix...'
~(V)~ ~(V)~ ~(V)~ ~(V)~ ~(V)~
End of Chapter One
Disclaimer: They aren't even close to being mine. They belong to Mainframe Ent.
This fic is dedicated to my wonderful friend Lucy who will be making her grand debut in later chapters. Please enjoy! And don't
forget to review!! ;)
The Ties That Bind
by
Spookygirl
CHAPTER ONE
Dot Matrix sighed as she walked into her apartment. Today had been long and trying on her patience. It had only been three months since the restart and already Mainframe was in danger again. This time, it wasn't from an ordinary virus or web creature, it was from a very powerful super virus named Daemon.
Ever since Bob and Matrix had told them about Daemon, they had been making plans to prepare for her inevitable attack. Bob had said that it was only a matter of time until Daemon found Mainframe and when she did, she would be coming after the two remaining guardians.
Dot had feared this and was doing everything that she could to protect her family and her city. It wasn't an easy job, but if it meant that Mainframe would be safe, she'd do anything.
She had other problems as well, but they didn't have anything to do with viruses. Her biggest problem right now was Matrix. Since his return with Bob and AndrAIa, the renegade hadn't said a full sentence to her. He avoided her at all costs. It hurt a lot. She tried to talk to AndrAIa about it, but she had said that Matrix needed some time to get used to being home, not to mention having his younger self running around.
Dot had told AndrAIa to tell Enzo that she would be here whenever he was ready to talk to her, but so far, he hadn't tried. So, the only thing she could do was wait and go through life one day at a time. At least she had her family back. She smiled as she thought of them.
She and Bob had a steady relationship now and she mentally kicked herself several times for taking so long to admit her feelings for the handsome guardian. 'I've been doing that a lot lately, but it's worth it,' she thought. Bob couldn't seem to get enough of her. He was always coming to the Principal Office and trying to be with her as much as possible.
Little Enzo didn't remember anything about the war or even the game that brought AndrAIa. He had said that the last thing he remembered was the day before AndrAIa's game had come. She had tried to tell him what had happened, but he just ended up confused and frustrated. Other than that, he was happy and hung around Bob all the time, as usual.
She took off her head-set and set it on the counter in the kitchen and got a glass of data. "Enzo, I'm home!" she called.
A minute later, her hyperactive little brother bounced into the room and hopped onto the kitchen counter. "Hey, Dot! What's processing?"
"Not much, just glad to be home. How about you, sweetie?" she asked as she spun his cap around.
"I had an alphanumeric time with Bob today!! He took me jet bowling and I actually beat him!! Can you believe it, Dot?!" he said excitedly.
"Wow! You did? Great job! It's a good thing you did, because when he wins he brags forever! What else did you do?" she asked and moved to stand in front of him.
" Well, um...I talked to Matrix in the diner earlier," he said in a quieter voice.
'Hello!,' she thought, 'This is new.' "What did you talk about?" she asked a little warily. Everyone knew that Matrix wasn't too fond of Little Enzo. 'This could be a problem.'
"Um...he asked me if I wanted to go to Floating Point with him tomorrow afternoon after school," the boy answered.
"He did?" Dot asked.
"Yeah, and he said that he wanted to spend some time with me and he was sorry that he had treated me so bad when I first met him." Enzo said. "Can I, Dot? I want to get to know him. I know he's me, but I still don't know him and he seemed like he really wanted me to go."
"Well, I don't see why not. Is AndrAIa going with you?"
"No, Matrix said he just wanted to spend some quality time with me."
"Okay, Enzo, you can go. Just be home in time for dinner." Dot answered him. 'Now why won't he talk to me? If he can talk to Little Enzo, why not me?'
"Cool! Thanks, Dot!!" the little sprite exclaimed. Then, he hugged her and ran out of the room.
Dot sighed again as she watched him go into his room. 'I've been doing that a lot lately too,' she thought ruefully. 'What in the Net am I going to do about Matrix? He'll talk to Little Enzo, but not me? I don't understand any of this!' She sat down at the table and rubbed her forehead with her hand. "Oh, User, what am I going to do?" she said aloud.
She didn't have much time to contemplate this. A vid window popped up before her. It was Mouse.
"Hiya, sugah. Sorry t' bother you, but I've got a little problem here." The hacker turned and showed Dot her workstation. "A message just came for ya. It's addressed to all the Command.coms o' the 'Free Net.' I think you might want t' get down here."
"Alright...um, did you call, Bob?" Dot asked.
"I will as soon as I get off the window with you," Mouse said.
"Good, and call Matrix and AndrAIa. Have them meet me in my office." Dot stood and grabbed her head-set off the counter and put it on, "Oh, and get Hack and Slash over here to watch Enzo."
"Right away, Commander." Mouse replied with a wink. The window closed.
"Enzo!" Dot called again.
"Yeah, Dot?" the little sprite asked as he entered the room.
"Sweetie, I'm really sorry, but I have to go to the Principal Office. Hack and Slash will be here soon to keep an eye on you. Make sure you do your homework files and behave yourself," Dot said and kissed her brother on the cheek.
"Okay, Dot. I'll be good, I promise," he said and watched as she left the apartment.
Dot walked into the diner. It was closed for the night, so she wouldn't have to worry about anything here. Cecil had shut down already and the place was spotless. 'I really ought to give Cecil a raise,' she thought.
She left the diner and threw down a zipboard. She stepped onto it and was soon on her way to the P. O. She looked around the city as she zipped along. It was back to normal. The citizens went about their lives now as if Megabyte had never been there at all. She didn't want that peace to be shattered.
Finally, Dot arrived at the P.O. and headed straight for her office. When she entered, she found that the others were already there waiting for her. "Hi, guys, sorry it took me so long. So, Mouse, what's this message about?"
"Well, sugah, I didn't open it, but I think we all know who it's from and what it's about," the hacker replied. She handed the message to Dot.
"Daemon," Dot said in an emotionless voice.
The message was a small vid window. It was completely black. 'To the Command.coms of the Free Net' was written across it in blood red letters. The others waited in a tense silence as Dot tapped the window to play the message. A second later, the window expanded to regular size and the protectors of Mainframe saw Daemon for the first time.
Daemon looked exactly like a sprite. Her skin was a dark red and her hair was ebony. She had yellow veins pulsing all across her body. She wore a black dress that fell down to her ankles and had slits up the sides that went all the way up to her thighs. Her eyes, believe it or not, were the scariest things about her. They were white and had the yellow veins going across them. Then, Daemon spoke.
"Commanders of the Free Net, look upon me and cower in fear for I am your end. I am Daemon, the ruler of the Supercomputer and soon, the ruler of the entire Net. As I am sure you all know, the guardians are now my slaves. I have captured almost every system in the Net, except for two: System Alpha and System Mainframe.
"This message is to warn you that your time is very limited. I have almost taken System Alpha, so let me assure you, Dot Matrix of Mainframe, that you are next. I will have your system and the two remaining guardians. It is useless to try and stop me for I am invincible.
"I also have a little insurance that I will not fail." A second vid window appeared next to the first. In it, were three wanted posters. One of Bob, one of Matrix, and one of Dot. The money offered for their capture was an incredible amount, but Dot's offered the most. Dot was in shock, but she couldn't say anything because Daemon continued.
"Ten million credits for Dot Matrix and five million a piece for each of the guardians. These signs are posted all over the Net and there are many who would seek my favor, so you don't have much of a chance. If you choose to, you may surrender and I will not destroy your system, but should you refuse, I will turn your system to cyber dust.
I await your response." The vid window closed, leaving the sprites in a shocked silence.
"Ten million credits. That's not bad, sugah. I've never been wanted for that much in my entire career as a hacker." Mouse said, trying to ease the tension in the room.
"I'm flattered," Dot said sarcastically as she sat down in her chair behind her desk, "But the question is, why am I worth that much? I should think that Bob and Matrix would be her top priority since they're the only guardians that aren't infected."
"Maybe she thinks that if she gets the system commander, she'll get the system too," AndrAIa said.
"That's one possibility and the most likely, but how can we know for sure?" Matrix said with a thoughtful look on his face.
"I think you're right, Matrix, and until we find out, I suggest the three of us lay low for a while," Bob said.
"A wise idea, my son," Phong said, "There are rooms here that you may stay in."
"Thank you, Phong," Bob told him, "Could you have Hack and Slash bring Enzo here?"
"Certainly, Bob, I shall call them immediately," Phong replied and left Dot's office.
"I think I'll go t' the hanger. Ray's coming back from his latest adventure," Mouse told them and left as well.
"C'mon, Sparky, I think we should go find our room," AndrAIa told Matrix. The two sprites rose and walked through the door. AndrAIa walked out, but Matrix stopped and turned to Bob and Dot. "Look, Bob...Dot, don't worry about those posters. Nothing's going to happen to you."
"Or you." Bob replied.
"Goodnight, Bob." Matrix said and, after a moment, he added "Um...goodnight, Dot." He left before either could reply.
Bob turned to face Dot. The Command.com was looking at the top of her desk. He walked around the desk and kneeled next to her chair. "Are you alright, Dot?"
She looked at him, her violet eyes shimmering with tears, "Oh, I'm just fine, Bob. I'm alphanumeric! I've got a super virus after me, not to mention all the people who saw that poster, and my own brother can't even say two sentences to me. Why would you think anything's wrong?" She asked bitterly.
"Dot, I'm not the enemy here. I just want to help you," he said and took her hand in his.
"I know, Bob. I'm sorry, but this is just too much for me to process right now. Who knows what Daemon wants with us? I don't know what to think. The past six months have been the hardest times of my life. The only good thing that's happened is that I got all of you back, including the system. I'm just so tired of fighting." She said as a few tears slipped down her cheeks.
Bob wiped them away gently and pulled her to him. He wrapped his arms around her and she rested her head on his shoulder. "She won't get you or Matrix, Dot. I'll delete before I let that happen. I promise that I'll do everything I can to keep you and Mainframe safe," he whispered to her.
She looked up into his eyes and saw his love for her shining in them. She knew he would keep his word. He always did. She smiled at him through her tears, "I know you will, Bob. You'd never let me down. Nothing will happen to you either. I'll protect you and Matrix. I'm the commander of this system and I'll do anything that I can to keep it and the people safe."
He held her once more. She had to be the bravest sprite he'd ever met. He knew that she wouldn't let Daemon harm her system. She'd come up with a brilliant plan like she always did and Mainframe would be safe. Dot Matrix was not a good person to mess with when it came to the safety of her system.
"You know what?" he asked her.
"What?" she replied looking at him once more.
"I love you, Commander Matrix," he told her with a gentle smile.
"And I love you, Guardian 452," she said and stroked his cheek with her hand.
He leaned forward and his mouth claimed hers in a gentle kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and the kiss deepened. Dot let out all of her love for her guardian into the kiss and after a few more seconds, they separated.
"One of my main problems is Matrix. Have you talked to him lately, Bob?" Dot asked him.
"Um...yeah, I talked to him earlier today, just before Little Enzo and I went jet bowling," he replied, "Why? Is something wrong?"
"What did he say to you?" she asked, ignoring his question.
"He asked if I thought it was a good idea for him to spend some time with Little Enzo. I told him I thought it was a great idea."
"Well, he listened to you because he's taking Little Enzo to Floating Point tomorrow after Enzo gets out of school. Did he say anything else?" Dot asked.
"Yeah, he asked how things were going between me and you and I told him that everything was just fine. Then, he asked how you were. I said you were fine, but I didn't quite understand why he didn't go see you for himself. Is that what you're worried about?"
"Yes. He won't talk to me. Every time I try to talk to him he just makes up some excuse about having to be somewhere else or he has to go do something and leaves before I can say anything else." Dot answered sadly.
"Do you think that maybe he's afraid?" Bob asked her.
"Afraid? Of what? His own sister?" Dot asked, not quite understanding what Bob meant.
"No, not of you. I think he might be afraid of what you think of him and what he's become. He's told me some stories of what he, AndrAIa, and Frisket went through when they were game hopping. He said he was what he was because it was the only way to survive. Maybe he's afraid you think that he let you down when he lost that game? I don't know for sure, but I think it could be either one of those reasons, or it could be both." Bob explained.
After a few seconds of thought, Dot replied, "I think you're right, Bob. I just wish he would talk to me. I even talked to AndrAIa and she said to just give him time. I will, but I can't stand the thought of my own brother being afraid of me. He's my brother, I love him no matter what he's done or who he's become. I thought he knew that."
Before Bob could reply, a vid window opened showing Phong. "I'm sorry to interrupt, my child, but Little Enzo has arrived with Hack and Slash."
"Thank you, Phong. Could you get him a room close to mine and tell him that I'll be there in a few minutes to talk to him?" Dot asked.
"Of course, Dot," Phong replied. The window closed.
"You're going to tell him, Dot?" Bob asked.
"I'm going to have to. He'll start to wonder why he has to stay at the P.O." she replied.
"I have an idea. Why don't you go talk to Enzo about our situation and I'll go talk to Matrix." Bob suggested.
"Would you?" Dot asked hopefully.
"Sure. I think AndrAIa will understand when I tell her what I need to talk to Matrix about. She'll leave us alone. It'll be no problem," he said flashing her his cocky grin.
"Thank you, Bob, for everything," Dot said smiling at him.
"No thanks needed, sweetheart," he told her.
"Will you meet me later? We can talk some more," Dot asked him.
"Absolutely," he replied. Bob gave her a quick kiss and left in search of Matrix.
Dot stood and walked out of her office. She headed down the hall to the guest quarters. When she reached Little Enzo's room, she took a moment to plan out what she was going to say in her head. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
"Come in," she heard Enzo call out.
She opened the door and walked in. "Hey, little bro."
"Hey, Dot." Enzo smiled at her.
"Mind if I sit down? There's something I need to talk to you about." Dot requested.
"Sure, Dot," he said. She pulled a chair over next to his bed.
"I want you to understand that what I'm about to tell you is very important, Enzo. It's nothing to joke about. Do you understand?" she began.
"Yeah, I understand," he said, losing his playful air almost immediately.
"Phong told you that you have to stay in the P.O. for a while?" she asked him.
"Uh huh. He wouldn't say why though." Enzo answered, getting very curious.
"I'll tell you why. I need you to be here so I know you'll be safe." Dot explained.
"Why, Dot? What's going on?" he asked with a hint of fear.
"I received a message from Daemon today. It was very disturbing to say the least. Bob, Matrix, and I are wanted by Daemon and the guardians. She's put up wanted posters all over the Net and offered a reward for each of us. Anyone who sees those posters will want to get their digits on that money because it's a lot. They might also want to win Daemon's favor." Dot told him.
"How much is the reward?" Enzo asked.
"Bob and Matrix are worth five million credits a piece." Dot answered.
"What about you?" Enzo asked even though he was afraid of the answer.
"Ten million." Dot said in a quiet voice.
"What?!" Enzo asked fearfully, "Dot, they can't have you!! You can't let them!" He clung to her like a child would cling to their mother, "Dot, please don't let them take you!!"
"I won't, baby, I promise. They won't get me without a fight." Dot soothed him as best she could. She held him and whispered reassurances to him. She was used to doing this. She had been Enzo's 'mother' for the longest time that all this was natural to her.
"Dot, you can't let them have Bob or Matrix either." Enzo pleaded with her.
"I won't, sweetie. I'll fight her with everything I have if it'll keep everyone safe. I won't let her harm Mainframe or my family," she swore with a strong determination burning in her eyes.
Enzo saw this and he calmed down. He pulled away and rebooted into his pajamas. "Will you tuck me in, Dot?"
"Of course. Don't I always?" she responded with a grin.
Enzo climbed under the covers and snuggled in. Dot pulled the covers over him and kissed him on his forehead. "Goodnight, little brother, I love you," she said.
"I love you too, Dot," he replied with a big yawn.
Dot smiled and walked out of the room, turning off the lights and closing the door as she left. She opened a vid window and a CPU appeared on the other side.
"Yes, ma'am?" he asked and saluted her.
"Captain, I want two guards posted outside this room, understand?" she ordered.
"Of course, Commander," the CPU replied.
"I want them to stay there all night. If they need to change shifts that's fine, but I want two guards by this door all night," she said.
"Certainly, Ms. Matrix," the CPU saluted again and closed the window.
'Well, that's done,' she thought, 'I wonder how Bob is doing with Matrix...'
~(V)~ ~(V)~ ~(V)~ ~(V)~ ~(V)~
End of Chapter One