***This is my first Matrix fanfic, so go easy on me, ok? It's taken me awhile to write a presentable fanfic. Suggestions are welcome. BTW, the only character I own in this is Nemesis. All the rest belong to Warner Bros. and the Wachowski's.***

Trials & Tribulations:

Nemesis Awakened

Chapter 1- Sensing Something More

It was a seedy, nameless spot. Hidden deep down in the recesses of the city, this was not the place where the upper crust of society was to be found. Drug dealers sold their stock openly. Prostitutes wandered through, hoping for some money to live on. And hackers. Loads of 'em.

Nemesis was one of the youngsters, but she ran right along with the rest of them. She worked behind the counter at the bar, and had a knack for memorizing what the customer's favorite drink was. Sometimes, she would sneak off an unconscious drug dealer some of their highest priced stock. Turning right around, she would manage to sell it to some half-crazed addict for three times what it was normally going for. Or else, if the user didn't have cash, there were other paybacks, such as information. The hackeress craved information.

At fifteen, she was able to command a lot of respect. When you command respect, people talk about you. Someone talks to someone, and then they talk to someone, and so on and so on. The information was passed through the levels and eventually made it up to the people who where the best. The best wanted her on their side.

A woman made her way to the bar one night. Nemesis had never seen her before Really classy, thought Nemesis. Maybe I can charm her out of some of whatever she has. "Drink tonight, miss?"

"No, thank you. I came here to talk to you," the woman said, leaning in closer.

"You got something I want, miss?"

"Yes."

Nemesis took the woman to the upstairs room where the owner let her sleep at night. They could be alone up here. "So what do you have?" she demanded as soon as the door shut.

"I know what you've been doing, Nemesis. I know what you've been looking for. I should say who you've been looking for."

"So what else do you know about me besides my search?"

"I know the question you want to answer. You know the question, just as I did."

It took Nemesis a minute. "What is the matrix?"

"Morpheus can answer that," was all the woman gave as an answer."

"Morpheus??? He's here???" Nemesis said, barely keeping her voice down. She looked around, as if she was expecting him to pop out of the walls.

"No, he wants me to bring you to him."

"Now?"

"Yes, now."

"All right. I'll come."

*****

Nemesis was stuffed into the car unceremoniously by the woman. "Geez," she growled. "Watch it."

"Let's go, Smith," the woman ordered. The man in front complied, and the car went forward.

Nemesis looked out the window at the pouring rain and the blurred street outside as it flew past. Smith. I'll have to remember that. She glanced at the woman's reflection in the window. And this lady, whoever she is, seems to be in charge. Another thing that could come in handy. There was something in the woman's hand. Trying not to show too much interest, she turned and saw a gun aimed right at her. "What-?"

"It's protection."

"From who?"

"From you."

Nemesis raised her eyebrows slightly. "Me? I'm unarmed. How could I possibly be a threat to you?"

"You'll find out."

Nemesis leaned back. Things were getting even stranger. Something was going to happen, but what? One thing was for sure, running wasn't an option. The lady had a gun pointed at her, and no doubt this man Smith had one, too. She couldn't run, even if she wanted to.

"We're here," Smith called back to the woman from the driver's seat.

"Out of the car," the woman ordered in the same "I'm in charge" voice. Nemesis obeyed.

They entered an old building, and started to climb a seemingly endless set of stairs. They just kept spiraling up, and Nemesis was beginning to wonder where they ended. And what will I find when they end? Will I like what I find? She was directed onto the 8th floor. I guess I won't have long to find out.

Smith entered through a pair of doors near the end of a corridor. The woman moved ahead of Nemesis, stopping her before she could follow. What now? "Piece of advice: be honest. Morpheus knows a lot more than you probably think he does," the woman cautioned.

She opened the door for Nemesis. There was an only a moments hesitation before Nemesis made a decision: she went in. Over by the window, there was a man. He was dressed in a leather trench coat that touched the floor. He turned. Nemesis's eyes widened as he turned around and she saw his face clearly. It was exactly like the pictures. Morpheus.

"Welcome, Nemesis. You've probably guessed that I am Morpheus."

No kidding! "Hello, sir," Nemesis said in her most respectful tone. She held out her hand. "It's a honor."

He shook it, smiling with that creepy smile. "No, the honor is mine. Please. Sit." Nemesis slid over into one of the beat up leather chairs as the woman passed by her into another door. Morpheus sat down opposite of her. "Things must seem a bit confusing right now."

"I guess you could say that, sir," Nemesis said, trying not to sound like it.

"I can see it. Do you know why you are here?" Morpheus asked her.

"Because I know about the matrix," Nemesis answered.

"Do you want to know what it is?"

"Tell me."

"The matrix is everywhere," he told her.

"Even here?"

"Even here. It is the world that blinds us from the truth."

"What truth?"

He smiled again. "You'll have to find out for yourself." Morpheus leaned forward, taking out a small metal box. He opened it, and held it out for Nemesis to see. Inside there were two pills: a red one and a blue one. "I want you to remember that your decision is final. You cannot turn back. If you take the blue pill, you'll wake up in your home and you can believe whatever you want to. If you take the red pill, I can show you how deep this all goes."

Nemesis didn't need to be told twice. She swallowed the red pill. "All right, now what?"

"Follow me." Nemesis complied, and followed Morpheus through the door.

It was a room cluttered in all sorts of machines that Nemesis had never seen before. Smith and the woman were there, along with a new man that Nemesis had not seen yet. In the middle of all this was a chair. Morpheus motioned her to sit, so she sat. The woman walked over and began hooking her up to what looked like a monitor.

"The pill you took is part of a tracer program," Morpheus explained. "It disrupts your input/output carrier signal so we can pinpoint your location."

"And that means...?"

"You're in for a wild ride, kid," the new man said. Nemesis, while she waited for whatever was going to happen, looked into the broken mirror that she had seen while she was coming in. Only now......it was no longer broken! She reached out and touched it. It rippled like water. When she pulled her hand back, some silvery goop stayed on her fingers. Nemesis stared at it in wonder. Suddenly, it started to surge up her arm. Smart move!

"It's going into replication!"

"It's cold."

"Neo, Smith, location?"

"Nothing!"

"It's cold!"

"Tank, we need a signal fast!"

"It hurts!"

"She's going into arrest!"

"Help me!"

"Locked!"

"Now, Tank!"

Nemesis vanished with a last scream.