Demons Within
by Byte
"Pain is ready, pain is waiting.
Prime to do it's educating.
Unwanted, uninvited kin
It creeps beneath your crawling skin
It lives without it lives within you" Dream One by Depeche Mode
He looks like a child, Trinity thought, sleep had stripped away, paranoia, fear, expectation and terror from his face. Making him look so young. Maybe we are younger when we sleep. She walked over and began playing with Neo's short hair. It was basically a buzz cut, she liked the way it looked in the Matrix better.
"C'mon Neo you have to wake up."
"What can't I have five more minutes?" He asked sleepily.
"No."
"Thought so." He grunted as he sat up, and clutched at his chest. The bullet wounds had healed instantly, leaving only circular scars behind, still hurt him though, they couldn't explain why.
"Still hurt?" She asked voicing her concerns.
"Yeah, it's getting better though." He assured her with a smile. Her heart fluttered for a second. Neo just had that effect on her. Is this love, or am I having heart problems? She traced the line of his jaw, tracing a day's worth of stubble on his chin. He leaned in and she took the hint, the moment their lips touched. Someone began knocking on the bunk's door.
"C'mon you two, we're almost at Zion." Tank said with a large smile. "Oops were you two in the middle of something?" He asked innocently.
"I think you damn well." Trinity growled and stalked out the room. As she left she heard Neo whine, "I never get to have any fun..." Neither did she, neither did she.
Neo stared out the window, as they approached Zion. It was beautiful, all the lights like stars in a midnight sky. He probably looked like a five year old on a plane for the first time.
"Wow.." He whispered. Just then Tank clapped him around his shoulders.
"What did you expect log cabins? But don't let it fool you, Zion's got a lot of problems, human, mechanical and political."
"Basically no different than any other major city in the Matrix." Tank shrugged, "I wouldn't know, now would I?" No he wouldn't, He didn't know whether to envy or pity Tank for it. Neo returned his attention to the window, and watched the entire time until they docked, at some point Tank left, he wasn't sure when. The city lights fascinated him. Life, he still found it hard to believe, that there was life outside this little ship. Amazing.
"Neo. Neo Time to go we've docked."
"Wonderful. Hey by the way is the food any better in Zion?" Trinity stared at him a second, then laughed, it was a great sound, rare but great.
"What? Hey what is it?" He yelled as he followed her out of the room.
"Morpheus, Long time no see." Said the woman who the met right after they got of the Neb. She was short with her copper hair in a chin length bob. Despite the her short stature, she exuded power. She was probably his own age, maybe older maybe younger, it was impossible to tell.
"It is a pleasure as always Sagi." Morpheus said with a low bow. Sagi smiled and nodded, then turned and faced Neo. He felt her stare and for a second felt like a piece of meat being examined.
"He's new." She commented, "And no offense," She said glancing at him, "but where are the rest of the crew?" Her face shifted as she saw the expressions on his and their faces.
"What's happened? For out souls and our health what happened Morpheus." An eerie edge to her voice, disbelief, but she knew.
"Cypher he betrayed us to the agents, killed Apoc, Switch, Dozer, and set up Mouse. Near killed us all." Trinity said, the sadness so apparent in her voice. Neo resisted the urge to put his arm around Trinity.
"I give you my deepest sorrow. I assume that you will go to Temple of Lights." The Temple of Lights? What was that? A memorial he guess, could be a church. He'd have to ask Trinity about that.
"As soon as we are finished with the council's debriefing. We have planned on it. Those who died as heroes will warrant the proper memorial."
"And Cypher can burn in hell." Tank spat out. You got that right Neo thought, he hoped Cypher got what he deserved.
Sagi smiled, "Amen to that." He got the distinct feeling that Sagi considered traitors worse than plague, rats, and lawyers. "Follow me." She commanded, "I'll show you to your quarters. And I'm impressed, you must have done something right. What did you do? Find the One?" She laughed, "Yeah like that will ever happen." She said the humor receding from her voice. Man would she be surprised. They started walking down the streets. Neo had seen the slums of major cities, and they had nothing on the streets here. The building were all dark, each a coffin. There was no dirt or papers in the street, like you would expect in a slum. There was graffiti on the building though, with slogan like, "I wanna go back", "Let them win." "This is your fault.", "We've lost." And various swear words incorporated in the mix of slogan. But the scariest part was the people, all walking skeletons, sunken in eyes, some of them clutching bottles, others surrounded in clouds of smoke, and some staring of into the distance, obviously contemplating dangerous, deadly thoughts.
"These are the ones that have fallen thought the crack." Trinity whispered beside him, obviously noticing his stares at the world around him.
"How?" Could that have happened to him. He'd like to think not.
"Some where too old or too dependant on the system to accept the change. Other saw their crew mates brutally murdered, and they cracked. Some just lost entrust in the fight, and had the frame of mind to get out before they did something they knew they would regret. Others just started drinking, drugging, and haven't stopped yet."
"So it can happen to anyone."
"Not if you're strong, and have people to hold onto." She assured him. They continued the trek down the street of the dying, and the ones that wished they were. Then a loud screaming started, and a man rushed them, he lunged at Neo, and pinned him to the ground. He had five o'clock shadow, and his eyes were in the middle of black circles. He wasn't old, probably in his early thirties.
"I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE!!" He screamed. "I see it. I see it." He began mumbling, as Trinity and Tank hauled him off Neo.
"I think you got competition." Tank said to Trinity. She didn't think that was funny. Neo was breathing hard, how did this madman, know what he was. Maybe he was just on stuff, maybe he was just hallucinating. Maybe, maybe, not a chance.
"The end, the end, hehehe, all of us, the end, the end. Hahaha. I get to meet it."
"Yeah okay buddy. C'mon yeah that's a good madman." Tank said ushering him to the sidewalk. The madman pointed at Neo, "It's gonna end it all. Gonna bring the end. Opening up the end." Then he started howling, like a wolf, threw his head up and howled.
They broke out into a dead run down the street, When they finally stopped, Sagi turned to them, "I'm so sorry nothing like that's never happened before. It was just so weird." Neo's felt like his heart had fallen to feet, the mad man had known he was the one.
The room the Neb's crew had been assigned was in the best residence in Zion, or so Neo had been told. Helluva lot nicer that his apartment.
"Sweet digs." Tank commented. Looking around, there were windows, with drapes(wow). "But Morpheus will you be needing us? Cuz if not. It would be great to show Neo around Zion. Maybe actuallty get a decent meal."
"Fine. Neo though next time I have a strong feeling that you will be requested to be in attendance. The council will most certainly recognize your importance in the war." Thanks Morpheus, nothing like making me feel like a freak, Neo thought. He was worried though he could see it, what was so special about this council?
"C'mon Neo, I know this great bar." Tank said.
Loud Music puled in the background, but also there was singing, dancing, screaming, laughing, and everything else that could happen in a bar. Neo suddenly felt the air catch in his lungs. Trinity looked at him as if studying him. Oh nothing much Trin, just the One freaking out because there are a lot of people around.
"Sensory overload?" She asked.
"Uh-no I'm fine."
"Liar. Don't worry it happens to everyone." Tank who Neo hadn't noticed was gone reappeared with three glass, full of something Neo assumed was alcoholic. Tank smiled broadly at them.
"Ready to fry some brain cells?"
"Hell yeah." Neo responded and threw back half the glass, and coughed once. Then the world began to spin slightly. Tank clapped him on the shoulder and laughed.
"Yeah you might want to lighten up a little on that stuff. It's kind of strong."
"Now you tell me." Neo moaned swaying slightly, then he clutched Trinity's shoulder, and moaned. He two tanks he saw began laughing uncontrollably.
"C'mon buddy you've never really had a drink before, this is your first time remember." All the answer Neo could manage was a groan. He saw Trinity shake her head, and heard her sigh.
"Tank why don't you grab some food to go? I don't think Neo'll be conscience much long. And I don't feel like him puking on my shoes either." Tank nodded and began dodging thought the crowd.
"Sorry." Neo moaned, sorry for multiple reasons. Just then all human noise stopped, except for one voice.
"Well lookie here. Look at all the squidie heads. All getting plastered to forget that they ain't actually human. Ain't really that human." Trinity had developed a twitch under her eye.
"Uh- Who are those guys?" Neo asked.
"The Zion Alliance of Natural Born Humans, the ZANBH for short. Though most people have other names for them." Neo began to giggle because for no reason that was very funny.
"The KKK, Nazis and politicians all rolled together eh?" Just then he looked up and groaned. The seven guys above him were both natural born, and had ZANBH tattooed on each of their arms. Each had a scowl on their face, and obviously had chosen him as their next victim.
"C'mon boys- I'm really hammered right now. So what fun would beating the crap out of me be?"
The biggest leaned forward and grinned at him, "A lot." Damn Neo thought he'd say that, but it had been worth a shot.
Trinity stepped forward, "If you lay a hand on him I will personally kick each of your asses." She said too sweetly. The man leered at her, "Aw, how cute, wirehead's girlfriend is trying to protect him. But lil' lady you better move we don't fight girls. They aren't any fun to fight, but they are good for other things."
"Hey!" Neo yelled, "Keep your mind out of the gutter, especially when it comes to her!" Then he swayed and punched the guy in the jaw. The lumbering giant smiled.
"You shouldn't have done that. Depp take care of the girl. We are going to have a little chat with out friend here. Aren't we and with that a punch caught Neo in his temple. He let a low groan out. Then they dragged him though the club and outside.
"Guess we can't talk this out?" He said. Then the brute with blond hair that he wore in a buzz cut whipped out a knife.
"Aw-crap." He smiled and advanced on him, another goon, this one with red hair whipped out a knife. This wasn't fair. They surrounded him, he noticed that the black goon had brass knuckles. This was going to hurt a lot.
"Now boys begin now!" Then the attack began. The first knife wound was a stab in his shoulder then a punch to his stomach. He threw out his hand to deflect a blow but another grabbed his hand and stomped on it, and he felt multiple bones in his hand snap. Neo cried out. Then another blow stood out the brass knuckle caught him in his cheek, he saw the weapon receded covered in blood. The blows and stabs kept coming then a blessed word came.
"Stop!" The lead goon yelled.
Then he sat down next to him and grabbed his face. "Hurts don't it? What's the matter, hurt? Don't like being all bloody." As if on cue blood felt into his eye. "But you know what'll hurt more? After this I'm gonna go into the bar leaving you bleeding here and meet up with your girlfriend, and I'm gonna hurt her, punch that mouth until it bleeds, then I'm gonna beat then..."
"Shut up!" Neo commanded, hate poring though his vein and blood falling out of his mouth. He could hear his own ragged breathing, that hurt even. He would have added more but saying those two words hurt too much for a third.
"Think you're so tough well take this!" He grabbed Neo's hair, pulled his hair back, and slammed his head against the bloody cement. Hate, and anger overwhelmed Neo, as the world began to spin, and it began to dim.
Trinity and Tank barreled out of the bar, with the prayer that Neo wasn't dead. It hadn't taken her long to take care of the goon. Tank had shown up shown up soon after. But it might have been enough time for Neo to be killed. Neo dead, the man she loved dead, the One dead. It couldn't happen. Her thoughts were interrupted by a chorus of blood curdling screams. She sprinted to the source of the sound. The alley next to the bar. She turned the corner, and nearly puked when she turned the corner and Tank did puke next to her.
Before them was a scene out of a horror movie. Seven figures lay in the blood, all covered in blood. One of the victims had had his heart ripped of his chest, she could she the white of bone glint in the light. Another had his head twisted all the way around. One had had part of his spine torn from his back. And those were the ones she could see. But there was also the smell, the metallic smell of blood and the vomit and it wasn't just Tank's. But what caught her attention was the figure sprawled in the carnage.
"No. Neo."
To be continued...
I know I'm horrible to leave this on a cliff hanger, but schools letting out so the next chapter will be up soon(unless I get writer's block which hopefully won't happen) But thanks for reading, AND PLEASE REVIEW!!! Oh yeah and if you've read the Dark One and are waiting for the Dream World, it'll be up in a week or less. So til next time hang loose.