Author's Note: As the name implies, this one's a Matrix/AndrAIa fic... actually Enzo/AndrAIa, since we're talking pre- Season 3, before they got trapped in the games. I noticed there weren't too many of these around, so I decided to do one of my own. It may be a little out of character at times, may deviate slightly from the original storyline, may contain angst, fluff, and everything in between. I promise nothing... so go easy on me, K? Writing romance has always been a hard one for me. With that said, ROM goes online starting June 6- check out the ROM author profile and see if you're interested. This is a whole new kind of thing for Fanfiction.net- it should prove very interesting, if enough people join in. The Enemy Within is being updated again Wednesday, June 5th, for anyone who's still reading that one. Now that I've bored you all to death- on with the fic!
Prologue: Alone
Time: Episode: AndrAIa
Enzo Matrix sat despondently on a bench outside the Diner, holding his head in his hands. The words he'd said just nanos ago, back inside with Dot repeated themselves endlessly in his mind. Everyone's having a better time than me! I've got no one to play with and it's all Dad's fault! If he hadn't deleted most of the Sprites I'd have some friends! The door swung open at the Diner and Bob walked out, headed for his lecture at the Principal Office. Enzo ignored him, too deep in his own misery to even care what was going on outside his own little world of pain and despair. Pain for himself, for Dot at what he'd said to her… despair at being the only little sprite in the whole system, at least the only one who wasn't nullified. I'm sorry, Dot! he apologized silently. If only you could understand just how lonely it is, being the only ten-hour-old in all of Mainframe…
Dot kept telling him to get out and do something when he sat around the Diner all day, sparing a worried glance or two in his direction when she could take the time away from her never-ending work. What she didn't seem to understand was that there was nothing to do in Mainframe… at least, not that he hadn't done a million times already. And no one to do them with, to share his pain and triumph with, to confide in…
Ever since Enzo could remember, he hadn't known anyone near his own age. Sure, there were the binome kids at school and all, but that wasn't quite the same thing… and Dot and Bob, but they were always too busy running businesses or saving Mainframe to have much time for him… and Frisket, who was feral, so there was no telling when he'd be around.
Sometimes he thought he'd scream from the sheer pain of his longing- for someone, anyone to play with, to laugh with, to take his mind off Bob and how much fun he must be having in the games, and Megabyte and Hexadecimal… either that or just take a swim out into the Data Sea, and never come back. Wonder if they'd miss me then? he thought, a single tear rolling slowly down his cheek. I wonder if anyone would care… if any of it really even matters, in the end. There must be something more to this life than endless pain, suffering, longing for someone to talk to, to understand me even just for a nano…
The sky darkened, lightning flashing through the air as a familiar voice began the age-old call to what had once been Enzo's only real pleasure in life… before Dot had taken even that away. "WARNING, INCOMING GAME… WARNING, INCOMING GAME…"
Let it come, he thought bitterly as he trudged back into the Diner, shoulders slumped with despair. Let the User win, let all of Mainframe be nullified… because I just don't care anymore. There's nothing left for me here, in this life. Nothing at all.
He slid into a booth, staring despondently down at its polished surface and not even noticing as the wash of purple energy descended, the streets outside slowly disappearing from view…
A/N: The first few chapters recount and expand upon what took place in the Season 2 episode "AndrAIa". It may start out a bit slowly, but the setup is vital for what comes after. This fic may, and probably will deviate from the original plotline sometime in the near future- but just remember, in the realm of fanfiction anything is possible J. If you've stayed with me up to here, please R&R! It's the only way I really have of knowing whether to continue writing, or to scrap a fic and just start over… so review, K? Until next time, Tom