Notes. Just a passing idea really that I wanted to play up. No real timing for this. I don't really know when it could have happened.
Her partner in love and war beside her, Trinity stepped out into the bitingly cold wind. It engulfed her completely, her sleek leathers suddenly rendered useless as she felt it whip against the side of her face. She turned to Neo, catching the sedate expression on his face.
"Where is he, Trin? The Matrix feed on the Neb showed he was here."
It was almost a rhetorical question. He knew she had no answer. She reached out her arm and loosely grasped his hand, offering her reassurance instead. If she was honest, she was half-glad that they'd been sent in together. It was so long since she'd seen his hair slicked back so sexily, his body clad in that trim black coat. He was the image of mankind's saviour. Though with the dangers Neo saw in the Matrix, he was ever reluctant to allow her to enter. But now it was beyond his control. Her persistence in arguing that she was needed here had driven him to take her along. Truthfully, she was unsure. He was The One. After all, would Neo really be so desperate to keep her out of the Matrix if there were no good reason?
They stood on a rooftop. The dark city below them was seen only through the glare of a million tiny twinkling lights. If this weren't such a serious situation, it would almost be romantic. Neo shadowed her every move, watching her and subconsciously keeping line with all of her movements. If it weren't him, Trinity would be irritated by it, but she understood his concern and protective feelings for her. She felt the same every time he entered the Matrix and she couldn't go with him. They'd promised never to leave each other, to stay together forever, and it wasn't a promise that either of them was going to allow the other to break through danger or death.
Lost in her thoughts, Trinity let her guard slip. She didn't hear the footsteps behind her over the sound of the howling wind. Neo's ears pricked up, his face becoming alert. He spun around, swiping his handgun from its holster on his hip as he did so. Coming to her senses at lightning speed, Trinity stood back to back with him, gun held ahead of her.
Moments of silence ensued. Both assumed they'd imagined the sounds. They relaxed, at least to the extent that they could ever allow themselves to relax when jacked in. Neo leaned against a short block wall. Trinity wandered absently in small circles, though not for a second did Neo take his eyes off her.
"I think he's gone, Trin."
She turned to him, a slight smile crossed her face, her eye's narrowing mischievously. Neo smiled back. And stepped forward towards her, knowing her thoughts. Inside her mind.
Swift movements, and Trinity was grasped away from him before he reached for her. For a second, there was no sound, as Neo fell temporarily blind in shock. It was not often he let his guard down as he'd just done, not often he allowed himself to be taken by surprise.
The silence was broken by a short cry. "Neo!"
His sight returning, he scanned the dark rooftop. And there, being hung over the edge of the skyscraper was Trinity. And the hand grasped around her neck, dangling her over the edge of the building with alarming strength, belonged to...
"Smith!" Neo cried out, partly due to the total disgust he felt in himself. He'd let this happen. A wide smile spread across his nemesis's face, but Neo overlooked Smith, staring directly into Trinity's eyes. Registering the pure terror, and what he dreaded may be a look of betrayal, that stared back at him though her eyes, as her feet dangled over a 100 foot drop.
Neo watched helplessly, as Smiths face contorted. "I have a better idea, Mr Anderson. I believe I know what would break you more than watching her death." Neo's heart raced, his vision blurred with panic, helplessness and fear. He was shaking, his fingernails creating small white arches in the palm of his hand where they dug in.
And he found himself reduced to begging.
"Please, spare her." And then... "Take me instead, but please spare her."
"Well, as you insist." The twisted smile returned, as, to Neo's huge relief, especially considering that this situation would result in his death, Trinity's feet touched the concrete rooftop once more. She crumpled into a heap on the floor, and did something Neo had never seen her do before, and never believed he see. She cried.
"Well I cam assure you, Mr Anderson, I will not be reduced to tears upon watching you die." He laughed, cruelly, mercilessly. "But before I watch you die, I'd like to make sure that I split you apart inside, piece by piece." A lump formed in Neo's throat as he watched Smith roughly drag Trinity to her feet, gripping her in a headlock, holding a gun to her temple. Trinity didn't even struggle against him. All he wanted to do was whip out a gun and land bullet directly between Smith's eyes, but with Trinity stood between them, it was too much of a risk.
"I'm going to make you an offer you can't refuse, Mr Anderson. You can either order her to kiss me, and you can watch every moment of it, or I'll kill her outright in front of you. Either way, it'll tear you apart inside, but I can guarantee that watching her die would be worse." Neo was stunned.
"No, Neo!" Trinity suddenly came to life. "I'd rather die!" she was gritting her teeth, spitting each word in ruthless, loathing tones.
"I can't watch you die, Trin. Please, do it. Because I love you, and I'd never rest easy knowing I was responsible for your death." She shook her head, though her defiance was gone. "Please," he asked again. A small sob escaped her lips.
"Oh good," continued Smith, as if the emotion had not affected him in the slightest. "The lover's tiff is over. I'll be taking that as a yes." Not removing the barrel of the gun from its position on Trinity's temple, he spun her around. Crystal tears rolled down Trinity's cheeks, as their mouths connected, each perfect drop catching the light before falling off her chin. Neo felt sick as he watched Smith enjoy every second of her. He held her close in his mind, willing her to get through this, hoping that she could hear his thoughts.
For a moment he felt utterly defeated. But defeat was not something Neo knew of. He sized up the situation in front of him. If her shot, could he will it enough to miss Trinity, and to connect directly with the minuscule patch of Smith's head, the only part that was visible.
Knowing it was his only option, with alarming speed, Neo whipped out his gun and fired a single shot. With all the power of his mind, he willed the bullet to embed itself in Smith's head. At the sound of the shot, Trinity's head sprung backwards. It was as if time momentarily slowed. A second shot was fired, a short cry cut through the night air, piercing the darkness. Blood flowed.
A blanket covered the rooftop. A strange tranquillity, though short lived.
"Trin?" it caught in Neo's throat, the word choked him. I've killed her. Oh God, please say I haven't... A stream of tears drifted from his eyes.
"Neo." The hoarse reply came from Neo's feet. He looked down. There lay Trinity, a stream of blood ebbing from her shoulder. Lying not far from her was Smith, a perfectly shaped bullet hole in his head. Trinity pulled herself to her feet and brushed herself off, taking a moment to inspect the bullet-inflicted graze on her shoulder blade.
"I'm so sorry," he whispered, "I'll never forgive myself, Trin. I should have been watch-"
"Ssshhh," she pressed a finger to his lips, and kissed him, their tears of love merging.
Her partner in love and war beside her, Trinity stepped out into the bitingly cold wind. It engulfed her completely, her sleek leathers suddenly rendered useless as she felt it whip against the side of her face. She turned to Neo, catching the sedate expression on his face.
"Where is he, Trin? The Matrix feed on the Neb showed he was here."
It was almost a rhetorical question. He knew she had no answer. She reached out her arm and loosely grasped his hand, offering her reassurance instead. If she was honest, she was half-glad that they'd been sent in together. It was so long since she'd seen his hair slicked back so sexily, his body clad in that trim black coat. He was the image of mankind's saviour. Though with the dangers Neo saw in the Matrix, he was ever reluctant to allow her to enter. But now it was beyond his control. Her persistence in arguing that she was needed here had driven him to take her along. Truthfully, she was unsure. He was The One. After all, would Neo really be so desperate to keep her out of the Matrix if there were no good reason?
They stood on a rooftop. The dark city below them was seen only through the glare of a million tiny twinkling lights. If this weren't such a serious situation, it would almost be romantic. Neo shadowed her every move, watching her and subconsciously keeping line with all of her movements. If it weren't him, Trinity would be irritated by it, but she understood his concern and protective feelings for her. She felt the same every time he entered the Matrix and she couldn't go with him. They'd promised never to leave each other, to stay together forever, and it wasn't a promise that either of them was going to allow the other to break through danger or death.
Lost in her thoughts, Trinity let her guard slip. She didn't hear the footsteps behind her over the sound of the howling wind. Neo's ears pricked up, his face becoming alert. He spun around, swiping his handgun from its holster on his hip as he did so. Coming to her senses at lightning speed, Trinity stood back to back with him, gun held ahead of her.
Moments of silence ensued. Both assumed they'd imagined the sounds. They relaxed, at least to the extent that they could ever allow themselves to relax when jacked in. Neo leaned against a short block wall. Trinity wandered absently in small circles, though not for a second did Neo take his eyes off her.
"I think he's gone, Trin."
She turned to him, a slight smile crossed her face, her eye's narrowing mischievously. Neo smiled back. And stepped forward towards her, knowing her thoughts. Inside her mind.
Swift movements, and Trinity was grasped away from him before he reached for her. For a second, there was no sound, as Neo fell temporarily blind in shock. It was not often he let his guard down as he'd just done, not often he allowed himself to be taken by surprise.
The silence was broken by a short cry. "Neo!"
His sight returning, he scanned the dark rooftop. And there, being hung over the edge of the skyscraper was Trinity. And the hand grasped around her neck, dangling her over the edge of the building with alarming strength, belonged to...
"Smith!" Neo cried out, partly due to the total disgust he felt in himself. He'd let this happen. A wide smile spread across his nemesis's face, but Neo overlooked Smith, staring directly into Trinity's eyes. Registering the pure terror, and what he dreaded may be a look of betrayal, that stared back at him though her eyes, as her feet dangled over a 100 foot drop.
Neo watched helplessly, as Smiths face contorted. "I have a better idea, Mr Anderson. I believe I know what would break you more than watching her death." Neo's heart raced, his vision blurred with panic, helplessness and fear. He was shaking, his fingernails creating small white arches in the palm of his hand where they dug in.
And he found himself reduced to begging.
"Please, spare her." And then... "Take me instead, but please spare her."
"Well, as you insist." The twisted smile returned, as, to Neo's huge relief, especially considering that this situation would result in his death, Trinity's feet touched the concrete rooftop once more. She crumpled into a heap on the floor, and did something Neo had never seen her do before, and never believed he see. She cried.
"Well I cam assure you, Mr Anderson, I will not be reduced to tears upon watching you die." He laughed, cruelly, mercilessly. "But before I watch you die, I'd like to make sure that I split you apart inside, piece by piece." A lump formed in Neo's throat as he watched Smith roughly drag Trinity to her feet, gripping her in a headlock, holding a gun to her temple. Trinity didn't even struggle against him. All he wanted to do was whip out a gun and land bullet directly between Smith's eyes, but with Trinity stood between them, it was too much of a risk.
"I'm going to make you an offer you can't refuse, Mr Anderson. You can either order her to kiss me, and you can watch every moment of it, or I'll kill her outright in front of you. Either way, it'll tear you apart inside, but I can guarantee that watching her die would be worse." Neo was stunned.
"No, Neo!" Trinity suddenly came to life. "I'd rather die!" she was gritting her teeth, spitting each word in ruthless, loathing tones.
"I can't watch you die, Trin. Please, do it. Because I love you, and I'd never rest easy knowing I was responsible for your death." She shook her head, though her defiance was gone. "Please," he asked again. A small sob escaped her lips.
"Oh good," continued Smith, as if the emotion had not affected him in the slightest. "The lover's tiff is over. I'll be taking that as a yes." Not removing the barrel of the gun from its position on Trinity's temple, he spun her around. Crystal tears rolled down Trinity's cheeks, as their mouths connected, each perfect drop catching the light before falling off her chin. Neo felt sick as he watched Smith enjoy every second of her. He held her close in his mind, willing her to get through this, hoping that she could hear his thoughts.
For a moment he felt utterly defeated. But defeat was not something Neo knew of. He sized up the situation in front of him. If her shot, could he will it enough to miss Trinity, and to connect directly with the minuscule patch of Smith's head, the only part that was visible.
Knowing it was his only option, with alarming speed, Neo whipped out his gun and fired a single shot. With all the power of his mind, he willed the bullet to embed itself in Smith's head. At the sound of the shot, Trinity's head sprung backwards. It was as if time momentarily slowed. A second shot was fired, a short cry cut through the night air, piercing the darkness. Blood flowed.
A blanket covered the rooftop. A strange tranquillity, though short lived.
"Trin?" it caught in Neo's throat, the word choked him. I've killed her. Oh God, please say I haven't... A stream of tears drifted from his eyes.
"Neo." The hoarse reply came from Neo's feet. He looked down. There lay Trinity, a stream of blood ebbing from her shoulder. Lying not far from her was Smith, a perfectly shaped bullet hole in his head. Trinity pulled herself to her feet and brushed herself off, taking a moment to inspect the bullet-inflicted graze on her shoulder blade.
"I'm so sorry," he whispered, "I'll never forgive myself, Trin. I should have been watch-"
"Ssshhh," she pressed a finger to his lips, and kissed him, their tears of love merging.