The children were unceremoniously dumped onto the floor of Motherboard's control center. The girls were the first up and looking around the room in curiosity. Matt stayed on the ground and kept his head down. He didn't want anyone to recognize him in case this was all a sick joke by The Hacker.
"Welcome to Cyberspace, Earthlings. I'm Digit and this is Motherboard." A bird-like being said, flying down to where the children stood.
"Hacker has captured my chief technician, Dr. Marbles." Motherboard said in explanation of why they were there.
Matt schooled his expression into one of confusion, instead of the surprise he faced. He figured the best way to avoid recognition was to act like he knew nothing. "Hacker? Who is Hacker?" he asked.
The bird-like creature who had identified himself as Digit earlier (as Matt had known previously due to his time with The Hacker) said, "Well, he prefers 'The Hacker' but just know that he his Motherboards greatest enemy."
From there Motherboard took over again. "My strength is limited; find Marbles and bring him here."
"The Doc's the only one who can fix Motherboard!" Digit exclaimed. Matt mentally sighed, knowing where this was heading.
"This is totally terrible!" The girl who had tried to explain the map to him yelled. Matt thought that her name was Inez… no Jackie. The smart-assed girl was Inez. He looked briefly at both girls and sighed softly below his breath. Why did he have to be brought back home, only to have to deal with these idiots from the human world? His luck, he decided, was of the horrible sort and no amount of lucky charms would ever change that.
"Without Motherboard, everyone and everything in Cyberspace is doomed!" came another yell from the bird. Way to layer on the drama Digit, Matt thought. You know that they're already going to agree… I can see why The Hacker called you an 'over-grown cyber turkey', you get really annoying at times.
So from Digit's little exclamation of doom, an amusing speech/plea from Jackie, a protest from Inez (there's a shocker), and faux enthusiasm from Matt did the children find themselves caught in this rescue mission. Matt held the map of the island Marbles was trapped on. He was resigning himself to a fate of service, no matter where he was when Motherboard materialized the SWAK pads. The communication devices he and ... designed together just days before he was banished. His emotions caught in his throat, but he didn't let them show.
Soon after that, the children and Digit found themselves in the portal. Matt however stayed behind, sinking to his knees staring at the device in his hands.
"Welcome home, Mathew." She said softly. Matt's head jerked up to stare at her incredulously, getting to his feet slowly. She smiled through the virus coursing through her hard drive. Matt winced as he recognized the signature of who created the virus.
"Hello, Motherboard. I guess I should thank you for bringing me home, but I don't know if I can. Now that I am back, everyone who I love is in danger from The Hacker. I can't be here. If he finds out that I was brought back against his will, I don't know what I'll do. Or this could be a joke on his part. He might've gotten bored and decided to mess with my head. I really don't want to get my hopes up. I wasn't even supposed to be able to return to here without his doing. Please, if this is just a joke, send me back to the human world. Please, don't be cruel. Just don't be cruel." Matt screamed, falling to his knees. Tears were streaming from his eyes. Motherboard smiled sadly at Matt.
"Young child, stop your crying. This is no joke. I would never intentionally cause pain to another and this includes you in spite of your past. Mathew, you and your loved ones are safe from Hacker's anger. He can do nothing to you. I have found a way around your banishment conditions. He did say that he had to have a part in your return and he did. His essence is all throughout your return and I do not mind it. I am fine with what I had to in order to bring you home where you belong."
Matt rose to his feet once more. "Motherboard, you didn't. You did not intentionally let your firewalls down just to bring me home. Why? You know what The Hacker is capable of and with… well you just know what he is capable of doing. Why would you risk everything for a traitor?"
"Mathew, I did and I would do it again. You are not a traitor; you are a man who did what he had to in order to protect those who were dear to you. I know that you can fix me and it was with that knowledge that I allowed Dr. Marbles to run a full tune-up and take down my firewalls. Neither he nor Digit knew of the threat lurking just outside of these walls and that is how I wanted it. I knew that they would try to stop me and I couldn't allow that. You are very important, Mathew. Never forget that. Now before we get too sentimental, you have to go and help the other children. I've stalled them in the warp long enough. We will talk after this is over. Just know, while I have removed Digits memories of you, Marbles and all you knew before still retain them."
"Joy. So when we do find him, I'm going to be distrusted and by proxy so will the Earthlings. It's not like my life was already screwed up enough, now I'm going to have to fight for my right to be here again. Why did this have to happen to me? All I wanted to do was save him and bring back that one person who he needed. I accepted that it wasn't me. I really did. So I went to Hacker, looking for a way out. He was the only one who had seen him in days… Why did I have to be so stupid?" Matt exclaimed.
Motherboard looked on sadly. "Mathew, there is a reason for everything. I promise we will find out what soon. But please, go now. If they stay any longer in warp, I'm not sure of the consequences."
Matt looked towards the glowing vortex that would either transport him to help the Earth children or would thrust him back into the human world if this entire happening was indeed a joke orchestrated by The Hacker. He glanced towards Motherboard, nodded, and threw his doubts aside as he jumped into the portal.
A/n: And here is chapter two. It would seem that all of my chapters are ending with Matt jumping into the portals. I swear that I don't mean for that to happen, it just does. Chapter 3 shouldn't take as long as this one did. Just know that from here on out, I am taking everything about Cyberspace and making it my own. The characters will stay the same, but I'm twisting events to suit my own needs for this story. The timeline is being warped to fit the plan for this fiction and I hope that you like it. So now, my pretties, go and review!
