"And what have we learned from this experience?" Matt said coldly to his two companions.
"Please Matt, it was an honest mistake! How Jackie or I have known that-"
"Well, I certainly was able to pick of some suspicion. But maybe that's because I wasn't too busy drooling over him like some people!" replied Matt, with a hint of rage.
"Oh please!" said Inez, "I wasn't 'drooling' at all; it just sounds like your jealous of him."
"Me? Jealous?" said Matt, "What do I have to be jealous about? The ability to be a backstabbing jerk who's helping some sleaze destroy Cyberspace?"
"That wasn't what I meant," finished Inez as she walked a few paces away from the angered boy.
Jackie just stood there in confusion, though she knew that some of her judgment on Slider was based on his attractively, she just hoped she could avoid the unfolding arguments between her two friends. "So... what happens now?" she asked gently, trying to change the topic to something that was a bit more relevant than feuding puppy love.
"I don't know," said Matt, "Digit just went off to find Doctor Marbles since the packs aren't working, so I guess we have to wait here."
"Some plan that is, just waiting around," Inez said, "The whole Cyberworld is in danger, and you just want to sit around and wait for someone else to give you instructions. I'd say we go find out what Hacker and Slider are up too, and stop it before it gets any worse."
"Yeah, great idea," retorted Matt sarcastically, "Go head on straight into the problem. Or is it maybe because you'll get to see him before we all peri-"
"ALRIGHT! You two need to cut it out!" Jackie yelled out in frustration, "Will you two stop fighting and look at the big picture? Motherboard is GONE, Hacker is theoretically UNSTOPPABLE, Cyberspace and us are in SERIOUS danger, and you two just want to sit around a bicker all day? Lord, you two need to put aside you problems and just look at the big picture."
"Man, Jackie, why do you have to be such a drama queen?" said Matt with a sigh.
"You're calling me a drama queen, boy?" Jackie replied her rage increasing, "Look at the serious problem we're in. Now I don't care which of us individuals are responsible for it, because regardless it's going to look like all of us together screwed up. We're a team, we screwed up as a team, and I say we have to work together as a team to make things right again. We've been waiting here for five hours and there is still no sign of Digit or the Doc, now unless we want to sit back and watch this world fall to pieces before our very eyes, I say we move out now!"
Matt and Inez stood back aghast, while they had seen Jackie explode with such emotion before, it hadn't quite hit them so hard all the previous times. The two looked at each-other with a bit of resentment, and then at Jackie who was standing on the stump from where she had preached her emotional speech.
Matt sighed again and walked beside Jackie with Inez following, "I guess you're right Jackie," he started, "We should at least get out of here in case Hacker comes back."
A/N: Wow! This is the first fic that I've written that actually looks like it's going to survive to the end. Yeah, I know it's kind of short at the moment, but I swear it gets longer!
I've always admired the character Slider for many reasons (besides the obvious fact that he's gorgeous) and always wondered why the show's creators didn't give him some antagonistic qualities for some more depth. I hope if you read this that you'll give a good review (Good as in helpful and constructive.) and keep on reading my upcoming updates. (Once I finish editing. Blah.)