AUTHOR'S NOTE: First of all, I'd like to say thanks for the reviews. That's something I've always liked about the ReBoot section. Some of the other sections I used to write for, unless you put "yaoi", "lemon", "incest" or something similar in the summary you really didn't get reviews… except the humor fics, those do well in almost any category. I haven't seen anything like that here really, except for some of Stupendo's stuff- and who listens to him? Anyway, writing for ReBoot, I can actually write a fic that has action as its focal point and get people to read it- that's one of the main reasons I decided to write something for this category in the first place. Another note, Matrix especially may be a bit OOC in this fic- I'm trying to keep it as close as possible to the show, but it's hard to write someone as being a grim aggressor man ALL the time! Lol, AIM me anytime if you want- my screen name's on my profile. And as always, please review!!!
Part I THE CUBE(Thought I'd name a chapter after one of my personal favs… hope you don't mind Claire!)
Time: Before the storm (past)
The sun rose slowly over the horizon of Mainframe, its warm rays signifying new beginnings, and the start of a new era after Daemon's defeat. Matrix yawned and stretched luxuriously as the morning light streamed through the window into the small apartment. The renegade ran a hand sleepily through his hair as he climbed out of bed and began to dress. Lately, he'd been feeling more rested, more relaxed- now that Daemon was finally gone, maybe he really could go back to leading what most sprites called a "normal" life...
He smiled softly, reaching over to trace the soft curves of AndrAIa's face. The beautiful sprite lying next to him was evidence enough of the benefits of such a life. She stirred gently, her eyes blinking sleepily open to take in the new day. "Hey, Lover," she said, reaching up to pull Matrix into a gentle embrace. After a long moment, the renegade pulled back, allowing her to slide her long, luxurious legs onto the floor. Standing slowly, she regarded him with a grin. "You're cheerful this morning," she said, poking him lightly in the stomach. "What's new?"
"It's just... a beautiful day outside." Matrix shrugged. "I dunno... it's just that now that Daemon's gone things are finally peaceful for the first time in hours. It's like I can finally relax for once- not have to keep looking over my shoulder for some new threat every nano. It feels like... a new beginning. Almost like I was Young Enzo again. Nowhere important to be, nothing to do... you know what I mean?"
"Sometimes I think you are going soft on me, Lover," AndrAIa giggled, slipping an arm around his shoulders and walking with him to the balcony. As they opened the twin French doors, they had a panoramic view of the rest of Mainframe. Brilliant morning sunlight streamed through the doorway, and the resulting effect was breathtaking. AndrAIa couldn't recall a better startup since the last reboot... and hadn't that been a sight to behold. She put her arm slowly around Matrix's waist, leaning into him. Below, binomes scurried about on their daily morning routines, the bustle of a city shaking off its slumber and preparing for the new second filling the air. She sighed, enjoying the feel of him next to her as she stared out across the city. It felt like she could stay like this forever...
"MATRIX!" a voice shouted from behind them. Cat-quick, Matrix whirled, dropping into a crouch with Gun held at the ready. A Vid-Window stood open behind them, Phong in its center. "Perhaps I had better turn down the volume a bit," he said hastily, noting the renegade's stance. AndrAIa gave Matrix a look. "What?" he said, shrugging. "Old habits die hard, I guess..."
Phong leaned back again, this time speaking more quietly. "As I was saying, we have a game cube dropping just south of the Principle Office. If you could...?"
"We'd be glad to, Phong," AndrAIa said. "See ya in a nano!" The Vid-Window snapped off. "Well, there goes our perfect morning," Matrix growled. "Stay frosty, Sparky!" the beautiful sprite called as she soared off into the sunrise on her zip board. Above, Matrix could hear the first warnings begin as the sky turned slowly to black. "Warning, Incoming Game. Warning, Incoming Game. Warning, Incoming Game..."
With a sigh, he jumped on his zip board, heading after the other defenders and just making it as the giant purple cube dropped into place...
Matrix looked around. It seemed like everyone had made it into the game- except Bob, who was probably still at the Principle Office recovering from all the energy he'd expended in that last battle with Daemon. "Well, hello there, Sugah," Mouse said, a trademark mischievous grin lighting her face. "Glad you could make it." Matrix wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Where are we? This place smells like a sewer!"
"Honey, we are in a sewer. I remember this one from my old Academy days- it's called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles." Matrix laughed out loud. "What kind of a game is this?" he asked. "If ya think that's funny, just wait'll you reboot," Mouse said, a twinkle in her eye. The renegade shrugged. "Reboot!" the group shouted as one.
When the light faded, a bizarre group of figures emerged. AndrAIa had transformed into some kind of hideously mutated rhinoceros, with a bandolier of ammo slung across her shoulders. Ray had emerged as an equally hideously mutated baboon. "What is this, some kind of a joke?" Matrix asked. He had 'booted into a giant figure robed in purple, with metallic spikes protruding from every visible surface. "You're lucky, Sugah," Mouse said. Her character was a grotesque-looking giant brain in a robotic suit. Matrix looked around doubtfully. A swarm of purple-suited ninjas had also appeared around them. "Foot soldiers- our allies," Mouse explained. "The User also has four Game Sprites to help him along."
"Whatever," Matrix said. "Let's get going before this smell drives me to deletion." The renegade pushed open a manhole cover- and ducked quickly as a sharpened dagger drilled itself into the wall just above his head. "Seems our "friends" are already waiting up ahead. After you?" He gestured to AndrAIa, whose bulky rhinoceros character had a lethal-looking machine gun. With a grunt, the rhino elbowed Matrix out of the way and peppered the area outside with a deadly hail of bullets. "Hey man!" "What's your problem?" "Cowabunga!" said the five mutated Turtles as they each died painful deaths. AndrAIa looked back at the others, her face breaking into what Matrix thought could almost be a grin. "Coast is clear, Sparky!" she said as she climbed through the manhole.
Meanwhile, back at the Principle Office, Phong was running Bob through a last round of tests. "In spite of the enormous amount of energy you've expended, you're basically all right," Phong was saying as Dot walked through the door. Bob sat up slowly, his body still vaguely transparent. Dot leaned down and hugged him impulsively. "I'm just glad you're OK," she said, a tear glistening at the corner of her eye. "After what Daemon made you do..." "I just wish I could've made it in time for that game," Bob mused as he leaned back on the makeshift bed. "I actually kinda miss the games..." "You won't be going into ANY games for awhile, Bob," Dot said. "Not in your condition." She kissed Bob gently on the lips, muffling any protest he might have made. Even if he wasn't going into any games for awhile, Bob thought, it seemed Dot would make his stay in the Principle Office very worthwhile...
Back in the game, Matrix and his friends struggled desperately against the advancing Turtles. "How many lives does this guy have?" Matrix gasped as he pulled out a bazooka, blasting a nearby skyscraper so it landed on the User and his allies. The last few remaining Foot Soldiers were destroyed in the blast as well- Matrix had realized the stupidity of sending them into battle at least five lives ago, when he had commanded them to attack the User. Those basic Sprites had walked into an ambush a null could see from a mile away and practically been wiped out. And they didn't regenerate like the User's allies did. "Cowabunga!" a voice called as the Turtles came back to life.
"He's got the game set on Easy mode!" Mouse grunted, hefting a drum full of explosives and throwing it at the Turtles as they reappeared. "Counting the two extra lives he got on the last level, he's got thirty-two total!" "Great!" Matrix shouted as he impaled one of them on a spike. "That's twelve down so far- twenty to go!"
A burst of gunfire from Ray and AndrAIa eliminated the User's team again. "Make that nineteen!" Ray said cheerfully. "All out of ammo here!" "We've got to stop them soon!" Mouse cried as her giant robot squashed the Turtles with a heavy construction vehicle. "On Easy mode they've only got to get past this level to win!" "This is insane!" Matrix gasped as he knocked a Turtle flying with a single blow. "Cowabunga dudes!" it shouted as it immediately reappeared.
Slowly but surely, even as they made the User lose life after life, the Turtles were gaining ground. We'll lose if we keep going at this rate, Matrix thought darkly. "Guys!" Mouse shouted as she ducked into a nearby storefront, "I've got an idea- cover me!" "Whatever you say," Ray said, pulling out a handful of grenades and lobbing them at the User. "Only 16 more to go!"
"Radical!" the Turtles shouted as all five of them immediately regenerated.
Mouse walked out of the store she'd ducked into dressed in a strange uniform that didn't quite fit. The label on the cap read Mike's Pizzeria- a once in a lifetime experience! Matrix hoped it would be- for the User, at least. "Pizza's served, boys!" Mouse yelled, tossing the boxes she was carrying at the Turtles. "Come an' get it!"
"Pizza time! Gnarly!" four of the Turtles yelled as they immediately began eating the tasty food. The User ignored the pizza- but now they'd be able to concentrate on him instead of worrying about the other four. And one Turtle was much easier to handle than five. Matrix grinned, his bionic eye turning red as it locked onto the User. "Time to make you into Turtle soup," he said, his metallic claws extending.
Meanwhile, Steve, the User, muttered a stream of curses at the screen. Some easy mode that had turned out to be! Well, I'll show them, he thought in a drunken haze as he reached for another beer. Minimizing the first game, in which his character, abandoned by the other four Turtles, was getting pounded on by the enemies, he opened up a game he'd just finished downloading from Napster. "This game's cooler anyway," he said as the title screen came up. "And I have cheat codes for this one!"
Back at the Principle Office, Bob sat up, yawning. How long have I been alseep? he wondered, as he stared up at the diagnostic screens inside the War Room. Abruptly, a klaxon began to wail in the distance. Warning, Incoming Game. Warning, Incoming Game. Bob leapt to his feet in alarm. "That's impossible!" he shouted, staring at the other screens for reassurance. "Another game cube is still in progress!" "This does not look good, my son," Phong said as he wheeled up alongside Bob. "The game is descending over G-Prime- almost directly above the former location of the Tor."
"Well, someone's gotta defend it," said Bob, pulling out his zip board. "Oh, no you don't," Dot said, running up. "Not in your condition. Besides, there aren't even any Sprites or Binomes left in that part of the city- only Nulls, and they avoid the game cubes anyway!" "I've got to go, Dot!" Bob said, hovering off the ground. "Even if no one lives there, losing an entire sector is definitely not good- and there's no one else to defend it!" He was off before Dot could say another word about it.
Dot turned angrily to Phong, who wheeled back a few paces hesitantly. "I want full med teams standing by as soon as the cube leaves!" she shouted. "I don't want him hurt again- not like last time! The stupid-" Turning on her heel, she stalked wrathfully from the room.
The wall of purple descended. "Glitch- game stats," Bob said automatically. At times, he forgot he and Glitch were even bonded- but then, he always had been a bit absent-minded. "Let's see... he said to himself. "It's a regular multi-level fight game... and the User gets only one life. That's good, at least- sounds easy enough." Deep inside, he could feel a presence working its way closer and closer...
Wow, he's already here? Bob thought. Must be good... Bob stepped out of the alley, the brilliant light from the 'boot fading to leave him looking like some kind of street bum. Figures, he thought. At least I get these switch-blades to use. Hand-to-hand combat was one thing he was truly good at- it was a course they'd really emphasized back in his Academy days.
A brilliant shining silhouette approached- the User. What kind of creature IS he? Bob wondered. Four enormous, scaly arms, a head with a mouthful of teeth each as long as one of Bob's hands, and vengeful red eyes... eyes that turned eagerly to regard Bob in anticipation of its next meal. Swallowing hard, Bob pulled out one of his switchblades and threw it with all his might at one of those enormous, blood-red eyes. It did absolutely no damage.
Steve laughed with delight as he finished off the twelve-pack, watching the puny street bum try to damage his character. That invulnerability cheat really works! he thought, searching around for the printout. The little guy was fast, he had to admit that- even with invulnerability on, he couldn't seem to manage to get rid of him. Here we go! he thought. Two more cheat codes- one to get rid of opponents for you, the other a level skipper. I'll use them both! he thought. With both of them at the same time, there's no way that bum's gonna come back! Locating a fresh can of beer, the User stabbed at the keys with a new sense of purpose.
Bob twisted and dodged frantically. Now I know why this guy only gets one life! he thought, barely avoiding the swipe of one monstrous claw. He must have incredible health! Suddenly the monster stood perfectly still, its red eyes flashing malevolently. Probably powering up some special attack... well, now's as good a time as any! Raising a switchblade, Bob dropped into a crouch, preparing to leap- but before he could move, a hole opened in the ground directly under him. He barely had time for a startled shout as he dropped away into nothingness, the User disappearing in a shimmering halo of light.
Boss after boss went down under Steve's relentless assault. It wouldn't be long now, he thought as he crossed the threshold into the final level.
Bob's stomach dropped out from under him as he fell for what seemed like miles. Suddenly there was a sickening lurch, and he jerked to an abrupt stop- then fell some more. With a painful thump, he hit the ground hard... Where am I now? he wondered. At least my character seems mostly immune to long drops...
He looked down at himself, and back up again abruptly. It couldn't be! He wasn't dressed as a street bum anymore- he looked exactly the same as he had going into the game! Am I even in the game anymore? he wondered, as he looked around. The shimmering purple of the cube loomed less then ten feet above him. Guess not... he thought. So where am I?
Wherever it was, Bob hadn't seen ever seen anything like it. Not in Mainframe, and not even in the Web. He was standing in a dim corner of what appeared to be a metallic, circular control room of some sort. But what was really strange was the object in the center of the otherwise empty room. A single, raised pedestal jutted out of the flooring, with ancient symbols etched all over it. At its top, a pulsating ball of eye-tearing white energy shone. Slowly, hesitatingly, Bob walked forward... reached for it... GAME OVER the female voice intoned.
"There is a buildup of game energy..." Phong said expectantly. "The game is leaving!" Dot stopped pacing abruptly. "Get those med teams in there right away!" she shouted. "If he's hurt..."
"GAME OVER," the solemn voice announced. "THE USER WINS..."
Dot stopped talking mid-phrase, an expression of shock etched on her face. "Bob..." she said numbly. Phong wheeled over slowly to comfort her. He'd seen many games lost in his lifetime, but never had he expected one to finally claim Bob's life...
"Is there any chance he might still be alive?" Dot asked, sobbing, already knowing the answer. "The chances... are vanishingly small, my child," Phong said. "I am sorry..."
The med team captain, a grizzled old 1 binome, peered hesitantly over the edge of the crater. Game cubes weren't a pleasant place to be if one was lost... he hated peering over and seeing nothing but nulls each time, squealing, racing to escape the place the cube had been...
But what was this? The captain's eyes went wide with shock as he beheld a seemingly unharmed Bob- levitating up out of the crater! He pulled out his data pad. This would be one for the history books...
Dot held her face in her hands. She'd already sent Phong away... she only wanted to be alone with her grief, now. Bob... the only sprite she'd ever really come to love. And he never knew...
A Vid-Window sprang to life behind her. "Sir..." It was the captain of the med team she'd sent. She didn't answer, already knowing the truth. "Sir, we have something truly incredible to report!" he said. She turned around, hardly daring to believe. "It's a miracle, really..." Could it be...
The camera's view shifted, and Bob's smiling face filled the viewscreen.
Dot was on her zip board and out the door in a nano. She didn't even bother to tell Phong the news first. She had to make sure... Even after seeing him on the Vid-Window, there was that tiny cynical core inside of Dot that refused to believe, that refused to think such a miracle could even occur. But as she neared the crater, she could see for herself- Bob really was OK. "Bob!" she gasped, throwing her arms around the surprised sprite, who nevertheless gave her a reassuring squeeze in return. "It's a miracle! How did you survive? When that game cube left..." "Shhhh," he said, stroking her tear-stained face softly, "It's OK now." A crowd of binomes had gathered around, to see their Guardian back from the dead. "And if you thought that was amazing, just wait'll you see what's down there..."
So, what do you think so far? Nowhere near as good as some of the stuff I've seen here... but please review it anyway!!! Hey, you even got to meet the User... Lol, and if anyone can think of a better summary, I'm open to suggestions... Until next time,
Tom