A/N: So in this chapter, I made an inside joke. I just want to make it clear to everyone who isn't in on it that this is not a hint at Ray/Matrix, although someone out there will probably take it that way anyways.

Disclaimer: I don't own Reboot

Bob was laying on the couch. Hex's door was still open, and he couldn't stop staring at it. He felt so guilty. He was the guardian of Mainframe and Hexadecimal had been a virus; if anyone should have sacrificed their lives to defend the Net, it should have been him. Hex should have been alive and causing chaos. She had been a sprite when Daemon finally got to Mainframe. If he had just been a better guardian maybe Hex could be alive and happy in the Super Computer. Turbo would have protected her, if only out of gratitude for 452's sacrifice.

Instead she was gone and he was trying to act as though everything was alright. He was failing. Normally thinking of Dot would make him feel better, but now even that made his heart hurt. He never wanted to hear her voice again.

"Bob!" a vid window opened up. Mouse was in trouble.

Bob sat up. "Mouse, what's wrong?"

"Hexadecimal's cat was just in Dot's house." The hacker sounded mildly annoyed, but Bob knew otherwise by the grin on her face. "I thought you were watching that viral vermin."

Now it made sense- Scuzzy was doing what he thought Bob wanted him to. Bob said he wanted to know what Dot was doing, and Scuzzy went out spy on her. That was what Hex had trained him to do.

"He got out this morning." Bob wasn't about to tell anyone that Scuzzy apparently knew how to open doors. "I chased him until he got in an elevator. I kind of gave up after that. Do you know where he is now?"

"Probably not far. Dot just called me to exterminate it. I figured you would want to get to the cat before I do. I'm on my way to check on Dot. I'll try to keep her company until you track that thing down."

"Thanks Mouse." Bob stood up. "I'll be right there. I guess I probably shouldn't fly too high; I don't think now would be a good time for Dot to see me."

"I don't think so either, sugah." Mouse said as she watched him walk to the kitchen and get the cat treats. "That cat is going to be a pain in the ascii to train. There's no telling what kind of things Hex thought that critter. Old habits die hard you know."

"I know Mouse." Scuzzy was a very good cat, but Bob didn't have time to talk with her right then. "I'm working on it."

"Well, if you need any help, AndrAIa would probably know best. How in Net she gets Frisket to listen to her is beyond even me."

"Yeah." Bob laughed "I'll see you in a nano."

Soon the guardian was walking around Dot's neighborhood. "Scuzzy!" he called out, shaking the bag of cat treats "Here boy! It's time go home!"

"Well isn't this a photoshop moment?" Bob turned around and smiled at Ray as lowered himself to the ground "I was on my way to visit Mouse when she called me with a funny story."

"Oh really?" Bob played along "What happened this time?"

"Apparently some viral cat broke into the CommandDotCom's house not along ago." Ray gave the guardian a playful smirk "I can't imagine who let that happen."

"I can't imagine." Bob sounded serious, but the smirk on his face suggested otherwise "Think we should call Matrix for backup?"

Ray laughed a bit before joking again. "Probably not, mate. We wouldn't want the poor kid getting hurt."

The two busted out laughing; ever since Ray had found out Matrix wasn't supposed to be over one-two, the surfer had been treating the renegade like a child. Maxtrix didn't like it, but Ray was starting to see him as a little brother. Little Enzo seemed to like it more than his older self did, but that didn't stop Matrix and Ray from having a sleep over every seven seconds. Nobody knew what kind of things those men were getting into, but AndrAIa trusted Matrix.

"So, how are you enjoying Mainframe?" Bob asked "It must be nice to get to spend more time with Mouse."

"What makes you say that?"

Bob turned to look at Ray. "Aren't you guys dating now?"

"We were before she dumped me." It wasn't often that hint of anger in his voice. This was one of those rare moments.

"Are you sure that wasn't Megabyte using his Trojan house powers?" Bob asked, hoping to fix the problem. "You two were getting along so well."

"I've had this problem before." Ray admitted "I meet a woman who takes my breath and when I finally tell her about the baud, she wants a real sprite."

If Ray had any insecurities, that was one of them. His sprite form was just a hologram created by surf board. It gave him plenty of advantages, but apparently it wasn't something most people wanted in a partner.

"Did she really say you're not a real sprite?" Bob was upset too now, but he didn't think Mouse would say something like that. Still, this was Mouse they were talking about; it was hard to say for sure exactly what kind of things would come out of her mouth, especially if she was in an angry shock. If she did something even remotely similar to that, maybe Ray's insecurities would make it seem like more than she really meant.

"Those weren't her exact words, but she's been distant ever since." Ray looked at Bob with a smile "Up until you needed my help."

"She's had a lot to deal with. Have you have tried talking to her?" Bob suggested

"Of course." Ray kept smiling. Apparently his idea of 'distant' was a bit different from Bob's. "We've had some conversations since then, but it was never the same. She used to tease me, and I would tell her about some time whatever she was messing with me for got me into trouble. It always made her laugh. Her laugh is one of the most beautiful sounds I've ever heard."

"I'm sorry, Ray." Bob knew it hurt to lose someone you love, even if there was a chance of getting back together with her.

"I've still got the memories." Ray remained optimistic and calm, but Bob could hear the grief in the web surfer's voice. "They're worth the heartache."

"I know what you mean." Bob lowered his head

"Hex or Dot?" Ray asked out of impulse

Bob jumped a bit and gave his friend a look of complete shock. His cheeks were slightly indigo from the blushing. "What?!"

"Well, I just figured after everything those two did, you would have come to your senses by now." Bob could only stare in shock, so Ray took the opportunity to continue "Don't get me wrong, Dot's still a beautiful woman, but it's not everyday you meet a girl like Hex. She was the full package."

"What do you mean 'full package'?" Bob questioned. This conversation was probably a good example of why he was bonding with Ray so quickly- they were both so honest and understanding that they could say anything to each other without having to worry about saying something stupid.

"Well, let's see." Ray starting counting off the reasons "First off, that woman could bake! Cookies, cake, things I'd never even heard off!"

"I remember." Bob said softly. Thinking about Hex's cooking was making him hungry. "She helped me bake a turkey one time. It was more for her than it was for me, but I couldn't tell her that." Ray just smiled at nodded, knowing that Bob wasn't really the type of guy who could eat meat every second without starting to feel bad for the animals. Bob shook his head at the memory. "Scuzzy got a hold of my food just as I was sitting down."

"Hex just laughed and fixed you another plate?"

"And massaged my shoulders while I was eating." Bob openly admitted "I actually had to tell her to eat before it got cold. She ate half the turkey on her own. Viruses have the strangest appetites- they can put away more meat than three sprites and not gain an ounce. I don't know where she put it all!"

"I was just about to get to that." Ray said happily "Fact two- that girl was a show. Even when she was doing something as simple as eating, Hex could always keep me amused."

"You think it's attractive when a woman eats more than you do?" Bob was not impressed.

"Oh yeah." Ray admitted "There's nothing like seeing a woman with enough confidence to dig in in front of a crowd. Hex and Mouse are the kind of girl who I just want to take out for ribs." The surfer grinned "And watch them get the sauce all over their pretty faces."

"You are a strange man." Bob didn't say that to just anyone, but he felt like he could tell Ray anything.

"No, that's a pretty normal opinion where I come from." Ray said casually "Then again, I come from a strange system."

"I come from a strange system." Bob and Ray stopped. Scuzzy was near by. Bob gave the cat treats a shake and called for the cat, expecting him to come running. All he got was another recording. "There's nothing like seeing a woman with enough confidence to dig in in front of a crowd."

That gave Bob and idea of where Scuzzy was at. The surfer found him in someone's back yard, eating a rose bush.

"Now, now, little cat." The web surfer scolded gently. Scuzzy turned to face him "I think you know better than to run off and sneak into people's homes."

Ray reached out to pick up the cat, but he withdrew his arms when Scuzzy hissed at him.

"He doesn't trust strangers." Bob said as he walked up. He sat down and poured some cat treats into his hand. "Come here, Scuzzy. You're not in trouble." The cat rushed to his new owner. "See, he knows me." Bob told Ray as he put the bag down and pet the cat. "It only took him a few seconds to get used to me, but I think that's because Hex likes me."

"That makes sense." Ray sat down and picked up the cat treats. "Mind if I give it a shot?"

"I don't think that's such a good idea." Bob said. Ray ignored him. "I really don't want him to associate strangers with treats."

Scuzzy slowly krept towards the surfer. "He seems friendly." Ray said casually, putting the bag of cat treats back on the ground. "Most cats I've seen run from strangers." Ray tried to pet Scuzzy when got close enough. Scuzzy backed up and hissed again. "I understand." Ray pulled his hand back and extended the treats a little more. "I'll try again later." Scuzzy smiled and continued on his way to the surfer, just a little slower than before.

"He's usually not this friendly." Bob admitted

"I think the cat treats have something to do with that." Ray grinned at the guardian

"Probably." Bob agreed

"So, what's the deal with this little guy?" Ray asked "Are you trying to find a new home for him, or what?"

"No." Bob sighed "Hex loved that cat. The least I can do is look after Scuzzy while she's gone." Ray gave him a concerned face "What?"

"I hate to tell you this, but..." Ray trailed off

"I know." Bob finished for him "She's never coming back." Bob decided to finally let it out. "It's just, ever since we stopped Megabyte, I've been thinking about her. I miss her. I know she couldn't have survived that, but I've seen the trouble Hex can cause. She wasn't a typical virus, Ray. If anyone could survive that, it's Hex." Bob soon found himself venting to his friend. "She had more power than any virus I've ever seen. She was a class five- those are almost impossible to stop. She was practically a super virus."

"What is a super virus anyway?" Ray asked, picking up the bag of cat treats before Scuzzy could get them

"There are seven classes of viruses. We have bugs, then classes one through five. Super viruses are practically unheard of. Some used to say they were just a myth. Class ones and bugs are the most common. We guardians usually try to delete them before they can get to the third level."

"So to help me understand what's going on here, is Megabyte a class five?"

Bob shook his head. "Megabyte is technically considered a class four. He used to be a class three before he got updated in the Web."

"Wait a nano." Ray seemed to pale a bit "You're saying that a single class three was enough to take down this entire system, even with Mouse and Dot?"

"He was a very powerful class three. We had a lot of close calls with Megabyte before then." Bob admitted "There were times when I almost deleted him. If it wasn't for seeing what happened with Hex, I would probably still be willing to. But I can't delete him after I saw Hex get reprogrammed. She did more than I could ask of her. I have to find a way to reprogram Megabyte. I just have to find some way to avoid letting anyone else get deleted- especially Hex's brother."

"I don't think Hex is the kind of person who would want anyone to hurt her family, even after what Megabyte did to her."

"She could have done it herself if she wanted to." Bob reminded himself "No matter what he did to her, Megabyte was always her brother."

"That's touching, mate." Ray said sadly "Not all sisters are like that."

"If he had been half the sibling she was, I don't think Daemon would have had a chance."

"No, she probably wouldn't have been able to take the Net from them."

"Good point." Bob said cheerfully "I don't want to think about the trouble they could have caused."

"Do you really think Hex could have survived?" Ray asked.

"I don't know. I didn't get a good scan of her power levels before..."

"I understand." Ray didn't want him to finish. Bob shouldn't have to think all of that just then. It was a lot of stress, and there was still plenty of time to figure it out later. "There was a lot going on then."

But Bob couldn't let it go.

"What if she is out there somewhere?" He looked to the surfer for help "She would be weak. And hurt."

"I could make a trip to some other systems." Ray offered "I have friends all over the Net, and I can usually bypass the guardians and find some shortcuts in the Web. I'll have a look out for her in case someone finds her."

"Why do I have the feeling that you're making it sound easier than it really is?" Bob knew what Ray was offering was far from easy- traveling through the Web was dangerous enough. Running into a guardian while looking for a virus could be even worse.

"Maybe because you know I'm single now." Ray joked

Bob laughed. But Scuzzy sensed that his guardian wasn't happy and rubbed against Bob's leg in an attempt to cheer him up.

"That's a sweet cat." Ray admitted "I wouldn't mind taking him in for a few seconds if you ever need a break."

"Thanks, R-" Bob was cut off by Glitch spinning and beeping "What is it, Glitch?"

Turbo popped up on a vid window. "Guardian 452, you are needed in the Super Computer immediately."

"What's wrong?" Bob asked

Turbo looked away. Whatever the problem was, it was bad-very bad.

"I'll explain it when you get here. You may be here for a while."

"But Megabyte is still out here somewhere." Bob reminded the Prime Guardian "Mainframe is still in danger."

"I'm going to send another guardian to take your place for a while." Turbo assured him, but it didn't make Bob feel any better. The Mainframers didn't know about the experiment, and they would be very upset if they found out now. Now he may never get to make things right with Dot. "It's necessary. You are the only one who may be able to handle this." Turbo couldn't go into details now without Mainframe finding out about Hex, and he didn't want to get their hopes up. "We mostly just need some expert advice. You have more luck with these things than any other sprite I know."

"You are pretty lucky." Ray agreed "I'll watch the cat while you're away." He looked down at Scuzzy and smiled. "I guess this means I won't be able to leave the system any time soon."

"What was that?" Turbo asked sternly

"He's joking." Bob covered for him. After all, Bob was the main reason Ray was going to try to bypass the guardians. Chances were that Ray would have done so eventually anyways, but Turbo didn't need to know about that.

"There's already a ship on it's way to Mainframe." Turbo told the guardian of Mainframe, choosing to simply ignore the surfer. "You'd better be there the nano it arrives or there will be serious consequences, is that clear?"

Bob was very worried now. Turbo wasn't usually this stern with the revolutionist. This was beyond bad- this was some sort of disaster.

"Yes, Sir." Turbo smiled a bit at Bob's reaction and logged off the vid window.

With all of that out of the way, he leaned back in his chair. Perhaps he was being too secretive about Hex. Still, this was definitely an emergency. Hex was the cure for Daemon's infection. If she survived, perhaps Daemon had also. That was the latest rumor in the Guardian Collective, and everyone was concerned. There was a chance Hex knew something, but she was in no condition to talk. Someone had to fix that mask before Daemon could infect the Net again.

But while Turbo was dealing with all of that, Bob and Ray had their own problems to straighten out. Bob had no time to waste, so he quickly thanked Ray and went on his way, worried about what could scare Turbo so badly. And just as Ray reached out to pick up the cat and take him to his place, Scuzzy grabbed the cat treats out of his hand and ran with them. Ray chased after the cat, wondering if he had bitten off more than he was ready to chew.

What was Bob even feeding this thing?