Please note that this story was written ages ago – just as season three had finished, actually. I guess you can consider this an AU, since it deviates wildly from what actually happens in season 4 and after. In case these first seven chapters seem a little rushed, it's because I wrote them one a day for a week, in between school, work, and general housekeeping stuff while my mom was out of town.
Oh, and I don't own canon characters, MFE does, yadda yadda yadda.
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Legacy
Part 4
Bob and Dot were sitting at a booth with Mouse and Tracer when Matrix and Andraia arrived. Dot waved them over and had Cecil bring them something to eat. As they ate, Matrix and Andraia caught the glances that darted from sprite to sprite, and it wasn't long before Matrix pushed his plate away.
"Well, that had to be one of the most uncomfortable meals I've ever eaten... so are you going to tell us what it is you want or are we going to get indigestion from the suspense?" Matrix flashed Dot a grin as she blushed, and the other three sprites looked embarrassed.
"Sorry, Matrix.. it's just that... well, could I ask you about that cube we saw this morning?" Bob asked quietly, as if he didn't want anyone to overhear. Matrix looked at Bob as Mouse and Ray exchanged puzzled looks.
Matrix reached up and took the holo-cube out of the belt compartment again and placed it on the table. "We've each got one of these, identical, in case one gets lost." He placed the cube on the table, and the table fell silent as he and Andraia stared at it.
Mouse cleared her throat, making Matrix start. "Well, it's pretty, but what is it?"
"A holo-imager, from - one of the systems we stopped off at. It plays back scenes in holographic displays projected from the top." Matrix squeezed the sides of the cube, but this time he ran a finger across one side in an 'L' pattern. He repeated it on the opposite side, then sat back as an image sprang to life. This time, the playback was much smaller, maybe the size of Dot's organizer, and the volume was muted, so low it almost couldn't be heard. The colors were no less vivid though, and Mouse and Ray stared as the first image of Kylla came up. Matrix tapped the cube again, turning it off before it had played for very long. The table was silent as Matrix played with the cube, rolling it over in his hands.
Mouse glanced from Matrix to Andraia, "I don't believe you two had a kid.. I mean, aren't you two a bit young for that kind of thing?"
Andraia raised an eyebrow at Mouse, "Mouse, before I do something unforgivable to you, let me ask you a question. How long were we gone?"
Mouse shot an uneasy look at Bob and Dot. "Uh.. about a month, all together. Why?"
Matrix smiled grimly and shook his head. Andraia just nodded. "A month - system time. For us, it's been a year. Twelve months of our lives spent looking for a system that as far as we knew, might not even have existed anymore." She looked up at Matrix for a moment, seeming to draw strength from his eyes. "Can you really blame us for wanting to have a place to call home? To have a family again?"
"A family?" Dot shook her head. "You wanted a family, so you took a baby into the games with you? What, Game-hopping wasn't dangerous enough for the two of you already, you had to take a baby into them too?" Matrix, caught off guard for this attack from his sister, stared at Dot as she glared at him. "What in the Net were you thinking?"
Bob frowned at Matrix as well. "You've lived in the Games, why would you take a baby into them with you? I know you were always a bit reckless, but-"
"WHAT?" Matrix slammed his hands down on the table top. "I don't believe this! You think we took Kylla traveling with us and we got her killed? Is that it?" Andraia stared at Dot in horror, betrayal plain on her face.
"Do you really think we would be so stupid? Think about it - it had been almost a year. We were planning to stay in Syndara; we had made a home there, and we had no reason to leave." Andraia looked from Dot to Bob, trying to make them listen. "Can you understand that? We didn't kill Kylla, a virus did... that was the reason we left Syndara, we couldn't stay there, not after she died. And after we deleted the virus, there was no need for us to stay there anymore. We didn't kill her!" Andraia's voice broke as tears started to to fall from her eyes again, and her gaze flickered from face to unforgiving face desperately.
Mouse, seeing the states Andraia was in, put out a restraining hand to Bob and Dot. "Now wait just a nano, boys and girls, don't you think you're taking this-"
Matrix shoved himself out of the booth, pulling Andraia up with him. She didn't resist, she had the idea she knew what Matrix was about to do, and even though she was uneasy, she didn't pull away. "Let's go, Andraia." The two headed for the door, and Dot recovered enough to call out to him.
"Matrix - wait!"
He ignored her and left the Diner.
The four sprites scrambled out the door, and exited in time to see Matrix and Andraia get on their zipboards.
"Matrix, wait! What do you think you're doing!?" Bob frowned, puzzled at what seemed to him to be irrational behavior. "Will you come back here and talk to us?"
Matrix swung his board around, glaring at Bob and his sister. "No. I will NOT stay here and be accused of killing my own daughter. You never even asked what happened, Bob. Didn't you hear what Andraia said? We were living in Syndara because we had stopped Game hopping. Do I have to be even plainer? We gave up. Ok? Are you happy now?" Matrix was really mad now, glaring at Bob. Bob looked up at him, shocked.
"We - Gave - Up. All right?" Matrix shook his head in disgust and turned to Andraia. "I guess it's true... you can't go home again. How about we go find ourselves a new home?"
Andraia looked him, her eyes wide, then she smiled. "If you're sure...?"
Matrix grinned. "To quote a much younger you, 'I've never been more sure of anything'. Forget this, let's go home."
As if on cue, the sky darkened and the system voice announced "Warning: Incoming Game." Matrix and Andraia looked up at the Game Cube and smiled.
Bob and Dot looked on in horror as the two started to head towards the Game Cube. "No! You can't!" Dot screamed as she ran after them, and Matrix zipped back long enough to throw something at Dot, then waved and continued towards the descending game. Dot looked down at the object she had caught - it was the holo-cube of Kylla. Dot choked back a sob as she saw the two figures enter the Game's sector.
"Nooo... not again! How can you do this!" Dot screamed at the cube as it landed, sealing the two sprites away from her forever.
Bob wrapped his arms around Dot and looked up at the Cube, filled with shame that he'd even thought Matrix would put a child in danger. "I'm sorry..."
"Game Over." The Game Cube lifted, leaving a perfect sector behind.. and no sign of the two young sprites. When Dot heard the news that no sign of Matrix or Andraia could be found, she bore up well, but when eyewitness accounts came in from binomes who had seen the two dissolve with the Game, she burst into tears again. Bob kept a watch over her, vowing never to leave her, and he hoped that one day, Matrix would come back to Mainframe.. and find Home.