A/N: This is a pretty long chapter. The title is unrelated but I couldn't think of anything better. Oh well.
10
Neo shifted in his seat uncomfortably, dreading the moment where he'd have to tell the others he wasn't the One. Tank was right, he felt better not knowing about his own future.
Trinity was unnerved by the silence in the car. She enjoyed silence because it gave her time to think, but this was the kind of silence that felt awkward and unnatural. Mostly because she knew that Cypher and even Morpheus were wondering about what was running through Neo's mind as she was. She shot him a glance from across the backseat, his cheek pressed against the glass and his eyes focused dreamily on the passing streets and shifting continually in his seat.
Everyone was relieved when the car screeched to a stop. Apoc and Switch, who had been sitting by the door and engaging in quiet conversation, stood abruptly to lead the way inside. As Neo scrambled out of the car and slammed his door shut, he caught Cypher's gaze briefly and saw the sinister spark flickering in the depths of his eyes to accompany the cynical smile he showered upon the other man. Neo frowned, scurrying away to catch up with Trinity and Morpheus, who were making their way inside after Apoc and Switch.
At once Cypher's outward smirk dropped but he continued to gloat inwardly to himself. Just wait, pretty boy. I'll get my own back.
Neo shuffled after the others into a black and white tiled hall. As the rest of the crew began to ascend the nearby chestnut staircase, a muffled purr caught his attentions and he turned quickly only to see a black cat crossing the doorframe and sprinting away into the distance. Pondering the fact that the cat didn't actually exist, Neo gripped the banister and climbed the first stair, only to have his attention recaptured by the same cat passing the doorframe again, purring in the same fashion as before.
Odd. Neo thought to himself, tilting his head in puzzlement. I've never had déjà vu before.
"Whoa, déjà vu." He said aloud, voicing his thoughts as he often did. He hadn't expected the others to be paying him any sort of attention, and was rather surprised when they turned abruptly at his words.
"What did you just say?" Trinity questioned, swiveling around to face him and tightening at his words as fear coursed through her veins.
"Nothing." Neo shrugged. "Just had a little déjà vu."
"What did you see?" Trinity asked anxiously, her shoulders tensing, only to have the tension released at the sight of him coaxing his head to the side and blinking up at her in confusion. She silently marveled at the fact that something could look so innocent.
"What happened?" Cypher continued. Neo stared between both in surprise, wondering why this should matter to anyone.
"A black cat just went past us." Neo gestured to the doorframe behind him. "And another that looked just like it."
"How much like it? Was it the same cat?" She asked quickly, the two sentences almost coming out as one. Neo noticed that the others were all staring at him in anticipation, with fear hidden behind their dark sunglasses.
"Might have been." Neo shrugged again. "I'm not sure."
Shit. Trinity retrieved her gun, clutching it tightly in her hand.
"Switch, Apoc." Was all Morpheus had to say. The pair nodded and moved to opposite ends of the staircase, their guns held aloft.
"What is it?" Neo wondered, his eyes shifting between the others. Yet again, he was irritated when none seemed to be eager to answer his question, however he had expected as much.
"A déjà vu is usually a glitch in the Matrix." Trinity explained out of pure instinct. "It happens when they change something."
"Let's go." Morpheus ordered, leading the way up several flights of stairs until they reached the ninth floor. Neo panted, running things through his head as fear sprung into his entire being instantly when he realized that Trinity had been talking about Agents. Supposedly, he was the only one who would be able to withstand a fight against them...but he wasn't the One. The others were all expecting him to do something amazing...like perform a miracle....but he couldn't. A sudden sense of shame washed over him, only to increase when he met eyes with Trinity briefly.
Upon reaching the eighth floor, Trinity struggled to stop herself from crying out in shock when she spied Mouse's limp body sprawled out across the floor, blood oozing from open bullet wounds in his chest, his eyes still wide open in paralyzed fear and his body still, welcoming death.
No. She shook her head, holding tears at bay. Mouse can't be dead...he can't be. I-It's not possible. I-It can't be real.
Turning to see the shock and sadness evident in the tightness of her companion's faces, she came to realize the obviousness of the truth. Mouse was dead. No longer would he be seen darting excitedly along the corridors, or rambling on about beautiful women and walking in at awkward moments. No longer would Apoc have to shout at him to shut up. Hearing Apoc's heavy and sorrowful breathing beside her, she knew that he would, ironically, miss Mouse the most.
But now was not the time to mourn the death of their fallen comrade. Morpheus had already moved to the window and pulled back the curtains, only to reveal a sturdy brick wall. The others gathered around him anxiously, wondering what awaited them now.
"That's what they changed." Cypher stated the obvious. In Neo's opinion, the fear in Cypher's tone sounded somewhat false. "We're trapped. There's no way out."
"Be calm." Morpheus ordered, holding out a hand. "Give me your phone."
Cypher dug into the pocket of his coat, rummaging for a phone that obviously wasn't there. Fortunately, Trinity managed to produce one and handed it to Morpheus along with words of caution.
"They'll be able to track it."
"We have no choice." Morpheus reasoned while dialing Tank's number.
For once, Neo decided not to question the others about the conversation Morpheus and Tank shared over the phone. Now definitely wasn't the time. Instead, he settled into confusion and hoped that the others knew what they were doing.
"Switch, straight ahead." Morpheus instructed, and Switch nodded in reply, leading the way down another corridor. Neo prepared to follow but Apoc grabbed his arm, holding him back.
"Neo," He said, flipping a handgun around several times before placing it in Neo's outstretched palm. "I hope the Oracle gave you some good news."
I wish. Neo thought bitterly as Apoc moved behind him and they followed the others down several corridors until they reached a small, dirty and white tiled bathroom with the back wall tiles chipped and worn away. There was a small opening beside the floor that would lead up into the wall behind it. Morpheus bent and crawled through the hole, scrambling up as high as possible so he was wedged inside and clutching the walls tightly with his back pressed against the further side. The others quickly followed his lead.
For a few moments, Trinity almost believed they were safe, and had managed to give the Agents the slip yet again. They may have even been able to survive if someone's foot hadn't slipped, causing dust to trickle down Cypher's bald scalp. Cypher's allergic reaction to dust didn't just cause Trinity supreme irritation as usual, but nearly cost her her life, as well as the lives of Apoc, Switch, Morpheus; and Neo.
Neo's hands clung to the walls desperately, raw and dirty from the dust that surrounded him. The stench of moist dirt was overpowering, and he struggled to hold onto the walls. Beyond his hiding place, he heard the sounds of boots squelching across the sticky bathroom floor and drew a long and shuddering breath, holding it in his chest. Somewhere bellow him, Cypher had begun to cough and was attempting to hold it in. But his efforts weren't powerful enough, and he began to splutter, causing the police on the wall's opposite side to cry out in alarm.
"They're in the walls! They're in the walls!"
Thousands upon thousands of bullets collided with the wall at once, breaking through the chipped tiles and narrowly avoiding the people who hid behind it. Unsure of what to do, Neo rummaged through the pockets in his coat before pulling out the gun Apoc had given him earlier. He had never used a gun before, nor had he ever been through any programs which taught him how to. But in a dire situation, such things seemed of little importance. He aimed the gun at the wall and pulled the trigger, flinching in surprise each time a bullet escaped the gun's end. He hadn't expected something as simple as shooting a gun to be this difficult.
Suddenly, the shooting stopped and all was strangely quiet. Trinity breathed a sigh of relief, deciding that Neo had somehow managed to shoot the policeman on the other side of the wall.
That's definitely impressive. She smiled silently to herself. Not everyone can kill someone when it's their first time using a gun...maybe he really is the One.
But she had dared to hope too soon. A rough and pale, seemingly lifeless hand shot through the wall and wrapped around Neo's neck. He chocked and spluttered in alarm, attempting and failing to pull himself from the hand's grasp.
"It's an Agent!" Shouted Cypher, stating the obvious.
Before Trinity could react, she heard a cry from above her as Morpheus crashed through the wall, bringing himself down atop the Agent on the other side and straddling him to the floor. At once, the hand fell from Neo's throat and the younger man gasped, swallowing hoarsely.
"Morpheus!" Trinity cried, pulling herself up slightly in order to better see what was happening.
"Trinity, you must get Neo out! He's all that matters!" Morpheus shouted in reply from the other side of the wall. Trinity froze, for once completely unsure of what to do. She knew Morpheus was right, and if Neo was the One, his safety should be her main priority (actually, his safety did seem to be her main priority regardless of this). But how could she leave Morpheus? Her father figure and the person who had freed her mind and made her into the person she was today? She was caught between two decisions, unable to decipher the right choice.
"No!" Neo shouted through the bullet holes. "No, Morpheus, don't!" He wanted to tell Morpheus that he wasn't the One. He wanted to tell him that he was throwing his life away senselessly. He wanted to jump out of the wall himself and die in Morpheus's place, perhaps not only to save his captain but also to prevent his own state of shame. But once again, his words caught in his throat and he found himself unable to form a straight sentence.
"Trinity, go!" Morpheus commanded. In seconds, Trinity had made up her mind.
Morpheus can handle himself. And he's right. I have to save Neo...I have to.
"Go!" She bellowed. Obeying to the order of their second in command, Switch, Apoc and Cypher loosened their hold on the walls completely and let themselves drop, crashing through the floor and into the basement. Only Neo remained behind, refusing to budge.
"We can't leave him!" He insisted, giving Trinity his most serious and insightful stare from above her.
"We have to!" Trinity reasoned. Although she was just as hesitant to leave Morpheus behind, she found that she valued Neo's protection above all other things. Not only as the One. It was strange...almost like a mother fears for the safety of her child...if he died....
Neo only tightened his hold on the walls in protest. Seeing no other way to bring him with her, Trinity snatched his ankle in her hand and tugged him down after her. Surprised by this method, Neo forgot to uphold his resistance and allowed her to pull him down the walls after her, landing in a cloud of dust on the basement's floor.
The police had somehow managed to beat them there. Trinity could hear the others spluttering and coughing around her in the cloud of dust that masked them from view. Holding her hand above her eyes as a shield, she saw the torchlight of the policeman and frantically searched for her gun. She heard Switch and Apoc breeze by her, leaping out from the dust and using their last bullets in a final stand against their enemy. But all could see that the couple wouldn't last long.
Defenseless, Trinity searched for a means of escape and spied a manhole not too far away from where they were. Neo was slowing getting to his feet beside her and searching for his own gun, only to find it empty. Sighing, Trinity charged forward and grasped his wrist, leading him to the manhole. Even in her current situation, she couldn't help but realize that her body had tensed to his soft touch, his clammy hands clinging to her own.
She feels so beautiful and smooth. Neo thought to himself, but did not daunt on this as she tore the manhole open and allowed him to slide down first, standing aside to let Apoc and Switch sprint after them and leap down as well. Only after she had lowered half her body into the manhole did she realize that one was missing. Looking back over her shoulder, she saw Cypher pressed up against the wall to avoid the oncoming bullets.
"Cypher!" She shouted. "Come on!"
Cypher gave her a hesitant glance, only shuffling forward a few steps. Trinity had no choice but to leave him, dropping into the manhole and sealing the entrance over her. Landing in the moist and sodden underground, she hurried to the front of the others and ran down the foul smelling tunnel, completely unsure of where it would lead her.
"Trinity, where are we going?" Switch questioned from behind her. "And where's Cypher?"
"I can't answer either question." Trinity replied. "Because I honestly don't know."
"I've still got my phone." Apoc suggested. "Perhaps we should call Tank."
Trinity nodded, taking it from him. "Once we get out of here."
Switch had always known that Trinity was above her in rank and always would be. But because Morpheus had always been present for leadership, the second-in-command had never really needed to take on that role. Switch had always considered herself equal to Trinity, because that was the way Trinity treated her. She found it odd, taking orders from someone she'd always thought of as a fair, trustworthy and close friend, but realized that if Morpheus didn't survive, she may have to become more accustomed to this.
Trinity reached the opening at the other end of the manhole, sliding it aside and emerging in the middle of a busy city street. Taking lead through the bustle of traffic, she hurried to the path and proceeded aimlessly while dialing Tank's number on Apoc's phone.
Neo hurried to stay beside Trinity, as she was moving at an outrageously fast pace. If he'd not been in the situation he was in, he would have marveled at the radiant beauty that seemed to shine from the woman beside him as she swerved between crowds of businessmen. He had more pressing matters on his mind at the moment, like the fate of his captain.
"Tank, it's me." Trinity said once Tank had answered the phone.
"Is Morpheus alive?" Neo asked worriedly.
"Is Morpheus alive, Tank?" Trinity repeated into the phone. She listened in silence briefly before answering him. "He's alive."
But for how long? Neo drifted back into his own state of mind as Trinity continued her conversation on the phone. He felt terrible for what had happened...Morpheus had sacrificed himself to save Neo. And after everything Morpheus had done for him, especially when Neo wasn't even the One at all, this hardly seemed a good way to repay him. He was now left with mingled feelings of depression and guilt.
"Follow me." Trinity ordered after hanging up the phone and pocketing it. She changed direction and started back down the street, scanning the shops for the one that contained the exit. Eventually noticing the closed doors of an ancient TV repair shop, she hurried around to the back entrance and kicked the door down, following the sounds of a ringing phone.
"You first, Neo." She instructed, handing him the phone. Neo nodded, taking the phone and pressing it against his hear, expecting to be transported back into the construct. But instead, a rhythmic beating hummed in his ear and he held the receiver away in slight surprise.
"I don't know. It just went dead." He shrugged. Trinity took the phone from his hand and slammed it down fiercely, sighing in aggravation.
I'm not in the mood for this shit. If this is just another one of Tank's jokes, I swear I'm going to murder him once I get back on board the ship. But I'd rather just go to sleep and awaken to find out that it's all just some strange dream.
Dialing Tank on her phone yet again, Trinity held it to her ear as she paced the room slowly. Neo watched her silently, secretly a little hurt that she'd acted in such a savage manner earlier. But he supposed that this was one of the many reasons why he liked her so much- she didn't take anyone's shit. He grinned to himself, but frowned in confusion once Trinity started her conversation.
"Hello, Trinity." Said a sinister voice on the other end of the phone.
"Cypher?" Trinity exclaimed in confusion, noticing something in his tone that hadn't been present before. Somehow, she felt as if some invisible and particularly revolting and repulsive was pressing against her body. "Where's Tank?"
Cypher sighed, relaxing in the relief that seeped through him, finally being able to say what had been on his mind for such a long time. He pressed himself against her limp and perfect feminine figure, taking in her scent and brushing back strands of her luscious ebony hair.
"You know, for a long time, I thought I was...in love with you. I used to dream about you. You're a beautiful woman, Trinity. Too bad things had to turn out this way...."
"You killed them!" Trinity cried, jumping at the sudden realization. So it had been Cypher who had handed Morpheus over to the Agents! It was Cypher who had the police kill Mouse!
"What!?" Apoc asked, tearing his sunglasses from his face.
"Oh God." Switch blinked in understanding, lowering her sunglasses and gun in shock.
"I'm tired, Trinity." Cypher continued. "I'm tired of fighting. I'm tired of this ship, being cold and eating the same god damn goop everyday. But most of all, I'm tired of that jack-off and all of his bullshit."
As he rambled on about Morpheus and she felt the invisible slimy sensation move away from her, Trinity continued to pace the room, shaking her head on denial.
No...Cypher can't be doing this. He can't betray us like this. I've always hated him, but I never expected him to be pure evil. How can he...............oh God, he used to dream about me! That's revolting!
"You gave them Morpheus." Trinity concluded, seeing the shock reflected in the eyes of her three companions.
"He lied to us, Trinity. He tricked us!" Cypher shouted angrily. "If you would have told us the truth, we would have told you to shove that red pill right up your ass!"
"That's not true, Cypher. He set us free." Trinity reasoned, daring to hope that perhaps there was a slither of good still left in him.
"Free? You call this free?" Cypher sighed heavily. "All I do is what he tells me to do. If I had to choose between that and the Matrix, I'd choose the Matrix."
"The Matrix isn't real!" Trinity cried in irritation.
"I disagree, Trinity. I think that the Matrix can be more real than this world. All I do is pull the plug here...but there, you have to watch Apoc die."
Trinity's eyes flicked to Apoc, who was standing innocently to the side, confused by her one side of the conversation. But the look in her eyes must have conveyed his fate, because Apoc's eyes lit up in fear. Trinity blinked apologetically, wishing there was something she could do to save him...for Switch's sake.
"Trinity." He breathed before he collapsed to the floor in death, his mind ripped from his digital body. Both Trinity and Neo felt their breath catch in their throat and their hearts clench in sadness.
"No!" Switch cried, running to his side and shaking his fragile body as if it would somehow bring him back to life. Silvery tears spilled down her cheeks, staining her lover's dark trench coat as he clutched his back tightly.
"Welcome to the real world, huh baby?" Cypher joked cynically in Trinity's ear.
"But you're out, Cypher. You can't go back!" Trinity reasoned, although she hardly saw why this argument would stop him from killing the others. She glanced between Neo and Switch...who's life would he take next? The life of one of her two closest friends, or the life or her...actually, she had no idea what Neo was to her.
"Oh no. That's what you think." Cypher chuckled. "They're going to reinsert my body. I go back to sleep, and when I wake up, I won't remember a god damn thing. By the way, if you have anything terribly important to say to Switch, I suggest you say it now..."
"No, please don't." She whispered into the phone, feeling her heart swell and slide up into her throat when she fixed eyes on the body of her mourning friend. Tears filled her eyes, but she held them inside, knowing that there was nothing she could do to save the other woman.
If this is to be Switch's last moments alive...then I want her to remember me as the woman she has always known me to be. I don't want her to have to see me cry in her last moments of life...no matter what happens, I won't cry...
"Not like this." Switch whispered to Apoc when she realized she would be next. Her eyes drifted from him for the last time and fixed on her best friend instead. She could tell that Trinity was holding all her emotions at bay, and knew that she was doing it for her sake. All at once, emotions Switch had been keeping hidden fought to be revealed. She wanted to tell Trinity what she'd meant to her, how their friendship had helped her to become the woman she was. But no matter how she tried, she couldn't put her thoughts into words. What really bothered her was that she wouldn't have had the time to say everything even if she had been able to. "Not like this." She repeated instead.
With that, Switch fell to the floor, collapsing beside the man she loved and letting death claim her so that they could be united again. Trinity felt the dams in her eyes crack, but she fought diligently to hold them back.
I won't cry...she wouldn't have wanted me to cry.
"Goddamn you, Cypher!" She screamed, taking her rage out on the phone she still held to her ear.
"Don't hate me Trinity...I'm just a messenger, and right now I'm gonna prove it to you. If Morpheus was right, then there's no way I can pull this plug. I mean, if Neo's the One, then there'd have to be some kinda miracle to stop me, right? I mean, how can he be the One...if he's dead?"
Neo, who had knelt beside the bodies of Apoc and Switch in shock after the second death and was feeling a bit lost by the sudden deaths of his crew mates and the one side of Trinity's conversation, was now slowly getting to his feet and wondering if he would be the next to die. Sure enough, Trinity was staring at him with those penetrating eyes of hers with mixed emotions of mingled fear and sadness blended within her stony gaze. Part of him wanted to just march across the room and hold her in his arms...kiss her neck and cry with her as he died...if he was going to die. He wanted to tell her how sorry he was that he wasn't the One...he wanted to tell her he was sorry he wouldn't be there for her....but he knew she'd only push him away....he knew she didn't love him. Hell, he wasn't even sure if he loved her.
Trinity shook her head against the phone. Cypher had already taken so much from her, but he couldn't take Neo....no, she wouldn't let it happen. She couldn't let it happen. But what could she do to save him?
"You never did answer me before, if you bought into Morpheus's bullshit." Cypher continued. "Come on, all I want is a little yes or no."
Trinity knew what he was talking about. He was asking her if she believed Neo was the One or not. He didn't know that by admitting it, she'd also be admitting her love for Neo. But was she ready for that? It didn't matter now...this could be her last chance to tell him.
Cypher sighed heavily, growing impatient with her silence. "Look into his eyes, those big pretty eyes, and tell me: yes or no?"
Trinity obeyed, looking into the depths of Neo's eyes. She'd looked into his eyes so many times before, but this time...it was somehow different. Faced with the knowledge of his own upcoming death, she could no longer hold her feelings at bay. She became a fountain of emotions, exploding with feelings she'd never felt before. For the first time, she noticed the fire burning behind the softness of Neo's brown eyes...powerful flames that melted the ice in her own eyes and produced the key that would unlock her heart and bring years of a loveless life to an end.
She was in love. It was an unexplainable feeling...one that not even words could make seem real enough. It was something that had created itself and always been there...it just needed to be unlocked from her heart. And Neo was the key. He'd managed to do the impossible. He'd managed to open her soul. She came to realize what she'd always really known anyway.
I'm in love with him. I love Neo, and not just because he is the One...but he has to be the One. He has to be. I may not believe in the prophecy, but I do believe in him. I always will.
"Yes." She whispered into the phone. She'd done it. She'd admitted it to herself. She'd even put it into a singular word in answer to Cypher's question. And she couldn't help but to swell with her own sense of self pride regardless of the situation she faced.
"No!" Cypher shouted in reply. "I don't believe it!"
There was a loud clatter, and then....nothing. At once, the phone on the desk began to ring once more, and the two living soldiers approached it cautiously, looking at each other in complete and utter confusion. Deciding that he should take lead for once, Neo took the phone and held it out to the woman opposite him.
"You first." He said awkwardly, as she accepted it and held it to her ear. Closing her eyes to the virtual world, Trinity reopened them and found herself back on the ship. Afraid she'd meet with Cypher, she sat up quickly and stared around her, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw his charred corpse lying a few meters away from her.
Tank stood beside her, placing the needle back on its stand. At once she noticed the large wound in his right side, glowing with red blood. Shuddering, she took his hand in her own.
"You're hurt." She whispered.
"I'll be alright." Tank smiled bravely, despite the pain throbbing in his body. Trinity's eyes swiveled around her briefly, searching for the other operator.
"Dozer?"
Tank shook his head sadly, tears building in his eyes. Putting her reputation aside yet again, Trinity pulled him into a hug. For once, she needed a shoulder to cry on, and she knew Tank did too. It was only a short while later that she remembered Neo was still in the construct.
"Neo-" Trinity began, but was cut off instantly.
"Oh yeah!" Tank grinned, despite his depression at the loss of his elder brother. "Oops, nearly forgot about him. Good thing I didn't jack him out first or he'd be feeling pretty jealous."
Trinity didn't bother to retort, too exhausted from the day's progression and her new resolutions to be worried about denying her new found love. She moved to Neo's chair and pulled the plug from the back of his head as his eyes sprung open.
Neo stared into Trinity's eyes awkwardly for a moment. There was something different about her...something he couldn't place. Ignoring this for the moment, he stood and took to helping Tank take the bodies of the dead and lie them out in a corner, covering them with thick woolen blankets, while Trinity stood and watched. She hated to think she was too weak to be helping them, but to cover Switch's lifeless face with a blanket would be too much for her to bare. Once it was done, she stood beside the mounds of dead, knowing she'd never look upon their faces again.
She hardly noticed that Neo and Tank and moved to Morpheus's chair and were discussing what had happened to him. Trinity knew there was only one thing the Agents would want from their captain, and she knew that they had methods for retrieving the information from him with ease. The Agents wanted access codes to Zion's mainframe. She also knew that if the Agents did get what they wanted, it would mean the end of the world as they knew it.
"Trinity," Tank called from across the room, catching her attention. "Zion is more important than me, or you, or even Morpheus."
Trinity turned, wondering where this conversation would lead while Neo shook his head in disbelief.
"Well, there has to be something we can do."
"There is." Tank said, his face grim as he met eyes with Trinity. "We pull the plug."
(o)
A/N: Suspenseful place to leave it? Well...not really, since you all know what's going to happen. Well I hope I at least built up the illusion of suspense. I'd just like to add that this chapter is actually pretty personal to me. I was crying when I wrote the part where Trinity admits her love for Neo because it is actually my own personal thoughts on someone else I know. Tell me if you think it is believable, as is the part where Switch dies.
In the next chapter, Neo will discover that he loves Trinity! Stay tuned for that and thanks for reading. Please review!!!