Notes: More time hopping, be warned! And the science-like stuff hopefully makes sense, once again having looked into it properly and not made it up off the top of my head. Plus I wanted to bring Kineta back into it; she intrigues me somehow.

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Trialia: Sorry! It just seemed like a good place to stop!

SapphireNight: Thank you! Hope you feel better; I know what you mean about the parent-teacher thing. Half the time neither side know what's really going on. Thanks! I need all the help I can get; only A2 I'm actually looking forward to is Classical Civilisation!

Mirror: You'd have to ask Smith about that! Thanks!

the female apophis: Thank you! I'm glad too; I've missed you!

Starlight623: Thanks! Here's the update!

Protectress of Dalidon: Thank you! It depends where the story goes as to what I do; it does have a set story-line, but I have the tendency to veer away sometimes. You studied Ancient Greece? I'm doing an A2 in it and my degree course is in it too. ^^ Erm, the title is rather important and the summary will come into play – I just couldn't think of a way to sum it up without sounding cliché.

Chaosti: Eeep. If she were real, feel free to hug her. I think she needs it.

geekgurl: Thanks! Not just yet though…

Agent Josey: Thank you! Yay! Glad it went well! I want to learn Welsh; I'm half Welsh! I'm going to a uni in Wales so hopeful I'll get to somehow. ^^

Da Buffster: If I could offer real cookies then I would. Best I could do would be a picture. I'll look into it. ^^; Still cant promise anything…

Divamercury: Thanks! I warn you I'm still not 100% and have to wait for results, but I'm writing whenever I can and I don't have college work.

-

Two days later, the crew of the three ships, plus Jet of the Aenied, sat practically huddled in the corner of an old conference room in Zion, other meetings taking place around them.

"We've all seen it," Jet was staring down at the table, "One minute they're there, the next they're not, the code alters…they're human. They damn well read human and then its suddenly an Agent style killing spree!" her voice rose and she slammed a hand down, blaming herself for the death of Beta.

"They're too strong," Niobe uttered, not making eye contact with anybody, "I know we can give most things we choose a good beating if we want and have to…but that hit came out of nowhere, even we have to build up speed to be able to deliver a punch like that."

"…You're saying its them?" Trinity blinked, "We're agreeing that Nyx and Lys are alive for a start?"

"I don't know. We cant do DNA tests, we wouldn't know if it was them or not from their codes, all we have are their SI's to go on," Nefertiti stated.

"SI's?" Ghost questioned.

"Well they're not RSI's. They knew about the Matrix. Surely they know they can change their appearance as they see fit."
"We only just made it out of there alive last time," Morpheus interrupted, "Yet we still don't know how the Agents were able to pinpoint our positions so accurately."

"…Smith," Neo answered, tonelessly.

"Wouldn't put it past him," Link muttered.

"It makes sense that he would have access to the other Agent's programs, if he's no longer connected to the main system."

"They just appeared out of nowhere," Athene mumbled. She was still embarrassed at having to be 'saved' by Neo, though she knew she shouldn't be. Just the thought that it was she who was training the Free-born children to fight had nearly been beaten herself stung.

"None of them went after Libra," Trinity frowned.

"She wasn't a threat," Cosmos shrugged.

"But she's still a Free-mind," Morpheus answered, concerned.

"Maybe they were just too concerned with us at the time," Neo tried, not wanting to contemplate the idea of the Agents going after his daughter.

"Maybe she reads differently…" Jet trailed off, blue eyes narrowed.

"How so?"

"…That's it…" realisation dawned and Niobe suddenly smiled, "That's it!"

"What?" Trinity pressed.

"Her coding, its different. All of the Free-born children who enter the Matrix! They never had an RSI, never had a code that would assign the paths their lives could take!"

"…Looks all the same to me…" Link countered.

"Me too," August nodded.

"No, listen," she continued, "We have to broadcast a pirate signal, right? They know our codes, they're know we're hacking in, not just because we bend the rules every now and then. They know us from before. They don't know them. Its like having a baby who has just been plugged in! They're no threat, they're completely new…and…they have access to all the software in the Avatar…"

"Kineta," Neo nodded, "She said to Libby she had access to everything in the Avatar."

"Like you do," Trinity added.

"But they can't control it. You can do the things you do because your code is different. You're The One. I'm not saying they're going to be able to do anything like what you do, but it means they have more control over themselves. Over what their bodies can and can't do and how they appear."

"So we're saying that if they don't 'want' to be seen they're not going to be? That by wishing she was faster and invisible, that Libra was?" Ghost lowered his voice.

"No," Nefertiti shook her head.

"They read like those still plugged in. Babies, adults, anybody who still has the access to all the software and isn't aware of it. Until the machines realise that their signals are pirate, they're going to read like everybody else. The Agents don't come after all of them because they don't know which ones are using the abilities they should have…" Niobe explained.

"And that's why the Oracle keeps the Potentials under her protection…they're showing what they can do and bringing attention to themselves," Morpheus suddenly understood.

"They cant find the Oracle and therefore they can't find them…" Neo's eyes widened, "You mean if they make it to adulthood without being seen as a pirate signal…"

"They're going to be more effective than those we free…"

"We're talking about a child army here!" Jet hissed, "Its just wrong!!"

"Libra, Anieli, Sphere and Meilin are the oldest we have, they're little more than babies…" Trinity shook her head, "I know we're training them to be able to defend themselves and to ultimately have the same skills we do…but I'm not comfortable with training them to be soldiers…"

"How many more Free-born children have had the procedure since we found it was successful?" Morpheus questioned.

"…Around twenty I think…maybe a few more…" Cosmos replied, "Their parents aren't comfortable with it. Again, its usually a child who has at least one Pod-born parent who is allowed to go through it."

"I was asked to take a girl with me, to get her accustomed to ship-life. She was only six…" Nefertiti lowered her head, "I couldn't do it. It's why we leave Sanura with Sparks' parents."

"Sphere and Li are staying with us for our next trip out," Athene mused, "and Libra, obviously. What about Meilin?"

"I don't know…" Neo sighed.

"This is unbelievable. They're safe until their pirate signals are discovered…"

"…And with all those still plugged in…billions…" Trinity breathed.

Neo's eyes were alight with a curious glint, "…It could take years…" …the glint of hope.

-

"Libra!"

She turned round, a smile on her face as she recognised the voice, "Kineta!"

The red haired girl ran towards her friend, feet clanging along the metal walkway, her foster parents following at a slower pace behind her. Kineta looked up at the other girl, "You've grown again!"

Twelve year old Libra grinned; Kineta had the knack of coming out with expressions usually heard from an adult. Then again, that one had always been 'ahead' for her age, "Does this mean I can call you shorty?"

Kineta stood there, hands on her hips, brown eyes narrowed, "Its not my fault I haven't grown in two years!" she shot back, half grin on her face.

The two girls continued along the walkway in a comfortable silence for a while, before Libra felt compelled to speak, "Li's signal was found the other day…" she said softly.

"…shit…" the nine year old covered her mouth and glanced back to make sure her carers hadn't heard her, "That's bad."

"He made it out okay…" she sighed, "We just have to hope he isn't targeted."

"You're still safe then?"

"Yeah. Sphere and Meilin too. And Sanura," Libra closed her eyes briefly, "They still haven't found them. Not even run into them…" she'd never breathed a word of the prophecy to anybody, not even Kineta.

"Maybe they shouldn't want to," the young girl offered.

"Why?"

"If they're really what they think they are. Killers, murderers. Do they really want to know what their children have become?" Kineta stared up at her.

Libra glanced back at her for several seconds, wondering yet again how such a young girl could have the reasoning of an adult. Perhaps it was all her time with the Oracle. She had the knack of changing people for the better, "…I just want them to be happy."

"You make them happy, Libby. Sure, they want Nyx and Lys back, but you're everything to them. You can see it in their eyes," Kineta touched her friend's arm reassuringly.

Libra smiled softly, "…Thank, Kin."

"You're welcome," she nodded, "Now," she clapped her hands together and grinned, "what're we doing for Sphere's thirteenth?"

"Kin!" Libra laughed and threw an arm around her friend's shoulders, their whispers becoming giggles as they continued their walk.

-

"They went in here," she muttered, "Do they really think we wont find them?"

"And they say they're 'freeminds'," Exodus shook his head.

Genesis picked up the pace, breaking into a run through the shopping centre, springing into a cartwheel as several bullets flew in her direction, not slowing down, advancing on the black clad figure, the slower of the two in front of them.

Exodus fired several shots over his sister's head, speeding up to keep step with her, grinning as she grabbed the neck of her target, a moment's worry creeping into his mind as her prey fought back, but grinned again as he saw her match her opponent blow for blow. Firing a single shot, the bullet caught the knee of his own target, making her stumble and fall to the floor. He was upon her in an instant, forcing her head back, "Freemind," he stated, twisting her neck, enjoying the crack as it broke, "Ex-Freemind." Exodus turned to watch his twin vault backward, twisting into a spin-kick, proceeding to take aim with her M-16 and fire numerous shots at her target, listening to the screams of the general public around them, diving for cover.

The body crumpled and bleeding before her on the floor, Genesis gave it a kick, dropping her weapon beside it. Looking away, she caught the gaze of a small girl, terrified, pausing to make proper eye contact.

The blonde haired child shuffled away, hugging her knees, "Please don't hurt me…" she whispered.

Genesis contemplated reclaiming her M-16 simply to scare the girl. Instead, she shook her head and ran off, grabbing Exodus' arm on the way past, the two of them running for the exit of the shopping centre.

"…You let her live," he stated as they ran.

"It would have been a waste," she replied, not looking back.

-

Trinity sat against the wall of the temple, determined not to cry. Instead, she added a small notch to the line she had previously made in years gone by, "…Happy twenty first…Nyx…Lys…"

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