To all Meggy fans. I'm sorry, really I am. But it has to be this way. Plot points and all.


Merger part two.

System Connect
Enzo looked out into the system that would soon be his. Testla was not far away. They were in one of the many parks that dotted the prospering system. That was one reason he chose it. It seemed so happy and normal. Who would suspect such an average system that had open area's for the public?
He let his eyes stray down her form as she lay on her side in the grass. Then switched to the two Binomes that stood not far from her. Her guards, they had escaped from the academy along with one other.
He watched as patiently as possible as a well-built male Sprite approached her. He had bright orange hair and olive skin tones. His eyes were lost behind sunglasses.
As instructed she greeted the male as any young female would. She smiled and braced her upper body up making herself look available.
It took a great deal of willpower to not delete the boy where he stood. Instead he clenched his jaw and waited.
This boys' name was Zorben, he was the son to the Command.com, a valuable asset. Enzo already had several Virals within the Principal Office, but having Zorben would help speed things up.
He closed his eyes and sent Testla the image of their lair under the park. She spoke to Zorben who helped her up and followed her to a small maintenance building. They went in and Enzo stepped farther into the shadows that concealed him.
Testla lead Zorben down the three flights of stairs to the football field sized complex. She rather despised him he was not as subtle as her master.
"Nice place." He said. Looking around the room, only a single light shone on them and a few pieces of furniture. The rest was lost in shadows, but you could feel it's immense size.
"Yes, I like it. Enzo bought it when we got here." She said seating herself on a small couch. A suspicious look crossed his face.
"Your boyfriend?" He asked not moving. She laughed lightly; her voice tingled with silver bells.
"He is something like that." She said fluttering her eyes a little. Then patted the empty space beside her he sat down and admired his view.
"Is he gonna show up soon? I mean I don't exactly want to get caught." He said pensively.
"We wont get caught if we hurry." She said softly tracing her hand over his red and black Icon, common to the system.
"Yeah, sure." He leaned in to kiss her. She pulled back and laughed. "What's so funny?" He demanded then he saw his Icon in her hand.
"You are." She flicked it up and into the shadows.
"What did you do that for?" He asked angrily. She crossed her arms and smiled watching the darkness where the Icon had disappeared.
Before he could ask another question or go searching for his Icon Zorben heard footsteps coming forward. They were soft and deliberate. The figure stepped slowly from the shadows flipping the Icon like a coin.
He had green skin and dark hair. His Icon showed he was a Guardian, but his uniform was black with dark blue trim.
"Who are you?" Zorben asked, his voice showed none of the bravery he had hoped it would.
"My name is Enzo, soon to be ruler of this system." He said turning the Icon over in his hand.
"My father would never allow it." Zorben said he glanced over to Testla who seemed to be only paying attention to Enzo.
"He will if you advise him in the matter."
"I won't." Zorben said getting up.
"You will if I infect you." That's when Zorben got the idea.
"Virus." He spat out the word like it was dirty.
"Yes, I am." That's when Zorben laughed at him, not a big laugh, but enough to annoy Enzo.
"My Icon is protected against infection. Required since my dad is Command.com." This time it was Enzo's turn to laugh.
"You are truly basic." He said. "I have Guardian protocols, all I have to do is use them to get around the program in your Icon and I have you." He extended a single claw from his index finger and tapped its end on the back of the Icon.
The cold that gripped at him forced Zorben to collapse back on the couch. Testla's reaction to her Masters' emotion made her pull her legs up against her and she seemed in total bliss.
Enzo dropped the Icon on the floor and went to her. He pulled her up and guided her into the shadows. As they reached the edge of the light he pulled her closer. She sighed in a drunken aftereffect of the other one's infection. They finally disappeared into the darkness.
* * *
"WHAT?" Enzo yelled smashing his fist onto a table. The vid-window holding Dot's image wasn't exactly happy either.
"I said, Bob escaped." She said as if she were playing a game, typical of her Viral side. "I would have contacted you earlier but you are so hard to find brother."
"That is part of the point, sister." He said through clenched jaws. "When did he get away?"
"Soon after you left. AndrAia says that he got up and before she could do anything he portaled himself out." Dot said innocently. "I was very disappointed to find him gone."
"Did you harm AndrAia?" Enzo asked, he wasn't interesting in the Game Sprites well being, but the more of their kind that lived the better.
"No, she had Matrix fully under her control by then. His gun is rather large you know." She said.
"That Guardian could cause us trouble. If he gets to the collective." Dot interrupted him.
"As a precaution I infected Mouse before you were split. She created a something-or-other that locks Guardian protocols in the system. He's still here, it's just the 'where' we don't know."
Enzo sat back in his chair thinking. Testla was not with him she was in another room resting from her altercation. He had hated placing such pain on her but it was a necessary thing to do.
"He will try to get to Turbo, did Hexadecimal infect him or chain him?" He asked.
"From what I've seen, a little of both." Dot said with a smile.
"I will come to help you. But I must tend to some business before I arrive." He said tapping a claw on the table.
"Of course brother."
"How much of the city do you control now?" He asked standing up.
"Nearly half being in the Principal Office I have access to all PID codes."
"Good, use them in a manual search. I'll be there soon." He disconnected the window.
Perfect, that Guardian Bob was going to try and stop them. Just like he did with Megabyte. How quaint.
He went out into the halls of his lair. It resembled an underground Tor now. Soon he found his way to a small and dimly lit room. It was warm and comfortable with guards outside the door and inside as well. In the middle was a bed that held Testla. She was asleep now, that was good.
He gently woke her. She sat up and the lights rose at a tolerable level.
"Enzo." She said. "I don't feel any different."
"You are, you just called me Enzo, not Master." He said checking her pulse.
"I did. Didn't I." Her pulse was starting to race off. Her eyes flew wide and she growled lightly at the guards.
"Just let the new codes come Tes. Relax and let them take over."
She tensed, then threw back her head and roared.
"How do you feel?" He asked turning her face to his.
"Powerful." She said calmly.
"Good." The Virus she had been merged with was a female called 'Shadow'. She used portals that could only function in the dark. Her infection symbol was now a black right side up triangle.
"Something is wrong isn't there." She said.
"Bob has escaped. We must go back to Mainframe to recapture him." He said playing with a bit of her hair. "The Virals can care for themselves for the time being." He continued.
"Agreed." She said returning the affectionate touch.
"We must leave as soon as possible. We can't let him have the slightest advantage."
A brief look of disappointment flashed over face.
"Don't worry, soon enough." He said kissing her forehead. He got up. "Get ready. I will call for you when we are to go."
She sighed lightly.
'That Guardian Bob should have just learned to stay down'. She thought as she double-tapped her icon into a pure black Guardian style uniform.
* * *

Mainframe
Bob huddled himself farther into the ally he had taken refuge in. He had to watch not only for the infected Binomes but nulls as well. Not only were they under Hexadecimal's control, but Dot's too.
Dot, the idea of her stung his heart. 'Why hadn't I seen it?' He wondered. 'Because both Megabyte and Enzo hadn't wanted me to know.' His mind reasoned back.
He had altered the color of his armor to a dulled black to help hide him. He felt so stupid Enzo had surprised him and put him down, but not for long. When he had come too he had found AndrAia guiding Matrix up.
The large Sprite moved as she directed, an aqua colored circle on his shoulder.
He had tried to portal to the Supercomputer but something had deflected him back into the system. When he had landed in 'Floating Point' the simple figure of a mouse had been burned into the bottom of his left boot.
Even if he wasn't able to leave the system he could still get around by portal.
Now, in the grungy ally, he was trying to figure a way to get to Turbo. That is if he could find him. He had no idea as to what they had done to him. Whether he was infected or altered, either way was bad. But if he had been deleted... He halted that thought.
A group of six Binomes marched past him. The only evidence of their infection was a white four-pointed star on their chest.
He waited till they had passed before moving on. Even level 31 was too dangerous he would probably be safer in Lost Angles. Probably.
He decided against portaling for the trip up to level seven. He had to conserve energy, so instead he used a zip-board he had stolen from a guard.
In the light of level seven he had fewer places to hide, but then there were fewer Binomes infected there. He made his way to the docks hoping to catch a ride out.
Suddenly the connection flared as an outer system portal passed through landing its passengers on the dock.
Bob hid himself among some crates to watch.
It was Enzo and Testla. Enzo had reverted to his Viral form.
Testla had obviously been merged. Her Uniform was completely black, even the feathers in her hair were black. Her eyes glowed with a slight green color but that was all. She was still in the early stages.
Bob shrank back farther into the mess of crates. This was bad.
The sounds of the two leaving allowed him to relax but only a little. His was in a system with five, possibly six Viruses, all in control.
He risked a portal to sector G prime, it was still unused, not many wanted to live there. From there he found an old storage facility and went in. It was empty.
He set himself in a dark corner and tried to get some downtime. He would need it.
* * *
"Oh Turbo, are you having fun?" Hexadecimal asked. The Prime Guardian grimaced.
"Yes mah'lady." He said shifting against the chains that crisscrossed over his chest. Copeland had been taken from him and put in a file-locker. Where it had been put he didn't know.
Hexadecimal had partially infected him unable to get all the way around his protocols. So just to make sure he stayed she chained him to her throne.
"Well that's good." She said picking up a silver platter. "Biscuit? I made them myself."
Turbo looked up from the Binome shaped biscuits.
"Uh, no thank you mah'lady." He said.
"Oh but I insist." She said pushing the platter forward. He tried to push them away. "I said, I INSIST!" Her face sprang fluidly into a fanged smile.
"Oh, well in that case." He took one.
A flash produced Dot in the middle of the room. She was dressed in a blackish-red version of her battle suit.
"Dot! Hello!" Hexadecimal said waving at her. Turbo took the opportunity to throw the biscuit to a group of nulls.
"Hexadecimal, so good to see you." Dot said, a chair materialized next to Hexadecimal and Dot took a seat.
"What brings you here?" Hexadecimal asked offering her some tea.
Dot took it matching Hexadecimal's strange behavior.
"We think Bob will head here." She glanced at Turbo. "For him."
Hexadecimal Thought about this for a moment. Turbo stood over to the side trying to gets some nulls to drain his energy chains.
"What about Enzo?" She asked turning to Turbo.
"He's already here. AndrAia has Matrix in the Principal Office to be altered. He will be out of commission for awhile." Dot said noticing Turbos' escape attempt as well.
He sighed and gave up on the nulls.
"Well, there you two are." Testla said as she came out of one of the many shadows.
"Oh Testla! Wonderful." Hexadecimal squealed. Turbo shook his head on seeing the girl.
"Where is my dear brother?" Dot asked.
"He is off on a search. He wants to find Frisket. He is a valuable form of security. He disappeared soon after he was infected."
The two Chaos Viruses looked at each other.
"Wonder where he went." Dot said sipping her tea. Hexadecimal shrugged.
* * *
AndrAia sat back filing her nails as she waited for Matrix to wake up. Enzo had come by in search of Frisket. She had been rather disappointed to find that he hadn't stayed to talk to her.
Everyone was upset with her for letting Bob get away. It wasn't her fault, he had moved so fast. But it didn't really matter to her, her Viral side had been a Virus called Skizel. She had been a responsible for the collapse of seven systems not to long ago. So no one really bothered her about it.
A groan from the couch they had deposited Matrix on had arrested her attention. She got up and knelt down by his head.
"Morning Lover." She crooned stroking his hair. He only stared up not quite understanding.
They had merged him with what they had found of Megabyte. It was only fitting. The only difference between Matrix and Enzo's infection symbol was that Matrix's was right side up, Enzo's was upside down.
"Just relax, it will come to you." She said quietly when he started to tense. His mind set was so against being merged with Megabyte that he could possibly reject it. So AndrAia had infected him first off and made it clear to him that if he didn't merge they could never be together.
He grunted and tried to sit up, finally succeeding even after she had tried to get him to remain down. He stopped all movement as the new codes set into his mind. His eye whirred into targeting mode and glowed. He turned to AndrAia who was smiling.
"How do you feel?" She asked while getting up to inspect him closely.
"Better." He said pulling her in and kissing her. They shifted positions but stayed in their embrace.
Matrix nuzzled into her neck and growled lightly.
"Soon enough my love." She said softly. "Soon enough."
* * *
Enzo had finally found Frisket. The dog had been in the data dump. He had been in a high state of confusion and had reverted back to the time he had guarded the place.
Upon seeing Enzo though, he immediately took up the job of protecting him.
Now Enzo was back in the P.O. a Web portal had shown up. He watched it with great interest. He knew exactly who had come through it.
"Well, well." He said to himself. "Look who has finally decided to come back to us." He switched off the vid-window he had been watching Megabyte from. "I'll have to arrange a hero's welcome then won't I boy?" He asked Frisket. The dog made a small sound of approval.
* * *
Megabyte narrowed his eyes at the Sprites that approached on zip-boards. One was obviously the boy though much younger. How that happened he didn't know, possibly the same way they avoided the system crash.
Megabyte himself had changed. He was shrouded in Web-armor that he had pieced together from dead carcasses while his natural immunities started to break down. The dent in his chest plate had ached constantly through it all. He would delete Matrix for that.
The other was Dot, her uniform had changed she seemed a lot like Hexadecimal.
He could not see the Guardian he would delete Bob on sight.
"Megabyte, welcome." Enzo said he kept a good distance away.
"What do you mean by 'welcome' boy? Did I damage you more in our fight than I thought?" Megabyte asked. He noticed they eye and gun were gone along with the regressed age.
"Wrong Matrix Megabyte." Enzo said. "I am a result of the restart that happened after you tried to crash us."
"I see." Megabyte said, he was becoming more wary of Dot. She was smiling in the same chaotic manor as his sister.
"Since you designed the crash, you are responsible for what I became." Enzo continued. "I was merged with your back-up program."
Megabyte quite narrowing his eyes a look of disbelief on his face.
"And Matrix?" Megabyte asked.
"He has been merged with you as well. Dot with Hexadecimal." He motioned to her; she floated up from her zip-board to prove it. "I merged several others with various Viruses using the Academies data-banks." He flashed his Guardian Icon.
"Very interesting." Megabyte said taking it all in. "What of Bob?"
"He escaped and is trapped here in the system." Dot said a bit irritated that Megabyte would question about him.
"That is no matter." Enzo said waving the subject off. "I have called in every one of the altered to come here to meet the one responsible for our up-rise." He smiled more to himself than anyone. "And to honor him."
* * *
Bob was too stressed to even consider trying to escape again. Sprites turned Virus had been arriving all cycle. All in all a total of forty-three including Dot and the others. Forty-four if you included Hexadecimal. Not to mention he had felt a portal filled with Web energy enter the system.
Which could mean that the number of Viruses had risen to Forty-five if Megabyte had entered. This was far worse than just very bad this was so bad the only way it could get worse is if he met up with Dot.
He considered giving up, but it not only went against his protocols but Glitch's as well. He just couldn't.
He made his way to the great hall that they were congregating in. In the shadows he could go unnoticed, or at least he hoped he would. Soon he found and empty balcony he could watch from.
The room itself was huge. A coliseum like structure it was circled with window boxes where the Viruses sat paired off or single. Flags hung under each balcony and held the combined or single infection symbols.
Toward what must be the front was one that held Enzo and Testla. Matrix and AndrAia to the left side of them, Dot to the right. An empty seat sat between Testla and Enzo. It had Megabyte's symbol on the backing.
Movement behind him made Bob whirl around. Turbo stood in the door leading out to the hall.
"Jus relax Bob. I ain't here to hurt you." He said seating himself in one of several chairs.
"What's going on Turbo? Why are they here?" Bob asked. He didn't take a seat; he had no idea what had happened to his mentor.
"Megabyte came back. Hero's welcome. Sort of." Turbo said. The din of voices from the Viruses quieted.
Bob looked back out to find Enzo had called things to order.
"My friends, we are here to welcome the one responsible for my life, and ultimately yours as well. The lives of the Vi-Spri." He said, due to the room's construction his voice carried well.
He allowed the applause to die down before continuing.
"Behold the one Megabyte." He said motioning to the left side of the balcony, Megabyte stepped out. His Web armor removed and chest plates replaced.
The roar of approval rang out like thunder. Bob turned to Turbo who watched everything. When it died down Megabyte began to speak. Bob blocked out the true Viruses voice.
"What are they doing?" He asked. Turbo motioned for him to watch. Megabyte had ended his short speech and there was even more applause.
Now that Megabyte was sitting in his throne Enzo had stood back up.
"And now, for the rest of it." He said, the cryptic remark seemed to have alarmed Megabyte. He tried to get up, but the throne he sat on had clamped restraints over his wrists, ankles and middle. He struggled to break them.
"No, not this time Meggy." Enzo said waving his finger at Megabyte. "Those restraints have been designed just for you."
Megabyte roared. Then finally subdued him self, waiting for any opportunity to escape. Even from his high perch, Bob saw none.
"As you know, Megabyte is responsible for our race. Therefore he is responsible for what we are about to unleash upon the Net." Enzo said. Matrix had made his way into the balcony to stand beside his younger self.
"Therefore, he dies." Those words sent a roar through the crowd. Megabyte's reaction was to extend his still broken claws and try again to break the clamps.
Bob paled visibly when Enzo nodded to Matrix. The large Sprite pulled his gun. Bob looked away. Only to look back and see the last few blue sparks rise from the now empty seat.
The act only enthralled the others. Most calling for more while others crowed over the first deletion.
Turbo motioned for Bob to follow him. In the quiet and empty hall he seemed worse for wear than before.
"Why did they do that?" Bob asked still stunned, they had double crossed Megabyte and won.
Suddenly Hexadecimal revealed herself in a small flash of light.
"It was a backwash of Sprite logic and reason." She said quietly. "Punishment for evil, of course their Virus instinct pushed them to decide on Megabyte's immediate deletion."
Turbo moved to stand beside her.
"I am sorry Bob." He said quietly. "Orders are orders."
"What?" Bob asked backing away.
"Yes, you have to come with us Bob." Hexadecimal said. "Dot misses you so."
"It's either this or let them catch you." Turbo said pulling back a curtain to the balcony. The screams of rage and bloodlust still rang out as the Virus-Sprites as they pitted Binome against Binome.
"User." Bob said going pale again.
"See, it's better this way." Hexadecimal said.
"No." He tried to power up to portal out. Too late.
The pain from the pipe hitting his head was immense, the second time was worse. Voices reached him before he blacked out.
"Oh my love." The voice was female, her touch soft. "It wont be long now."
* * *
Bob stirred and opened his eyes groggily.
"Oh, that hurts." He moaned, running a finger lightly over his tender skull.
A dark motion in the shadows alerted him. The shape was female and fairly tall.
"Bob, you're awake." She cooed. No mistake about it, Dot. "I was so worried about you." She continued kneeling to the floor beside him. He pushed back trying to get away.
Something in her eyes made his heart leap and the small void left behind by her removed infection ached. Her fingers slid softly over his scarred face.
"Dot, I." She silenced him in the manner she had her little brother so many times before.
"It's alright Bob. You didn't know any better." She said quietly.
He could feel what was known as a phantom infection. The remains of the intense bond between Virus and the Viral. It was only felt within a certain distance of the Virus. Now it pulled at him.
"User Dot." He whispered knowing he should turn away, but also knowing that he couldn't. The phantom infection was a sort of recovery device. Dot had it, no doubt in his mind about that.
"Come back to me Bob. We can be so happy together here in Mainframe. It can be our home forever." He concentrated only on her face. She was so beautiful.
Her hand stroked down his face again, he could hardly stand it anymore. His hands reached out cautiously at first, she moved forward to him. He finally touched her the small feeling of skin on skin was electric.
Her hand slid down from his face to his Icon. He caught her wrist, panic in his eyes.
"No." He said pushing her hand away. The single act had taken a lot of his willpower.
She smiled and kissed him the reaction from him was violent. He pulled her onto the cot with him. Needing her.
Her fingers pried up his Icon and she slid her claws into it's back. The ice filled him for the second time in his life. In that instant he knew they had lost. Dot had him back the feeling of belonging to her filled the small void from before.
He now acted on the impulse to please her, kissing down her neck. He was no longer concerned with the fate of the Net.
* * *
Out in another system called 'Connect' darkness fell over it in one move. Each citizen woke the next morning with an urge to please someone they had not known when they had gone to bed. A black and red hourglass shape had appeared on their chests.
A male teen Sprite sat in the darkness with a female teen. Their skin tones clashed green on yellow as she kissed down his neck. The boy named Enzo held the girl Testla carefully, as he had before when her soul had been his to command.
She leaned away from him and put her hand contently on her slightly swollen belly. He traced his hand over hers and the two whispered in the shadows.
Across the Net the search for the Prime Guardian surged. Turning up nothing at every system. One Guardian spoke briefly with the Command.com of one system. She had checked her system thoroughly and had not found him.
The Guardian had thanked the green skinned female and the blue skinned Guardian of the system, and then left.