Mouse sat up slowly, her head throbbing in pain as she opened her eyes.
The place was dark.. and chilly. The ground she had been lying on was hard. She could hear noises outside – like a storm. She slowly stood up and felt the walls. "Rock!" she gasped. "Ah'm in a CAVE!"
She walked for a few moments before she tripped over something soft on the floor. A quiet groan echoed in the cave. She kneeled down and felt the object. It was a male sprite! Suddenly, he grabbed her hand, "Mouse..??" he whispered.
"Ray, honey!!" Mouse gasped. "What in the 'net happened to us?!"
Ray sat up slowly, "I dunno… I just remembered something or someone attacked us from behind as we were surfing…!"
"Well, sugah…" Mouse began, "Ah think we've been abducted…"
"No kidding…" Ray replied flatly.
Mouse sighed, "Considering we can't see a dang thing in here, ah suggest we wait for our gracious host to pay us a visit!" She put a hand on his head, "How are ya feelin', honey?"
"I'm all right. Got a bit of a bump..." he explained.
"Well then… while we're waiting, what shall we do in this dark room all by ourselves?!" Mouse asked.
Ray could see a bit of Mouse's face from the glow of her hair… and he could see the smile that she wore so well. That was the last thing he saw before he fell back into unconsciousness.
*** The Saucy Mare
The Saucy Mare 2 came through the portal slowly. "We've made it into the web, lads!!" Captain Capacitor announced. He could see his crew shudder slightly – remembering their last encounter in the web. But this time, Bob's powers were shielding the Mare from any web degradation.
Bob took off his mask, seeing no need for it. "Now.. we've just got to find the Web Riders!" He announced.
"Any idea where they may be, Guardian?" Capacitor asked.
Bob nodded and smiled, "Probably at home…"
"Home?!" Matrix asked, taking off his mask as well. "Can anyone actually make a HOME here?"
"Well.. there are a lot of caves in the web," Bob began. Matrix looked at him, slightly confused. "I mean.. there's no solid ground, but some of the floating rocks have developed caves…" he explained. Matrix nodded. "The caves are actually the safest part of the web. We don't really need our web armour unless we go outside -- the walls are pretty thick, " Bob smiled, "It's actually very cozy at times." Matrix arched an eyebrow, and looked at Bob as if the Guardian had gone crazy, "What?!" Bob asked innocently.
Matrix just shook his head, "Cozy… yeah.. sure.." and walked into the mess hall.
Bob looked at Capacitor, who was also looking at him strangely, "WHAT..?!?!" Bob asked again. Capacitor shook his head and headed to the deck. Bob shrugged to himself and headed to the mess hall.
*** Somewhere
Mouse had found a way to sleep in the uncomfortable cave… until a sound awoke her. She saw a shadowy figure standing by a cave opening. The opening soon closed silently and disappeared. "Who's there??" She asked the emptiness.
"Ah, Mouse… you're awake…" a voice answered.
Mouse gasped. She KNEW that voice.. but, there was something different about it. She wasn't sure now. "Who… who are ya..? And what do ya want with us?!"
"That's not important right now, is it? The point is I HAVE you. That is all the information you need…" the voice had a slight hiss to it. There was shuffling as the figure walked closer, "And who is this? A friend of yours?" he said, indicating the unconscious Ray.
There was no mistake. She DID know him! "Cursors!! How did you survive?!" Mouse asked angrily.
The voice sounded as if it was smiling, "I have friends in high places," he replied. "Now.. may I ask YOU a question??" he didn't wait for her reply. "Create a portal to the supercomputer!"
"That ain't a question, sugah! It sounds more like a command!" Mouse replied.
"So be it! Then I command you to create a portal to the supercomputer," He replied.
"Never!" Mouse shot back.
The figure's voice was still calm, "You are in no position to argue with me, hacker! In case you haven't noticed, it is I that have captured YOU!" He came towards her.
Mouse's eyes went wide as she noticed shadows of tentacles flowing behind him, "What…?! What in the web HAPPENED to you!!"
The figure's eyes began to glow a familiar green and red as he stepped closer, "You KNOW what happened to me, Mouse! It was, after all, YOUR fault!" he hissed.
Mouse backed away from the stalking creature in front of her. She had been in tight spots before.. but this time she KNEW there was no way out.
*** The Saucy Mare
Matrix walked up to Bob as the guardian sat in the mess hall, "So… any ideas about how we're going to defeat Daemon?" he asked.
Bob shrugged, "No clue…" he said. Bob sighed heavily, "Now is the time we need McAfee…" he muttered.
"Who??" Matrix asked.
Bob smiled slightly, not aware he had said that out loud, "McAfee. We learned about McAfee in Guardian history. McAfee was supposed to be the most powerful anti-virus guardian in the 'net. Daemon could have been defeated long ago if McAfee still existed,"
"But.. WE can defeat Daemon now, can't we?!" Matrix asked.
Bob looked away, "I don't think even the whole Mainframe army can defeat that super-virus…" Bob thought. He quickly looked back at Matrix and smiled reassuringly, "I'm sure we'll find a way…" he said.
*** Somewhere
"Do you understand me, hacker?! You WILL create a portal to the supercomputer for me…!" the shadowy figure hissed.
Mouse stepped back, "Ah… ah can't," she began. She took one more step and accidentally tripped over Ray, who was beginning to stir.
"How did you get here then!?" the figure asked.
Ray finally awoke, and sat up, "It was ME who opened the portal…" he replied quietly, still groggy. He looked at the figure, and furrowed his brow, "Do I know you?!" Ray asked.
"No… and I do not know YOU! Now… HOW did you open the portal?!" he replied.
Ray stood up, "I'm a search engine.. next generation! A web surfer…" he explained.
The figure arched an eyebrow, "How interesting…" he stepped towards Ray, "Surfer… open a portal to the Supercomputer!"
Ray shook his head, "Now why would I do that? I don't even know you, mate!"
In a flash, the figure grabbed Mouse. Three jagged, broken claws shot out from his hand, "The other hand has sharper claws, but I think THESE will be more painful…" he hissed as he brought the claws closer to her neck.
"OK OK!!" Ray shouted, "I'll open a portal for you! Just don't hurt her!"
The figure pulled away from Mouse, and looked at Ray, "It's nice to meet an agreeable young sprite..."
"Trying to save my girlfriend is hardly what I would consider being agreeable, mate!" Ray commented.
The figure raised an eyebrow again, "Girlfriend?" Then looked back at Mouse, "My.. what HAVE you been up to, Mouse?!"
Mouse narrowed her eyes, "More then you, apparently..."
The figure smiled. "Yes.. true. There is very little to do here in the web…. But then I have YOU to thank for that.."
"One last double-cross, sugah…" Mouse replied.
Ray raised his eyebrows, "Wait a nano!! NOW I remember you, mate!! You're the guy Matrix was talking about. That virus! MEGABYTE!"
*** The Saucy Mare
"Any sign of the web-riders, Captain?" Bob asked as he came on deck. He looked out into the wide expanse of the web.
"No, lad.. not yet. Are you sure they live in this area?"
Bob nodded, "I remember. There should be a series of caves through the debris here…"
The ship went through a large mass of rock… and emerged into an open expanse. Capacitor's eyes went wide, "By the code!! It's beautiful!" he gasped. The crew was in awe as they saw what lay before the Saucy Mare 2.
A wide array of colour, created by blue, green and red gases, swirled around like galaxies. On each side of the Saucy Mare 2, rocky masses glimmered like silver. "Caves!" Mr. Christopher whispered.
Bob watched the web creatures float around freely as they waited for the Web-Riders to make use of them. He smiled, "Yup! This was my temporary home when I was here."
"It's.. amazing!!" Matrix commented.
Bob nodded, then turned towards Capacitor, "Captain, pull into that cave," he pointed to the far left. "It will protect the Mare from the web. I can't keep this shield up forever,"
Capacitor nodded, and did as Bob suggested. Once the Mare was in the cave, Bob dropped the shield. "Ok.. I'm going to find my friends and tell them what's happening.." he said as he put his web outfit on. "Your people can come out and look around… but make sure they're all wearing web protection, "
Captain Capacitor nodded, and Bob headed on his way.
*** Somewhere
Ray looked at Megabyte as the information registered, "I THOUGHT you looked familiar!!" he began, "You looked rather miffed when I saw you being pulled through that portal, Mate. I would've thought you'd be deleted by now!"
"I am a VIRUS! I can survive!" Megabyte hissed.
"Somehow ah don't think the web-riders would have taken you in, sugah," Mouse began, "So.. how DID you survive?!"
Megabyte smiled coldly, "You can figure that out, Mouse, can't you?" he waved the tentacles behind him, "I did the only thing I could…"
"You… MERGED?!" Mouse gasped, "You merged with a WEB CREATURE?!"
He shrugged, "It was not my first time, you know…"
Mouse shook her head, "This is BAD!!" She looked at Ray, "We've got a Web Virus on our hands, sugah!"
"Oh really, Mouse.. it's rather rude to speak behind my back when I'm right here…" Megabyte replied.
"Ah never MEANT to be polite, sugah!!" Mouse answered.
"Tsk tsk, Mouse… such a harsh retort…" Megabyte shook his head, "You really SHOULD learn to be more polite to one who holds your life in his hands.." Mouse narrowed her eyes and glared at him, "No smart reply for that one, hmmm?" he asked. He waved her away with his hand, and turned his attention to Ray, "Now, Surfer... we made a deal. You said you would open a portal to the supercomputer for me, and I would spare Mouse's life. And I DO expect you to follow through,"
*** Web-Rider's Caves
Bob walked through the cave that doubled as the headquarters of the web-riders, "Hello? Anyone here?" he asked in modem language.
"Interface?!" A voice answered in modem as well. The leader of the web-riders came out of an adjoining cave and walked up to Bob. "You're BACK?!"
Bob nodded, "I need the help of your web-riders, Cannon…"
"What's the problem?" Cannon asked.
Bob blurted out a short summary, "There's a Super-Virus. Her name is Daemon. She's taken over the Guardian collective, and is trying to control the known 'net!" Bob explained.
Cannon sighed, "That's a BIG problem…" he answered.
Bob nodded, "I know… and, I think she may even have connections here in the web!"
"What connections?!" Cannon asked with surprise.
"Well… she sent a web-creature to Mainframe a while ago…" Bob began, then proceeded to tell Cannon the whole story.
*** Somewhere
"But WHY do you want to go to the Supercomputer?" Ray asked, "There's nothing there but infected Guardians!"
Megabyte smiled, "Ah yes…. Heaven for a virus!" he looked at his good claws nonchalantly, "Besides, Mother dear is waiting for me there…"
"MOTHER?!!" Mouse sputtered, "The only thing waitin' for ya there is…" she stopped as she realized who Megabyte was referring too, "DAEMON!" Her eyes went wide, "Daemon is your MOTHER?!" she gasped.
"Yes yes… very good, isn't it?? My Mother has made quite a name for herself. A son could not be prouder.." he smiled, showing fangs.
Megabyte frowned, "Why did you have to bring my psychotic sister up?!" he asked. Then shook his head, "Never mind.. she is unimportant.." He draped his tentacles over his shoulder like a cape, and headed towards the hidden opening he had come through earlier. "Well… I'm not quite ready to return to Mother right now, but when I am, I will let you know, surfer.." and walked out.
Mouse and Ray quickly ran to the rapidly closing exit, but were too late. They hit a rock wall. "Cursors!!" Mouse muttered. She hit the door. Tried to push it… but it wouldn't budge.
*** Web-Riders' Headquarters
"As warriors, we would love to go to war with you, Interface… but I'm afraid we have our own problems right now…" Cannon explained.
"What problems?" Bob asked.
"We have a web virus roaming about…" he answered.
"A web virus?! How?! Where did he come from!?"
Cannon sighed, "A few seconds ago, a portal opened. A virus came through. He then proceeded to merge with a web creature, and is currently wreaking havoc…" he stopped for a moment, "Interface… the coordinates of the portal was Mainframe…"
"Mainframe!?" Bob gasped. Then he realized what that meant, "No!! He… SURVIVED?!!"
"Do you know the virus, Interface?" Cannon asked.
Bob nodded his head, "Yes… he's tormented Mainframe for hours!!" He looked away, "I'll be right back.."
Bob headed out of the headquarters, and made his way back to the Saucy Mare 2.
"Bob… are the web-riders going to help us fight Daemon?!" Matrix asked as Bob entered the cave.
"Right now we have to help THEM, Matrix. They have a web virus lose!"
"A WEB VIRUS?!" Matrix asked, "Where did it come from?!"
Bob looked upset, "Mainframe…" he answered, and waited as Matrix registered the information.
"Mainframe?!" Matrix repeated, "But then.. that would mean…"
Disclaimer: All ReBoot (tm) characters are property of Mainframe Entertainment.
The character of Paige is property of Joey Cruz
All other new characters are property of ME.. ^_^
The author would like to thank you for your continued support. Your review has been posted.