Chapter Two

Chapter Two

The next second, everyone was busy. Dot had gone back to the Principle Office to check up on Hexadecimal. Bob, Matrix, and Ray used up three booths at Dot's Diner coming up with a plan, and Mouse and AndrAIa were sent to scout out Los Angles (and report the minute something strange happens). Enzo and Frisket went to run some errands done for Phong.

"She's not getting any better, Miss. Matrix," a zero-binome nurse said as Dot walked into the waiting room. "She hasn't waken up yet or shown any signs of coming out of consciousness."

"Hmm," Dot paused. "Okay then. But how is it possible for a virus to knock her out so harshly and quickly?"

"Could've been an overdose of infection, Miss. Matrix."

Just then, the door opened and a one-binome walked in. "Miss. Matrix?" He called.

"Yeah?" Dot turned around to face him.

"You have a phone call at your Command.com desk, Miss. Matrix."

Dot sighed. "Well, I guess I'd better get that. But please, call me Dot."

"Yes, Miss. Matrix." Without a second glance, he turned and left.

Dot rolled her eyes, then turned to the nurse. "Watch over her, okay? Until I get back."

"Yes, Miss. Matrix."

Dot left the waiting room and crossed the Principle Office to her own private office. Walking inside, she noticed an unopen vidwindow above her desk, blinking. Sitting down, she opened it and Mouse and AndrAIa's faces popped up.

"Dot," AndrAIa said, "I suggest you get over here to Los Angles right away."

"Why?" Dot asked, puzzled.

"Just do it, sugah," Mouse put in.

"Why? What's there?"

"Trust me," Mouse went on, looking up from the vidwindow. She and AndrAIa both glanced at Hexadecimal's lair right in front of them. The whole building was glowing with that same, Greenish radiation. It was like the whole thing was infected. "This is something you need to see for your own."

********

Without hesitation, Dot left the office, not hesitating to explain where she was going. The minute she stepped outside, she unhooked her zip board, jumped on, and flew off toward Los Angles.

"What could possibly be the problem that Mouse and AndrAIa couldn't say over the vid-window?" Dot mumbled to herself. Looking down, she spotted her diner underneath. "Maybe I should tell Bob about this," she thought. "No, I'm sure things will be okay."

*********

Matrix gritted his teeth once more. Bob kept on changing the subject away from their planning. How were they going to figure out how to fight this Super Virus with Bob always drifting away on different subjects? He noticed that it was always about Dot, too. What was he trying to get at?

Ray noticed it too, and frowned at Bob all the way from his side of the booth.

"Dot sure looked pretty today," Bob said, "when do you think she'll be getting in here?"

Ray finally gave up and set a hand on Bob's shoulder. "Hey, mate. Mind telling me just what is going on with you and the lady?"

"Yeah, Bob," Matrix added, looking up from whatever he was writing on. "What is going on between you and my sister?"

"Nothing, nothing."

Ray and Matrix nodded doubtfully. "Yeah, right," Ray said. "No really. What's going on?" He grinned suddenly. "Got any special plans going on?"

Bob shrugged. "I don't know right now." Reaching into his back pocket (Does his outfit HAVE pockets?), he drew out a small jewelry box. Opening it up, Matrix and Ray's eyes widened when they saw the engagement ring.

"You're going to propose?!" Ray blurted out.

"Shh!" Bob hissed, glancing around the diner. "Yes! But it's a secret for now! Just between the three of us, okay?"

Matrix looked up at Bob. "Bob, why haven't you done it yet? What's taking you so long?"

"I don't know," Bob replied sheepishly, tucking the engagement box away. "I guess I'm just nervous. What if she says no?"

Ray chuckled. "Just think. You and Dot getting married. Mrs. Dot…" He trailed off. "Hey, wait a minute. What is your last name, mate?"

"Uh…" Bob stammered. "Well…it's Bob."

"Your name is Bob Bob?!" Matrix cried out, surprised.

"Shh!" Bob glanced warily around the diner. "Actually, I don't have a last name. The producers of this show didn't bother to think up a last name for me, so I'm stuck with what I have."

"Still," Ray said, "Mrs. Dot Bob?" He and Matrix exchanged looks, then they both started snickering.

***********

"Okay guys, what was it that I had to come over so quickly?" Dot asked, flying up to Mouse and AndrAIa. They both looked really tense.

"That," AndrAIa replied. Spinning Dot around, she faced her toward the glowing lair.

Dot gasped. "What happened?!"

Hex's lair was totally ruined. The whole place was glowing with the same radiation Hexadecimal had on her forehead.

"It's Daemon," Mouse explained quietly. "She's in there."

**********

Daemon was sitting in front of the same mirror. This time, her clothes had changed. Of course, the fabric was still leather, only the color was red. She had on a red leather skirt, tall red leather boots, a red leather tank top, and red leather gloves. Her black sunglasses were on her head at the moment, and she was gazing through the mirror. She was watching the threesome floating on the outskirts of her new lair.

"Well," she said aloud. "What do you know. I think it's about time I did some damage with that pathetic Mainframe. Tell me mirror, which girl would effect that city the most if I killed her?"

The mirror did a slow close up on one of the girls. At first, Daemon thought it was the girl dressed all in green with a trident in her hand, but the mirror moved over and finally rested on the girl dressed all in black. She had very short, dark green hair, and her skin was a mint green color.

Daemon smiled.

Just then, a woman walked up to the platform, and she spun around. It was Marci, one of the many guardians she had infected and brought along with her to Mainframe. "Yes Marci?" she said.

"The guardians," Marci said, "we want to know when we'll be attacking Mainframe and taking over it."

Daemon smiled slyly. "Soon. Soon."

**********

"Have you gotten any readings from that thing yet?" Dot asked. She herself whipped out her organizer and started typing.

"I have," AndrAIa spoke up. "Nothing can get through it. It's like a force field. I've already scouted the edge of it. We can't even touch it without getting infected." She held up one of her starfish. One half of it was completely infected. She was making sure she didn't touch that part.

"Sugah, throw that away," Mouse said, "That thing is making me nervous."

"What'sa matter, Mouse? Scared?" AndrAIa teased, shoving the starfish in front of her face. Mouse cried out in surprise and nearly fell off her zip board.

"Don't!" she cried.

"Don't worry!" AndrAIa assured her. "I have to keep it though. If I drop it somewhere, someone else will get to it. I need to take it to Phong's."

"Won't the infection grow, though?" Dot asked.

"Sure. But it's slow, so we should be back in Mainframe before anything bad happens."

Dot eyed the lair cautiously. "I don't think there's anything we can do now. We'll have to wait until another time, when the guys are with us. I don't think we can do it later today, either, because we need to check out that starfish and it'll take all second."

"Then let's go," Mouse said. They all turned and flew out of Los Angles.

**********
Daemon was watching the threesome fly away through the mirror. Spotting the starfish in AndrAIa's hand, she closed her eyes. Grow, she concentrated. Grow.

**********

The infection on the starfish started growing rapidly, unknown to AndrAIa and the others.

"That place was giving me the creeps," Dot admitted.

"Yeah, me too," Mouse agreed.

Suddenly, the virus infected the whole starfish, and started to spread on AndrAIa's fingers. Feeling the infection, she screamed out with surprise and dropped the starfish. Eyes wide, she inspected her hand to see that half of it was glowing that green radiation. "My hand!" she cried.

"AndrAIa!" Dot cried.

"It shouldn't have spread that fast, right?" Mouse cried.

"It just happened too fast," AndrAIa said, holding on to her hand. "That was really strange, how did that happen?"

"It doesn't matter," Dot said, "AndrAIa, we're going to Phong's. Now."

**********

AndrAIa was sitting on a table, her whole left arm under some sort of healing tool Phong had. Mouse and Dot were sitting beside her, watching him go over the readings.

"Am I going to be okay?" AndrAIa asked, almost quietly.
Phong frowned. "Well, it was lucky for you that you came before it spread too much. I managed to stop the infection, but it's still there, in your code."

"Oh no," Dot whispered.

"Well, is there a way to get rid of it?" Mouse asked.

"Here." Phong handed AndrAIa a bottle of pills. "Two of these in the morning and afternoon should be good to keep it from spreading. Take it for three seconds in a row if you want to be rid of the virus for good."

AndrAIa sighed with relief. "That's good. That's very good. Thank you so much, old friend."

"Oh, it's perfectly alright. Now." The old sprite turned to Dot. "This…radiation on the lair. It's a force field you think?"

"Yes," Dot nodded. "We can't get through it. I was thinking that tomorrow, we all go down to Los Angles and try to figure things out. It's too late this second to go."

"You're right, my child," Phong nodded. "Tonight, I will try to get some things together that would be useful for you to take along."

"That should be good," Mouse said, "the more stuff, the better, you know what I'm saying."

AndrAIa took her hand out from under the healing machine and touched it gingerly. "Can I still use my hand?"

"Oh yes. It's still spreading slowly inside you, that's what the pills are for. You're no longer contagious, if that's what you're asking."

"Okay then." AndrAIa nodded.

Dot turned to the others. "We'd better head home. Enzo would be needing help around now to fix dinner and I'd better go help him."

Mouse nodded. "I'll see you two gals tomorrow then." They all walked out of the room and out of the Principle Office.

************

On her way home, Dot stopped at the diner to pick up some food. She was surprised to see Mike The TV the only one there.

"Mike!" she cried, startled. "What are you doing here?"
"Heeelo, Dot!" He cried, gleefully. He jumped up on the counter in front of her. "There's no need for picking up food tonight!"

Dot frowned suspiciously at him. "Why?"

"Because you have an invitation!" He handed her a card. Dot opened it to see a hologram of Bob standing there.

"Hello, Dot," the hologram said, "I'm sorry I couldn't say this in person and had to use a crummy card. Anyway, I was wondering if maybe we have a quiet dinner at your place tonight. I'll bring dinner, so you don't have to do anything. I'll see you tonight at seven? Please let Mike know your answer so I know. Please say yes." With that, the hologram ended.

Dot smiled to herself. "So," she said, "Bob wants a quiet dinner at my place tonight? What about Enzo?"

"Enzo is staying over with Matrix and AndrAIa," Mike replied. Then suddenly he jumped down and tugged at Dot's sleeve. "Sooooo? What do you say? Will you go?"

"Well…"

"Oh come on!" Mike put on a pleading voice (and look). "You MUST! His heart would be just broken if you don't! Pleeeeeese say you will!" He started sobbing obnoxiously, and Dot could tell he was faking the whole crying thing. Then again, Mike was a very fake kind of person.

Mike put on this show for so long, Dot started to laugh. "Okay, okay!" she grinned. "Go tell Bob I'll see him tonight."

"Yessss!" Mike yelled, jumping onto the ground. "So um, what are you going to wear? Something sensuous? Something that would show off your-"

"Mike!" Dot yelled, whapping him upside the head. "For your information, what I plan on wearing is none of your business. So please. Just deliver your message to Bob and go away!" With that, she turned and walked out of the diner.

**********

At her house, Dot quickly took a shower and changed into a red, flashy dress. It reached all the way to the floor with a long slit up to her left thigh. The neckline was V-shaped, and the whole dress was sleeveless.

Checking the clock, she noticed that it was six-thirty. Exactly half a cycle until Bob would be there. Did she look okay? Dashing to a mirror, she checked her make-up several times before she was satisfied. Then she turned away from the mirror. To pass the time, she sat down in her family room and switched on the TV.

She watched uninterrupted until the show 'Love and Merged' was over before glancing up at the clock. She was surprised to see that it was seven-thirty. Where was Bob?

Frowning, she went to the front room and peered out the window. No car had passed. Then again, you never know with Bob's car. Sighing, she headed for the kitchen and opened the refridgerator. She was getting pretty hungry, but since she hadn't picked up anything from the diner, there was nothing whole-food to eat. Sighing again, she closed it and leaned against the counter.

"Where is he?" she asked. "Where could he possibly be?"

*************

Bob hurried down the street, holding the flowers in one hand and his broken zip board in the other. That sure was funny. He could've sworn he had charged the zip board before leaving his house, why did it suddenly lose power on him like that? When he had checked, what was even funnier was that it looked like it was broken on purpose.

"I just hope Dot can wait a few more minutes," he prayed. He quickened his pace.

************

The doorbell rang. Dot sighed with relief. "Finally! Boy, is he going to get it when he comes inside!" She reached the door and unlocked it. Then she pulled it open-

To see a woman standing at the doorway. She was wearing black sunglasses, had long, wavy blond hair, and wore all black leather. Black short skirt, black high heels, black tube top, and black gloves. (of course.)

Dot frowned. "Can I help you with something?"

The woman smiled slyly. "Actually, you can." With a sudden, swift movement, she pulled a short sword from down her shirt and held it out threateningly.

Dot gasped and tried to close the door, but the woman was too fast. With one single movement, she was inside, shoved Dot against the wall, and held the knife against her throat. Looking back to see the door was still open, she kicked it closed.

"What are you doing?" Dot gasped, "let me go!"

The woman laughed. "You're a pretty important person, aren't you?" She shoved Dot harder against the wall. "Aren't you!"

Dot nodded, eyes wide. She didn't know how else to respond.

"Well then, that's good," the woman's expression turned serious. "Because I'm here to kill you, and then things will be just find, won't it?"

"W-who are you?" Dot stammered. She felt around the back of the wall with a free hand and her fingers closed around a picture frame she had hung there.

"It really doesn't matter now, does it?" the woman took off her sunglasses, and Dot gasped when she saw the weird, green radiation in her eyes. What's more, she had some of it glowing around the front roots of her hair. That told her enough.

"Y-you're Daemon!" Dot screamed suddenly. With a swift movement, she grabbed the picture frame and smashed it over Daemon's head. She yelled out with surprise and staggered backward. Dot took that as an opportunity and took off running.

"Aaargh!" Daemon yelled, frustratedly. She stopped yelling suddenly and listened. She could hear Dot's footsteps running toward the back of the house, and she smiled. "You can't run from me, Command.com!" She yelled as she slowly made her toward the back of the house. "I have excellent hearing! Besides, with you gone, Bob would be more gullible, wouldn't he? Then he'd be another guardian to my collection!"

Dot froze suddenly. Collection? Could there be more guardians back at Hexadecimal's lair then? She glanced around. She was in the family room now. There had to be a place she could hide!

She turned around suddenly when Daemon walked into the room. Her eyes widened with fear. Looking around, she grabbed the nearest lamp and held it out protectively. "Don't come any closer!" she yelled.

Daemon sneered. "Do you really think that's going to stop me?" She stared meaningfully at the lamp, and right in Dot's hands, it broke apart, cluttering the carpet floor.

"Aaagh!" Dot cried out, surprised. She down at what was her only weapon, then back up at Daemon. "What do you want!" she demanded, nearly bringing tears of fear to her eyes.

Daemon shrugged. "Not much. Just this whole system." She held up a hand and a small ball of glowing green radiation grew in her hand. It spun around, creating an energy ball. Dot's eyes widened as she watched. She couldn't run. She was trapped.

"Trust me," Daemon said, "this is going to hurt you a whole lot more than it's going to hurt me." With that, she hurled the energy ball at Dot.

**************

Bob finally reached Dot's house. Before he rang the bell though, he took the engagement box out of his hands. Taking a deep breath, he rang.

No answer.

He frowned. "Dot? Dot are you in there?" He reached for the door and was surprised to find it unlocked. Pushing it open, he called out, "Dot? Your door's unlocked! Where are you?"

No answer.

He made his way slowly around the house. Beside the sudden silence, nothing else seemed wrong. The lights were on, nothing was out of place. Except for the shattered picture in the front room. Bending down, he picked it up to see it was a picture of little Enzo and Dot.

Looking up, he set the picture back down and continued his way around the house. As he entered the family room, he saw Dot's red dress and her leg sticking around the corner. He smiled. "Dot?"

As he fully entered the room, his smile turned to horror. Dot lay there, totally unconscious. "Dot!" He ran over to her and fell beside her. "Dot? Dot! Wake up!" He inspected her face, and was alarmed to find the glowing radiation outlining most of where her roots were. "Dot, oh no!" He listened for any sign she was still living. But she had lost half her code.

.......TO Be Continued