Chapter 3

"AndrAIa! I'm so glad you're safe," he said with a look of relief on his face. So many thoughts came back to AndrAIa, as she felt sick remembering them. Would they become a reality? No! They couldn't! She quickly tried to think of something to tell him. "Why didn't you come back to the P.O.?" he asked. He hadn't waited up for her, he had planned to but he was dead tired and fell asleep, but when he woke up, she was no were to be found. "I was so afraid something had happened to you," he said. AndrAIa stalled as long as she could to think of something.
"I'm sorry," she paused, frantically scanning her brain for something, anything but the truth, but all she could think of was the truth. " I..."
About 30 seconds earlier
Bob sat on the bed and thought how close he had come to losing everything he held dear; the trust of Mainframe (most likely along with his job as guardian), his friendship with Matrix, but most important, Dot. But he put those terrible thoughts behind him now. It was finally just an ordinary day as guardian in Mainframe so Bob stood up to pick up his clothes. He felt the upper right side of his chest where his icon usually was, but nothing was there. 'The dresser, right,' he thought. He reached on top of the dresser while he bent down to pick up his suit. 'What?' he thought as he felt two objects in his hands. He brought his hand to where he could see it. In it was his icon as well as AndrAIa's. "Oh shit" he whispered to himself. 'NO! She forgot it! If anyone sees her without it,' but took off down the hall to the door. 'Maybe she didn't leave yet' he thought hopefully.
"I'm sorry, I," Bob heard AndrAIa say at the door to someone, but before he had any time to stop himself before he was seen, he was. He skidded slightly at his attempt to stop quickly. He had been seen. He turned his head, hoping not to see anyone he or AndrAIa knew. But unfortunately, they both did know the person at the door. AndrAIa had heard Bob behind her. Of all the things that could have kept her from answering Matrix it had to be this! Bob couldn't manage a breath at the site of Matrix. 'Oh SHIT!' he thought to himself once again. Then it seemed as if every part of Bob had gone numb. He couldn't move anything a single inch.
Everything in the room, including the three sprites was moving in slow motion. Matrix turned his head at Bob. AndrAIa also turned to Bob and gave him a look as if she had seen a ghost. Bob quickly glanced at AndrAIa and then to Matrix. Bob could not bring himself to look into Matrix' eyes, only behind him. Matrix looked at Bob in his boxers. 'What is going on?' Matrix thought to himself Bob froze as if he were in file lock. Then he finally brought himself to look directly into Matrix' eyes. Matrix looked dead at his face and frowned. He did not even want to try process the obvious answer to this situation because he knew it could never have happened.
"What's going on?" Matrix finally said. Bob tried to open his mouth to speak, but was still dead frozen. Suddenly Matrix noticed Bob had something in his hand and looked at it. Bob quickly saw where he was looking. He had not even been smart enough to close his hands! Bob quickly snapped out of it and made a fist around the objects in his hand. But unfortunately Matrix had already seen what was in his hand: two icons, one a guardian's and one normal one. Matrix' jaw dropped slightly as he looked at Bob and then AndrAIa. Was it true? Yes. If it were just a coincidence someone would have said something already. Instead they both just gaped at Matrix. "No," he said in disbelief as he backed up in the hall more. He could not believe what he was seeing. He had to leave. Now.
"Enzo," AndrAIa said miserably as she reached out to touch him but he quickly turned and started to walk hastily down the hall. Bob went after him as AndrAIa sank to the floor and cried. She had surely lost Matrix forever.
"Matrix!" he yelled as caught up with him and put his hand on Matrix's shoulder. At Bob's touch on his shoulder Matrix promptly turned around. WHAM!
Matrix hit Bob on the side of his face as hard as he could. Bob had not expected it. It had knocked him over, and it took a few seconds for Bob to get up. He was lucky that his jaw was not broken, but it felt as if it was. Bob was not mad at Matrix for it. He had deserved what he got, but that would not be enough for forgiveness. Bob wondered if anything would.

Matrix felt many different emotions as he stormed out of Bob's 8 ball complex building; he felt betrayed, shocked, distraught, but most of all angry as he stormed out of Bob's 8 ball complex building. As soon as he reached outside he threw out his zip board and jumped on. He started off. He didn't know where, but he needed to go somewhere. He didn't know what to do. He was obviously the first to find out but he had to find someplace and think. He was not going to do anything reckless even though he felt like knocking out the first person to see him next. He was heading for the P.O. so he settled for the training room; no one ever went in there but him anyway.

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Matrix was so mad he could hardly see strait. As he entered the P.O. everything seemed unimportant: the noises the computers made, the little kids screaming at one another, the binomes working there, and staring at him as he walked past. They had good reason to stare; Matrix's synthetic eye was glowing red and his fists were balled up. It was no surprise they all cleared the way for him as he made his way up to the training room. Matrix paid them no mind; they didn't matter to him.
To get to the training room Matrix had to go through the kitchen, where Ray and Mouse were having breakfast.
"Mornin sugah," Mouse said while reading her newspaper before she got a good look at him. When he did not reply she looked up. Ray saw the malicious look on Matrix's face. He frowned. He knew something was wrong.
"Are you alright, mate?" he asked, but was not surprised when he did not receive a reply. When Matrix had left the room Mouse and Ray followed him. They stayed a substantial distance behind him as they approached the training room. When they arrived, Matrix walked in, unaware of anyone following him, and shut the door. Mouse and Ray peered through the window
"What's wrong with him?" Mouse whispered to Ray.
"I don't know," he replied, "but it must be something terrible," added Ray.
Matrix walked over to the punching bag and faced the opposite direction as he stared to the floor. In his mind He had been blaming it mostly on Bob when the fact was, AndrAIa was just as guilty as Bob. 'But why?' Matrix thought to himself. 'Why did AndrAIa do it? Didn't she love him? She said she did just last night! Was it a lie? Was his whole relationship with her a lie?

End of Chapter 3