Chapter 4
It seemed like forever to Mouse and Ray before Matrix moved. Matrix could not believe it. His best friend, his 'hero', who he had spent so many years trying his hardest to find, had just betrayed him with the only woman he had ever loved. That thought set him off as he promptly turned around and hit the punching bag as hard as he had hit Bob. He hit it over and over, sending it practically off its hinges. Ray frowned. He had seen Matrix fight before, but never like this. Something was definitely very wrong. He wanted to go in there to stop him, but he was afraid. Ray didn't know how he'd react to anyone, especially him. After all, he wasn't exactly Matrix's best friend, and if Matrix were to become violent with him, Ray didn't think he would be able to stop him.
Matrix's blows slowly lessened and his face lost its angry expression as his thoughts became less raging. Now he thought of his future. He couldn't believe the things he had said just yesterday to AndrAIa, about moving in, would never happen. How could it? Matrix felt terrible. He did not want his life with AndrAIa to be over. He still wanted to be with her, but how could he after what she had done, how could he forgive her? He still wanted to love her there was no question about that. The question was did she still want to love him?
His face looked miserable when he stopped hitting the bag. He put his left arm up to the punching bag and buried his face in it. Mouse and Ray could not believe what they were seeing. Mouse had never seen the mighty warrior so upset, but Ray had. He was like this when the web creature had taken AndrAIa's energy.
"AndrAIa!" he exclaimed in a low whisper to Mouse.
"What?" Mouse asked puzzled.
"It has to be something to do with AndrAIa," he said.
"Oh user, do you think something happened to her?" Mouse asked. Ray shook his head.
"No, she's not hurt, Matrix would have said something if she was. She must have done something," he replied, trying to think of what AndrAIa could have possibly done to upset Matrix this much.
"Do you think they had a fight?" she wondered
"No, Matrix wouldn't take a fight so hard," he told her, very sure of what he just said.
"Should we go in?" she asked
"No, Matrix needs someone he knows better to talk to him," Ray firmly said. He thought for a second before he had someone. "Phong," he finally said.
"Right, and you vid-window Dot" agreed Mouse. "I'll go get Phong, you wait here to make sure he doesn't go anywhere, sugah," she said.
"Well what am I supposed to do if he tries to leave?!" Ray exclaimed.
"Shhhhh!," Mouse hushed him, "He'll hear you," she said, "and if he does try to leave, Ah know you'll think of something," she told him with a slight smile and headed for Phong's office. Ray sighed 'well let's just hope he stays put then' he thought to himself as he opened a vid-window. 'She'd be at the diner this early' he thought as he dialed the diner. After a few rings Cecil picked appeared on the screen.
"Dot's diner, ze fastes food in Mainframe. 'Ow may I 'elp you?" ha said
"May I please speak to Dot?" Ray asked him.
"Monsieur, I can assure you zat madam Dot has far too many things to do than take orders!" he replied to the seemingly ignorant question.
"No, I don't need to order food, I-" he said as Cecil cut him off.
"Zen why are you calling?! Zis is a restaurant! You order food 'ere! Why are you calling if you do not want food?!" he asked quite agitated. Ray was getting very angry with Cecil at that point.
"Now listen here, I don't want any food," Cecil once again tried to interrupt him but Ray would not let him this time, "I need to speak with Dot on a personal matter. Now are you going to put me through to her or not?" he asked very impatient. Cecil was defeated, but is sour face remained as he went to the back room to get Dot. A few seconds later, Dot popped up on the vid-window screen.
"Ray?" she asked with a puzzled look on her face. "What's going on?"
"It's Matrix," he said.
"What? What happened? Is he hurt?" She asked, now worried.
"No, he's not hurt, but something did happen. He just stormed in this morning and he wouldn't talk to us. He's in the training room right now," Ray told her.
"I'm on my way," she replied as she got up and closed the vid-window.
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At the same time Mouse was almost to Phong's area. When she arrived at the door it opened and she walked into the enormous room behind it.
"Phong?" she called out, "Are you here?" she asked. Phong came rolling in from the other side of the room as a special zip-board and a pair of gloves appeared in front of her.
"I am here, my child," he said as he came closer and put on his equipment.
"Uh, Phong?" she said as she looked at the gear. "What's this?" she asked.
"This is what is needed to play my favorite game," he replied. Mouse frowned.
" Phong, sugah, as much as Ah'd love to play with you, we've got a problem," she said to the old sprite. Phong looked disappointed. He had not played his favorite game in a very long time and was looking forward to it.
"Well what is the problem then?" he asked.
"It's Matrix. He upset over sumthin, but he won't tell us what," she said. Phong frowned.
"What about AndrAIa? Did you ask her what might be troubling him?" he asked.
"Well, we think it might be AndrAIa he's upset over, but we're not completely sure," She told him. Phong put his hands together and thought for a moment.
"Where is Matrix now?" he asked.
"He's in the trainin room at the moment," Mouse said. Phong nodded to her.
" Let us go then," he said as he wheeled toward the door. Mouse followed him.
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Ray had waited patiently outside the training room the whole time. Every now and then he took a glance into the room to make sure Matrix was not trying to leave. But Ray had not needed to worry about that. Matrix hadn't even moved. Mouse and Phong arrived a little while after Ray had gotten off the vid-window with Dot.
"Did anythin happen while we were gone?" Mouse asked Ray, as they got closer. Ray signaled Mouse to be quiet so Matrix didn't hear her.
"Sorry," she said softer. But inside the training room Matrix thought to himself, 'They must think I'm basic not to hear them.' He had heard every word they had said. He knew that Phong had come, but what he was worried about was Dot. Should he tell her what had happened? He wanted to, and he didn't at the same time. He wanted to make Dot mad at Bob for what he had done, but he didn't want to hurt Dot by telling her. He finally decided that he would not tell her. He would leave that to Bob.
"Has he even moved since Ah left?" she asked as she looked into the room.
"No, not a bit," Ray replied. Phong went up to the door.
"The both of you wait out here," he said as he opened the door. He went in and it shut behind him. He saw Matrix on the punching bag as he wheeled over to him. "My son, your friends have come to me telling me that you are troubled. Why are you troubled?" he asked. Matrix gave him no reply "Enzo, I can not help you if you do not tell me what the problem is," he said.
Outside the training room Dot came down the hall at a quick pace.
"Where is he?" she asked Ray and Mouse. Inside, Matrix heard Dot's voice. 'Damn it! What the hell do I say to her?!' he asked himself mentally.
"He's inside," Mouse said as she pointed to the room, "Phong just went inside." Dot went to the window. What she saw was not what she had expected. She frowned as she saw her brother hunched over on the punching bag. Dot had never seen him this way before. She opened the door and went in. Matrix knew who had just walked in when the door opened. Phong lifted his head up and exchanged glances with Dot as she walked over to Matrix.
"Enzo?" she asked. Matrix still didn't know what to say. He couldn't say nothing was wrong, she knew him better than that. "Little brother, talk to me," she said as she put her hand on his shoulder. "What happened?" He still did not answer. "Come on Enzo, you used to be able to tell me anything. Why should that have changed?" she persisted. Matrix' fury returned as Dot started to baby him. He hated when people treated him like he was a little sprite. And that name! His name was Matrix, not Enzo. Enzo was weak, and he wasn't anymore.
Dot once again tried to get through to him. "Enzo!" Matrix had had it. He quickly stood up straight, knocking her hand off of him. Dot was startled as she backed up from him slightly. Phong was also surprised as Matrix had moved for the first time. Of all the things Matrix wanted to say, he only managed to bring out angry words.
"Go ask your 'beloved' guardian!" he yelled at Dot. He quickly stormed away from her to the door. Mouse and Ray had heard his outburst from outside and figured he would be coming out so they had backed away. Sure enough, out he came in a raging fit headed in the opposite direction. Dot was shocked. That was the last thing she expected him to say. She was mad that she had been yelled at, but her curiosity was more powerful. 'What does Bob have to do with anything?' she wondered to herself. But whatever it was, she would get to the bottom of it.
It seemed like forever to Mouse and Ray before Matrix moved. Matrix could not believe it. His best friend, his 'hero', who he had spent so many years trying his hardest to find, had just betrayed him with the only woman he had ever loved. That thought set him off as he promptly turned around and hit the punching bag as hard as he had hit Bob. He hit it over and over, sending it practically off its hinges. Ray frowned. He had seen Matrix fight before, but never like this. Something was definitely very wrong. He wanted to go in there to stop him, but he was afraid. Ray didn't know how he'd react to anyone, especially him. After all, he wasn't exactly Matrix's best friend, and if Matrix were to become violent with him, Ray didn't think he would be able to stop him.
Matrix's blows slowly lessened and his face lost its angry expression as his thoughts became less raging. Now he thought of his future. He couldn't believe the things he had said just yesterday to AndrAIa, about moving in, would never happen. How could it? Matrix felt terrible. He did not want his life with AndrAIa to be over. He still wanted to be with her, but how could he after what she had done, how could he forgive her? He still wanted to love her there was no question about that. The question was did she still want to love him?
His face looked miserable when he stopped hitting the bag. He put his left arm up to the punching bag and buried his face in it. Mouse and Ray could not believe what they were seeing. Mouse had never seen the mighty warrior so upset, but Ray had. He was like this when the web creature had taken AndrAIa's energy.
"AndrAIa!" he exclaimed in a low whisper to Mouse.
"What?" Mouse asked puzzled.
"It has to be something to do with AndrAIa," he said.
"Oh user, do you think something happened to her?" Mouse asked. Ray shook his head.
"No, she's not hurt, Matrix would have said something if she was. She must have done something," he replied, trying to think of what AndrAIa could have possibly done to upset Matrix this much.
"Do you think they had a fight?" she wondered
"No, Matrix wouldn't take a fight so hard," he told her, very sure of what he just said.
"Should we go in?" she asked
"No, Matrix needs someone he knows better to talk to him," Ray firmly said. He thought for a second before he had someone. "Phong," he finally said.
"Right, and you vid-window Dot" agreed Mouse. "I'll go get Phong, you wait here to make sure he doesn't go anywhere, sugah," she said.
"Well what am I supposed to do if he tries to leave?!" Ray exclaimed.
"Shhhhh!," Mouse hushed him, "He'll hear you," she said, "and if he does try to leave, Ah know you'll think of something," she told him with a slight smile and headed for Phong's office. Ray sighed 'well let's just hope he stays put then' he thought to himself as he opened a vid-window. 'She'd be at the diner this early' he thought as he dialed the diner. After a few rings Cecil picked appeared on the screen.
"Dot's diner, ze fastes food in Mainframe. 'Ow may I 'elp you?" ha said
"May I please speak to Dot?" Ray asked him.
"Monsieur, I can assure you zat madam Dot has far too many things to do than take orders!" he replied to the seemingly ignorant question.
"No, I don't need to order food, I-" he said as Cecil cut him off.
"Zen why are you calling?! Zis is a restaurant! You order food 'ere! Why are you calling if you do not want food?!" he asked quite agitated. Ray was getting very angry with Cecil at that point.
"Now listen here, I don't want any food," Cecil once again tried to interrupt him but Ray would not let him this time, "I need to speak with Dot on a personal matter. Now are you going to put me through to her or not?" he asked very impatient. Cecil was defeated, but is sour face remained as he went to the back room to get Dot. A few seconds later, Dot popped up on the vid-window screen.
"Ray?" she asked with a puzzled look on her face. "What's going on?"
"It's Matrix," he said.
"What? What happened? Is he hurt?" She asked, now worried.
"No, he's not hurt, but something did happen. He just stormed in this morning and he wouldn't talk to us. He's in the training room right now," Ray told her.
"I'm on my way," she replied as she got up and closed the vid-window.
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At the same time Mouse was almost to Phong's area. When she arrived at the door it opened and she walked into the enormous room behind it.
"Phong?" she called out, "Are you here?" she asked. Phong came rolling in from the other side of the room as a special zip-board and a pair of gloves appeared in front of her.
"I am here, my child," he said as he came closer and put on his equipment.
"Uh, Phong?" she said as she looked at the gear. "What's this?" she asked.
"This is what is needed to play my favorite game," he replied. Mouse frowned.
" Phong, sugah, as much as Ah'd love to play with you, we've got a problem," she said to the old sprite. Phong looked disappointed. He had not played his favorite game in a very long time and was looking forward to it.
"Well what is the problem then?" he asked.
"It's Matrix. He upset over sumthin, but he won't tell us what," she said. Phong frowned.
"What about AndrAIa? Did you ask her what might be troubling him?" he asked.
"Well, we think it might be AndrAIa he's upset over, but we're not completely sure," She told him. Phong put his hands together and thought for a moment.
"Where is Matrix now?" he asked.
"He's in the trainin room at the moment," Mouse said. Phong nodded to her.
" Let us go then," he said as he wheeled toward the door. Mouse followed him.
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Ray had waited patiently outside the training room the whole time. Every now and then he took a glance into the room to make sure Matrix was not trying to leave. But Ray had not needed to worry about that. Matrix hadn't even moved. Mouse and Phong arrived a little while after Ray had gotten off the vid-window with Dot.
"Did anythin happen while we were gone?" Mouse asked Ray, as they got closer. Ray signaled Mouse to be quiet so Matrix didn't hear her.
"Sorry," she said softer. But inside the training room Matrix thought to himself, 'They must think I'm basic not to hear them.' He had heard every word they had said. He knew that Phong had come, but what he was worried about was Dot. Should he tell her what had happened? He wanted to, and he didn't at the same time. He wanted to make Dot mad at Bob for what he had done, but he didn't want to hurt Dot by telling her. He finally decided that he would not tell her. He would leave that to Bob.
"Has he even moved since Ah left?" she asked as she looked into the room.
"No, not a bit," Ray replied. Phong went up to the door.
"The both of you wait out here," he said as he opened the door. He went in and it shut behind him. He saw Matrix on the punching bag as he wheeled over to him. "My son, your friends have come to me telling me that you are troubled. Why are you troubled?" he asked. Matrix gave him no reply "Enzo, I can not help you if you do not tell me what the problem is," he said.
Outside the training room Dot came down the hall at a quick pace.
"Where is he?" she asked Ray and Mouse. Inside, Matrix heard Dot's voice. 'Damn it! What the hell do I say to her?!' he asked himself mentally.
"He's inside," Mouse said as she pointed to the room, "Phong just went inside." Dot went to the window. What she saw was not what she had expected. She frowned as she saw her brother hunched over on the punching bag. Dot had never seen him this way before. She opened the door and went in. Matrix knew who had just walked in when the door opened. Phong lifted his head up and exchanged glances with Dot as she walked over to Matrix.
"Enzo?" she asked. Matrix still didn't know what to say. He couldn't say nothing was wrong, she knew him better than that. "Little brother, talk to me," she said as she put her hand on his shoulder. "What happened?" He still did not answer. "Come on Enzo, you used to be able to tell me anything. Why should that have changed?" she persisted. Matrix' fury returned as Dot started to baby him. He hated when people treated him like he was a little sprite. And that name! His name was Matrix, not Enzo. Enzo was weak, and he wasn't anymore.
Dot once again tried to get through to him. "Enzo!" Matrix had had it. He quickly stood up straight, knocking her hand off of him. Dot was startled as she backed up from him slightly. Phong was also surprised as Matrix had moved for the first time. Of all the things Matrix wanted to say, he only managed to bring out angry words.
"Go ask your 'beloved' guardian!" he yelled at Dot. He quickly stormed away from her to the door. Mouse and Ray had heard his outburst from outside and figured he would be coming out so they had backed away. Sure enough, out he came in a raging fit headed in the opposite direction. Dot was shocked. That was the last thing she expected him to say. She was mad that she had been yelled at, but her curiosity was more powerful. 'What does Bob have to do with anything?' she wondered to herself. But whatever it was, she would get to the bottom of it.