Disclaimer: I do not own The Matrix, nor do I claim to. (That honor falls to the Wachowski brothers, or the agents depending on your point of view.) All I own is this story, and Kismet.
Who is Kismet, you ask? Read on…
Fate Wears a Black Coat
Part 1:The kings gathered together…
"Are you almost finished with those repairs?"
Neo raised his welding visor and looked up. "Pretty much. How's the rest of it coming."
Trinity shrugged. "It's all right, but it's a Band-Aid on a broken leg. We're probably gonna start heading back to Zion soon."
"Zion?" Neo's eyebrows raised suddenly. "You mean, the city? Where Tank's from?"
Trinity nodded. "We need some rather extensive repairs and Zion is the best place for them. Hey, you've been wanting to see it, haven't you? It's pretty spectacular."
"I bet," Neo replied, then looked up as the lights flickered.
Trinity sighed. "Morpheus is trying to get the engines going again. He'll need my help. You stay here and finish up. I'll give you a yell when we're on approach. You won't want to miss the view when we dock."
Neo smiled and pulled the visor back over his eyes. As he tried to get the blowtorch fired up, Trinity kissed him lightly on top of his head, where his dark hair continued to try to grow in. It was longer than it had been, tickling her so that she giggled slightly.
As she walked to the engine room where Morpheus waited, she reflected back on the changes in herself and her life. Before Neo, she had been religiously stoic, seeming a part of the Holy Trine after which she was named. Now…she was slightly more relaxed. Not careless, just more open. Heading down the stairs to the engine room, she smiled. Boy, will Kismet flip when she finds out.
"Neo!"
He threw his visor to the ground and ran to the cockpit. "Coming!"
Skidding to a halt, he gasped as he saw the great metal hulk of a city spread out before them.
Tank smiled at his shock and recited, " 'The kings gathered together and came to attack Mount Zion. But when they saw it, they were amazed; they were afraid and ran away.' "
"That's…Zion?" Neo whispered. "It's…beautiful."
Trinity smiled. "Don't forget the most important part. It's all real."
The docking was smooth under Morpheus's gentle touch, and Neo practically flew off of the ship and into the docking bay. He stood there for several minutes, staring in amazement at everything around him. After a few moments of this, someone laid a hand on his shoulder. He spun to his left, fining a young woman about his age smiling at him. Her hair was soft brown and cropped short, though a little longer than Trinity's.
"You must be new," she commented, her voice friendly. "The new ones always just stare when they first get here. My name's Link."
"I'm Neo," he replied.
Before he could say more, Trinity walked up, giving a nod of greeting to Link. "Come on, Neo. There's someone I want you to meet."
Link's eyebrows raised. "You taking him to see Kismet?" When Trinity nodded, Link added, "She's in the dive room. Said she had something to take care of."
Trinity looked curious, but did not ask. "I'll see you later." With Neo close behind, Trinity headed for the dive room.
Rows of interface chairs seemed to fill the room. Surprisingly, most of them were empty. Only three were full, two men and one woman. Trinity moved over to the woman on dive watch. She looked up from her screen, flashing a grin at Trinity. "Hey, Trin. Haven't seen you in a while."
"You got watch again, Chip?" she asked.
Chip shrugged. "Yeah, but it doesn't bother me. Looking for Kismet? She's plugged in over there." She jerked her thumb in the direction of the woman in the interface chair. "Been in for almost three hours now. Don't know what the hell she's doing. She wouldn't tell anybody."
"Think she'll be out soon?" Trinity wondered.
As if in response, Chip spun back to the screen. "Operator…Um…closest exit…the telephone booth on the corner…what do you mean too many witnesses?…Fine…Try three blocks over, just inside the old library………Got it? Okay. See ya on the real side."
Kismet's eyes fluttered open, and she smiled up at Trinity when the woman removed her plug. "Thanks…I missed you. How's Morpheus treating you?" She sat up and stretched her arms.
"He's treating me all right," Trinity smiled. "How are you?"
Kismet grinned. "Having your own ship is a beautiful thing. You ought to apply for one some day. You'd like it."
Trinity shook her head. "No thanks. I'd rather take the orders than give them. Kismet, this is Neo."
Kismet's eyes widened in shock. "So…you're the One…I've heard about you…" She smiled slowly. "You're beautiful."
She got up out of the chair and moved purposefully down the hall. Trinity and Neo stared after her. "What's going on with her?" he asked. "I mean…it's like there's something not right…"
"Old scars," she replied. "She's the captain of one of our ships; the Indefatigable. It's not her first ship, though. She had another before. She was in the Matrix with three of her crew when squiddies attacked. Kismet managed to get out, but the outside half of her crew was dead. The squiddies were tearing her ship apart…and it was only a matter of time before they got to her. She used the EMP…with half of her crew still in the Matrix. The squiddies were dead…and so was her crew. Kismet patched up the whole ship herself and brought it back to Zion. She wanted her crew to have a good funeral. After that…she's always been a little different."
Neo put one hand behind his head. "Yeah, I guess you could call her that."
The following morning, Neo awoke early to the sound of steady footsteps up and down the halls. He stood and pulled on his boots, lacing them quickly. Cautiously, he opened the door, just in time to see Kismet sprinting past. Before he could speak, she put on the brakes and smiled. "Hi, there," she grinned. "Sleep well?"
He nodded. "What are you doing up so early?"
She shrugged. "What else am I going to do? I sleep when I feel like it. I don't feel like it now."
Neo studied her with interest. He hadn't gotten a good look at her yesterday, and now her appearance was striking. Her hair was dark black and cropped short, though longer than some of the other women's hair. She was tall and slim, but with a presence that was almost enough to knock him to the ground. The clothes she wore were slightly too large, like most of the soldiers'. They were patched and torn, a brownish stain discoloring the right shoulder. Her blue-gray eyes glittered out at him, and she seemed much younger than she had the other day.
"If you don't mind my asking," Neo began, "how old are you?"
"Old enough," she shot back, more out of reflex than response. "I'm sorry…I mean…I'm seventeen."
"Get harped on about your age, don't you?" Neo guessed.
She nodded. "I did…for a long time. They didn't think I was old enough to handle a ship…and the powers that be almost didn't let me have Indy after…" She looked up at him. "I assume Trin told you."
"Yeah," Neo replied. "It was a tough call. I don't think I would have known what to do."
Kismet ran a hand through her hair. "I just…did it, you know? Afterwards…I took some flack for it, but everyone was pretty impressed I managed to get the ship back here by myself." She shifted her weight from foot to foot. "Listen…you wanna go on my run with me? We can talk while we go, if you want."
Neo shrugged. "What else am I going to do?"
Kismet flashed a grin at him. "Good. Just keep up, okay?"
She was off before he could answer. Neo managed to catch up with her, matching her rapid pace. After some time, however, he found himself lagging behind her. The few times they did get even, he could tell it was because she had dropped back. Their run took them over almost all the corridors of the military aspect of Zion. Kismet pointed out the residences for the families, but the two didn't journey down those halls. Finally, she stopped at the dive room. "You wanna hit the construct for a little while?" she asked.
"Sure," Neo panted back. "But…how do you do it? Run so fast? And so far?"
Kismet smiled down at him. Her expression was like one Neo had seen used on small children and idiots, so he felt resentment burning inside him. "It's not your fault," she explained patiently. "Remember, this is your real body, not the Matrix version of you. You've built up your muscles enough that you can walk around and exert yourself a little, but you're nowhere near where your cyber-self is. You'll have to work at it, but I'm willing to help you. Only if you want me to, though. I know I don't like getting help forced on me, so I'll just guess you don't like it either. Interested?"
Neo nodded, still attempting to catch his breath. Kismet beamed. "Perfect. I'll pick you up tomorrow morning for another run. For now, though…Link!"
The brunette turned away from her computer screen. "Yeah?"
"Neo and I are going to the construct for a little while, kay?"
"You got it. I'll keep an eye on you."
Neo and Kismet took their seats, and in moments were in the white plane of the construct. Neo was in his traditional black outfit, while Kismet sported one similar. Around her right wrist, something glittered, but Neo couldn't see what it was.
Kismet pulled a cell phone from her pocket. "Link? Load the jump program…Yeah, I'm serious; just load it!…Who's the captain here? Load the damn program!" She snapped the phone shut with a growl as the buildings of the jump program took shape beneath her and Neo. She looked across the roof at him.
"I know you've been here before," she began. "I know you know what to do. What I want is for you to get to the opposite roof. When you get there, I'll show you my point."
Neo was more than a little confused, but he just shrugged. In one fluid leap, he was on the opposite roof. Kismet clapped a little, impressed. "Now," she called to him, "I'm going to show you my answer."
Very calmly, she strode to the edge of the roof and stood on the lip. With no change in expression, Kismet put one foot over the side and began walking across…on the air. Neo's jaw dropped as she continued on until she was standing directly in front of him. "The point of this," she said, "was to show you the obvious answer doesn't have to make the most sense. Walking on air is just a demonstration." She pulled out the phone again. "Link? Load the combat program, dojo pattern."
The next second, the two were standing in the middle of a square room, dressed in simple karate uniforms. Kismet met Neo's eyes across the room. "You've been here before, too," she said. "I know you're good. Being the One, I'm expecting you to be the best. I wanna see the answer for myself." She slid into a fighting stance. "Whenever you're ready."
Neo hesitated a moment, then charged. He moved to punch her in the ribs, his fist a blur. He didn't feel any impact, then looked down. Kismet had his right wrist held calmly in her grip.
Link's jaw hung open. "I am…seeing this, right?" she gasped. "I mean…he's the One…but she's stopping his punch…Oh, man!!" She turned away from the monitors for a moment. "You guys!" she screamed down the corridor. "Come here, quick!"
Chip stuck her head around the corner. "What's going on, Link? You got problems? Agents?!"
Link shook her head frantically. "No, no! Nothing like that! It's just…Kismet's fighting Neo in the construct! And she stopped his punch!!"
Chip was halfway down the hall.
Chip came skidding into the mess hall. Everyone tensed and more than a few people leapt to their feet, prepared for news of disaster. "The dive room!" Chip gasped. "Everybody to the dive room! Kismet's fighting Neo! She stopped his punch!!"
Chip ran from the room, a tidal wave of people surging behind her. They came tearing down the corridor and skidded to a halt around the monitor. Link shoved them back with a chipped coffee mug. "Come on, come on! Give me a little room, here!"
The crowd moved back a little, but not much. They were too enthralled by the ballet on the screen before them.
To Neo and Kismet, the fight seemed impossibly slow. After she had caught his right arm, he had attempted to punch with his left. She caught that, too. In a strangely beautiful move, Kismet jumped straight up, so that her feet were on Neo's outstretched arms. Using them as a springboard, she vaulted over Neo's head, carrying out an mid-air somersault. She landed behind him, so that they were back to back. Whirling around, she caught her leg around his knees, knocking him down. Neo fell to his right dropping to all fours. He was on his feet in an instant and ran backwards, out of range of Kismet's onslaught.
She laughed. "Better, Neo, better! I'm seeing it now." She raced forward, throwing punches to force him back. When he felt his back hit a support beam, Neo braced his arms on the beam and kicked out with both legs. His feet caught Kismet square in the chest. She staggered back, gasping but smiling.
"Okay, I'll let you have that one," she managed out, arms wrapped around her ribs in pain.
"You wanna stop?" Neo asked, concern coloring his voice. "I mean…if you're hurt…"
"I'm fine!" Kismet yelled back. "Come on, Neo! Fight me!!"
He shook his head. She screamed at him, then charged. She kicked and punched blindly, screaming louder and louder while Neo held her back with one hand. "You bastard!" she swore. "You afraid to fight me?! Don't wanna hurt the little girl?! I've got more combat experience than you can ever know! If you weren't so scared, I'd have killed you by now! I could care less that you're the One!! I'll kill you! You hear me?? I'll kill you!!"
Her fist swept across his jaw, leaving a red smear in its wake. Neo's reflexes kicked in and he brought his fist hard into her side. He felt the bones crack beneath his hand and saw the expression of pain and fear sweep across Kismet's face. She fell with unbearable slowness to the matted floor, blood running from the corner of her mouth. She lay there, her breathing the only sound. "I'll kill you," she whispered. "I'll fucking kill you…"
"Link!" Neo yelled, looking wildly around the room. "Link, get us out of here, now! She needs help!! Get us out!"
"Li-ink!" Kismet screamed, throat raw. "Don't you listen to him! Don't you dare pull the plug! You take me out of here, and I'll kill you too! I know you're listening, Link! Don't you…take me out…of here…Don't you dare…"
Kismet's eyes fluttered closed and her body relaxed. Neo rushed over and knelt beside her. "Link! Out, NOW!!"
The construct dissolved away and Neo's eyes shot open. "Kismet! Somebody get her!"
Trinity forced him back in the chair with a gentle hand. "We've got her, Neo. She'll be okay."
Neo looked to his left, where Morpheus and Chip were lifting Kismet from her chair. She hung limply in their arms and her head lolled to the side. Neo closed his eyes, tears running from the corners. "I didn't mean to hurt her," he murmured, only half-noticing when Trinity withdrew the mind probe. "I didn't mean…"
Trinity put a finger on his lips. "Don't beat yourself up. She was asking for it and you know it." She sighed. "Kismet's like that…She's looking for the next big challenge. You're it."
Neo sat up slowly. "I wish it wasn't me…You're sure she'll be fine?"
Trinity nodded. "She'll get the best care there is."
"Can I see her later?"
Trinity smiled at the pleading in his voice. He sounded so little… "Sure, if you'd like."
"Yeah…I would like that."
Three days later, Neo arrived at the door to Kismet's hospital room. He hesitated, leaning against the frame for a few minutes. He sighed. She wouldn't want him here when she saw him. He might as well leave…
"Neo…" The whisper drifted across the room from the bed. Kismet looked at him, smiling in the soft, secret way that was her trademark. "Where are you off to?"
"Nowhere…unless you want me to go," he said, gesturing to the hall.
She shook her head. "Stay. You came to say sorry or something?" Before he could answer, she added, "Don't. It was my fault. I…I guess I was disappointed."
"Disappointed?" Neo was confused.
Kismet's eyes slid to the floor. "I…You should know…For a long time…a lot of people thought…that I was the One." Neo's eyebrows raised. "I could…do things…in the Matrix, things that no one else could. Then…I went to the Oracle…and she told me I wasn't the One. Also…" Kismet paused. "She said I'd fight him someday…and I'd lose. When I saw you, I thought I could prove her wrong." She shook her head. "Sometimes you can change what that lady says, sometimes you can't."
Neo smiled. "I know the feeling."
Just then, Neo felt a tap on his shoulder and stepped aside to allow a nurse into the room. The woman checked Kismet's pulse, adjusted the IV flow, and made some notes on her chart. "How's she doing?" Neo asked.
The nurse smiled at him. "She's doing much better. The ribs are healing nicely and the RSI-GS shouldn't leave too much of a scar."
Neo stiffened, and noticed Kismet close her eyes. "The…RSI-GS?" Neo asked.
"Yes," the nurse replied. "The gunshot she sustained in the Matrix to her right shoulder. It looked to be several days old. Why didn't you bring her in sooner?"
"I was out on patrol," Kismet lied. "I'd just gotten back when I was injured in the construct."
Neo glared at her, but said nothing. The nurse sighed, made another note, and left. Neo whirled on Kismet as soon as the nurse was gone. "Why didn't you say anything?!" he demanded. "Why didn't you go to the infirmary? Get some help…or…or…or something!!"
Kismet kept her eyes close. "I didn't want to take up resources. Supplies are tight, and I knew I could handle it."
"Who shot you?!" Neo asked, voice getting steadily louder.
"Keep it down!" Kismet growled. "And who do you think? It was an agent, idiot! He killed one of my crew and I had to make him pay! I've never let an agent get away and I don't intend to start now. He wounded me, I killed him. It was a fair enough trade, and I'd do it again if I had the choice."
Neo was momentarily shocked into silence. "You…killed an agent?"
"Of course," she snapped. "You act like you invented it. I killed that agent, and twenty-four before him. I just didn't tell anyone about it. I figured, if people thought I could be done, we'd end up with a million dead recruits on our hands, all of 'em trying to prove they could to it, too. I take responsibility for my crew and no on else! I won't have any more blood on my hands than necessary."
Neo stood in stunned silence. "You're telling me…that you've killed agents…You never told…and no one found out?"
Kismet nodded. "I always made sure I was alone. As far as anyone else know, I held him off and ran like the rest."
Neo sighed deeply and ran one hand through his hair. "I can't believe this…"
Kismet flashed him a cocky smile. "You'd better believe it." Then, her grin folded in on itself and she looked remorseful. "Listen…again, I'm sorry. I can't explain what I did in there. I just promise you it won't happen again. I won't let it."
Neo smiled. "I trust you."
A few weeks had passed since Kismet's visit to the infirmary. She and Neo began jogging in the morning as she'd suggested. It wasn't long before he was nearly able to keep pace with her. They trained in the construct as well, though not near as violent as their first fight. Neo showed Kismet a few of his best spinning kick variations, while she introduced him to the construct's shooting range. Trinity, Chip, Link or even Morpheus would join them occasionally, but they later left, astounded by their seemingly subliminal communication. As Trinity commented, "It's like you know what she'll say before she says it, and vice versa. If you don't mind my saying, Neo, it's more than a little unsettling."
"You mean it's weird," Neo groaned.
"Well, if you must call it that, yes it's weird." Trinity frowned. "It's not our fault that you two are the creepiest things next to an agent."
Neo sighed. "Thanks so much."
"You know what I mean," Trinity said, cuffing him lightly on the back of the head.
"Yeah, I know, but I don't even understand it myself." Neo flopped back onto his bunk, tucking his arms behind his head. "It's just…I know her almost better than I know myself and the other way around. It's unbelievable…I just know her."
Trinity leaned over and brushed his hair from his eyes. "I'd like you to know me." She kissed him lightly.
"I'd like to know you in a better way," he replied, and returned her kiss.
*****
Tee hee, all for now. More later. Review this, puh-leeeeese!!
*Kat-chan out* ^_^ \/ Ja, no da!
Who is Kismet, you ask? Read on…
Fate Wears a Black Coat
Part 1:The kings gathered together…
"Are you almost finished with those repairs?"
Neo raised his welding visor and looked up. "Pretty much. How's the rest of it coming."
Trinity shrugged. "It's all right, but it's a Band-Aid on a broken leg. We're probably gonna start heading back to Zion soon."
"Zion?" Neo's eyebrows raised suddenly. "You mean, the city? Where Tank's from?"
Trinity nodded. "We need some rather extensive repairs and Zion is the best place for them. Hey, you've been wanting to see it, haven't you? It's pretty spectacular."
"I bet," Neo replied, then looked up as the lights flickered.
Trinity sighed. "Morpheus is trying to get the engines going again. He'll need my help. You stay here and finish up. I'll give you a yell when we're on approach. You won't want to miss the view when we dock."
Neo smiled and pulled the visor back over his eyes. As he tried to get the blowtorch fired up, Trinity kissed him lightly on top of his head, where his dark hair continued to try to grow in. It was longer than it had been, tickling her so that she giggled slightly.
As she walked to the engine room where Morpheus waited, she reflected back on the changes in herself and her life. Before Neo, she had been religiously stoic, seeming a part of the Holy Trine after which she was named. Now…she was slightly more relaxed. Not careless, just more open. Heading down the stairs to the engine room, she smiled. Boy, will Kismet flip when she finds out.
"Neo!"
He threw his visor to the ground and ran to the cockpit. "Coming!"
Skidding to a halt, he gasped as he saw the great metal hulk of a city spread out before them.
Tank smiled at his shock and recited, " 'The kings gathered together and came to attack Mount Zion. But when they saw it, they were amazed; they were afraid and ran away.' "
"That's…Zion?" Neo whispered. "It's…beautiful."
Trinity smiled. "Don't forget the most important part. It's all real."
The docking was smooth under Morpheus's gentle touch, and Neo practically flew off of the ship and into the docking bay. He stood there for several minutes, staring in amazement at everything around him. After a few moments of this, someone laid a hand on his shoulder. He spun to his left, fining a young woman about his age smiling at him. Her hair was soft brown and cropped short, though a little longer than Trinity's.
"You must be new," she commented, her voice friendly. "The new ones always just stare when they first get here. My name's Link."
"I'm Neo," he replied.
Before he could say more, Trinity walked up, giving a nod of greeting to Link. "Come on, Neo. There's someone I want you to meet."
Link's eyebrows raised. "You taking him to see Kismet?" When Trinity nodded, Link added, "She's in the dive room. Said she had something to take care of."
Trinity looked curious, but did not ask. "I'll see you later." With Neo close behind, Trinity headed for the dive room.
Rows of interface chairs seemed to fill the room. Surprisingly, most of them were empty. Only three were full, two men and one woman. Trinity moved over to the woman on dive watch. She looked up from her screen, flashing a grin at Trinity. "Hey, Trin. Haven't seen you in a while."
"You got watch again, Chip?" she asked.
Chip shrugged. "Yeah, but it doesn't bother me. Looking for Kismet? She's plugged in over there." She jerked her thumb in the direction of the woman in the interface chair. "Been in for almost three hours now. Don't know what the hell she's doing. She wouldn't tell anybody."
"Think she'll be out soon?" Trinity wondered.
As if in response, Chip spun back to the screen. "Operator…Um…closest exit…the telephone booth on the corner…what do you mean too many witnesses?…Fine…Try three blocks over, just inside the old library………Got it? Okay. See ya on the real side."
Kismet's eyes fluttered open, and she smiled up at Trinity when the woman removed her plug. "Thanks…I missed you. How's Morpheus treating you?" She sat up and stretched her arms.
"He's treating me all right," Trinity smiled. "How are you?"
Kismet grinned. "Having your own ship is a beautiful thing. You ought to apply for one some day. You'd like it."
Trinity shook her head. "No thanks. I'd rather take the orders than give them. Kismet, this is Neo."
Kismet's eyes widened in shock. "So…you're the One…I've heard about you…" She smiled slowly. "You're beautiful."
She got up out of the chair and moved purposefully down the hall. Trinity and Neo stared after her. "What's going on with her?" he asked. "I mean…it's like there's something not right…"
"Old scars," she replied. "She's the captain of one of our ships; the Indefatigable. It's not her first ship, though. She had another before. She was in the Matrix with three of her crew when squiddies attacked. Kismet managed to get out, but the outside half of her crew was dead. The squiddies were tearing her ship apart…and it was only a matter of time before they got to her. She used the EMP…with half of her crew still in the Matrix. The squiddies were dead…and so was her crew. Kismet patched up the whole ship herself and brought it back to Zion. She wanted her crew to have a good funeral. After that…she's always been a little different."
Neo put one hand behind his head. "Yeah, I guess you could call her that."
The following morning, Neo awoke early to the sound of steady footsteps up and down the halls. He stood and pulled on his boots, lacing them quickly. Cautiously, he opened the door, just in time to see Kismet sprinting past. Before he could speak, she put on the brakes and smiled. "Hi, there," she grinned. "Sleep well?"
He nodded. "What are you doing up so early?"
She shrugged. "What else am I going to do? I sleep when I feel like it. I don't feel like it now."
Neo studied her with interest. He hadn't gotten a good look at her yesterday, and now her appearance was striking. Her hair was dark black and cropped short, though longer than some of the other women's hair. She was tall and slim, but with a presence that was almost enough to knock him to the ground. The clothes she wore were slightly too large, like most of the soldiers'. They were patched and torn, a brownish stain discoloring the right shoulder. Her blue-gray eyes glittered out at him, and she seemed much younger than she had the other day.
"If you don't mind my asking," Neo began, "how old are you?"
"Old enough," she shot back, more out of reflex than response. "I'm sorry…I mean…I'm seventeen."
"Get harped on about your age, don't you?" Neo guessed.
She nodded. "I did…for a long time. They didn't think I was old enough to handle a ship…and the powers that be almost didn't let me have Indy after…" She looked up at him. "I assume Trin told you."
"Yeah," Neo replied. "It was a tough call. I don't think I would have known what to do."
Kismet ran a hand through her hair. "I just…did it, you know? Afterwards…I took some flack for it, but everyone was pretty impressed I managed to get the ship back here by myself." She shifted her weight from foot to foot. "Listen…you wanna go on my run with me? We can talk while we go, if you want."
Neo shrugged. "What else am I going to do?"
Kismet flashed a grin at him. "Good. Just keep up, okay?"
She was off before he could answer. Neo managed to catch up with her, matching her rapid pace. After some time, however, he found himself lagging behind her. The few times they did get even, he could tell it was because she had dropped back. Their run took them over almost all the corridors of the military aspect of Zion. Kismet pointed out the residences for the families, but the two didn't journey down those halls. Finally, she stopped at the dive room. "You wanna hit the construct for a little while?" she asked.
"Sure," Neo panted back. "But…how do you do it? Run so fast? And so far?"
Kismet smiled down at him. Her expression was like one Neo had seen used on small children and idiots, so he felt resentment burning inside him. "It's not your fault," she explained patiently. "Remember, this is your real body, not the Matrix version of you. You've built up your muscles enough that you can walk around and exert yourself a little, but you're nowhere near where your cyber-self is. You'll have to work at it, but I'm willing to help you. Only if you want me to, though. I know I don't like getting help forced on me, so I'll just guess you don't like it either. Interested?"
Neo nodded, still attempting to catch his breath. Kismet beamed. "Perfect. I'll pick you up tomorrow morning for another run. For now, though…Link!"
The brunette turned away from her computer screen. "Yeah?"
"Neo and I are going to the construct for a little while, kay?"
"You got it. I'll keep an eye on you."
Neo and Kismet took their seats, and in moments were in the white plane of the construct. Neo was in his traditional black outfit, while Kismet sported one similar. Around her right wrist, something glittered, but Neo couldn't see what it was.
Kismet pulled a cell phone from her pocket. "Link? Load the jump program…Yeah, I'm serious; just load it!…Who's the captain here? Load the damn program!" She snapped the phone shut with a growl as the buildings of the jump program took shape beneath her and Neo. She looked across the roof at him.
"I know you've been here before," she began. "I know you know what to do. What I want is for you to get to the opposite roof. When you get there, I'll show you my point."
Neo was more than a little confused, but he just shrugged. In one fluid leap, he was on the opposite roof. Kismet clapped a little, impressed. "Now," she called to him, "I'm going to show you my answer."
Very calmly, she strode to the edge of the roof and stood on the lip. With no change in expression, Kismet put one foot over the side and began walking across…on the air. Neo's jaw dropped as she continued on until she was standing directly in front of him. "The point of this," she said, "was to show you the obvious answer doesn't have to make the most sense. Walking on air is just a demonstration." She pulled out the phone again. "Link? Load the combat program, dojo pattern."
The next second, the two were standing in the middle of a square room, dressed in simple karate uniforms. Kismet met Neo's eyes across the room. "You've been here before, too," she said. "I know you're good. Being the One, I'm expecting you to be the best. I wanna see the answer for myself." She slid into a fighting stance. "Whenever you're ready."
Neo hesitated a moment, then charged. He moved to punch her in the ribs, his fist a blur. He didn't feel any impact, then looked down. Kismet had his right wrist held calmly in her grip.
Link's jaw hung open. "I am…seeing this, right?" she gasped. "I mean…he's the One…but she's stopping his punch…Oh, man!!" She turned away from the monitors for a moment. "You guys!" she screamed down the corridor. "Come here, quick!"
Chip stuck her head around the corner. "What's going on, Link? You got problems? Agents?!"
Link shook her head frantically. "No, no! Nothing like that! It's just…Kismet's fighting Neo in the construct! And she stopped his punch!!"
Chip was halfway down the hall.
Chip came skidding into the mess hall. Everyone tensed and more than a few people leapt to their feet, prepared for news of disaster. "The dive room!" Chip gasped. "Everybody to the dive room! Kismet's fighting Neo! She stopped his punch!!"
Chip ran from the room, a tidal wave of people surging behind her. They came tearing down the corridor and skidded to a halt around the monitor. Link shoved them back with a chipped coffee mug. "Come on, come on! Give me a little room, here!"
The crowd moved back a little, but not much. They were too enthralled by the ballet on the screen before them.
To Neo and Kismet, the fight seemed impossibly slow. After she had caught his right arm, he had attempted to punch with his left. She caught that, too. In a strangely beautiful move, Kismet jumped straight up, so that her feet were on Neo's outstretched arms. Using them as a springboard, she vaulted over Neo's head, carrying out an mid-air somersault. She landed behind him, so that they were back to back. Whirling around, she caught her leg around his knees, knocking him down. Neo fell to his right dropping to all fours. He was on his feet in an instant and ran backwards, out of range of Kismet's onslaught.
She laughed. "Better, Neo, better! I'm seeing it now." She raced forward, throwing punches to force him back. When he felt his back hit a support beam, Neo braced his arms on the beam and kicked out with both legs. His feet caught Kismet square in the chest. She staggered back, gasping but smiling.
"Okay, I'll let you have that one," she managed out, arms wrapped around her ribs in pain.
"You wanna stop?" Neo asked, concern coloring his voice. "I mean…if you're hurt…"
"I'm fine!" Kismet yelled back. "Come on, Neo! Fight me!!"
He shook his head. She screamed at him, then charged. She kicked and punched blindly, screaming louder and louder while Neo held her back with one hand. "You bastard!" she swore. "You afraid to fight me?! Don't wanna hurt the little girl?! I've got more combat experience than you can ever know! If you weren't so scared, I'd have killed you by now! I could care less that you're the One!! I'll kill you! You hear me?? I'll kill you!!"
Her fist swept across his jaw, leaving a red smear in its wake. Neo's reflexes kicked in and he brought his fist hard into her side. He felt the bones crack beneath his hand and saw the expression of pain and fear sweep across Kismet's face. She fell with unbearable slowness to the matted floor, blood running from the corner of her mouth. She lay there, her breathing the only sound. "I'll kill you," she whispered. "I'll fucking kill you…"
"Link!" Neo yelled, looking wildly around the room. "Link, get us out of here, now! She needs help!! Get us out!"
"Li-ink!" Kismet screamed, throat raw. "Don't you listen to him! Don't you dare pull the plug! You take me out of here, and I'll kill you too! I know you're listening, Link! Don't you…take me out…of here…Don't you dare…"
Kismet's eyes fluttered closed and her body relaxed. Neo rushed over and knelt beside her. "Link! Out, NOW!!"
The construct dissolved away and Neo's eyes shot open. "Kismet! Somebody get her!"
Trinity forced him back in the chair with a gentle hand. "We've got her, Neo. She'll be okay."
Neo looked to his left, where Morpheus and Chip were lifting Kismet from her chair. She hung limply in their arms and her head lolled to the side. Neo closed his eyes, tears running from the corners. "I didn't mean to hurt her," he murmured, only half-noticing when Trinity withdrew the mind probe. "I didn't mean…"
Trinity put a finger on his lips. "Don't beat yourself up. She was asking for it and you know it." She sighed. "Kismet's like that…She's looking for the next big challenge. You're it."
Neo sat up slowly. "I wish it wasn't me…You're sure she'll be fine?"
Trinity nodded. "She'll get the best care there is."
"Can I see her later?"
Trinity smiled at the pleading in his voice. He sounded so little… "Sure, if you'd like."
"Yeah…I would like that."
Three days later, Neo arrived at the door to Kismet's hospital room. He hesitated, leaning against the frame for a few minutes. He sighed. She wouldn't want him here when she saw him. He might as well leave…
"Neo…" The whisper drifted across the room from the bed. Kismet looked at him, smiling in the soft, secret way that was her trademark. "Where are you off to?"
"Nowhere…unless you want me to go," he said, gesturing to the hall.
She shook her head. "Stay. You came to say sorry or something?" Before he could answer, she added, "Don't. It was my fault. I…I guess I was disappointed."
"Disappointed?" Neo was confused.
Kismet's eyes slid to the floor. "I…You should know…For a long time…a lot of people thought…that I was the One." Neo's eyebrows raised. "I could…do things…in the Matrix, things that no one else could. Then…I went to the Oracle…and she told me I wasn't the One. Also…" Kismet paused. "She said I'd fight him someday…and I'd lose. When I saw you, I thought I could prove her wrong." She shook her head. "Sometimes you can change what that lady says, sometimes you can't."
Neo smiled. "I know the feeling."
Just then, Neo felt a tap on his shoulder and stepped aside to allow a nurse into the room. The woman checked Kismet's pulse, adjusted the IV flow, and made some notes on her chart. "How's she doing?" Neo asked.
The nurse smiled at him. "She's doing much better. The ribs are healing nicely and the RSI-GS shouldn't leave too much of a scar."
Neo stiffened, and noticed Kismet close her eyes. "The…RSI-GS?" Neo asked.
"Yes," the nurse replied. "The gunshot she sustained in the Matrix to her right shoulder. It looked to be several days old. Why didn't you bring her in sooner?"
"I was out on patrol," Kismet lied. "I'd just gotten back when I was injured in the construct."
Neo glared at her, but said nothing. The nurse sighed, made another note, and left. Neo whirled on Kismet as soon as the nurse was gone. "Why didn't you say anything?!" he demanded. "Why didn't you go to the infirmary? Get some help…or…or…or something!!"
Kismet kept her eyes close. "I didn't want to take up resources. Supplies are tight, and I knew I could handle it."
"Who shot you?!" Neo asked, voice getting steadily louder.
"Keep it down!" Kismet growled. "And who do you think? It was an agent, idiot! He killed one of my crew and I had to make him pay! I've never let an agent get away and I don't intend to start now. He wounded me, I killed him. It was a fair enough trade, and I'd do it again if I had the choice."
Neo was momentarily shocked into silence. "You…killed an agent?"
"Of course," she snapped. "You act like you invented it. I killed that agent, and twenty-four before him. I just didn't tell anyone about it. I figured, if people thought I could be done, we'd end up with a million dead recruits on our hands, all of 'em trying to prove they could to it, too. I take responsibility for my crew and no on else! I won't have any more blood on my hands than necessary."
Neo stood in stunned silence. "You're telling me…that you've killed agents…You never told…and no one found out?"
Kismet nodded. "I always made sure I was alone. As far as anyone else know, I held him off and ran like the rest."
Neo sighed deeply and ran one hand through his hair. "I can't believe this…"
Kismet flashed him a cocky smile. "You'd better believe it." Then, her grin folded in on itself and she looked remorseful. "Listen…again, I'm sorry. I can't explain what I did in there. I just promise you it won't happen again. I won't let it."
Neo smiled. "I trust you."
A few weeks had passed since Kismet's visit to the infirmary. She and Neo began jogging in the morning as she'd suggested. It wasn't long before he was nearly able to keep pace with her. They trained in the construct as well, though not near as violent as their first fight. Neo showed Kismet a few of his best spinning kick variations, while she introduced him to the construct's shooting range. Trinity, Chip, Link or even Morpheus would join them occasionally, but they later left, astounded by their seemingly subliminal communication. As Trinity commented, "It's like you know what she'll say before she says it, and vice versa. If you don't mind my saying, Neo, it's more than a little unsettling."
"You mean it's weird," Neo groaned.
"Well, if you must call it that, yes it's weird." Trinity frowned. "It's not our fault that you two are the creepiest things next to an agent."
Neo sighed. "Thanks so much."
"You know what I mean," Trinity said, cuffing him lightly on the back of the head.
"Yeah, I know, but I don't even understand it myself." Neo flopped back onto his bunk, tucking his arms behind his head. "It's just…I know her almost better than I know myself and the other way around. It's unbelievable…I just know her."
Trinity leaned over and brushed his hair from his eyes. "I'd like you to know me." She kissed him lightly.
"I'd like to know you in a better way," he replied, and returned her kiss.
*****
Tee hee, all for now. More later. Review this, puh-leeeeese!!
*Kat-chan out* ^_^ \/ Ja, no da!