Disclaimer- I do not own Reboot or it's characters. Everyone knows this. It's not a big mystery. Mainframe Entertainment owns it. I simply live vicariously by making the characters do my bidding. Please don't sue me, I'm not worth it. But while you're here, enjoy the read. J
Grumpy Old Sprites By: BrenrenPrologue:
Matrix grinned widely as he examined the baud outside of the diner. Normally the surfer didn't leave it outside when he went in to dine, but he had become used to the city of Mainframe and had begun to trust its citizens more and more. It made Matrix proud of the city that he called home, and his grin grew larger as the thought struck him that it made it easier for him to pull this off. The sound of soft approaching footsteps caused him to conceal his grin, knowing who it was that was coming up behind him. He felt a soft touch on his bicep as he still gazed at the baud.
"Hey Sparky," the soft voice was like music to him, "what's up?"
Matrix turned to look at the beautiful game sprite now standing next to him. "Not much," he said in reply to her question, "you about ready to eat?"
AndrAIa saw a small glimmer in his eye and almost instantaneously knew that he was up to something. She couldn't be sure of what it was, but the way he was intently looking at the baud gave her a hint. "What are you up to, Sparky? I know that look in your eye. What are you planning to do?"
Matrix immediately put on a look of hurt and indignation. "Now why would you think that I was up to something? I was simply standing here and admiring the mysterious inner workings of this fine machine." His grin had returned as he pointed to the baud and that little glimmer in his eye was still there. "Does it look to you like I've done anything to it?"
AndrAIa looked at the baud propped up against outer wall of the diner and examined it quickly. Everything looked normal to her but she still had the sneaking suspicion that he was up to something. He hadn't stopped grinning since she made the accusing remark. But since she could find no fault, there was really nothing she could do but hope that he hadn't pulled another of his pranks. "Alright," she said in an exasperated tone, "you win. Let's just go have a nice peaceful lunch for once." She turned toward the diner door and let the grinning sprite follow her.
The diner was filled with its usual crowd and Cecil was doing his best to keep up with the orders as he glided around the establishment. They found a couple of empty stools at the bar and glanced around at the gathered patrons. Matrix caught sight of Ray and Mouse in a booth near the back, and gathered around them was a small group of binomes. The volume of the voices gave him an idea of what was going on back there as the binomes broke out into laughter. The surfer was the center of attention and his grin was wide as he held up his hands to quiet the small crowd enough to continue another of his stories of the web.
Matrix kept his eye on the surfer for as long as he regaled the small group with his tales. After several more nanos of being the center of attention, the surfer finally got up from his seat at the booth and came toward him. Matrix suppressed his grin as he watched him approach. He took notice of the look of easy confidence on the face of the surfer, or was it cockiness, he couldn't really decide for sure.
"Hello there, lovely lady," he greeted the game sprite as Matrix put on an almost menacing look toward him.
"Hello Ray," she replied with a smile, "leaving so soon?"
"Afraid so, love," he said with a regretful smile, "Mouse hasn't repaired all of the long range sensors yet so Dot wanted me to scout the perimeters of the system in the net until they're all fixed. I take it you'll be helping Mouse?"
"As soon as we're finished here with lunch I'll be meeting her back at the Principal Office." AndrAIa glanced over in Mouse's direction and noticed her coming toward them also. " If you'll excuse me for a nano," she said to Ray, "I have a little shop to talk with Mouse before we start. Talk to you later, Ray." She stood up and crossed the crowded room and met Mouse in the middle, leaving Ray at the counter with Matrix. Ray had a feeling she did it on purpose. She and Mouse had both been prodding him and Matrix alike to end the petty little personal war that they had waged against each other. Both women were tiring of the juvenile and sometimes dangerous pranks that they pulled.
"So, tall, dark and brooding," Ray began, "deleted anyone yet today?"
Matrix turned to the surfer and gave a rare smile. "Not yet!"
Ray noticed the grin and was a little unnerved, but he certainly wasn't going to let Matrix know that he was still slightly intimidated. He still grinned as he replied, "Well, don't give up hope, the second's not over yet." He clapped him on the shoulder and with a wave and a blown kiss to Mouse, he turned and exited the diner, leaving Matrix to grin as he watched the surfer intently.
Outside the diner, Ray hopped on the baud and took off toward the net ports. The first thing that he noticed was that the baud seemed a bit sluggish in its handling and he looked down to see what could be making it act so. By the time his goggles had picked up the problem, it was too late. The baud had stopped dead in its tracks and Ray was being thrown through the air and into the parking lot.
The sound of people gasping at the window and Matrix's sudden outburst of laughter caught Mouse and AndrAIa's attention. They glanced out the window in time to see Ray hitting the pavement. "Oh my User, Ray!" Mouse called out as she rushed to the door and out to the parking lot.
AndrAIa took a brief nano to glare at the still laughing Matrix. "I knew you were up to something." She muttered before following Mouse out the door.
***
Mouse ran directly to Ray as he was picking himself up off the ground. "User, Ray, are you alright sugar?" she said as she knelt next to him and helped him into a sitting position.
Ray grunted slightly in response, "I think so," he said as he shook his head a bit to clear the fog. The jolt on the baud had been more painful than hitting the pavement itself and it was taking a bit to gather his wits about him. "No broken bones or anything, just a bit scuffed is all." He turned to look for the baud and found it approximately forty feet behind him with AndrAIa kneeling behind it. "Ruddy wanker really outdid himself on this one," he said as Mouse helped him to his feet, "got to hand it to him, I didn't catch it until it was too late."
"Are you two ever gonna compile up and stop this nonsense?" Mouse chided as they walked back to the baud. "Someone is gonna end up hurt because of all this."
"Hey," Ray retorted, "he started it when he put the 'Gay Pride Marshall' sign on the bottom of the baud." He shuddered slightly at the memory. "I haven't been able to get Al's waiter to stop looking at me like that since."
"What do you make of this Mouse?" AndrAIa said once they reached the baud. Her attention was immediately drawn to the chain that was fastened to the baud, but then she caught sight of the shattered program lying all around the chain. She picked up a piece and examined it a bit.
"Hidden file command," she said with authority, "it must have broken from the pressure on the chain."
"No wonder I didn't see it," AndrAIa stated as she unhooked the chain from the bottom of the baud, "I just knew he was up to something." She then gathered the rest of the chain back to the lamppost that the other end was attached to and freed it.
"That's it sugar," Mouse looked directly at Ray as she spoke, "this has to end. One of you is gonna get hurt, or worse, someone else will get hurt from all these spammed pranks you two keep pulling."
"It will end, love," Ray said reassuringly as he took her hands in his, "as soon as I get the ruddy wanker back for this one."
"Oh no you don't, Ray Tracer." Mouse stated firmly, pulling her hands from his and crossing her arms in front of her. "We're going back into that diner and you two are gonna settle this thing once and for all."
"Fine," he replied, "I'll go back in the diner, but only because I need an energy shake to get my head straight. I'm not going to let him get one up on me."
"This is not a war, Ray!" Mouse exclaimed in exasperation. "Why do you have to be so damned stubborn? Just be the bigger man and let it go."
"You see, that's where you're wrong love," he stated with a slight grin on his face, "this is war." With that, he picked up his baud and headed back to the diner. "You coming?" he asked as he opened the door.
"Yeah, yeah," she said even more exasperated than before, "I'm coming."
***
Dot had apparently heard the raucous from her office because she stood behind the counter glaring at her brother, who still sat grinning on his stool. AndrAIa, who had come back in a few nanos earlier, was also behind the counter glaring. Ray sauntered up to the counter and took a seat next to the large former renegade while Mouse took the seat on the other side of him.
"So Ray," the large green sprite began, "how was your trip?"
"Not quite as nice as the one you're going to be taking, you son of a null." He replied in an almost amiable tone.
"Oh, c'mon Ray," Matrix said still grinning, "I was just getting you back for putting that potato in the exhaust on my bike. You gotta admit, that hidden file command was a work of genius."
"When are you two going to stop this ridiculous feuding?" Dot finally spoke up. "I keep hearing you two talk about how you're just getting even for one prank or another. Don't you think that you two are way past even and should just drop this?"
"No" the two sprites said in unison.
"I honestly do not get you two," AndrAIa spoke this time, "neither one of you is willing to give an inch to end this?"
"No" they said again.
"I thought I'd met some stubborn ASCIIs before this," Mouse continued with the berating, "but you two are the most stubborn, pigheaded sprites that I've ever seen. Just how long do you two plan to keep this little feud of yours going?"
As if in answer to Mouse's question, the two men turned to each other and glared. Without a word, the message was sent. This was all out war.