Chapter 8

Dot stared at the doctor as if he'd just announced that Phong was part viral and had just attempted to take over Mainframe.
" What did you say?" she asked, hoping her ears had deceived her. But one look at the doctor's face told her that she hadn't.

Enzo could tell the instant Dot's core-com broke, and who could blame her. She'd lost Bob to the Web, Matrix to the games, learned her father was still alive but stuck as a null, lost her father again, was forced to chose between two Bobs, one of the Bobs being injured beyond almost anything recognized as Bob, the other Bob telling her to marry her, learned the one she'd chosen was actually Mega-Dumbo- *Yuck*- was forced to have Hexadecimal in the Principal Office, and now she'd lost Bob again. Mouse and Wellmen put one of their hands on a shoulder of Dot's.

" Sugar, are you alright?" Mouse asked. It had been a few seconds since Kerry's release from the hospital, and she was currently in the waroom preparing for an assault from Malestorm and her forces.
" Mouse, he had been yelling at me before he passed out. How can I be alright knowing that?" Dot asked.
" Dot, look, if you keep beating yourself up for every mistake you make, you're never going to be able to look to the future with your eyes wide open. You'll end up glancing at it for an instant then return to beating yourself up. Now, come on," Mouse said, as she dragged Dot out of her office.

Malestorm broke her vid-window controls.
" Evilclon has stolen my prisoners, and expects me to sit back? Never. Terror. Megabyte. Quit deleting systems and help me destroy Evilclon," she ordered. Terror and Megabyte snapped to attention.
" Mistress, we have to admit that if there is nothing for us to battle, then we will be leaving you," Megabyte growled. Before Malestorm could make any comment, Terror created a portal and headed off toward Evilclon's ship just like the prisoners had. Malestorm destroyed the nearest binome.

Kerry looked around at the binomes and small collection of sprites. Seeing how well they handled all of this, she decided that they were too used to being under heavy pressure from a viral, and knew what she'd do at the next head Guardian meeting: Decide that Protocol 999 is outdated and should not be used. Protocol 999 forced them to live under a viral rule for User knows how long without a trained Guardian. True, if not for that, Daemon may not have been stopped, but it was not right that they had lived through the rule of Megabyte. She turned and looked at her new partner.
" Mouse, how is-" Kerry then saw Dot being dragged behind Mouse. She sighed.
" Alright, sugar. What's our game plan?" Mouse asked, putting Dot in a chair then returning to her battle attire.
" Well, let's see. If Malestorm plans like any other virus, she'll want to get to the nearest control center. She's going to want to use her captives as well. Specky, let's see anything you Mainframers have on viruses," Kerry ordered. She skimmed the data. " I see Bob never told you about different types of virals. All you know about mainly is cron and Trojan horse virals. That means you're going to need a lot of information. Mouse, I need a CPU main force and Frisket protecting the Principal Office. CPUs need to be outside and Frisket here," Kerry said.
" Don't worry, Kerry. I already did that. Shouldn't we call in some of your friends?" Mouse asked.
" I tried contacted Guardian 812, but he's missing. I'll bet that Malestorm already got him. So, I contacted another Guardian. Guardian 1812. She should be here in five nanos," Kerry said, just as a female guardian fell on Dot.
" I need to work on my landings," the guardian murmured.
" Ow," Dot groaned. The Guardian got off of Dot and faced Kerry.
" Guardian 1812, reporting for duty."
" At ease, Terra," Kerry said. Terra sighed.
" So, who exactly are we fighting?" Terra asked.
" Not Mouse."
" Mouse? The hacker is here?" Terra asked, appalled.
" Ya know, I'm gettin' sick of that reception," Mouse growled.
" Terra, Mouse is our ally. She is an equal partner in our fight against Male-" Kerry was interrupted by a vid-window opening.
" Greetings, foolish sprites and binomes of the Net. I am Evilclon. Malestorm's bounty has been released, and doubled. She is wanted deleted. Her business is now mine. And for my first act, there is a bounty on Dot Matrix, the hacker, Mouse, and Assistant Prime Guardian Kerry. They're worth six times as much as Malestorm dead, sixty times as much alive. That is all," the face of Evilclon stated, and vanished.
" That may not be good," Terra said.

Evilclon turned from the station and looked at his prisoners.
" I know the majority of you are awake. Get up," he growled.
' Uh oh,' Enzo thought, opening his eyes. He did what he. it (He wouldn't give that virus any sign of processing if he could help it- not since Megabyte had ruined his life- twice) ordered.
" So, you know we're awake," Terrin growled. He raised his Keytool, his younger self following the suit as Matrix brought Gun to bear.
" Those will do nothing to a member of the Viral Imperium, Second order," Evilclon smirked.
" Viral Imperium? Second order? What does that mean?" Enzo and Kiyan asked together.
" A group of virals who have joined together. Now we have near-total control of the Net," Evilclon chuckled, " And all of you are the perfect sacrifices for our leader to gain total control all over the Net."
" No one sacrifices me," Matrix growled.
" Nor me," Terrin snarled, " Blitch, Cannon Jet Blast." A blast of molten hot fire blasted from the Keytool and struck Evilclon, knocking him back an inch.
" Surprising, boy. However, all of us know you can't keep it up forever."
" That's one of the reasons I'm glad I grew up in the Underworld regions back home," Terrin growled, double-tapping his icon. His Guardian outfit shimmered out and was replaced by a blue tee and black pants. Two weapons were attached to his legs like Gun normally was and a bag of arrows were attached to his back. " 'Cause see, I've got a boatload of artillery." Terrin's younger self did the same.
" All of your ammo will eventually dwell out. You will fall," Evilclon glared, and made his way out of the room. Terrin sighed and sat down.
" That virus is sicker than Malestorm. I swear- Cat! Ani!" Terrin cried, finally noticed the last captures before a different virus captured them all.
" Spam him. I hope he deletes and goes to the Recycle Bin," Cat growled.
" Did anybody get the barcode of the CPU that ran me over?" Ani asked, clutching his head.

Terrin examined Enzo. The boy was different than Matrix had been when they'd met all those hours ago.
" Mind running the recap by me again?"
" Mainframe had been nearly decimated in the First Viral War by Megabyte. Mouse sent him to the Web, but Mainframe was too far-gone. The User rebooted the system, but Matrix had left his icon in game sprite mode, so when the system was restored, I was formed just because the system seemed to think that 'I' was deleted, so there are two 'Enzo Matrix,' one as Matrix, one as Enzo," Enzo explained.
" Sheesh. Okay, that takes care of what to call you and Matrix, but what about the other Enzo here?" Terrin asked, " For that matter, what should my younger self by called?"
" Just call me Tear," the younger Terrin smirked.
" Oh look, Terrin. He's got your smirk," Cat smirked.

Bob just floated, Glitch, his icon, and his clothes no near. The chamber that had been supplied for him was nice. He could replay his whole processing right here without being disturbed. His whole body had shut down except his processor. The room could pluck any image, any memory, any thought from any time in his life for him. Ah, here was one. This was from before he became a Guardian. He'd just returned from school.
Did I really look that nerdy? Bob thought. The young Bob certainly was different. His silver hair was slick, and was a shade darker. He wore prescription glasses due to the high-energy quantity in the air that hour and was wearing a long sleeve shirt with shorts, which was not the style of the time. The older Bob sighed as he remembered exactly which memory this was. The scene faded as he thought about something more pleasant than the loss of his sister, uncle, and two cousins in the Fifth Net-tional Bank robbery so long ago.
" There was nothing I could do, he said after ordering that chamber to deactivate. He sat down and activated a vid-mirror. His blue skin was a shade paler than it had been the last time he'd looked in a mirror. Then again, that had been when he and Glitch were still joined together.
" A mutation in a Guardian caused her to mutate into the virus Daemon. What if that mutation wasn't just in one Guardian? Could I have the mutation? Could that be why I started yelling at Dot? I wish I'd asked Turbo what the first symptoms were in Daela before Daemon was formed," he whispered. He sighed at the thought of Daela. The two had become Guardian trainees together. Daela rose quickly through the Guardian ranks until entering the Guardian Cabal where the Heads of the Guardians stayed. The mutation could easily have been spread through intimate contact, as Bob and Daela were at one-point bed partners. Bob sighed, wishing to relive that experience. The chair disappeared, and Bob began floating again. He concentrated on the first night of their love, and found a momentary peace. He didn't even feel the web that wrapped slowly around him. As it covered his face, he seemingly began to feel as if he were there, and, as if to make it seem even more real, a hologram of Daela appeared, and the last thing the web covered was his mouth, having finally gotten pulled away from a very passionate kiss.