Title: Shadow Stalkers

Author: trin_chardin

Summary: What if viruses were vampires?

Categories: Action/Original Character

Author's Note: Well, I've been distracted by other Matrix projects, but I felt bad about leaving this unresolved so I will do the mediocre thing and just post a pat, open ending. Sorry to those who've followed this story from the start, but I've seriously reached the end of the road with this fic. Thank you for your praise and support throughout this though. ^_^

Disclaimer: I don't own the Matrix concept or anyone/anything in it - but I do own the original characters. Oh, and neither Buffy the Vampire Slayer nor the Rent musical is mine.

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Shadow Stalkers

Chapter 12

The Agents had finally found the hide-out of the vampire coven. Hopefully, the 'Master' would be there as well. Deep underneath the city, the hand-picked group warily trailed their way through the sewers. Every once in a while where walls were thin, they could hear the screech of a passing subway train. But, the silence and the stench was almost always overwhelming, the darkness even more so. Their flashlights were but dim spots of brightness.

With Brown at his side, Neo took point. Trinity was just a step behind with Morpheus, Zaa, and Avi. Rak trailed behind to make certain no one cornered them. And back on the Neb, Tank worked communications and kept an eye out for anything suspicious in adjoining tunnels. The subterranean sewers were truly a maze. At times, it felt like they were going around in circles. Only Tank's reassurance and Brown's confident stride kept them on their path.

Then, the Agent abruptly stopped in his tracks and uncharacteristically shrugged towards the upcoming tunnel to their left. It had been a mannerism of Del's. It -was- a mannerism. She wasn't dead, the others reminded themselves. Still, seeing him unknowingly show her little quirks was eerie. Like the channeling of one long dead.

Stifling the thought, the others silently readied their weapons, backs to grimy tunnel walls. Knee-deep in murky water, it was difficult for them to move quietly. And the occassional skitter of unseen rats would hardly do much to conceal the sound of their movements from vampires that heard almost everything.

It was like walking straight into a trap with eyes open.

Neo edged forward first with Brown facing him. He looked back at them with a questioning look and they nodded back in return. They were ready. The plan was for him to slow time for the first few moments so that when the others followed it wouldn't be right into the line of fire. With one last wry smile for Trinity, Neo ducked in with Brown behind him. The next few seconds was a blaze of fire bombs and holy water. In the whirls of death's dance, stakes rose and fell. Avi had joked earlier that she felt like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But, her smile had been more like a grimace, and Rak's laugh had an edge to it. Zaa had kept quiet.

When it happened, none of them really noticed, too caught up in fighting to keep themselves alive. But, Neo saw it from the corner of his eye. He watched as the one called Master sank its teeth into Brown's neck. His shades were off and Neo could see those blue eyes widen in instinctive panic. Struggle was useless, but still Brown persisted. Although Agents may not have known how to scream, Del wasn't one of them. She screamed. And even as the vampire leeched the life out of her, death crept in to claim it. Once their leader had fallen, the others became easy prey. Those who escaped the massacre would not survive the days to come.

And outside the Matrix, the final solution flat-lined.

*****

Neo warily eyed the street crawling with the city's populace. Each one of them was a threat, a potential Agent. In the weeks that had passed, things had changed. Yes, the city was back to normal. But, new dangers replaced the old. Familiar Agents had disappeared, probably deemed obsolete and terminated. In their place came upgrades. Recent encounters proved that Neo could handle them, but he refused to be lax when it came to the safety of the others.

When he saw the crowd thin for a moment, he motioned for Trinity and Rak to hurry across the square to the other side. Their exit was there. Those two hadn't been affected much by the recent events. As with Neo and Morpheus, it had been just another ordeal in their fight against the machines. But, it had clearly changed Avi and Zaa, binding them closer to each other. Alt, on the other hand... He had known the plan. He knew that Del fully intended to sacrifice herself. It had been the only way. Still, it was obvious how it affected him.

The medic had handled Del's corpse himself. After that, he'd locked himself in his room. When he came out the next day, they saw that he'd withdrawn even deeper into himself. Morpheus had already started to talk about sending him back to Zion for therapy. And he probably would have if competent medics weren't so hard to find. Brooding or not, they all knew that Alt still did his job well.

Neo pushed the idle train of thought to one side and watched Rak's code leave the Matrix. Trinity was next. She paused at the phone for a moment, a concerned look on her face. He smiled reassuringly at her and after a moment, she returned it. Just as she disappeared, Neo sensed an oddly familiar presence. He turned to find the door open and an Agent leaning against the door jamb. Actually, Neo wasn't sure if he could even call the other an Agent anymore. The shades were gone for one thing. So was the tie. The top shirt buttons had been undone, the collar loosened. Then, there was the program's relaxed posture and slight smile. It was clearly amused at Neo's reaction.

If that wasn't enough, the familiar blue eyes told him everything was alright.

"I thought I'd thank you."

"For what?" Neo asked, surprised.

"For freeing me from the System."

"But, I didn't do anything."

"Do you really think your actions don't have consequences? Ripples in the pond, Neo. Ripples in the pond. Try changing one thing and you will wind up changing everything. Just be careful that you don't go too far."

"What do you mean?"

"Sometimes the things we chose to do, turn out not to be our own choices after all," Brown said enigmatically.

"I don't understand..."

"Oh, you will in time."

The phone's shrill ring filled the room, but Neo ignored it. Instead, he glared at the former Agent. It just smiled and pushed itself away from the door jamb. Turning as if to walk away, it paused and looked back at Neo.

"One more thing, tell Alt... Forget regret, or life is yours to miss. No other road, no other way, no day but today!"

Neo wondered if he'd ever see a stranger sight than an Agent walking away, singing Broadway. With a smile on his lips, he shook his head and picked up the phone. The next moment, the room was empty.