Viral Legacy

Chapter Two: The Viral Takeover





"I call Alexander Gain to the stand."

The virus known as Alexander Gain stood from his hidden place in the courtroom and started down the walkway, a bit slower than his former prime had allowed. All eyes from the defense were on him. Sabrina and Chip had to be physically restrained from wanting to attack him, while the Lans seethe and held their own control. Gain smirked as he made his way to the small chair.

Stretching his legs and smoothing out his suit, Gain waited for the prosecution to begin questioning.

"State your name and function for the court." Peters said.

"Alexander Gain, former virus." he replied, listening and watching as spectators aaahed and ooohed. Riley banged his gavel against his desk for some order. Soon, the court was quiet again.

"Mr. Gain, have you ever been to a small system called Mainframe?"

"Yes, I was there a few hours ago for a small vacation." Gain replied.

"Liar." Sabrina muttered, her brother nodding in agreement.

"Mr. Gain, tell us what happened on your last second in Mainframe."

Gain shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "I'll admit that I was...rather rude in my treatment of some of the residents..." he started and heard sneers and comments from the Mainframe staff.

Riley banged his gavel. "I'll expect you to keep your table quiet during questioning, counselor." he said, glaring at Kit.

"Anyway," Gain continued. "For my punishment, I was about to be jailed and taken into custody. Only...my capturers had other plans..."

"We'll take him from here, Hex." Matrix growled, grabbing Gain and shoving him towards Enzo and Sabrina, who took a firm hold on his arms. "Thanks for your help."

Hex regarded him with a smirk. "It was my pleasure, renegade." she said. "Remember, don't call me. I'll find you." With a loud cackle, she disappeared.

"Come on." Matrix said, walking away, Gain being pulled behind him.

They walked through the quiet streets, Matrix looking around for anyone that could see them. Finally, they reached a long, dark alleyway. The renegade stopped, allowing enough room for the trio and Gain to get through. Chip stood looking out into the darkened street. "You know what to do?" Matrix asked, his eyes also focused on the dark system.

"I have a pretty good idea." Chip replied, looking up at his father. The boy watched as Matrix turned and walked into the alley, sounds of a muffled struggle coming to his ears. "Hey Dad!" he called, seeing the signs of the struggle taking place. "You will save some for me, won't you?"

"Stand guard, Junior." Matrix said, heading for the handcuffed virus.

Matrix stood before the virus, an evil smile on his face. It was a rare one indeed. Before his return to Mainframe, a smiling Matrix meant an angry Matrix. But now, as everything they had gone through went coursing through his head, the evil smiles he had before came back. Gain struggled against his restraints. It was bad enough to have his hands tied, but being held by Kit, Sabrina, and Enzo wasn't helping situations any either.

"Well, well, well." Matrix said. "Looks like there's no way for you to run now, is there?"

Matrix delivered a hard right to the virus' stomach, causing him to bowl over. The trio that held him just popped him back up. "You're gonna pay, little man." Matrix growled, hitting him again. Matrix started to beat the virus while the trio held him in place. Gain, trying to fight back, went to kick the renegade, but the large sprite easily caught his leg in his own massive arm. "You're not gonna get out that quickly." he sneered. He then brought down his elbow hard on the leg, fracturing it at best. Kit held his mouth as the virus cried in pain.

Matrix stood, glaring at the sprite sinking to the ground. "Get him." he ordered.

Enzo, Kit, and Sabrina wasted no time in beating the living data bits out of the virus. Not wanting to just stand around, Matrix too got more of his licks in. There was nothing Gain could do. There was no way he could stop this beating, he was powerless, thanks to his time in Hex's lair. But even as they beat him senseless, he'd get back at them. He already had a plan in motion.

Afterwards, they brought him to the front of the alley, mostly dragging him all the way. Chip stopped them and glared at the virus. "I told you I'd get you." he sneered, then delivering a well placed kick to bring the virus to his knees and right smack at eye level with Chip.

"Get him, Chip." Sabrina egged on.

Chip hit him with a right and then a left and a series of rights until he started to lose control and began his own beating on the virus. Matrix lifted the boy out of contact and tried to calm him. "Cool it, cool it." he whispered. "You're gonna get everyone in this area running out their doors." Looking around once again, he continued. "Come on, let's get him to the P.O."

"What happens if someone asks what happened?" Kit asked.

Matrix looked at the bloodied Gain and shrugged. "He fell." he said, finally.

"You fell." Peter repeated, looking over at the defense. "And what was the explanation Mr. Matrix gave his sister or even the guardian of the system when they saw you?"

"They didn't." Gain spat. "See me, that is. But Mr. Matrix told the guard on duty that I had tried to escape while zipping over there. I jumped from the board, which explained the fracture in my leg and the scrapes. To explain the beating I took, he said I was wild and had to be subdued."

"Really."

Gain nodded.

"Mr. Gain will you please tell the council and the court who those assailants were." Peters said.

"Both Enzo Matrixes, Sabrina Matrix, Chip Matrix, and the defense counsel, Kit Lan." Gain replied with a smirk.

"No further questioning."

"Your witness." Riley said, a look of disgust in his eyes.

"No questions at this time, sir." Kit began, looking sternly at the witness. "But defense holds the right to recall him. As a hostile witness."

"So be it." one of the council women said. "You are free to return to your seat, Mr. Gain."

Gain stood from his seat and started to walk back, with a noticeable limp as he walked past defense. Kit had to do everything in his power not to explode at the virus. If their credibility had been shaky before, his testimony of the beating in the alley only darkened it.

"I think a recess is in order." Turbo replied, seeing the faces at defense. "We'll regroup in two milliseconds."

***

The family were able to find a large chamber room in which they could talk and right now, there was a lot of talking.

"Know what I think?" Chip asked, his voice eerily hushed. "I think this a conspiracy."

"Against who or what?" asked Danielle Avery, Kit's fiancee.

"Against us!" Chip exclaimed. "Who else? I mean, come on! Don't you think it's just a tad bit odd that we're being hauled into court!?"

"He's got a point." Phoenix 'Nikki' Lan replied.

"I just need to know what that binome said wasn't...something he just made up." Kit whispered, looking around him. He wanted to keep this quiet.

"Kit, how else can I tell you this?" AndrAIa sighed. "Matrix...Matrix and I did a lot things while game hopping. Who's to say there isn't someone out in that room that goes against me!"

"AndrAIa, what're you saying?" Kit pressed.

"I'm saying..." she started, then gulped. "I'm saying we did what we had to. And that's all I'm going to say."

"How could you do this!?" Dot exclaimed, cutting above everyone else's conversations.

She was currently yelling at some of the participants in that now widely know assault on Alexander Gain.

"Right now, I think we, meaning you and I, have more pressing matters than just putting me on the stand." AndrAIa said, looking sternly at her nephew.

"He deserved it!" Matrix defended. "And don't you dare stand there and say you don't think he did."

"It doesn't matter if we wanted it done or not." Bob stressed, earning a look from Dot.

"Bob!"

Bob opened his mouth, realizing the mistake. "What I mean is...it doesn't matter how any of us felt on the subject." he continued. "You didn't have the right to just go beat him. That's assault, whether you're in Mainframe or not."

"Well, this isn't Mainframe." Enzo said. "And that happened a while ago. Statue of limitation has already run out."

"Yeah." Sabrina added. "If he wants to do something, he's out of luck."

"Kinda like you, Bri?" Bob asked, sarcastically. "Have you forgotten you were a guardian cadet at that time? I can easily strip you of your rank."

"You wouldn't do that!" Roscoe exclaimed.

"Whoa, hold it! Hold it!" Kit exclaimed, bringing order to the room. "Look, we can settle this all later, all right? First things first, what other surprises has our prosecutor got up his sleeve?"

"You tell us, counselor." Chip replied.

"Well..." Kit sighed. "Not an easy answer. We're looking at a lot of stuff right now."

"Yeah." Matrix grumbled. "Most of which you aren't combating out there."

"Hey, you think you can do a better job?" Kit retorted.

"Stop it!" Nikki cried. "Now is not the time! We're sinking and sinking fast out there. Before the second's over, we're gonna be the most hated family in the Net. Now somebody, anybody, come up with a good idea to get us out of this mess!"

"There's only one thing to do." Jet spoke up. "On defense's turn, we all take the stand. We have to say something in our defense. And we gotta get evidence against everyone who's gone up for the prosecution, especially Alexander Gain."

"He's right." Kit said, slightly calmer. "You guys do your thing, Jet and I will do ours. Above all, keep your spammed stories straight. The last thing we need is contradiction on our side."

"Oh, but decention is dandy." Sabrina replied, sarcastically.

"Enough." Jet supplied. "Look we've only used thirty mircos, so we got plenty of time to work and eat, so let's do it."

Everyone agreed to their tasks with no further words. As Kit started to walk away, Dot caught his arm. Waiting for all but Bob to leave, she looked at him, almost on the verge of tears. "How could you?" she asked. Kit looked at her, then at his father, both showing the same signs of disappointment on their faces. "You lied to us, Christopher." she continued.

"Mom, I..." he started but stopped. He couldn't do this right now. "I'm sorry." he said, before walking from them and through the door.

Out in the hall, Roscoe was trying his best to calm his girlfriend down. Even he couldn't really believe Prime Guardian Lan, more over her uncle, would even suggest that she be discharged from the Academy. But even Roscoe had some questions he wanted answered. Sabrina stopped suddenly, causing Ross to run into her.

"Well, that's a fine kettle of nulls we're in, isn't it?" she asked, a bitterness in her voice.

"No bigger than the other kettle of nulls we're been in, right?"

Sabrina turned to look at him. "Roscoe," she said. "We're in a trial for our lives here, man. This isn't so little anymore."

Ross sighed. "Do you really think he'd do it?" he asked. "Discharge you from the Academy?"

"For his sake, he had better not." Sabrina spat.

"Bri..."

"He's right, though." she whispered. "I should've known better and I should've stopped it. Some guardian I am. I can't even stop a fight I was involved in."

"Babe, given everything that he did, what choice did you have?" Roscoe asked.

"I could've let it go!" she cried. "I could've turned him over."

Roscoe placed his hands on her shoulders and looked down at her face. Even after the hours they had been dating, he still found himself falling in love with her all over again. "After what he did to you," he whispered. "I wouldn't have hesitated to delete him myself."

She buried her head in his chest as his arms went around her. "I made a big mistake, Ross." came the muffled response. "Uncle Bob's right. He can't play favorites here. I was a cadet and participated in an aggravated assault."

"But sweetie, he attacked you first." Roscoe pointed out.

"Ross..."

"Listen to me." he said. "He attacked you and your family first. Even a second time. If you really look at it, it was self defense. It's a stretch, but it might keep you teaching at the Academy and keep you with me."

Sabrina sighed. It was a stretch, but one she'd more than likely try. She snuggled closer, his sweet smells filling her nostrils. "Mmmm..." she sighed. "You smell good. You must've used that soap I gave you for your last upgrade."

"Uh huh." Ross murmured. Leaning closer to her, he whispered, "Though, it's only fun when you put it on me."

Sabrina backspaced, giggling and looking around. "Roscoe!" she giggled, trying to sound shocked and not doing a very good job. "What if my parents are around? They don't exactly know about us."

"Yes, they do." he replied, some what confused. "They've known since we met."

"Not 'us' us." she said, rolling her eyes. "Us. And our...activities."

"Oh!" he said, a grin coming to his face. "Extracurricular activities."

"I'm sure Mom wouldn't care." Sabrina thought. "Knowing her, she probably knows. Now, Dad on the other hand..."

"He'd delete me for sure." Ross finished.

"More like skin you alive a thousand times over." she giggled.

"Thanks, babe." he replied, sarcastically.

"Well, you know my dad." she said, still giggling slightly. "He's like that."

"So I've heard." he said under his breath. The comment, though, was not lost on his girlfriend.

"What do you mean by that?" Sabrina asked, her playful mood replaced with one of suspicion.

"Well..." he stammered. "The...trial...and the...binome guy said..."

"You think my father's a murderer?" she asked, advancing on him.

"What?" he squeaked. "No! Bri, I'm just saying..."

"How about not saying anything for a while." she said. "To me or anyone else." She stormed off, with Ross looking hurt and feeling incredibly basic.

***

"Order, order."

The court reassembled later in the second to finish the first second of testimony and witnesses for the prosecution, who bragged that he had enough witnesses to put the whole Matrix family and subsequent heirs in holding cells for the rest of their lives. As he had stated earlier, Peters called the first of his Mainframe witnesses in order to show the part the Matrixes had in a third viral rule on the small system.

"I call Ms. Emma Brodie to the stand."

The small binome woman strolled through the walkway, stopping long enough to send short, but heartfelt sorrys to the members of the family. She took her place in the witness chair. Peters walked over to her, smiling slightly. "Ms. Brodie, tell the council of your relationship with the defendants."

"Well, I'm the teacher at the Little Bits Elementary School in Mainframe." she began, smiling over at the staff. "I've had just about all of them in my class at one time or another."

Peters scowled at the fondness the binome had for the opposing team. He cleared his throat, causing the small binome to look up. "A few hours ago, there was a viral take over of your system, was there not?"

"Well..." she started. "In a way, yes, but..."

"Tell us what happened, Ms. Brodie." Peters pressed, not wanting to hear or let the council hear, any sympathetic details of the case. "Straight and simple, please."

Brodie glared at the sprite, taking it upon herself not to like him, even after the trial was over. "It really all started after that Gain fellow left." she said. "After everything that family had been through, you'd think it was enough, but no. Somewhere, the User just brings more and more trouble into their lives." Peters rolled his eyes. "I will thank you to pay attention when I'm talking, young man." she berated the prosecutor. "You're actions are becoming very rude."

Kit smiled and said, "Objection, your honor. Prosecution is being rude."

"Even I saw that, Peters." Turbo growled. "Let the woman talk or we'll find another prosecutor for this case and future cases."

Peters cleared his throat again and mumbled an apology to the binome. "You had been saying?"

"Before I was rudely interrupted," Brodie replied. "After that Gain fellow left, and I don't blame those children one bit for what they did to him, mind you. But after he left, things seemed to be fine. But...there was soon a change for the worst in the Matrix boys..."

With the departure, and some what questionable means by those handling him, Alexander Gain was then and forever more banned from entering the system of Mainframe. To the virus, it didn't matter. He'd get his revenge soon enough. In fact, he figured in the alley that his time would be coming soon.

As for the rest of Mainframe, things seemed to be going smoothly, for a time. Kit and Sabrina returned to the Super Computer, the twins and Chip returned to school once again, and the Mainframe staff went back to work, monitoring the system, watching for games, anything to get back to where they had been before the excitement. Mouse and Ray returned for a brief period and it was actually Mouse who had seen the change that seemed to take place within two members of staff.

Now no one would say that the Matrix brothers weren't tough. With everything the boys had been through ~games, Megabyte, Daemon~ they both had a tough exterior, but that was just a Matrix family thing. Inside, the two were sweet and lovable. And they certainly had the distinction of being the brothers of destruction, two of the bad ASCIIs of Mainframe and after the ever so quiet beating they had given Gain in the alleyway, they seemed to be in one of those moods, that would usually pass after a few seconds.

So when Mouse and Ray returned, the hacker especially found it odd that both boys seemed to be...well, way overconfident than they usually were. And a lot quicker to start something when someone thought they were wrong or worse, proved they were. It was odd to say the least, but everyone figured it was just carry over from Gain's stay. Chip was still acting bodyguard to his cousins to and from school and Jet was actively working on developing his powers more.

The whole trouble had actually started when Ray had been cornered by the two on his way to the Diner. Normally the surfer expected Matrix to stop him, but things between them had settled down over the hours or so he thought. He was flying towards the Diner, when he noticed Matrix and Enzo in the alley just before the establishment. He decided to head down and see what they were doing.

Mistake number one.

It wasn't until Ray touched down and stepped off of Baud that he realized they had been waiting for him. "Hiya Mates." the surfer replied, cheerfully. "Getting a byte to eat?"

"Yeah, in a nano." Matrix responded, giving the charming surfer a smile, something Ray rarely saw being given to him unless...

"Ray, you mind stepping into our office for a bit?" Enzo asked, the same kind of...sinister, was the word Ray came up with, smile that his brother had.

"Um..." he started. "What did I do?"

"Nothing." Matrix chuckled, grabbing the surfer around his shoulders. "Now, come here. Step into our office." The renegade lead Ray half way into the alley, with Enzo right behind them. They stopped and Matrix pushed Ray against the wall. "It's nice to have you back." he said, grinning. "We were starting to think we'd never see you again."

"Aw nah, mate." Ray said, nervous laughter coming from his lips. "Mouse and I just got a little hung up helping out this system and..."

"Yeah, that's all nice and good." Enzo interrupted. "That's not why you're in here."

"We wanted to show you something, actually." Matrix said, coming face to face with the now scared surfer. "It might not have been this exact alleyway, but just know we beat the living data bits out of a sprite just like you not too long ago."

Enzo was right in Ray's ear as he said, "Watch your step, Ray. Don't do anything...basic...anything that'll cause us to want to hurt you."

Ray laughed, more out of nervousness than the situation being funny. "But your brother's always wanting to do that." Ray looked between the two and seemed the joke was lost on them. Suddenly, Matrix chuckled and slapped Ray, a friendly gesture, but a little too hard for the surfer's tastes.

"You're a good guy, Ray." Matrix said. "Charming, intelligent...such a pretty face." He stepped back. "Don't let anything happen to it."

"Be seein' you." Enzo said, before the two went on their merry way, leaving Ray to gulp at the encounter.

"I couldn't tell you exactly what was going on, but it was bad." Brodie continued. "And then the worst of it..." she shook her head, not wanting to tell the tale that all of Mainframe knew.

"What happened?" Peters asked.

"I..." she started and then added quickly, "I don't remember."

"Ms. Brodie," Riley said. "You are a witness in a crimes against the Net trial. If you have information that could potentially put villains like the ones on trial..."

"They are not villains!" Brodie exclaimed. "They are fine, decent, and upstanding..."

"Mr. Riley, I'd like to change Ms. Brodie status as a hostile witness." Peters replied, glaring at the small binome.

"Objection!" Kit cried. "You just can't go around changing witnesses like that!"

"Over ruled!" Riley boomed. "We are going to get to the bottom of this, Mr. Lan, I assure you." He then looked at Brodie and demanded, "Answer the question before you."

Brodie was not intimidated by the two. She cleared her throat and with a final look towards the defense, specifically Matrix and Enzo, she started. "It all started after a game." she said. "Perhaps maybe inside of it, I don't know, but the boys didn't seem to be in good spirits..."

GAME OVER!

The purple cube lifted back into the sky where it had come from, leaving three sprites standing on the line separating Baudway from G-Prime. It had been a while since Bob had been in a game. The guardian had left that up to the other three guardians and AndrAIa, or even Sabrina and Kit when they were in the system. It had been fun, or at least he thought so. The other two players apparently did not share his feelings.

Matrix and Enzo just stood, glaring at Bob as he went on about how that game had brought back memories. He had played it, one of the first he had, while at the Academy. It had been fun, almost like reliving his youth in some ways. The two brothers, on the other hand, were not amused. They had been given orders and had done most of the dirty work, while Bob sat and dictated where they should go and what they should do.

At least in their minds, anyway. Only the three of them would know for sure.

"Hey, let's get a shake at the Diner and see if the kids are home yet." Bob replied, turning to face the two. "We can do something afterwards. How about it?"

Just looking at them, Bob could there was something terribly wrong. Both approached him, Matrix going around behind him. "Sure, Bob." Enzo replied, rather sarcastically. "Let's do everything you want to do." Bob gulped slightly, feeling like he was being swarmed by vultures.

"Was...was there something you guys wanted to do?" he asked.

"What does it matter, Bob?" asked Matrix.

"Look," Bob said, trying to regain some control in the situation. "I think this is more than just what to do, yeah? Are you guys mad at me for some reason?"

"You could say that." Enzo said, shoving the blue sprite.

"Hey, watch it." Bob replied.

"You can't order us around anymore, Bobby." Matrix sneered, pushing Bob from behind.

"All right, that's it." Bob said. "The two of you better have a good explanation by the time I..."

"By the time you what?" Matrix asked, stepping up to Bob. The blue guardian back spaced a bit, sometimes forgetting how big Matrix was and how small he was compared to him. He saw Enzo rounding behind him from the corner of his eye.

"Look Enzo," he whispered, wanting to calm the renegade down. "I don't want to fight with you."

"Scared, Bob?" Enzo said in his ear. Bob gulped.

Suddenly, he didn't like his odds.

"Listen, if I upset the two of you, I'm sorry, okay?" Bob managed to ease his way from between them and headed for Baudway.

Matrix and Enzo looked at each other. They weren't finished quite yet. The two stormed after Bob and caught up to him as he reached the side of the Diner. Enzo jumped in front of his, blocking his path, while Matrix waited from him to turn around. Bob did, some how knowing Matrix was the leader in this. "Matrix, I thought apologized for..."

"You don't get off that easily, guardian." the renegade snarled.

Bob looked at this sprite, someone he had known since he was smaller, someone who his brother by law, his son by basic right...this was not the same sprite. As Matrix stared him down, Bob thought he got a glimpse of something else in his eyes. Where one eye was violet, it seemed to turn green with the renegade's surge of anger. Bob was surprised, if not confused and in some denial. Matrix couldn't be...could he? Bob wasn't so lost in his thoughts that he didn't see Matrix's fist coming his way. He ducked and heard the punch land somewhere else.

At someone else.

Bob turned around quickly, forgetting Enzo had been right behind him. When he had ducked out of the way, Matrix's punch had found its way into Enzo's nose. The sprite was now looking at some of the energy that was leaking from his nose and turned a hatred glare on Bob. "Now, now Enzo..." Bob stammered, seeing the same deadly glaze Matrix had on his face reflected in his brother's. It really was like looking into a double sided mirror. "It was an accident..."

Suddenly Bob lurched forward and then back, as Enzo's punch landed on its mark. "How's that for an accident?" the green sprite sneered. Bob knew he wouldn't able to reason with them, not now. If he could buy some time, maybe they'd calm down. He elbowed Matrix in the gut and sent a real punch flying at Enzo. Then he took off running. By the time he got in front of the huge window of the Diner, he was tackled by Enzo. A blast of energy sent the boy flying into his brother and both men went down.

That only made them madder.

From inside the Diner, binomes and sprites were sitting around, having lunch when someone noticed Bob outside. Cecil, the head waiter at the Diner, snubbed his Mac nose at the prospect that Bob would be walking in. Yes he knew the guardian was the owner's husband, but why would an upstanding woman like Dot Matrix find so appealing in that...that...sprite! But as the action took place outside, everyone, including Cecil, was starting to see something was very wrong.

At first it seemed like the three were just fooling around, like boys often do. But when the brothers came charging at the Guardian and seemed to be...dare they think it? Beating him up? Then, they knew something was amiss. Worst yet, who would happen to be in the Diner at that very moment, trying to entertain some of the smaller binomes, then Mike the TV...

***

"Hey Dot, Sugah, we seem to be having some activity over by the Diner."

Mouse and AndrAIa sat looking at various activity in Mainframe, mostly for tears or any other anomaly. AndrAIa thought she'd give an update to Matrix on the CPU reports when the two found that some of the CPUs were being dispatched to the Diner. Alexandria Hewlett, the newest Mainframe staff member talked to the game sprite and said she'd head over there to see what the problem was.

"Seems a fight broke out in front of the Diner." she had said. "Probably nothing too major."

"Dot," Phong said, pulling up next to the commander. "I think you may want to see this." Phong patched the vidwindow he had been watching through so the image would come up for all to see.

"This is Mike the TV, reporting to you live at the scene of...well something I can only say is the...saddest and yet, most violent display of anything I've ever seen." Behind the small, noises of a scuffle could be heard. It wasn't until he moved for the cameras and all of Mainframe to see, that the staff inside the Principal Office was also shocked.

"What in the Net?" Dot exclaimed, as she watched the action unfold.

There, onscreen and plain as anyone could see, were her brothers beating on her husband.

"This was the scene earlier today as The Matrix brothers took on Guardian Bob." Mike said. Another screen popped up to show some earlier scenes of the fight. In one, Bob had gotten the upper hand by using his powers to send Matrix into a variety of banner ads. But in the next shot, Bob was being thrown into the side of the wall, with Enzo delivering shoulder block after shoulder block into Bob's midsection and slamming his back against the hard side.

"The fight is still going on, as you can see." Mike's voice replied, as the camera showed Enzo holding Bob by the arms while Matrix beat the stuffing out of him. "Hopefully someone will come and...oh yes!" he cried, as sirens went up. Two CPU cars and a sprite on a zipboard soon surrounded the trio. "It looks like the CPUs and our newest guardian, Alex Hewlett, have come to the rescue. And...yes. It looks like an arrest is underway."

Mike's body popped back into screen. "So what happened here? What's going on with the brothers Matrix? And how will our command.com, Dot Matrix react when she sees this news broadcast."

"Not very well." AndrAIa muttered under her breath.

"And what of the rest of the staff?" Mike asked. "We'll bring you more on this new development, Matrix...gone random? Or Bob's Blue Boy beating? I'm Mike the smashing TV and join me on the next Mike Show. Brought to you by..."

"I wonder what made those two snap like that." Mouse pondered.

"I do not know." Phong replied. He turned and gazed at Dot, her face barely able to control the anger. Her green features were slowly turning red. "But I can guarantee an answer will be forth coming."

A vidwindow popped up and showed the commander of the CPUs. He was trying to be professional, but having to haul in your boss and then report to his boss that he was in custody, well..."Sir, ma'am," he started. "The...um...we've broken up that fight in front of the Diner and um...brought in the..."

"Have the two brought to my office immediately, Captain." Dot said, barely controlling her rage.

"Yes, Sir ma'am." he gulped. "Uh...about your..."

"Make sure Bob is taken to the medical unit and do not have him released until he has an absolute clean bill of health, is that understood?"

"Yes." the binome squeaked. He cleared his throat and repeated, "Yes, Ms. Matrix." He closed the vidwindow and promptly sighed. He hated dealing with anyone on the staff when they got angry. And Ms. Matrix looked like she was on the verge of deleting someone herself.

"So you're saying that the co-defendants, the Matrix brothers, attacked the Prime Guardian for no apparent reason?" Peters asked.

"Well, this was before Bob was..."

"Just answer the question."

Ms. Brodie sighed. "Yes."

"What happened next, Ms. Brodie?" asked Peters.

"Well..." she began. "Things just...they just went from bad to worse..."

"Are you sure you're all right, Hon?"

Bob, though looking worse for wear, seemed to be all right after his encounter with the Matrix boys. His eye was swollen and puffy, his lip was split and his back ached terribly, but overall, he was okay. Especially when they could've done much more damage. "Really, girls." he said, with a grin. "I'm fine."

"Bob, what happened?" Dot asked, looking up at her husband. She just couldn't understand how her brothers could've done that. To Bob of all people!

"I...I don't know." Bob admitted. "They just...snapped on me."

"Was it the game?" Alex asked. Bob shrugged.

"I thought the game went great." he said. "Apparently, they didn't think so, but even still." He sighed and got quiet for a nano. "There's something else going on." he whispered, so only the small group could hear. "I don't know what, but I know Matrix and Enzo would never do this. Ever. Not even if they were mad at me. Not this."

"Well, I want them in my office when they get here." Dot replied.

"Speak of the devil." Alex muttered.

The CPU commander and a sergeant escorted the brothers into the command room. The two seemed to be in a good mood, considering they just beat up their brother in law and had been arrested and were now about to face the wrath of their older sister. "Here they are, Ms. Matrix." replied the Captain. "As you requested."

"Thank you." Dot said. To her brothers, she said, "In my office. Now!"

"Sure, Dot." Matrix replied, smiling at his sister. He lead the way, with her storming behind him.

"Hey Bob." Enzo replied, standing next to the guardian. "You don't look so good. You look like you had the shit beat of you." The young sprite laughed as he followed his siblings.

"Bob, I will agree with you." Alex said. "That is not Enzo Matrix."

"Then who is it?" AndrAIa asked. Alex looked at her. "Hey, I'm with you on this!" she defended. "Those two are not themselves."

"And if they're not themselves, then who are they?" Mouse asked.

"Girls, I saw something that..." Bob started.

"That?" AndrAIa pressed.

"Not here." Bob whispered. "And certainly not around Dot. She's the last person I want to tell this to."

Meanwhile, Dot already had enough on her processor, trying to figure out what prompted her brothers to do such an act on their own brother. She was with Bob on this. Enzo and Matrix would never do something like this, so what was it then? Just when she thought things couldn't get any worse then they were...

They did.

As she walked into her office, she grabbed from behind. A large hand covered her mouth and a large green arm kept a strong hold around her waist. All in all, Matrix would have a lot of explaining to do. Enzo came in soon afterwards and made sure the door was sealed tight and locked.

"Dot, calm down." he said, smiling sweetly at her. "You don't really think we're going to hurt you, do you?"

"Now, that's just plain rude." Matrix whispered in her ear. "That hurts me, you know."

Dot said some choice words, which were muffled under her brother's hand.

"You're really in no position to be making threats, sister dear." Enzo replied, rather harshly.

Dot was about to say some more, when she noticed the slightest hint of a green tinge in her brother's eyes. Viral green. Suddenly Dot's eyes went wide when realization came to her. That would explain their recent behavior, the attack on Bob...they were infected. But by whom? And when? While Dot pondered these questions, Enzo took the icon that was placed on her chest. When she started to protest, he said, "Relax."

He began examining the icon, handling it with care before looking at his siblings, Dot in particular.

"This won't hurt." he said. "Promise."