Neo felt a shiver run up his spine as the plug was slid out of his head. It
was a feeling he'd never get used to- it just felt too damn weird. Sitting
up, he rubbed his neck as he looked for any signs of Ghost. Seeing him
nowhere in sight, he exhaled a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.
Having to see Ghost right now was not something Neo wanted, nor needed.
"All right. The agents will probably be trying to build up all sorts of firewalls inside the Matrix since you have that disk."
"I don't have it. It's in this computer." Neo waved his hand at the series of screens that Link and Grace were seated in front of.
"If we have it, then why doesn't it show up? In the sense that a disk would show up once in a hard drive." Link asked.
"Because I have to activate it from inside the construct." Neo replied, rubbing his tired eyes. "By the way, what time is it?"
"Around 11 pm-ish. Not sure. I hafta guess." Grace answered.
"Neo, you should be rested before we attempt this. We have no idea what this will do and I don't need you to be exhausted when you leave the construct." Morpheus commented. He placed a hand on Neo's shoulder, turning him towards the door, where Trinity was already exiting. "Go, get some rest. Try to sleep, I know some other- things may occur, but try to get some rest."
"Thank you Morpheus." Neo smiled gently before leaving and following the sound of Trinity's footsteps.
Neo opened and closed the door to his and Trinity's room as quietly as he could, and since the lights went out just as he closed the door, he was blinded for a moment. As his eyes adjusted to the pitch black of the room, he made out the bed and Trinity's form lying atop it. Neo sat on the edge to remove his boots before sliding under the blankets and pulling Trinity's body against his own, wrapping a protective arm around her waist.
"Night Neo." Trinity mumbled, already half asleep.
"Night Trin." Neo responded, his breath brushing against the uncovered skin at the base of her neck.
*** Neo awoke to the feeling of wetness on his neck. A soothing voice whispered into his ear, "Neo, time to get up."
"No, too early for my eyes to open." Neo mumbled back into Trinity's hair.
"Well, I never said you had to open your eyes. I just said 'time to get up.'" Trinity murmured back, her lips again touching his neck.
"Ooooh, good feeling. Feel all tingly." Neo mumbled, opening his eyes enough to see the form of Trinity atop him, her face inches from his own. "Got to say, I like this as the thing my eyes open up to."
Trinity smiled, leaning down to kiss him gently. She pulled backward, in a sort of dare: if you want to continue this contact, then you have to sit up. Not all too surprisingly, Neo complied, wrapping his arms around her. As he lowered his lips down her neck, Trinity gripped him tightly, but all too soon, he felt her pushing him away.
"Neo, we really have to be on time today. Remember the disk?" Trinity asked, her voice losing its playful tone and becoming serious.
"Yeah." Neo answered, sounding defeated.
"Hey," Trinity turned Neo's head towards her own. "There's always later." Neo watched, amazed as this warrior of a woman allowed a small, seductive smile to play across her face before placing a gentle kiss on his lips and standing.
"You ready?" She asked before opening the door upon seeing him nod.
Following her into the mess hall, Neo poured himself a bowl of sludge before sitting down next to Wish. Trinity sat on his other side and Ghost on the opposite side of the table. Neo glanced up just to see Ghost averting the gaze that had been leveled at Trinity. Feeling a swirl of anger rising inside of him, Neo slid his hand under the table and took Trinity's hand. As he gently caressed it with his fingers, he felt her leg push against his own. Neo allowed Trinity to shift slightly- above the table it looked as if she was only switching the way her legs were crossed underneath the table. Underneath the table however, she had slid one leg under Neo's as his own slid between hers.
"Whoa, uh guys? Try to not get so touchy-feely. At least in here." Grace broke the silence from her perch on the counter behind Neo and Trinity. Neo blushed slightly, as did Trinity when all eyes flicked to them. Repositioning themselves so that their legs weren't in the most interesting of places, they continued to eat. However, Grace noticed that they kept their hands entwined underneath the table.
Morpheus opened the door to the mess hall and upon seeing Neo at the table asked, "Are you ready to go in?" Neo nodded, standing. Letting go of Trinity's hand so that they could wash out their dishes, Neo missed a glare directed at him from Ghost. Wish however, did not.
"Ghost, just grow the fuck up."
"Wha-?" Link swiveled around as everyone else looked from Wish to Ghost and back again.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Ghost narrowed his eyes at Wish. Wish may have been relatively new, but she wasn't stupid.
"You are very well aware that Neo is with Trinity and that she is not, I repeat, not interested in you. Instead of moving on, you sit around like a spoiled 6 year old who didn't get his way, glaring at Neo from behind his back. You are so fucking immature!" Wish broke; she just couldn't stand people like him.
"Go screw." Ghost shot back.
"Do it yourself."
"I would, 'cept for a few small-"
"Go ahead Ghost, finished that sentence. Just finish that sentence." Neo gritted his teeth, narrowing his eyes at him.
"I will. A few small obstacles are in my way. Nothing I can't handle." Ghost's gaze ticked to Trinity, who was seething, but hiding it very well.
"And just what are those obstacles?" Neo asked, his anger boiling.
"Namely, you."
Neo snapped- he just didn't care anymore. This was the last straw. Neo stepped forward, leaned over the table, and before anyone could react, grabbed Ghost by the shirt and punched him.
"Neo!" Trinity yelled, but before she could move to stop him, Wish and Grace moved to her side to keep her from going anywhere- clearly, these two had been waiting for this and just wanted to see Ghost get his. Link stood frozen to his spot in the corner, too amazed to react, but too scared to move.
Neo jumped over the table as Ghost stood up. Punching him again, Ghost flew backward, into the wall. As Neo moved toward him, Ghost slammed a fist into his stomach before continuing with a left to Neo's face. Neo flew back and was braced by the table, but Ghost was on him, slamming fist after fist into his face. Trinity fought with all her might to get free and stop Ghost's onslaught, but in the real world, she could not fight off two already tough women.
Ghost eventually paused, thinking Neo may have gone unconscious, but before he could find out, Neo's eyes flew open and he swung- connecting with Ghost's nose. The blood already spattered on the table from Neo's face mixed with Ghost's. Neo swung into Ghost's stomach, doubling him over before kneeing him in the face. As Ghost tried to stand, Neo slammed the final punch into his face- knocking him unconscious.
Link moved to Neo's side to see the damage.
"Damn, your face is so busted up, Neo."
"Thanks, I couldn't tell." Neo responded sarcastically.
Just then, Morpheus and Niobe burst through the door. Taking one look at the unconscious Ghost and the bleeding Neo, Niobe strode in and asked to anyone who would answer,
"What the hell happened in here? We are all grown adults and we may be the last free humans. With this knowledge, you dare to threaten our existence by beating up the One because you couldn't keep your maturity in check?"
~~~~~~~
Reviews are so welcome. Thanx guys. I was so shocked when the reviews began to fly in. Made me all happy. This chapter and the next one (will be updated in no more than 4 days, promise) are the effects of the last chapter. Just for kicks- check out my other fics too (especially Breaking the Rules, no one's reviewed it yet- seems this one's more popular (). Thank you all.
"All right. The agents will probably be trying to build up all sorts of firewalls inside the Matrix since you have that disk."
"I don't have it. It's in this computer." Neo waved his hand at the series of screens that Link and Grace were seated in front of.
"If we have it, then why doesn't it show up? In the sense that a disk would show up once in a hard drive." Link asked.
"Because I have to activate it from inside the construct." Neo replied, rubbing his tired eyes. "By the way, what time is it?"
"Around 11 pm-ish. Not sure. I hafta guess." Grace answered.
"Neo, you should be rested before we attempt this. We have no idea what this will do and I don't need you to be exhausted when you leave the construct." Morpheus commented. He placed a hand on Neo's shoulder, turning him towards the door, where Trinity was already exiting. "Go, get some rest. Try to sleep, I know some other- things may occur, but try to get some rest."
"Thank you Morpheus." Neo smiled gently before leaving and following the sound of Trinity's footsteps.
Neo opened and closed the door to his and Trinity's room as quietly as he could, and since the lights went out just as he closed the door, he was blinded for a moment. As his eyes adjusted to the pitch black of the room, he made out the bed and Trinity's form lying atop it. Neo sat on the edge to remove his boots before sliding under the blankets and pulling Trinity's body against his own, wrapping a protective arm around her waist.
"Night Neo." Trinity mumbled, already half asleep.
"Night Trin." Neo responded, his breath brushing against the uncovered skin at the base of her neck.
*** Neo awoke to the feeling of wetness on his neck. A soothing voice whispered into his ear, "Neo, time to get up."
"No, too early for my eyes to open." Neo mumbled back into Trinity's hair.
"Well, I never said you had to open your eyes. I just said 'time to get up.'" Trinity murmured back, her lips again touching his neck.
"Ooooh, good feeling. Feel all tingly." Neo mumbled, opening his eyes enough to see the form of Trinity atop him, her face inches from his own. "Got to say, I like this as the thing my eyes open up to."
Trinity smiled, leaning down to kiss him gently. She pulled backward, in a sort of dare: if you want to continue this contact, then you have to sit up. Not all too surprisingly, Neo complied, wrapping his arms around her. As he lowered his lips down her neck, Trinity gripped him tightly, but all too soon, he felt her pushing him away.
"Neo, we really have to be on time today. Remember the disk?" Trinity asked, her voice losing its playful tone and becoming serious.
"Yeah." Neo answered, sounding defeated.
"Hey," Trinity turned Neo's head towards her own. "There's always later." Neo watched, amazed as this warrior of a woman allowed a small, seductive smile to play across her face before placing a gentle kiss on his lips and standing.
"You ready?" She asked before opening the door upon seeing him nod.
Following her into the mess hall, Neo poured himself a bowl of sludge before sitting down next to Wish. Trinity sat on his other side and Ghost on the opposite side of the table. Neo glanced up just to see Ghost averting the gaze that had been leveled at Trinity. Feeling a swirl of anger rising inside of him, Neo slid his hand under the table and took Trinity's hand. As he gently caressed it with his fingers, he felt her leg push against his own. Neo allowed Trinity to shift slightly- above the table it looked as if she was only switching the way her legs were crossed underneath the table. Underneath the table however, she had slid one leg under Neo's as his own slid between hers.
"Whoa, uh guys? Try to not get so touchy-feely. At least in here." Grace broke the silence from her perch on the counter behind Neo and Trinity. Neo blushed slightly, as did Trinity when all eyes flicked to them. Repositioning themselves so that their legs weren't in the most interesting of places, they continued to eat. However, Grace noticed that they kept their hands entwined underneath the table.
Morpheus opened the door to the mess hall and upon seeing Neo at the table asked, "Are you ready to go in?" Neo nodded, standing. Letting go of Trinity's hand so that they could wash out their dishes, Neo missed a glare directed at him from Ghost. Wish however, did not.
"Ghost, just grow the fuck up."
"Wha-?" Link swiveled around as everyone else looked from Wish to Ghost and back again.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Ghost narrowed his eyes at Wish. Wish may have been relatively new, but she wasn't stupid.
"You are very well aware that Neo is with Trinity and that she is not, I repeat, not interested in you. Instead of moving on, you sit around like a spoiled 6 year old who didn't get his way, glaring at Neo from behind his back. You are so fucking immature!" Wish broke; she just couldn't stand people like him.
"Go screw." Ghost shot back.
"Do it yourself."
"I would, 'cept for a few small-"
"Go ahead Ghost, finished that sentence. Just finish that sentence." Neo gritted his teeth, narrowing his eyes at him.
"I will. A few small obstacles are in my way. Nothing I can't handle." Ghost's gaze ticked to Trinity, who was seething, but hiding it very well.
"And just what are those obstacles?" Neo asked, his anger boiling.
"Namely, you."
Neo snapped- he just didn't care anymore. This was the last straw. Neo stepped forward, leaned over the table, and before anyone could react, grabbed Ghost by the shirt and punched him.
"Neo!" Trinity yelled, but before she could move to stop him, Wish and Grace moved to her side to keep her from going anywhere- clearly, these two had been waiting for this and just wanted to see Ghost get his. Link stood frozen to his spot in the corner, too amazed to react, but too scared to move.
Neo jumped over the table as Ghost stood up. Punching him again, Ghost flew backward, into the wall. As Neo moved toward him, Ghost slammed a fist into his stomach before continuing with a left to Neo's face. Neo flew back and was braced by the table, but Ghost was on him, slamming fist after fist into his face. Trinity fought with all her might to get free and stop Ghost's onslaught, but in the real world, she could not fight off two already tough women.
Ghost eventually paused, thinking Neo may have gone unconscious, but before he could find out, Neo's eyes flew open and he swung- connecting with Ghost's nose. The blood already spattered on the table from Neo's face mixed with Ghost's. Neo swung into Ghost's stomach, doubling him over before kneeing him in the face. As Ghost tried to stand, Neo slammed the final punch into his face- knocking him unconscious.
Link moved to Neo's side to see the damage.
"Damn, your face is so busted up, Neo."
"Thanks, I couldn't tell." Neo responded sarcastically.
Just then, Morpheus and Niobe burst through the door. Taking one look at the unconscious Ghost and the bleeding Neo, Niobe strode in and asked to anyone who would answer,
"What the hell happened in here? We are all grown adults and we may be the last free humans. With this knowledge, you dare to threaten our existence by beating up the One because you couldn't keep your maturity in check?"
~~~~~~~
Reviews are so welcome. Thanx guys. I was so shocked when the reviews began to fly in. Made me all happy. This chapter and the next one (will be updated in no more than 4 days, promise) are the effects of the last chapter. Just for kicks- check out my other fics too (especially Breaking the Rules, no one's reviewed it yet- seems this one's more popular (). Thank you all.