Wake Me Up Inside

Disclaimer: I do not own ReBoot or the song "Bring Me to Life" by Evanescence. Otherwise, I wouldn't need to tell you this. And just a heads up- time in Mainframe is named differently in our world. Here's a list:

1 NanoSecond- 1 Second

1 MicroSecond- 1 Minute

1 MilliSecond- 1 Hour

1 Second- 1 Day

1 Cycle- 1 Week

1 Minute- 1 Month

1 Hour- 1 Year

Dedicated to the great author Draka Dracula

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From the Cyber Log of Enzo Matrix Date: 6 / 5 / 99 Time: 22:30 PM

My name is Enzo Matrix, but you can just call me Matrix.

* How can you see into my eyes

Like open doors?

Leading you down into my core,

Where I've become so numb. *

I'm the guardian of Mainframe. But what is a guardian, you ask? Well, there's this guy called the "User," who inputs games for pleasure. Mainframe was once full of binomes and sprites, but after the User came, the only sprites left were me, and my sister Dot. Our parents disapeared long ago, and I think the User had something to do with it.

* Without a soul,

My spirit's sleeping somewhere cold, *

Anyway, it seemed we were doomed . . .then Bob came. He beat every game the User threw at him. He became a hero to us. I wanted to be a Guardian just like him. But they said I was too little. But I got into some games anyway. That's how I met AndrAIa, a young sprite about my age. She managed to get out of the game by putting a back-up copy of herself on my icon. Very clever. I knew from the start we were destined to be together . . . I told her I was a Guardian, even though I wasn't. She seemed to believe it, but it wasn't until much later that I learned she knew I was fibbing all along . . .but I'm getting off track.

* Until you find it there and lead it back

Home. *

Were was I? Oh yeah! Together,we won a lot of games, until . . . that horrible Second when Bob was thrown into the Web . . . but before then, he made me a Guardian, just like I've always dreamed about. But to lose Bob in order to be a Guardian? THAT was more of a nightmare . . .

* (Wake me up)

Wake me up inside.

(I can't wake up)

Wake me up inside.

(Save me)

Call my name and save me from the dark.

(Wake me up)

Bid my blood to run.

(I can't wake up)

Before I come undone.

(Save me)

Save me from the nothing I've become. *

Still, I tried to be a Guardian, I really did! But it was harder with Megabyte (a resident Viral) spreading propoganda about me. Yet I kept going . . . until . . . that one game . . . when I lost . . . I- I don't know how . . . but somehow, me, AndrAIa, and my dog Frisket were thrown into the Web, with no way to get home.

* Now that I know what I'm without,

You can't just leave me.

Breathe into me and make me real.

Bring me to life. *

Then, I lost my innocence, and became a battle hardened warrior. We traveled from game to game, always wandering, always searching, never finding a way back to Mainframe. It seemed like we would travel forever, until we found this one game . . .

* (Wake me up)

Wake me up inside.

(I can't wake up)

Wake me up inside.

(Save me)

Call my name and save me from the dark.

(Wake me up)

Bid my blood to run.

(I can't wake up)

Before I come undone.

(Save me)

Save me from the nothing I've become. *

Well, in this game, we found Mainframe! And everyone else was there! Even Bob! AndriAIa wanted us to ReBoot, but I was afraid of turning into my younger self . . . "Little or large, size doesn't matter. I will always love you," AndirAIa comforted me. I was taken aback that she really loved me, but I wouldn't express my feelings. I just shook my head.

"I've worked hard to become what I am! I put that weak little boy behind me. There's nothin' of him in me now!" I told her. But she convinced me to do it, and I complied. But somwhow, I became Megabyte, and she became Hexadecimal! (By the way, Hexidecimal is Meagabyte's sister. It's hard to believe, but then, they always tried to destroy each other. I guess it's part of sibling rivalry.) Anyway, I was suprised, but I was determined to win the game, no matter what . . . even if it meant killing my friends and family . . .

* Bring me to life.

(I've been living a lie.

There's nothing inside)

Bring me to life. *

So, I managed to destroy them all. But I felt empty inside. I had to face a court, then Megabyte, then myself- literally! I found myself face to face with a younger version of me, his violet eyes burning.

"I am Number One. The original. Do you think this is a game? DO YOU?" he shouted.

"But how? You're me!" I exclaimed.

"But you hate me! You must! Look at what you've become." he said

"You're wrong!," I protested. " I had to become bigger! Tougher. I had to be ready for Megabyte, to survive the games!"

"Did you like the games more than Mainframe? More than your family?" he asked.

"No! No, I didn't! I was trapped in the games!" I exclaimed.

"Games, games, games. "It was only a game!" You killed my family!" The other me sneered. "MY family!"

"You've forgotten your family! You've let yourself become a prisoner of the games! What would Bob think of you now?" I paused. He was right! In getting ready for Megabyte, I had let myself become enslaved by the games. I then knew what I had to do- Find Bob and Mainframe, and then make things right.

* Frozen inside without your touch,

Without your love, darling.

Only you are the life among the dead. *

With AndriAIa and Frisket at my side, we began to finally search for home. We hopped a ship, and cruised through the Web. But on our way, AndriAIa got bitten by a web creature, and was on the verge of being deleted.

* (All of this sight,

I can't believe I couldn't see

Kept in the dark

but you were there in front of me)

I've been sleeping a 1000 years it seems.

I've got to open my eyes to everything.

(Without a thought

Without a voice

Without a soul

Don't let me die here.

There must be something more).

Bring me to life. *

But we had more trouble when a squad of Web Riders attacked us. As it turned out, one of the Web Riders was no other than Bob, who healed AndriAIa! And together, we all went ooking for Mainframe. But when we go there, the place had been over run by Megabyte! Fortunetly, we met up with my sister Dot, who was head of a resistance against Megabyte, and then managed to beat him. But when Mainframe started to get deleted, we knew we had no choice but to let the user help us.

* (Wake me up)

Wake me up inside.

(I can't wake up)

Wake me up inside.

(Save me)

Call my name and save me from the dark.

(Wake me up)

Bid my blood to run.

(I can't wake up)

Before I come undone.

(Save me)

Save me from the nothing I've become. *

Soon, Mainframe was repaired, and all the binomes that had become virals were returned to normal. Even Hexadecimal was cured of her insanity! But the oddest part was there was also a younger version of me! I think what happened was that I forgot to reurn my icon from "Game Sprite Mode" to normal, and when everything restarted, the computer din't read me as being there, so it craeted a back-up copy of me. At least that's what I THINK happened. I have to go now, Little Enzo wants to play with Frisket and me. This is Guardian Enzo Matrix signing out.

* Bring me to life.

(I've been living a lie.

There's nothing inside)

Bring me to life *

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Umm . . . how was that? I feel this song fits Enzo & Matrix 'cause young Enzo lost his innocence, and became the hardened warrior Matrix. But when he realized what he had become, he started coming out of the darkness. The song really goes well with him, don't you think? This fic goes from season one, to the end of season three, just so you know. Oh, and the date above is the day, month, and year that the episosode "End Prog" aired.

Don't forget to read and review!!!!!!!!!!!!