Seraph and the Oracle'
"Can someone tell me why there were Agents swarming the area?" Artemis shouted as she banged her fists against the dining table. Seth and the rest of the crew, sans Xerces, were huddled around the table, contemplating the prior events.
"The only thing I can think of is that we were tipped off." Hermes said. Orpheus nodded along, but Seth doubted this notion.
"We weren't tipped off. Our signals are becoming easier to focus in on."
All heads turned to Seth.
"And you know this how?" Asked Orpheus, his stone face fixed on Seth.
"It's pretty much common sense when you think about it. All of the other ships were locked into one place, so the signal must have been heavy. Heavy enough for us to be found, at least."
"It makes sense, but because of this we don't know what happened in the meeting." Said Hermes.
"Approximately a quarter of a million machines are making their way to Zion, burrowing holes into the ground. They've found our location, and we don't have much time left." Said a voice from the corridor. Everyone's heads turned to see Xerces standing before them, his face solemn.
"I need to talk to you, Trojan."
Seth and Xerces walked onto the main deck, Seth following Xerces' lead. They sat down on the chairs and for a little while, things were very quiet. Deathly quiet.
"Neo went to see the Oracle, but she could not be found. We're expecting a signal from her very soon, and I'm going to send you to see her."
"What's she going to tell me?"
"That is for you to find out. All of us have our own fates, that is all I can tell you."
"Oh.Xerces.why is it when I saw the Agents, they were covered in coding?"
Xerces fell silent, his gaze stuck on Seth. He thought it was quiet before, but now it seemed that any sound would have destroyed the room.
"You're able to see their coding. This is."
"Let me guess, either very good or very, very bad."
"This is truly amazing. That fact that you can read this code means that your abilities are beginning to increase. Perhaps, everytime you enter the Matrix it heightens somehow. You and Neo must truly be one in the same."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because it took Neo some time to do what you can. I think.no, I believe that all that Neo has accomplished is coming to you at a faster pace then when he had learned it himself. You're keeping up with him, but."
"But what?"
"I think you may surpass his ability, given some time."
"Then I guess this is a good time to tell you."
"Tell me what?" Xerces asked.
"Well, when we were escaping the Agents, I didn't have a gun, and I was being shot at pretty bad. The next thing I know, I'm thinking of a gun and.it appeared in front of me."
"So you're saying that you've created a gun inside the Matrix using only your thoughts."
"To sum it all up, yeah."
Xerces stared at Seth for what seemed like hours. Out of the corner of his eye, Seth could see the rest of the crew watching them from the kitchen area. It would be a good time for one of them to come up with some news, anything to break the silence.
"Tomorrow we will reach Zion. You're going to see the Oracle as soon as possible."
It was about three in the morning when Xerces received a call from someone claiming to carry the message of the Oracle. He had awakened Seth and told him to be ready in five minutes.
"So what do I do when I meet her? I mean, do I have to bring anything or."
"Bring your knowledge, your truth, and your mind, and she will tell you all. In the meantime, we'll contact you when it's time to come back."
Seth plugged in, and was sent to what looked like Chinatown. There were several peddlers on the street, but the area was flocked with civilians. Seth made his way through them, cautious of an Agent attack.
"The place seems clean. I can't feel them here. But, I do feel."
He opened up the battered wooden door of the rendezvous point, and walked in to a man sitting on a bench drinking tea. Seth noticed something different of the man.
"Your code, it's not like the others I've seen." Seth said, almost as an afterthought to himself.
"I know why you are here. I am Seraph. You've come to see the Oracle,"
"Yes, I can take you to her, but first I must apologize." Seraph stated as he bowed towards Seth.
"Apologize for what?"
"For this."
He shot a fist at Seth, narrowly missing his face by a knuckle. Seth blocked the attack and passed it to the side, but Seraph did not let up. He threw more dizzying punches, followed by a jumping spin kick that Seth had jumped past, throwing one of his own. They landed on top of a table, knocking over a few cups and bowls. Seth went for a sweep to Seraph's legs, but he had jumped over it and came down on Seth with an axe kick. Seth had blocked his leg, however, and focusing his energy, stood onto one hand and kicked Seraph twice, although he had blocked both attacks. Seth stood up straight, but Seraph had thrown a punch that Seth had grabbed. He pushed Seth off, and as he landed on the other side of the table, Seraph held his hand up.
"That is enough."
"Enough? You just got me started. What's the meaning of this anyway?"
"The Oracle has many enemies, I had to make sure you were the One."
"Well thanks for the lesson, but you could have just asked me."
"You never truly know someone until you fight them. Follow me."
Seraph pulled out a chain of keys, opening a door behind them. Seth entered first, and was greeted by a bright hallway filled with green doors. It seemed to lead on forever.
"Your code is incomplete. The Oracle was right about you." Seraph noted.
"Thanks. Your code is different, too. I'm seeing gold instead of the green, so I take it you're not an Agent."
"Agents cannot find their way into here. They have keys to all doors except for this. As for my code.my program created it this way for one purpose."
"What's that?"
"To protect that which is most sacred."
He opened a door that lead into another hallway, albeit this one was more like an apartment hallway. Seraph knocked on the door, and a lady answered.
"Trojan, is it? The Oracle is waiting."
Seth entered the apartment. It was quaint, mostly like an old lady's home, with the exception of little children playing on the floor. Or what seemed like playing.
"Psychics?" Seth said out loud. The children were moving objects with their minds. The lady who answered the door put her hand on Seth's shoulder.
"These children are gifted; they understand the Matrix and are able to bend the laws created by it."
Seth nodded, and turned to a boy who had a spoon in his hand. He stared at it for a second, and suddenly it began to bend on its own. It snapped back to its previous position.
"Nice trick, kid." Seth said with a smile.
The boy looked at Seth with wide eyes. Seth sat down next to him, whereupon the boy gave him the spoon.
"So what's the secret, huh? Y'got a magnet in your hand or something?" Seth said, trying to get the kid to laugh.
"You have to understand the importance of the spoon."
"That being?"
"That there is no spoon."
"Uh, kid.what do you call this?" Seth said stupidly.
"Physically it is here, but mentally you must believe that there is no spoon. The spoon does not bend, it is yourself that bends to create what you see."
"Man, you think Xerces would have taught me that." Seth muttered sarcastically to himself.
He stared at the spoon, freeing his mind of any clouding thought. Upon staring, his mind fixated on the spoon, but suddenly it was as if there was nothing in his hand, as if it were the hand itself he was looking at. The spoon began to bend slightly, then into a full circle. Seth, upon noticing this, lost his concentration, causing the spoon to return to its original position.
"Neat."
The boy smiled.
"The Oracle is waiting, Trojan." The lady said. Seth walked into the kitchen area, where an old lady of African American descent was baking what smelled like cookies. Trojan stood there, and as if she knew he was there, put her hand up to him.
"Just one minute, dear." She said with a sweet voice that made Seth feel a bit more comfortable. She opened the oven and removed the cookies, then turned around to look at Seth.
"Yep, I would have figured it was you. Sit down, please."
Seth, a bit confused, did as he was told. She sat down in front of him, a weary smile stretched across her face.
"A bit perplexed, are we? She said with a chuckle. "You have the same look in your eyes, just like he did."
"Who?"
"You know who I mean. But that's not the only reason you're confused, I know this already. You're here to understand why and how, right?"
Seth nodded.
"You're here to know that your life has meaning, which you have one sole purpose in this world, and believe it or not it's to save it."
"Me, save the world? I'm just a bag boy."
"Yes, in a world that you thought was real. You've known all your life that something wasn't right with the world, and you wanted to do something about it, but you didn't know exactly what. Now you know."
"I'm not even sure what it is I'm going to have to do."
"You know, sweetie. You just want to know how you can do it. All you need to know is that you must find Neo."
"Easier said than done. He's pretty hard to catch upto, especially with so much Agent activity going around."
The Oracle took out a cigarette and began smoking.
"They're nothing to you. Although you're new to this place, you've turned into something that even they alone wouldn't be able to stop. Neo has proven this already. They've dubbed him 'Superman'." She chuckled.
"I.I wanted to know about that, too. Why have I learned so much in such a short time? It's only been no more than a week."
"You're catching up to what Neo has already accomplished, and I have to say that you've gone a little further than he has."
"So that explains how I could create a gun out of nowhere."
"Yes, and I must give you proper respect for that. You've got a gift, boy, and you need not be scared of it. You're going to give much needed help to your own."
"My own? You mean you're-"
"Yes, a program. Nice, isn't it?"
"So why do they trust you, then? Xerces and Morpheus?"
"Well nobody said that all programs were bad. You see, every program has a code written to perform certain tasks. I'm performing mine."
"And that would be helping us?"
"If that's why you think I'm here. I'm interested in the future, Trojan, and I know that as a union we will be able to see it. Do you know what your code is?"
"No, but I'm not a program so how do I have one?"
"There are some things that will be answered later. Anyway, you are designed, along with Neo, to reach the source. The only way to get to the source is to find another program, but it's much easier said than done."
"How do I know what this program looks like?"
"Because you're going to find the one who is holding them captive. He's known as the Merovingian, he's an old program from the Matrix. He has who you're looking for, a program called the Keymaker. I have to warn you, the Merovingian is very dangerous, and getting the Keymaker will prove not to be an easy task."
"I'll try my best. Oh, and one more thing.when I do find Neo.what will happen?"
"Your destiny will be complete. Goodbye, dear."
Seth walked out to where Xerces was, and along the way noticed an Asian man in a long coat walk by him. He gave a nod to Seth, then walked into the kitchen.
"We have a new mission." Seth said to Xerces.
Xerces, Artemis, and Seth stepped out of the elevator, at the floor of Le Vrai, the restaurant where they were to meet the Merovingian. Seth knew that there was something wrong with the building; from the moment he stepped in, he noticed that the code changed, and that there were bombs on every floor of the building. On top of that, there were programs with several different codes, codes he couldn't explain. All he knew is that the monsters of his youth were, for some reason, all inside this building.
"Let's make this fast. This place creeps me out." Seth said.
"pouvez moi vous aidez??" The host asked the trio.
"The Merovingian, please. We are here to see him." Xerces stated.
"Ah yes, he has been waiting. This way, please."
They made their way towards a large table at the end of the room, but it wasn't the extravagance of the hall that caught Seth's attention. Rather, it was a couple leaving the exact table they were headed to, the woman dressed in a pale blue dress and weeping on her significant other's shoulder. He too had a look of distress.
"Ah, Xerces, C'est bon pour voir que vous en chair! And Artemis, Votre beauté inspire. You," he said as he looked at Seth, "I am not sure about, so I am wondering why you have been brought along."
"Not to sound rude, but I don't believe it to be any of your business." Seth said. Two figures in the back shifted, probably to have Seth notice their presence.
"Ah, you have some balls to you. I like that. I would like you to meet my wife, Persephone. Well, it is nice to see you all, regardless. Care for a drink, some food?"
"No thank you." Xerces said.
"Ah, of course. These things are inconsequential here, and there is no time, of all things. Then again, who has time, really? There is never time for things, and yet if we never take it, how can we have it, non? You sure you do not care for any wine?"
Seth shook his head.
"Château Haut-Brion 1959, such a magnificent wine. I love the French, they have such a beautiful language. I have sampled many languages, but theirs is so wonderful; especially to curse with- Vous les ordures incessantes, vous m'apportez ce morceau de punk de merde mais je vous laisse vivre. What do you think, eh?"
"Vous devriez être plus poli à vos invités, il est grossier pour parler dans une langue stupide. I took French in high school." Seth said with a smile.
The Merovingian seemed to glare at Seth for a moment, then laughed heartily.
"You're proving to be a source of entertainment, boy." He said before he took a sip of wine.
"If we could get back to why we're here." Xerces intervened.
"I know why you're here, but do you know, exactly?"
"We're here for the Keymaker." Xerces said bluntly.
"Ah, but that is not a reason, nor a why. The Keymaker's presence in this place, his nature, is a means, not an end. You are looking for the Keymaker as a means to.what?"
"I think you know why." Seth said.
"Ah yes, but do you? I can see through your little designer glasses, I know that you do not know. You came here as an order, because you were told to come here." The Merovingian said with a laugh. "Such is life. You see, there is only one constant, a universal, if you will, the only truth: causality. Action, reaction, or more specifically, cause and effect."
"Does this have a point?" Xerces said.
"My point is that the truth of human beings is that you're uncontrollable. You like to show that you have reason, that you try to use logic, and yet you fight your feelings, your nature. You do not understand, and that is your downfall. Causality; to escape is useless, all you can do is understand its meaning, its 'Why', if you will. And yet, you come to me with no 'why', no reason. I would make this quick, but since you are so good at obeying, I have an order to give of my own. Find the soothsayer and tell her, her time is almost up. I will be leaving now."
"This isn't finished." Seth said.
"Oh, it's not? The Keymaker is mine, I see no reason to give him up, especially to you, boy."
"Where are you going?" Persephone said to the Merovingian as he was leaving the table.
"Mon cherie, I have explained myself through this whole conversation. I have things to check on, so if you would please." He said as he left.
The two from the back laughed to each other, causing Artemis to look in their direction with a glare of daggers. The trio got up and left, making their way to the elevator.
"Man, that could have gone better." Seth said with a sigh.
"Did the Oracle say anything else to you?" Xerces said to Seth.
"No, nothing else."
"We should have done something else." Artemis said.
"Or maybe we shouldn't have done something."
"Actually, things went according to plan." Xerces said.
"What makes you so sure?" Artemis asked.
"We're still living."
The elevator doors opened, and there stood Persephone, her stunning body covered by a off-white dress. She had long black hair, and eyes that seemed so cold, and yet she gave such radiance to her.
"I will take you to the Keymaker."
They made their way into the men's bathroom, and Persephone turned to the mirror to apply some lipstick.
"My husband, he is what you call a jerkoff. When we first came here, he wasn't like this at all. He was so different. He reminded me of you." She said to Seth, who cleared his throat.
"The Keymaker." Xerces said.
"I will take you to him, but first I need something in return. A kiss, to be more specific."
Artemis and Xerces turned to Seth.
"Well, of course me, right?" He said.
"I want you to kiss me as though you're kissing the one you have feelings for."
"But, I don't-"
"There is no need to lie, I can see your heart." Persephone said as she glanced over to Artemis. "Kiss me as though you would to.well, you know."
"Alright." Seth said. He held Persephone in his arms, his lips nearing hers, every inch coming closer to her breath, to her pale and yet succulent lips. Seth closed his eyes, letting his senses move to only touch, rather than sight or hearing. As they touched, his mind wandered. In his own world, he had his own feelings, his own love, his own visions. They separated, and Persephone, though the kiss was over, still had her eyes closed.
"You are a very loving man. She doesn't understand it yet, but she knows there are feelings. The woman you seek will love you back, but she has her own love to put aside first." She whispered to Seth.
"Thank you." He whispered back.
"Let us go."
They went through a door in the kitchen that led them to a gigantic entrance of a mansion. It had several medieval weapons strewn about on the walls, and a staircase that looked as though it could lead to the moon.
"How eloquent." Artemis said.
They all walked into a room where three men were sitting around watching tv.
"Hello boys, I've returned."
One of them looked over at the trio.
"The boss will have a lot to say about them being here."
"Oh, well then send this to him." Persephone said as she took out a small hand gun and shot the man in the chest.
"Silver bullets. These old programs are useless for only one thing: being grunts and lackeys for my dearest. Do me a favor and tell my husband we're here, or I will kill you both."
The two left the room, and Persephone led them to the basement. Seth opened up a door crusted with filth and germination, and upon opening the door was greeted by an elderly asian man, in a room full of keys.
"I'm Trojan." Seth said.
"I'm the Keymaker. I've been waiting for you."
The gang, plus the Keymaker walked back to the main hall when suddenly the doors opened up and standing there were the Merovingian and his gang. Two new men were there, and Seth notified them as the two from the restaurant. They were twins; albino skin, long dreadlocks, the same white clothing-They were ghosts, simple as that.
"Woman, I cannot say what your reason is for all of this, but I must tell you that we've been here a long, long time, and you do this every chance you get. I won't have it anymore!"
"You should have thought of this before you went gallivanting around, my love. Nonetheless, this is the 6th time I've done this to you, so you should very well have known there was a pattern going on. Have fun, my love."
The Merovingian glared at the trio with a look of hatred stamped onto his face.
"This won't be any different than the last times. You, get the Keymaker."
The twins turned to the trio, smiling slyly, when suddenly they became transparent. Their appearance was much different now; their faces more twisted and evil. They made their way to the Keymaker, who in turn began to run.
"This time I'm not going back!" He said as he opened one of the doors in the hall.
"Xerces, Artemis, go on. I have this under control."
Xerces nodded, signaling for Artemis to follow. She looked at Seth for a second, a bit surprised at his confidence.
"Oh, so you have everything under control, non? I will teach you a thing or two about your place, boy."
The Merovingian's gang ran after Seth, one of them throwing a punch at him. He blocked and shoved the man out of the way, throwing a kick at another coming to his side. He spun around and ducked another punch coming to his face, kicking the man and launching off of his head. As he landed on the ground, two others attempted to grab him, but ended up being thrown across the room as Seth grabbed their arms and spun them around. The rest had gone up the steps and grabbed some swords and a long mace, swinging and stabbing at Seth. His focus at its max, he evaded their attacks and grabbed one by the neck, snapping it as he threw him into the others. One down, seven more to go.
As he dodged their attacks, he jumped off of a statue to grab a weapon of his own. He reached out for a sword, but pulled back as he narrowly had his hand cut off. He spun to the floor, where two of the men grabbed onto his shoulders. He back flipped behind them, jabbing them in their throats with a couple of ridged hands. They bent forward, and Seth used them as launching pads as he flew back to get a sword. He found a katana hidden beneath some of the debris of the statue he jumped on before, as it had fallen and crashed. Everyone stopped and grabbed their guns. Seth had his back turned towards them, one hand on the hilt, the other on the sheath.
"Kill him."
They shot their guns, hundreds of bullets flying at Seth. The fire and smoke filled the room, as well as the reverberating sound of gunshots. Yet the whole time he was being shot at, Seth had sliced every bullet that came his way. His focus in full effect, Seth he had seen the bullets, and to everyone else, had stopped them at the speed of a god. The shells had fallen to the floor, a graveyard of bullets and smoke. Seth's glasses had loosened up a bit, and he pushed them back up the bridge of his nose.
"Yes, don't we like to show off." The Merovingian said, annoyed.
They ran back at Seth, but with katana in hand had sliced, chopped, stabbed, and overall decimated his opposition. When he finished, only he and the Merovingian were left standing.
"You're not even the real thing, and yet you've become so unbelievably adamant in your beliefs. Rest assured boy, the time will come when you will realize that you're nothing more than a tool. I will get my revenge on you!" The Merovingian stormed out of the room, closing the great door behind him. Seth ran and opened it again, only to find himself staring out at a mountain top.
"Yeah.what?"
"Operator."
"Asopus," Seth started, "where the hell am I?"
"Wow, uh.in the mountains. How'd you get there?"
"Believe me, I wish I knew myself. Anyway, how're Xerces and Artemis doing?"
"Well."
Xerces had already caught upto the Keymaker and was well on his way to find an exit, with Artemis keeping the twins at bay. However, it was a hard thing to do as they were transparent, and apparently invincible when doing so. They came to a locked door, in which the Keymaker opened up. They found themselves in a room with several doorways, all green, and a long, white hallway.
"You must close the door, quickly!" He shouted.
"I must wait for Artemis, I will not leave her behind."
Artemis had finished off her rounds when she came jumping through the doorway. In the excitement, however, they paid no mind to the twins, and as Xerces began to close the door, one of them had transported through the wall and placed his arm between the door and the moulding.
"I've never seen a ghost before." Xerces said as he opened fire on the twin's arm. Nearly hanging by a thread, it still seem unphased (no pun intended) by the attack.
"Please, could you hurry up?" The twin had said to his counterpart.
He phased through the doorway and grabbed the Keymaker, pulling out a switchblade in the process.
"Open the door or we all won't get what we want. Or at least we will, I don't mind spilling blood." The twin holding the Keymaker said.
The duo of Xerces and Artemis were at a loss. Attacking them would result in the death of the Keymaker. Their constant phasing was difficult to pass by as it is, so fighting them and protecting the Keymaker would prove near impossible.
"Fine, you win now." Artemis said. She looked at Xerces as though he may have a plan, but he was stone faced as usual.
"I would like to slit that pretty throat of yours." The twin not holding the Keymaker said to Artemis. "But for now, I can wait. The Merovingian is expecting us."
They left with the Keymaker in tow, and were now in the room with the seemingly infinite doors, alone.
"So, what do we do now?" Asked Artemis.
"I suppose we'll have to wait. These doors are all locked."
"We could be here forever."
"Not quite."
"You really have faith in Seth, don't you?"
"I have the utmost faith in Trojan. If he only knew who he really was."
"I know. If his code is any indication, then he's-"
"Exactly."
"By the way, how do you know all of these doors are locked?"
"When the twin phased to the door, he did so to keep it open. They could have just gone through the door, but they didn't. There must be some kind of code in this hallway that they cannot go beyond."
Artemis and Xerces looked around, only to be faced with the same doorways. How they would get out is anyone's guess.
"Can someone tell me why there were Agents swarming the area?" Artemis shouted as she banged her fists against the dining table. Seth and the rest of the crew, sans Xerces, were huddled around the table, contemplating the prior events.
"The only thing I can think of is that we were tipped off." Hermes said. Orpheus nodded along, but Seth doubted this notion.
"We weren't tipped off. Our signals are becoming easier to focus in on."
All heads turned to Seth.
"And you know this how?" Asked Orpheus, his stone face fixed on Seth.
"It's pretty much common sense when you think about it. All of the other ships were locked into one place, so the signal must have been heavy. Heavy enough for us to be found, at least."
"It makes sense, but because of this we don't know what happened in the meeting." Said Hermes.
"Approximately a quarter of a million machines are making their way to Zion, burrowing holes into the ground. They've found our location, and we don't have much time left." Said a voice from the corridor. Everyone's heads turned to see Xerces standing before them, his face solemn.
"I need to talk to you, Trojan."
Seth and Xerces walked onto the main deck, Seth following Xerces' lead. They sat down on the chairs and for a little while, things were very quiet. Deathly quiet.
"Neo went to see the Oracle, but she could not be found. We're expecting a signal from her very soon, and I'm going to send you to see her."
"What's she going to tell me?"
"That is for you to find out. All of us have our own fates, that is all I can tell you."
"Oh.Xerces.why is it when I saw the Agents, they were covered in coding?"
Xerces fell silent, his gaze stuck on Seth. He thought it was quiet before, but now it seemed that any sound would have destroyed the room.
"You're able to see their coding. This is."
"Let me guess, either very good or very, very bad."
"This is truly amazing. That fact that you can read this code means that your abilities are beginning to increase. Perhaps, everytime you enter the Matrix it heightens somehow. You and Neo must truly be one in the same."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because it took Neo some time to do what you can. I think.no, I believe that all that Neo has accomplished is coming to you at a faster pace then when he had learned it himself. You're keeping up with him, but."
"But what?"
"I think you may surpass his ability, given some time."
"Then I guess this is a good time to tell you."
"Tell me what?" Xerces asked.
"Well, when we were escaping the Agents, I didn't have a gun, and I was being shot at pretty bad. The next thing I know, I'm thinking of a gun and.it appeared in front of me."
"So you're saying that you've created a gun inside the Matrix using only your thoughts."
"To sum it all up, yeah."
Xerces stared at Seth for what seemed like hours. Out of the corner of his eye, Seth could see the rest of the crew watching them from the kitchen area. It would be a good time for one of them to come up with some news, anything to break the silence.
"Tomorrow we will reach Zion. You're going to see the Oracle as soon as possible."
It was about three in the morning when Xerces received a call from someone claiming to carry the message of the Oracle. He had awakened Seth and told him to be ready in five minutes.
"So what do I do when I meet her? I mean, do I have to bring anything or."
"Bring your knowledge, your truth, and your mind, and she will tell you all. In the meantime, we'll contact you when it's time to come back."
Seth plugged in, and was sent to what looked like Chinatown. There were several peddlers on the street, but the area was flocked with civilians. Seth made his way through them, cautious of an Agent attack.
"The place seems clean. I can't feel them here. But, I do feel."
He opened up the battered wooden door of the rendezvous point, and walked in to a man sitting on a bench drinking tea. Seth noticed something different of the man.
"Your code, it's not like the others I've seen." Seth said, almost as an afterthought to himself.
"I know why you are here. I am Seraph. You've come to see the Oracle,"
"Yes, I can take you to her, but first I must apologize." Seraph stated as he bowed towards Seth.
"Apologize for what?"
"For this."
He shot a fist at Seth, narrowly missing his face by a knuckle. Seth blocked the attack and passed it to the side, but Seraph did not let up. He threw more dizzying punches, followed by a jumping spin kick that Seth had jumped past, throwing one of his own. They landed on top of a table, knocking over a few cups and bowls. Seth went for a sweep to Seraph's legs, but he had jumped over it and came down on Seth with an axe kick. Seth had blocked his leg, however, and focusing his energy, stood onto one hand and kicked Seraph twice, although he had blocked both attacks. Seth stood up straight, but Seraph had thrown a punch that Seth had grabbed. He pushed Seth off, and as he landed on the other side of the table, Seraph held his hand up.
"That is enough."
"Enough? You just got me started. What's the meaning of this anyway?"
"The Oracle has many enemies, I had to make sure you were the One."
"Well thanks for the lesson, but you could have just asked me."
"You never truly know someone until you fight them. Follow me."
Seraph pulled out a chain of keys, opening a door behind them. Seth entered first, and was greeted by a bright hallway filled with green doors. It seemed to lead on forever.
"Your code is incomplete. The Oracle was right about you." Seraph noted.
"Thanks. Your code is different, too. I'm seeing gold instead of the green, so I take it you're not an Agent."
"Agents cannot find their way into here. They have keys to all doors except for this. As for my code.my program created it this way for one purpose."
"What's that?"
"To protect that which is most sacred."
He opened a door that lead into another hallway, albeit this one was more like an apartment hallway. Seraph knocked on the door, and a lady answered.
"Trojan, is it? The Oracle is waiting."
Seth entered the apartment. It was quaint, mostly like an old lady's home, with the exception of little children playing on the floor. Or what seemed like playing.
"Psychics?" Seth said out loud. The children were moving objects with their minds. The lady who answered the door put her hand on Seth's shoulder.
"These children are gifted; they understand the Matrix and are able to bend the laws created by it."
Seth nodded, and turned to a boy who had a spoon in his hand. He stared at it for a second, and suddenly it began to bend on its own. It snapped back to its previous position.
"Nice trick, kid." Seth said with a smile.
The boy looked at Seth with wide eyes. Seth sat down next to him, whereupon the boy gave him the spoon.
"So what's the secret, huh? Y'got a magnet in your hand or something?" Seth said, trying to get the kid to laugh.
"You have to understand the importance of the spoon."
"That being?"
"That there is no spoon."
"Uh, kid.what do you call this?" Seth said stupidly.
"Physically it is here, but mentally you must believe that there is no spoon. The spoon does not bend, it is yourself that bends to create what you see."
"Man, you think Xerces would have taught me that." Seth muttered sarcastically to himself.
He stared at the spoon, freeing his mind of any clouding thought. Upon staring, his mind fixated on the spoon, but suddenly it was as if there was nothing in his hand, as if it were the hand itself he was looking at. The spoon began to bend slightly, then into a full circle. Seth, upon noticing this, lost his concentration, causing the spoon to return to its original position.
"Neat."
The boy smiled.
"The Oracle is waiting, Trojan." The lady said. Seth walked into the kitchen area, where an old lady of African American descent was baking what smelled like cookies. Trojan stood there, and as if she knew he was there, put her hand up to him.
"Just one minute, dear." She said with a sweet voice that made Seth feel a bit more comfortable. She opened the oven and removed the cookies, then turned around to look at Seth.
"Yep, I would have figured it was you. Sit down, please."
Seth, a bit confused, did as he was told. She sat down in front of him, a weary smile stretched across her face.
"A bit perplexed, are we? She said with a chuckle. "You have the same look in your eyes, just like he did."
"Who?"
"You know who I mean. But that's not the only reason you're confused, I know this already. You're here to understand why and how, right?"
Seth nodded.
"You're here to know that your life has meaning, which you have one sole purpose in this world, and believe it or not it's to save it."
"Me, save the world? I'm just a bag boy."
"Yes, in a world that you thought was real. You've known all your life that something wasn't right with the world, and you wanted to do something about it, but you didn't know exactly what. Now you know."
"I'm not even sure what it is I'm going to have to do."
"You know, sweetie. You just want to know how you can do it. All you need to know is that you must find Neo."
"Easier said than done. He's pretty hard to catch upto, especially with so much Agent activity going around."
The Oracle took out a cigarette and began smoking.
"They're nothing to you. Although you're new to this place, you've turned into something that even they alone wouldn't be able to stop. Neo has proven this already. They've dubbed him 'Superman'." She chuckled.
"I.I wanted to know about that, too. Why have I learned so much in such a short time? It's only been no more than a week."
"You're catching up to what Neo has already accomplished, and I have to say that you've gone a little further than he has."
"So that explains how I could create a gun out of nowhere."
"Yes, and I must give you proper respect for that. You've got a gift, boy, and you need not be scared of it. You're going to give much needed help to your own."
"My own? You mean you're-"
"Yes, a program. Nice, isn't it?"
"So why do they trust you, then? Xerces and Morpheus?"
"Well nobody said that all programs were bad. You see, every program has a code written to perform certain tasks. I'm performing mine."
"And that would be helping us?"
"If that's why you think I'm here. I'm interested in the future, Trojan, and I know that as a union we will be able to see it. Do you know what your code is?"
"No, but I'm not a program so how do I have one?"
"There are some things that will be answered later. Anyway, you are designed, along with Neo, to reach the source. The only way to get to the source is to find another program, but it's much easier said than done."
"How do I know what this program looks like?"
"Because you're going to find the one who is holding them captive. He's known as the Merovingian, he's an old program from the Matrix. He has who you're looking for, a program called the Keymaker. I have to warn you, the Merovingian is very dangerous, and getting the Keymaker will prove not to be an easy task."
"I'll try my best. Oh, and one more thing.when I do find Neo.what will happen?"
"Your destiny will be complete. Goodbye, dear."
Seth walked out to where Xerces was, and along the way noticed an Asian man in a long coat walk by him. He gave a nod to Seth, then walked into the kitchen.
"We have a new mission." Seth said to Xerces.
Xerces, Artemis, and Seth stepped out of the elevator, at the floor of Le Vrai, the restaurant where they were to meet the Merovingian. Seth knew that there was something wrong with the building; from the moment he stepped in, he noticed that the code changed, and that there were bombs on every floor of the building. On top of that, there were programs with several different codes, codes he couldn't explain. All he knew is that the monsters of his youth were, for some reason, all inside this building.
"Let's make this fast. This place creeps me out." Seth said.
"pouvez moi vous aidez??" The host asked the trio.
"The Merovingian, please. We are here to see him." Xerces stated.
"Ah yes, he has been waiting. This way, please."
They made their way towards a large table at the end of the room, but it wasn't the extravagance of the hall that caught Seth's attention. Rather, it was a couple leaving the exact table they were headed to, the woman dressed in a pale blue dress and weeping on her significant other's shoulder. He too had a look of distress.
"Ah, Xerces, C'est bon pour voir que vous en chair! And Artemis, Votre beauté inspire. You," he said as he looked at Seth, "I am not sure about, so I am wondering why you have been brought along."
"Not to sound rude, but I don't believe it to be any of your business." Seth said. Two figures in the back shifted, probably to have Seth notice their presence.
"Ah, you have some balls to you. I like that. I would like you to meet my wife, Persephone. Well, it is nice to see you all, regardless. Care for a drink, some food?"
"No thank you." Xerces said.
"Ah, of course. These things are inconsequential here, and there is no time, of all things. Then again, who has time, really? There is never time for things, and yet if we never take it, how can we have it, non? You sure you do not care for any wine?"
Seth shook his head.
"Château Haut-Brion 1959, such a magnificent wine. I love the French, they have such a beautiful language. I have sampled many languages, but theirs is so wonderful; especially to curse with- Vous les ordures incessantes, vous m'apportez ce morceau de punk de merde mais je vous laisse vivre. What do you think, eh?"
"Vous devriez être plus poli à vos invités, il est grossier pour parler dans une langue stupide. I took French in high school." Seth said with a smile.
The Merovingian seemed to glare at Seth for a moment, then laughed heartily.
"You're proving to be a source of entertainment, boy." He said before he took a sip of wine.
"If we could get back to why we're here." Xerces intervened.
"I know why you're here, but do you know, exactly?"
"We're here for the Keymaker." Xerces said bluntly.
"Ah, but that is not a reason, nor a why. The Keymaker's presence in this place, his nature, is a means, not an end. You are looking for the Keymaker as a means to.what?"
"I think you know why." Seth said.
"Ah yes, but do you? I can see through your little designer glasses, I know that you do not know. You came here as an order, because you were told to come here." The Merovingian said with a laugh. "Such is life. You see, there is only one constant, a universal, if you will, the only truth: causality. Action, reaction, or more specifically, cause and effect."
"Does this have a point?" Xerces said.
"My point is that the truth of human beings is that you're uncontrollable. You like to show that you have reason, that you try to use logic, and yet you fight your feelings, your nature. You do not understand, and that is your downfall. Causality; to escape is useless, all you can do is understand its meaning, its 'Why', if you will. And yet, you come to me with no 'why', no reason. I would make this quick, but since you are so good at obeying, I have an order to give of my own. Find the soothsayer and tell her, her time is almost up. I will be leaving now."
"This isn't finished." Seth said.
"Oh, it's not? The Keymaker is mine, I see no reason to give him up, especially to you, boy."
"Where are you going?" Persephone said to the Merovingian as he was leaving the table.
"Mon cherie, I have explained myself through this whole conversation. I have things to check on, so if you would please." He said as he left.
The two from the back laughed to each other, causing Artemis to look in their direction with a glare of daggers. The trio got up and left, making their way to the elevator.
"Man, that could have gone better." Seth said with a sigh.
"Did the Oracle say anything else to you?" Xerces said to Seth.
"No, nothing else."
"We should have done something else." Artemis said.
"Or maybe we shouldn't have done something."
"Actually, things went according to plan." Xerces said.
"What makes you so sure?" Artemis asked.
"We're still living."
The elevator doors opened, and there stood Persephone, her stunning body covered by a off-white dress. She had long black hair, and eyes that seemed so cold, and yet she gave such radiance to her.
"I will take you to the Keymaker."
They made their way into the men's bathroom, and Persephone turned to the mirror to apply some lipstick.
"My husband, he is what you call a jerkoff. When we first came here, he wasn't like this at all. He was so different. He reminded me of you." She said to Seth, who cleared his throat.
"The Keymaker." Xerces said.
"I will take you to him, but first I need something in return. A kiss, to be more specific."
Artemis and Xerces turned to Seth.
"Well, of course me, right?" He said.
"I want you to kiss me as though you're kissing the one you have feelings for."
"But, I don't-"
"There is no need to lie, I can see your heart." Persephone said as she glanced over to Artemis. "Kiss me as though you would to.well, you know."
"Alright." Seth said. He held Persephone in his arms, his lips nearing hers, every inch coming closer to her breath, to her pale and yet succulent lips. Seth closed his eyes, letting his senses move to only touch, rather than sight or hearing. As they touched, his mind wandered. In his own world, he had his own feelings, his own love, his own visions. They separated, and Persephone, though the kiss was over, still had her eyes closed.
"You are a very loving man. She doesn't understand it yet, but she knows there are feelings. The woman you seek will love you back, but she has her own love to put aside first." She whispered to Seth.
"Thank you." He whispered back.
"Let us go."
They went through a door in the kitchen that led them to a gigantic entrance of a mansion. It had several medieval weapons strewn about on the walls, and a staircase that looked as though it could lead to the moon.
"How eloquent." Artemis said.
They all walked into a room where three men were sitting around watching tv.
"Hello boys, I've returned."
One of them looked over at the trio.
"The boss will have a lot to say about them being here."
"Oh, well then send this to him." Persephone said as she took out a small hand gun and shot the man in the chest.
"Silver bullets. These old programs are useless for only one thing: being grunts and lackeys for my dearest. Do me a favor and tell my husband we're here, or I will kill you both."
The two left the room, and Persephone led them to the basement. Seth opened up a door crusted with filth and germination, and upon opening the door was greeted by an elderly asian man, in a room full of keys.
"I'm Trojan." Seth said.
"I'm the Keymaker. I've been waiting for you."
The gang, plus the Keymaker walked back to the main hall when suddenly the doors opened up and standing there were the Merovingian and his gang. Two new men were there, and Seth notified them as the two from the restaurant. They were twins; albino skin, long dreadlocks, the same white clothing-They were ghosts, simple as that.
"Woman, I cannot say what your reason is for all of this, but I must tell you that we've been here a long, long time, and you do this every chance you get. I won't have it anymore!"
"You should have thought of this before you went gallivanting around, my love. Nonetheless, this is the 6th time I've done this to you, so you should very well have known there was a pattern going on. Have fun, my love."
The Merovingian glared at the trio with a look of hatred stamped onto his face.
"This won't be any different than the last times. You, get the Keymaker."
The twins turned to the trio, smiling slyly, when suddenly they became transparent. Their appearance was much different now; their faces more twisted and evil. They made their way to the Keymaker, who in turn began to run.
"This time I'm not going back!" He said as he opened one of the doors in the hall.
"Xerces, Artemis, go on. I have this under control."
Xerces nodded, signaling for Artemis to follow. She looked at Seth for a second, a bit surprised at his confidence.
"Oh, so you have everything under control, non? I will teach you a thing or two about your place, boy."
The Merovingian's gang ran after Seth, one of them throwing a punch at him. He blocked and shoved the man out of the way, throwing a kick at another coming to his side. He spun around and ducked another punch coming to his face, kicking the man and launching off of his head. As he landed on the ground, two others attempted to grab him, but ended up being thrown across the room as Seth grabbed their arms and spun them around. The rest had gone up the steps and grabbed some swords and a long mace, swinging and stabbing at Seth. His focus at its max, he evaded their attacks and grabbed one by the neck, snapping it as he threw him into the others. One down, seven more to go.
As he dodged their attacks, he jumped off of a statue to grab a weapon of his own. He reached out for a sword, but pulled back as he narrowly had his hand cut off. He spun to the floor, where two of the men grabbed onto his shoulders. He back flipped behind them, jabbing them in their throats with a couple of ridged hands. They bent forward, and Seth used them as launching pads as he flew back to get a sword. He found a katana hidden beneath some of the debris of the statue he jumped on before, as it had fallen and crashed. Everyone stopped and grabbed their guns. Seth had his back turned towards them, one hand on the hilt, the other on the sheath.
"Kill him."
They shot their guns, hundreds of bullets flying at Seth. The fire and smoke filled the room, as well as the reverberating sound of gunshots. Yet the whole time he was being shot at, Seth had sliced every bullet that came his way. His focus in full effect, Seth he had seen the bullets, and to everyone else, had stopped them at the speed of a god. The shells had fallen to the floor, a graveyard of bullets and smoke. Seth's glasses had loosened up a bit, and he pushed them back up the bridge of his nose.
"Yes, don't we like to show off." The Merovingian said, annoyed.
They ran back at Seth, but with katana in hand had sliced, chopped, stabbed, and overall decimated his opposition. When he finished, only he and the Merovingian were left standing.
"You're not even the real thing, and yet you've become so unbelievably adamant in your beliefs. Rest assured boy, the time will come when you will realize that you're nothing more than a tool. I will get my revenge on you!" The Merovingian stormed out of the room, closing the great door behind him. Seth ran and opened it again, only to find himself staring out at a mountain top.
"Yeah.what?"
"Operator."
"Asopus," Seth started, "where the hell am I?"
"Wow, uh.in the mountains. How'd you get there?"
"Believe me, I wish I knew myself. Anyway, how're Xerces and Artemis doing?"
"Well."
Xerces had already caught upto the Keymaker and was well on his way to find an exit, with Artemis keeping the twins at bay. However, it was a hard thing to do as they were transparent, and apparently invincible when doing so. They came to a locked door, in which the Keymaker opened up. They found themselves in a room with several doorways, all green, and a long, white hallway.
"You must close the door, quickly!" He shouted.
"I must wait for Artemis, I will not leave her behind."
Artemis had finished off her rounds when she came jumping through the doorway. In the excitement, however, they paid no mind to the twins, and as Xerces began to close the door, one of them had transported through the wall and placed his arm between the door and the moulding.
"I've never seen a ghost before." Xerces said as he opened fire on the twin's arm. Nearly hanging by a thread, it still seem unphased (no pun intended) by the attack.
"Please, could you hurry up?" The twin had said to his counterpart.
He phased through the doorway and grabbed the Keymaker, pulling out a switchblade in the process.
"Open the door or we all won't get what we want. Or at least we will, I don't mind spilling blood." The twin holding the Keymaker said.
The duo of Xerces and Artemis were at a loss. Attacking them would result in the death of the Keymaker. Their constant phasing was difficult to pass by as it is, so fighting them and protecting the Keymaker would prove near impossible.
"Fine, you win now." Artemis said. She looked at Xerces as though he may have a plan, but he was stone faced as usual.
"I would like to slit that pretty throat of yours." The twin not holding the Keymaker said to Artemis. "But for now, I can wait. The Merovingian is expecting us."
They left with the Keymaker in tow, and were now in the room with the seemingly infinite doors, alone.
"So, what do we do now?" Asked Artemis.
"I suppose we'll have to wait. These doors are all locked."
"We could be here forever."
"Not quite."
"You really have faith in Seth, don't you?"
"I have the utmost faith in Trojan. If he only knew who he really was."
"I know. If his code is any indication, then he's-"
"Exactly."
"By the way, how do you know all of these doors are locked?"
"When the twin phased to the door, he did so to keep it open. They could have just gone through the door, but they didn't. There must be some kind of code in this hallway that they cannot go beyond."
Artemis and Xerces looked around, only to be faced with the same doorways. How they would get out is anyone's guess.