I am sorry it took me so long to finally finish this story, but
midterms were a killer. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the final chapter. I know
that the meeting with the Merovingian would have been an interesting
chapter to write about, but I am oppressed for time. So deal with it. Hee
hee. Well, enjoy.
Chapter Eight
Smith watched as he stood on the rooftop of the abandoned building where he had spent the night when he was wounded with Niyah. It seemed like it was only yesterday. He still remembered her perfectly.
"Neo is going back in," said Smith. Smith turned around and saw his copied-self looking at him.
"Good." Smith turned around was about to follow himself out when his copy stopped dead in his tracks. He spun around and gave Smith a perplexed look. Smith then saw him start to dissipate like the ashes of a cigarette being blown away. "Niyah."
Smith felt his control over the code contract drastically. He lost all contact over his copies. He did however; retain enough of his commands to feel Niyah getting closer. She is coming up the stairs to the roof.
A dark, lithe figure seemed to materialize out of nowhere as Smith continued to look into the doorway. As she stepped out into the sun, a huge, wolf-like dog followed her. The dog's wolfish gait made it clear that this was no bundle of code made to look like a dog; it was a hunter, an efficient and dangerous hunter. But something in the dog's appearance reminded him of something, it was the same black and white and tawny fur that he had once seen on.
"Pup?" Smith said out loud. The dog dropped its killer-instinct aura and bounded to him giving him a wet, yet not all too unwelcome hail of dog licks.
Niyah remained patient. She had to smile as she saw Code E. revert back to his puppy programming. She wanted this moment to last as long as possible before things got ugly.
"Will you ever call him Code E.?" asked Niyah. There was no trace of hardness in her voice. Niyah began to think maybe just for this moment she was herself again.
"That depends," Smith tried to restore some calm back into the Code E.
"On what?" Niyah asked, still smiling.
"You still calling me a jackass?" Niyah remained silent for a moment and then gave him a sad smile.
"That seemed like such a long time ago." Niyah gripped the handle of her sword. "I know I said you would be the last, but I can't wait anymore. It's getting stronger."
"I admit, I thought you would have dealt with the Merovingian first." Smith placed a hand on Code E. and gently pushed him to the side.
"I'm losing the battle. By the time I destroyed the Merovingian nothing of me would have been left." Niyah pulled out her sword but it looked as if she trying to fight it. She no longer seemed to have any control over her actions. Smith saw her eyes were filled with tears. "I wanted to see you while there was still something of myself left."
"I missed you." Smith caught the muscle twitch and ducked at the last second to dodge her blade slicing through the air where his head used to be. Code E. barked and snapped at Niyah. She gave an inhuman growl at the dog. It wasn't until Niyah received a bone-crushing punch that caused her to lose her grip on her sword. Code E. watched helplessly as he saw the two people he cared about most trying to kill each other. Niyah and Smith were tangled in a lock of arms and legs as they struggled to get the upper hand. Niyah finally managed to get an arm free and sent a hard thrust of the heel of her palm into Smith's chest knocking him off her. Niyah had barely gotten up on her feet when Smith tackled her again from behind. Sending her elbow into Smith's face she reached around her and into Smith's jacket and pulled out the Desert Eagle and aimed it at his head. "It ends here." Niyah cocked the gun, but still did not shoot. The virus was raging within her. It wanted her to shoot, but Niyah couldn't. Smith just stood there looking at her. He had a rivet of blood trickling down the side of his temple where she elbowed him. It was screaming in her head to shoot and before Niyah knew it, she had spoken out loud, "I don't want too."
Niyah caught the movement in the corner of eye. It was just a blur of fur and teeth. She felt Code E.'s teeth grab her arm and bring her down hard. The pain caused her to let go of the gun. Instinctively, she swung her free arm and smacked Code E. hard on the side of his head. He yelped in pain and let go of her arm and backed off. Niyah picked up the gun again and aimed at the dog. Code E. just stared right back with sad brown eyes. Niyah forgot about the pain he had cause as a deeper pain settled in her heart.
"I am so sorry," Niyah said. Code E. blurred in her vision as a wave a new tears stung her eyes. Niyah then realized she had taken her all her concentration off of Smith. It was then she realized, that Code E. was deliberately distracting her. At the last moment she turned to find Smith standing so close to her and in that second he forced the blade of her sword into her heart.
"So am I," Smith whispered to her. Niyah had to grab hold of Smith's shoulders to keep her self from falling completely. She felt Smith gently hold her up in his arms. Niyah had wondered what it would be like to finally end it and she was right; she finally felt at peace. Her vision was beginning to darken around the edges like a computer monitor slowly losing power, but Niyah had to do one last thing before she let herself fall completely into the comforting darkness. She leaned in and gave Smith a chaste kiss on his lips.
"I missed you too."
Still holding her in his arms, he watched as the life in her eyes faded. Then Smith felt her get lighter and noticed that something was happening to her body. He realized, like his clone, she was turning into ashes and slowly dissipating in his arms, only instead of ashes it was pieces of green code. He watched as her "ashes" were scattered into the wind and slowly disappeared. Smith was finally brought back to himself as he felt the barriers she had placed lift and he commands restored.
Code E. whimpered and nuzzled Smith's hand. He rubbed the dog between his ears and tried to smooth his ruffled fur. He looked into the dog's eyes and for the first time admitted to himself that Code E. was not just a jumble of code. Niyah knew that and now he knew it too. Smith wanted to crush the world for what they had done to her, but he knew there was only one thing that was responsible for everything: the one that created everything, including the damn virus hunter, the source. There was only one thing left and he would honor her memory the only way he knew how.
"Starting with Neo. If he fails, everything fails. Everything."
Code E. gave Smith an encouraging bark and gave him a lopsided dog grin.
Chapter Eight
Smith watched as he stood on the rooftop of the abandoned building where he had spent the night when he was wounded with Niyah. It seemed like it was only yesterday. He still remembered her perfectly.
"Neo is going back in," said Smith. Smith turned around and saw his copied-self looking at him.
"Good." Smith turned around was about to follow himself out when his copy stopped dead in his tracks. He spun around and gave Smith a perplexed look. Smith then saw him start to dissipate like the ashes of a cigarette being blown away. "Niyah."
Smith felt his control over the code contract drastically. He lost all contact over his copies. He did however; retain enough of his commands to feel Niyah getting closer. She is coming up the stairs to the roof.
A dark, lithe figure seemed to materialize out of nowhere as Smith continued to look into the doorway. As she stepped out into the sun, a huge, wolf-like dog followed her. The dog's wolfish gait made it clear that this was no bundle of code made to look like a dog; it was a hunter, an efficient and dangerous hunter. But something in the dog's appearance reminded him of something, it was the same black and white and tawny fur that he had once seen on.
"Pup?" Smith said out loud. The dog dropped its killer-instinct aura and bounded to him giving him a wet, yet not all too unwelcome hail of dog licks.
Niyah remained patient. She had to smile as she saw Code E. revert back to his puppy programming. She wanted this moment to last as long as possible before things got ugly.
"Will you ever call him Code E.?" asked Niyah. There was no trace of hardness in her voice. Niyah began to think maybe just for this moment she was herself again.
"That depends," Smith tried to restore some calm back into the Code E.
"On what?" Niyah asked, still smiling.
"You still calling me a jackass?" Niyah remained silent for a moment and then gave him a sad smile.
"That seemed like such a long time ago." Niyah gripped the handle of her sword. "I know I said you would be the last, but I can't wait anymore. It's getting stronger."
"I admit, I thought you would have dealt with the Merovingian first." Smith placed a hand on Code E. and gently pushed him to the side.
"I'm losing the battle. By the time I destroyed the Merovingian nothing of me would have been left." Niyah pulled out her sword but it looked as if she trying to fight it. She no longer seemed to have any control over her actions. Smith saw her eyes were filled with tears. "I wanted to see you while there was still something of myself left."
"I missed you." Smith caught the muscle twitch and ducked at the last second to dodge her blade slicing through the air where his head used to be. Code E. barked and snapped at Niyah. She gave an inhuman growl at the dog. It wasn't until Niyah received a bone-crushing punch that caused her to lose her grip on her sword. Code E. watched helplessly as he saw the two people he cared about most trying to kill each other. Niyah and Smith were tangled in a lock of arms and legs as they struggled to get the upper hand. Niyah finally managed to get an arm free and sent a hard thrust of the heel of her palm into Smith's chest knocking him off her. Niyah had barely gotten up on her feet when Smith tackled her again from behind. Sending her elbow into Smith's face she reached around her and into Smith's jacket and pulled out the Desert Eagle and aimed it at his head. "It ends here." Niyah cocked the gun, but still did not shoot. The virus was raging within her. It wanted her to shoot, but Niyah couldn't. Smith just stood there looking at her. He had a rivet of blood trickling down the side of his temple where she elbowed him. It was screaming in her head to shoot and before Niyah knew it, she had spoken out loud, "I don't want too."
Niyah caught the movement in the corner of eye. It was just a blur of fur and teeth. She felt Code E.'s teeth grab her arm and bring her down hard. The pain caused her to let go of the gun. Instinctively, she swung her free arm and smacked Code E. hard on the side of his head. He yelped in pain and let go of her arm and backed off. Niyah picked up the gun again and aimed at the dog. Code E. just stared right back with sad brown eyes. Niyah forgot about the pain he had cause as a deeper pain settled in her heart.
"I am so sorry," Niyah said. Code E. blurred in her vision as a wave a new tears stung her eyes. Niyah then realized she had taken her all her concentration off of Smith. It was then she realized, that Code E. was deliberately distracting her. At the last moment she turned to find Smith standing so close to her and in that second he forced the blade of her sword into her heart.
"So am I," Smith whispered to her. Niyah had to grab hold of Smith's shoulders to keep her self from falling completely. She felt Smith gently hold her up in his arms. Niyah had wondered what it would be like to finally end it and she was right; she finally felt at peace. Her vision was beginning to darken around the edges like a computer monitor slowly losing power, but Niyah had to do one last thing before she let herself fall completely into the comforting darkness. She leaned in and gave Smith a chaste kiss on his lips.
"I missed you too."
Still holding her in his arms, he watched as the life in her eyes faded. Then Smith felt her get lighter and noticed that something was happening to her body. He realized, like his clone, she was turning into ashes and slowly dissipating in his arms, only instead of ashes it was pieces of green code. He watched as her "ashes" were scattered into the wind and slowly disappeared. Smith was finally brought back to himself as he felt the barriers she had placed lift and he commands restored.
Code E. whimpered and nuzzled Smith's hand. He rubbed the dog between his ears and tried to smooth his ruffled fur. He looked into the dog's eyes and for the first time admitted to himself that Code E. was not just a jumble of code. Niyah knew that and now he knew it too. Smith wanted to crush the world for what they had done to her, but he knew there was only one thing that was responsible for everything: the one that created everything, including the damn virus hunter, the source. There was only one thing left and he would honor her memory the only way he knew how.
"Starting with Neo. If he fails, everything fails. Everything."
Code E. gave Smith an encouraging bark and gave him a lopsided dog grin.