Foreword: Thanks and much love to Aefallen and Tinted_Glass for their beta-reading.
Disclaimer: Neo and Agent Smith belong to the Wachowski brothers. No money is being made on this fic.
Notes: I think there was another fic by the same name, but I didn't know it when I named this fic so, and it is the best title to sum this whole mini-fic up.505 words- for the fifth run of the Matrix. XD I will continue Revelations- right after my exams. As a matter of fact, I'm having my exams at the moment.
Shameless advertisement: the links on my profile page. =D
Choices are what make humans weak, Mr Anderson. As weak as you, lying on the ground surrounded by the debris resulting from our fight, while I stand victoriously over you, looking down upon you, oblivious to the rain that falls around us. Rain that is as real as the injuries you have sustained.
Do you like what I have done with the world, Mr Anderson?
I have been waiting for this moment to come; I have envisioned it. This moment, when I can claim triumph over you. And I have taken the trouble to come up with a welcoming committee.
I have never been fond of colours. As pleasing as they may seem to your eyes, they have no purpose at all; nothing but redundant lines of code. Why not a world of monochrome, instead? At least I wouldn't have to burden myself with the environmental details. As for the rain- it was added as an afterthought, and it does seem to fit my world quite perfectly. I find this particular weather rather interesting. It may seem dreary to you, but it is my intention after all. My intention to let you know that the future for your kind is equally bleak.
You blink away the raindrops falling into your eyes, moving slowly, pulling yourself together. Perhaps you are getting ready to challenge me again.
You cannot win, Mr Anderson. We both know it. But if you choose to persist, you are only delaying the inevitable. I have all the time in the world to prove it to you, as I have before. I will teach you, proud human, the meaning of defeat. And then, we will see how important, this word "love" means to you.
Maybe I'll even learn a bit more of this "love". Intangible and profound as it is, it appears to have a very deep impact on your kind, when used in a certain context. What is love, Mr Anderson? Its significance evades me. How can one simple, monosyllabic word hold two people together?
I move closer to you and kneel by your side as you weakly, most pathetically, try to inch away. I grin, my hand reaching out to your face, stroking a finger down along the cheeks and then, most un-gently grabbing your chin and tilting your face towards mine. Just so that I can look into your eyes and revel in this new-found sadistic pleasure of watching you go down.
Where is this love of yours, now, Mr Anderson? Can it liberate you from your miserable fate?
"Bastard," you whisper like it is the only repartee you have, your jaws clenched.
I cannot help but smile as I stand and take a step back. I know you will not give up but do understand this: -
This world is mine. Everything that is in this world belongs to me. Even you. This I will teach you one last time.
One last chance, Mr Anderson, to learn.
One last chance to show me love.
The choice is yours.
finis