Chapter Two: Edge of the Precipice
Neo stood on the roof of the building, watching the code of the Matrix through his tinted glasses. The section of the code that was the virus was an angry, glowing red, striking out and hitting humans it passed on the street. Neo sighed, his breath showing in the cold night air.
The door behind him opened and Trinity walked up to stand beside him.
"You couldn't have foreseen it," she told him. He nodded slightly, drawing her closer to him.
"I know. But that doesn't mean I couldn't have avoided it."
Trinity pushed him away to arm's length.
"Now that's stupid, something I've never expected of you," she said. "No one but you could have even gotten us this far. So you made on mistake – you're human. That's something we can never forget if we're going to win this war."
Neo smiled slightly. "Thank you," he whispered, pulling her close again.
"I didn't do anything," she said. "Just straightened you out a little."
"I knew I kept you around for some reason."
Trinity smiled. "At least two." She brought him into a kiss.
Locke sat in the little room glaring at the hologram on the screen. It showed the machine army digging down towards Zion. They had resumed digging as soon as the virus started attacking the humans inside the Matrix. They had just passed the first section of relay cameras Locke's forces had set up.
One of the displays was filled with a Sentinel, then it flickered and died. The other camera views disappeared quickly after that, leaving the room in total blackness.
"We need to stop them he said aloud. The lights hummed back to life, revealing Locke's lieutenant and Captain Feral of the Nightslash.
"I have thought of a plan," Feral said.
The train pulled to a stop with the door directly in front of Neo. He entered the car, the exiting passengers giving him a wide berth. He found a seat near the back and sat down, keeping his eyes on the door. Trinity sat down next to him, watching the opposite side of the car.
Through the window to the next compartment, Neo saw an old, raggedy man. He had wild, shaggy hair and slightly wild eyes. He formed his hand into a gun and pointed it at Neo, mouthing words.
"Bang, bang. You're dead." He smiled.
Neo blinked slowly. The man was gone. Neo mentally shrugged and looked to the left again. The train started out of the station, picking up speed.
Lynx hated waiting.
It wasn't that she was impatient or overly nervous, but nothing good could happen while you were waiting. Everyone was on edge, and not everyone got along. Trouble during action was something else – that Lynx could handle. Easier just to shoot things.
Ghost and Phoenix were not getting along. Lynx broke into their conversation.
"Shut up."
They both looked at her.
"You two are acting like children – worse actually. Children know when to stop fighting. God, just get along before I separate the two of you."
Ghost grew quiet and introspective. Phoenix stared at Lynx, clenching and unclenching his fists. Myst whispered something in his ear, and he visibly relaxed.
Lynx smiled. One crisis averted. She answered her cell phone.
"Lynx, go."
"Lynx, this is Fallen Angel. I've got a visual."
Lynx walked to the window and saw Neo and Trinity emerge from the subway station and walk into the Oracle's building across the street. She sighed in relief.
"Stand down, everyone," she ordered.
Moments after entering the building, the images of Trinity and Neo faded away, revealing the program Firewall.
He smirked slightly, a human gesture. So much for rebel intelligence and unpredictability. He peered out the window as Lynx left the building, walking towards the hard line.
Predictable, once again.
He waited until Lynx and the other rebels had gathered around the phone. It rang, and Lynx reached for it. Firewall pressed a button.
The phone, and all the ground within ten feet, exploded.
The subway car suddenly screeched to a halt, dying. The lights went out. People began talking excitedly, and one woman screamed. Neo glanced left and saw a flicker in the code.
"Get down," he yelled, knocking Trinity aside. The air filled with gunfire. Neo held his hand out, slowing the bullets to a stop. A grenade clattered in through the broken window.
"Shit."
It exploded. Neo reached out with his sixth sense and pulled the explosion into himself, channeling it into his first shot. He fired out towards where he had seen a shooter, and the bullet hit the wall and exploded.
Trinity drew her weapon and stood up, firing out the window. Neo heard another explosion and the car buckled inward, giving way. Three Agents poured through the cracks.
"Trinity, run," he ordered. She nodded and leapt onto the top of the subway train, running back towards the station.
Lynx was knocked backwards into Phoenix. Then they were both thrown upwards. Myst was pushed into the building by the force of the explosion, and Fallen Angel tumbled backwards. Ghost was thrown into the air, but he twisted around and landed on his feet.
Firewall materialized in a nearby doorway. He walked towards the group of rebels, laughing slowly.
"Where is Trinity?" he asked, lifting Lynx from the ground and jamming a gun into her ear. "And where is Morpheus?"
"Morpheus is on the ship," Ghost said, slowly loosening his pistol. Firewall laughed and faded, appearing behind Ghost. He grabbed the rebel's gun hand and yanked it upwards, twisting the gun out of Ghost's grip. He jabbed two fingers into Ghost's throat and the rebel collapsed.
Myst had her gun out in a flash, firing twice. Firewall moved left then back right, dodging the bullets. He appeared in front of Myst and shot his fist out, smacking her in the nose. She stumbled backwards a few steps and Firewall leapt into the air, spinning around backwards and hitting her left cheek with his foot. She fell.
Phoenix fired from two feet away. Firewall ducked under the bullet and rose back up, hitting Phoenix under the chin with a fist. Phoenix gasped, hands flying to his throat. The program hit him in the stomach, making him bend over, and then pushed him to the ground.
Fallen Angel was next. Firewall attacked from the front, and Fallen Angel blocked the first two attacks. The program swept a foot inwards and brought it shooting back, tripping Fallen Angel. The rebel leapt into the air, coming down on his feet. Firewall jumped straight up, kicking out and connecting with Fallen Angel's head. Fallen Angel flipped over backwards, landing on his feet. Firewall kicked out at his stomach and sent him crashing to the ground. In a flash he was on him.
"Trinity. Now," he ordered.
Trinity hit the ground behind the subway train and rolled, coming to a rest on one knee. She got to her feet and ran forward, heading for the station platform. Bullets flew through the air behind her, hitting the ground and walls. She dove for the platform and rolled onto it.
She turned around and fired twice, hitting a SWAT program in the chest. The program jerked and fell. Two SWAT opened fire, bullets cutting through the air. Trinity jumped into the air, kicking one on the head with a roundhouse kick and slamming into the other one's back. The program stumbled forward and dropped his gun.
Trinity caught the strap with her foot and flipped it into the air. It spiraled around and she caught it, reversing it and pumping a clip into the last remaining SWAT.
Neo blocked the first attack, and the second, but the third broke through. It stung for a little while, but Neo shoved the pain aside and threw the Agent out of the subway window.
The other two Agents approached from either side. Neo kicked out sideways, and the Agent caught his foot in two hands. Neo pushed off the program, striking the other Agent in the head with his foot. Neo then brought his other foot around, slamming the first Agent into the second Agent. They both collapsed.
Trinity saw Neo glide down from the sky to land three feet in front of her. She walked forward to greet him.
"What happened?"
He suddenly shot out, striking her in the shoulder. She stumbled backwards from the force of the blow. Neo's skin fell away, revealing Firewall.
"Hello, Trinity," he said. "I believe we have some unfinished business."
Fallen Angel rounded the corner to see Firewall attack Trinity. He swore and ran to join the battle. Lynx and Phoenix came around the corner next, supporting each other. Phoenix laid Lynx against a wall.
"Stay here," he said. "I'm gonna get some fire support."
Lynx's phone rang.
"Yes, Captain?"
"There's a SWAT team coming your way, Lynx," Morpheus told her. "You and Phoenix will have to hold off the team while Fallen Angel and Myst help Trinity."
Lynx nodded and hung up, climbing tiredly to her feet. Myst dashed past her, following Fallen Angel. Lynx waved at Phoenix to attract his attention and pointed down the street, mouthing the word "SWAT."
Trinity blocked a high kick and slammed a fist into Firewall's stomach. The program caught the fist and used it as a brace, flipping over Trinity's back and shoving her forward. Fallen Angel grabbed her and helped her back up. Myst joined them.
"Well, we have Trinity, Fallen Angel, and Myst," Firewall said, half to himself. "Shouldn't take too much longer then expected."
It began.
Neo walked into the Oracle's empty apartment. Glancing through the code, he saw the front door flicked and change. It opened to reveal Seraph entering through the hallway.
"Greetings," Seraph said. "You must come quickly, for there is little time."
The SWAT team proceeded down the street slowly. From behind them, they heard footsteps. Turning around almost as one, they spotted a lone girl, dressed in leather and sunglasses, come walking towards them.
"Freeze!" one yelled, pointing a rifle at her. She kept walking.
The commander thought back to the briefing. This was "Lynx," one of the terrorists on the top twenty most wanted list, along with Neo, Morpheus, and Trinity, the latter whom the SWAT had been sent to capture.
He smiled. Two would be even better. He opened a mouth to give the order to fire, and Phoenix's first shot hit him in the side of his head.
Firewall jumped into the air in front of all of them. He kicked Trinity in the head and sent her stumbling backwards. Quickly turning, he smacked Myst with the back of his foot and knocked her into Fallen Angel. He landed and dashed forward at them.
Fallen Angel slid down, hitting Firewall in the knee. The program flipped forward, hitting Fallen Angel's stomach with one hand and flipping over him. He landed in front of Myst and hit her hard in the stomach, sending her flying back. Trinity was up again and charging, but Firewall flipped over backwards, avoiding her. Fallen Angel tackled the program and brought him crashing to the floor.
Neo entered a small, busy restaurant and took a seat across from the Oracle.
"Well, it's been to long, Neo…"
He nodded.
"What went wrong? I got to the Source, but nothing happened."
"You did not get to the Source, Neo. You got to the Architect. The lies he told you were to keep you from entering the Source. He was the last line of defense, and he stopped you with only words."
Neo sighed.
"I thought it might be something like that. But it's too late to change the past. The real reason I came here was to ask – "
"What to do now."
"Yes. What do I do about this virus?"
"Now, Neo, you know that's not how it works. I can't tell you what to do, only you can do that. I am here to help you understand your choices, nothing more. You just have to make up your own damn mind."
Neo sighed again. She was always like this.
"Last time we talked, you told me we were at a crossroads, and that one path was dark and one was darker still, but had light at the end of the tunnel. Which one did we take?"
"You took the darkest path, Neo. There will be much pain between here and the end of that path, but you can make it there. Who will make it with you is a different matter entirely…"
"Trinity?"
"I cannot tell you that, Neo. I can only tell you that Trinity has seen far, and she accepts what her role will be."
The eleven remaining ships of the Zion fleet slipped into position a mile along the Sentinel's digging path. It was a desperate plan.
Feral growled. "Is the EMP fully charged?"
"Yes, Captain," said the rebel Falcon. He hefted is plasma gun and took up a position outside the ship.
"Everyone to battle stations," Feral ordered. His crew scurried about, checking the EMP and charging their plasma guns.
"Remember the plan – lasers and plasma guns first, EMPs as a last result."
Ballard's image appeared on the screen. Locke had put him in command of the entire operation.
"Tighten it up people. Twenty minutes."
Lynx stunned the first one with a shot to the throat, yanking his gun from his hand and throwing it to the next one. He jumped back in surprise, and Lynx kicked him in the chest, sending him flying backwards. She whirled around, throwing a dagger into another SWAT. A shot rang out, and one dropped to the ground, a bullet hole in the head.
Lynx smiled and motioned to the remaining SWAT. Bring it on.
Firewall kicked Fallen Angel off him and rose, hitting the man on the head. Myst jumped on Firewall's back, yanking her dagger from her boot and stabbing him in the shoulder. He hissed in pain and threw her over his head.
Trinity came at him from the left. He yanked the dagger from his shoulder and threw it, hitting her in the stomach. Trinity collapsed to the ground, pulling the dagger from her stomach with a gasp. Firewall stood over her.
"Nobody gets past me," he said, grabbing her around the throat.
Seraph put his hand on her shoulder.
"It is time."
She got up and walked around the table, patting Neo on the back.
"It'll be alright, kid. See you soon."
Neo smiled. He sat there, thinking, after the Oracle had left. Then he followed suit.
Feral looked up when the alarm went off. Ballard's voice sounded over the loudspeakers. "Thirty seconds."
There was a sudden crash, and Feral turned to see the blue light of an EMP racing towards him.
"Oh, shit."