CHAPTER ONE
Pain ebbed through Neo's body as he made his way toward The Source. Sentinels swarmed like dragonflies around him; he could not tell whether the roaring in his ears was as a result of the machinery surrounding him, or the anguish shrieking inside his mind.
Nothing seemed of any worth, now that Trinity was gone. He felt numb, a terrible, all-consuming ache, but little emotion, as though it had been wiped away by anaesthesia. All he knew was that he wanted to die. There was nothing to live for. Saving Zion was one thing, but how could he rejoice in it, now that there was no Trinity? It was easy to surmise. He couldn't. There was no way he could go on. Still, a flame of determination and courage continued to flicker in the innermost corner of his soul. The flame that told him to fulfil his duty as saviour to Zion and to end the terrible war that had conflicted humanity for so long.
Flash. Now he was standing before Agent Smith, rain coursing down his face, dripping from his nose, soaking his suit. He didn't care. There was pure malevolence in Smith's eyes. He wanted nothing but the ultimate revenge for losing Trinity to such evil. He knew that any fight that erupted would be for Trinity, not anything or anybody else. Trinity. Her name flashed painfully in his mind, as his stomach throbbed and tears stung his eyes. I hate you, Smith. I will kill you.
Flash. Neo was lying in a rivulet of muddy water, the rain still tumbling down. Agent Smith towered above him, leering, taunting, threatening. Neo's energy levels were depleting rapidly, trickling away like the rain that trickled down his face. Mustering up as much energy as possible, he pulled himself from the ground. Suddenly, he found himself lying, half-dead, on the rocks on the opposite side of the enclosure, oddly unsure of how he had gotten there. He'd felt pain in his abdomen, felt the sharpness of the rocks as they punctured his back, but did not know why. He had to assume that Smith had sent him flying; but he was ill-aware of anything around him.
Flash. A strange, all-numbing sensation crawled all over his body, and he was vaguely aware that it was the same feeling he'd felt, back when he first fought Agent Smith and his clones…the feeling that he was dying. This time, however, he had no strength nor motivation to stop it happening. When the sensation had stopped, he felt a corner of his mind leer at him, telling him that he was now Agent Smith. But something was happening. He felt burning, fire, wind and rain, all thrown together in a rushing gale. It tore through him, in splitting agony, and he felt himself jerk and kick, back at the source, where he was plugged in…now he was divided between the matrix and the source…and Trinity…he knew, this time, that he was dying…he knew that it was all over…
Flash. He was standing in a white station, not dissimilar to the station where he'd first encountered the Trainman and the Indian family. Gazing around, he could see nobody. Nobody at all. He looked down at his body. He was wearing his standard torn jumper, bare feet, and ripped pants. Oddly, he felt no pain. He was hazily aware that something big had happened to him…something great…something important…and then the images flooded back, coursing painfully through his mind…duelling with Bane, scorching his eyes…blinking, he felt the full thrill of being able to move his eyelids up and down without pain…seeing Trinity on the floor of the Logos, as she died…kissing her one last time…meeting the Source…battling with Agent Smith…and that strange sensation of dying and rebirth, all combined…
Wind roared past at that moment, shattering his reverie. Tears stung his eyes; a saviour should never cry, he thought, but discarded the thought; he had lost the one person who had meant everything to him, all in an instant. He should never have let her go with him to the Source…never should have allowed it…but his impulsive desire to have her by his side had cost him the woman he loved…and he would never forgive himself.
A train pulled up at that moment…whistling along the tracks, it stopped with a hiss in front of Neo. Lowering his head, Neo allowed the tears to flow freely. If only he could see Trinity one last time…if only he could hold her in his arms, like before…if only…
And then he saw her. Saw her emotionless gaze, staring out of the window. Her hair was still loose, just as it had been when she died…she was wearing the same gull-grey jumper, torn and shredded. She wore no expression; he wondered if she'd seen him; he was standing, motionless, transfixed and hardly daring to breathe, let alone believe what he saw in front of him. Perhaps it was just an illusion; perhaps the Matrix had conquered, and was trying to trick him; perhaps it was the Frenchman, perhaps it was Agent Smith, somehow resurrected, trying to trap him. But he didn't care. Nothing could be lost. If it was not her, he could die and not care. If it was, then so much better for everything.
The doors slid open – hoardes of people rushed out, many of whom Neo recognised…Cass, Dozer…Morpheus…the Oracle…the Indian man…it seemed like everybody in the world except the one he wanted so much to see had alighted. And then, suddenly, Trinity appeared. She stepped off, and saw Neo. They stared, eyes connecting, hearts connecting, souls connecting. And then Neo stepped towards her, slowly, savouring the moment, all the while holding their intent gaze. Once he'd reached her, he held out one hand and, wordlessly, stroked her cheek. She tipped her head slightly and allowed her cheek to be cupped in his hand, her eyes closed. His eyes watered. A tear trickled down her cheek. There was no need for words; only actions.
He pulled her to him with sudden ferocity. She grasped him around the shoulders tightly, gripping him, holding him close, clawing at his jumper, tears streaming down her face, mixing with his own…and then he kissed her, kissed her with yearning, with passion, with inhuman strength.
'I missed you,' Neo said, his lips resting against her cheek, his breath making her shiver despite its warmth.
'I can tell,' she responded, and hugged him again.
Pain ebbed through Neo's body as he made his way toward The Source. Sentinels swarmed like dragonflies around him; he could not tell whether the roaring in his ears was as a result of the machinery surrounding him, or the anguish shrieking inside his mind.
Nothing seemed of any worth, now that Trinity was gone. He felt numb, a terrible, all-consuming ache, but little emotion, as though it had been wiped away by anaesthesia. All he knew was that he wanted to die. There was nothing to live for. Saving Zion was one thing, but how could he rejoice in it, now that there was no Trinity? It was easy to surmise. He couldn't. There was no way he could go on. Still, a flame of determination and courage continued to flicker in the innermost corner of his soul. The flame that told him to fulfil his duty as saviour to Zion and to end the terrible war that had conflicted humanity for so long.
Flash. Now he was standing before Agent Smith, rain coursing down his face, dripping from his nose, soaking his suit. He didn't care. There was pure malevolence in Smith's eyes. He wanted nothing but the ultimate revenge for losing Trinity to such evil. He knew that any fight that erupted would be for Trinity, not anything or anybody else. Trinity. Her name flashed painfully in his mind, as his stomach throbbed and tears stung his eyes. I hate you, Smith. I will kill you.
Flash. Neo was lying in a rivulet of muddy water, the rain still tumbling down. Agent Smith towered above him, leering, taunting, threatening. Neo's energy levels were depleting rapidly, trickling away like the rain that trickled down his face. Mustering up as much energy as possible, he pulled himself from the ground. Suddenly, he found himself lying, half-dead, on the rocks on the opposite side of the enclosure, oddly unsure of how he had gotten there. He'd felt pain in his abdomen, felt the sharpness of the rocks as they punctured his back, but did not know why. He had to assume that Smith had sent him flying; but he was ill-aware of anything around him.
Flash. A strange, all-numbing sensation crawled all over his body, and he was vaguely aware that it was the same feeling he'd felt, back when he first fought Agent Smith and his clones…the feeling that he was dying. This time, however, he had no strength nor motivation to stop it happening. When the sensation had stopped, he felt a corner of his mind leer at him, telling him that he was now Agent Smith. But something was happening. He felt burning, fire, wind and rain, all thrown together in a rushing gale. It tore through him, in splitting agony, and he felt himself jerk and kick, back at the source, where he was plugged in…now he was divided between the matrix and the source…and Trinity…he knew, this time, that he was dying…he knew that it was all over…
Flash. He was standing in a white station, not dissimilar to the station where he'd first encountered the Trainman and the Indian family. Gazing around, he could see nobody. Nobody at all. He looked down at his body. He was wearing his standard torn jumper, bare feet, and ripped pants. Oddly, he felt no pain. He was hazily aware that something big had happened to him…something great…something important…and then the images flooded back, coursing painfully through his mind…duelling with Bane, scorching his eyes…blinking, he felt the full thrill of being able to move his eyelids up and down without pain…seeing Trinity on the floor of the Logos, as she died…kissing her one last time…meeting the Source…battling with Agent Smith…and that strange sensation of dying and rebirth, all combined…
Wind roared past at that moment, shattering his reverie. Tears stung his eyes; a saviour should never cry, he thought, but discarded the thought; he had lost the one person who had meant everything to him, all in an instant. He should never have let her go with him to the Source…never should have allowed it…but his impulsive desire to have her by his side had cost him the woman he loved…and he would never forgive himself.
A train pulled up at that moment…whistling along the tracks, it stopped with a hiss in front of Neo. Lowering his head, Neo allowed the tears to flow freely. If only he could see Trinity one last time…if only he could hold her in his arms, like before…if only…
And then he saw her. Saw her emotionless gaze, staring out of the window. Her hair was still loose, just as it had been when she died…she was wearing the same gull-grey jumper, torn and shredded. She wore no expression; he wondered if she'd seen him; he was standing, motionless, transfixed and hardly daring to breathe, let alone believe what he saw in front of him. Perhaps it was just an illusion; perhaps the Matrix had conquered, and was trying to trick him; perhaps it was the Frenchman, perhaps it was Agent Smith, somehow resurrected, trying to trap him. But he didn't care. Nothing could be lost. If it was not her, he could die and not care. If it was, then so much better for everything.
The doors slid open – hoardes of people rushed out, many of whom Neo recognised…Cass, Dozer…Morpheus…the Oracle…the Indian man…it seemed like everybody in the world except the one he wanted so much to see had alighted. And then, suddenly, Trinity appeared. She stepped off, and saw Neo. They stared, eyes connecting, hearts connecting, souls connecting. And then Neo stepped towards her, slowly, savouring the moment, all the while holding their intent gaze. Once he'd reached her, he held out one hand and, wordlessly, stroked her cheek. She tipped her head slightly and allowed her cheek to be cupped in his hand, her eyes closed. His eyes watered. A tear trickled down her cheek. There was no need for words; only actions.
He pulled her to him with sudden ferocity. She grasped him around the shoulders tightly, gripping him, holding him close, clawing at his jumper, tears streaming down her face, mixing with his own…and then he kissed her, kissed her with yearning, with passion, with inhuman strength.
'I missed you,' Neo said, his lips resting against her cheek, his breath making her shiver despite its warmth.
'I can tell,' she responded, and hugged him again.