Ask Me Once More
Disclaimer: I don't own, you don't sue... Okay?
A/N: Set in the first movie, between Neo's awakening, and Cypher's betrayal.
Trinity rolled to her feet, coming up quickly, because Cypher was slowly advancing, a leer on his face. Fists flying, she launched a furious attack which was blocked very efficiently. Cypher accurately threw his own punches, pushing Trinity back towards the wall. Bending the program, she closed the distance between them with a jump kick, landing it squarely in his chest. Cypher hit the hardwood of the dojo's floor, wheezing. Stretching her shoulders, Trinity awaited his recovery, watching him warily. When he stood with a grimace, she bent her knees and rolled her hands into fists.
Perhaps the thought of being beaten by a girl goaded him into action. As he advanced, he fingered the switch that popped the spring-loaded blade that was strapped to his forearm into his hand. It ripped through his sleeve as he brought it up to strike.
Tank sat quietly in his half-way-to-comfortable operator's chair, only partly watching Trinity and Cypher sparring. Activity on the part of the Sentinels was at a minimum, and so Tank used this opportunity to relax. His reverie was broken by the arrival of Neo, who, as silent as ever, appeared to watch the sparring.
Tank's boots hit the floor. "Jeez! I think we're gonna have to put a bell on you or something. You're too damn quiet!"
"I'm sorry."
Tank smiled. "S'alright." Placing his feet back up on one of the consoles, he looked at Neo, who was intently watching the fight. Tank corrected himself... Neo was watching Trinity.
"They spar well together." Neo said simply, his eyes trained on the graceful figure on the monitors.
"Yeah." Tank glanced at the monitors, observing Trinity deliver a jump kick that winded Cypher. "Sparring is the only thing that those two do well together. She can't stand him, he wants her, so they fight alot. Both have a lot of inner rage and pent up sexual frustration..." Tank trailed off as he heard both ECG's begin to beep in a staccato. "Didn't think they had the energy to push it up a notch..." He peered at the still forms of Cypher and Trinity and their life monitors. When Neo yelled, he stared back at the program monitor.
Trinity was holding her ribs, but Tank could see bright red blood seeping down her side. Cypher was bearing down on her when one of her boots flicked up and kicked his hand, flinging him back a few paces.
Tank hurriedly pushed buttons and the dojo vanished, replaced by the sterile white of the Construct. The two fighters were separated by an inch-thick pane of plexi-glass that stretched on seemingly forever. Tank could now hear Trinity yelling.
"You're a dead man! I know you can hear me, asshole!"
Tank interrupted her. "Calm down, Trin. Relax." Tank looked up at Neo and said quietly, "I'm going to pull Cypher out first, and leave Trinity in there until he's gone. Just so she doesn't kill him. Can you go and unplug him when I say so?"
"Sure." Neo said hesitantly.
When Cypher was disconnected from the Construct, he immediately said, "I thought she had one too! I found it in the Construct before the match! Jeez, Tank, please believe me! I never would have done that if I knew that she wasn't armed!"
"I did not load anything into the Construct." Tank said soberly, watching Trinity pace in the brightness of the loading program.
"We've had armed matches before!" Cypher protested.
"Just get out of here, Cypher, before Tank pulls her out of the program and she sees you." Neo said quietly.
"You know that Morpheus is going to hear about this, Cypher. I did not put anything in there before your fight."
Sloping out, he glared once at Trinity's inert form in the suspension chair.
Once Trinity's body and mind came together, she began to yell again, until the pain in her ribs made her reluctantly subside. She held her right side, where her grey shirt was now soaked through with her blood. Frowning up at Tank, she told him quietly that Cypher had had a knife, and that his days were numbered. Nodding, Tank simply said, "Morpheus will handle it. Let's take a look at that." He motioned at her ribs. "Neo, could you go get some bandages?"
Thankful for the distraction, Neo busied himself with the task of hunting down the first aid kit. When he had found it, he took it back to the Main Deck, where Trinity sat, letting Tank tend to her wounds. She had removed her top, and was holding against her breasts. She raised her right arm, showing the ragged gash the knife had inflicted. Neo set the small box down on the console and turned away, nervous about Trinity's state of undress.
"Neo! Little help here?" Tank was unperturbed, and motioning for the bandages that Neo had put down just out of his reach. Trinity was silent and looking away when Neo glanced nervously at her before bringing the strips of soft cloth over to Tank.
"It isn't that deep," Tank was telling her. "You should be able to get away without stitches. And I don't think that you'll need any further care, just rest."
"Fine," Trinity held the dressings in place while he strapped them tight with a long narrow bandage.
"Trinity?" Tank grasped her arm as she moved to get up and pull her shirt on.
"What?" She tugged the grey cloth over her head and frowned at Tank.
"Let Morpheus handle it. Please." Tank released her, and she left the Deck.
"Let Morpheus handle it." Tank's words rang in her head as Trinity made her way to her quarters and they still resonated there as she pulled her boots off and lay down on her bunk.
Twelve Hours Earlier.
"Well?"
"How many times have you asked me that, Morpheus?"
"How many times-?"
"Why do you keep asking me that? You believe he is the One. Are you asking only to reassure yourself? Are you so insecure about your own faith, is that it? Or do you just want to say 'I told you so!'?" Her brown eyes glinted at her captain as she shouted. "Do you think that I can turn it on and shut it off like a tap? Love doesn't work that way! How can you expect me to know just like that?" Trinity snapped her fingers in Morpheus' face and turned away. She was furious with herself for letting her calm fascade show a chink in its smooth cool surface; furious with Morpheus for badgering her; furious with Neo for awakening emotions that confused but excited her.
Trinity did not sleep, and so, later, when there was a slight tapping on the bulkhead and the wheel slowly spun, she sat up, expecting Morpheus. When Neo appeared, Trinity was startled. Flustered, she beckoned him in.
"Thought you might be hungry." Neo held a tray with a tin of goop and a cup of water on it.
"Thanks." Trinity ran a hand through her hair and watched Neo set the tray down.
"Just returning the favour. How are you doing?" He asked softly.
"Returning the favour?"
Self-consciously, Neo stuttered, "I thought you had... well, someone had left one for me when... It wasn't you?" He blinked.
"You assumed that with me constituting half of the female population of the crew, and the fact that Switch doesn't seem the type to feed you, that it was me."
"Yes," Neo said, shameful and uncertain.
"Well, it was me. You were right. As much as I hate to admit it."
Neo raised an eyebrow. Trinity lowered her gaze. "Thanks.". The pain in her ribs reawakened as she moved. Wincing, she reached for the water. Neo handed it to her, and sat on the floor beside the bunk.
"How are you?"
Trinity smirked. It was such a simple question. And it had so many answers. She was silent for a few moments before telling him that she didn't know. "Physically, I'm alright. Mentally..." she sighed. "I probably won't rest until Cypher has had his ass kicked and put on latrine duty for three years. But Tank's right. I'm going to have to leave it to Morpheus to take care of." She looked away, stung, thinking about her anger with Morpheus.
They sat silently for a bit, before Neo shifted on the floor. "Trinity? I haven't been here long enough to know what happens to the goop if it sits out for very long..."
Puzzled, Trinity looked at him, then spotted the tray that he'd brought in. A bark of laughter escaped her when she figured out what he was talking about. "Nothing. Unfortunately, it doesn't get better, though."
Neo smiled at her. "If you need anything, let me know." He stood to leave. "And if you want a new sparring partner..." He raised his eyebrows, offering.
The corners of her mouth twitched upward. "Thanks, Neo." She lay back down, pondering, as the bulkhead clanged shut.
Twenty-four hours later.
"Morpheus."
"How are you doing, Trinity?"
Trinity dismissed his question, flipping her hand. "I came to apologize."
A questioning look from Morpheus, then realization as to what she wanted to discuss.
"I've been under alot of pressure lately, and I had no right to take it out on you. I'm sorry." Her voice trailed off, betraying to Morpheus how much trouble she had bearing her feelings like this.
"Thank-you, Trinity. I understand." He was about to apologize as well for badgering her, when she cut him off.
"Ask me again."
"I beg your pardon?"
"Just ask me one more time."
Morpheus paused. Deliberately, he asked, "Do you believe he is?"
Trinity smiled slowly. "Yes. I do."