A/N: As always, review if you like or hate it and enjoy reading!
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"This is the Jump program. Here you learn to free your mind and bend the rules of the Matrix. Watch." Trinity ran to the edge of the skyscraper and jumped, black coat flying behind her. She landed with a thump on the other building roof, turning to look at the girl she had left behind. But she wasn't there.
"Neo, where is she?" The line out crackled for a moment before clearing totally.
"She's coming, she just did something, I'm not sure what." She snorted softly, watching for the girl to appear on the building roof. And she did. But it wasn't the same girl who had come into the program, dressed in black from neck to ankle; she was wearing the deep purple singlet style top that she had when she approached them the first time. Her hair was tied in a high ponytail, mimicking the line of her neck and waving slightly in the breeze. Over her shoulders a thin organza cape fell, the edges lined with beading the same colour as her top. She smiled, the same self-assured smile Trinity remembered. She ran, feet light on the concrete, touching the ledge on her toes, springing into the air to hover for a moment. She wasn't going to make it. The image shuddered, changing back to the all black clothes she had worn originally, hair loose about her shoulders, eyes shut tight. Trinity swore, leaping from her perch to catch the girl. Neo appeared where she had been standing, throwing a rope downwards. Catching the end, eyes fixed on the falling girl, the woman hastened her dissent, arms close to her sides. The girl opened her eyes and the image rippled again, becoming the strong one again, Neo swore. The girl reached an arm up to grab the loose end of the rope, they were almost to the ground. The other arm she wrapped around Trinity's waist.
"I'm not going to let you fall." The rope was wound where her arm had been, secured to the black belt. Before she could be stopped, she let go, eyes closed, arms spread for balance, determination etched in every part of her. As they careened towards the road, the girl tucked her body up, using her weight to flip over, she landed on her toes and taking a set of running steps Trinity remembered vaguely from a dance class she had watched. Tipping her shoulder the girl rolled forward along the ground, pushing to her feet, slowing down as she lost momentum. Trinity's feet touched the ground lightly, as did Neo's. He had leapt from the roof as soon as the rope was tied to his partner's waist, determined to stop the rapid fall. The girl stumbled, collapsed to her knees on the road. A car screeched it's brakes and skidded to a stop just before it hit her. She swore, pushing to her feet and throwing herself forward into a sprint. The others looked at each other for a moment before discarding the rope and running in pursuit.
"Keep us updated on her location." Trinity felt the road beneath her feet, remembering when she had made her first jump and plummeted to the hard ground. She was surprised the girl hadn't done the same.
"Why don't we just pull the program?" Link asked, rattling out the path the girl had taken.
"She'll just keep running, and it's too dangerous once she's jacked in." Phone pressed to her ear, she pointed in the appropriate direction, Neo was able to run faster and get around in front of the girl so he changed his course, Morpheus would be his guide. Link swore.
"What?" Trinity dodged an elderly couple taking a stroll through the inner-city park.
"You're not going to believe this…" A cyclist rushed past, a pack of dogs hot on his heels.
"What Link?" She was getting annoyed, managing to just catch sight of the girl when something would get in her way.
"There are Agents, three on her tail."
"What!" There was no doubting that Morpheus was now talking to Neo as Link talked to her, trying to get them out before something happened. "There aren't supposed to be any Agents in the program yet!"
"Don't I know it. I can't get her on her phone so I can't get her to an exit. Why do we keep putting her in?"
"She needs to learn." Link took a moment to reply, shocked at the coldness in her voice.
"Thirty-first and Main, exit. Twenty-fifth is her."
"Thanks Link." She hung up, using her arms to aid momentum, almost flying through the crowds, none of the 'people' morphing into Agents. She could see Neo now, turning the corner onto the same streets she was, a thankful smile touching her lips for the briefest instant. Then they saw the Agents, three who looked like nothing they had ever seen before. Pushing themselves faster they saw the girl, leaping over garbage bins that her pursuers misjudged, weaving in and out of the masses of people like a cutting horse through cattle, still she wouldn't slow down, the cape missing from her shoulders.
"Neo, we have to get to her first!" He nodded, pausing so he could take to the air and pluck her from the crowd. Trinity tried to divert the Agents, but to no avail, they didn't care about her at all, they wanted Harregale. He reached down and grabbed the girl by the waist, pulling her from the crowd. He said something to her, right against her ear, and she stopped struggling, Neo pivoting mid-air to scope Trinity up in his now free arm. She rolled her eyes a little, raising an arm for him to grab. Their hands locked around the other's wrist and he sped back to the roof where the whole mess had started, setting them down gently.
"What the hell happened just now?" The girl was the colour of the moonlight, pale against the black leather of Neo's coat sleeves as he held her by the shoulders.
"That's was normally happens, isn't it?" She seemed almost certain for a moment, then questioning at the looks of shock too quick to be masked on her rescuers' faces.
"No, that never happens on the Neb." His voice was soft, quiet and slightly breathless. She made a small 'oh' sound before turning her head away, fingers clasped together so hard the knuckles went white.
"Arre, you have to stop running as soon as your feet touch the ground," Trinity said, sitting beside the girl, Neo settling on the other, head back against the cool wall of the stairwell that lead to the top of the building.
"But then I'll go to the white room and I never want to go there again."
"The white room is called the construct," Morpheus' deep voice echoed slightly as he walked towards them. Trinity smiled a little, trust him to show up and explain everything. "That is where all the programs, like this one and the Agent training program, are loaded up so you can access them. It is also possible to load other things into the construct, weaponry, clothes, there is even a program that allows you to show others dreams now. The white room you were sent to was merely the construct, the program needed only to be rebooted and you would have been back in, or you could have been unplugged safely from there at any time." He knelt before her, removing his sunglasses to look her in the eyes. "We never, under any circumstances, leave a member of our crew in the construct for an extended period of time." She looked to Trinity, uncertain.
"Am I a part of your crew now?" The woman smiled, Neo speaking his agreeance and Morpheus copied Trinity, a smile touching his lips.
"You are a member of my crew until you take a role somewhere else." He said, watching her reaction. The girl licked her lips, watching the others thoughtfully.
"Can I make things in the construct? Harmless things, I mean." She looked uncertain.
"You can guard our ship against viruses from the Matrix if you like. I saw the work you did on our comm links and I'm impressed." He smiled reassuringly. "No one told me, I check my ship everyday. You are welcome to create whatever you like, harmless or useful, in the construct after you finish training."
"That means you have to stop running. The sooner we can get you trained the sooner we can visit the Oracle and find your brother." Trinity said with a small smile. The girl was silent a moment before setting her jaw determinedly and nodding. She lowered her eyes.
"I'm sorry I caused so much trouble, I'll listen better from now on." The captain inclined his head, standing with a smile as he replaced his sunglasses and vanished. The girl blinked and mouthed a silent 'wow'. Neo did the same, smiling at the both in turn, his smile to Trinity speaking volumes that only they would understand. The woman stood, offering her hand to her charge.
"Let's get this training done. I'm pretty sure you'll make the jump this time." The girl stood with a nod, watching as her supervisor jumped the gap easily. She mimicked her, adding a flip to soften the landing. She was rewarded with a smile and they continued with the training for almost another hour. By then the girl had mastered the Jump program and had been re-introduced to the Agent training, which was taken very slowly. They left the programs directly, not risking the white room for a moment. Neo unplugged the girl and for a second she went into blind panic, but Trinity called her, ushering her to the galley for a meal and then to bed for rest. Neo smiled, shaking his head slightly at this new side to the woman he loved. He knew that she would be leaning against the wall again that night so he prepared a comfy spot for both of them. After he and Morpheus contacted the other captains on broadcast level and Commander Locke at Zion. Trinity still had questions to ask the girl.