Chapter Two: Purgatory

A phone ringing jolted Neo out of his silent reflection. He glanced over at Mukti, who pointed to a small touch-tone phone hanging on the wall.

"It's for you," she said. His confusion only grew. Samsara got up and walked to the phone, answering it. He listened and beckoned Neo over. Neo got up and walked to the phone, taking the receiver from Samsara.

"Hello?"

"Mister Anderson," said a familiar voice at the end of the line. "I thought you had survived. It seems as long as one of us lives, the other cannot die."

"So it does."

"The reason I have called, Mister Anderson, is to tell you that I your time draws short. Somehow you escaped my grasp, but you will be mine soon."

"This isn't over, Smith. Not by a long shot."

"Oh, yes it is. And you have lost. The rest of you hasn't realized it yet, but your mind knows, doesn't it? I am a machine, Mister Anderson, quite literally. I will hunt you down. I will never tire, and I will never stop."

The line went dead. Neo hung the phone back up, then suddenly snatched the receiver back.

"This line reaches the outside?" he asked. Mukti nodded.

"Good."

"Call incoming!" Myst shouted from the Core. Morpheus came over and grabbed the headset from her.

"This is Morpheus. Who is this?"

"Morpheus!"

"Neo?"

"Yes, sir."

"Impossible. He's dead. Who is this?"

"Captain, listen carefully. This is Neo. I don't fully understand what happened myself, but the restart of the Matrix apparently triggered a rewriting of me. I am in the Chateau right now, living as an Exile. I am here with two programs created by the Oracle's code."

Myst leaned in from behind Morpheus.

"Seraph mentioned two such programs to me."
"Okay, is this is Neo, tell me something only he would know."

"Morpheus…"

"What?"

"Fine…Remember that time during my first visit to Zion? I tried to flush a toilet and wasn't sure which button to press…"

Morpheus started laughing.

"That one I do remember."

"Morpheus, I need help."

"We'll get you out."

"That's just the thing. I've been informed that the Chateau has been removed from the Matrix, that it's impossible to reach by normal means."

"What do we do?"

"Well, hold on. There's someone who can explain this better."

Morpheus and Myst heard the phone being passed from hand to hand, and a feminine voice emerged from over the line.

"Hello, Morpheus."

"Who is this?"

"My name is Mukti. I need to tell you how you can get here. There is a man inside the Matrix known as the Prophet. He was the companion to Samsara and I in our previous form. Lynx has met him. He can tell you what to do."

"Alright, but – "

"Our time is brief. I must go."

She hung up.

Neo glanced at Mukti.

"Why such a hurry?"

"Seraph is coming."

At that moment, the doors swung open and Seraph walked in.

"Greetings," Samara said. "We've been expecting you."

"Of course," said Seraph. "Neo."

"Seraph," Neo returned.

"I am glad to see you survived your ordeal," Seraph said, "though not in a physical sense."

"Yes, I'm glad too," Neo said.

"However, I must apologize."

"You are here to test me again?"

"Yes. I must measure your hearts resolve if you wish to pass these doors back into the world of the living."

Neo bowed to Seraph. The guardian bowed back and squared off into a fighting position. Neo swung his left foot in and Seraph jumped over. The program flipped to land behind Neo and struck him in the neck, sending him stumbling forwards.

Neo turned around and jumped up, kicking out with both feet. Seraph batted both blows away and moved in close, striking at Neo's chest. The man flipped over and landed on his feet far away. He motioned Seraph forward.

Seraph dashed forward, sliding at Neo's feet. Neo jumped over his attack and landed behind him, dashing at the program. Seraph leapt to his feet and blocked Neo's fist, hitting him in the stomach and sending him crashing into a wall. Seraph held up a hand.

"Enough."

Neo climbed to his feet.

"I'm not done yet," he said. Seraph nodded and attacked. Neo blocked a slashing blow and jabbed Seraph in the chest with his fist. The program grabbed Neo's fist and twisted it. Neo flipped sideways with the counter and landed on his feet, yanking his hand from Seraph's. The program jumped and kicked at Neo's head. Neo jerked his head back and brought his hands up, propelling Seraph over him. Seraph twisted in midair and landed on his feet. He hopped onto one foot and kicked Neo in the chest. Neo flew through the air and fell to the ground, stunned.

"I'm sorry," Seraph said, "but you are not ready yet."

He walked from the room.

Samsara helped Neo to his feet.

"And that is why we are here, Neo. To help you."

Neo floated in the center of the room, legs crossed and arms folded. His eyes were open, and his sunglasses lay on the ground.

"Center yourself," Mukti said, her voice cutting through the silence.

"I am," said Neo, breathing out. Samsara nodded in satisfaction.

"Fight me," he ordered. Neo dropped to his feet. Samsara started forward, striking at Neo's head. The One blocked his attack with a fist and moved backwards with it, dragging Samsara across his foot and tripping him to the ground. Mukti leapt in, hitting Neo in the chest with a roundhouse kick. Neo flipped in midair and landed on his feet.

"Patience," Samsara coached. "Release will come."

Mukti came in from the side, swinging a fist. Neo blocked with his left and hit her with an uppercut from his right. She stumbled backwards and Samsara darted in with a straight kick. Neo batted the leg aside and ducked past the program's guard, striking him once and sending him flying. Mukti grabbed Neo and pulled him backwards. He stumbled backwards, and Mukti hopped into the air and hit him in the chest with a quick kick. Neo flipped over backwards to land behind Samsara.

Mukti held up her hand.

"We have visitors."

The Merovingian and Persephone had both entered the room, flanked by the Twins. The four came to a stop before Neo.

"This was not wholly unanticipated," the Merovingian said. "And now that I have you, the question is what shall I do?"
Neo was calm. "Merovingian, the only solution that leaves you alive is to let me go. I do not make idle threats, I am only warning you. Release me."

"Release you?" the Merovingian laughed. "You are dead, boy. I thought these two" – he indicated Samsara and Mukti – "would have made you realize that by now. I cannot do anything to harm you. You however, cannot leave this room, or do anything to harm me, until you have passed the guardian. And you will never pass him. He is too strong, and you are too weak."

The Merovingian left. Persephone stayed behind.

"What do you want?" Neo asked tonelessly. "A kiss in exchange for freedom?"

"My husband and I seldom agree," she said. "But on one thing we do. We need you alive, and here. He wants you as leverage over me. I need you to destroy Smith."

"What?"

"Haven't you guessed yet, Neo? The Mother of the Matrix – the Motherboard? She and I are one."

"I know him," Lynx said. "He met me at the Oracle's once and guided Neo to the Source."

"Where can we find him?" Morpheus asked.

"I don't know."

"Think, Lynx," Trinity urged. "Neo's life could depend on it."

"I remember him from the Oracle's apartment," Lynx said, shrugging. "That would be a good place to start."

"Let's go," said Trinity.

Neo had another companion in the world of the dead. Ghost was there, unharmed but unresponsive. He lay in a coma on the ground, eyes open and staring into nothingness.

"The Merovingian has trapped him in his own private hell," Mukti said.

Neo nodded. "Can I help him?"

"There is a way, but it is dangerous," Samsara answered.

"What?"

"If you enter his dream world and defeat his foe, you can free him. He will wake aboard your ship."

"Send me in."

Neo opened his eyes to the City. Ghost stood in the middle of the clearing, doing battle with the man Neo knew as Drake.

"Neo!" Ghost shouted. Drake turned.

"They will pay for this," he said. He turned to face Neo. Neo broke into a run, dashing at Drake. Drake swung at his head, but Neo blocked the blow and returned it with more force. Drake jerked his head to the side and pushed up on the attack, sending Neo's arm out of the way. He turned his move into a jump and reverse kick. Neo's head moved with the attack, and his body came around. A fist struck Drake in the cheek and sent him flying.

Drake climbed to his feet, wiping dirt from his cheek.

"You'll pay for that," he spat, along with a glob of blood. He dashed forward again. Neo sidestepped and tripped him, sending him flailing. Drake climbed back to his feet and rushed at Neo. Neo blocked a high attack and jammed his fist into Drake. Drake stumbled backwards two steps.

Neo smiled grimly. Drake hissed in agitation.

"You haven't won yet, boy."

Neo jammed his hand into Drake as he had seen Smith do. Neo concentrated, and a program spread out from his attack. Drake screamed as the deletion overtook him. He vanished in a flash of code.

Ghost opened his eyes aboard the Nebuchadnezzar. Myst was at his side in an instant.

"Ghost?"

"I'm fine."

"What the hell happened?"

"Neo got me out somehow."

Myst marveled. "Even when he's dead he helps us."

"What?"

"I have a lot to explain."

Lynx opened the door to the Oracle's apartment.

"Trinity, over here."

The woman came over and looked at what Lynx was holding. It was an old, slightly bent spoon.

"What do we do with it?" Trinity asked. As the two watched, the spoon slowly melted away in their hands. A door opened in the hallway.

"Greetings Lynx," the Prophet said.