My Name Is Neo
Sentinels. . . Everywhere, Sentinels.
"Come on, Daddy." Angel's voice.
Smith stood in a burning Zion. Sentinels flying in a pattern everywhere. Wreckage of debris, and human bodies lay at his feet. He didn't know what was happening, what was going on. The shock of being there clouded his thinking.
"Come on, Daddy." Angel said again.
Smith looked up to see Angel standing on a broken Sentinel. She smiled at him with her smile, happy, seemingly unaware of what was happening around them.
"Angel?" He said.
"Come on, Daddy. We have to go now." She said.
"But where?"
She laughed as if the answer was obvious.
"Away, of course. Away from the fighting." She finally said.
Smith started breathing faster, something was wrong. He didn't know what was happening. He started panting, and looking frantically in all directions. Seeing the falling city of Zion, and the APUs being destroyed slowly. Chaos was around him, but Angel seemed so calm.
"Let's go play, Daddy. No more fighting. I know you're tired." She said, holding out her hand.
"Tired?" Smith said, still panting.
"No more fighting, Daddy. I know it tires you. No more fighting, just playing. Okay, Daddy?"
Smith stared at his daughter. She continued to smile, as if the Sentinels were a million miles away. She had her hand out, ready for him to grab it. Smith didn't want this. He didn't want to be there. To be in a dying city, a war that cannot be won. He didn't want the bodies of both Machine and Man to be near him anymore. To feel the heat of the fires and the guns to make his skin sweat. To have bruises from the falling metals. Or even to have swollen fists from hitting Mr. Anderson. She was right. He was tired of this. He started breathing normally again. Then he nodded to her.
"Alright, Angel. We'll go play now." He said.
Angel smiled, and bent down closer to him with her hand out. Smith started to climb closer to her, reaching his hand out to hers. But then the roaring of the Sentinels grew faster, and louder, like thunder almost. Smith's hand was only an inch from Angel's. Then Sentinels came. They flew by going faster than the eye could go. They swept Angel up, her smiling face disappearing in the blur of the Machines. They flew by only inches from Smith's hand, still waiting for Angel's to grab it. And then they were gone, along with Angel.
Smith stood there, too scared to move. His arm trembling. He started shaking. Angel. . . His Angel. . . What had happened?! She was gone! Killed! The first thing Smith thought of was, no. No. No. No. No! No! No!
Smith woke up with a jolt, almost screaming. He looked around in the dark room frantically. But he saw that his Angel still lay asleep in her bed. He breathed heavily, scared. What had happened? He asked himself. He realized he was sweating slightly, from the fear. His hand was trembling, as he looked at it. A dream. No, a nightmare, he told himself. He breathed in slowly trying to calm down. It seemed so real. He felt hot in his suit with all the fires around him. He could feel the debris on his hands. The wind the Sentinels made as they flew by. But it wasn't real. It was just a dream. Just a dream, he told himself over and over again. Just a dream. Angel was still there, but then he realized he should be like this. He shouldn't dream, he shouldn't be scared for Angel. Not when he is so close to his goal. Not now. He shouldn't be like this towards Angel, she would soon fulfill her purpose, and die. He shouldn't, but he did.
Smith swallowed hard, and quickly left the room. He took a deep breath as he stood in the cold hallway, with the sun coming up. Then he raised his head looking in both directions. He never noticed how cold the hallway was, or how empty. He never noticed the peeling paint, or the broken glass on the floor. Smith never knew how anything was. . .
He stood there for a moment longer, wondering what was going on. He had never dreamed before, he never slept, or felt such fear. He never was like this. He was Smith. Strong and mighty. The best Agent there was, now free. He was Smith. He would soon have enough power to hold both worlds in his hand. But now he was confused. Not accepting he was. He shouldn't be like this. Not like them, the humans. He shouldn't be confused and cold. But nothing could stop the fact that he was. He couldn't stop that, and he didn't like that. This never happened before Angel, he was different before her. It was her fault almost. But he shouldn't have been blaming her. He didn't understand, because he was not willing to understand.
He growled to himself, and ran out of the hallway quickly. Running away from the coldness and the sensations that he never wanted to know. He ran as fast as he could away from them, putting his shades on, hiding his eyes. He nearly jumped down the stairs. Still running, he ran into three copies. He stepped back a little surprised to see them. They slightly exchanged glances, confused by Smith's hurry.
"What is it?" Smith asked, angry to be disturbed.
"Why were you in there for so long?" The copy to his right asked.
"Why are you running?" The one on the left asked.
Smith hated their curiosity, but they were him, which meant he was curious when he was like them.
"Why are you asking so many questions?" Smith spat back at them.
The copies again shot glances at each other.
"We have information." The middle one said.
"And what might that be?" Smith said, obviously annoyed.
"The Oracle."
Suddenly Smith was interested.
"We have a perfect opportunity now."
"We can get her."
"Assimilate her."
"Her power will be more than we need."
The Oracle. A powerful program constantly playing a risky game. The Oracle. The powerful being who had guided Mr. Anderson in every version of the Matrix. The Oracle. She was indeed powerful. If Smith could get her, her power will add to his. He could already kill Mr. Anderson, but with such a boost as with the Oracle's, it would be a sure win for Smith. Smith took a moment to think about this. He would be able to kill Mr. Anderson easily. He could engulf the whole Matrix then, and then the Real World even easier. He would be so powerful. That was enough to get Smith to smile that eerie way. His smile that always meant the worst for others. It was enough to make Smith stop worrying, to stop thinking of the cold or how he was. He would have power. That's all he thought about.
"Now the experiment is obsolete." A copy interrupted his thinking.
"What?" Smith asked, surprised.
"Yes, if we successfully acquire the Oracle, and the rest of the city- -"
"Or even if Bane succeeds."
"Our power will be to great."
"The experiment could be deleted."
They were talking about Angel. Smith's calmness ended abruptly. They wanted to kill Angel, delete her. He knew that had to be done. But. . . But. . . He couldn't, he knew he couldn't. He had to, but he couldn't. . . He searched his mind, trying to hide the fact that he was scared from his copies. He thanked the human god he had his sunglasses on.
"Yes. . ." He started searching for an answer. "But if none succeed we will still have Angel."
"Angel?" Smith heard from the back of the room. He realized he shouldn't have called her by her name.
"It is illogical to keep her." A copy said.
"Zion will be destroyed by tomorrow."
"Even if Mr. Anderson survived."
"He would have no time for a mere child."
"There is no reason to keep her, she is only a burden."
They were right. Why was he keeping Angel? There was no reason, no purpose. Nothing can live without purpose, so in the end she must be deleted. But Smith couldn't bring himself to do that. . . She hadn't done anything wrong, why should she suffer then? She had been scared, and she went into his arms. She cried, but he made her stop. She had no purpose. She had no purpose. No purpose. None. None at all. She had no purpose, she needed to be deleted. Smith knew that, but. . . He had to delete her. He had to, or everything he had worked for would be for nothing. . . But. . . He wouldn't accept the reason he was keeping her. He wouldn't even think of that one word, that connection. He didn't understand it, and he didn't accept it.
"Daddy!" Angel called.
Smith turned, and the copies looked up. Angel came running down in her suite.
"Daddy I need to go out, please!" Angel pleaded.
Too entangled in what was already happening Smith wasn't thinking clearly.
"Where?" He asked.
"It's a surprise."
". . . Alright. We have to meet somewhere though."
"Where?"
"The Oracle's. . . Just a couple of blocks away from here. . ."
"Alright, Daddy. I'm sure I'll find you, it's hard not to with your copies."
"Yes. . ."
"Bye, Daddy! I'll see you soon."
Angel was out the door. Smith wasn't thinking right. He didn't know what really had just happened. He looked down, replaying it all again in his head. The copies looked at him.
"Why did you let her go?" One said. "We could have deleted her."
There was a long silence, as Smith didn't answer.
"Do you have feelings for her?" A copy asked, shocked from the words he was saying.
"No, that's impossible."
"Then why does he not answer?"
"But he has lead us to this."
"He cannot feel, he is us."
The copies began to argue among themselves. Their voices growing louder, like the sound of the Sentinels. They began to clash among themselves, all forming into one noise just like the Sentinels. So many voices, all at the same time. They never stopped. Smith could hear his voice, over and over again. His voice coming out of their mouths. He was saying these things, when they were. It was overwhelming.
"Enough!" Smith yelled.
All went dead silent, and Smith's eyes all stared at him.
Smith enjoyed the brief silence, but then got back to the point. He had to do this.
"We can all agree Angel is no longer needed?"
The copies looked around at each other. Smith knew what their answer would be, he feared it. He knew what he must do. He didn't want to. But he had to.
"Yes." They said all at the same time.
"Alright. . . Today."
Smith started to walk back upstairs. He didn't want to be with his copies anymore. He wanted to be alone, like he used to be. He knew what he had to do, delete Angel. He didn't want to. . . But if he didn't all his work would be for nothing. He couldn't allow her to get in the way, but there was always this 'but' in his mind. But she is yours, but has done nothing, but she is only a child, but, but, but. . . He wasn't sure he could do it, though. If he could delete her. He didn't feel right, doing that. Maybe he would have a copy do it. He didn't want her to be deleted though. He'd done so much with that child, that girl, that. . . That little, amazing, beautiful, child, with his eyes whose name was Angel. Smith froze. What was happening to him?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The answer is simple. . . I love my daughter very much. I think she is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. But where we come from that is not enough. Everything needs a purpose. Without purpose a program must be deleted. I went to the Frenchman to save my daughter."
The man stood, his hands holding his daughter, Sati's shoulder. Mr. Anderson looked at him confused.
"You are confused."
"It is a human emotion." Mr. Anderson finally says.
"No, it is a word. It is the connection it implies. . . I see that you are in love. Tell me, what would you do to save that connection?"
"Everything." Mr. Anderson says, understanding.
"Then perhaps the reason you are here, is not so different from the reason I am here."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Angel ran down the street, smiling her own smile. Her plan was coming together. The day was young, and Mr. Anderson stood no chance against her. She would make her father proud.
She had to find a computer. She ran into the building with the computer, and jumped over the stairs, faster than she could go. There she found those boys from yesterday. They looked quickly over at her.
"Hey, Matrix girl!" One boy said, raising his hand.
"What?" Angel said.
"You called that green stuff you make 'Matrix.'"
"Oh, yes, yes I did." She replied.
They were annoying her. She didn't want to be in the presence of such disgusting creatures. But then she came up with an idea.
"I'm here to do that again. Would you like to aid me?" Angel asked.
"Ah, hell yeah."
"That 'Matrix' was cool!"
Angel smiled her father's smile. They were so easy to manipulate.
"Then I will need that computer." She said.
The boys moved out of her way, allowing her to sit there. She typed faster than before, wanting to get away from them as fast as she could. Then the green appeared on the screen. The boys looked over amazed. But Angel stared at it finding no Mr. Anderson.
"Dammit." She said. "I need that computer too." Angel pointed to the next one, perhaps Mr. Anderson was in anther part of the Matrix.
Again the green appeared on the screen, but with no Mr. Anderson.
"Another one."
Soon there were five monitors, all with the green code. They had shifted the desks so they all faced Angel. She looked at each monitor, squinted at the endless code, looking for only one.
"What are you looking for?" A boy asked.
Then there was a shift on the fourth monitor. Something happening, the code shifting away from one spot.
"What the hell- -" Angel turned to see it.
Something was happening there.
"That's different." She said, squinting.
"What?"
"What is it!?"
Something was wrong. Angel knew Mr. Anderson had to be there, but there was nothing, accept this little shift in the subway.
"It's got to be him. . ." She whispered.
"What!?"
Angel turned and ran down the stairs, leaving the poor little human males alone. She ran as fast as she could down the street and towards the subway, where the shift had occurred. She jumped into the stairs of the subway. She looked so out of place. A little girl in a suit, alone in the subway. Angel walked around for a while, scanning the subway. She saw the humans in their greatest filth. Disgusting. But then they soon left, leaving Angel all alone. She smiled. She stepped in front of a wall looking up at it. This is where the shift was occurring. But all she saw was a wall. Something was wrong. But then she realized, what if it isn't the wall, but behind it. She looked at it for a little longer. She had to be sure.
"Ok, Daddy. Time to see how much I've learned from you." She said to herself.
Angel took her hand, and looked at it. Then lunged it into the wall, breaking the code. The wall rippled like a puddle, and her hand stuck in it. She was hacking, just like her father did when copying. She tried to remember what he did afterwards. She could feel her code, mixing with the wall's. She knew her father now would copy his code to the wall's. But she didn't want to do that. She wanted to open it. She made her code destroy the wall's, leaving a gap in the Matrix for a moment. There where the wall once stood, now was just a black gap, and it was closing. Angel stood back, laughing at her achievement. She did it. Father would be proud, she thought. Angel poked her head through the gap. It was something beyond the Matrix. A small little world connecting the Real World to the Matrix, it was the Train Station. And in the light at the end of the tunnel sat Mr. Anderson. Angel smiled. She had done well.
She crawled through the gap as it closed, and she lay on tracks of the train, in the darkness, away from Mr. Anderson's view. She stood in silence in the tunnel. Gathering the courage to confront Mr. Anderson. Then she noticed, he looked different. No longer did he wear a cloak, but a type of suit. He looked so different.
"Hello, Mr. Anderson." She said, her voice echoing in the tunnel.
Mr. Anderson looked up, out of his train of thought. Surprised, almost scared to hear a voice, especially a child's.
"It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Anderson." Angel continued.
Mr. Anderson stood up, looking all around. Trying to find the cause of the echoes.
"Where are you? Who are you?" Mr. Anderson said in a demanding voice.
"Are you sure you are Mr. Anderson? You don't look like him, or at least the Mr. Anderson I remember. Are you sure you are him?
Mr. Anderson knew that tone of voice. That voice with the sound of hatred in it. The way Mr. Anderson was said, causing chills to go down his spine. He had heard that voice for so long, but that was impossible. But no one said Mr. Anderson that way. No one called him Mr. Anderson. No one said his name with such anger.
"My name is Neo." He said, strongly.
"Then you are him. You look different. The Mr. Anderson I remember wore a long black cloak. It blew in the wind, casting a dark shadow upon all who could see it. Striking fear and terror to all. His face was masked by sunglasses too dark to show his eyes. His skin was white and pale, cold as a snowstorm. He showed no emotion, unlike any other human, as if he weren't really alive. That is the Mr. Anderson I remember. But you. . . You look just like them. Just one in six billion. You look weak, just like them. It will be easy killing you." Angel said in the tone of her father.
"What?" Mr. Anderson said, confused and scared. A child wanted to kill him. "Why!? What have I done!?"
"Everything. . ." Angel said.
Angel emerged from the shadows, throwing her sunglasses to the floor. She stared at Mr. Anderson, looking at him for the first time. This would indeed be easy. She jumped off the tracks, to the other side of the platform. Angel could see the confusion in Mr. Anderson's eyes. She smirked like her father. Mr. Anderson couldn't believe what he saw.
"You're just a child!" Mr. Anderson yelled.
"Do not underestimate me, Mr. Anderson?"
"Who are you!?"
"Can't you see the family resemblance?"
"What?"
There was silence, as Angel stood there. Mr. Anderson couldn't believe it. Here a girl with blue eyes, came to him in a suit! Her voice just like his. . . Could it be? Mr. Anderson thought.
Angel giggled, and jumped into Mr. Anderson's face. Then kicked him in the chest, before he could ever realize what she was doing. She was faster than him, she had an advantage. He fell to the ground.
"I won't fight you." He said.
"Good, it will just make this easier."
Angel jumped into the air, landing on Mr. Anderson's spine. She jumped off, looking down at the poor human. He didn't move for a moment. Angel felt safe, she shouldn't have. Mr. Anderson kicked towards her legs, making her trip. He jumped up onto his feet. He got his fist ready. Angel looked up at him, and smirked. She slipped on the floor, going under his legs to his back. She kicked him, sending him back to the floor. Mr. Anderson got up quicker. He tried punching her, then a kick. Angel dodged them both, her father had trained her well. She then jumped back. And kicked herself off the wall towards Mr. Anderson. He dodged, and she twisted herself to kick off the other wall, she didn't miss that time. Mr. Anderson lay on the floor, with Angel above him. They both jumped up. And they repeatedly tried punching and kicking each other.
"I expected more from you, Mr. Anderson." Angel said.
How this child fought seemed so familiar to Mr. Anderson. But it couldn't have been. . .
"Where did you learn to fight?" He called.
"From my father!"
"And who is that?"
"I think you know him."
Angel punched Mr. Anderson right in the chin.
"That can't be." Mr. Anderson whispered on the floor.
Angel stood above Mr. Anderson. Her father would be so proud. But then Mr. Anderson lunged for her. Grabbing Angel, they fell to the ground. Mr. Anderson held Angel down to the floor, panting from the fight. They stared at each other.
"Who. . . Who are you?" He asked.
Angel smirked.
"Smith. . . Angel Smith."
"What?"
"My father. . . He is Agent Smith. . ."
"That can't be. . ."
She could see it. Mr. Anderson was getting confused, unwilling to realize the truth.
"And why not, Mr. Anderson?" She asked.
Mr. Anderson started shaking his head in denial.
"That's not Smith. . . He'd never do that. . . Never. . ."
Mr. Anderson seemed so sure of himself, it was beginning to worry Angel. She could see it in his eyes. He was saying the truth. . . But that meant. . .
"What is your purpose!?" Mr. Anderson demanded.
"I am to help him. . ." Angel said, unsure.
"No. . . That's not it. . . It can't be. Smith. . . He'd never do this. . ."
"What are you saying, Mr. Anderson?"
"Smith is a program. He has his purpose. . . And now he's free. He's going to destroy everything now. He'll kill everything and everyone. Just to fuel his rage. . . You can't be his child. . . Not without a purpose to kill. . ."
"Of course he'll kill everything! You humans have plagued this world! You don't deserve to live!"
"That's a lie!"
"No!"
Angel through herself off of Mr. Anderson. He still sat on the floor, as she stood up. He stared off into nothing.
"We are humans. Smith has killed so many of us. . . All he knows is hatred. . .How can he love a child? What did he tell you?" Mr. Anderson was now sounding calm.
"You're lying. After what you did to him! He should kill you!" Angel yelled.
"But. . .he killed me first. . ."
"What?"
Angel could see it. Mr. Anderson was telling the truth. No longer did he appear terrifying to her, nor weak. He seemed strong, and confident. He wasn't lying was he?
"He loves me. . ." Angel said.
"No. . .He hates emotion. . . That is just a distraction. . .He won't even accept that he feels anger towards me."
"But. . ."
"What did he tell you?"
"He told me you hurt him!"
"He kidnapped my friend, and nearly drove him insane! He almost killed the love of my life, and chased me to my death! He shot me! He shot me repeatedly, and he enjoyed it!"
Mr. Anderson got up now, belittling Angel. He was telling the truth. . .
"You're lying. . . Humans are a plague. . . You're lying. . .You are - -" Angel said, afraid.
"I am Neo."
"Neo?"
"I fight for freedom. I need to free the humans from the machines."
"He never told me your name was Neo. . ."
"My name is Neo, I am The One. I fight for freedom. I love a beautiful woman name Trinity. My ship is the Nebachannezzer. My captain, Morpheus. The operator - -"
"He never told me that. . ." Angel said, weakly.
"Angel. . . Angel I think you have a bigger purpose to you. He wouldn't have created you just to have you. . . There must be a bigger plan, and I assure you it involves death. He's not going to stop. He's going to destroy everything. . ."
"He doesn't understand. . . He doesn't see the beauty in things. . ."
Angel got out the book of poetry and lyrics from her jacket pocket. She looked down at it. Smith didn't realize the beauty in those words. She looked up at Neo. His eyes full of truth.
"I fight for freedom. I'm fighting a war." Neo said.
"A war?. . ."
"The machines have enslaved us. We didn't plague the planet, they did. There are no trees in the Real World, no flowers, not even a sky. I am The One. And I have to find a way to free everyone, or Zion will be destroyed."
"Zion?"
"My home. . . But Smith. . . He's going to kill us all. Machine and man alike. He doesn't care. It doesn't matter. He'll never understand love, or beauty. . ."
"But he's my father. . . He loves me. . ."
"You are only part of something. . . You will serve your purpose, then be deleted."
"No!"
"He's lied to you."
"No!"
Neo grabbed Angel by the shoulders. He looked at her in the face, she knew he was telling the truth. She never saw this look in her father's eyes. Never. Neo spoke the truth. But she couldn't accept that! Her father loved her! He protected her! He held her! He loved her! He did! But. . . This purity in Neo's eyes. This was unlike anything in her father's. They were pure, sweet, warm. . . But. . . She knew there was more to Smith, but Neo was right. He had lied to her. But she wasn't ready to accept that.
"No!! No!! He's my father!!"
Angel pushed away from Neo. She ran away from him, without looking back at his pure eyes. She ran away from the truth, unable to realize it. All Smith had done for her. . . Held her, slept with her, stayed with her, protected her, they were lies? She was so young. How could she deal with such a thing? Simple. She didn't. Tears began to fill her eyes from the truth. Neo let her go, without fighting. She ran to the wall and hacked herself out.
Neo sat back down, having had that past. He thought about it for so long. But just gave up, he would face Smith later, if he ever got out of there.
"Okay. You got yourself here, you can get yourself out." He said to himself.
Then the train came, and in it was Trinity.
Angel ran down the street. Tears in her eyes, staining her suit. She wouldn't accept it. She wouldn't. She couldn't allow herself to. But in the end she knew it was true. She had to see her father, see Smith. Make sure. Confront him. But. . . Angel had to. She had to make sure with her father. She knew he loved her, but. . . What if he was lying. She looked back in the subway, then ran as fast as she could the other way.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Next Chapter: What Are You Doing?
Oh god this took me a long time, but it's worth it I know. Let the emotion begin. . .
P.S. Anyone notice I call Neo 'Mr. Anderson' until Angel finds out his real name? Huh? Just a little creative genius there.
Sentinels. . . Everywhere, Sentinels.
"Come on, Daddy." Angel's voice.
Smith stood in a burning Zion. Sentinels flying in a pattern everywhere. Wreckage of debris, and human bodies lay at his feet. He didn't know what was happening, what was going on. The shock of being there clouded his thinking.
"Come on, Daddy." Angel said again.
Smith looked up to see Angel standing on a broken Sentinel. She smiled at him with her smile, happy, seemingly unaware of what was happening around them.
"Angel?" He said.
"Come on, Daddy. We have to go now." She said.
"But where?"
She laughed as if the answer was obvious.
"Away, of course. Away from the fighting." She finally said.
Smith started breathing faster, something was wrong. He didn't know what was happening. He started panting, and looking frantically in all directions. Seeing the falling city of Zion, and the APUs being destroyed slowly. Chaos was around him, but Angel seemed so calm.
"Let's go play, Daddy. No more fighting. I know you're tired." She said, holding out her hand.
"Tired?" Smith said, still panting.
"No more fighting, Daddy. I know it tires you. No more fighting, just playing. Okay, Daddy?"
Smith stared at his daughter. She continued to smile, as if the Sentinels were a million miles away. She had her hand out, ready for him to grab it. Smith didn't want this. He didn't want to be there. To be in a dying city, a war that cannot be won. He didn't want the bodies of both Machine and Man to be near him anymore. To feel the heat of the fires and the guns to make his skin sweat. To have bruises from the falling metals. Or even to have swollen fists from hitting Mr. Anderson. She was right. He was tired of this. He started breathing normally again. Then he nodded to her.
"Alright, Angel. We'll go play now." He said.
Angel smiled, and bent down closer to him with her hand out. Smith started to climb closer to her, reaching his hand out to hers. But then the roaring of the Sentinels grew faster, and louder, like thunder almost. Smith's hand was only an inch from Angel's. Then Sentinels came. They flew by going faster than the eye could go. They swept Angel up, her smiling face disappearing in the blur of the Machines. They flew by only inches from Smith's hand, still waiting for Angel's to grab it. And then they were gone, along with Angel.
Smith stood there, too scared to move. His arm trembling. He started shaking. Angel. . . His Angel. . . What had happened?! She was gone! Killed! The first thing Smith thought of was, no. No. No. No. No! No! No!
Smith woke up with a jolt, almost screaming. He looked around in the dark room frantically. But he saw that his Angel still lay asleep in her bed. He breathed heavily, scared. What had happened? He asked himself. He realized he was sweating slightly, from the fear. His hand was trembling, as he looked at it. A dream. No, a nightmare, he told himself. He breathed in slowly trying to calm down. It seemed so real. He felt hot in his suit with all the fires around him. He could feel the debris on his hands. The wind the Sentinels made as they flew by. But it wasn't real. It was just a dream. Just a dream, he told himself over and over again. Just a dream. Angel was still there, but then he realized he should be like this. He shouldn't dream, he shouldn't be scared for Angel. Not when he is so close to his goal. Not now. He shouldn't be like this towards Angel, she would soon fulfill her purpose, and die. He shouldn't, but he did.
Smith swallowed hard, and quickly left the room. He took a deep breath as he stood in the cold hallway, with the sun coming up. Then he raised his head looking in both directions. He never noticed how cold the hallway was, or how empty. He never noticed the peeling paint, or the broken glass on the floor. Smith never knew how anything was. . .
He stood there for a moment longer, wondering what was going on. He had never dreamed before, he never slept, or felt such fear. He never was like this. He was Smith. Strong and mighty. The best Agent there was, now free. He was Smith. He would soon have enough power to hold both worlds in his hand. But now he was confused. Not accepting he was. He shouldn't be like this. Not like them, the humans. He shouldn't be confused and cold. But nothing could stop the fact that he was. He couldn't stop that, and he didn't like that. This never happened before Angel, he was different before her. It was her fault almost. But he shouldn't have been blaming her. He didn't understand, because he was not willing to understand.
He growled to himself, and ran out of the hallway quickly. Running away from the coldness and the sensations that he never wanted to know. He ran as fast as he could away from them, putting his shades on, hiding his eyes. He nearly jumped down the stairs. Still running, he ran into three copies. He stepped back a little surprised to see them. They slightly exchanged glances, confused by Smith's hurry.
"What is it?" Smith asked, angry to be disturbed.
"Why were you in there for so long?" The copy to his right asked.
"Why are you running?" The one on the left asked.
Smith hated their curiosity, but they were him, which meant he was curious when he was like them.
"Why are you asking so many questions?" Smith spat back at them.
The copies again shot glances at each other.
"We have information." The middle one said.
"And what might that be?" Smith said, obviously annoyed.
"The Oracle."
Suddenly Smith was interested.
"We have a perfect opportunity now."
"We can get her."
"Assimilate her."
"Her power will be more than we need."
The Oracle. A powerful program constantly playing a risky game. The Oracle. The powerful being who had guided Mr. Anderson in every version of the Matrix. The Oracle. She was indeed powerful. If Smith could get her, her power will add to his. He could already kill Mr. Anderson, but with such a boost as with the Oracle's, it would be a sure win for Smith. Smith took a moment to think about this. He would be able to kill Mr. Anderson easily. He could engulf the whole Matrix then, and then the Real World even easier. He would be so powerful. That was enough to get Smith to smile that eerie way. His smile that always meant the worst for others. It was enough to make Smith stop worrying, to stop thinking of the cold or how he was. He would have power. That's all he thought about.
"Now the experiment is obsolete." A copy interrupted his thinking.
"What?" Smith asked, surprised.
"Yes, if we successfully acquire the Oracle, and the rest of the city- -"
"Or even if Bane succeeds."
"Our power will be to great."
"The experiment could be deleted."
They were talking about Angel. Smith's calmness ended abruptly. They wanted to kill Angel, delete her. He knew that had to be done. But. . . But. . . He couldn't, he knew he couldn't. He had to, but he couldn't. . . He searched his mind, trying to hide the fact that he was scared from his copies. He thanked the human god he had his sunglasses on.
"Yes. . ." He started searching for an answer. "But if none succeed we will still have Angel."
"Angel?" Smith heard from the back of the room. He realized he shouldn't have called her by her name.
"It is illogical to keep her." A copy said.
"Zion will be destroyed by tomorrow."
"Even if Mr. Anderson survived."
"He would have no time for a mere child."
"There is no reason to keep her, she is only a burden."
They were right. Why was he keeping Angel? There was no reason, no purpose. Nothing can live without purpose, so in the end she must be deleted. But Smith couldn't bring himself to do that. . . She hadn't done anything wrong, why should she suffer then? She had been scared, and she went into his arms. She cried, but he made her stop. She had no purpose. She had no purpose. No purpose. None. None at all. She had no purpose, she needed to be deleted. Smith knew that, but. . . He had to delete her. He had to, or everything he had worked for would be for nothing. . . But. . . He wouldn't accept the reason he was keeping her. He wouldn't even think of that one word, that connection. He didn't understand it, and he didn't accept it.
"Daddy!" Angel called.
Smith turned, and the copies looked up. Angel came running down in her suite.
"Daddy I need to go out, please!" Angel pleaded.
Too entangled in what was already happening Smith wasn't thinking clearly.
"Where?" He asked.
"It's a surprise."
". . . Alright. We have to meet somewhere though."
"Where?"
"The Oracle's. . . Just a couple of blocks away from here. . ."
"Alright, Daddy. I'm sure I'll find you, it's hard not to with your copies."
"Yes. . ."
"Bye, Daddy! I'll see you soon."
Angel was out the door. Smith wasn't thinking right. He didn't know what really had just happened. He looked down, replaying it all again in his head. The copies looked at him.
"Why did you let her go?" One said. "We could have deleted her."
There was a long silence, as Smith didn't answer.
"Do you have feelings for her?" A copy asked, shocked from the words he was saying.
"No, that's impossible."
"Then why does he not answer?"
"But he has lead us to this."
"He cannot feel, he is us."
The copies began to argue among themselves. Their voices growing louder, like the sound of the Sentinels. They began to clash among themselves, all forming into one noise just like the Sentinels. So many voices, all at the same time. They never stopped. Smith could hear his voice, over and over again. His voice coming out of their mouths. He was saying these things, when they were. It was overwhelming.
"Enough!" Smith yelled.
All went dead silent, and Smith's eyes all stared at him.
Smith enjoyed the brief silence, but then got back to the point. He had to do this.
"We can all agree Angel is no longer needed?"
The copies looked around at each other. Smith knew what their answer would be, he feared it. He knew what he must do. He didn't want to. But he had to.
"Yes." They said all at the same time.
"Alright. . . Today."
Smith started to walk back upstairs. He didn't want to be with his copies anymore. He wanted to be alone, like he used to be. He knew what he had to do, delete Angel. He didn't want to. . . But if he didn't all his work would be for nothing. He couldn't allow her to get in the way, but there was always this 'but' in his mind. But she is yours, but has done nothing, but she is only a child, but, but, but. . . He wasn't sure he could do it, though. If he could delete her. He didn't feel right, doing that. Maybe he would have a copy do it. He didn't want her to be deleted though. He'd done so much with that child, that girl, that. . . That little, amazing, beautiful, child, with his eyes whose name was Angel. Smith froze. What was happening to him?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The answer is simple. . . I love my daughter very much. I think she is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. But where we come from that is not enough. Everything needs a purpose. Without purpose a program must be deleted. I went to the Frenchman to save my daughter."
The man stood, his hands holding his daughter, Sati's shoulder. Mr. Anderson looked at him confused.
"You are confused."
"It is a human emotion." Mr. Anderson finally says.
"No, it is a word. It is the connection it implies. . . I see that you are in love. Tell me, what would you do to save that connection?"
"Everything." Mr. Anderson says, understanding.
"Then perhaps the reason you are here, is not so different from the reason I am here."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Angel ran down the street, smiling her own smile. Her plan was coming together. The day was young, and Mr. Anderson stood no chance against her. She would make her father proud.
She had to find a computer. She ran into the building with the computer, and jumped over the stairs, faster than she could go. There she found those boys from yesterday. They looked quickly over at her.
"Hey, Matrix girl!" One boy said, raising his hand.
"What?" Angel said.
"You called that green stuff you make 'Matrix.'"
"Oh, yes, yes I did." She replied.
They were annoying her. She didn't want to be in the presence of such disgusting creatures. But then she came up with an idea.
"I'm here to do that again. Would you like to aid me?" Angel asked.
"Ah, hell yeah."
"That 'Matrix' was cool!"
Angel smiled her father's smile. They were so easy to manipulate.
"Then I will need that computer." She said.
The boys moved out of her way, allowing her to sit there. She typed faster than before, wanting to get away from them as fast as she could. Then the green appeared on the screen. The boys looked over amazed. But Angel stared at it finding no Mr. Anderson.
"Dammit." She said. "I need that computer too." Angel pointed to the next one, perhaps Mr. Anderson was in anther part of the Matrix.
Again the green appeared on the screen, but with no Mr. Anderson.
"Another one."
Soon there were five monitors, all with the green code. They had shifted the desks so they all faced Angel. She looked at each monitor, squinted at the endless code, looking for only one.
"What are you looking for?" A boy asked.
Then there was a shift on the fourth monitor. Something happening, the code shifting away from one spot.
"What the hell- -" Angel turned to see it.
Something was happening there.
"That's different." She said, squinting.
"What?"
"What is it!?"
Something was wrong. Angel knew Mr. Anderson had to be there, but there was nothing, accept this little shift in the subway.
"It's got to be him. . ." She whispered.
"What!?"
Angel turned and ran down the stairs, leaving the poor little human males alone. She ran as fast as she could down the street and towards the subway, where the shift had occurred. She jumped into the stairs of the subway. She looked so out of place. A little girl in a suit, alone in the subway. Angel walked around for a while, scanning the subway. She saw the humans in their greatest filth. Disgusting. But then they soon left, leaving Angel all alone. She smiled. She stepped in front of a wall looking up at it. This is where the shift was occurring. But all she saw was a wall. Something was wrong. But then she realized, what if it isn't the wall, but behind it. She looked at it for a little longer. She had to be sure.
"Ok, Daddy. Time to see how much I've learned from you." She said to herself.
Angel took her hand, and looked at it. Then lunged it into the wall, breaking the code. The wall rippled like a puddle, and her hand stuck in it. She was hacking, just like her father did when copying. She tried to remember what he did afterwards. She could feel her code, mixing with the wall's. She knew her father now would copy his code to the wall's. But she didn't want to do that. She wanted to open it. She made her code destroy the wall's, leaving a gap in the Matrix for a moment. There where the wall once stood, now was just a black gap, and it was closing. Angel stood back, laughing at her achievement. She did it. Father would be proud, she thought. Angel poked her head through the gap. It was something beyond the Matrix. A small little world connecting the Real World to the Matrix, it was the Train Station. And in the light at the end of the tunnel sat Mr. Anderson. Angel smiled. She had done well.
She crawled through the gap as it closed, and she lay on tracks of the train, in the darkness, away from Mr. Anderson's view. She stood in silence in the tunnel. Gathering the courage to confront Mr. Anderson. Then she noticed, he looked different. No longer did he wear a cloak, but a type of suit. He looked so different.
"Hello, Mr. Anderson." She said, her voice echoing in the tunnel.
Mr. Anderson looked up, out of his train of thought. Surprised, almost scared to hear a voice, especially a child's.
"It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Anderson." Angel continued.
Mr. Anderson stood up, looking all around. Trying to find the cause of the echoes.
"Where are you? Who are you?" Mr. Anderson said in a demanding voice.
"Are you sure you are Mr. Anderson? You don't look like him, or at least the Mr. Anderson I remember. Are you sure you are him?
Mr. Anderson knew that tone of voice. That voice with the sound of hatred in it. The way Mr. Anderson was said, causing chills to go down his spine. He had heard that voice for so long, but that was impossible. But no one said Mr. Anderson that way. No one called him Mr. Anderson. No one said his name with such anger.
"My name is Neo." He said, strongly.
"Then you are him. You look different. The Mr. Anderson I remember wore a long black cloak. It blew in the wind, casting a dark shadow upon all who could see it. Striking fear and terror to all. His face was masked by sunglasses too dark to show his eyes. His skin was white and pale, cold as a snowstorm. He showed no emotion, unlike any other human, as if he weren't really alive. That is the Mr. Anderson I remember. But you. . . You look just like them. Just one in six billion. You look weak, just like them. It will be easy killing you." Angel said in the tone of her father.
"What?" Mr. Anderson said, confused and scared. A child wanted to kill him. "Why!? What have I done!?"
"Everything. . ." Angel said.
Angel emerged from the shadows, throwing her sunglasses to the floor. She stared at Mr. Anderson, looking at him for the first time. This would indeed be easy. She jumped off the tracks, to the other side of the platform. Angel could see the confusion in Mr. Anderson's eyes. She smirked like her father. Mr. Anderson couldn't believe what he saw.
"You're just a child!" Mr. Anderson yelled.
"Do not underestimate me, Mr. Anderson?"
"Who are you!?"
"Can't you see the family resemblance?"
"What?"
There was silence, as Angel stood there. Mr. Anderson couldn't believe it. Here a girl with blue eyes, came to him in a suit! Her voice just like his. . . Could it be? Mr. Anderson thought.
Angel giggled, and jumped into Mr. Anderson's face. Then kicked him in the chest, before he could ever realize what she was doing. She was faster than him, she had an advantage. He fell to the ground.
"I won't fight you." He said.
"Good, it will just make this easier."
Angel jumped into the air, landing on Mr. Anderson's spine. She jumped off, looking down at the poor human. He didn't move for a moment. Angel felt safe, she shouldn't have. Mr. Anderson kicked towards her legs, making her trip. He jumped up onto his feet. He got his fist ready. Angel looked up at him, and smirked. She slipped on the floor, going under his legs to his back. She kicked him, sending him back to the floor. Mr. Anderson got up quicker. He tried punching her, then a kick. Angel dodged them both, her father had trained her well. She then jumped back. And kicked herself off the wall towards Mr. Anderson. He dodged, and she twisted herself to kick off the other wall, she didn't miss that time. Mr. Anderson lay on the floor, with Angel above him. They both jumped up. And they repeatedly tried punching and kicking each other.
"I expected more from you, Mr. Anderson." Angel said.
How this child fought seemed so familiar to Mr. Anderson. But it couldn't have been. . .
"Where did you learn to fight?" He called.
"From my father!"
"And who is that?"
"I think you know him."
Angel punched Mr. Anderson right in the chin.
"That can't be." Mr. Anderson whispered on the floor.
Angel stood above Mr. Anderson. Her father would be so proud. But then Mr. Anderson lunged for her. Grabbing Angel, they fell to the ground. Mr. Anderson held Angel down to the floor, panting from the fight. They stared at each other.
"Who. . . Who are you?" He asked.
Angel smirked.
"Smith. . . Angel Smith."
"What?"
"My father. . . He is Agent Smith. . ."
"That can't be. . ."
She could see it. Mr. Anderson was getting confused, unwilling to realize the truth.
"And why not, Mr. Anderson?" She asked.
Mr. Anderson started shaking his head in denial.
"That's not Smith. . . He'd never do that. . . Never. . ."
Mr. Anderson seemed so sure of himself, it was beginning to worry Angel. She could see it in his eyes. He was saying the truth. . . But that meant. . .
"What is your purpose!?" Mr. Anderson demanded.
"I am to help him. . ." Angel said, unsure.
"No. . . That's not it. . . It can't be. Smith. . . He'd never do this. . ."
"What are you saying, Mr. Anderson?"
"Smith is a program. He has his purpose. . . And now he's free. He's going to destroy everything now. He'll kill everything and everyone. Just to fuel his rage. . . You can't be his child. . . Not without a purpose to kill. . ."
"Of course he'll kill everything! You humans have plagued this world! You don't deserve to live!"
"That's a lie!"
"No!"
Angel through herself off of Mr. Anderson. He still sat on the floor, as she stood up. He stared off into nothing.
"We are humans. Smith has killed so many of us. . . All he knows is hatred. . .How can he love a child? What did he tell you?" Mr. Anderson was now sounding calm.
"You're lying. After what you did to him! He should kill you!" Angel yelled.
"But. . .he killed me first. . ."
"What?"
Angel could see it. Mr. Anderson was telling the truth. No longer did he appear terrifying to her, nor weak. He seemed strong, and confident. He wasn't lying was he?
"He loves me. . ." Angel said.
"No. . .He hates emotion. . . That is just a distraction. . .He won't even accept that he feels anger towards me."
"But. . ."
"What did he tell you?"
"He told me you hurt him!"
"He kidnapped my friend, and nearly drove him insane! He almost killed the love of my life, and chased me to my death! He shot me! He shot me repeatedly, and he enjoyed it!"
Mr. Anderson got up now, belittling Angel. He was telling the truth. . .
"You're lying. . . Humans are a plague. . . You're lying. . .You are - -" Angel said, afraid.
"I am Neo."
"Neo?"
"I fight for freedom. I need to free the humans from the machines."
"He never told me your name was Neo. . ."
"My name is Neo, I am The One. I fight for freedom. I love a beautiful woman name Trinity. My ship is the Nebachannezzer. My captain, Morpheus. The operator - -"
"He never told me that. . ." Angel said, weakly.
"Angel. . . Angel I think you have a bigger purpose to you. He wouldn't have created you just to have you. . . There must be a bigger plan, and I assure you it involves death. He's not going to stop. He's going to destroy everything. . ."
"He doesn't understand. . . He doesn't see the beauty in things. . ."
Angel got out the book of poetry and lyrics from her jacket pocket. She looked down at it. Smith didn't realize the beauty in those words. She looked up at Neo. His eyes full of truth.
"I fight for freedom. I'm fighting a war." Neo said.
"A war?. . ."
"The machines have enslaved us. We didn't plague the planet, they did. There are no trees in the Real World, no flowers, not even a sky. I am The One. And I have to find a way to free everyone, or Zion will be destroyed."
"Zion?"
"My home. . . But Smith. . . He's going to kill us all. Machine and man alike. He doesn't care. It doesn't matter. He'll never understand love, or beauty. . ."
"But he's my father. . . He loves me. . ."
"You are only part of something. . . You will serve your purpose, then be deleted."
"No!"
"He's lied to you."
"No!"
Neo grabbed Angel by the shoulders. He looked at her in the face, she knew he was telling the truth. She never saw this look in her father's eyes. Never. Neo spoke the truth. But she couldn't accept that! Her father loved her! He protected her! He held her! He loved her! He did! But. . . This purity in Neo's eyes. This was unlike anything in her father's. They were pure, sweet, warm. . . But. . . She knew there was more to Smith, but Neo was right. He had lied to her. But she wasn't ready to accept that.
"No!! No!! He's my father!!"
Angel pushed away from Neo. She ran away from him, without looking back at his pure eyes. She ran away from the truth, unable to realize it. All Smith had done for her. . . Held her, slept with her, stayed with her, protected her, they were lies? She was so young. How could she deal with such a thing? Simple. She didn't. Tears began to fill her eyes from the truth. Neo let her go, without fighting. She ran to the wall and hacked herself out.
Neo sat back down, having had that past. He thought about it for so long. But just gave up, he would face Smith later, if he ever got out of there.
"Okay. You got yourself here, you can get yourself out." He said to himself.
Then the train came, and in it was Trinity.
Angel ran down the street. Tears in her eyes, staining her suit. She wouldn't accept it. She wouldn't. She couldn't allow herself to. But in the end she knew it was true. She had to see her father, see Smith. Make sure. Confront him. But. . . Angel had to. She had to make sure with her father. She knew he loved her, but. . . What if he was lying. She looked back in the subway, then ran as fast as she could the other way.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Next Chapter: What Are You Doing?
Oh god this took me a long time, but it's worth it I know. Let the emotion begin. . .
P.S. Anyone notice I call Neo 'Mr. Anderson' until Angel finds out his real name? Huh? Just a little creative genius there.