"There's no escaping the nature of the universe. It is that nature that has again brought you to me. Where some see coincidence, I see consequence. Where others see chance, I see cost."
Chapter One: Deletion
Revv sat in the loud chamber with the other Exiles. Castor walked in and the projector hummed to life, showing the image of a tall building. Castor indicated the picture with a wave of his hand.
"This is the Microsoft world headquarters. One of their programmers accidentally stumbled into a rabbit hole, which led him into the Chateau's training facility, which he though was a video game. He hacked around the firewalls and created a "cheat" program to win.
"The problem," Castor continued, "is that this program has the potential to kill each and every one of us…permanently."
The room filled with low murmurs and exclamations of surprise.
"We've already sent two programs to the scene to head this crisis off," Castor said. "An ancient named Granite and a vampire named Vlad."
Revv and Pyrite traded glances.
"Why those two?" someone asked.
"They were closest. The Agents and Rebels have learned of this program, too," Castor said. "So we will be running three different missions."
"The majority of you will be on missions one and two, which are attacks on Agent sites of interest to keep them occupied. Get in, do damage, get out. Simple.
"A special task force consisting of Revv, Pyrite, Theta, and Omega, will join Granite and Vlad in retrieving the program. Expect rebel interference.
"Okay, people, let's go."
Revv stepped out of the long hallway and into the dark streets of the Matrix city. Pyrite came through behind her, followed by Persephone's bodyguards.
They watched a long black car pull up in front of the building. Two rebels got out and looked up at the building.
"Let's go, Lynx," said one, taking off towards the building.
The one called Lynx glanced around, as if sensing someone watching, and then followed the second rebel.
They caught them in the lobby. Revv burst out of the door, opening fire. Her target program identified the second rebel as "Vixen" and quickly printed out the data on her, even as Revv's first bullets chewed into the wall behind the infuriatingly fast rebel.
Pyrite opened fire on Lynx, destroying a desk behind her. Lynx flipped across the room and came down in front of Pyrite, slamming her fist into his face. He cried out and fell backwards, his gun spraying bullets wildly.
Tow more rebels appeared in the room. Revv's computer identified one as "Ghost" and the other as "Obsidian." Theta and Omega stepped out from their cover and drew swords, rushing at the rebels.
Vixen began returning fire, and Lynx's blasts from different directions caught Revv by surprise. She ducked back behind the door she had emerged from to reload her guns. She looked back outside and into the face of Vixen.
Something was wrong. They were too fast. Either that, or Revv was slowing down. The bite mark left by Granite flared sharply, and Revv cried out, her shot missing wide and hitting a painting of Microsoft's founder. Vixen's fist moved in. Revv could see it coming, but her own limb was sluggish, slow to respond. Vixen's fist slammed into Revv's face, and she knew no more.
"Two down," Lynx called, shifting her fire towards the two female Twins.
Ghost was pinned down under a desk, popping up to fire only when the Twins paused to reload. Vixen opened fire on the Twins, but the y quickly flared white and somehow disappeared through the floor.
"What now?" Vixen asked.
"Take the one you knocked out upstairs," Lynx yelled. Vixen nodded and obeyed. Lynx began to pick up Pyrite, when there was a large whistling.
"Get down!" Obsidian yelled. A large, winged figure broke through the large glass windows, swooping down towards Ghost and Obsidian. Vixen shut the door and ran up the stairs, Revv on her back. Lynx followed after her.
Revv came back to consciousness in a large room filled with rows upon rows of computers. She saw the rebel Lynx facing away from her, typing at a large console. A line of coding Revv recognized as a large deletion program was being copied. She shivered. One keystroke could send her into oblivion. The rebel Vixen sat facing her, holding a gun to her forehead.
"One move," she warned, "And I blow a hole in your empty head."
Revv glanced at Lynx. She was absorbed in her work, not paying attention.
"Vixen," she whispered. The rebel looked at her.
"Do I know you?" she asked.
"You don't remember me?" Revv asked in surprise. "You and I met one night in an alleyway. You escaped from me, and have caused me much trouble."
"Agent Thompson?"
Revv nodded.
"You've changed."
"Of course. But I need to ask you something," Revv said, reading the data on the rebel. The Merovingian's stores were infinitely more complete then those the Agents had always provided.
"You have a friend, an assassin program who works for you."
Vixen nodded, not understanding.
"What do you think will happen to her if you run that program? She'll be deleted, just like the rest of us."
"I'm sure the Zion programmers can find some way around it – "
"That's bullshit and you know it," Revv whispered furiously. "Infinity will die. Is that anyway to treat a friend?"
Vixen looked unsure. Revv's lip curled. Humans. So disgusting, so vile, always letting emotions get in control –
Revv tried to calm herself down.
"Just untie me," she said. "I can grab the disk and run. Infinity would be safe."
Vixen rocked back and forth, unsure. Finally, she nodded, laying down her gun and untying Revv's hands and feet. The Exile stood up.
"Thanks," she said, kicking Vixen in the face. She grabbed the gun from the floor and shot at Lynx as she tried to rise from her chair, but the rebel dodged and the bullet hit the computer screen.
Why am I so damn slow? Revv wondered. Lynx ran forward, tackling Revv. The door burst open, Pyrite running in and grabbing Lynx off Revv and throwing the rebel into a wall. Revv rose to her feet.
She walked forward and grabbed the disk from the computer drive. Then she inserted the disk given to her by Castor, which quickly erased every trace of the deletion program.
She was done…but first she had a promise to break.
She found Infinity inside the Merovingian's own nightclub. She walked up to the bar where the assassin stood and asked for a drink. Infinity looked over at her.
"I don't want any trouble," she said.
"Not here to cause any," Revv said, taking a sip of her wine. Infinity's code began to flicker. Revv leapt forward, driving a syringe into Infinity's stomach. The assassin moaned and fell limp. Revv carried her upstairs.
The Merovingian watched as Revv set the program down in front of her.
"She has many rebel contacts," Revv explained. "She can be very useful for our cause."
The Merovingian nodded. He drew a laptop from behind him and inserted a small plug into Infinity's neck. Then he flipped the computer open and began to type.
Revv watched as Infinity's code flickered and changed. The program would wake up completely loyal to the Merovingian.
But Revv had put a trapdoor in. Saying a certain word would cause Infinity to revert to her default assassin programming…with her loyalty transferred to Revv.
It never hurt to have allies.