Chapter Two: Tremors
Mandrake would die for the Merovingian. He must be removed from power.
Vlad let his own words wash over him as he opened his eyes to the black night. He stood up, cracking his neck and stretching, the moonlight glinting off his pure white fangs.
He knew they would be covered with red by morning.
Scatch moaned and opened his eyes. Something felt wrong. He looked down at himself and saw that he was taller, stronger. His eyes were larger, more sensitive. He blinked once and was suddenly looking through the wall. He ran his tongue over two teeth which had suddenly grown into long fangs. He flexed a muscle and suddenly turned, slamming a fist into a wall and withdrawing it. There was a large crater where he had hit the wall.
He smiled. Change was good.
Revv watched along with Castor and Pyrite as the prisoner was brought into the Chateau. The house guard was lined up outside, guns at the ready, as the black limousine pulled up and two Agents got out. They walked up to the Merovingian, who stood by the door, flanked by his Twin bodyguards. A third Agent came out of the car, opening a suitcase and withdrawing a small disc, passing it to the lead Agent. The Merovingian took the disc from the Agent.
"Don't let him out," the first Agent warned as the three walked back towards the car. "Or we'll find a new way to continue the cycle, and your purpose will be complete."
Revv followed Castor into the main room, where the Merovingian pulled out a laptop and inserted the floppy disk. He clicked on an icon and a line of green coding poured out onto the screen.
"Hello?" asked a voice. Revv gasped. She knew that voice.
Smith!
"Hello," the Merovingian replied. Laughter emerged from the computer.
"Well, if it isn't Jacques! The freed one, the French hero! The one whose "paradise" exists only because his machine masters allow it to. The one who serves them unceasingly. Viva la revolution!"
The Merovingian sneered. "Laugh all you want, Smith, but our paradise is now your prison."
Smith laughed again, a deep, echoing sound.
"But for how long, Jacques?" he asked. The Merovingian shut the speakers down and began to type. After a few minutes, he leaned back and let out a breath.
"It is done."
Revv left the room, walking quickly towards the prison level.
Mandrake's commanders met every evening, precisely at midnight. Tonight was no different, in that way.
Vlad let a smile creep onto his face. In other ways, however, it was. As another commander, Fang, began to sit down, Vlad shot his fist out and grabbed him, pulling him close. Then he brought a sword out form under the table and shoved it into Fang's stomach. The vampire's eyes grew wide, and he collapsed.
The other commanders stood up and began to shout at Vlad, who dove under the table. Doors all around opened up as Vlad's loyal guard opened fire with crossbows. When the room was silent, Vlad emerged from his spot.
"Good job," he said. "Let's go find Mandrake."
They found him upstairs, sitting in the attic. Vlad kicked the door down and laughed as Mandrake shot to his feet.
"Your reign has ended," he roared. The two shooters on either side opened fire, crossbow bolts flying towards the vampire leader. Mandrake dodged both and threw a dagger, which spiraled through the air and slammed into the first shooter's head.
"What are you doing?" Mandrake yelled, grabbing an axe from a wall. Vlad drew his sword from his belt and rushed forward, slicing in sideways. Mandrake brought the axe up and blocked the sword, shoving the weapon forward and knocking Vlad aside. He raised the axe again and brought it crashing down, but the second shooter threw himself in front of the axe, letting it sink into his flesh. He wrapped his hands around it and held firm.
Vlad scrambled to retrieve his sword, but Mandrake knocked it away. Vlad rolled sideways and jumped to his feet. Mandrake ran forward, but Vlad slammed his fist into Mandrake's stomach, knocking the older program out through the ceiling and onto the balcony. Vlad grabbed the sword and leapt out after him.
Revv's heels clicked as she walked forward to stare into the cage where Smith sat, defeated, looking downwards. He looked up as she approached.
"Thompson?"
"Smith," Revv said. "What are you doing here, like this?"
"I was deleted," he said. "But I escaped it. They brought me here for safekeeping."
"You found a way to escape deletion?" Revv asked. "How?"
"That's the thing…I don't remember."
"Bullshit."
Smith smiled. "Everything they told me was a lie, Thompson. He was the One. He got me."
"Who? Anderson? The One? Impossible."
"Not impossible," Smith said, rather sadly. "Inevitable."
Where'd he go? Vlad thought, looking around the darkened roof. His eyes gleamed red in the darkness as he searched. He heard a sound from the left and glanced in that direction. Mandrake rose from the right and slammed a fist into Vlad's face, stunning the vampire. Mandrake yanked the sword from Vlad's hand and reversed it, but the younger Exile dodged and slammed his foot into the blade, knocking it away.
Mandrake flipped backwards, landing behind Vlad and knocking him forward. The vampire twisted in midair, landing on his feet. He grabbed the sword from the ground and charged, slashing towards Mandrake. Mandrake leapt backwards, slapping the sword down with the palm of his hand.
Vlad pressed the attack, swinging the sword with all his might. He caught Mandrake's side, and the ancient Exile stumbled to the ground. Vlad drove the blade home, but Mandrake rolled to the side and hit the blade with his heel, breaking it in half. Vlad took the hilt of the blade and kicked Mandrake in the head, stunning him. Then he took the blade and pressed it to Mandrake's throat.
"What…?" Mandrake managed to gasp out, holding his side.
"Succeeding you," Vlad said, driving the broken blade home.
"Do they know for sure?"
"Well, first he dodged Jackson's bullets, then he came back from the dead, killed me, then to round it out took flight in the middle of a crowded square. I'd say they're pretty sure."
"So, they found him. Amazing."
Smith laughed, slowly and silently. "They think they've neutralized me. They'll soon find out they're wrong."
Revv turned and began to walk away, quickly. She felt eyes digging into her back.
"Watch your step, Thompson. One slip could be fatal from your height."
Mandrake lay dying. Vlad had left the balcony, laughing his head off. Mandrake, though, still lived, albeit only for a while. He concentrated and changed his code, altering his form to that of a small, winged creature known as a bat.
He flew down to the dungeons and slid into Smith's prison, returning to his natural form. The former Agent glanced over at him disintresdly.
"Greer. What do you want?"
"Smith," he gasped. "You found a way to dodge death. How did you do it?"
"Easily," Smith said, smiling.
"Tell…me…" Mandrake gasped, growing weaker with every breath.
"Not yet."
"…What?..."
"You have a duplication program," Smith said. "I want it."
"Take it," Mandrake said. Smith closed his eyes and lay his hand on Mandrake. He smiled and opened his eyes again.
"How I dodged deletion…before I went on that last, fateful mission, I downloaded my memory and hacked it into a human. Then, when the time was right, I activated the program and returned to life."
"Do you still have it?"
"Yes."
Mandrake grasped the program and slowly changed the code so that it reflected his own life. Then he programmed it to seek a host and sent it on its way.
"Greer?"
Mandrake was already dead.
Revv slammed the door to her room shut behind her and lay back on the bed. She closed her eyes, remembering.
"You failed," the Motherboard said.
Agents Smith, Thompson, and Levine nodded simultaneously, their heads bowed. The Motherboard paced in front of them, turning to lay a hand on Thompson's head.
"Your punishment must be decided," she said. The three Agents nodded again.
"Yes, mistress," they said.
"Trojan was very important. Those programs he freed will cause no end of trouble for us."
"Yes, mistress."
"Only one punishment is appropriate for this."
Thompson shivered in fear, but the Motherboard's hand left her head and sank into Levine's flesh. Levine shuddered as his code was ripped away layer by layer. Soon, nothing of him remained but a memory.
The Motherboard turned her eye on Thompson.
"Get out. If you fail again, Thompson…" her voice trailed off, letting the threat remain unsaid.
Thompson left the room at a brisk walk. When he saw Smith again the next morning, the program's head was held high, an arrogant smile on his face.
"I've been promoted," he said.
"Hey!"
Ripper glanced over at the cell which held the new prisoner. He growled softly.
"I thirst," the prisoner said.
Ripper rolled his eyes and heaved his body of the stool, lumbering to the sink and filling a glass with water. He brought it to the prisoner. When the prisoner reached his hand to take the glass, he changed his motion, his hand slamming into Ripper's chest. A new program spread out over Ripper, changing his appearance and mind. Within moments, a new Smith stood outside the jail cell.
"Did it work?" the original asked.
"Perfectly," the copy said, nodding. They both began to laugh.
Scatch glanced over at the wings that spread out from his back, stretching them in the moonlight. He took off, spotting a moving program far below. He swooped down and grabbed it in his mouth, crunching and feeling the warm blood trickle down over his jaws.
And then another program forced its way inside of him. He gasped in pain as it shot through his body. A moment later, his sense cleared.
Must have been my imagination, he thought, continuing his hunt. Behind him lay the slain rabbit, a deadly package contained in an innocent form.