Real World, Real Love
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
100+ REVIEWS!!!!! YAY!!!!
Real World, Real Love
"Trinity."
His voice rounded out the word, smoothing it to the point where it could have been a prayer.
It had no effect on her this time.
"What do you want?"
"What's wrong with you?"
Indignant, she allowed herself to face him head on. "I think the question is, what is wrong with you?"
"Nothing."
"I will not stand for this. I will not just sit back and watch this."
"Watch what? Why are you so angry? There is nothing there Trinity. Nothing between her and me. Nothing is going to happen. She's just a nice girl who happens to be new to the ship."
"That's where you don't get it. Why are you so blind? Why can't any of you see?" Her anger was replaced by a sad sort of pity; they truly did not understand. "I cannot help you. You must choose your own path, Neo. You will find your way."
With these strange, prophetic words, she turned away, and he chose not to follow.
********
So it was, that in the height of what should have been love's greatest triumph, it's power faltered, not vanquished, but weakened to let a new power flow. That day was not to be spoken about for a long time, seemingly disregarded, but in truth, stayed in the minds of a few for far too long.
This point is a vague, difficult part of their story to tell, where confusion runs high, where feelings are disregarded, or perhaps, over- regarded. Where love must run its course, facing bouts with lust, denial, doubt, pain. For in the end, one must wait. One must understand to truly see.
Too bad no one else understood.
Weeks had passed, to many, not like any other. But to some, they passed in a very different way. A midsummer's night dream, perhaps. Except this was much more than a dream.
Lucas jumped into Trinity's view, barely startling her from her reverie.
"Hey Trinity."
"Yes."
"Do you-do you know?"
"Lorelei."
"Yes."
She looked past him to gaze at one of the many screens, where two figures could be made out. The one in black sparred lightly with the other, gently adjusting her position, her stance, her moves.
She used to wear black.
She used to spar with him.
No longer.
They shared the routine practice, as always, but he wasn't there. He was with her, in as much a bodily sense as the construct allowed, but his mind, his soul would float to rest elsewhere.
She would reveal no emotion, of course. That was her way. There would be no sudden outburst, no raging tears. Tears were private things.
She'd lost track of how many times she'd asked Morpheus to re-assign that girl. How many times she had heard the answer, "No." They were all blind. She stared unblinkingly at the screen, stifling hatred crept up, a bitter feeling. She hated her. Her hate for her ran as deep as her love for him.
Deeper, perhaps?
Lucas's concerned voice broke in before she could answer.
"Trinity?"
"I know." She looked into his eyes, and smiled vaguely, "You see."
She turned away after that, but the haunted look he saw there frightened him.
"Why aren't you angry? You must be."
"I don't know. It's strange, I want so much to be, I want to scream and strike back. But I can't." A look of urgency filled her eyes as she looked at what was her only confidante. "There's something there Lucas. I can't get it out. Every time..then sudden calm."
For once she saw him as someone other than the clumsy, kind of sweet recruit. He was her friend, and at this point, it looked like he was her only one.
He knelt to look at her, "I know who she is Trinity. And I know what she's doing to you." He gestured to the screen, "What that is doing to you."
Emotion came out in a torrent. Normally, she never would have allowed herself to reveal her emotions, but it had been too much. Too much to carry alone.
"I love him Lucas. I love him so much it hurts. And when he's with her, and she's.." Her voice trailed off, leaving her miserable.
He opened his mouth to speak, but a quick glance silenced him.
"When she's there for him. She's always there. Always around him."
Lucas awkwardly put his arm around her, half-afraid she might kick his ass.
Instead, she spoke again, "Is she good to him?"
He hesitated before responding, "She is good to him. But I do not know if she is good for him."
The choke in her voice told him that what she said next meant the most, and if he gave the wrong answer.
"Does he love her?"
"No." The hope in her eyes was almost too much to bear. "He loves you Trinity. He does."
She smiled, and Tank motioned to them; they were done.
She moved to gently pull the jack from his head. He opened his eyes, and smirked.
"What's so funny?"
"Oh, nothing." He reached to stroke her cheek, then sat up to kiss her. When they finally pulled away, their eyes met, their hearts raced. She took his hand in hers, and pulled him from the chair, "You'd better get some sleep. We're going in tonight, remember?"
He nodded, making for the direction of their room. Once there, she fell into a deep sleep; sleep was a treasured thing. He, however, became restless, despite the weight tiresome daily work had upon him. She rolled in her sleep, something unusual for her, resting only when she faced him. Her eyes flew open, wide, and she had an eerie effect on him. She was still sleeping.
"It's coming Neo," her voice whispered to the dead air, "Are you ready? I will go, Neo. Are you ready?"
There was a sharp intake of breath, as if she had not been breathing as she spoke, and her eyes fell shut. It was only after he clutched her to him did he realize he hadn't been breathing. He took a deep breath now, and despite his will, dropped off into sleep.
He opened his eyes to see Lucas standing above him, the grim look in his eyes telling him something was wrong. "Where is she?"
Lucas glanced at the crew clustered around the next chair. His own eyes followed. As if they knew he was watching, they parted to reveal a pale form resting motionless on the worn chair.
Trinity.
With the grief on everyone's faces, and her still, unmoving body, he knew.
She was dead.
Neo woke with a start, his breath catching in his throat as the image of Trinity's dead body came back with a jolting clarity.
She knelt, and he found himself staring into her eyes, "Are you ready?"
Her words haunted him still.
He shook it off, and nodded, unable to make a sound. She took a seat beside him, her comforting voice steeling his nerves, "Are you okay?"
He forced himself to nod, "Yeah. I'm ready."
Her fingers brushed his as she stood, "They're ready to go."
"I'll be there in a minute."
He sat in deafening silence before rising to join his crew. His friends, his family.
You can trust family. Right?
He lay quietly as Tank checked his vitals. It was to be a simple operation. Break into the mainframe of the Kyriad, the enterprise the agents, and Lorelei seemed to be in close touch with. Learn all they could about her. Simple.
He blinked, and opened his eyes to the Matrix.
They were situated nearby the complex, and he and Morpheus were on defensive, distraction, kick-butt if needed duty. Trinity and Lucas were on sneaky penetration. As usual, our happy couple lagged behind, stopping a few yards short of the entrance.
A look was shared, that said it all. Be careful and come back alive.
And so they went in, guns blazing.
Back on the Neb..
Lorelei sidled up to Tank, "Why don't you take a rest? I'll watch over them for awhile." Her voice held a hypnotic quality, and Tank nodded, rubbed his eyes, and went off to his quarters. She sat, and quickly wrote a short program. Glancing at Trinity's body which lay not 5 yards from her, she smiled as she ran her creation through.
********
Neo surveyed the damage they had caused. Not bad. Trinity and Lucas emerged from the control centre, carrying a small disk. Just as he was about to take a step to leave, he heard a gasp behind him. He spun immediately, to find Trinity frozen in her tracks, her lungs gasping for air. Her eyes wide, her hand reached out to him. He rushed to her, his own heart slowing as he felt her failing one. Morpheus was already on his cell, "Get us out!"
They rushed to their exit, the phone already ringing. He pressed the receiver to her ear, and she vanished, soon to be followed by her crewmates.
She opened her eyes, body wracked with pain to see Lorelei standing over her. Her look-alike grinned evilly, and she felt the sting of a needle by the crook of her arm. The clear fluid drained, and Lorelei removed the needle. Her vision went fuzzy, and Lorelei's voice drowned out all other sounds.
"Goodbye Trinity."
Black.
Neo pulled away from his chair a second after the jack was pulled. Morpheus was already there.
The normally reserved captain's eyes hinted at tears.
"I'm sorry Neo."
"No!"
"She's dead."
A/N: AHHH! This damn in between movies thing is destroying my suspense! NOOO!!! I have got to write something after Reloaded. Damn in between story.
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
100+ REVIEWS!!!!! YAY!!!!
Real World, Real Love
"Trinity."
His voice rounded out the word, smoothing it to the point where it could have been a prayer.
It had no effect on her this time.
"What do you want?"
"What's wrong with you?"
Indignant, she allowed herself to face him head on. "I think the question is, what is wrong with you?"
"Nothing."
"I will not stand for this. I will not just sit back and watch this."
"Watch what? Why are you so angry? There is nothing there Trinity. Nothing between her and me. Nothing is going to happen. She's just a nice girl who happens to be new to the ship."
"That's where you don't get it. Why are you so blind? Why can't any of you see?" Her anger was replaced by a sad sort of pity; they truly did not understand. "I cannot help you. You must choose your own path, Neo. You will find your way."
With these strange, prophetic words, she turned away, and he chose not to follow.
********
So it was, that in the height of what should have been love's greatest triumph, it's power faltered, not vanquished, but weakened to let a new power flow. That day was not to be spoken about for a long time, seemingly disregarded, but in truth, stayed in the minds of a few for far too long.
This point is a vague, difficult part of their story to tell, where confusion runs high, where feelings are disregarded, or perhaps, over- regarded. Where love must run its course, facing bouts with lust, denial, doubt, pain. For in the end, one must wait. One must understand to truly see.
Too bad no one else understood.
Weeks had passed, to many, not like any other. But to some, they passed in a very different way. A midsummer's night dream, perhaps. Except this was much more than a dream.
Lucas jumped into Trinity's view, barely startling her from her reverie.
"Hey Trinity."
"Yes."
"Do you-do you know?"
"Lorelei."
"Yes."
She looked past him to gaze at one of the many screens, where two figures could be made out. The one in black sparred lightly with the other, gently adjusting her position, her stance, her moves.
She used to wear black.
She used to spar with him.
No longer.
They shared the routine practice, as always, but he wasn't there. He was with her, in as much a bodily sense as the construct allowed, but his mind, his soul would float to rest elsewhere.
She would reveal no emotion, of course. That was her way. There would be no sudden outburst, no raging tears. Tears were private things.
She'd lost track of how many times she'd asked Morpheus to re-assign that girl. How many times she had heard the answer, "No." They were all blind. She stared unblinkingly at the screen, stifling hatred crept up, a bitter feeling. She hated her. Her hate for her ran as deep as her love for him.
Deeper, perhaps?
Lucas's concerned voice broke in before she could answer.
"Trinity?"
"I know." She looked into his eyes, and smiled vaguely, "You see."
She turned away after that, but the haunted look he saw there frightened him.
"Why aren't you angry? You must be."
"I don't know. It's strange, I want so much to be, I want to scream and strike back. But I can't." A look of urgency filled her eyes as she looked at what was her only confidante. "There's something there Lucas. I can't get it out. Every time..then sudden calm."
For once she saw him as someone other than the clumsy, kind of sweet recruit. He was her friend, and at this point, it looked like he was her only one.
He knelt to look at her, "I know who she is Trinity. And I know what she's doing to you." He gestured to the screen, "What that is doing to you."
Emotion came out in a torrent. Normally, she never would have allowed herself to reveal her emotions, but it had been too much. Too much to carry alone.
"I love him Lucas. I love him so much it hurts. And when he's with her, and she's.." Her voice trailed off, leaving her miserable.
He opened his mouth to speak, but a quick glance silenced him.
"When she's there for him. She's always there. Always around him."
Lucas awkwardly put his arm around her, half-afraid she might kick his ass.
Instead, she spoke again, "Is she good to him?"
He hesitated before responding, "She is good to him. But I do not know if she is good for him."
The choke in her voice told him that what she said next meant the most, and if he gave the wrong answer.
"Does he love her?"
"No." The hope in her eyes was almost too much to bear. "He loves you Trinity. He does."
She smiled, and Tank motioned to them; they were done.
She moved to gently pull the jack from his head. He opened his eyes, and smirked.
"What's so funny?"
"Oh, nothing." He reached to stroke her cheek, then sat up to kiss her. When they finally pulled away, their eyes met, their hearts raced. She took his hand in hers, and pulled him from the chair, "You'd better get some sleep. We're going in tonight, remember?"
He nodded, making for the direction of their room. Once there, she fell into a deep sleep; sleep was a treasured thing. He, however, became restless, despite the weight tiresome daily work had upon him. She rolled in her sleep, something unusual for her, resting only when she faced him. Her eyes flew open, wide, and she had an eerie effect on him. She was still sleeping.
"It's coming Neo," her voice whispered to the dead air, "Are you ready? I will go, Neo. Are you ready?"
There was a sharp intake of breath, as if she had not been breathing as she spoke, and her eyes fell shut. It was only after he clutched her to him did he realize he hadn't been breathing. He took a deep breath now, and despite his will, dropped off into sleep.
He opened his eyes to see Lucas standing above him, the grim look in his eyes telling him something was wrong. "Where is she?"
Lucas glanced at the crew clustered around the next chair. His own eyes followed. As if they knew he was watching, they parted to reveal a pale form resting motionless on the worn chair.
Trinity.
With the grief on everyone's faces, and her still, unmoving body, he knew.
She was dead.
Neo woke with a start, his breath catching in his throat as the image of Trinity's dead body came back with a jolting clarity.
She knelt, and he found himself staring into her eyes, "Are you ready?"
Her words haunted him still.
He shook it off, and nodded, unable to make a sound. She took a seat beside him, her comforting voice steeling his nerves, "Are you okay?"
He forced himself to nod, "Yeah. I'm ready."
Her fingers brushed his as she stood, "They're ready to go."
"I'll be there in a minute."
He sat in deafening silence before rising to join his crew. His friends, his family.
You can trust family. Right?
He lay quietly as Tank checked his vitals. It was to be a simple operation. Break into the mainframe of the Kyriad, the enterprise the agents, and Lorelei seemed to be in close touch with. Learn all they could about her. Simple.
He blinked, and opened his eyes to the Matrix.
They were situated nearby the complex, and he and Morpheus were on defensive, distraction, kick-butt if needed duty. Trinity and Lucas were on sneaky penetration. As usual, our happy couple lagged behind, stopping a few yards short of the entrance.
A look was shared, that said it all. Be careful and come back alive.
And so they went in, guns blazing.
Back on the Neb..
Lorelei sidled up to Tank, "Why don't you take a rest? I'll watch over them for awhile." Her voice held a hypnotic quality, and Tank nodded, rubbed his eyes, and went off to his quarters. She sat, and quickly wrote a short program. Glancing at Trinity's body which lay not 5 yards from her, she smiled as she ran her creation through.
********
Neo surveyed the damage they had caused. Not bad. Trinity and Lucas emerged from the control centre, carrying a small disk. Just as he was about to take a step to leave, he heard a gasp behind him. He spun immediately, to find Trinity frozen in her tracks, her lungs gasping for air. Her eyes wide, her hand reached out to him. He rushed to her, his own heart slowing as he felt her failing one. Morpheus was already on his cell, "Get us out!"
They rushed to their exit, the phone already ringing. He pressed the receiver to her ear, and she vanished, soon to be followed by her crewmates.
She opened her eyes, body wracked with pain to see Lorelei standing over her. Her look-alike grinned evilly, and she felt the sting of a needle by the crook of her arm. The clear fluid drained, and Lorelei removed the needle. Her vision went fuzzy, and Lorelei's voice drowned out all other sounds.
"Goodbye Trinity."
Black.
Neo pulled away from his chair a second after the jack was pulled. Morpheus was already there.
The normally reserved captain's eyes hinted at tears.
"I'm sorry Neo."
"No!"
"She's dead."
A/N: AHHH! This damn in between movies thing is destroying my suspense! NOOO!!! I have got to write something after Reloaded. Damn in between story.