Brad- Thanks! I try! ^^;;
Oh yea, and forgive me for this chapter, as any Matrix fanfic writer knows, the training and unplugging is the hardest to write without it sounding too cliche. Especially the unplugging. But the training is hard because you have to describe bullet time -_-;; anyway, read on!!
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* * * * * * *
Ghost apeared on the building behind Genesis, who was sitting 15 feet from the edge.
"Why did you stop? You were making amazing progress." He asked, walking twords her.
She turned around in suprise. "I... just needed a break, thats all." She said, turning back around.
"Don't lie. If you did you could have come out. Why are you still here?"
She stared twords the distance where the sun was in the same place, shadowing some of the buildings across the vast city.
"Its just... here, its more real to me than there." She said, looking down.
He paused. "I can understand that. Sometimes, we perfer ignorance than to the truth, because it is easier."
She nodded. "Though, I didn't like the world then anyway.. thats why I tried to kill myself."
She was quiet for a second. He walked over to her and looked down. "But your still here. So lets make use of our time."
Their surroundings changed into a small simple, japanese styled room. The floors were covered in thin pads, and she now found herself in a plain black robe. Across the room, Ghost stood, in a similar robe, only his was white.
Scrolls hung from the cielling on the second floor printed with what looked like a mix of Japanese code, and English letters and numbers, which she had recently discovered to be the incription of the Matrix. It also smelled strongly of cedar.
"Lets put to the test what you have learned." He said, going into an offensive stance.
Automatically, more instinctivly than consciously, she went into an offensive stance aswell.
There was a pause, "Attack me." He said, holding his position.
She paused for a moment. Suddenly she had all these flashes in her mind of moves she could use against him, blocks for counter attacks and so much more.
'what the hell' she thought, as she ran forward.
She threw several punches, all, in which he easily blocked. She turned and shot out her foot to kick him in his side, but he caught it and put his other hand around her waist, throwing her clear across the room.
She fell and immediatly got back up.
He summoned her to attack again, and she dashed forward; this time feuled with frustration and anticipation.
She jumped mid point and fell into a front flip, followed by a 180 turn. She threw herself into several attacks, but all were too slow.
Suddenly finding herself at the defensive, she concentrated on blocking attacks. Most, of which, she failed. With one kick, he sent her flying into a piller which cracked.
She looked up to find him jumping, paused in time, 16 feet in the air.
She quickly rolled to one side, just as he came down and landed with ease.
"wh--...How can I ever beat you?" She said. "Its immpossible. Your too fast." She said, catching her breath.
"Obviously not that fast, you moved just now, didn't you?"
She stared up at him.
"Once more" he said, standing in front of her.
She gathered up what strength she had, and kicked a leg out, trying to knock his feet out from under him. Some how, he saw it coming, and took a step back just in time.
Pulling herself up, she stood in an offensive position, and whent forward. She looked up to see a second floor to the dojo, and she quickly ran twords a piller, catching her hands on the floorboard above, she pulled herself up.
Just as she stood, he was in front of her, and sent a blow to her chest, which knocked her back into a wall. There was a loud clammer, and she looked above her. Two 15 inch knives sat on the wall, and she pulled them off and swung them around to face him. He already had two identicle daggers in his hands.
Pauseing to catch her breath, she realized she was, at first, having fun; something she had not felt in... ever. But now, she was more focused getting one good punch in.
She ran forward, trying to get any advatange she could. She swung them around, he blocked one, and leaned his head back to avoid another.
She thrusted one forward, but he wasn't there when the blade should have met its mark. he was standing ontop of the banaster. She slashed them twords his feet, but he jumped backward. Time seemed to slow, and he landed perfectly, daggers in hand.
Getting frustrated, she quickly stood on top of the banaster and jumped down aswell, bringing the daggers down on top of him, but he stepped back, and she landed sharply on the ground.
She stood just to lean back in time as he swiped the blade across her chest. It barely caught her skin, but cut through the material, both daggers flying from her hands.
She went to retrieve the knives, but she found the sharp blade of his pressed against her neck.
Looking up, she saw him smirk. Her hand still outstreched to the fallen dagger, she brought it around nocked the knife out of his hand, catching it in mid air as she pulled herself up.
He stared at her, and lifted his eyebrows in suprise.
She threw the knife up which distracted him as she ran twords the piller behind her, running up it and flying backwards catching the knife, and landing just behind him. This time, she stood behind him, and held the knife to his neck, breathing hard.
He smiled in aprovement. "Good."
"I can't do this" she said, her breathing slowing. "I'm not a fighter."
"What about the alley? You had no problem taking my gun then." he said.
"That was because my life was in danger. It was different."
"Your life -is- in danger. Everytime you go into the Matrix. Those men in suits, Agents, they're waiting. And if you can't defend yourself, they will kill you."
She dropped the knife and stepped back.
He turned to face her. "You will have to fight, sooner or later, wether your prepared to or not."
"I'm done" she said.
She opened her eyes and felt Sparks pulling the needle from the back of her head.
"Your an amazing fighter." He said, walking to unplug Ghost.
She didn't say anything, she just walked into her cell, as she called it, and shut the heavy door behind her.
* * * * * * *
Niobe sat at the main computer behind Ghost, who was staring at the coding.
"How is she coming along. As you expected?" she asked.
"She still adjusting, but as I suspected, she has amazing speed and stealth. She can accomplish much." Ghost replied.
"Good, we will need to leave as soon as possible."
Ghost turned to face her. "What do you mean? She can't go in just yet. I don't think she's ready, Niobe."
"She has to be. The Oracle wants to see her."
* * * * * * *
Genesis layed on her back on her bed, staring at the ceilling when the door opened. She didn't even look, but she knew it was Ghost.
"Lets go" He said, halfway through the door.
She turned to him in suprise. "What? Where this time?"
"to see the Oracle" he replied, closing the door, leaving her with a confused look on her face.
She walked out onto the main deck to see Niobe next to Sparks talking, and Ghost already in a chair.
"Whats this all about" Genesis asked, looking at Niobe.
"The Oracle wants to speak with you." She said, walking past her to another chair.
Genesis followed, not sure what to think. Should she be happy going back to the Matrix? Or should she be afraid of what was waiting?
She took a seat as they were all plugged in.
Sparks stood over her, "Good luck." He said, as he jacked her in.
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They were suddenly all standing in an empty room which looked like an old hotel room. She looked over at Ghost who checked the clips in his weapons, and Niobe went to the ringing phone.
Niobe was almost hard to reconize. With her hair up, and more stylish clothes, and the dark glasses. Ghost, though, looked the same as he did the first time they had met.
Genesis looked down at her own clothes. Just the outfit she had been wearing the day she was "unplugged". Plain, but comfertable. She put a hand behind her head to find her hair tied back up, and no large outlet on her upper neck.
Niobe turned, "Lets go"
They all left the building to find a sleek black GTO waiting outside the building. Niobe climbed in the driver seat, and Ghost in shotgun. Genesis went around to the back, following their lead.
She stared out the window as they drove. It was so odd to think, that all these people had no idea what was really going on. And once, not to long ago, she was one of them.
The car stopped and Niobe turned around in her seat.
"Genesis, come with me. Ghost, wait here and call if theres any trouble." She said, opening the door and getting out.
Genesis quickly opened her door aswell, and looked back at Ghost who moved over to the diver seat.
She had no idea what to expect, though, she probably couldn't prepare herself for it even if she -did- have an idea, especially considering what had happened in the past couple days.
They walked up the stairs to a shabby old apartment building. With a title like, "the Oracle", she expected alittle something more.
But then again, things were never as they seemed, and she had learned that well.
Waiting for the door of the elevator, Genesis stayed quiet. She had quite a few questions to ask, but Niobe had a intimidating feel to her, she wasn't suprised though, she was a captin of her own ship.
"I'm sure there is alot on your mind. Don't be afraid to ask. I will answer what I can, but the rest is left to the Oracle." Niobe said, still staring ahead.
The door opened, and they both walked in.
"Who is the Oracle?" She finally asked, as the elevator hummed.
"The Oracle has been with us forever, she is our key to the future. She prophecized the coming of The One, Neo, and the fall of the Matrix"
"Neo..." Genesis said quietly to herself.
Niobe turned to look at her. "Yes, Neo. You've heard of him."
Genesis blushed, she wasn't aware she said it outloud.
"The hacker Neo. I stumbled across his name a few times."
The door opened, and they both walked out.
They continued down the graffeti covered hallway and came to a door.
Odd. Everything that had happened, had been so complex. But this whole building, was so much more simple than she would have thought. It was almost.. refreshing, in a way.
Niobe put her hand out to open it, when it already turned and a woman stood behind it.
"Ah, Niobe. Its been quite some time. Please, come in"
Niobe nodded and walked in, Genesis close behind.
they came to a living room with several kids sitting, and Niobe stopped.
"Niobe, Genesis, come with me. The Oracle would like to speak to you aswell Niobe."
Niobe followed the other woman into a small kitchen, were yet another black woman sat at a table. Genesis stood next to Niobe, who bowed her head to the woman.
"Well, Niobe. Its very nice to see you again. Its been too long." She held a cigarette in one hand, and a glass with lemonaid in the other. She peered around Niobe to see Genesis.
"Ah, just the person I wanted to see." The Oracle said, as Niobe stepped back to reveal Genesis.
Not sure what to do, Genesis just smiled.
The Oracle beconed her over, and Genesis obeyed. The Oracle grabbed her arms and looked up at Genesis.
"hmm.. Looks nothing like him though." She said with a smile, taking a drink from her glass.
"What?" Genesis asked quietly.
"Niobe, come, sit." Niobe took off her sunglasses and did as she was asked, sitting in front of the Oracle. Genesis quickly took the seat next to her.
"Now, tell me Niobe, how have you been, my dear?" The Oracle asked.
"Fine, thank you. With all due respect, we are in a sort of rush. What is it you wanted to tell us?" Niobe asked.
"Yes, I'm afraid time is always against us. I supose we should get right to the point."
She paused, tapping the ash from her cigarette.
"Your aware of the full story of the Prophecy, correct?" She asked Niobe. Genesis suddenly felt she was invisable.
"Yes, to some extent." Niobe replied, a touch of haiste in her voice.
"Then you know something of the Prophet?"
Niobe stared at her for a second, "Heard of it, yes. Not the whole story, though."
"Ever sense the Matrix was created, there has been an Oracle. One who would let those within know of future events, and their place. During the last war on the surfice, there was another, the Prophet, who was exiled for his predictions. But once his vision of the second Reniassance came true, they took him as they fled to what is now Zion. For several years, he helped the building of Zion, and protected the last few humans, but sadly, he could not predict his own fate. He had a daughter while in Zion, right before there was a raid of the setinels in the city. They captured several of them, killing her father, and plugged them into the Matrix. Ever sense, the Prophet has been trapped in the Matrix, generation after generation, and the city of Zion now has no way of knowing their fate, nor a way to protect themselves."
Niobe spoke up, "What does this have to do with us?"
"The Prophet has finally been freed. Which has thrown off the program. This event marked the begining of the deletion of the Matrix. Once the Prophet had played her part, then, and only then, the One could free all the minds, and bring down the Matrix."
There was a long pause.
Niobe finally spoke. "So, where is this 'Prophet' now?"
The Oracle lit another cigarette and looked over at Genesis.
She sat for a second, then her eyes widened with disblief.
"Your kidding, right?" She said.
"You mean to tell me, that we've found the Prophet?" Niobe said, looking at Genesis, then back at the Oracle.
The Oracle was still looking at Genesis. "Its hard to believe, I know kiddo. How do you think Neo felt?"
"Thats impossible. I'm just another person."
"How do you think that you never got caught? Because you never did anything that you knew would lead to it. If not consciously, then subconciously." she said, reffering to her Hacker life.
"I have a father, and a mother, and they're both dead."
"You mother and father in the Matrix, yes. But thats just what you believe because its what you were told to believe. Your real great great great great grandfather is also dead, for quite some time, but in Zion."
Genesis stared blankly at the table in front of her. She wasn't sure what to think, or do. Everything she thought was true, everything, was a lie. What could she believe? What as true? It was too much, her mind just wanted to deny it. It was all too much.
She rose from her seat and walked through the beaded doorway. Quickly leaving the apartment.
Running down the hall, she found the elevator door open, she went in and pressed 'door close' just as Niobe ran down the hall twords her.
The door closed right before Niobe, and she hit her fists on the closed doors. "shit" She quickly pulled out her phone.
Genesis knealed in the elevator, hiding her face in her arms. How did it come to all of this? She just wanted to run.
The door opened and she pushed through the entrence doors. Ghost sat in the GTO with his phone to his ear.
She quickly ran down the sidewalk in the other direction, not even knowing were she was going.
Just as she came around a building, an arm reached out and grabbed her, covering her mouth and restraining her hands, as she saw, to her horrer, two men in suits aproach her. Before she could do anything, she felt a prick at her neck, and her muscles started to relax. Then, she was slowly slipping into darkness.
* * * * * * *
Ghost's phone rang just as Genesis came running out of the building. Before he answered it, Niobe came running out of the doors just as Genesis was half way down the street.
Ghost answered his phone.
"Agents, three of them. You better get the hell out of there." Sparks said on the other end.
Ghost flipped shut his phone and slid across the seat as Niobe got in and stepped on the gas.
They made the corner just in time to see the Agents car screech away, with two left behind.
Niobe atomatically threw on the handbreak, sending the car into a 180. Ghost sat on the sill of the car door window and pulled the trigger to his automatic. Pumping round after round that hit nothing but air.
She sped off in the other direction as Ghost continued to shoot. After they were a good distance, he pulled himself back in the car and threw the smoking guns in the back seat.
"What was that all about." Ghost asked, a blank expression on his face.
"She's the god damn Prophet Ghost." Niobe said, going 60 down the crowded street, weaving through cars.
"What?" Ghost asked, completely lost.
"And now they have her."
* * * * * * *
Genesis woke to find herself in a car. To both her left and right there were agents, aswell as one in the drivers seat.
Her arms were tied behind her back, as she tried to pull them free.
She could feel the car moving so fast, and the scenory outside the window was just a blur.
But everything was a blur, for that matter.
She struggled to pull her hands free, her mind still fuzzy, but one of the men that sat next to her held his gun to the side of face, right under her jaw. She looked at him sideways, careful not to move her head.
They all looked the same, with their expressionless face, dark glasses, suits and earpieces.
She saw something moving fast out of the corner of her eye to her left.
All of a sudden, there was a slam on the breaks and she found herself flying forward. Time seemed to slow as she broke through the front windshield and landed half on the hood of the car, half inside the car, her arms still tied behind her back.
All three of the agents got out of the car and held out their guns to what they had run into, right behind her.
She turned, dispite the pain in her neck, to see Ghost and Niobe leaning over the roof of the car, guns in hand.
Burning hot shells fell right next to her face, as round after round were fired back and forth, at an expremely close range.
The sound rang in her ears, but she hand no hands to cover them.
One of the agents were right in front of her and, without thinking, she kicked her foot up, nocking the agents gun right out of his hand.
There was a screech of tires and she saw as the GTO flew in reverse, Ghost still fireing out of his window.
As the last shots were fired, she looked up.
The agent in front of her, now gunless, hit her across the face in frustration.
Tunnel vision was making everything hard to see, but the pain was no harder to feel.
The same agent grabbed her by her shirt and drug her off of the hood of the car, feeling the glass of the broken windshield break off in her back.
She fell hard onto the asfault, feeling hot blood run down her face.
It was so hot.
She couldn't stand it.
"Your friends will regret that little rescue attempt." One of the agents said, standing over her.
"Pick her up, we don't have time for this." He said, walking away, just as everything went black again.
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Niobe felt Sparks over her, pulling out the plug from her head.
She sat up, rubbing her wrist, just as Ghost woke up.
She looked around the floor, thinking of how she would get back in, get her, and come out still alive.
There was silence, before Ghost spoke. "We can't just give her up."
"I know" Niobe said, frustration in her voice.
"Especially now that we know who she is." She muttered to herself, her voice trailing off.
Sparks looked at them absently. "Sounds to me like you need alittle help from our good friend."
Niobe looked up at him. "We just might."
* * * * * * *
"We're up to our waists in shit" Sparks said, his headset on, sitting in his usual place at the computers.
"Let me talk to him" Niobe said, taking the headset from Sparks.
"This is Captin Niobe of the Logos." She said, pausing.
"Morpeus" she said, listening.
"We may need to borrow Neo for awile."
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Oh yea, and forgive me for this chapter, as any Matrix fanfic writer knows, the training and unplugging is the hardest to write without it sounding too cliche. Especially the unplugging. But the training is hard because you have to describe bullet time -_-;; anyway, read on!!
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Ghost apeared on the building behind Genesis, who was sitting 15 feet from the edge.
"Why did you stop? You were making amazing progress." He asked, walking twords her.
She turned around in suprise. "I... just needed a break, thats all." She said, turning back around.
"Don't lie. If you did you could have come out. Why are you still here?"
She stared twords the distance where the sun was in the same place, shadowing some of the buildings across the vast city.
"Its just... here, its more real to me than there." She said, looking down.
He paused. "I can understand that. Sometimes, we perfer ignorance than to the truth, because it is easier."
She nodded. "Though, I didn't like the world then anyway.. thats why I tried to kill myself."
She was quiet for a second. He walked over to her and looked down. "But your still here. So lets make use of our time."
Their surroundings changed into a small simple, japanese styled room. The floors were covered in thin pads, and she now found herself in a plain black robe. Across the room, Ghost stood, in a similar robe, only his was white.
Scrolls hung from the cielling on the second floor printed with what looked like a mix of Japanese code, and English letters and numbers, which she had recently discovered to be the incription of the Matrix. It also smelled strongly of cedar.
"Lets put to the test what you have learned." He said, going into an offensive stance.
Automatically, more instinctivly than consciously, she went into an offensive stance aswell.
There was a pause, "Attack me." He said, holding his position.
She paused for a moment. Suddenly she had all these flashes in her mind of moves she could use against him, blocks for counter attacks and so much more.
'what the hell' she thought, as she ran forward.
She threw several punches, all, in which he easily blocked. She turned and shot out her foot to kick him in his side, but he caught it and put his other hand around her waist, throwing her clear across the room.
She fell and immediatly got back up.
He summoned her to attack again, and she dashed forward; this time feuled with frustration and anticipation.
She jumped mid point and fell into a front flip, followed by a 180 turn. She threw herself into several attacks, but all were too slow.
Suddenly finding herself at the defensive, she concentrated on blocking attacks. Most, of which, she failed. With one kick, he sent her flying into a piller which cracked.
She looked up to find him jumping, paused in time, 16 feet in the air.
She quickly rolled to one side, just as he came down and landed with ease.
"wh--...How can I ever beat you?" She said. "Its immpossible. Your too fast." She said, catching her breath.
"Obviously not that fast, you moved just now, didn't you?"
She stared up at him.
"Once more" he said, standing in front of her.
She gathered up what strength she had, and kicked a leg out, trying to knock his feet out from under him. Some how, he saw it coming, and took a step back just in time.
Pulling herself up, she stood in an offensive position, and whent forward. She looked up to see a second floor to the dojo, and she quickly ran twords a piller, catching her hands on the floorboard above, she pulled herself up.
Just as she stood, he was in front of her, and sent a blow to her chest, which knocked her back into a wall. There was a loud clammer, and she looked above her. Two 15 inch knives sat on the wall, and she pulled them off and swung them around to face him. He already had two identicle daggers in his hands.
Pauseing to catch her breath, she realized she was, at first, having fun; something she had not felt in... ever. But now, she was more focused getting one good punch in.
She ran forward, trying to get any advatange she could. She swung them around, he blocked one, and leaned his head back to avoid another.
She thrusted one forward, but he wasn't there when the blade should have met its mark. he was standing ontop of the banaster. She slashed them twords his feet, but he jumped backward. Time seemed to slow, and he landed perfectly, daggers in hand.
Getting frustrated, she quickly stood on top of the banaster and jumped down aswell, bringing the daggers down on top of him, but he stepped back, and she landed sharply on the ground.
She stood just to lean back in time as he swiped the blade across her chest. It barely caught her skin, but cut through the material, both daggers flying from her hands.
She went to retrieve the knives, but she found the sharp blade of his pressed against her neck.
Looking up, she saw him smirk. Her hand still outstreched to the fallen dagger, she brought it around nocked the knife out of his hand, catching it in mid air as she pulled herself up.
He stared at her, and lifted his eyebrows in suprise.
She threw the knife up which distracted him as she ran twords the piller behind her, running up it and flying backwards catching the knife, and landing just behind him. This time, she stood behind him, and held the knife to his neck, breathing hard.
He smiled in aprovement. "Good."
"I can't do this" she said, her breathing slowing. "I'm not a fighter."
"What about the alley? You had no problem taking my gun then." he said.
"That was because my life was in danger. It was different."
"Your life -is- in danger. Everytime you go into the Matrix. Those men in suits, Agents, they're waiting. And if you can't defend yourself, they will kill you."
She dropped the knife and stepped back.
He turned to face her. "You will have to fight, sooner or later, wether your prepared to or not."
"I'm done" she said.
She opened her eyes and felt Sparks pulling the needle from the back of her head.
"Your an amazing fighter." He said, walking to unplug Ghost.
She didn't say anything, she just walked into her cell, as she called it, and shut the heavy door behind her.
* * * * * * *
Niobe sat at the main computer behind Ghost, who was staring at the coding.
"How is she coming along. As you expected?" she asked.
"She still adjusting, but as I suspected, she has amazing speed and stealth. She can accomplish much." Ghost replied.
"Good, we will need to leave as soon as possible."
Ghost turned to face her. "What do you mean? She can't go in just yet. I don't think she's ready, Niobe."
"She has to be. The Oracle wants to see her."
* * * * * * *
Genesis layed on her back on her bed, staring at the ceilling when the door opened. She didn't even look, but she knew it was Ghost.
"Lets go" He said, halfway through the door.
She turned to him in suprise. "What? Where this time?"
"to see the Oracle" he replied, closing the door, leaving her with a confused look on her face.
She walked out onto the main deck to see Niobe next to Sparks talking, and Ghost already in a chair.
"Whats this all about" Genesis asked, looking at Niobe.
"The Oracle wants to speak with you." She said, walking past her to another chair.
Genesis followed, not sure what to think. Should she be happy going back to the Matrix? Or should she be afraid of what was waiting?
She took a seat as they were all plugged in.
Sparks stood over her, "Good luck." He said, as he jacked her in.
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They were suddenly all standing in an empty room which looked like an old hotel room. She looked over at Ghost who checked the clips in his weapons, and Niobe went to the ringing phone.
Niobe was almost hard to reconize. With her hair up, and more stylish clothes, and the dark glasses. Ghost, though, looked the same as he did the first time they had met.
Genesis looked down at her own clothes. Just the outfit she had been wearing the day she was "unplugged". Plain, but comfertable. She put a hand behind her head to find her hair tied back up, and no large outlet on her upper neck.
Niobe turned, "Lets go"
They all left the building to find a sleek black GTO waiting outside the building. Niobe climbed in the driver seat, and Ghost in shotgun. Genesis went around to the back, following their lead.
She stared out the window as they drove. It was so odd to think, that all these people had no idea what was really going on. And once, not to long ago, she was one of them.
The car stopped and Niobe turned around in her seat.
"Genesis, come with me. Ghost, wait here and call if theres any trouble." She said, opening the door and getting out.
Genesis quickly opened her door aswell, and looked back at Ghost who moved over to the diver seat.
She had no idea what to expect, though, she probably couldn't prepare herself for it even if she -did- have an idea, especially considering what had happened in the past couple days.
They walked up the stairs to a shabby old apartment building. With a title like, "the Oracle", she expected alittle something more.
But then again, things were never as they seemed, and she had learned that well.
Waiting for the door of the elevator, Genesis stayed quiet. She had quite a few questions to ask, but Niobe had a intimidating feel to her, she wasn't suprised though, she was a captin of her own ship.
"I'm sure there is alot on your mind. Don't be afraid to ask. I will answer what I can, but the rest is left to the Oracle." Niobe said, still staring ahead.
The door opened, and they both walked in.
"Who is the Oracle?" She finally asked, as the elevator hummed.
"The Oracle has been with us forever, she is our key to the future. She prophecized the coming of The One, Neo, and the fall of the Matrix"
"Neo..." Genesis said quietly to herself.
Niobe turned to look at her. "Yes, Neo. You've heard of him."
Genesis blushed, she wasn't aware she said it outloud.
"The hacker Neo. I stumbled across his name a few times."
The door opened, and they both walked out.
They continued down the graffeti covered hallway and came to a door.
Odd. Everything that had happened, had been so complex. But this whole building, was so much more simple than she would have thought. It was almost.. refreshing, in a way.
Niobe put her hand out to open it, when it already turned and a woman stood behind it.
"Ah, Niobe. Its been quite some time. Please, come in"
Niobe nodded and walked in, Genesis close behind.
they came to a living room with several kids sitting, and Niobe stopped.
"Niobe, Genesis, come with me. The Oracle would like to speak to you aswell Niobe."
Niobe followed the other woman into a small kitchen, were yet another black woman sat at a table. Genesis stood next to Niobe, who bowed her head to the woman.
"Well, Niobe. Its very nice to see you again. Its been too long." She held a cigarette in one hand, and a glass with lemonaid in the other. She peered around Niobe to see Genesis.
"Ah, just the person I wanted to see." The Oracle said, as Niobe stepped back to reveal Genesis.
Not sure what to do, Genesis just smiled.
The Oracle beconed her over, and Genesis obeyed. The Oracle grabbed her arms and looked up at Genesis.
"hmm.. Looks nothing like him though." She said with a smile, taking a drink from her glass.
"What?" Genesis asked quietly.
"Niobe, come, sit." Niobe took off her sunglasses and did as she was asked, sitting in front of the Oracle. Genesis quickly took the seat next to her.
"Now, tell me Niobe, how have you been, my dear?" The Oracle asked.
"Fine, thank you. With all due respect, we are in a sort of rush. What is it you wanted to tell us?" Niobe asked.
"Yes, I'm afraid time is always against us. I supose we should get right to the point."
She paused, tapping the ash from her cigarette.
"Your aware of the full story of the Prophecy, correct?" She asked Niobe. Genesis suddenly felt she was invisable.
"Yes, to some extent." Niobe replied, a touch of haiste in her voice.
"Then you know something of the Prophet?"
Niobe stared at her for a second, "Heard of it, yes. Not the whole story, though."
"Ever sense the Matrix was created, there has been an Oracle. One who would let those within know of future events, and their place. During the last war on the surfice, there was another, the Prophet, who was exiled for his predictions. But once his vision of the second Reniassance came true, they took him as they fled to what is now Zion. For several years, he helped the building of Zion, and protected the last few humans, but sadly, he could not predict his own fate. He had a daughter while in Zion, right before there was a raid of the setinels in the city. They captured several of them, killing her father, and plugged them into the Matrix. Ever sense, the Prophet has been trapped in the Matrix, generation after generation, and the city of Zion now has no way of knowing their fate, nor a way to protect themselves."
Niobe spoke up, "What does this have to do with us?"
"The Prophet has finally been freed. Which has thrown off the program. This event marked the begining of the deletion of the Matrix. Once the Prophet had played her part, then, and only then, the One could free all the minds, and bring down the Matrix."
There was a long pause.
Niobe finally spoke. "So, where is this 'Prophet' now?"
The Oracle lit another cigarette and looked over at Genesis.
She sat for a second, then her eyes widened with disblief.
"Your kidding, right?" She said.
"You mean to tell me, that we've found the Prophet?" Niobe said, looking at Genesis, then back at the Oracle.
The Oracle was still looking at Genesis. "Its hard to believe, I know kiddo. How do you think Neo felt?"
"Thats impossible. I'm just another person."
"How do you think that you never got caught? Because you never did anything that you knew would lead to it. If not consciously, then subconciously." she said, reffering to her Hacker life.
"I have a father, and a mother, and they're both dead."
"You mother and father in the Matrix, yes. But thats just what you believe because its what you were told to believe. Your real great great great great grandfather is also dead, for quite some time, but in Zion."
Genesis stared blankly at the table in front of her. She wasn't sure what to think, or do. Everything she thought was true, everything, was a lie. What could she believe? What as true? It was too much, her mind just wanted to deny it. It was all too much.
She rose from her seat and walked through the beaded doorway. Quickly leaving the apartment.
Running down the hall, she found the elevator door open, she went in and pressed 'door close' just as Niobe ran down the hall twords her.
The door closed right before Niobe, and she hit her fists on the closed doors. "shit" She quickly pulled out her phone.
Genesis knealed in the elevator, hiding her face in her arms. How did it come to all of this? She just wanted to run.
The door opened and she pushed through the entrence doors. Ghost sat in the GTO with his phone to his ear.
She quickly ran down the sidewalk in the other direction, not even knowing were she was going.
Just as she came around a building, an arm reached out and grabbed her, covering her mouth and restraining her hands, as she saw, to her horrer, two men in suits aproach her. Before she could do anything, she felt a prick at her neck, and her muscles started to relax. Then, she was slowly slipping into darkness.
* * * * * * *
Ghost's phone rang just as Genesis came running out of the building. Before he answered it, Niobe came running out of the doors just as Genesis was half way down the street.
Ghost answered his phone.
"Agents, three of them. You better get the hell out of there." Sparks said on the other end.
Ghost flipped shut his phone and slid across the seat as Niobe got in and stepped on the gas.
They made the corner just in time to see the Agents car screech away, with two left behind.
Niobe atomatically threw on the handbreak, sending the car into a 180. Ghost sat on the sill of the car door window and pulled the trigger to his automatic. Pumping round after round that hit nothing but air.
She sped off in the other direction as Ghost continued to shoot. After they were a good distance, he pulled himself back in the car and threw the smoking guns in the back seat.
"What was that all about." Ghost asked, a blank expression on his face.
"She's the god damn Prophet Ghost." Niobe said, going 60 down the crowded street, weaving through cars.
"What?" Ghost asked, completely lost.
"And now they have her."
* * * * * * *
Genesis woke to find herself in a car. To both her left and right there were agents, aswell as one in the drivers seat.
Her arms were tied behind her back, as she tried to pull them free.
She could feel the car moving so fast, and the scenory outside the window was just a blur.
But everything was a blur, for that matter.
She struggled to pull her hands free, her mind still fuzzy, but one of the men that sat next to her held his gun to the side of face, right under her jaw. She looked at him sideways, careful not to move her head.
They all looked the same, with their expressionless face, dark glasses, suits and earpieces.
She saw something moving fast out of the corner of her eye to her left.
All of a sudden, there was a slam on the breaks and she found herself flying forward. Time seemed to slow as she broke through the front windshield and landed half on the hood of the car, half inside the car, her arms still tied behind her back.
All three of the agents got out of the car and held out their guns to what they had run into, right behind her.
She turned, dispite the pain in her neck, to see Ghost and Niobe leaning over the roof of the car, guns in hand.
Burning hot shells fell right next to her face, as round after round were fired back and forth, at an expremely close range.
The sound rang in her ears, but she hand no hands to cover them.
One of the agents were right in front of her and, without thinking, she kicked her foot up, nocking the agents gun right out of his hand.
There was a screech of tires and she saw as the GTO flew in reverse, Ghost still fireing out of his window.
As the last shots were fired, she looked up.
The agent in front of her, now gunless, hit her across the face in frustration.
Tunnel vision was making everything hard to see, but the pain was no harder to feel.
The same agent grabbed her by her shirt and drug her off of the hood of the car, feeling the glass of the broken windshield break off in her back.
She fell hard onto the asfault, feeling hot blood run down her face.
It was so hot.
She couldn't stand it.
"Your friends will regret that little rescue attempt." One of the agents said, standing over her.
"Pick her up, we don't have time for this." He said, walking away, just as everything went black again.
----------------------------------
Niobe felt Sparks over her, pulling out the plug from her head.
She sat up, rubbing her wrist, just as Ghost woke up.
She looked around the floor, thinking of how she would get back in, get her, and come out still alive.
There was silence, before Ghost spoke. "We can't just give her up."
"I know" Niobe said, frustration in her voice.
"Especially now that we know who she is." She muttered to herself, her voice trailing off.
Sparks looked at them absently. "Sounds to me like you need alittle help from our good friend."
Niobe looked up at him. "We just might."
* * * * * * *
"We're up to our waists in shit" Sparks said, his headset on, sitting in his usual place at the computers.
"Let me talk to him" Niobe said, taking the headset from Sparks.
"This is Captin Niobe of the Logos." She said, pausing.
"Morpeus" she said, listening.
"We may need to borrow Neo for awile."
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