A/N= HURRAY!!!! I just had my final day as a Year 11 student!!!! I don't have to go to school anymore! OK yeah I have to pop in every now and then for exams but from now until the end of the summer holidays, I don't have a single lesson! YAY!!! Everybody cried at the leaver's assembly today except me lol! And while everybody went down the fields and parks to get drunk, stoned laid and generally cave into peer pressure. I went home, watched Princess Mononoke, had some soup and then switched on the computer to update 'I Love Me Too'. Some may think I'm a loser but I believe that getting drunk to look 'cool' in front of so-called 'friends' is even worse. Anyway, I've had some wonderful emails and reviews this week. It seems the 'I Love Me Too' empire is spreading. Replies to reviews and thanks to my stalkers can be found at the end of this chapter. I don't own 'The Matrix' or anything related to it… once my minions have found the final ingredients needed for my voodoo spell however, that will all change….
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"My colleagues believe that I'm wasting my time with you," Smith said in the interrogation room that morning. "But I believe you wish to do the right thing. We're willing to wipe the slate cl-"
The door suddenly opened and Brown entered, shortly followed by Emma.
"Sorry we're late, Smith." said Emma, her eyes firmly on the floor.
"Emma!" Neo cried, quickly getting to his feet. "Emma, tell me what's going on! Who are these-"
Jones grabbed him and shoved him back into his chair. Neo fell silent.
"As I was saying," Smith continued, annoyed at this interruption. "We're willing to wipe the slate clean, give you a fresh start, all that we're asking in return is your co-operation in bringing a known terrorist to justice."
Neo sat up, suddenly defensive, showing off in front of Emma when before her arrival he was cowering in fear. "Yeah… well that sounds like a pretty good deal. But I think I have a better one. How about I give you the finger… and you give me my phone call?"
Smith glared at him. "Mr Anderson," he said, putting his sunglasses back on. "You disappoint me."
"You can't scare me with this Gestapo crap. I know my rights. I want my phone call."
"Tell me, Mr Anderson, what good is a phone call if you're unable to speak?"
Neo frowned in confusion at this. He looked up at Jones standing next to him, then at Emma- who was watching him with a curious excitement.
"What?" he said to Smith but no words escaped his nonchalant lips. Then suddenly his mouth closed, his lips becoming sticky, slowly sealing together. Neo gave a muffled cry as his mouth completely disappeared. He jumped out of his chair, knocking it to the floor. He saw Smith laughing at him, Emma just behind him, smiling in amusement. Brown and Jones grabbed him and pushed him down onto the table.
"You're going to help us, Mr Anderson," said Smith, taking a small silver case from his breast pocket. "Whether you want to or not…" Opening the case, he produced a small, fibre-optic wire tap. He held it over Neo's stomach- Neo struggled and watched in horror as the wire tap suddenly morphed into a strange insect-like creature. Smith let it fall. It landed on Neo's abdomen and began to burrow, worming it's way through Neo's belly button…
The last thing Neo saw was Emma looking down at him, just behind Smith, her head resting on his shoulder. Both of them smiled maliciously at him. Then everything went black.
Emma sat at her desk chair in her bedroom that afternoon, sipping a cup of coffee, trying to ignore Neo as he mumbled piteously in his sleep. A shrill ringing suddenly erupted. Emma looked down in surprise at the cell phone in front of her. She hadn't even noticed it. Smith must have left it for her after they'd put Neo back in her bed and left her.
"Hello?" she answered.
"Is he awake?"
"What's with the cell phone?"
"It's too dangerous for you to wear your earpiece."
"Oh right…" she sighed and looked at Neo. "No, he isn't awake yet. He's been tossing and turning a bit though, talking in his sleep."
"He's reliving the interrogation in his sub consciousness. When he wakes up, he will believe that it was all just a dream. You'll have to make sure nothing makes him think otherwise. Pretend none of it happened."
"Got it."
"We'll anticipate your report in a few hours. We'll pick you up at midnight."
"Okay… Smith?"
"Yes?"
"How long will I have to keep this up for? I don't like it anymore."
"Not for long. Now that he's been bugged we can monitor his activity without you having to be with him. We just need to make sure Morpheus doesn't try to contact him again."
"But even if Morpheus does contact him, there's no way Neo would take the red pill now, right?"
"That's why it won't be long before you can return, Watts."
"Good. I'm starting to miss you guys."
Smith tutted and sighed.
"What?" Emma smiled. "Haven't you guys missed me?"
"Brown and Jones say it seems quieter without you."
"Awwww, give them both a big hug for me!"
"Erm… I don't think so."
Emma giggled.
Suddenly, Neo sat bolt upright and screamed, dripping in cold sweat. He checked his mouth and stomach, panicked.
"I'll call you back," Emma said hurriedly, hanging up the phone and running to Neo's side. "Are you alright? What's wrong?"
"Had a… really weird dream," he panted.
"What happened?"
Neo look up at her and shook his head. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Oh… um… okay."
"It's just… it seemed so real."
"All dreams do."
Neo looked up at her again. "You think so too?"
Emma nodded. "Reality seems so fake but dreams always seem real."
"Maybe life is the other way around," Neo mused. "Maybe we're dreaming right now but when we think we're dreaming we're actually awake."
"Maybe… but dreams are always so bizarre…"
"That dream definitely was…" Neo said quietly. He decided to change the subject. "Who were you talking to when I woke up?"
"What?" Emma panicked. "Oh… um.. .that was work."
"Oh right… where do you work?"
"Um… a-erm… agency." she smiled. "An… employment agency."
"Oh…cool." He blinked and then suddenly got out of the bed in a mad rush. "Shit!!! I totally forgot about work!" He scrambled around for his clothes. "Mr Rhineheart said if I was late once more, I'd be in serious trouble! Shit! I gotta go!" He tripped over his own trousers as he struggled to put them on. "Can I see you again?" he asked, putting his shoes on.
Emma nodded, putting on a smile. "You can come round tonight if you like," she said.
"Okay," he said, smiling back. They went down the stairs together. Emma opened the door for him.
"Oh and Emma?"
"Yes?"
"You know that film you were on about yesterday? The one you have the poster of?"
"Um… yes…" Emma stammered, going pale.
"Can we watch that tonight? I really think I need to see it."
"Um….sure." Emma said shakily.
"Cool," said Neo. "See you tonight then."
"Bye,"
He kissed her sweetly on the lips and then left.
As soon as he was out of sight, Emma quickly ran towards the stairs to get her earpiece. Before she could reach them however, there was a loud, single knock on the door. She turned back round and opened it. Smith, Jones and Brown entered.
"I-I was just about to call you," she said quietly, closing the door behind them. "He wants to watch the films."
"We know," said Brown.
"We can't allow him to see them," said Jones.
"Something has to be done," said Smith.
"If he sees them…" said Brown.
"…it could destroy everything." said Jones.
"There's only one thing we can do," said Smith. "The films have to be eradicated."
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Oooh the tension mounts! Tune in next time for 'I Love Me Too' where things get very dramatic indeed… Anyway now it's Chapter 8 review reply time! I've had so many reviews recently! And despite my chronic phobia of compliments, I'd like to say thank you to all! I've been asked so many questions and it's so annoying trying to reply on the review board so I've decided to put them here- an idea I stole off Agent Josey lol.
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Mercy19: lol so many questions! OK, let's start at beginning… deep breath Yes, Neo falls in love with Watts straight away because of her programming. Everybody falls in love with her. It was part of her purpose to stop suicides and what better way to counteract death than with love? Neo falls in love with her quicker than Trinity because Trinity was just a human lol. Right, what else? scans over review Oh yeah! Funny you should say "surely whilst seducing Neo she'd be imaging he's Smith, there's a chance to revel in the Emma/Smith relationship here"- that's just what's coming up soon! Either in the next chapte ror the chapter after that. Depends when I have to cut it. I came up with the idea for it a while ago whilst jogging with my mother. She was very concerned when I suddenly stopped running and started laughing lol. Er.. Anyway… Emma keeps referring to Neo as Neo because, even though she's an Agent, she's been obsessed with the movies since they first came out and is used to calling him Neo. I mean, I'm obsessed with the films (as you can probably tell lol) but even though I want to be an Agent and even though I hate Neo more than life itself, I still call him Neo because that's just what he is. Plus nobody can pull off Mister Anderson quite like Smith can! And yes, the fight between Watts and Trinity WAS short- sorry there's no real explanation for that. I'm just pure lazy lol. Thanks for your comments! (sorry for the long reply!)
Kaileikehe: Trinity is milling around in the real world somewhere. She's getting ready to pounce. She isn't in it much because this is mainly a Watts/Smith story and I don't actually like her that much (sorry) but she does come back later on in the story so don't you fret lol!
And finally to my sweet Agent Josey: When I began writing the chapter, I DID think "Kay, um… is Neo going to be naked here?" and then I shuddered and put him in some boxers. I kinda forgot to write it in there though. Thanks for reminding me!
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Thanks also to the lovely people who have taken the time to email me this week, especially to Arwen Undomiel and her emails that make me dance and smile and to Danny Barefoot and his wonderful story ideas (why he asked me of all people to help me with them remains a mystery lol)