Eheh…sorry.  I've been writing later scenes and putting these off.  Bad me.  Bad, bad, bad.  Shame. 

            Anna was waiting for them at the Core, looking impatient as usual.  She plugged Yoh into the chair as had been done the day before, and then went over to Silva to look over the programming.  "He's supposed to start with the basics, but I think that his hacker background has prepared him well enough.  We should go with something…interesting."  She plucked a disk from a rotating storage rack.

            "What is it?" asked Yoh curiously.

            "Jujitsu," replied Silva with a grin. 

            "Jujitsu?  I'm going to learn jujitsu?"

            "That's right."  Silva pushed the disk into one of the Core's many drives. 

            Anna watched apathetically as Yoh tensed in reaction to an involuntary adrenaline rush.  He relaxed a moment later, breathing heavily. 

            "I think he likes it," joked Silva, stealing a glance at Yoh, who already looked drained.  The boy had not prepared himself for anything like this; his mind had just undergone the training of an entire martial art in five seconds. 

            "Next," said Anna, plucking another disk from the rack.  Her fingers already hovering mercilessly over the next one as Yoh became suddenly enlightened in the art of drunken boxing. 

            "Okay…judo…"

            "Wait," gasped Yoh.  "Hold on a sec, I need to catch my breath."

            "One second…is up now.  Judo."

            "But…" He broke off, his ability to do anything taken as new synapses formed and honed themselves in his brain.  Then it was gone once again.  "Five minutes this time!" begged Yoh.  "I'm tired!"

            "We just started.  You have thirty seconds."

            "One minute?"

            "Twenty seconds."

            "But I..." He tried to sit up, reaching for the plug in the back of his head when a firm hand latched onto his shoulder and shoved him back down again.

            "We're not finished."

            Behind her, Silva was mutely trying to signal Yoh that it would be a lot less painful if he just obeyed.  "Just hold up!" protested the boy, ignoring the warning.  "What's the big deal??  I just want a break!"

            "You have to learn this.  There will be a test."

            He paused; it was not the answer he had expected.  "Test?"

            "You will have to demonstrate what you know.  Against me."

            "Wha--?!"

            "And then come the Agents.  They don't play games.  They kill you."

            Yoh gulped.

            "Let's continue."

            "Yes, Anna."

*

            They had gone completely through the martial arts files by the time Morpheus came to check on them.

            "How's he doing?" he asked.

            "He's like a machine," said Silva.  "Ten hours straight!"

            They looked at Yoh, who was soaked in sweat and gasping for breath.  "Can…we…stop…please?" he groaned.

            "One more hour," said Anna.  "We'll start on some complex machinery handling next."

            A moan of despair was all that issued from Yoh. 

            "Are you sure he's the machine?" asked Manta wryly, a look of pity on his face.

            At that moment, however, they were interrupted by Pilica coming sliding down a ladder to land a little ways from Manta.  "Morpheus, there's another Zion ship nearby.  They want to talk to you.  Is it all right if they send a few people over to visit?"

            "What's the matter with radio transmitters?" he asked impatiently.

            "Dunno," she said with a shrug.  "Sounded like there's someone they want you to meet face to face.  All friendly, of course."

            "I suppose," he said thoughtfully.  "How many?"

            "Two to three people, I think."

            "All right then."  He turned to Yoh as she disappeared into the maze of the Nebuchadnezzer once again.  "And you," he said, "can go get cleaned up."

*

            Yoh washed up and put on a clean set of clothes, then decided to wander the ship to try to see the visitors.  He hadn't been invited, but curiosity won hands down.  He then proceeded to get thoroughly lost, and was just about to attempt backtracking when he heard voices.  Putting his ear near the door, he tried to catch what they were saying. 

            "So you've freed another one?" questioned a strange woman's voice.

            "Just one," said Manta.

            "The One?"

            "Well, I can't say just yet, but I wouldn't rule him out of the running."

            "Nice, but I think I may have the candidate right here."

            "It's a pleasure to meet you," said a new male voice with surprising sincerity.

            Yoh stiffened.  Could it be?

            "The same," said Manta.  "Actually, I believe that you will want to be meeting our newest crewmember much more than you want to be making polite small talk with me.  He is, I believe, just outside the door.  Yoh, would you come in, please?"

            Feeling rather abashed at being caught eavesdropping, Yoh obeyed.  "Sorry," he muttered, entering.  Then he stopped, his eyes fixed on the newcomers.

            One was a tall girl with long blue hair and a cigarette held loosely between her lips, one was a tall, silent man with the tattoo of a cross on his chin, and the other…

            "Hao!!"

            "Long time, no see, eh?" grinned the elder Asakura, giving his brother a hug, which Yoh returned with feeling.  Both managed to convince themselves that the moisture in their eyes was purely coincidental.  "How do you like the real world?"

            "Can't say yet," said Yoh wryly, "but I figure everything'll be all right."

            Hao laughed, his hand still not leaving Yoh's shoulder.  "You're still the same, for sure."

            "Guess so.  But I want some explanations too.  You got freed?  That's why you disappeared?"

            "Oh.  Yeah.  Miss me?"

            "Did I ever!  I was so worried!  You didn't tell me anything that might have let me know you were okay!"

            "I called you, didn't I?  It's not my fault you dropped the phone down thirty stories."

            "It is your fault, though, that you had to choose such awful timing!  Why then?!"

            "Well, I found out the Agents were after you, and that Morpheus was trying to contact you.  I had rather hoped to free you first, you see."

            "But we beat you!" chimed in Horohoro from the doorway, where most of the crew was crowded to see the visitors.

            "I suppose," said one of the visitors – the one with the cigarette – coolly, obviously not caring at all.  She took a step toward Yoh and looked him up and down.  "I had to see for myself.  So they think you might be the One?"

            "Eh?"  A blank look was her only reply.

            "They haven't told you.  All right then."  Her fingers reached out intrusively to grasp a lock of his hair.  "But still, very curious."

            "Beg pardon?" asked Yoh.

            "Your hair," said Hao impatiently.  "You're only a few days free, and you've got hair down to your shoulders!"

            The conversation Yoh had heard upon first waking came back.  "Oh…"

            "Don't worry, though," said Hao dismissively.  "Everyone'll ooh and ahh over it for a while, yank on it a couple of times, and then leave you alone.  They get over it.  I had to suffer the whole thing for a while too."

            "That's right," said Yoh vaguely, the light dawning on him, "your hair's long too."

            "Yeah," said Hao with a shrug.  "Down to my waist when I was freed.  After a week, I was almost ready to cut it so everyone I saw would leave me alone."

            "Some people see it as something of a sign," said Anna quietly, eyeing the new girl with dislike.  "A sign of great potential power."

            They're ALL stuck in fairy tales!  "My hair??" asked Yoh incredulously.  "A sign?"

            "Such is the insanity of the world we live in," said Hao with a dramatic sigh, draping an arm across his brother's shoulders.  "We get used to it, eventually, and even learn to take part in it!"  He grinned.  "But I don't believe you've met the ones who freed me.  These two are Kanna and Luchist."

            Both inclined their heads in acknowledgement but said nothing.  Something about the duo made Yoh uneasy, but since Hao seemed perfectly at ease, he decided to keep the matter to himself.    Besides, Luchist was now engaged in conversation with Manta, obviously bringing much-desired news from Zion.  The rest of the crew too had wandered into the room and were listening to ongoing discussions or adding in a word here or there. 

            Yoh and Hao sat on the side, catching up on the events that had taken place since they had been separated.  Talk drifted to the people they had met on their own ships, and Yoh couldn't help but notice how often his brother's eyes rested on Anna, currently standing alone at the other side of the room, a little ways off from Manta.  "Who's she?" he finally ventured to ask, not bothering to hide his interest much.

            "That's Anna.  She's an officer on this ship, I think."

            "She's cute."

            Yoh laughed mirthlessly.  "You obviously haven't undergone her training."

            "Sadist, huh?"

            "Well, don't let her hear you saying that.  Look, from a brother to a brother, don't…" He stopped, realizing that Hao was no longer sitting next to him, but was quietly wending his way across the room toward Anna.

            "…don't try anything on her," finished Yoh helplessly.

            "Hi," said the older brother upon reaching his target.  Her eyes flickered in some unknown emotion, then dimmed in an expression that clearly said, Oh, it's you.  The Asakura took no notice.  "I'm Hao.  You're Anna, right?"

            "Yes."

            "So, you're in command here?"

            "This is Morpheus' ship, but I do have some sway in what happens.  Look, if there is something I can help you with, stop stalling and spit it out."

            Hao put up his hands in a gesture of defeat.  "All right, all right.  I just thought I'd make conversation, that's all."

            "Really…" She wasn't buying it.

            "Yeah, yeah.  But hey, if you don't want to talk here, I understand.  It's not like I want to push you into anything prematurely.  But I'd be happy to meet up in the matrix with you for dinner or something later on if you don't mind.  Even if eating there is pointless, you have to admit that the food still tastes good."

            "No, thank you," she said icily.  "We have a lot on our hands at the moment.  I don't have time to waste."

            "I can assure you," he said smoothly, lowering his voice ever so slightly, "that time spent with me will not be considered wasted later on."  She couldn't miss the way his hair fell like fine silk to drape over his shoulders and flow down his back.  She couldn't help but see the innocent yet roguish expression on his face, the one that had almost single-handedly been the cause of the creation of the word "fangirl."

            Anna turned away.  "Again, thank you, but no."

            "Just like that?  Harsh, darling, real harsh."  He slipped his hand into hers as she moved to leave.  If she was playing hard-to-get, he'd match her move for move.  No one just said no to Asakura Hao.

            At his touch, Anna faced him once again.  He was about to say something in hopes of securing her attention further when she backhanded him neatly and effortlessly across the face.  "I said NO."

            He let her walk off that time, silently thankful that there had not been anyone to witness the exchange.  Well, Yoh had, but no one else.  That is, if the others had, they were polite enough to pretend to be fully absorbed in their conversations.

            "I tried to warn you," sighed Yoh as Hao came back, sulking slightly and rubbing his cheek. 

            "Whoever thought of calling women the 'gentle sex,'" he griped, "was obviously insane."

            Yoh offered him a sympathetic smile.  "Or at least, they had never met Anna.  I had to endure her training too."

            "Really?"  Hao seemed interested.  "How was it?"

            "Awful.  Ten hours straight with no rest.  I thought I was going to melt away and die."

            Hao threw back his head and laughed.  "Sounds like you got it worse than me.  But, say, would she mind so incredibly if I stuck around here for a few days?  I'd like to see her training methods, get a glimpse of what you've learned and all.  You know?"

            "Well," said Yoh.  "I haven't learned too much yet.  You're probably way better than me."

            Hao shrugged.  "Only one way to find out.  Hey, did you try the jump program yet?"

            "The jump program?"

            "Yeah, did you make it?"

            "Uh…I'm not sure I've tried it yet.  Maybe, though."

            Hao shook his head.  "Nah.  If you've tried it, you'll know.  I was kinda curious to see if you made it, that's all."

            "Guess I'll have to see.  Did you?"

            "Yep.  First try.  You'll probably do the same."

            Yoh smiled.  "Hope so."  It was finally coming together.  He was reunited with Hao, and they were simply talking lazily like old times…like brothers.

            Busy discussing and analyzing news from Zion, none of the crew noticed that one member was missing from the room.

*

            In a dingy, God-forsaken corner of the matrix, Lyserg Diethyl reeled back against the wall behind him, his hand covering an angry purple and red mark on his cheek, tears of pain starting in his eyes.  "I-I'm sorry, Marco," he said softly.

            The Agent looked tall and imposing out of the shadows, his eyes ablaze with a silent fire.  "Unholy child, you defied my orders and did not tell me that they had freed yet another.  Did you think I would not find out?"

            "I'm sorry, Marco."

            Another blow slammed Lyserg against the wall.  He let out a small cry and slid helplessly to the floor, unable to meet the older man's eyes. 

            "He may be a threat," said Marco quietly.  "And that you had joined Morpheus!!  You had not told me of that, either."  He gave a half smile.  "I admit, you did an exceptionally good job covering for him, but there is nothing you can hide from the Agents forever."

            Lyserg was silent, trembling in the half-light of the enclosed room.

            "You will give them all to me."

            He looked up, the tears sliding from his horrified eyes.

            "I tire of this game, the chasing and lying.  You will tell me when and where they next enter the matrix."

            The boy pushed himself into a proper sitting position and stared into Marco's cold, hard eyes.  He spoke in barely a whisper, but the word was clear and resolute.  "No."

            He didn't see Marco's hand lash out like a striking serpent.  He only felt the crimson pain as his vision splintered into flashing stars.  Blood trickled from his mouth and down his chin.

            "Don't play the little hero," snapped Marco.  "We can trace them ourselves if we have to, but if you force us to that, I promise you that each one will take at least an hour of agony to die.  You have two other options: you can give them to us and they'll all die quickly, or you can kill them yourself.  Unplug them while they're in the matrix, and it'll be over in an instant."

            "But…"

            "If you don't, I will hunt you down too.  Don't think that our connection will shield you, or that you can just stay out of the matrix forever.  You'd have to go back in sometime.  If you didn't, what would your 'friends' say?  You'll have to explain your connection to us Agents.  How long do you think you'll have friends after that?"

            Lyserg remained silent, the blood bitter on his tongue.

            "If you're worried about afterwards," said Marco more calmly now, "we can fix that too.  We'll reinsert you into the matrix; you won't remember a thing."  He paused, studying the huddled form on the ground before him.  "Do you understand?"

            Lyserg covered his face with a shudder.  "Yes, sir."

            "Good."  Without a second glance, Marco turned and left.

            For a long time, Lyserg did not move, but sat staring blankly at the door through which the Agent had disappeared.  One last tear escaped his eyes, and he wiped it away, standing up to face the real world once again. 

To be continued…

Oh, and sorry, mouse-chan, I don't have Amidamaru cast anywhere yet.  If I can fit him in later, though, I will.  ^_~