It was as if the small battalion knew that the most accepting of the group would be Morpheus, as three of the eerie clones headed directly towards him. As if to make a point that he was unafraid of what was about to occur, Morpheus threw his hands up in surrender, and remained still thereafter, as his body was transformed slowly, and painfully into yet another clone. The other rebels simply looked on in distress as the man whom many had looked up to and admired, if only for his incorruptible beliefs and his constant efforts to reassure the world that the war would end with The One, was absorbed by an unidentifiable source of power, that disintegrated the man that they knew into nothingness.
But in a way it was reassuring, despite the fact that in the back of each mind was a splinter of doubt and unrest at the idea. Secretly, they all believed Morpheus to be slightly insane, yet there was a warmth and a truth about him that you couldn't help but trust. The resulting situation was one of very little resistance to the Smith army. Each put up a small fight, but it was half-hearted, as if they were unafraid of what would occur.
The twisted confusion ended. The room was awash with muddled bodies, part way through the transformation, and when it was al over, all that remained was an assembly of Smiths, bearing smug smiles as each and ever one of them adjusted their tie.
He appeared like a black cloud, thundering through the halls, head jerking occasionally to scan an open doorway. He was prepared for what was to come.
Brrrrr. Brrrrrrrrrrr.
He whisked out the cell phone. "Link."
"Neo, what the hell is going on in there?! I dunno what you told them to do, but they all just gave up- I mean, without a fight." His voice was twinged with uncertainty.
"Link. Trust me. I know they're alright. What do their monitors say? They flatlined?"
"No. I don't geddit, Neo, but..." there was a pause. "Oh shit!"
"Link?" Neo stared blankly at the phone in his hand as the line went dead.
He dropped the headset to the floor in horror. The screens reflected the sight behind him- Bane.
"Hello. I don't believe we've...met." Each word was over pronounced, clearly enunciated so as to create effect. A smile curved at the corners of his mouth, as he slowly pulled out the knife that had been held behind his back.
"Bane, it's...I mean...it's me. You know, Link!" He stared, panic-stricken, at the curved knife in his hands, the light catching on the bloodstained blade. His mind switched to Maggie, and then to Mauser. It struck him as odd that they'd disappeared; though he'd assumed they were busy or sleeping.
"I think it's time you joined the others, don't you?" Link looked on helplessly as Bane plunged his hand into his insides, letting out a faint gasp of surprise, as his body liquefied, and his mind blanked.
Neo rang back, though received no answer. It worried him, but he had more pressing matters to attend to.
An open door. Voices from within.
He stalked noiselessly across the hall, back against the wall, listening. He needed all the underhand tactics he could. It was something he'd learned lately.
"Nom de Dieu de putain de bordel de saloperie de couille de merde! why the machines saddled me with...you...I don't know." The angry Frenchman spat every word at his wife, who simply stood there, her eyes narrowed, though a smile twisting her features.
"Because you needed me if you were ever to survive this world. Never forget- you're lucky to be here." Neo could see them through the slit between the door and its frame, and watched in bewilderment, as Persephone displayed obviously her power over her husband. The Merovingian shook his head, almost in defeat.
"They can't knock me down now. They know they can't betray me now. I know too much. I'm the link." It amazed Neo that his usual swathe attitude had been lost in the presence of his wife alone. Something was amiss.
"You're nothing but a pompous bullshitter. I should never have wasted my time saving you. I admit, I thought you were different to the others. More ambitious, and definitely stronger, but I'm changing my mind. If I'm honest, I think-"
"Don't even say it!" he raised his voice, cutting her off. Neo heard him curse in French under his breath.
"It's true," her tone remained calm, and unaffected by his outburst. "He's stronger than you Merv. He can beat you. He knows his options. He could have replaced you, but he chose otherwise. He'll fight you. And he may win, realise that. His love for her is so strong that he'd fight to the death to save her, and he is not accustomed to losing, especially not when her life is at stake."
"And what? You think I'd fight to save you? Putain... you deserve nothing."
"You are always in debt to me," she declared, confidently.
"Not when you betray me. To save him no less."
"You know that isn't why. You know for whom I work here. And as I keep reminding you, it is not you. Rather the opposite."
Neo bounded swiftly out of the way, dodging behind an ornate statue as the Merovingian swept out of the room, somewhat like a sulking teenager. He watched as he tramped across the hall towards an arched door, turning a key in the lock, and stepping through into a brightly lit room. Not about to waste his chance, Neo ran headlong across the hall, no longer caring if he was sighted, slamming his foot against the door to stop it from closing.
But the door opened, seemingly of its own accord. Until Neo saw the Merovingian holding it open.
"Come in, Neo. We have business to attend to."
But in a way it was reassuring, despite the fact that in the back of each mind was a splinter of doubt and unrest at the idea. Secretly, they all believed Morpheus to be slightly insane, yet there was a warmth and a truth about him that you couldn't help but trust. The resulting situation was one of very little resistance to the Smith army. Each put up a small fight, but it was half-hearted, as if they were unafraid of what would occur.
The twisted confusion ended. The room was awash with muddled bodies, part way through the transformation, and when it was al over, all that remained was an assembly of Smiths, bearing smug smiles as each and ever one of them adjusted their tie.
He appeared like a black cloud, thundering through the halls, head jerking occasionally to scan an open doorway. He was prepared for what was to come.
Brrrrr. Brrrrrrrrrrr.
He whisked out the cell phone. "Link."
"Neo, what the hell is going on in there?! I dunno what you told them to do, but they all just gave up- I mean, without a fight." His voice was twinged with uncertainty.
"Link. Trust me. I know they're alright. What do their monitors say? They flatlined?"
"No. I don't geddit, Neo, but..." there was a pause. "Oh shit!"
"Link?" Neo stared blankly at the phone in his hand as the line went dead.
He dropped the headset to the floor in horror. The screens reflected the sight behind him- Bane.
"Hello. I don't believe we've...met." Each word was over pronounced, clearly enunciated so as to create effect. A smile curved at the corners of his mouth, as he slowly pulled out the knife that had been held behind his back.
"Bane, it's...I mean...it's me. You know, Link!" He stared, panic-stricken, at the curved knife in his hands, the light catching on the bloodstained blade. His mind switched to Maggie, and then to Mauser. It struck him as odd that they'd disappeared; though he'd assumed they were busy or sleeping.
"I think it's time you joined the others, don't you?" Link looked on helplessly as Bane plunged his hand into his insides, letting out a faint gasp of surprise, as his body liquefied, and his mind blanked.
Neo rang back, though received no answer. It worried him, but he had more pressing matters to attend to.
An open door. Voices from within.
He stalked noiselessly across the hall, back against the wall, listening. He needed all the underhand tactics he could. It was something he'd learned lately.
"Nom de Dieu de putain de bordel de saloperie de couille de merde! why the machines saddled me with...you...I don't know." The angry Frenchman spat every word at his wife, who simply stood there, her eyes narrowed, though a smile twisting her features.
"Because you needed me if you were ever to survive this world. Never forget- you're lucky to be here." Neo could see them through the slit between the door and its frame, and watched in bewilderment, as Persephone displayed obviously her power over her husband. The Merovingian shook his head, almost in defeat.
"They can't knock me down now. They know they can't betray me now. I know too much. I'm the link." It amazed Neo that his usual swathe attitude had been lost in the presence of his wife alone. Something was amiss.
"You're nothing but a pompous bullshitter. I should never have wasted my time saving you. I admit, I thought you were different to the others. More ambitious, and definitely stronger, but I'm changing my mind. If I'm honest, I think-"
"Don't even say it!" he raised his voice, cutting her off. Neo heard him curse in French under his breath.
"It's true," her tone remained calm, and unaffected by his outburst. "He's stronger than you Merv. He can beat you. He knows his options. He could have replaced you, but he chose otherwise. He'll fight you. And he may win, realise that. His love for her is so strong that he'd fight to the death to save her, and he is not accustomed to losing, especially not when her life is at stake."
"And what? You think I'd fight to save you? Putain... you deserve nothing."
"You are always in debt to me," she declared, confidently.
"Not when you betray me. To save him no less."
"You know that isn't why. You know for whom I work here. And as I keep reminding you, it is not you. Rather the opposite."
Neo bounded swiftly out of the way, dodging behind an ornate statue as the Merovingian swept out of the room, somewhat like a sulking teenager. He watched as he tramped across the hall towards an arched door, turning a key in the lock, and stepping through into a brightly lit room. Not about to waste his chance, Neo ran headlong across the hall, no longer caring if he was sighted, slamming his foot against the door to stop it from closing.
But the door opened, seemingly of its own accord. Until Neo saw the Merovingian holding it open.
"Come in, Neo. We have business to attend to."