Finally, I get another chapter posted. Yikes that took me a while. Sorry folks, I've been really busy with school. Can you ever forgive me? *puppy dog eyes* Anyway, here it is, hope you enjoy it. Sorry it's a little on the short side, but I'll post the next chapter soon. Happy reading!!
CHAPTER SEVEN
The silence drifted through the chamber as Daemon sat contemplating her next move. She already had Valkyrie, now all she needed was to make sure she didn't lose her. Valkyrie would play a key role in her plans for total net domination. It was only a matter of time before it was all hers. The thought brought a twisted smile to her face. Daemon would have it all and Valkyrie would take over one day, ruling the net and continuing the viral line.
Those idiotic guardians actually thought they could stop her. So much for the 'defenders of the Net'. Now only two stood in her way. The others belonged to her. Mind, body, and even soul. It was all hers. Except for Mainframe. That one small system was all that remained. System Alpha had been corrupted even before she'd sent the message to Mainframe. The fake information on System Alpha was merely to give the people of Mainframe false hope. 'How truly sadistic I am,' she thought ruefully, the smile still in place. Oh how the thought of the binomes and sprites getting that look of complete horror as her viral forces conquered the system pleased her.
Death or slavery...the ultimate choice in the end. Valkyrie would fulfill her role as Daemon's successor and prove to them that she was the Chosen One. She would make them fear the name of Daemon and all who were her followers. Fear could drive a sprite to do strange things indeed and that was what Daemon was counting on. If the sprites and binomes had enough fear, they would submit to her will easily. All it would take is a little...convincing. Maybe even a few demonstrations of what happened to those who chose to go against her. That would be excellent. To hear those tortured screams of agony...to listen as the poor souls begged to delete...that was the main thrill of it all.
The sounds of tortured screams brought out a feeling in her she just couldn't describe. The only word that came to mind was complete and total elation. Needless to say, Daemon had been in very pleasant spirits lately. Now was the time when it would all be final.
~(V)~ ~(V)~ ~(V)~ ~(V)~ ~(V)~
"You have to bring her back, Bob, please." Little Enzo had tears in his eyes as he begged his hero, "She said she wouldn't go away. Please bring her back."
"I will, Enzo, I promise," the guardian replied gently, hoping to ease the little sprite's mind.
"Thanks, Bob." A few tears fell from his purple eyes. Eyes that were so much like his sister's it made Bob's heart ache.
He pulled the boy into a comforting hug, praying that he would succeed in bringing Dot home.
Enzo pulled back and settled under the covers of his bed, some stray tears still falling.
Bob smiled down at him and said, "Try to get some sleep, pal. I'll see you in the morning before we leave ok?" as he gently wiped the boy's tears away.
"Ok, Bob." Enzo returned the smile slightly and closed his eyes.
Bob stood from the side of the bed and walked out of the bedroom, turning the lights off.
~(V)~ ~(V)~ ~(V)~ ~(V)~ ~(V)~
"All right, here's what's gonna happen: AndrAIa and Ray, you two take care of the guardians at the entrance. AndrAIa, have those nails ready. Matrix, use that eye of yours to check the area in case there might be trouble coming. Mouse, you're with me, we'll infiltrate the main room. Everyone clear on their jobs?"
"We're with ya, sugah." Mouse answered when Bob finished running through the plan.
The day had arrived. It was all or nothing. The group would travel to the Supercomputer to save Dot and get rid of Daemon. The tension was mounting as the sprites stood in the War Room about to leave on what seemed to the binomes around them a suicide mission.
"Good, then let's do it." Matrix pulled Gun out and his cybernetic eye glowed red, showing his anger.
Little Enzo and Phong came up to the group.
"May the User be with you, my children," the old sprite said, giving them all a wise smile that, despite everything, eased the group's tension a little.
Enzo came up and hugged Bob, resting his head on the older sprite's shoulder for a moment. "Don't forget, you promised."
Bob smiled and returned the boy's hug. "I won't, Enzo. I'll bring Dot home."
Enzo pulled away and shyly went up to Matrix. "Good luck, Matrix. Come back soon so we can go hang out at the park, ok?"
Matrix, to the surprise of everyone present, leaned down and briefly hugged the boy. "You got it, kid."
After all the goodbyes were said, Bob signaled to Matrix who used Gun to change an empty crate into a tear. Bob closed his eyes, gathering his power in his hands. He released the energy, shooting it toward the tear and formed a portal to the Supercomputer. With one final look at the people gathered around them, the sprites stepped through the portal to face their destiny.
~(V)~ ~(V)~ ~(V)~ ~(V)~ ~(V)~
The infected guardians formed a huge crowd in what used to be the reception room of the Principle Office. It was rumored that their mistress had succeeded in one of her goals. The guardians all assumed that the two rogue guardians had been captured at last and that their mistress would finally be free to choose an heir. The glory of Daemon would survive through the ages, that was all that mattered, but they were curious as to what their mistress was going to announce.
Turbo stood on the platform at the front of the room feeling incredibly nervous. He had a bad feeling that things were about to get a lot worse than they already were. Daemon had chosen an heir and no doubt she would use them to take over Mainframe then carry on the viral line.
He felt a pang of guilt because he hadn't been able to notify Bob of what was going on. Daemon had charged him with the duty of preparing everything for her announcement and every time he tried to get away someone would interrupt saying he was needed to complete another task or make adjustments. His only choice was to wait until after things were finished here, then hurry to tell Bob about the heir.
A hush fell over the crowd as Daemon came onto the platform to stand before her guardians. Almost as one, they bowed before her then looked up at her, waiting to hear the news.
"My loyal subjects, today is a day we all will never forget. Today is the day that begins a new era. Virals will rule the net from this day on and any who challenge that rule will suffer for I have chosen my heir. The Chosen One is among you at last. Rejoice in the knowledge that your mistress will live on through her descendants and viruses shall forever be in control of all life in the net." A cheer from all the guardians rose through the hall, but was ended when Daemon raised her hand for silence. "I give you my Chosen One, Valkyrie."
There was a brief flash of light and cloaked figure suddenly appeared next to Daemon. As two green hands came up to pull the hood back, Turbo suddenly went pale. 'It can't be...' was his only thought as Dot Matrix's face appeared, purple veins pulsing at her temples. She was dressed in black armor similar to the armor she used to wear with a purple tint and a flowing black cloak. The guardians cheered and the excitement distracted them from seeing two dark figures sneak into the room.
Valkyrie turned to regard Turbo and he knew: Dot Matrix was gone forever. This monster had taken over. The eyes that bore into his were not the friendly ones of the woman he knew. These were cold and cruel. 'Sweet User, what'll ah tell Bob?'
What Turbo didn't realize was that he didn't need to tell Bob...he already knew.
~(V)~ ~(V)~ ~(V)~ ~(V)~ ~(V)~
Upon arriving in the Supercomputer the group had heard of Daemon's upcoming announcement so they hurried to get inside and carry out their plans. The cheers rose from the guardians in the room as Bob and Mouse quietly snuck into the reception hall, both covered in dark cloaks with the hoods covering their faces so they wouldn't be seen. They found a place in one of the back corners and waited for their chance. The guards had easily been taken care of courtesy of AndrAIa's spines and Ray's surfbaud. Matrix was waiting up in the rafters of the ceiling, scanning for possible trouble. The renegade had found an entrance through one of the vents and crawled through until he reached an open shaft leading all the way up to the ceiling.
Bob turned to Mouse after receiving confirmation from Matrix that so far they were relatively safe. 'As safe as we can be in a roomful of infected guardians,' he thought. "We need to find Dot and get her out of here, then we go after Daemon."
Mouse responded with her trademark wink.
Both focused on the platform as the cheers stopped and Daemon spoke again. "I give you my Chosen One, Valkyrie."
Mouse's eyes widened and she looked at Bob, whispering fiercely. "She's chosen an heir?!"
Bob's eyes remained on the platform and he felt his energy run cold.
Mouse noticed the look of fear on her friends face and looked back at the platform. Her mouth dropped open and she knew why Bob was afraid. The familiar green face, the greenish black hair...the purple veins.
Dot was Valkyrie.
~(V)~ ~(V)~ ~(V)~ ~(V)~ ~(V)~
End of Chapter Seven
Welllll?? What did you think? It'll get better in the upcoming chapters, I promise. I just have to sit down and write them. Anyway, onto the Thank You section!
tracy: thanks a lot!!
Jaelawyn Noble: sorry about the cliffie, hope it was worth the wait for you.
Dragonmaster: Always a pleasure to write a scene for a friend. ;)
XiaNA fAiRy PriNceSs: I just write the chapters until I can't really write anymore. Look at it this way, more chapters, more to look forward to.
sTePh: Don't worry, I got more than ten reviews. That happens when you've been as lazy as I have when it comes to updating this story.
GreenArt44: Once again, you flatter me way too much but I do greatly appreciate it. :)
*Eternal Star: k, it was the cutezy pleading look that got me. Thanks for the review.
Lucy Server: Great, I'm glad she was in character. I was really worried about that.
focusly: Thanks a lot. I totally agree with you on the whole bait for Bob/Matrix part, that really gets on my nerves sometimes.
maggie: As always, thank you. ;)
Raven: Here's more for ya obviously. Hope you like it.
Dot^.^: Thanks for your enthusiasm, I really enjoy hearing it from people.
Alina: Sorry about the cliffhanger. When can I get that strawberry shake? :)
pandaporinces22: Thanks a lot, I'm glad you like it so far.
*whew* that took forever. Much better. As always, ten reviews please before I post the next chapter and again, I apologize profusely for taking so long with this one. You guys know how it is when school and life in general get in the way of things. Thanks for reading. :)
CHAPTER SEVEN
The silence drifted through the chamber as Daemon sat contemplating her next move. She already had Valkyrie, now all she needed was to make sure she didn't lose her. Valkyrie would play a key role in her plans for total net domination. It was only a matter of time before it was all hers. The thought brought a twisted smile to her face. Daemon would have it all and Valkyrie would take over one day, ruling the net and continuing the viral line.
Those idiotic guardians actually thought they could stop her. So much for the 'defenders of the Net'. Now only two stood in her way. The others belonged to her. Mind, body, and even soul. It was all hers. Except for Mainframe. That one small system was all that remained. System Alpha had been corrupted even before she'd sent the message to Mainframe. The fake information on System Alpha was merely to give the people of Mainframe false hope. 'How truly sadistic I am,' she thought ruefully, the smile still in place. Oh how the thought of the binomes and sprites getting that look of complete horror as her viral forces conquered the system pleased her.
Death or slavery...the ultimate choice in the end. Valkyrie would fulfill her role as Daemon's successor and prove to them that she was the Chosen One. She would make them fear the name of Daemon and all who were her followers. Fear could drive a sprite to do strange things indeed and that was what Daemon was counting on. If the sprites and binomes had enough fear, they would submit to her will easily. All it would take is a little...convincing. Maybe even a few demonstrations of what happened to those who chose to go against her. That would be excellent. To hear those tortured screams of agony...to listen as the poor souls begged to delete...that was the main thrill of it all.
The sounds of tortured screams brought out a feeling in her she just couldn't describe. The only word that came to mind was complete and total elation. Needless to say, Daemon had been in very pleasant spirits lately. Now was the time when it would all be final.
~(V)~ ~(V)~ ~(V)~ ~(V)~ ~(V)~
"You have to bring her back, Bob, please." Little Enzo had tears in his eyes as he begged his hero, "She said she wouldn't go away. Please bring her back."
"I will, Enzo, I promise," the guardian replied gently, hoping to ease the little sprite's mind.
"Thanks, Bob." A few tears fell from his purple eyes. Eyes that were so much like his sister's it made Bob's heart ache.
He pulled the boy into a comforting hug, praying that he would succeed in bringing Dot home.
Enzo pulled back and settled under the covers of his bed, some stray tears still falling.
Bob smiled down at him and said, "Try to get some sleep, pal. I'll see you in the morning before we leave ok?" as he gently wiped the boy's tears away.
"Ok, Bob." Enzo returned the smile slightly and closed his eyes.
Bob stood from the side of the bed and walked out of the bedroom, turning the lights off.
~(V)~ ~(V)~ ~(V)~ ~(V)~ ~(V)~
"All right, here's what's gonna happen: AndrAIa and Ray, you two take care of the guardians at the entrance. AndrAIa, have those nails ready. Matrix, use that eye of yours to check the area in case there might be trouble coming. Mouse, you're with me, we'll infiltrate the main room. Everyone clear on their jobs?"
"We're with ya, sugah." Mouse answered when Bob finished running through the plan.
The day had arrived. It was all or nothing. The group would travel to the Supercomputer to save Dot and get rid of Daemon. The tension was mounting as the sprites stood in the War Room about to leave on what seemed to the binomes around them a suicide mission.
"Good, then let's do it." Matrix pulled Gun out and his cybernetic eye glowed red, showing his anger.
Little Enzo and Phong came up to the group.
"May the User be with you, my children," the old sprite said, giving them all a wise smile that, despite everything, eased the group's tension a little.
Enzo came up and hugged Bob, resting his head on the older sprite's shoulder for a moment. "Don't forget, you promised."
Bob smiled and returned the boy's hug. "I won't, Enzo. I'll bring Dot home."
Enzo pulled away and shyly went up to Matrix. "Good luck, Matrix. Come back soon so we can go hang out at the park, ok?"
Matrix, to the surprise of everyone present, leaned down and briefly hugged the boy. "You got it, kid."
After all the goodbyes were said, Bob signaled to Matrix who used Gun to change an empty crate into a tear. Bob closed his eyes, gathering his power in his hands. He released the energy, shooting it toward the tear and formed a portal to the Supercomputer. With one final look at the people gathered around them, the sprites stepped through the portal to face their destiny.
~(V)~ ~(V)~ ~(V)~ ~(V)~ ~(V)~
The infected guardians formed a huge crowd in what used to be the reception room of the Principle Office. It was rumored that their mistress had succeeded in one of her goals. The guardians all assumed that the two rogue guardians had been captured at last and that their mistress would finally be free to choose an heir. The glory of Daemon would survive through the ages, that was all that mattered, but they were curious as to what their mistress was going to announce.
Turbo stood on the platform at the front of the room feeling incredibly nervous. He had a bad feeling that things were about to get a lot worse than they already were. Daemon had chosen an heir and no doubt she would use them to take over Mainframe then carry on the viral line.
He felt a pang of guilt because he hadn't been able to notify Bob of what was going on. Daemon had charged him with the duty of preparing everything for her announcement and every time he tried to get away someone would interrupt saying he was needed to complete another task or make adjustments. His only choice was to wait until after things were finished here, then hurry to tell Bob about the heir.
A hush fell over the crowd as Daemon came onto the platform to stand before her guardians. Almost as one, they bowed before her then looked up at her, waiting to hear the news.
"My loyal subjects, today is a day we all will never forget. Today is the day that begins a new era. Virals will rule the net from this day on and any who challenge that rule will suffer for I have chosen my heir. The Chosen One is among you at last. Rejoice in the knowledge that your mistress will live on through her descendants and viruses shall forever be in control of all life in the net." A cheer from all the guardians rose through the hall, but was ended when Daemon raised her hand for silence. "I give you my Chosen One, Valkyrie."
There was a brief flash of light and cloaked figure suddenly appeared next to Daemon. As two green hands came up to pull the hood back, Turbo suddenly went pale. 'It can't be...' was his only thought as Dot Matrix's face appeared, purple veins pulsing at her temples. She was dressed in black armor similar to the armor she used to wear with a purple tint and a flowing black cloak. The guardians cheered and the excitement distracted them from seeing two dark figures sneak into the room.
Valkyrie turned to regard Turbo and he knew: Dot Matrix was gone forever. This monster had taken over. The eyes that bore into his were not the friendly ones of the woman he knew. These were cold and cruel. 'Sweet User, what'll ah tell Bob?'
What Turbo didn't realize was that he didn't need to tell Bob...he already knew.
~(V)~ ~(V)~ ~(V)~ ~(V)~ ~(V)~
Upon arriving in the Supercomputer the group had heard of Daemon's upcoming announcement so they hurried to get inside and carry out their plans. The cheers rose from the guardians in the room as Bob and Mouse quietly snuck into the reception hall, both covered in dark cloaks with the hoods covering their faces so they wouldn't be seen. They found a place in one of the back corners and waited for their chance. The guards had easily been taken care of courtesy of AndrAIa's spines and Ray's surfbaud. Matrix was waiting up in the rafters of the ceiling, scanning for possible trouble. The renegade had found an entrance through one of the vents and crawled through until he reached an open shaft leading all the way up to the ceiling.
Bob turned to Mouse after receiving confirmation from Matrix that so far they were relatively safe. 'As safe as we can be in a roomful of infected guardians,' he thought. "We need to find Dot and get her out of here, then we go after Daemon."
Mouse responded with her trademark wink.
Both focused on the platform as the cheers stopped and Daemon spoke again. "I give you my Chosen One, Valkyrie."
Mouse's eyes widened and she looked at Bob, whispering fiercely. "She's chosen an heir?!"
Bob's eyes remained on the platform and he felt his energy run cold.
Mouse noticed the look of fear on her friends face and looked back at the platform. Her mouth dropped open and she knew why Bob was afraid. The familiar green face, the greenish black hair...the purple veins.
Dot was Valkyrie.
~(V)~ ~(V)~ ~(V)~ ~(V)~ ~(V)~
End of Chapter Seven
Welllll?? What did you think? It'll get better in the upcoming chapters, I promise. I just have to sit down and write them. Anyway, onto the Thank You section!
tracy: thanks a lot!!
Jaelawyn Noble: sorry about the cliffie, hope it was worth the wait for you.
Dragonmaster: Always a pleasure to write a scene for a friend. ;)
XiaNA fAiRy PriNceSs: I just write the chapters until I can't really write anymore. Look at it this way, more chapters, more to look forward to.
sTePh: Don't worry, I got more than ten reviews. That happens when you've been as lazy as I have when it comes to updating this story.
GreenArt44: Once again, you flatter me way too much but I do greatly appreciate it. :)
*Eternal Star: k, it was the cutezy pleading look that got me. Thanks for the review.
Lucy Server: Great, I'm glad she was in character. I was really worried about that.
focusly: Thanks a lot. I totally agree with you on the whole bait for Bob/Matrix part, that really gets on my nerves sometimes.
maggie: As always, thank you. ;)
Raven: Here's more for ya obviously. Hope you like it.
Dot^.^: Thanks for your enthusiasm, I really enjoy hearing it from people.
Alina: Sorry about the cliffhanger. When can I get that strawberry shake? :)
pandaporinces22: Thanks a lot, I'm glad you like it so far.
*whew* that took forever. Much better. As always, ten reviews please before I post the next chapter and again, I apologize profusely for taking so long with this one. You guys know how it is when school and life in general get in the way of things. Thanks for reading. :)