Title: Kindergarten
Author: trin_chardin
Summary: What if the characters of Reloaded went to kindergarten together?
Categories: AU/Humor
Author's Notes: Thanks to reviewers and readers alike. ^_^ Finally, here's a fun-filled chapter for the chibis. And here's a present for Zephyr, who asked nicely. ~_^ Other idea credits go to Mercury, Ryven, and midnite star watcher. ^_^ And I know this came a tad late, but I've been busy and planned to post new fanart links before this chapter. However, mussed seems to be AWOL. So, chapter first, fanart later. [Check out the Construct! http://www.constructfic.org/]
Disclaimer: I don't own the Matrix concept or anyone/anything in it.
-----
Kindergarten
Chapter 11 - Gym & Games
After Seraph, the teacher's assistant, had herded the bruised and beaming twins to the infirmary, a sharp clap of hands got the students' attention.
"Alright, class, what about a game of dodge ball?"
The children started to cheer when the teacher held up her hand.
"But, because you're unevenly numbered, one of you can't play."
"Aw! No fair," Morpheus and Locke said simultaneously.
They stuck their tongues out at each other in disgust, but their teacher placidly continued.
"And I think it's better if I group you myself."
Neo subconsciouly took Trinity's hand and bit his lip. When she squeezed his hand back in return, he visibly jumped and then smiled weakly at her. But, he didn't let go of his grip.
After all, he happily reasoned, she hadn't pulled away.
"I don't mind if I don't play, Teacher 'Racle," Perse volunteered with a sickly sweet smile.
"How nice of you to offer, dear."
As the teacher turned away, Perse whispered to Mero, "That way I won't dirty my dress."
"How smart of you, ma cheri."
Perse just smirked in return.
"Well, children, here's how it'll be. Neo, Trinity..." The boy let out a relieved sigh. "...Morpheus, and Locke - "
"What!?!" Both boys shouted.
"No shouting," the teacher sternly reprimanded them. "Maybe this will teach you two a lesson on how to cooperate."
The two remained sullen. Unruffled at their attitude, the teacher went on with the list.
"The other team will have Smith, Mero, Ghost, and Niobe."
"I refuse to work with that cootie-infested female," Smith flatly stated.
"Well, I'm sorry, Smith," the teacher tartly replied. "That's an order."
The boy joined the sulky duo and unhappily shuffled to his proper place.
After giving a bright red rubber ball to Neo, the teacher blew a whistle. At first uncertain, Neo fumbled with the ball. It flew from his hands and nearly hit the petulant Smith in the face. The boy turned a pale white that made Neo flinch. With just a moment's pause, the ball went zooming right at Neo who barely dodged it. Aside from the occassional misfire, the game quickly turned into a two-man war, with Neo as an unwilling opponent. He didn't want to throw it at one of his friends, and Mero was too far back to reach. That left him with only one option, and Smith clearly had no qualms of specifically targeting him.
The teacher remained oblivious, barricaded behind a cookbook, while the other students found other ways to entertain themselves. Niobe and Ghost talked about their friend Sparks, who was in another class. Uninterested in their chatter, Mero bemoaned the fate of his juice-stained shirt to Perse in the sidelines. On the other side, Morpheus and Locke tried to outdo each other with funny faces. In fact, only Trinity remained interest in the dodge ball game, eyes anxiously fixed on Neo.
"Ack!" Neo shouted, bending backwards. "Trinity, help!"
The boy winced as he landed on his back with a thump, barely missing the ball. Patience worn thin, Trinity got the ball and threw it with a satisfying smack straight at Smith's stomach.
"Dodge this."
With that, she turned to Neo.
"Are you alright?"
"I think so."
"You move fast."
"Not really."
He blushed at her praise.
"Well, it seems Neo's team has won," the teacher said, resurfacing from her recipes.
Smith glowered.
"What about another game?"
"I know! I know!"
Ghost waved his hand wildly in the air to catch the teacher's attention. Amused, she nodded at him to continue.
"We can play Duck, Duck, Goose!"
"That's for babies," Smith scoffed.
"My brother is not a baby," Trinity snapped.
"He's not your real brother," was the retort.
"You're one to talk about brothers, Mr. Mini-Me."
"Bane's not my brother! He's me! Me, I tell you!"
Trinity just raised an eyebrow and turned her back on the boy. At her swift defense of him, Ghost had flushed with a hue to match Neo's "natural color". And throughout this, their teacher tried to hold onto the dredges of her patience. Her former students at the IMGC - AKA, the Institute for Mentally Gifted Children - had been nothing like this.
"Well, why don't we try this game? Do all of you know how to play it?" Nine heads bobbed in unison. "Alright then. Let's get into a circle."
Ghost happily plopped down on the floor, flanked by Niobe and Trinity. Neo smiled weakly as the latter patted the spot next to her. He slowly sat down, while Morpheus and Locke scrambled for the remaining spot next to Niobe. Morpheus won, leaving Locke to sullenly sink down beside the smug boy. To add insult to injury, Smith sat down next to him. The blank-faced boy was followed by Perse and then Mero, who didn't trust Neo near his girlfriend. ...Or what it the other way around?
"Alright. Who'll go first?"
"Can I, Teacher?" Trinity asked.
"Sure, dear. You go ahead."
The girl got to her feet, while her former spot was filled in by Ghost and Neo.
"Duck..." Neo blushed.
"Duck..." Mero yawned.
"Duck..." Perse smirked.
"Goose."
Like a shot, Smith was up on his feet and after Trinity. Whenever she got near his empty place, he surged ahead and cut her off. Pretty soon, they were zig-zagging around the gym, going circles around bemused classmates, a worried Neo, and a teacher in desperate need of an aspirin. The two started to clamber up the bleachers. With Smith still hot at her heels, Trinity started to race for the other set of stands. A foot or so of empty space separated them. As the others held their breath, Trinity leaped -
And made it.
The children applauded as their teacher finally called an end to the bedlam.
"Stop now!"
Smith skidded to a stop just before the gap and turned to glare at the teacher.
Unconcerned, she gestured for them to come down from the bleachers. Once everyone was safely on the ground, she pointed to the door.
"March right back to the classroom. That's enough of gym for today."
Author: trin_chardin
Summary: What if the characters of Reloaded went to kindergarten together?
Categories: AU/Humor
Author's Notes: Thanks to reviewers and readers alike. ^_^ Finally, here's a fun-filled chapter for the chibis. And here's a present for Zephyr, who asked nicely. ~_^ Other idea credits go to Mercury, Ryven, and midnite star watcher. ^_^ And I know this came a tad late, but I've been busy and planned to post new fanart links before this chapter. However, mussed seems to be AWOL. So, chapter first, fanart later. [Check out the Construct! http://www.constructfic.org/]
Disclaimer: I don't own the Matrix concept or anyone/anything in it.
-----
Kindergarten
Chapter 11 - Gym & Games
After Seraph, the teacher's assistant, had herded the bruised and beaming twins to the infirmary, a sharp clap of hands got the students' attention.
"Alright, class, what about a game of dodge ball?"
The children started to cheer when the teacher held up her hand.
"But, because you're unevenly numbered, one of you can't play."
"Aw! No fair," Morpheus and Locke said simultaneously.
They stuck their tongues out at each other in disgust, but their teacher placidly continued.
"And I think it's better if I group you myself."
Neo subconsciouly took Trinity's hand and bit his lip. When she squeezed his hand back in return, he visibly jumped and then smiled weakly at her. But, he didn't let go of his grip.
After all, he happily reasoned, she hadn't pulled away.
"I don't mind if I don't play, Teacher 'Racle," Perse volunteered with a sickly sweet smile.
"How nice of you to offer, dear."
As the teacher turned away, Perse whispered to Mero, "That way I won't dirty my dress."
"How smart of you, ma cheri."
Perse just smirked in return.
"Well, children, here's how it'll be. Neo, Trinity..." The boy let out a relieved sigh. "...Morpheus, and Locke - "
"What!?!" Both boys shouted.
"No shouting," the teacher sternly reprimanded them. "Maybe this will teach you two a lesson on how to cooperate."
The two remained sullen. Unruffled at their attitude, the teacher went on with the list.
"The other team will have Smith, Mero, Ghost, and Niobe."
"I refuse to work with that cootie-infested female," Smith flatly stated.
"Well, I'm sorry, Smith," the teacher tartly replied. "That's an order."
The boy joined the sulky duo and unhappily shuffled to his proper place.
After giving a bright red rubber ball to Neo, the teacher blew a whistle. At first uncertain, Neo fumbled with the ball. It flew from his hands and nearly hit the petulant Smith in the face. The boy turned a pale white that made Neo flinch. With just a moment's pause, the ball went zooming right at Neo who barely dodged it. Aside from the occassional misfire, the game quickly turned into a two-man war, with Neo as an unwilling opponent. He didn't want to throw it at one of his friends, and Mero was too far back to reach. That left him with only one option, and Smith clearly had no qualms of specifically targeting him.
The teacher remained oblivious, barricaded behind a cookbook, while the other students found other ways to entertain themselves. Niobe and Ghost talked about their friend Sparks, who was in another class. Uninterested in their chatter, Mero bemoaned the fate of his juice-stained shirt to Perse in the sidelines. On the other side, Morpheus and Locke tried to outdo each other with funny faces. In fact, only Trinity remained interest in the dodge ball game, eyes anxiously fixed on Neo.
"Ack!" Neo shouted, bending backwards. "Trinity, help!"
The boy winced as he landed on his back with a thump, barely missing the ball. Patience worn thin, Trinity got the ball and threw it with a satisfying smack straight at Smith's stomach.
"Dodge this."
With that, she turned to Neo.
"Are you alright?"
"I think so."
"You move fast."
"Not really."
He blushed at her praise.
"Well, it seems Neo's team has won," the teacher said, resurfacing from her recipes.
Smith glowered.
"What about another game?"
"I know! I know!"
Ghost waved his hand wildly in the air to catch the teacher's attention. Amused, she nodded at him to continue.
"We can play Duck, Duck, Goose!"
"That's for babies," Smith scoffed.
"My brother is not a baby," Trinity snapped.
"He's not your real brother," was the retort.
"You're one to talk about brothers, Mr. Mini-Me."
"Bane's not my brother! He's me! Me, I tell you!"
Trinity just raised an eyebrow and turned her back on the boy. At her swift defense of him, Ghost had flushed with a hue to match Neo's "natural color". And throughout this, their teacher tried to hold onto the dredges of her patience. Her former students at the IMGC - AKA, the Institute for Mentally Gifted Children - had been nothing like this.
"Well, why don't we try this game? Do all of you know how to play it?" Nine heads bobbed in unison. "Alright then. Let's get into a circle."
Ghost happily plopped down on the floor, flanked by Niobe and Trinity. Neo smiled weakly as the latter patted the spot next to her. He slowly sat down, while Morpheus and Locke scrambled for the remaining spot next to Niobe. Morpheus won, leaving Locke to sullenly sink down beside the smug boy. To add insult to injury, Smith sat down next to him. The blank-faced boy was followed by Perse and then Mero, who didn't trust Neo near his girlfriend. ...Or what it the other way around?
"Alright. Who'll go first?"
"Can I, Teacher?" Trinity asked.
"Sure, dear. You go ahead."
The girl got to her feet, while her former spot was filled in by Ghost and Neo.
"Duck..." Neo blushed.
"Duck..." Mero yawned.
"Duck..." Perse smirked.
"Goose."
Like a shot, Smith was up on his feet and after Trinity. Whenever she got near his empty place, he surged ahead and cut her off. Pretty soon, they were zig-zagging around the gym, going circles around bemused classmates, a worried Neo, and a teacher in desperate need of an aspirin. The two started to clamber up the bleachers. With Smith still hot at her heels, Trinity started to race for the other set of stands. A foot or so of empty space separated them. As the others held their breath, Trinity leaped -
And made it.
The children applauded as their teacher finally called an end to the bedlam.
"Stop now!"
Smith skidded to a stop just before the gap and turned to glare at the teacher.
Unconcerned, she gestured for them to come down from the bleachers. Once everyone was safely on the ground, she pointed to the door.
"March right back to the classroom. That's enough of gym for today."