Title: Kindergarten
Author: trin_chardin
Summary: What if the characters of the Matrix went to kindergarten together?
Categories: AU/Humor
Author's Notes: Here's some rebel-Neo as a belated Christmas present. Sorry, I can't deliver with the fanart 'cause I haven't been able to find anyone to post it for me. All the same, happy holidays to everyone! Enjoy the new year. ~.~ [Check out the Construct! http://www.constructfic.org/]
Disclaimer: I don't own the Matrix concept or anyone/anything in it. I also have no claim on Highlander, Jack and the Beanstalk, or Princess Bride.
-----
Kindergarten
Chapter 17 - There Can Only Be One...One
"Oh dear..."
Neo's mother sighed and left the room to the click-clack of her high heels. Taking out her cellphone as she did so, she muttered something about suing a certain bakeshop. A tad deflated, Neo just stared glumly at his cake, while One continue to glare at him from across said pastry. Trinity patted the dark-haired boy's arm comfortingly, but the others moved on from the cake to look at the other box with hungry eyes.
With an apparent sixth sense for disaster, their teacher clapped their hands to distract their attention. He then picked up a packet of sweets from beside the unopened bakery box.
"Look what we have here! Why don't we each have one for a good sugar rush," he winked and went on. "Then, we can have games with the rest of the sweets as prizes. What do you think?"
At the loud cheer, the teacher smiled and started to hand out candies. Morpheus took two to hand one to his downcast friend.
"Which do you want, Neo?" He asked kindly. "The blue jelly bean or the red jelly bean?"
Neo picked up the red one with a soft sniff and popped it into his mouth.
"You know," Morpheus continued in a low whisper, "I think they might be magic beans. Like the one in Jack and the Beanstalk."
"Magic jelly beans?" Neo looked at his friend doubtfully, face scrunched up.
"It could happen," the other said eagerly. "Maybe we could get powers!"
"What kind of powers?" The smaller boy asked, drawn into it by the other's conviction.
"Super powers," the dark-skinned boy said softly, eyes alit with excitement.
By that time, the two had joined their classmates in the gym proper. Neo's mother was nowhere in sight, though her shrill voice was heard at intervals from outside the double doors. The boy himself sighed as he heard parts of the conversation. Clearly, his mother wasn't pleased at having the birthday party spoilt. Neo shuffled in place, eyes on the floor and face flushed in embarrassment at his mother's loud voice. Teacher Rama had started to facilitate a game at one end of the gym, but the boy could still feel the pitying eyes of some classmates focused on him.
Morpheus had drifted off to fight Locke over who got to be Niobe's partner. But, the girl in question saw Trinity standing by herself and looking worriedly at Neo. When the dark-haired boy made no move to join in the game, the girls became partners instead. Left alone, Neo continued to stare at his feet. Then, a not-too-gentle shove moved him from his spot. He looked up to meet hostile light-colored eyes. Surprisingly, the twin was on his own. Neo squinted at the name embroidered on the other boy's pocket in small neat letters. It was obscured by the arms tightly crossed at the chest. In any case, the albino's words clarified matters as to identity soon enough.
"I am One. You stole my name. Prepare to die."
"I didn't steal your name," Neo said flatly.
For those who knew him well, the dark-haired boy's expressionless tone was a sign that he wasn't in a good mood. Thus, was better left alone. Unfortunately, One was not one of the select few privy to that information.
"Yes, you did," the other insisted. "Now, you must pay. I challenge you to a duel."
Neo coolly arched an eyebrow and crossed his arms to mirror his adversary.
"Is that so?" He drawled in his usual soft-spoken voice. "What sort of duel?"
"More of a contest actually. Up the bleachers..." One's eyes narrowed in challenge. "To the -very top-. First one there can claim the name of One."
Neo rolled his eyes.
"You know what I never even said my name was One - "
"Blasphemy! Blasphemy!" The twin shouted, covering his ears and chanting, "I'm not listening! I'm not listening!"
The other boy looked to the heavens in exasperation.
"Alright then."
One squinted in suspicion, then slowly removed his hands from his ears.
"You're on." Neo shrugged.
"One... Two... Three... Go!"
As soon as he'd finished the countdown, the twin was off like a shot. But, it soon showed that he was no match for a Neo with a mission. When the dark-haired boy reached the top ahead of him, he could only sputter in shock.
"No...no... This isn't possible...can't be..."
Neo actually smirked, clearly satisfied at his triumph. He had to talk to Morpheus later on. Maybe the jelly beans -were- magical after all. Such was running through his mind when One leaped up from the bleacher step below and tackled him down with a shout of outrage.
"Hey! That's not - "
Before he could finish and shout 'fair', Neo got a mouthful of One's arm. But, like the previous race, he soon got the upper hand in the scuffle. Leaving the twin lying on his stomach and throwing a general tantrum, Neo calmly took a seat on the other's back and watched as Teacher Rama and the class came toward them from below.
"You know what?" He looked at the kicking and screaming albino underneath him. "Like I said, I never said my name was One. ...But, I am -the- One."
He turned back to smile happily at his awed friends. This birthday wasn't so bad after all.
Author: trin_chardin
Summary: What if the characters of the Matrix went to kindergarten together?
Categories: AU/Humor
Author's Notes: Here's some rebel-Neo as a belated Christmas present. Sorry, I can't deliver with the fanart 'cause I haven't been able to find anyone to post it for me. All the same, happy holidays to everyone! Enjoy the new year. ~.~ [Check out the Construct! http://www.constructfic.org/]
Disclaimer: I don't own the Matrix concept or anyone/anything in it. I also have no claim on Highlander, Jack and the Beanstalk, or Princess Bride.
-----
Kindergarten
Chapter 17 - There Can Only Be One...One
"Oh dear..."
Neo's mother sighed and left the room to the click-clack of her high heels. Taking out her cellphone as she did so, she muttered something about suing a certain bakeshop. A tad deflated, Neo just stared glumly at his cake, while One continue to glare at him from across said pastry. Trinity patted the dark-haired boy's arm comfortingly, but the others moved on from the cake to look at the other box with hungry eyes.
With an apparent sixth sense for disaster, their teacher clapped their hands to distract their attention. He then picked up a packet of sweets from beside the unopened bakery box.
"Look what we have here! Why don't we each have one for a good sugar rush," he winked and went on. "Then, we can have games with the rest of the sweets as prizes. What do you think?"
At the loud cheer, the teacher smiled and started to hand out candies. Morpheus took two to hand one to his downcast friend.
"Which do you want, Neo?" He asked kindly. "The blue jelly bean or the red jelly bean?"
Neo picked up the red one with a soft sniff and popped it into his mouth.
"You know," Morpheus continued in a low whisper, "I think they might be magic beans. Like the one in Jack and the Beanstalk."
"Magic jelly beans?" Neo looked at his friend doubtfully, face scrunched up.
"It could happen," the other said eagerly. "Maybe we could get powers!"
"What kind of powers?" The smaller boy asked, drawn into it by the other's conviction.
"Super powers," the dark-skinned boy said softly, eyes alit with excitement.
By that time, the two had joined their classmates in the gym proper. Neo's mother was nowhere in sight, though her shrill voice was heard at intervals from outside the double doors. The boy himself sighed as he heard parts of the conversation. Clearly, his mother wasn't pleased at having the birthday party spoilt. Neo shuffled in place, eyes on the floor and face flushed in embarrassment at his mother's loud voice. Teacher Rama had started to facilitate a game at one end of the gym, but the boy could still feel the pitying eyes of some classmates focused on him.
Morpheus had drifted off to fight Locke over who got to be Niobe's partner. But, the girl in question saw Trinity standing by herself and looking worriedly at Neo. When the dark-haired boy made no move to join in the game, the girls became partners instead. Left alone, Neo continued to stare at his feet. Then, a not-too-gentle shove moved him from his spot. He looked up to meet hostile light-colored eyes. Surprisingly, the twin was on his own. Neo squinted at the name embroidered on the other boy's pocket in small neat letters. It was obscured by the arms tightly crossed at the chest. In any case, the albino's words clarified matters as to identity soon enough.
"I am One. You stole my name. Prepare to die."
"I didn't steal your name," Neo said flatly.
For those who knew him well, the dark-haired boy's expressionless tone was a sign that he wasn't in a good mood. Thus, was better left alone. Unfortunately, One was not one of the select few privy to that information.
"Yes, you did," the other insisted. "Now, you must pay. I challenge you to a duel."
Neo coolly arched an eyebrow and crossed his arms to mirror his adversary.
"Is that so?" He drawled in his usual soft-spoken voice. "What sort of duel?"
"More of a contest actually. Up the bleachers..." One's eyes narrowed in challenge. "To the -very top-. First one there can claim the name of One."
Neo rolled his eyes.
"You know what I never even said my name was One - "
"Blasphemy! Blasphemy!" The twin shouted, covering his ears and chanting, "I'm not listening! I'm not listening!"
The other boy looked to the heavens in exasperation.
"Alright then."
One squinted in suspicion, then slowly removed his hands from his ears.
"You're on." Neo shrugged.
"One... Two... Three... Go!"
As soon as he'd finished the countdown, the twin was off like a shot. But, it soon showed that he was no match for a Neo with a mission. When the dark-haired boy reached the top ahead of him, he could only sputter in shock.
"No...no... This isn't possible...can't be..."
Neo actually smirked, clearly satisfied at his triumph. He had to talk to Morpheus later on. Maybe the jelly beans -were- magical after all. Such was running through his mind when One leaped up from the bleacher step below and tackled him down with a shout of outrage.
"Hey! That's not - "
Before he could finish and shout 'fair', Neo got a mouthful of One's arm. But, like the previous race, he soon got the upper hand in the scuffle. Leaving the twin lying on his stomach and throwing a general tantrum, Neo calmly took a seat on the other's back and watched as Teacher Rama and the class came toward them from below.
"You know what?" He looked at the kicking and screaming albino underneath him. "Like I said, I never said my name was One. ...But, I am -the- One."
He turned back to smile happily at his awed friends. This birthday wasn't so bad after all.