Disclaimers: I own none of the characters that you recognize from the Matrix or the Matrix: Reloaded. They belong to the Wachowskis.
Also, in this fic they don't use 'I' 'me' 'my' 'mine' etc. Even when referring to only one of them. I think it adds a certain dramatic effect.
I hate fanfiction.net. This is the third time I'm uploading this fanfic. I've changed it to HTML format in hopes the formatting will remain and so it appears like this.
Lady Arianrod: Thanks for all your comments and yes, they are deadly beautiful like. The words I use are 'brutally elegant'.
Kit: Yes, they are bad, aren't they? Sexy, sexy, beasts.
DUAL BIOGRAPHY
Chapter IV: Learning the History Behind the Hatred
"Hello?!" She asked angrily.
"Sorry." I said curtly, "We shall escort you to Morpheus; One has other business to attend to. Follow us." I turned and walked away brusquely. There was a moment of expectant silence as she walked behind me. "It seems you're waiting for us to say something."
"I am."
"Then ask it, or stop waiting for your mind to be read."
"Why are you doing this?"
I turn to her again, "You know what it's like to have your life ripped out from under your feet, right? Well, that's why."
Slowly I reach the apartment as the two of us get into the
elevator and I press the correct button. The elevator stops half-way up and I
recognize one of the people who enter.
"Neil! ….or were you Adrian?" She asks.
"Adrian," I comment, "And you were Shari, right?"
"Yeah. Who's your friend?"
"This is Niobe. She's a friend we're rescuing from sudden death." I said, smirking.
"Was this sudden death taxes or a bad man?" She asks with a grin.
"A bad man." Niobe comments, "A really bad man."
"Ah. Say, before we heard a couple of 'thumps' and like kung fu or something. Did someone try to break into you apartment?"
"Sort of," I told her, "We had a visit from some people that we had some……bad experiences with. We had a little skirmish."
"You know karate?"
I nod. The elevator rings, and she steps out. It continues up and the two of us exit, to be faced with Morpheus, Trinity and Neo.
I mentally swear at them both for having such stoic emotions. I myself cannot resist a smirk, "Here is Niobe. She is who you wanted, is that correct?"
"Yes. Thank you." Morpheus said, "And now I surrender myself into your custody."
Roughly, I grabbed his shoulder. The back of my mind ached, as I suddenly realized that my twin was closer then I expected.
The sound of air being released came a second later, and a thump as The One fell to the floor, the needle sticking out the back of his neck. Trinity and Niobe turned, but I kept a firm grip on the black man I was holding as One phased up through the floor.
"Did we come at a bad time?"
"What is this?" Asked Morpheus, "What is going on?"
"We struck a deal with the devil," I told him, pulling my blade to his throat, "Neo, for Niobe."
"With who?" He asked, unmoving.
"An agent who had a certain fondness for 'Mister Anderson'." One said as he slung Neo's body over his shoulder, "The rogue one."
"Smith….." Morpheus whispered, "What did you do with Smith?"
"That is none of your concern," I hissed to him, bringing my blade closer, close enough to draw blood, "We've done what you've asked."
"This is insane!" Niobe half-shouted, "What do you want?"
"There are two things we want," I answered, "One of them is the man who ripped our lives from us, which we now have. The other is to terminate contact with this Agent. In order to do that, we must seal our deal and also get the other half of your counter-virus."
"What?"
"Are you stupid?" Asked One impatiently, "You're freedom is only limited currently. You have an hour until the searing pain returns, if we do not get the rest of the antidote from the Agent."
Trinity merely stared, and started shaking. I laughed quietly. When she turned, I smirked, "Yes, is there something you wanted?"
I blinked, and she pulled out her gun and aimed it at me. I laughed again, "Go ahead. Shoot. Shoot the gun. You'll hit empty air, or even better, Morpheus."
I let go of Morpheus and phased to near One, who was now waiting, irritation on his features, "Now, don't you move, Morpheus. The rest of you can go to hell, if you want."
"You stay here, Two. Watch them. We don't trust them and Morpheus escapes we won't get him back."
"But, One, if the Agent---"
"We got it, Two. Stay here."
"Alright, One, but be careful."
"There has been a change in plans," One announced, "Two will stay and watch over you."
I can see Trinity's mind clicking. She was going to escape while we were gone. Her face twitches, but nothing more. I flash an image of amusement in One's mind, he responds with a smirking picture in my own head. He leaves, and Trinity, ignorant of my presence, collapsed into a chair with her face in her hands. She took a deep breath and muttered some inaudibly. I curiously raised an eyebrow but didn't ask, instead, I leaned against the door, waiting for One to return.
Morpheus sat there, the small cut on his neck still bleeding. Perhaps the fact he was completely still angered me, perhaps it was merely unnerving. But something about him bothered me……and I didn't like the feeling one bit. Niobe paced impatiently near the couch, talking to herself.
Minutes ticked by. I impatiently checked my perfectly manicured nails, a habit I'd picked up from the humans. I delved into our mind to look for One. He was alright. Lost, but alright.
"Where's the Agent,
One?"
"Well, he's not in the strange building. We can't seem to find him. It's like he wants to play a game with us. A stupid, worthless game of hide and go seek."
"We are getting
aggravated."
"Yes, we are."
" We shall continue our search."
He terminated the conversation I turned back to Morpheus, Trinity and
Niobe. Trinity had stood up and was now sitting on the couch, staring into the
glass coffee table. Niobe had stopped pacing and was now in whispered
conversation with Morpheus.
"What are you talking about?" I asked them nonchalantly.
"None of your concern," Niobe spat.
"Morpheus," I asked, "what are you talking about?"
"We are talking about Smith and Neo." Morpheus said calmly.
Angry at his composure, I yanked his glasses off his face and threw them to the ground and shattered them with the heel of my boot. Comforted by the shattering noise, I resumed staring out of the window that no longer had any glass.
More time passed, I grew more bored. I sat down near Morpheus and Niobe, (who, to my great amusement, moved away).
"Tell us of this rivalry they share."
"Smith and Neo?"
"Yes. Them. Elaborate on why he would associate with us."
Morpheus took a deep breath, "Before Neo became the One, I was captured. Trinity and Neo saved me from the Agents, but before he could leave, Smith destroyed the phone. Neo, renewed by his successful rescue, fought Smith."
I snickered, "And?"
"He won….or as close as you can get to killing an Agent. Smith was crushed by the subway."
"He was still connected to the Matrix mainframe?" I asked, fairly interested.
"At this point in time, yes. Smith
took a new body in one of the subway passengers."
"Did The One fight him again?"
"No. He ran. He evaded the Agents until he opened the door where the next phone, and his escape lay. Smith had taken the body of the owner of the apartment, and when Neo opened the door, he was shot by him."
"How interesting. That wouldn't explain his current status, however. Or, rather, we should say, his previous status. Whatever Smith intends to do to him will not be pleasant."
A slight tremor through Morpheus's body was not very obvious but I saw it anyway. He was concerned for the fate of The One. I smirked mentally—The One didn't need anybody worrying about him. He was The One, after all. At his pause, though, I became irritated, "Continue the story."
"Neo was brought back to life when Trinity completed her
piece of the Prophecy. The Oracle had told her that she was going to fall in
love with a dead man. With The One. When Neo died,
Trinity proclaimed her love to Neo. He was revived and---"
"Reincarnated as The One?"
"Yes. When Smith saw this, he charged Neo. As The One, he defeated Smith easily. He then destroyed the Agent."
"How can you destroy an Agent?"
"He stripped Smith of his programming. Like pulling support beams out of a building—the entire building fell apart."
"Deleted programs are supposed to report to the Source for complete deletion." I said. This was a well known fact to me……my brother and I had refused to go there a very long time ago.
"Again, correct. I suppose, as an Exile, you would know. Regardless, Smith did not. He was recreated in the Matrix. He was, indeed, no longer connected to the Matrix. An Exile like yourself and your brother. He gained abilities that others did not possess. He was able to replicate himself."
"Agents can replicate themselves."
"That is different. Smith was able to make copies. He sent a package to Neo---his earpiece. However, he did not face The One this time……only upgraded agent were fighting him."
"He beat them, we assume."
Morpheus nodded, "Later, Neo ran into Smith in a small park. Smith told Neo about them having some sort of connection…."
"They did, indeed, both escape death and were reborn with more strength then originally," I supplied.
"Neo fought a hundred of Smith's clones, not to mention
Smith himself, but which one was real would be impossible to tell. He did not
win, but he did not lose either."
"He fought them and ran, then."
"That is where we are now. Smith knows he cannot beat Neo."
"So he told us to."
Another nod from the man. Those two did indeed have a past. Perhaps I may ask Smith for his side of the story if he becomes any saner, "We will not doubt his intelligence, but his sanity is questionable."
"I won't argue that point," He replied with a slight grin.
This man would prove interesting in the future. I saw many intelligent conversations if we did not decide to kill him slowly and painfully instead. It was still undecided.
"I don't mean to be impatient," Niobe piped up, "But
shouldn't your brother be back by now?"
"It has never taken him this long to do anything."
"One?"
………
"One? One, where are you?"
KNOCK KNOCK
Everyone (including myself) minus Morpheus jumped. I glared through the peephole. Smith.
Opening the door, the ex-agent walked in. He was dragging a 6'5, albino, dreadlocked and silver-clad man, "What is this treachery, Smith?" I hissed, "What have you done to One?"
AN….
Cliffhanger…muahah….