The Matrix: Legacy

One

Programs

Morgain slept under a tree in the park, aware of but oblivious to the girl playing near her, until she opened her eyes to see the child looking at her. The girl smiled. "Hello," she said in a slightly accented voice. "My name is Sati. Your name is Morgain. Seraph says that you cannot talk. Have you lost your voice, Morgain?"

Morgain stared at her for a long moment. Even if she could speak, she had no words for this child with the beautiful sienna hair and gold aura. Sati regarded her for a few moments, then stated, "You look like Neo's friend, but you are not her. And everyone expects you to be like her. The Oracle–"

"Sati," another accented voice interrupted. Both females looked up to see a dark-haired man in loose clothing. Like Sati, Morgain realised, he had a golden aura. "Let the girl be."

"Yes, Seraph," Sati answered before handing Morgain a doll. "Her name is Trinity. She is for you." She smiled up at the Chinese man, who smiled back affectionately, then scampered off to where some other children were playing.

Seraph offered Morgain a courteous bow. "I apologise for her rudeness. She does not yet understand what should not be said." Morgain smiled weakly, hoping he understood ASL as she signed, 'That's all right. I don't mind.'

He nodded, then turned from her to walk sedately towards Sati and her new playmates. Morgain watched him go, then turned her attention to the doll Sati had given her.

It fell from her trembling hands as Morgain stared at the face on the doll. Her face. Carrie's face.

"Avalon."

Morgain looked up at the big black man towering over her, offering him a shaky smile. 'Hey, Gunner,' she signed. He sat beside her. "What's up, kiddo? You look like you've seen a ghost." She leaned against him. 'I did. Sort of.'

He frowned. "Sort of?"

She passed him the doll. 'Some kid named Sati gave me that. She knew my name and she knew I'm mute. She said that it was for me.' Gunner whistled. "It's you to a T, kid. Except you don't wear your hair like that."

'Gunner... it's Carrie.'

Gunner did a double-take. "Shit, girl, you're right. It is her; she started wearing her hair like that a week before she vanished." Gunner had been Carrie's age and had shared some classes with her. For some reason, he considered it his duty to look after Morgain.

Gunner handed the doll back to her. "Don't let your ma see that. She'll have an apoplexy or somethin'."

'I know.'

Gunner gave Morgain a one-armed bear hug, and she curled up against him, resting her head against his broad shoulder. He fingered her short hair, wondering if the girl would grow it long again to avoid being caught up in her sister's shadow once more.

The enforcer heard someone approaching and surreptitiously looked over his shoulder and out of the corner of his eye to see two well-dressed men approaching where they sat. They were identical in every way, right down to their white dreadlocks, dark sunglasses, and silver trench coats.

Enforcers, he thought. Wonder who they work for?

They walked past him and Avalon, heading straight for the group of children skipping rope and the oriental man watching over them. The man turned and said something quietly to them. Both of them laughed harshly, then both drew something from their pockets. The man fell into a fighting stance, and Gunner swore.

"Stay here, Avvy," he said softly, checking to be sure he had his pair of Sig Sauer P228s. "Better yet, get under cover. This could get ugly." She nodded and scampered off. Gunner smiled slightly, then returned his attention to where the Doublemint Twins were circling the Asian man like wolves. Both lunged for him as one, but somehow he managed to block both attacks.

Gunner went around the fight, more concerned about the kids since it looked like Jet Li over there was fine on his own. Keeping a wary eye out, he tricked the kids into scattering and heading elsewhere using some persuasive words and a bribe in the form of a bag of mini-Twix he'd been hoping to enjoy himself. Only one remained after that, watching the fight. Gunner looked at her. "Why are you still here?" he demanded.

"Seraph is my guardian," she said simply.

Seraph!? Oh, shit; I've heard of that guy!

Gunner watched the fight with new eyes, standing slightly in front of the girl. Again, he heard approaching footsteps and turned to see another pair of men approaching. However, their target was clearly not Seraph – it was the girl.

Shit.

Gunner drew both of his Sigs as the approaching strangers came closer. The taller of them grinned darkly. "You don't actually think you can hurt us with those, do you?"

"I think he does," the shorter man smirked, retrieving an HK USP .40 from his jacket as his companion drew a Browning. In a flash, Gunner had shifted the gun in his left hand to his right, yanked the kid behind him, and returned the extra gun to his left hand. "I'd really hate to kill in front of a kid, but if you test me I will," Gunner said calmly.

"Your bullets can't hurt them," the kid piped up. "Only silver ones can."

"... the hell?"

The shorter of the men lunged for Gunner, who calmly emptied the contents of his right-hand pistol into the man's chest, throwing him down. The taller man only grinned.

Then, to Gunner's surprise, the man he'd shot got back up, looking down at his bloody vest. "Tickles," he said, then looked the startled man straight in the eyes. "The cost of a new one comes right from your bank account... though you won't be alive to know that," he smirked, then he and his partner opened fire.

Gunner was already moving, however, throwing himself and the girl down. He winced as bullets thudded into the bullet-proof vest he'd taken to wearing, bruising his back. He rolled over and planted a bullet of his own right between the short guy's eyes, throwing him down; his next two shots caught the taller man in the chest, the third in the forehead, throwing him down as well.

A strong hand caught him by the arm and helped him up. The kid was already clinging to its owner's waist, the man known as Seraph. "Come quickly. You have only angered them," he said, motioning to the stunned men on the ground. Gunner nodded, holstering his weapons and jogging after the Asian man, who had picked the kid up in order to move faster.

Gunner nearly turned back when he realised, "Hell! Avvy's still there!" Seraph caught his arm. "She is already gone," he assured the older man. Gunner hesitated, nodded, and continued.

"Seraph, they are catching up!" the kid, who was looking back over her guardian's shoulder, cried. "The hell they are," Gunner growled, reloading as he ran. "Cover me," Seraph requested as they came to a door. Gunner obeyed as behind him, the Asian took a key ring from one of his sleeves and unlocked a door. "Quickly, inside!"

Gunner walked in backwards, firing twice at the Doublemint Twins before Seraph slammed the door shut. "They have a key, Seraph," the girl said. "I know, Sati. They work for the Frenchman, after all."

Seraph had selected another key, opening a door three places down as the door they had come from started to open. "Hurry!" Gunner pushed 'Sati' through and was pushed through by Seraph, who appropriated one of his guns and fired rapidly at the oncoming Rastafarians before shutting that door as well.

---------

The Twins halted their advance as Wingless cut them off. "They escaped," Two said, sounding annoyed. "Yes, they did," One agreed in the same tone. They exchanged wordless looks, then walked out of the hallways, re-emerging into the blinding false light of the Matrix.

One looked over to where they'd left Cain and Abel to recover to see some bloody bullets and a discarded pair of sunglasses: Abel's. Of the werewolves, there was no sign. He pointed this out to Two, and both let out the same resigned sigh.

"We suppose we'll have to track them down again," Two said, and One nodded. With a vexed grunt, Two split off to the right, while One walked to the tree where the black man had come from. He searched his memory; yes, there had been another with him, a girl. His lover, perhaps?

He felt eyes on his head and looked up, straight into her face.

The woman called Trinity.

Odd, she looked younger than she had that day when she and the One had walked into the restaurant. Well, perhaps she was under less stress now that the war was over.

He grinned. Two. We won't guess who we found.

Then tell us if we won't guess.

We found her. The One's woman.

He could feel his Twin's sadistic smile. Did we, now?

We are going to enjoy this.

Yes, we are....

"Oi, ghost-boy." One turned a withering look on Cain, who strolled up as if he owned the park. "She's my catch."

One's eyes narrowed behind his sunglasses. "We don't see your name on her, wolf," he snarled. Cain shrugged. "I found her first."

"Prove it."

Neither noticed the girl carefully climbing down to a lower level, so intent were they on the other. It was only when her feet hit the ground and she began running did they realise their prey was escaping.

"Shit!" Cain exclaimed, running after her.

She had a good head start, but Cain would easily catch up –

He tripped over his own feet and landed on his face. One, on his heels, tripped over him and landed on his face. They untangled themselves with growls and glares and looked up in time to see Abel step from his hiding spot and easily nab her. She struggled, but the werewolf handled her with ease and knocked her unconscious with a swift blow.

Abel grinned at his "cousin" and Twin One, hoisting her over his shoulder. "My catch," he said.

One and Cain growled.