The Matrix: Legacy
Six
Sparring Match

Niobe and Ghost hadn't seen Sparks this happy in a long time. He was darting all over the ship, claiming he was greeting it. Danaë couldn't stop giggling, Krsna had the strangest look on his face, and Niobe was laughing so hard she had to hold onto Morpheus for support. Ghost just shook his head at their operator's crazy antics before turning to Morpheus. "Did you know?" he asked the older man, who only grinned in reply before clapping a hand on Link's shoulder.

"Have fun," he told his ex-operator. "If you thought operating the Neb was interesting... well, the Logos can be a soap opera."

"That's not very reassuring," Link muttered.

"You'll do fine, Link," Morpheus told him confidently. "You're Sparks' backup in case of emergency."

Link nodded as Niobe recovered from her case of Sparks-Antics and drew in some calming breaths. "Thank you, Morpheus," she told him.

"Don't thank me. Thank him." He gestured to an android standing nearby. "This is Kai. He's the ambassador from 01." The android offered Niobe a polite bow that she returned.

"Thank you for repairing our ship."

Kai's voice, when he replied, was quite pleasant, despite the metallic undertone. "It was our pleasure. If you had not loaned the One your ship, it is most likely that we would all be dead or overwritten by the Smith program. This is simply our way of repaying the favour." As Danaë let out a startled, happy cry, he added, "We also took the liberty of updating your medical bay." Ghost nodded his thanks to Kai, who explained, "at one time, when I had been plugged into the Matrix, my shell was badly injured thanks to a car accident. She was able to assist in my shell's recovery well enough that the System decided not to delete me, so that is also my way of thanking her."

"Kai and I have to get going," Morpheus said. "Apparently, a lot of paperwork has been piling up." He sighed, as did Kai, which just gave Niobe another case of the giggles.

"So AI find paperwork boring, too?"

"Exceedingly," Kai answered in a dry tone that got Niobe going all over again. Morpheus just shook his head before wishing Niobe and her crew farewell and good luck, then he and Kai entered the embassy.

"Right," Niobe said, half to herself, then called to her crew as she and Ghost boarded the Logos, "Let's get this show on the road!"

"Aye-aye, Cap'n, sir!" Krsna and Link called out at the same time.

---------

A very confused Morgain returned to her room, her hair twisted into a number of braids that looped around each other to fall down her back -- or it would, had Persephone not doubled them all back up so that it only went to her shoulders.

She did not understand the woman at all, though she had the feeling that she also planned on using her to get at this Ghost character. Morgain scowled as she went onto the balcony, looking out at the darkened sky. It was cold, so she went back in to type in a request at the laptop.

She grabbed the coat as it appeared, putting it on before returning outside. So... this mansion was on top of a mountain? She could see lights and went back in for the binoculars. She could see a small town at the mountain's base....

A slow smile spread across her lips as the barest traces of an escape plan began to emerge.

By the next day, Morgain had all the details planned out and catalogued in the one place they'd be safe: her head. She went over it again as she danced in her prison, since she only needed to hear the beat of the music to dance to it.

Her dancing had kept her body limber, especially because Gunner had introduced her to the acrobatics of break-dancing, so if she were able to get a long-enough rope, she should be able to hold on to climb down. She had a warm coat already, and surprisingly enough, her wallet hadn't been taken, so she had some money, at least. Food was another thing... of course, she'd already requested and gotten a box of Goldfish™, so if she could save up enough over time, she should have enough to get her to that town she'd seen last night. She couldn't use sheets for rope -- after all, they always did it in the movies, plus it was the most obvious way out...

Wait. Those clothes in the closet, the ones I'd never wear in a million years. They'll work perfectly. She had her pocket knife still, mainly because it was small and the blade was useless, but also because she tended to keep it in her boots, the one place no one thought to check. With enough work, she should be able to cut enough of the cloth that she'd be able to rip it... to cover the noise, she'd have music playing. She'd done that already anyway, just like she did every night, music helped her to sleep.

As long as she could hide her activities from the cameras, it could work. She'd just have to be careful not to raise their suspicions, that was all.

---------

Danaë watched Ghost meditating in the Zen Garden program he'd brought with him before looking to Sparks. "Does he always do that?"

"Whenever he gets the chance," Sparks answered. "He's been going there more since Trinity died, though. I give it two years before he dies of his broken heart." Danaë glared at him, and he shrugged. "It was kinda obvious that Ghost loved her, you know. He just thought he could hide it."

"If he loved her, why didn't he tell her before she met the One?" Danaë asked.

"The Oracle," Sparks said simply. "I dunno what the hell she told him, I just know what he looked like before and after he went to see her. He'd been planning on confessing his love to Trinity after he saw the Oracle. Instead, he got in, programmed that," he gestured to the garden, "and sat in there for hours. He changed after that meeting."

Sparks sighed melodramatically. "What a waste that he decided to live like a monk. I can name five girls who are all nuts over him... 'the strong, silent type'," he mocked. Danaë smiled a little as Sparks went on, "and he's just gotten worse since she died. I mean, at least she was there before. He could pretend. Now...," he shrugged helplessly.

Danaë thought a moment. "Didn't Ghost spar with Trinity here?"

"Oh yeah. A lot. Which is why I think his coming here all the time just makes it worse."

Danaë considered this, then said, "Jack me in." Sparks arched an eyebrow. "You're not actually going to --"

"Yes, I am."

"He's going to beat you soundly. Five minutes tops."

Danaë grinned a little mischievously. "Bet you he won't."

"What's the stake?"

"I win, you upload me a fighting program of my choice."

"Fine. I win, you kiss me. A real kiss, not one of those short ones girls cheat with."

Danaë gave him a Look reminiscent of one of Niobe's, then nodded. "Start sorting through the fighting programs." Sparks grinned and helped her into a chair.

"Five minutes," she told him before he plugged her in.

Ghost was unaware of the visitor to his program until a small hand tapped him on the shoulder. He jumped and turned, blinking at the redhead standing before him. Her digital self had changed from the Danaë he was used to: Her hair was darker, a pretty blue-black colour; her jeans were a rich royal blue, and she wore a very long purple shirt. Never before had he seen an RSI so completely different from the owner's true appearance.

However, since there were only two women aboard the Logos, he had an idea of who she was. "Danaë? What are you doing here?"

Danaë smiled. "You've got your ship back; you shouldn't be moping like this," she answered.

"I was meditating, not moping."

"You were moping."

Ghost sighed. "I was not. I was... remembering."

"Trinity?"

He nodded. Danaë sighed. "Ghost...." She said nothing after that for a few moments, then she tugged on his arm. "Spar with me."

Ghost blinked. "What?"

"Spar with me," she repeated. "You need something to do, and I need the practice."

Ghost hesitated, then said, "I may hurt you."

She shrugged. "I can take it. Now come on!" She had dropped into a fighting stance. Ghost sighed and mirrored her stance. As soon as he had, she had charged him, bringing her left leg up in a high kick that he blocked with ease. He didn't see her fist coming up though, and she socked him pretty good.

She scowled as the air exploded from his lungs. "You're better than this, Ghost! Forget Trinity and focus on the fight!" His eyes hardened as he looked at her, then he struck without warning, without even a hint of where he would go. Her eyes widened in pain as his foot came around and planted itself against her stomach, throwing her to the ground. Even as she fell, Ghost was in the air, coming down, almost too fast for her to see.

She barely avoided his strike by rolling; pushing herself up with her arms, she kicked both feet out and got him in the chin -- or she would have, had he not leapt back. She got up, watching him. "Better, Ghost, but you're still holding back! Fight me!"

He didn't move, so she went to him, launching her fist towards his gut. He caught her wrist and threw her over his shoulder; Danaë hit the ground rolling and hid a smile. He was getting into it. Her desire to smile soon faded: As she came again to her feet, Ghost was already there, throwing a punishing kick into her stomach again.

From that point on it was a slaughter; Danaë didn't stand a chance against the older man, but she kept getting up, and Ghost kept on knocking her down. She managed to get in another hit, but Ghost replied to that with a powerful hit that threw her down to the stone path. A sharp pain exploded behind her skull, and Danaë blacked out.

She awoke to see Ghost's worried face looking down at her. "Are you all right?" he asked.

"I'm a little sore, but I'll be fine," she reassured him.

He nodded. "Spar-" he started to call, but Danaë stopped him.

"How long were we fighting, Sparks?"

"Six minutes," came the operator's dejected voice.

Danaë smiled. "Looking forward to that kiss, Sparky?" she asked.

Ghost looked at her. "What kiss?"

"Just a little bet I made with Sparks. He said I couldn't last five minutes against you. Now he owes me an upload."

Ghost chuckled a bit. "Take us out, Sparks."

Lehorin – Oh, I agree completely. People who don't even attempt researching their fics… aggravate me…

Quietly Making Noise – Hey! No pokey! I'm working on the damn two-people-per-line problem; it doesn't help that I don't see it as a problem. Yeesh. But thanks for the compliment on my playing of 'Sephone.

Picklish – Awww, geee, thanks! I hope you enjoy the rest of the fic!

Current Music(Iiiiits baaaaaack!): 867-5309 by Tommy Tutone