The Matrix: Legacy
Thirty-One
Partners
No, Not Like That.
Perverts.
"Tobias," the former Agent Brown replied.
The two Exiles stood still, watching each other. Tobias Jones was taller and thinner than Brown, but Brown had been working out since joining the Merovingian, and now his small, stocky frame was solid, if compact, muscle.
However, Jones had also made some modifications to his program, and unlike Matthias Brown, he wasn't worried about the body being killed.
How fortunate that they would not fight.
Once the girl was out of sight and ear shot, they both put their respective guns away. "It took you long enough, Tobias," Brown said.
Jones offered a shrug. "I just wanted to check on somebody."
"So, have you considered my offer?"
"I'm still thinking about it."
Brown arched an eyebrow. "And yet you're here."
Jones grinned. "You know me; I love being indecisive."
"When did this happen?"
"Sometime after we were separated."
"Ah. I always was the stable one."
"Yes... though compared to him, even I was stable."
Both agents shuddered. That, more than anything else, had contributed to their being chosen for deletion: the fact that they had been the partners/subordinates of the Smith virus. They still were not sure why they had run from deletion.
But they had, and had split up to ensure that at least one of them would survive. Both had, Jones due to his encounter with a gun and a girl, Brown by accidentally running into the Hel Club. He hadn't even noticed the bullets the Merovingian's guard gang had shot at him, he'd just run until he realised where he was.
And now here they were.
"Why don't we talk this over in the werewolves' library?" Brown suggested.
"The werewolves'?" Jones queried.
Brown shrugged. "Cain and Abel have all but claimed it for themselves. They sleep in there; Until two years ago, they hadn't been in the rooms allotted to them."
"Odd."
"They know."
Jones considered this. "Yes, we should talk it over."
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"How the hell did I let you talk me into this?" Jacob demanded of Esau as they calmly walked into the main base of O'Malley's late employers.
"Because we're partners and I'd rather not have my son near that idiot wolf, even if I just found out about him today," Esau replied.
Jacob rolled his eyes. "You're surprisingly family-oriented."
"Not really. Brat looks exactly like me; how long do you think it'd take the Frenchman to figure it out? Hell, Cain figured it out!"
"Good point," Jacob replied, sighing. "I just don't understand all the fuss over one little girl."
"She's Wingless' woman, and we all remember what happened when Shyama miscarried." Jacob winced; he did indeed remember. That had been quite ugly. No one had ever seen Wingless that angry before. It had surprised them all, really, Shyama's pregnancy. First of all she was a program, and no program had ever conceived before. It was forbidden, one of the rules the Exiles actually obeyed. Second of all, Wingless had admitted to being the father. Granted, Wingless and Shyama hadn't tried to have the other killed since the Invasion, but nobody had suspected that the two had become lovers, possibly not even the Frenchman.
Whoever had written the virus that caused the miscarriage had not been found, but they were responsible for the change of the château from a haven for Exiled programs to the headquarters of a blatantly criminal organisation.
With all that in mind, Jacob increased his pace.
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Seth and Tiger were looking for Leon "Gunner" O'Malley. So far they were having no luck, but there were only so many places a human could hide. They had scanned all of the United States Quarter and the Mexican plaza, and were now looking around the edges of the City in the Canadian Sector. Seth didn't particularly like Canada, though he wouldn't tell Tiger why. Tiger, on the other hand, loved Canada, and it showed. He was practically bouncing in his excitement.
Seth shook his head; Tiger still acted the child at times. Was the vampire humming the Canadian National Anthem? Seth decided that he'd rather not know.
They didn't have time to play Hide-n-Seek with O'Malley. "That's it," he growled. "I'm calling in some favours." Tiger looked at him curiously, then yelped as Seth grabbed him by the collar and dragged him into the backdoor system.
---------
Gabriel and Copycat had just finished re-establishing their network and building their new diner when a familiar program walked in from the back, dragging another with him.
"Find me Gunner O'Malley and find him fast," Seth said, letting go of his companion's shirt. Gabe and Kitty stared at him for a long moment "That means move!" Seth snapped. "I'm calling in that favour, wall-walker."
Gabe jumped, but sent Kitty out. "What do you want with Gunner?" Gabe demanded suspiciously.
"He's in the middle of a deal with the Merovingian. His presence is required for it."
Gabe had pulled up his specialised computer and already had a search running. "You realise we're clear after this?"
"For the moment. However... about your doppelganger girlfriend...." Gabe shot Seth a stricken look, and Seth smiled coldly.
---------
"C'mon," Seth said, grabbing Tiger by the collar again, "We're going to get O'Malley. And if I hear one strain of 'O Canada' again, I'll kill you." Seth was in a grumpy mood.
He... hated... Canada!
---------
One and Two had not expected to run into the girl who had fought One ever again. They certainly had not expected to run into her in the halls of the château. Apparently, she had not expected to run into them, either, judging by her suddenly widening eyes when she almost ran into Two.
Her appearance had altered greatly, but One recognised her anyway; He'd been around Red and his shell changes for over a hundred years, after all. Both Twins levelled identical cold smirks at her, waiting for her to tremble again.
She did not. Her brown eyes narrowed, though there was some fear in them, it was controlled. "Get out of my way," she said softly.
"Make us," Two replied, somewhat childishly. The girl shrugged, reaching into her jeans pocket and withdrawing a switchblade knife.
The Twins exchanged cold smiles and drew their razors in a single, mirrored motion before Two circled around to get the girl between them. Two had enjoyed her fear as much as One had, and he wanted to experience it for himself, not through One's memory.
This fight they would enjoy.