Rescue Mission
There is food on a table, real food, as real as it gets in that place. Steak to be exact, and the three little rebels are feasting on it, barely able to speak. Jones sits across the starving children, studying them, trying see how Smith could have taken a liking to them. Brown comes holding two bowels of more food, setting them beside the children, and sits next to Jones.
The house is warm and welcoming. Quite a luxurious life really. The living room has a large flat screen television, and a variety of a DVD collection that Jones enjoys every few Fridays. A stereo system is to the left with a tango CD on track twelve. The walls are a warm and red color, paintings and mirrors decorate the walls. A nice fluffy couch sits there. Even a Piano in the corner that Brown loves dearly. And then there are hallways, even a second floor. A study where Brown likes to spend most of his time, reading the many books he owns. Writing a few along the way.
"I'm sorry…it's just…." Shadow begins, swallowing her food.
"We haven't eaten." Squishy finishes.
"It is quite all right. I like seeing my food eaten." Brown says gently.
Shadow peeks up from her plate, noticing the two former Agents and their blank stares. She notices how Brown's wearing a white collard shirt, while Jones has a more casual black shirt on. Brown stares at them with a great concern, and Shadow diverts her eyes.
Brown bites his lower lip.
"Tell us more, please." Jones says.
"He was just lying…in some basement of this abandon building. He didn't really seem aware of what had happened, or what time had passed." Shadow explains. "I found him a while before I showed them, where I'd just sit near him, see what he would do. Sometimes I'd do my homework while sitting seven feet away. He once moved his head slightly at me, but that was it."
"He has a slight amnesia, he can't remember a lot from that final fight." Squishy adds.
"He was really confused when we found him. But you know. We did what we could. We helped him get stronger, and happier. You know…before entirely telling him the truth." Shadow frowns.
"He didn't seem very happy when he found out." Glitch speaks up.
"But you know. We hung out with him!" Shadow smiles. "I always…liked Agents. I always, felt that there was more to Smith than just being hated. So I just…we didn't turn him in or anything. We were careful! We really were!"
"We made that basement like a home. Gave him a couch, a bed, books, and a TV we've been working on." Squishy explains. "And we told him about our day, and about what's going on in the world. He never went outside, we always came to him."
"He started remembering things…" Shadow whispered. "He started to get better. He got stronger, and you know, he could fight again. He remembered kung fu and even showed us. He dreamed of Neo, and…and you. He stopped sleeping because he kept dreaming."
"He never told us that." Squishy looks over at her.
"You don't sleep over with him, and watch him wake up screaming." She snaps at him. "He read your book."
Shadow returns her gaze to the Agents. Brown lowers his head, and his eyes looks up to meet with Shadow's.
"He's our friend." Squishy said.
"We just…weren't enough." Shadow whispered.
Glitch then lowers his head, and bites his lower lip. Shadow turns her head, and Squishy says nothing. Jones squints his eyes, confused by the statement. And Brown's mouth slightly opens.
"What do you mean?" Jones asks.
"We should've known. I should've known." Shadow looks over at the boys.
Then a phone rings, and Jones closes his eyes and sighs. Brown looks up at him, and frowns.
"Ember." Jones says.
He grips his chair before rising to get the phone.
"Who?" Shadow asks.
"My girlfriend."
Jones grabs the phone.
"Hello, Sweetheart." He says.
Jones walks into the next room, shaking his head. Brown watches him as he lowers his head and frowns. He slowly turns to the children, tapping his fingers on table.
"He's too good for her." Brown shakes his head. "She's scared of him. I can tell. She scared of what he is, what he used to be. So she sets rules for him, so she feels in control. How old did you say you were? Thirteen? Too young for relationships I suppose."
Squishy looks over at Shadow.
"Not really." He says.
Brown laughs a little.
"Ah love is a strange, strange thing. Especially for programs who never knew of such a thing." Brown says. "I'm sure it must be as confusing to you as it is for us."
"Not really." Shadow says this time. "One would know love, right? It's just something…universal. Love knows no boundaries."
Brown smiles.
"You're right. My you are very deep, Miss." He says. "Now you say you're an…"
"Agent Lover." Glitch says.
Brown smiles.
"Well then, I'm quite sure you're aware of the difficulties it is to ease out of one life as an Agent…into this life…" Brown says, putting his hands on the table and moving his thumbs.
"Of course I am." Shadow nods. "I always imagined…this house…before when it was first made for you…I always thought it would just be white walls, not sure what you would do with it…"
"It was." Brown nods. "Exactly. Didn't know what we were going to do. Didn't know a damn thing. Relieved of our crimes, free. And we didn't know what to do… As I said, Miss, you're very deep."
Shadow smiles.
"That's what Smith says."
"I'm sorry, Ember! It's just…now isn't a good time. Of course I love you!" Jones yells form the other room.
Brown looks at the table, and smiles a bittersweet smile. He shakes his head then, and begins tapping on the table.
"We were looking for him…Jones and I. Even after the war. When we woke up in that street, the first thing we thought was 'Where's Smith?'" Brown laughs. "While I was one of his copies, your mind still lays partly awake, partly self-aware, and I can just remember how good it felt to be a part of him again…
"That connection, right?" Squishy says.
Brown looks up.
"Yes…" He says.
Glitch is sliding down in his chair.
"Anyway…we looked, ran away from Agents. We searched for him for so long, I guess we just…lost hope…We just actually thought he was gone this time and gave up. If only we didn't, maybe we could have found him…"
"But we found him." Shadow says.
"Yes…yes you did." Brown nods, and smiles.
She wanted to say something. Something that would make this better, but there really was nothing to say.
But Brown still smiled, now knowing Smith was alive.
Jones suddenly came back, hanging up the phone angrily, and biting his lower lip. Brown said nothing, and diverted his eyes. The quiet observer, Brown, who knew all, had no one to share his knowledge with.
"I am sorry." Jones said, sitting in his chair.
The children say nothing at first, Brown's sadness infecting them.
"Smith is gone." Shadow blurts out. "I'm sorry…Brown we couldn't protect him…" She lowers her head.
"What are you talking about?" Brown demands.
Shadow lowers her head, and can't say the words.
"Agents got him. We don't know how. They just came and took him. There was nothing we could've done…" Squishy says.
"I'm so sorry." Shadow whispers.
Brown and Jones glance at each other, before returning to their own distance stares. If only they had sunglasses on they would look just like Agents again. After a moment of silence Brown gets up and picks up the children's plates.
"Then he is dead, once again." Brown says.
"No he's not!" Shadow demands.
Brown is silent, seemingly taking on an Agent's plain expression.
"You all seem close to him, but…if Agents have taken him…" Brown says.
"He's not dead! You know that! You of all people should know that!" Shadow yells at him.
"Mae!" Squishy yells.
"They would keep him alive! They would find how he is connected with Neo! They would interrogate him! They would keep him alive for at least a week! It's been two days! He's not dead! Not…not yet…" She says.
Brown is shaking his head, the joy that was once there is gone. Jones is staring at him, reading his face. And again they are Agents waiting for their leader to come back. They're standing in that hallway, watching in horror as cracks appear on their leader's skin, and their listening to the horrifying crackling screams through the earpieces.
"She is correct." Jones whispers to Brown. "They would keep him."
"He's dead." Brown still shaking.
"But what if he…"
"He's dead!"
The children are silent, it's like watching their parents fight. Which is quite striking for Shadow, mommy always getting impatient. Squishy just knew this would happen. And Glitch…Glitch doesn't care.
Brown gets out of his chair and starts heading for a hallway.
"Think about it, Brown!" Jones yells at him.
"What do you think I've been thinking about? What do you think I've been doing? All these years, I've thought of him! All these years I wanted just another minute with him! Now I find he's been here all this time, and now he's dead! He's dead, Jones! They killed him!" Brown yells.
Shadow looks at the boys, and nods to keep silent.
"Yes, Brown. Fifty-six years. That's how long. I know…." Jones nods. "But…"
"He's dead!"
"But what if he isn't!"
"…But he is."
"No, Brown, no!"
Jones starts towards Brown as the littler Agent turns away.
"What if he isn't? What if he is alive? Then are we just going to do nothing again? If we do nothing now he will be dead." Jones says to him.
Brown stops at a doorway.
"They'll come after us, Jones. Those damn Agents." He says.
"If they come after us, they'll need to give the Zion Council a reason. They'll have to tell them about Smith. And if they don't we will. They'll have to tell all of the humans that they had Smith, and they didn't tell them. That alone is reason enough to start another war." Jones grabs Brown's shoulder. "I've thought about this scenario before."
Brown covers his eyes.
"The most they could ever give us is House Arrest, and make up some feeble excuse for it! And face it, Brown, you never leave this house!"
"He's dead…."
"But what if he isn't?"
Brown turns to Jones, and looks back towards the children.
"You came all this way, just to tell us?" Brown asks.
"You're the only ones that can save him." Squishy says.
"We just want him back." Shadow nods.
"I haven't fired a gun in fifty-six years…. I think I've forgotten how." Brown says and laughs at himself. "I haven't thrown a punch…I haven't taken a life…nothing."
"Then it'll be like old times. I'll protect you." Jones smiles.
"Jones…" Brown shakes his head.
"You remember how it is. You go get Smith, I'll cover you two. I remember how to, really." Jones nods.
Brown is shaking his head still, remembering old and nearly forgotten memories.
"I don't know if I can…" Brown says.
"I want Smith back, Brown. I want him back, just like you."
"You have a wonderful way of showing it!"
"Please, Brown! I just want Smith."
Brown bites his lower lip, and shakes his head.
"Well they there are." Shadow nods.
"Kind of inspiring." Squishy nods.
"So this is it, I guess. They get him, right?"
"Yeah. They'll get him."
They're children. There isn't much doubt, well there is, but they just aren't accepting it. Shadow always says if she doesn't think something will fail it doesn't. So she's not thinking about the possibility of this all failing. If Jones and Brown are killed and if the three of them have to start running for their lives. But there's not much of a concept of death to children so young. They can say they will die, but it really doesn't go through.
They watch as the adults run around, and they sit on the couch.
"I need to call Akio." Shadow says.
"How come?"
"In case we die."
"Don't say that."
"We're on a rescue mission. We are Neo, and we're going to save Morpheus. Neo did it. He saved that man, and he went on to become a Councilor." Shadow nods.
She doesn't pull out her cell phone. But a minute later does to see she has thirty-seven missed calls, all mom and dad. She laughs and puts it back in her pocket.
"I can't believe I'm in this house." Shadow says.
"Nice TV." Glitch nods.
"You know…"
"What?"
"Nothing."
Jones is tucking his cuffs in, he wears his suit. His suit. Brown turns to him and frowns.
"You're joking." Brown says.
"Look what I found." Jones holds up a suit.
Brown stares at it with shock.
"You can't expect me to wear that." Brown says.
"Would you prefer a trench coat?" Jones smiles.
Brown takes a moment looking at the suit. The very suit he was born in, the very suit he killed in…the very suit he watched Smith die in. The very suit he ran into Exile with. Brown's mouth drops open. His suit…
"I know it's been harder for you…and I'm sorry for that. I just don't think I could…help you." Jones whispers.
Brown is silent.
"You were always so much sensitive than us, Brown. But that is what saved us. That curiosity, Brown, that concept of life you had. That's what made you go into Exile, and that's what made you take me with you." Jones continues. "I know, I've never really been able to…understand emotion like you…but I…"
Brown grabs the suit.
"Give me a minute to change." Brown says.
Shadow is watching them from afar. Those big brown eyes similar to a boy named Thomas Anderson. She's watching them.
"I wish there was something I could do…" Shadow whispers.
"You're giving them Smith, aren't you?" Squishy says.
"That's got to be enough." Glitch agrees.
But she's still staring at them, and frowning.
"I never knew, Matt., Gino…I could have never…." She starts.
Jones waits patiently at Brown's closed door for him to come out.
"It must be so horrible, being only two thirds of themselves. Like…it's like losing a leg, losing a part of yourself, you know. But the worst thing is…they didn't lose him, he just left them." Shadow says.
Brown comes out, tugging on the jacket, and tie.
"Fits perfectly." Brown says but frowns at the bitter sweetness of it all.
"Here." Jones hands him a gun. "It's yours. It only has one clip."
Brown reluctantly takes it, and grips it tightly. He then looks over at the children.
"They're just kids, Jones. Why are they so willing to go into all this?" Brown says.
"The same reason why we're doing this."
Brown nods.
"Listen. We're going to take you with us. But we're going to drop you off somewhere to be safe. You will wait for us. You will wait for us." Brown instructs them. "You will hide."
The children nod.
"Good." Brown nods.
Jones goes over to a door, and opens it.
"Ever heard of a backdoor, kids?" Jones asks.
The door reveals an endless hallway of doors and doors and doors.
"Why do you have that there?" Shadow yells.
"Why not?" Jones grins.
They're walking down the hallways. The ex-Agents know exactly where they're going. They're wearing sunglasses again, and they're walking again. The children walk closely behind them, Shadow looks up at the two of them, and tries to remember that they could smile and laugh. Jones looks down over at her.
"I remember." Brown interrupts. "I remember walking down this very hallway. Remember?"
"…Yeah….yeah! With Cain and Abel!" Jones smiles.
"Yes…the brothers."
Squishy bumps into Shadow. Here we go. Here we go, walking towards the greatest dangers. He bumps into her again, and she bumps him back. He bumps her again. Finally she just walks ahead in between Jones and Brown. She looks at them with great intent, Jones smiles at her, and reminds her that they weren't Agents anymore. When they put those sunglasses on, it was like…they weren't them anymore.
"Here, kid." Jones says. "You know what this is don't you?"
Jones reaches into his pocket and hands Shadow an earpiece.
"It's Smith's." Jones explains. "The Council gave it to us, believing we would find the most value of it."
Shadow doesn't say anything, but just grips it in her hands and stares at it.
"Think of it as a guarantee." Jones begins.
"Now we have to come back. We have to give Smith that." Brown finishes.
Brown looks up at Jones.
"Great." Brown says. "Now we're finishing each other's sentences again. You see what these suits do to us?"
Shadow smiles.
"I think it's a great thing." Shadow begins.
"To be able to finish each other's sentences." Squishy finishes behind her.
llllllllllllllllll
Next Chapter: Together Again
