Scene 06-2: Losing Oneself



Turning aside the blows of several Agent Smiths, Seraph leapt into the air, a spinning kick knocking most of them back. Immediately a Smith leapt on him from behind, Seraph dropped to the ground and hurled it over his head. Twirling to face the rest of the Smiths, Seraph continued to turn aside their blows, even as they came faster and faster.

Leaping backward, Seraph got a good foothold on the ground, then used it to spring forward. His momentum blasted him through the mob of Agent Smiths, and to the wall. Twisting in midair, Seraph caught himself on it, then dropped to the ground. Slowly the copies recovered, then began advancing on him in a solid, grim wall.

Finding himself surrounded, Seraph decided to take more extreme action. Smashing a fast into the wall behind him, the program leapt away as the wall caved in, collapsing on top of the nearest Smiths. The others roared in anger and turned, rushing for him.

Ducking under a swipe, Seraph blocked a kick with his own leg. Hooking his foot on the leg of a Smith, Seraph pulled one off its feet while deflecting the blows of another. Whirling on the ground, he barely missed the feet of the nearby Smiths as they jumped. Flipping backward to his feet, Seraph slammed a boot into one of the Smith's jaws meanwhile.

Just as he completely his flip and landed on his feet, Seraph felt a hand bite into his chest, sending him flying backward, sending an entire column of Smiths down like bowling pins. Slowly Seraph got to his feet. Wiping blood from his mouth, he barely recovered in time to deflect a kick from the nearest Smith.

Leaping forward, Seraph tackled him, carrying the Smith far from the other copies. It struggled against him, but couldn't manage to break free. Focusing slightly, Seraph consumed all of the code from the Smith, incorporating it into himself. As he rose to his feet, he found the other Smiths watching him, as if somewhat curious.

"Do you really think destroying one of us matters?" a Smith asked him, shaking his head and chuckling slightly. "There will always be more. It does not matter if you fight us. Mr. Anderson will come to the Matrix, and we will defeat him. You cannot stop it. Why do you think what you have done will change anything?"

"I believe it will."

"Then you are a fool!" Immediately the Agent Smith rushed forward, by himself. Retaliating, Seraph dodged his blow, then sank a hand into the Smith's chest. For an instant darkness spread over the Agent, and when the darkness vanished another Seraph stood in front of the original.

Slightly in awe at what he had done, Seraph merely stared at his copy. He realized that he was looking through the eyes of both, each staring at the other. The Agent Smiths glanced at one another nervously as the two Seraphs continued to not move. Abruptly they glanced up at the assembled Smiths, eyes flashing...



Though the battle continued, Seraph was not aware of it. He slowly spread, taking down one Smith after another, his own forces waxing as Smith's waned. All that Seraph was aware of was the consumption, the absorption. Program after program subjugated to his will, becoming another part of him. The feeling of power was intense; he was unstoppable, unbeatable.

No! Seraph screamed inside of himself. No! I cannot allow myself to be reduced to this!

It was over. All that remained on the mostly destroyed street were the bodies of some Agent Smiths. Over them stood many Seraphs, which mostly stood in silence, glancing at one another. Every Smith that had been sent here had been incorporated.

But it could not be allowed. Suddenly Seraph merely felt very tired, a weariness of the soul. So this is what had happened to Agent Smith... the feeling of power... the rush of energy. He would not have resisted. He would have embraced the change with both arms, welcomed it as a path to his goals. And I was almost the same...

Shivering at the thought, Seraph glanced around at all the copies. They glanced back at him, likewise understanding the truth. Slowly he nodded to them, and the copies nodded back. One by one they began to fade, the code that created them disbanding and joining the code that was the Matrix. Eventually only Seraph remained, by himself once again.

Never again, Seraph vowed. He could not allow himself to become a monster like that. Glancing up, Seraph instead focused on the future. It was time to go to the Train Station. Walking at a fast clip, Seraph moved into the building.

Outside, it began to rain...