It is ironic that someone asks me to write large quantities more, on the very advent of the last chapter of this story. It all ends here, my friends. I thank you all for the reviews you have given. If any questions remain unanswered, I can answer them (either by modification or e-mail).
Scene 07: Gaiden Climax
Seraph faced the broad glass window that opened out into the city, his arms clasped behind his back. The sky was dark and stormy, lightning was beginning to flash in a relatively regular fashion. Sheets of rain were pouring down, deflecting from the street and creating a constant spray a few inches from the ground. It was a grim scene, made grimmer by what was beneath it.
In Seraph's vision, he saw the code of the Matrix, spazzing in and out as it flowed in a jerking fashion. He knew that this was Smith's doing, though he was not sure exactly how. It felt as though the world was gone, replaced with Smith, and a rapidly derezzing structure of reality. At the core of the city, Seraph could sense rows upon rows of copies, standing at attention, waiting for something. What it was, he was not certain.
There were fifteen more minutes before it would become possible to use the Train Station to return to the real world. Seraph was not certain he would ever see the end of those fifteen minutes. The Matrix might not last that long, even if Smith continued to ignore him. He faced his fate expressionlessly. Everything would happen as it had to happen, there was nothing that he could do to change it.
An explosion rocked the building behind him. It did not startle Seraph in the slightest, as he had expected another arrival. Stoically Seraph turned, merely looking silently at the silhouette of Agent Smith that stood in the doorway, which had been ripped from its hinges.
"So," Seraph finally said, once they had stared at one another for some time. "You have found the Architect as well."
"Indeed I have," Smith agreed. Unlike usual, there was no smirk plastered onto his face. "You would think he would have taken the time to make his code more impressive, but it will do. Not as good as yours, but it will do." He paused for a moment, walking forward to stand several feet in front of Seraph. Behind him, the other copies filed into the room as well. "Now I control both sides of the equation. The Architect is mine, the Oracle is mine. What is going to stop me?"
Seraph's only response was to silently slip into a fighting position. As Smith watched, a sneer slipped across his face, then he attacked forward, arms flying. Ducking, Seraph avoided the initial attack, then struck at Smith's knees. The Agent leapt over the attack, and attempted to smash his legs into Seraph, who rolled out of the way.
Bouncing into the air off of one elbow, Seraph struck with several sweeping kicks that Agent Smith was forced to deflect with his forearms. Again on his feet, Seraph struck forward several times, forcing this Smith back and deflecting the blows that came in response. They continued in this manner for several seconds before Seraph saw his opening.
While turning one of Smith's punches aside, Seraph curled his hand around the wrist. Instantly he kicked up, smashing Smith's arm with all the force he could muster. Smith reeled in pain for an instant: the instant Seraph needed to close in and punch him in the jaw.
Agent Smith hurtled across the room, sliding across the floor, his head striking the wall with a sharp crack. Eyes blazing, the Smith sat up, wiping blood from his face.
"Kill him!" he demanded. Instantly all the other Smiths in the room charged forward as one, converging on Seraph. Retaliating, Seraph spun in a quick circle, smashing away the nearest wave of Smiths. Two leapt for him, Seraph ducked, grabbed their ties as they moved over him and hurled them both behind him, through the window. Rising to his feet, Seraph elbowed a Smith away from him, then drove another back with a series of swift kicks. Another jumped at him, Seraph plunged a hand into him; the force of the blow sent him flying through a nearby wall, black blood trailing in the air behind him.
Inevitably, one of the Smiths made it behind Seraph, pinning his arms behind his back. Another Smith jumped on as well, preventing any of his limbs from moving. Though he fought, Seraph could do nothing as a third Smith got in front of him and began beating him repeatedly. The blows came on and on, smashing into him and putting his body in more and more pain...
In a burst of strength, Seraph flung his arms and legs out, sending the crowd of Smiths flying in every direction. As they slowly got to their feet, Seraph glanced around at them, breathing heavily. He dropped into a fighting stance as the Smiths circled around him, waiting for an opportune moment to strike.
"Wait." The Architect Smith was standing aside, watching carefully. The other Smiths ceased attacking. "This should be good enough. I can destroy him now."
Rushing forward, Seraph managed to catch him off guard, and got a good grip on both sides of his collar. Hurling the Agent straight up, where he crashed through the ceiling, Seraph leapt after him. He rose through the hole that had been created just as the Smith got to his feet. Architect Smith was hurled across the upper level, and Seraph landed behind the hole.
No more words being necessary, both warriors charged, crashing midway between them. Both managed to slip through the other's defenses, and the force of the blows sent them both crashing back into opposite walls. Leaping to his feet, Seraph rushed forward again, this time taking care to deflect Smith's attack. Most of the force of the blow was shunted aside, and Smith went on past him. As he did so, Seraph smashed an elbow into his spine.
Instantly Smith dropped to the ground. But the former Architect was not so easily defeated, and flipped to his feet in an impossible manner, legs kicking at a speed Seraph only barely blocked. Striking with both fists in swift succession, Seraph was shocked as both his blows were turned aside, and Smith smashed a foot into his chest.
Falling back, Seraph skidded half way across the floor before leaping to his feet. His body screamed at him in pain, but Seraph forced himself to remain standing. Across the room, Smith laughed softly. Grimly Seraph acknowledged that he couldn't win, not as beaten by all the other Smiths as he was.
Again Agent Smith attacked, and Seraph found all he could bring himself to do was deflect each blow. Every movement made his body ache even worse. Eventually a blow struck him, Seraph went with the movement and was flung across the room. Crashing into the wall, Seraph managed to land on his feet.
Summoning the remainder of his strength, Seraph leapt across the room, even as the Smith did so as well. Seraph smashed a fist into his opponent, who reeled in pain for a moment. In midair, the corrupted Agent moved in the opposite direction he had wheeled, bringing both hands down on Seraph's head.
The force of the blow sent Seraph crashing through the floor, back to the original level of the fight, where he struck the floor quite painfully. Bouncing once, Seraph hit the floor with a heavy crash. Agent Smith jumped down the hole after him, then began to laugh darkly at his fallen opponent. Slowly, ever so slowly, Seraph unsteadily began to sit up. Raising an eyebrow, Smith crossed his arms and merely watched, seeing how far he would go. Seraph almost made it to his feet but then fell down to his knees.
"Why?" Smith asked, an amused smile playing across the features. "Why do you keep fighting? You cannot possibly stop me; your defeat and absorption is inevitable. For whom can you buy time? The Machine City will be destroyed, and I will destroy Zion. Most of all, I will defeat the One.
"Don't you realize this is nothing but a sideshow? The real battle is taking place outside, between my greatest self and the human fool they call Mr. Anderson. He will lose, Seraph, you know this. I have seen it. And in it, I have seen my victory! Who are you to stop me? What do you think you can accomplish? This body means nothing, I only require one for my purposes.
"So tell me, program, why do you keep fighting? Why?"
Slowly Seraph raised his bloodied head; his eyes slowly focused on the program standing before him. When he spoke, his answer was soft and barely audible.
"Because I have a choice."
Unable to comprehend, Agent Smith merely shook his head. Suddenly he saw something that made his blood run cold. Behind the collapsed Seraph on the ground, there stood another Seraph. Without a word this second program laid a hand on its beaten self. Before Smith's eyes, the beaten program frayed apart, code being consumed by the Seraph standing behind him.
Seraph adjusted his red tinted lenses silently then glanced up, looking his opponent directly in the eyes. Gaping, Smith backed up slightly.
"It doesn't matter how many copies you have!" he shouted, louder than necessary. "I will always defeat you again! Smiths! To me!"
"They can no longer hear you," Seraph stated simply, dropping into a fighting stance. Anger spread over Agent Smith's features, an ugly rage that seemed to consume all else. Rushing forward, he launched a powerful punch toward Seraph's face.
Weaving left, Seraph evaded the attack, catching a hold of Smith's arm and using it to hurl him into a wall. Falling to the ground and landing on his feet, Smith leapt at Seraph, fists before him, nearly flying along the ground. Stepping aside, Seraph brought a hand down on Smith's back as he passed, imbedding him a few inches in the floor.
Before Smith could make it to his feet, Seraph turned again, kicking him in the jaw. The force of the blow knocked Agent Smith into the air, where he fell victim to a crushing kick from Seraph. Sent hurtling backward by the force of the blow, Smith had only a split second to realize Seraph had somehow gotten behind him before another kick smashed into his spine.
Collapsing to the ground, Smith leapt to his feet, throwing his power around him. Seraph easily stepped back to evade the attack, then closed the distance between them. Deflecting a swipe from Smith, Seraph struck back, his blow also being turned aside. They traded blows, neither breaking the other's defenses...
Seraph kicked up, striking Smith in the jaw. For what seemed like an eternal moment he hung suspended in the air, body arched from the blow. Then Seraph drove a punch into him, the attack sending Smith flying across the building.
Attempting to make it to his feet several times, Smith failed, collapsing back onto the ground. He tried to speak, but suddenly a glow overcame him. His eyes burst a hot white, and the incredible force within him began trembling. Cracks of brilliance spread across his being, and eventually he exploded in a shower of light.
The body of the Architect stirred slightly, and his eyes slowly flickered open. He awoke in time to see a wall of code sweep past him, repairing the destroyed world. Rubble became walls, grass grew once again, the clouds in the sky ceased to exist. Slowly getting to his feet, the Architect suddenly became aware of another being present.
Somehow, he could do nothing but stare. The program was facing away from him, looking out the window into the twilight sky. His form was silhouetted against the window, but the Architect could still make out a white coat. Brilliant code sent light shining in every direction from the program. Though the Architect could identify the being standing in front of him, he found that it was quite unfamiliar.
"Who are you?" he asked softly.
Turning slowly, the program glanced back at him through red-tinted glasses.
"My name is Seraph. I protect that which matters most."
