a/n: by popular demand I finished this! This is the chapter before the last, for the record...

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I can't stay in this room any longer. It's the one place that I need, and yet the place that seems only to trap me further.

I get up and head out toward the eating quarters, not hungry, but just in search of a place to be alone. I can hear Link in the control room, talking with Neo. Morpheus could be anywhere, but knowing him, he's in the control room as well.

I enter the eating quarters, and see that they are, in fact, empty. I smile at this inwardly, and sit down at the table, resting my head on my arms. I notice myself becoming more human every day.

What was it that Niobe was trying to tell me? Was she right? Am I really only trying to understand why this all has happened? If so, am I really alone in this?

These questions buzz through my skull, burning images into me that I don't want there.

First I'm being deleted, then I'm waking up, just to realize I'm not an agent, just a virus. Then I'm making a clone, realizing my true power. Then I see myself beaten by Mr. Anderson, the only time that I truly didn't lose anything. Next I'm standing in the rain, staring at my clones as they all diminish in a blinding light, right before it's my turn. At last I'm waking up on this godforsaken ship, with people that I hate all around me.

"Why did this happen?" I find myself speaking aloud.

"What?" I look up to see a guy that I've never seen before.

"Who are you?" I sit up, looking like an agent again, and glare at him for intruding.

"I'm Kid, but you didn't answer my question," he fast at trying to get me to answer.

"It was nothing," I turn away.

"You know, a lot of people say that, but if they really mean what they're saying then they wouldn't have started to speak at all," he looks at me as I turn back to him with a huge, beaming grin.

"Who taught you that?" I growl.

"Neo," he whispers.

"You're from the Matrix," it's a statement not a question. I turn completely around in the chair.

"Yep," he smiles again.

"Neo saved you?" it's my turn to question.

"Yeah," Kid sighs. "He's really something, huh?"

I stare in disbelief.

"I know perfectly who you are," he answers, reading my mind, or my stare.

"Then how can you ask me such a thing?" I don't break eye contact.

"Morpheus said one thing after you left, 'everyone deserves a second chance'. And then he walked away. He really left people to think about a lot, while only contemplating a little," this one's too wise sometimes.

"How does that answer my question?" he can't possibly think he has.

He shrugs, "I don't know, but it sounded cool, huh?" He laughs.

I find myself laughing as well, "Yeah, it sort of did."

There's a pause, and I finally break it, "I've never seen you on this ship before."

"Yeah, well, I'm really not a part of the crew, but Neo said that I might be soon, so while it's docked I come in. I'm not supposed to really, please don't tell."

"I won't," I promise him.

He comes over and sits next to me, "You know, you're not as bad as people think, maybe we should hang out later."

I don't think he realized what he was just saying, but he's not faltering at all. "What about the crew here? They'll suspect something if I simply try to leave."

"I don't know, you're supposed to be smart, you think of something. I'll be waiting in an hour right outside the ship," with this his gets up and leaves.

That one, Kid, there's something about him that seems so familiar. Watching him as he turns to leave I realize where I've seen him: Bane.

As Bane I remember Kid running up to Neo, spoiling my first and sloppy plot to kill my worst enemy. For some reason I feel almost grateful that he stopped me. This place might not be a total loss after all.

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a/n: please review!