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This imprisoned Megabyte was showing entirely too much interest in our plans for my taste. He knew the location of the Gateway Command, the rest of our friends AND the exit, now.

"I assume I have the lovely Dot Matrix to thank for my present circumstances."

"Seems fair." Bob said, sharply. "After what you tried to do to her."

You tell 'im Bob.

Megabyte wasn't phased. "Well this must go a long way to satisfy your overactive sense of 'fair play'."

He was brewing something. There was more in that line than just mockery. I couldn't scan him behind that firewall. Matrix growled. "Lets get this over with."

Megabyte's eyes narrowed on us. "So what now? Deletion?"

"No," Bob said lightly, "just a scan." I sensed his energy tighten up. "I don't believe in deletion."

"Ah yes," Megabyte recalled, "you can't go against your code."

"That's right, and neither can you, that's the problem." Bob said, triumphant. "Its not your fault. You were programmed this way. We've just got to work out a way to reprogram you."

Could it be that Megabyte almost sounded hurt? "So, I wont be a virus?"

Bob was glowing. "That's the plan."

"So…" Megabyte resolved, "a fate worse than deletion…" His tone dropped low. "And they call me a monster."

A strange energy seemed to come over the room. I could read elevated stress levels in the two sprites, the virus's words must have hit them in an unexpected place. Parsing them for myself, I can see why. I doubt Bob ever thought of cleansing from the virus's point of view.

My guardian said nothing and began the scan. I waited less than patiently, letting the technology on the inside of the firewall do the work. It was completed in a micro and Bob pulled the data up on screen. "There, now that wasn't so bad was it?"

No reply.

I filtered the data too, wanting to participate. Strings of code passed by without a hint of viral anything. There wasn't a trace of Megabyte. Bob's eyes widened. "There's nothing here… or there!"

It was an alias… just like in the core, only this wasn't a downloaded simulation, this was being supported from inside the Principle Office somewhere. I launched a building scan, even though I knew it wouldn't do any good. If he was in disguise I would have no way of locating him, but I needed to do something. Matrix must have felt the same way.

He blasted into the cell and attacked the alias with a vengence. "Where are you?"

I could recognize the levels of Megabyte's evil laugh even when it came out of nothing, he peered cunningly up at the renegade. "Guess."

Matrix punched his face in for good measure.

Bob pulled up a link to the victory party. "Dot! We don't have Megabyte! It was an alias! He must be in the War Room with you! One of you is Megabyte, do you understand? He's tricked us! Get out of there now!" Bob closed the link and dashed out of the brig. We had to get up to the war room and save Dot. After coming this far there was no way we were going to loose. Halfway there we stopped at a junction when Megabyte's voice came over the loudspeaker:

"Attention, as you are no doubt aware, the Principle Office is now under my complete control. You're probably looking forward to one of my erudite speeches about me, Megaframe, the new Viral Dawn, etc, etc. But I'm afraid I'm going to have to disappoint you. There is no grand scheme here. This is about revenge. Viruses are predatory by design, and it is time for me to follow my function. Prepare yourselves…"

I gulped.

"For the hunt."