Disclaimer: I don't own the Matrix, but Hypno is mine!
Mind Games
Chapter7: Pure evilness
"Why are you here? What do you want?"
The voice of his interlocutor sounded on the alert tone. Of course. It was typical. They always kept more distance possible from him. So the other was startled when he moved to whisper something in his ear.
"They are there, at her place... you know what I'm talking about. Just him and his puppy. You can take him, but leave her to me."
"How can I trust you?"
Trust? Since when you trust? "I don't care. We'll get both what we want. What's the problem?"
Silence.
"So? Do we have a deal?"
Still silence. The a nod.
"Who is Hypno, exactly?... or what is?" Neo asked impatiently.
"He comes from an older version of the Matrix... he's a kind of virus the machines have created to defend the simulated world from the rebels that hacked into it."
"An... agent?"
"He had the same duty of the actual agents. But it's totally different form them." She gently corrected.
"Uhm... if he was some sort of guardian... then why I've had the impression that he didn't know about Zion and all?" Neo voiced his doubt.
"Because he really didn't know. Hypno is more powerful than the machines had thought, and, probably, more than they had meant him to be. And, just as he's powerful, he's even uncontrollable. After he was created, he rebelled against them and ran away."
"But why is he still alive, if he was part of an old Matrix?" Trinity intervened, sceptically.
"Another program saved him from deletion, on condition that Hypno worked for him."
"Another program?"
Neo and Trinity frowned. One program is already enough. And if there is another...
"Yes, but don't care about this now, it's not the time to face him yet." She reassured them.
Good riddance.
"What happened then?"
"For a period he worked permanently for this program, until he felt like he had gone from one prison to another, I guess. So he ran away again, changing frequently person."
"Changing person?"
"Hypno doesn't have his own form, he uses the body of a person - that's the only thing he has in common with the actual agents. He is able to control the mind of any existing being. But the figure of the chosen person doesn't change, when he takes his - or her - place, unlike it happens for the agents, so he's more difficult to find."
An invisible virus... oh, great. Trinity thought sarcastically. From bad to worse.
"But what does he want from us?"
"Hypno doesn't have a real purpose or a particular wish... like I have said before - and you, unfortunately, have experimented it - he can manipulate the mind to his liking, generally he "jokes" with it until he leads his victims to craziness... some times even to death.
He enjoys exploring people's thoughts and feelings, even memories, often taunting and making them suffer..."
We had noticed that.
"... until they aren't even able to rebel and think anymore... until they become just an empty carcass left to rot by a parasite."
Oh, great, this is just great. I really missed a psychic killer machine. Neo mused bitterly, even surprised by the particularly acid words of the old woman, generally so controlled.
"That child, Jenna..." Trinity said, hit by a sudden thought. "Is she a...?"
The Oracle nodded. "Yes. She's a program too."
"She said he was coming..."
"That's why you have to get out, before he-"
"But we can't just avoid him!"
"Hypno can't be eliminated with any weapons, nor with violence, Neo. He's pure evilness. Remember this."
"Pure evilness?"
"The soul and the character of a being - human or program, it doesn't matter - is an equal mix of good and evil. Everyone of them. Programs don't realize it, but they can feel emotions, even the littlest bit. Hypno is different... he's total, pure evilness."
"Still, there must be a way to destroy him!"
"Maybe someone else has the answer to this question..." the Oracle's gaze darted briefly on Trinity, who raised an eyebrow. "But I'm not that one, and I can't interfere anymore, otherwise I fear it won't work. I have told you anything which can help, now you have to resolve it by yourselves."
She had spoken in a tone that meant the conversation was over. Neo and Trinity looked at each other, still confused and worried, but turned to leave.
"Thank you for... for the information."
"Be careful, honey. And good luck."
"They are coming out."
"We'll take them."
"What about him?"
"Don't care. And stay away from him. For your safety."
A confused silence, then, "All right."
What did that mean? Do I really have the solution? Hypno can't feel any emotions... but... what if... Trinity was taken away by her thoughts when she unexpectedly bumped into Neo, who had stopped abruptly in the corridor.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Agents."
Never a time we don't find them.
Link couldn't contact them while they were inside the Oracle's building, so no warnings.
"How many?"
"Three of them. Two here, one outside."
As soon as he finished the phrase, one of the doors was slammed open and two brown suited men wearing dark sunglasses burst in, guns in hand.
"Trinity, go!" Neo yelled, assuming his fighting stance.
Trinity hesitated. He wants to face two agents alone?! But he rarely fought them after the battle with Smith!
"Just go! You have to tell Morpheus about him! Immediately!" Neo continued, rushing at the agents.
Ok, relax, Trinity! He can take care of himself...
She nodded and turned, running down a near ramp of stairs. As she was out of the building, she picked up her cell phone and dialled Link.
"Operator."
"Link, an exit, hurry."
"It's not too far, there is a phone booth near a pub on the main street."
"How is Neo?"
"He's fine, Trinity, he's fine!""
I can never help but worry about him, even if he's perfectly fine.
"Trinity! Behind you!" Link suddenly shouted.
Shit!
She turned. An agent was standing in front of her, gun raised.
Could this turn even worse?! she thought, a little frustrated. She was about to jump, with the intention of hitting him square in the face, when he was suddenly distracted. He moved his head to watch over her shoulder.
Someone was behind her. And she knew who it was.
Oh, no... no, please, not him... not now...
She heard his steps approach, until she could almost feel his breath on the back of her neck.
"What do you want?" the agent asked, annoyed for having been interrupted. Trinity noticed Hypno's reflect on the agent's sunglasses.
"You know what I want. But that's none of your business. Go away." Hypno replied coldly.
The agent opened his mouth to protest, but something made him change idea. Trinity watched again Hypno's reflect and saw his expression... a cold threatening stare, that, mixed with the bit of cruel amusement playing on the corners of his lips, could have melt anyone like an ice-cream. His expression seemed to improve when his eyes narrowed, and pierced everything like a thin yet lethal knife. And that sent horrible chills down Trinity's spine.
In front of a shocked Trinity, the agent shuddered obviously, sweat pearling his forehead, sweat?! , hands trembling. He started to withdraw slowly, trying to avoid eye contact with Hypno. Then again his voice. A rasping murmur now.
"Go... or die..."
The agents froze in his spot. He became still, like a statue. Then he fell to the ground, the body sparkling and changing into a young woman. Dead... no, not dead. She was just unconscious. But the agent... Trinity paled, finding hard to breath.
This is absurd... and scaring... agents don't... but even them are afraid of him... run, Trinity, run... now.
She moved as quickly as she could, trying to evade him, but she wasn't fast enough. She gasped as his arm snaked around her waist, blocking her against his body, and his other hand covered her mouth.
Trinity struggled furiously, but he only tightened his iron grip, which was so cold that it felt like she was being covered by the gel of the mirror, when she had been unplugged. It had been one of the most unpleasant sensations she had ever felt, her body arching in agony.
He dragged her with him in a shadowed alleyway.
"So we meet again..." he whispered seductively in her ear. "... little black panther."
His damp cold lips kissed her roughly on the neck. She kept on struggling desperately, until her vision slowly blurred and her eyes closed shut, as she unexplainably fell into the dark of the unconsciousness.
A.N. I'm getting too lazy... but school is killing me... ok, ok. Please, Review!