Chapter 5
The day came for Phoenix to pay a visit to The Oracle as they jacked into the matrix. Once he was back in, everything seemed so surreal to him, the car that they were driving passed by the TV station where he used to broadcast his show once a week. He could not help but to think about the people he knew inside that building that were still plugged in.
"Phoenix?" It was Mystere.
He was in sort of a haze when her voice brought him back to reality. He turned to look at her. She was a woman about his age with long golden brown hair, light freckles and blue eyes.
"You okay?" She asked.
Phoenix nodded.
"Yeah, it's kind of weird being back. I used to do my TV show once a week from that ." He said pointing to the one story brick red building.
"I notice they still have the giant breast pump to the entrance." He mused.
"You miss it?" Mystere asked him.
Phoenix paused.
"Well it's kind of weird really. Every week I would tell people that they need to wake up and actually see what is happening. Little did I know..."
"That you were still asleep too?"
"Yeah."
The car stopped in front of an apartment building.
"We're here." Talon announced.
Everyone stepped out the car and were all dressed alike except for Phoenix. He looked so out of place in his suit and tie in the sea of black leather and PVC.
"Wait here while I take Phoenix to see her." Talon ordered the group.
The two of them went inside and stepped over a bum laying down in the hallway as they made their way up the stairs. They walked two flights and then they made a left where they walked to the very end of the hallway and stopped at that last door in front of them.
"So is this the same Oracle that made the prophecy of the second coming?" Phoenix asked.
"Yes, she is not as old as the last Oracle. But she did see this coming, the visions and prophecies are passed on from Oracle to Oracle." Talon explained.
"So how old would you say this one is?"
"I would guess about a couple hundred years, give or take. She has been with us for quite some time."
Phoenix raised an eyebrow.
"So what you are saying is?"
"She knows everything." Talon said.
"And she's never wrong?"
"Try not to think in terms of right or wrong. She comes from a long line of guides. She can help you find the path."
"Did she help you?"
"Yes she did."
"And what did she tell you?"
"That I would find The One again when we needed him the most. I can only show you the door my friend. It is you that has to walk through it."
Not less than a moment later the door opened and a black man who was the same height as Phoenix answered. He wore a cap and suit with a bow tie and was very calm and peaceful as he spoke.
"Hello Phoenix, you are right on time."
Both men stepped inside. The man turned to Talon.
"Make yourself at home friend. Phoenix, come with me."
He followed the man to a room where he saw several children playing together and making toys float in mid-air. In the corner he spied an angelic looking little girl with blonde curls. She was holding spoons and making them bend with her mind. He walked over to her and just watched. She looked up at him with her big green eyes. She handed him a spoon.
"Do not try to bend the spoon. That's impossible. Instead only try to realize the truth." The child spoke in tone that was wise beyond her years.
"What truth?"
"There is no spoon." The little girl told him.
"No spoon?"
"It's not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself."
Phoenix held the spoon in his hand and as he held it, he could not help but feel like he had been in this spot before a long time ago. He watched as the spoon warped and twisted in his hand.
"The Oracle will see you now." The man said.
He followed the man into the kitchen where there was a thin white woman with short sandy blonde hair in her early forties standing at the oven. She was wearing a light green dress with a matching shawl. He could smell brownies. Her back was turned to him as she was facing the oven.
"I know, you're Phoenix. I'll be right with you."
"You're The Oracle?" He asked.
"Yes," She took a big whiff "Almost done. Smell good. Don't they?"
"Yeah."
"I would ask you to sit down but I know you're not. Oh and don't worry about the vase."
"What vase?"
Phoenix turned quickly as the vase crashed.
"Oh shit! I am so sorry!"
"Oh don't worry about it. I'll get one of my angels to fix it."
She turned to face him.
"How did you?"
"Know? Now what is really going to mess with your head is would you still have broken it if said anything?"
"Huh?"
"You're cute but not very bright. You know why Talon brought you to see me?"
"I think so."
She adjusted her glasses to get a better look at him.
"So what do you think? Do you think that you are the second coming of The One?"
He shrugged.
"Hell if I know."
She pointed to a sign in Latin above the door to the kitchen.
"You know what that means?" She asked.
He shook his head.
"It means 'Know Thyself'. I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Being The One is like being in love. No one can tell you you're in love, you just know it. Through and through."
She took a deep breath and she began to speak again.
"Well I better have a look at you. Open you mouth and say ahhh."
Phoenix did so.
"Now I'm supposed to say 'that's very interesting...but' then you say..."
"But what?" He asked.
"But I think you already know the answer."
"That I'm not The One?"
"Sorry. You do have the gift, but it looks like you are waiting for something to happen."
"What?" He asked.
"Who knows? It's just the way things go."
He shook his head and almost laughed.
"Talon just about had me convinced."
She put her arm around him as she spoke.
"I know poor Talon. Without him, we would be lost."
He was perplexed by what she just said.
"What did you mean by that?"
She let out a deep sigh.
"Talon and the others believe in you and there is no convincing them otherwise. Talon believes it so blindly that he's willing to sacrifice himself." The Oracle told him.
"You fucking kidding me? Right?"
"No Phoenix, I hate to be the bearer of bad news. You have a good soul."
She handed him a warm brownie.
"Here have a brownie, by the time you're done eating this, you will be right as rain. I promise." She gave him a hug and sent him out to meet Talon.
He started to eat the brownie and just as she promised he felt better. He met with Talon. He began to speak to Phoenix.
"What was said was for you and you alone."
They walked down the hall and Phoenix could have sworn he saw a white cat walk by twice.
"Whoa! Deja vu!"
Talon turned to him.
"What did you just say?" There was a look of fear on Talon's face
"Nothing, I just had a little sense of deja vu, that's all." He said.
"What did you see?" He asked.
"A white cat went past us and then I saw another one that looked just like it." Phoenix told him.
"Were they exactly the same?"
"That's what it looked like to me."
"Oh my God."
"Talon what's wrong?"
"Deja vu is usually a glitch in the matrix. It happens when they change something."
"Who?"
"Agents!"
"Oh my God!"
"We have to get you out of here Phoenix! Now!"
A few moments later they were met by the rest of the group.
"Get him out here! I'll hold them off!" Talon ordered.
On the ground floor Agents Lewis and Spencer were checking the mainframe.
"They are on the sixth floor." Lewis said.
A few moments later police were running after them and firing. They got far enough ahead to where the operator was able to give them a place to hide which was behind the wall of a dingy public rest room. A few moments later Agent Hansen appeared.
"Where are they?" She asked.
Within the walls Phoenix was trying not to sneeze but he couldn't hold it in any longer.
"They're in the walls!" The officer yelled as they opened fire.
"Oh my God! It's an agent!" Mystere yelled.
She noticed that Talon was shoving everyone down while he still stayed at the top of the pipe.
"Talon what are you doing?" Phoenix yelled.
Talon tuned to Mystere.
"Get him out of here! He's our only hope!"
"Please Talon don't! We're not leaving you behind!" Phoenix begged.
"Go now!" He ordered.
"We have to Phoenix!" Mystere said.
She pulled herself and the rest of the group down to pipe as Talon crashed through the wall to face Agent Lewis pinning her down on the ground.
"Ah, the great Talon. We meet at last." Her tone was menacing.
"And you are?"
"Lewis, Agent Lewis."
"All of you mechanical whores look the same to me." He spat.
She head butted him over and over again breaking his nose. Finally she lifted him off the ground with one hand. He kept punching, but she blocked every single one of his punches with ease. With each punch he was thrown around like a rag doll. Finally police rushed in. She grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt.
"You will tell me where Mr. Anderson is. And while you're at it, you will give me the codes!" She growled.
"Fuck you bitch!"
She knocked him out cold. And then she turned to the police officers.
"Take him." She ordered.
A few seconds later police officers handcuffed the unconscious talon and lead him away for Agent Lewis to question him some more. She only hoped that he would be more cooperative once he woke up.
