A/N: Okay, I know it's been an eternity since I have updated, but I have legitimate excuses. I haven't been able to get my hands on a computer for a while, and even if I did, I wouldn't be able to write because I've been so busy with an overwhelming amount of schoolwork this year. Finally, when I do get a computer all to myself, and can manage to find the time to write, I end up staring at a blank page for the next half hour, lacking both motivation and ideas for how I can continue this. But now I finally have, so here it is. I don't think chapter 32 is my best, but I am pretty proud of the action sequences in chapter 33. Please tell me what you think!
32
Trinity watched Neo walk on ahead of her. She couldn't help but to notice that he seemed to bounce along the pavement with every step. There was something jaunty and somewhat carefree about his attitude that day. She figured it must be simply because he was finally getting used to being unplugged and beginning to relax a little more in his surroundings. She hurried to catch up with him, and found that even then she struggled to keep up with his sprightly, brisk movements.
"You know," Neo turned to smile at her as he continued along down the path, titling his head up to the clear blue sky to allow the artificial rays of sun to warm his face, bringing a tingling sensation to his skin. "The Matrix may be a mere computer simulation, but in a way, it's still quite beautiful. The sheer technology of it…the fact that it's been able to convince people that it's real for almost a century. It's just, I don't know." He shook his head, struggling to think of an adjective that could describe the way he felt. "Enigmatic."
"All right." Trinity replied wryly. "What's eating at you?"
"Huh?" He turned back to look at her through the lenses of his sunglasses and shrugged his shoulders, smiling. "Oh, nothing really. It's just…well, this is my second unplugging. I feel like I'm finally getting used to it…like I'm not really just the new guy anymore who doesn't know anything. I guess I'm beginning to loosen up. Am I making sense?"
So I was right. Trinity nodded and shot him a small smile, which he eagerly returned. It was a cool, crisp autumn day in Tosha's area. There were hardly any people about on the streets, and the only sounds were the gruff barking of the dogs in nearby houses, the occasional passing vehicle, the rustling of the brown, falling leaves and the chirping and twittering of birds resting in the low-hanging branches of the trees.
A group of teenagers cycled past them on pushbikes on the opposite side of the road, wearing baggy jeans and second-hand shirts. They gawked at the pair with crude, dumbstruck expressions pasted onto their pimpled faces. One boy couldn't tear his eyes away from Trinity, and kept glancing back over his shoulder even after they had past them by. Neo couldn't blame him – he was also having a hard time trying not to take much notice of the black latex catsuit she had taken to wearing recently. Tank had told him that, according to what Dozer had said, it was the same ensemble that Gina had worn before Amos had died.
As they knew from already searching through Tosha's records, her family owned the corner store at the end of her street. Two elderly women were sitting on a bench outside it, devouring the newspaper they had just conjointly bought. Neo would have hardly paid them the slightest bit of attention if he hadn't overheard their conversation.
"What day of the month is it?" One of them loudly remarked. "I keep forgetting, and I need to keep track so I can remember how long it is till the kids come down to visit from the coast."
"Why, it's March the 11th, dear." The other answered almost instantly. "Two weeks left before it's girl's night down at the bowling club."
Neo froze to the spot. Had he heard correctly? Was it really March 11th? He had been forgetting to keep track of the date ever since his unplugging, as it seemed so irrelevant in the real world. Trinity turned around to face him when she realized he was no longer walking beside her. Her forehead creased in confusion.
"Is today the 11th of March?" He whispered to her, reaching her side and continuing the walk towards Tosha's home.
"I think so. I'm not too sure. Why do you ask?"
"Well…" He stammered, shifting a little as though he weren't comfortable about sharing this information. "If it is March 11th…then it's also my birthday."
"…Oh." Was all she could think to say. Of all the wild responses he could have made in answering her question, that was the last thing she had in mind. She couldn't even remember when her own date of birth. It had been so long since she'd had to recall it. The last time she remembered anybody taking notice of her birthday was when Charity was still alive.
They walked on in awkward silence, Neo no longer springing along at a brisk pace, until they reached the small suburban house recognizable as Tosha's. She herself was waiting for them on the gate, just as arranged over the computer. Trinity had been typing messages to her from her laptop in the car, which was parked a few streets away.
"You took your time." She swung herself up off the fence and surveyed them with a blank expression.
"You must have come outside too early, then." Trinity replied densely.
"You're hackers, aren't you? Only a really skilled hacker could get past the firewalls I built up around my computer."
"My name is Trinity." She replied habitually. "And this is Neo."
"Of course. One of the best in the business." She winked. "I always suspected you were a girl, even though most people say you're a guy. So…why have you come looking for me? Do you want something from me?"
Trinity still didn't feel too sure about this. Over the past week, they had been tracking and researching Tosha's background information. The more she found out about Tosha, the more she was inclined to believe that unplugging her was a bad idea. It wasn't that she was a bad person, but more that she seemed quite happy and content within her own life. Indeed, she was a brilliant girl, extremely talented and highly intelligent. But she was quirky, and had a curious mind, which had led her to question her surroundings in the first place. It felt as if she was merely toying with the idea of challenging reality, and not really taking anything they told her too seriously. She was too light-hearted to be unplugged. It wasn't until they returned to their car, after making plans to meet with her again the following day after school, that she voiced her opinion to Neo.
"Yeah, she does seem a bit…weird." Neo answered truthfully, gripping the steering wheel and keeping her eyes on the road ahead of them. "But if Morpheus thinks that she can accept the truth, then there really isn't much more to say about it. Let's face it, he's a better judge of character than the two of us put together."
Trinity nodded grimly. She knew he was right, but she still couldn't help the strange sensations that crept up on her whenever she was in Tosha's presence. There was just something…untrustworthy about her…
The problem with Tosha's location was that the nearest exit was quite a long drive away, and time wasn't a luxury they often had. With the sentinel attacks becoming more and more frequent, being in the Matrix for too long was a danger the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar simply couldn't afford. By the time they reached the phone booth that would transport them back to the ship, just over half and hour's worth of time had elapsed since they set off. Neo parked the car neatly beside the curb and stretched out his fingers so that his knuckles cracked. He turned to face his companion and smiled, though this time she didn't return it. She was gazing out into space, hardly aware that the car had even stopped.
"If you're still unsure about Tosha, then maybe you should talk to Morpheus." Neo suggested helpfully. "Ask him why he's decided to unplug her. Maybe then you'll get your answers."
"All right." Trinity replied weakly. She didn't tell him that she hadn't been thinking about Tosha at all. Her thoughts had been scattered throughout the entire trip, like a maze of complicated ideas. Though now, when she looked at him, she found herself thinking of only one thing. The shirt he wore beneath his trench coat was made of thin, spongy material that clung tightly to his frame so that she could see every outline of his chest muscles. Her hands automatically reached up and slid her sunglasses off her nose, placing them aside so that she could look at him properly. She could tell, from the expression written on his face, that he was confused by the heavy, lustful emotion evident in her eyes.
Neo had seen that particular expression on Trinity's face enough to understand what it meant. It occurred to him that Tosha may not have been what was weighing on her mind recently. He removed his own sunglasses, resting them on top of the dashboard, while his eyes roamed over her latex-clad body.
Before either of them knew it, he was kissing her, his tongue sliding into her mouth and clashing against her own in a passionate frenzy. She moved backwards, easing up against the window and wrapping both arms around his neck. It would have been much more comfortable for both if the seats were conjoined, but at this point, neither seemed to care. Neo felt his hands fall onto her hips, then slide up her body until they reached her breasts, and then met in the center where the zipper that held the catsuit together began. Only moments ago, he yearned to touch the latex material, and now he just wanted to be rid of it.
"I love you." He whispered as he pulled away from her, momentarily forgetting where he was, and what situation they were in. "And when we get back on the ship, I'm gonna prove it to you."
Trinity exhaled a low gasp at his words, which quickly transformed itself into a moan as he began to ease the zipper downwards with his hand. The clouded haziness of his eyes informed her that already he had lost all sense of control and rational thinking, and she wasn't too far behind him. She had enough strength of mind left to remind herself that she was in the Matrix, and that she was on a mission, and had a job to complete. Any form of pleasure would have to wait until their next trip to Zion. But that could be months away. They both needed this now. And as she was thinking these things her body was slowly melting below his fingers.
The shrill, sharp, ringing of Neo's cell phone was what finally brought him to his senses. Reluctantly, he pulled himself back into his seat, his cheeks red and flustered from the embarrassment of allowing himself to fall victim to his desires. He dug into the pocket of his trench coat, only to discover that his phone must have fallen out when he leaned out of his seat. After much scrambling and searching, he managed to locate it and press it to his ear.
"Sorry to spoil the moment, guys." Tank said the instant the phone was answered. "But I think you ought to know that we're ten minutes away from another sentinel attack here, and there are two Agents heading your way."
Neo hung up without bothering to make a response, and placed the phone back in his pocket, snatching his glasses and replacing them. Trinity quickly did the same, already having pulled up the zipper of her catsuit. They hurried out of the car and quickly made their way to the payphone, Trinity sliding into the booth first and pressing the ringing phone to her ear. Her RSI dissolved into nothingness, carrying her mind back into reality.
(o)
Neo burst out of his room, tugging on his over-shirt as he ran along the corridor and scrambled up the ladder to the main deck. By the time he arrived in the core, he was breathless, and yet filled with excitement at the same time.
"Sorry to wake you with that intercom message, Neo." Tank apologized. "I know you're probably exhausted after jacking in once already today, and then dealing with that sentinel attack straight afterwards, but it looks like we got a serious situation here."
"What is it?" He panted, peering in at the green coding.
"Have you met Soron yet? Captain of the Vigilant?" He hardly waited for Neo's response before he continued. "He and his crew jacked in tonight to go after someone they were unplugging and unfortunately found themselves up against a pair of Agents. I got a message over the communicator sent from their ship's operator calling for
help."
Tank needn't have said anymore as Neo had already made his way to his respective jack-in chair. In a matter of seconds, Tank had loaded him up into the system and he found himself standing on the rooftop of a city building. The night sky above him was cloaked with a thick cloud of pollution, and a light breeze tousled his hair. He walked briskly to the edge of the roof and blinked the coding into place, squinting down into the dark alleyway below him.
The man Tank had called Soron was diligent, and a skilled fighter, although he and his crew proved to be no match for agents Jones and Brown, who were clearly enjoying themselves when they looked into the pain-stricken eyes of their victims. Neo wasted no time, leaping off the edge of the building, flipping in mid air and then plunging down into the alleyway. The agents were far too preoccupied to notice him before he hit the ground with a loud thud, landing on his feet directly in between Soron and his enemy.
"Alright guys, fun's over." He smirked. The agents braced themselves, gritting their teeth in frustration, not bothering to even draw their guns, as they knew exactly what he would do if they did. Instead, they stepped forward simultaneously, one swiping at his head only to have him duck just in time. He blocked each of the following attacks almost lazily, then took a step back and tucked his hand into a tight fist, drawing it back before punching with all the strength and power he could muster.
The attack landed on Jones' jawbone. He let out a cry of both pain and anguish, opening his mouth and spitting out three of his teeth. He brought a hand up to his dilapidated jaw and staggered backwards. Not bothering to close the gap between them, Neo drew his handgun from his belt and aimed it. Because he was too preoccupied with his earlier injury, Jones had no time to dodge the bullet so it made a direct hit to his chest. Neo built up speed by running along the side of the building to his left, then finished off his opponent with a kick that landed on his neck. There was the cracking sound of breaking bones as Jones flew into the opposite building, evaporating and leaving behind him the body of a dead host.
Meanwhile, Brown had been sneaking up on Neo from behind, hoping to surprise him with a sudden attack. He would have succeeded, if it weren't for Soron, who cried out a warning to Neo, causing him to turn around and land a punch squarely in the center of Brown's stomach. He let out a low, guttural groan then staggered backwards and collapsed in a heap on the floor, defeated after only a single punch. Neo picked up the handgun he'd dropped when he turned to counter Brown's attack and placed it back in his belt, before turning to face the crew whose lives he had just saved.
"Any casualties?" He asked in his most sincere, business-like tone.
Soron gazed speechlessly at his savior for a few moments before he finally spoke. "A few bullet wounds, and a sprained wrist." He waved in the direction of the fallen. "I'm afraid we've lost those two."
"Too bad." Neo replied with sympathy. "Get the living to an exit immediately. Agents could find a new host and be back any minute."
"Who are you?" Soron gaped. He had never before seen a man that had been able to defeat a pair of agents with such ease before, and all on his own! Surely, he must posses some greater power that normal men did not.
"My name is Neo. I'm newly unplugged, and I serve Morpheus on the Nebuchadnezzar." He replied. "Your operator sent word that you were in need of help, so I came to aid you."
Soron was now even more confused than he had been before. This man was far too old to be newly unplugged. The Council of Zion wouldn't have allowed it. Unless…of course! Power that normal men could not posses…serving Morpheus, one of the greatest believers in the prophecy…there was only one explanation. But then, if this was true, then why hadn't some public announcement been made? Why hadn't everyone been told that the One had finally been found?
Neo had turned to go, but Soron stopped him with sharp words. If this truly was the One, then he wanted to be of help to him in any way possible.
"Wait!" He demanded. "Be sure to tell your captain that my crew and I are now entirely in his dept. If he ever has to call for aid or assistance, he can be certain that he can rely on us. I am an honest man, and you can hold me to that. I swear it."
"I will hold you to that." Neo said over his shoulder. "Thank you."
And with that, he left them to find an exit, moving along the city streets while dialing Tank to find his own.
(o)
When Neo opened his eyes to the now familiar surroundings of the real world, he expected to see Tank standing over him with a wide, toothy grin pasted onto his leathery face. Instead, his bleary vision came to focus on Trinity's bedraggled face, and he felt the weight of her hand resting on his chest. He kept his eyes locked on her own as she eased the needle out of the back of his skull as gently and as tenderly as she could manage. Even so, he winced slightly, and when he did he felt her hand stiffen, and her fingers clutch at the material of his shirt. She only relaxed them when he began to pull himself up into a sitting position.
"Man, Neo, that was freaking awesome!" Tank commented from his seat at the consol. Neo nodded in modest gratitude – he would never get used to all the attention he received from the few people who knew of his being the One. "I still can't believe that you took on both agents with only a couple of blocks, two punches, one kick and a single bullet! Now I've said it before, but I'll say it again – unbelievable! I'll bet Morpheus will be happy to hear about this when he comes to take his shift later tonight."
Upon hearing these words, Trinity and Neo turned to face one another simultaneously. Both could tell from the look in the other's eyes that they were thinking of the same thing. If Tank was monitoring the core for the first half of the night, and Morpheus the second, then it meant that they had the rest of the night to themselves.
"I guess I'll see you both tomorrow, then." Tank winked, and waved a cheery farewell. They waited until they were out of his sight before Neo slid his hand into hers, running his thumb gently over her knuckles. Her palm was warm from sleep.
"What woke you?" He asked, remembering that he had left her to sleep in their room once Tank's message had sounded over the intercom.
She shrugged, reaching their door and wrenching it open with her free hand. "I heard you get up, so I waited a while and then I followed you to the core. I wanted to see what was so urgent."
"You're not tired now, are you?" He asked cautiously. She merely shook her head in response and closed the door to their room behind them. "Good," he smiled, bringing himself closer to her and softly kissing her forehead. "Good."
She cupped his chin and brought his lips to her own, sighing as he encircled his arms around her waist, pushing her up against the steel wall. She knew that if she lost all sense of self-control, and gave in to her desires, it could be a danger to her reputation. What if Tank or Morpheus overhead them? What happened in the car only that morning had been too much of a risk. But Tank and Morpheus were taking shifts for the rest of the night, why would they need to come down to the lower deck? He was beginning to kiss his way down her neck, his hands rubbing against her hips in smooth, circular motions. Perhaps if they were quiet…then the others wouldn't hear a thing. It could be their only chance in a very, very long time.
She allowed him to half-walk, half-carry her to the bed, and lay her down atop the blankets, climbing on so that he was just beside her. He guided a hand down the left side of her body until he came to her feet, then unbuckled her boot with great control and care, prizing it off her foot and dropping it to the floor with a thud. She remained motionless as he removed the other, and then both of his own before moving back to her. He peeled down the top of her shirt a small fraction so that the tops of her breasts were exposed, and kissed her until not even she could stifle a moan. It was only when he began to stroke untamed wisps of ebony hair away from her forehead with the gentle touch of his hand, that he caught sight of the anxiety in her eyes. He froze, reminding himself that for her sake, he could not let the situation get out of hand. Her reputation was far too important to her. But it was only Morpheus and Tank – what would they care? She was lying below him, the sound of her heavy breathing echoing off the surrounding walls. He loved the way she reacted to his soft touches…the way her body would become tense and rigid when he touched her in some places, and seem to melt beneath his hands in others. If he had to stop, he would do so very reluctantly.
Instantly understanding the concerned, yet pleading expression in his eyes, Trinity pulled herself up slightly so that she was almost sitting upright. At this action, Neo sighed under his breath and hurriedly removed his hands. Now, she could sense signs of disappointment he carefully tried to hide with a small smile. She couldn't help but to be flattered by the fact that he would stop himself for the sheer sake of her feelings and emotions. But he needn't have worried. Some things were more important than a person's reputation. That was one of the many things she had learnt since she had met him what now seemed like an eternity ago. She didn't speak a word, but arched her back and lifted her arms up above her head, informing him that she was willing to put her reputation aside. The smile on his face broadened, and as he gripped the hem of her two shirts and slowly began to lift them over her head, they both couldn't help but to break into soft breaths of laughter, as if enjoying their own, private joke.
He tossed both shirts to the floor, fingers trembling as they traced a pattern along her flat stomach, and then messaging the white skin of her back. She shuddered beneath him when his hand paused at the clasp that held her black bra together. He almost had it undone when an idea occurred to her, and she leant in closer to whisper in his ear just as she felt the clasp loosen, and then fall slack.
"Happy birthday." She murmured, unable to believe that those were her own words. He snorted, grinning at the sleaziness of the comment.
Trinity relaxed into the tingling sensations in her skin as he slid the flimsy garment off her chest and dropped it to the floor along with her shirts. She recalled the first time he had done that to her…how she had shut her eyes with dread…feared that he would dislike what he saw. Now, the whole ordeal seemed senseless, and she nearly laughed at the memory.
"Gorgeous." Was the only word he could think of to describe the woman before him as he lightly ran his index finger from her collarbone, between her breasts and down until he reached her navel. She shivered with pleasure.
She wasted no time in helping him to wrestle both his shirts up and over his head, but it seemed to take him an age to gently ease her drawstring pants down over her legs. He slipped both thumbs inside the hem, so that they brushed across the surface of her skin. He was being so soft…so tender with her, still concerned that she was nervous about being on board the ship. But the touch of his gentle hands only increased the yearning within her body, making it almost agonizing to wait for him to finally the last of her clothes to the floor, so that she lay completely naked beneath him.
"N-Now you." She managed to choke out, and he obliged by removing the last of his clothing with much less control than he had shown her.
It felt strange, Trinity thought, to by lying, naked, on the bed that had once belonged to her closest friend and her lover. Usually, it would have been too cold to even think of going without at least two shirts when she wasn't sleeping under mounds of blankets. Yet the room was now much warmer than it had been when she first came in. Neo hovered above her, his body warming her more than any blanket ever could. He cupped her chin and kissed her…slowly…passionately…his lips lingering on her own. She both loved and hated it at the same time. Hated it because it only made her aggravated…wanting so much more.
Neo watched, without attempting to resist, as she took hold of his wrist and guided his hand closer towards her, wriggling until she was sitting upright beneath him and then moved his palm so that it cupped her breast. It rounded into his hand – warm, full, and softer than anything he could have dreamt of. He shuddered, shivers spurring down his spine as she used her free hand to lightly trace her fingers in between the strengthening muscles of his chest, her fingernails tickling his skin. Each touch was like torture to him. He propelled his hips forwards, grinding them against her own.
Trinity had thought that taking things slowly would keep it more controlled. But she had been wrong. It was almost the opposite, as each gentle touch they exchanged only made it harder for her to stop herself from making any sound. Her entire body now ached with desire, and the pain drove right into the core of her very being. She needed him now more than ever. When he pushed his body up against his, she merely obliged by wrapping both arms around his neck, and both legs around his own, pulling him down on top of her.
He entered her slowly…carefully…cautiously, all the while keeping his eyes locked on her own. She squirmed below him, grouping at his back as tightly as she could. It took all the will power and self-control in the world to stop her from crying out his name in pure ecstasy. But she could not stop a small squeak from escaping her lips when he began to move inside of her, driving himself deeper into her body. The cure to the aching, burning sensation that had claimed her entire being.
The small sounds she made were enough to drive Neo to a state of insanity. Part of him wanted to make her moan – to break through her strong resolve to be silent. Another part prayed that this wouldn't ever happen. He didn't want them to be discovered. Not now. He pressed his forehead against hers so that he couldn't see anything but the blue of her eyes, heavy and wide. He felt nothing but the warmth around him…the warmth of the body beneath him…the sensations of what it was to be one with her. Everything warm, controlled and comfortable. He thought of nothing but the moment…heard nothing but the sounds of both of them struggling to hold in cries of pleasure.
Trinity gazed at Neo's face, tensed and flushed with pleasure. It was beautiful. The sheer sincerity of the emotions she was experiencing. Nothing had ever felt as real as making love to Neo. It made her feel beautiful…worshiped…loved. She could not even begin to describe what it felt like.
Eventually, he fell and collapsed down beside her, exhausted with the strain of holding in his feelings. It made him wish for another trip to Zion, although he knew that it could be an age before that time came. He could hear Trinity panting beside him, her forehead dotted with beads of sweat. She was only half conscious by the time he gathered enough strength to pull back one of the blankets and tuck it around the two of them. He nestled beside her, feeling her body tense, and then relax. He smiled, listening to the silence of the room as he fell into sleep. This had certainly been the best birthday he had ever had.
(o)
Morpheus trudged along the corridor on the lower deck early the next morning. He had been expecting Neo to come to the core and take his shift almost an hour ago. Figuring that since Neo was usually so punctual, something must be wrong, and he had decided to go and find him.
He reached the door to the bedroom Neo shared with Trinity and tugged it open, only to snap it shut almost straight away. Perhaps it was not wise to go in and wake him, especially if he ended up waking Trinity too. He shook his head, chuckling to himself as he strolled back down along the corridor in search of Tank instead. It seemed as if they both would need a little more rest.