A/N: Yes, I know! I didn't want to kill off Tank either. But it couldn't be helped, because as we all know, Tank does not make an appearance in the Matrix Reloaded, and therefore the viewer assumes that he died sometime between the end of the Matrix, and the beginning of the Matrix Reloaded. Anyway, thank you for all being so patient with me. I'm sorry I can't update as quickly as I used to. So without further ado, here is the next chapter!
Iridescent Eyes: Thanks for your request. I shall see if I can fit a ' family reunion' scene into later chapters.
34
Neo reached his room, finding that he was almost too exhausted and weak to even pull open the door. When he had first returned to the real world, all he could think about was that his whole body seared with unbelievable pain. Almost three hours had passed since then, but it felt like his battle with Senesis was an eternity away. Now, every inch of his body was numb to everything but the throbbing of his head, the beating of his heart, and the internal pain he felt that could not be cured with simple pills and injections. Pain that was as deep as the core of his heart.
Trinity watched silently as Neo stumbled into the room, allowing the door to close behind him so he could lean his weight against it. She didn't even need to see the pained expression on his face to know what had happened. The moment she had returned to the Matrix, she knew instantly that Tank was dead. That was why she hadn't gone with Morpheus and Neo to the Med Bay to check Tank's body for any remote signs of life. She had already faced the horrifying experience of tending to a dead crewmember too many times to want to suffer through it again.
"Is he…?" She asked him nevertheless. Neo swallowed, then shook his head tightly in dismay. His face was still pale with shock. Without saying another word, Trinity motioned for him to sit beside her on their bed. He sat by her left side and rested his head on her shoulder with pure exhaustion.
As she wrapped trembling arms around him, holding him against her, he reminded her of an innocent child once more. But she had little time to dwell on this as the harsh reality of the situation came crashing down upon her the instant she felt his heavy head against her shoulder. Tank was dead. No longer would he be sitting diligently in his chair in front of the consol. No longer would he be eating with them in the Mess Hall, cracking jokes and sometimes making inappropriate remarks, but always finding a way to lighten her mood. She had never thought about what the real world would be like without him. Everything would be different…strange…surreal…hardly even a 'real world' at all.
Neo was still in denial. No! Tank couldn't be dead…he refused to believe it…refused to accept it. Tank had been there since the beginning, ever since his first day in the real world. He had been his first friend. It had been different when the rest of the crew had died all those months ago. To him, they were only comrades and companions…people who could sympathize with him when he first came into the real world. He never had the chance to get to know them in the way Trinity did. But Tank…Tank was like a brother to him. He could never accept Tank's death.
Morpheus only bothered to knock on the door once, then barged into the room without waiting for a reply. He didn't give so much as a thought as to how the pair were sitting. Neither Neo or Trinity attempted to move, too exhausted and too emotional to care about what their captain thought. Morpheus's face was cold and tight with bitter pain as he surveyed the pair through clouded eyes.
"How are you Neo?" He asked, in a tone that did not belong to him. It was cracked and hoarse, and yet conveyed no emotion at the same time.
"Fine." Neo managed to choke out, although it was clear to all that he wasn't either physically or emotionally stable at the present time.
"We need to get out of here as soon as possible." Morpheus continued. "I'm going to start repairing the ship tomorrow. The sooner you both are ready to help, the better."
With that, he turned on his heel and marched out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Trinity felt her heart go out to her captain, who was usually such a compassionate, peaceful person. She knew that he was only acting in this way because of the grief and, possibly, the remorse that weighed heavily on his conscience.
"Let's get some sleep." She eventually whispered to Neo, who obligingly pulled himself away from her so that she could pull back the blankets on their bed. They stripped down into their usual sleeping attire, and climbed into bed so that Neo lay behind her, with one arm draped across her stomach as usual.
Although he was still exhausted from fighting with Senesis, many hours past before Neo finally drifted into a troubled sleep. A sleep plagued with dreams of all the faces he had seen that day. Senesis…Morpheus…Trinity…Tank…and even the bystanders who had gawked at him during his battle with Senesis. But the clearest face of all was the face of a woman. An older woman, with a kindly face, short, stringy red hair and vivid blue eyes that were brimming with tears as she wept silently and mournfully…
Trinity, however, stayed awake much longer than Neo had done. Her mind was forever swarming with thoughts she could not put to rest, even with the comfort of his arm around her midsection. She had experienced so much loss throughout her life both in and out of the Matrix. So much, in fact, that grief had almost become a regular occurrence, and a continual part of her life. That was why she had been able to come to terms with Tank's death so quickly, even though he was just as important to her as Charity or Switch had been. She sighed heavily and found Neo's hand beneath the blankets and squeezed it, knowing that since this was the first time he had ever experienced real grief, he would be in a state of denial for some time. Where as Morpheus would suddenly become hostile and reclusive until he finally accepted that Tank's death was not his fault.
How sad is that? She thought to herself in a state of self-pity. I'm so used to losing people that I can predict the reactions of others when faced with the death of someone they care deeply about. How pathetic.
It was almost their usual waking time when Trinity finally fell into sleep.
(o)
Neo managed to get through the next week by behaving as if he were in some sort of trance. He spent three and a half days lying in bed and recovering physically from his battle with Senesis, while Trinity and Morpheus worked on the ship. During this time, he allowed his mind to wonder as far away from reality as he possibly could. The best way to do that, he discovered, was to escape into his dreams.
With the passing of every night, his dreams seemed to become more and more disturbing. He always dreamt of the same red-haired woman, but gradually his dreams began to reveal more and more about her. She worked on a ship…a ship that crashed and was destroyed on impact, taking the lives of everyone on board. He could see her crying and screaming…see the blood pouring down her face.
He didn't mention these dreams to anyone. In fact, he hardly spoke to anyone at all. When he was fit enough to get out of bed, he focused all his energy on repairing the ship, not once allowing his mind to wander. He stayed as far away from the Med Bay as he could, knowing that Tank's body lay within. He barely spent anytime in the Mess Hall, either. Being there reminded him of all the meals he used to eat with Tank…all the conversation and laughter he would much rather now forget.
Trinity did her best not to interfere with his emotions, even though he was obviously trying to ignore her most of the time. She knew that now he needed to be alone with his thoughts if he was ever going to come to terms with Tank's death. When he was finally ready to talk about it, she would be there to listen.
Trinity tried not to think about her own grief too much. Like Neo, she pushed all memories of him out of her mind during the course of the day, and thought only about her work. It wasn't until she reluctantly settled down to sleep in the late hours of the night that she allowed her mind to wander. She had so many memories of Tank. As she lay there, she would recall their first meeting when she arrived in Zion for the first time…how she instantly had liked him. All the occasions when she had shared a meal or a drink with him and the rest of his family. The hours spent with the rest of the crew in the Mess Hall, where he would make jokes and brighten everyone's dull mood. But most of all, she remembered spending time with him and Switch…how he would constantly taunt and tease her about Neo, even after she eventually gave into her feelings.
One night, as she lay awake in the dark, a very distinct memory came to mind. The very last time she had ever spoken to Tank, when she was held safely in Neo's arms and soaring over the sky. He had said something to her that she would never be able to forget. Two simple words that changed how she would see him now and forever.
Hurry, Sis…Sister. He had called her his sister. She had always felt welcomed and included when she was with Tank and his family, which was why she and Switch always used to spend plenty of time with them in Zion. The way he had said it was so casual, despite the urgency in his tone. He may not have even meant it in the way she thought he did. If he was still alive, she would have asked him, but now she guessed she would never know.
She felt tears begin to swell up inside of her and silently spill down her cheeks as she pulled the blankets up around her more tightly. Before he died, Tank had managed to give her one final gift. He had taken her in and officially welcomed her into his family.
(o)
Because of the damage done to the consol, Trinity never was able to witness her 'family reunion', but what she did know was that 'hope' had returned to her family in the form of her older brother, who had lived up to the expectations of his name. Although her mother, Felicity, was still psychologically damaged from all the trauma of her past, it must have been clear to all that the return of two of her children, and the news that a third was still alive and well, was the greatest hope for her recovery. She had been allowed to leave the hospital and live with Hope and his family, on the condition that she frequently see doctors and psychologists so she could continue to heal. Faith returned to New York and her father, but exchanged addresses with her brother so they could stay in touch.
This brightened Trinity's mood significantly. Her broken family had come together once more, and she had also been welcomed into another. She wanted to tell Neo about what had happened, but thought better of it. He certainly wasn't in the mood for a cheerful discussion.
The damage done to the ship was not as great as it had been the last time, and within two weeks, the ship was almost fully repaired. There were only a few loose wires on the lower deck, and three broken engines left to fix. Neo, who still felt the need to be alone, volunteered to work on the lower deck while Morpheus and Trinity repaired the engines in the cockpit. After an hour of working in awkward silence, Trinity finally spoke.
"It wasn't your fault, you know." She said as calmly as she could.
Morpheus's hands froze on the engine he was repairing, though he kept his gaze on what he was doing. When he made no reply, Trinity continued.
"I know your probably thinking that Tank died because of your decision to unplug Tosha, which didn't really work out anyway. You think that he would still be alive if we didn't jack into the Matrix that day upon your orders. But you can't predict the future, Morpheus. There was no way you could have known what was going to happen."
"I know that, Trinity." The captain eventually answered, without looking up. "But when there is no one else to blame except a bunch of sentinels…all you can do is blame yourself."
"Well, you shouldn't." Trinity replied. "Not anymore. Tank's death was horrible, and it's had a great effect on everyone. But you need to let it go. Focus on all the good memories you have of Tank. That's how I dealt with the loss of the rest of our crew."
"I still haven't even fully recovered from that first experience." Morpheus sighed. "We had a good crew, Trinity."
"I know, Sir." Trinity rested a hand comfortingly on her captain's shoulder. "I know."
(o)
Neo had the dream again that night, only this time it was much worse. He did not just see the woman as usual. He became her. He saw everything she saw…felt everything she felt, both physically and emotionally. He watched as her crewmembers were slaughtered around her, falling victim to the crash. He heard her scream as pieces of heated metal caved in all around her, slashing through her skin. The pain was unbelievable. And then there was no pain at all. Everything was numb…he could no longer hear any sounds. He knew he was dying…
He awoke with a cry of panic and fear, sitting up in his bed with a sudden jolt. The blankets were sticking to him with sweat.
"It's ok, Neo. Calm down." Trinity whispered as she sat herself up beside him. She had been roused from sleep by his constant tossing and turning, and watched with concern as his forehead broke out in a sweat. She attempted to wake him, but he didn't respond. He had been mumbling something inaudible to himself until he suddenly sat up with a scream.
"Tell me what happened." She demanded worriedly, sliding a hand up underneath his shirt and gently massaging his back. She felt his body slowly begin to relax, and his breathing returned to normal.
"It was a dream. That's all." He finally told her. "But it felt so real…"
"What did you see?" She whispered to him softly, the sound of her voice soothing him even more.
"For a while, I've been dreaming about this woman." Neo felt her hand stiffen on his back when he said this. "She and her crew crash their ship and there's some kind of inward explosion. I keep dreaming about her dying. And every night, the dreams get worse."
"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked him, sounding somewhat irritable, although her hand had gone back to massaging his back. Neo merely shrugged, for he truthfully didn't have an answer to her question. He guessed it was because he simply hadn't been in the mood for talking.
"Do you think it has something to do with…" Trinity paused and inhaled a deep breath before she continued. "…with what happened to Tank?"
Neo felt his body grow tense again. He didn't want to talk about Tank. Not now. Not ever again. "I don't know." He answered her bitterly, flopping back down amongst the blankets and bringing her with him. "I think the dreams started on the night he died, if that's what you mean."
They lay together in silence, both staring into the other's eyes and unsure of what to say. After a while, Trinity brought her hand to his cheek and he closed his eyes to her touch. He would never be able to describe how it felt just to be close to her.
"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked him. Neo didn't answer her directly, but began to speak nevertheless.
"I never even imagined what the real world would be like without Tank." Neo said. "I guess I always just expected him to be here. Now, everything seems so quiet and surreal."
"I know." Trinity replied with a small smile. "Sometimes when I'm in the Mess Hall, I half expect him to walk in and brighten my mood in the way he always does."
"He didn't deserve to die." Neo could feel the anger rising inside of him with every word. "It's Senesis' fault. If he hadn't shown up we would have jacked out much faster, and Tank would still be here. But it was Tosha's fault we were in there in the first place, and she didn't even chose the fucking red pill! It was all for nothing! No, it was Morpheus's fault for even considering unplugging her in the first place."
"It was no one's fault, Neo. Morpheus couldn't predict the future. He didn't know Tosha would chose the blue pill. And how could Tosha have known that we were in danger of sentinel attack? She was only doing what she thought was best for her. As for Senesis…I'm sure he'd be delighted to know that Tank is dead, but I'm certain he didn't plan for it either. And you can hardly blame a mindless sentinel drone for doing what it was programmed to do." Trinity explained rationally. "But you were right. He didn't deserve to die."
"Apart from you, Tank was the best friend I ever had." Neo replied angrily. "He was like a brother to me. I have a right to be angry."
"Of course you do." Trinity reasoned. "We all have a right to be feeling emotional right now. Do you know what Tank said to me right before he died?"
"What?"
"Sister. He called me his sister. I know it doesn't seem like much, but…" Trinity trailed away, searching for the right words. "…but after everything I went through in the Matrix, it's sort of nice to know that somebody considers you part of their family. That you belong somewhere…if you can understand."
Neo froze, realizing that because of all his grief, he had forgotten to even consider how Trinity was feeling. She had been even closer to Tank than he was, and she had already dealt with so much loss in her life. Now she had lost both of her closest friends in equally horrible ways. She probably had been wanting someone to talk to, and all he could do was think about himself. He had never felt so guilty and selfish.
"Trin…I'm so sorry –" He began, but was cut off almost instantly.
"It's alright, Neo." She whispered, and leaned forward to kiss him softly on the lips. "We'll get through this together."
He wrapped both arms around her and she settled into his warm embrace, realizing just how tired she felt. Neo rested his head on top of her own, feeling her soft strands of ebony hair tickle his cheek.
"You know, you don't just have Tank and his family." Neo said to her sometime later. "You belong with me as well, just as I belong with you."
But Trinity never heard him say this, as she was already sound asleep.
(o)
"Sorry to wake you, but there's something I think you should see." Morpheus told Neo as he and Trinity entered the core a while later.
Morpheus had been sitting in Tank's chair at the consol, taking the nightshift and monitoring for sentinel attacks, when he used the newly repaired intercom to summon both Neo and Trinity to meet him in the core.
"What's up?" Neo asked as he and Trinity leaned over Morpheus's shoulder and peered at the neon coding.
Morpheus had zoomed in on an image of none other than Senesis, who was sitting alone in an isolated room, typing away frantically on a laptop computer and grinning malevolently to himself.
"Senesis…" Neo whispered confusedly, raising an eyebrow in question. "What the hell is he doing?"
"I'm not so sure." Morpheus replied. "It looks as though he's been trying to hack his way through some firewalls. I haven't ever seen any data like the kind he's bringing up now. And this is the first time I've been able to locate him. Most of the time, he's taking on another form and staying in hiding."
"It must be a trap." Trinity concluded. "He's trying to lure Neo into the Matrix so he can finish him off. The fact that we got away from him last time must really be getting under his skin."
"Certainly, it is a possibility." Morpheus added. "But what if he's trying to get into Zion's mainframe? Maybe he's found a way to get around the codes. He's a much more intelligent Agent, after all."
"But then, why can't he hack into the mainframe in disguise?" Neo argued. "Why did he change back into his original form?"
"Maybe it was the only way to get past the firewalls, I don't know." Morpheus shrugged. "But even so, I want you to jack in and see if you can put a stop to whatever he's doing."
"You want Neo to go after him again?" Trinity asked in surprise, trying and failing to mask the fear and anxiety in her tone.
Morpheus solemnly shook his head. "I want Neo to jack in and use a computer to trace Senesis, not physically attack him. If it is a trap, then it won't be so hard for Neo to pull out quickly if he stays near an exit." Morpheus swiveled around in the chair to face Neo directly. "Do you agree?"
Neo nodded and gingerly made his way to his usual jack-in chair. Truthfully, he wasn't in the mood for tracing Agents and hacking into computers, but he did his best to put his own feelings aside. While Morpheus typed in the appropriate codes, Trinity went to Neo's chair and clutched his hand in her own, a gesture that informed him that she was worried for his safety. He didn't blame her after what happened the last time he came up against Senesis, and had to admit that he was somewhat afraid himself.
"Don't worry." He whispered to her reassuringly. "I won't even go near him. I'll be miles away on a computer, remember?"
Trinity nodded, though he could see that she was not convinced. However, there was no more time of reassurance, as the needle was inserted into the back of his skull, and he was launched into the construct.
(o)
"So what's he up to, Neo?" Morpheus asked him over the phone.
"I'm still not completely sure." Neo admitted, resting his cell phone between his ear and shoulder while he used both hands to type on the laptop that had been uploaded with him. "Like you said, the data isn't like anything I've ever seen. But I can tell you he's definitely not trying to worm his way into Zion. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he wasn't really trying to do anything."
"That's something to be thankful for, at least." Morpheus replied. "Maybe it was a trap, and he's waiting for you to burst in on him. Alright, then. Get to the exit immediately."
"Yes, Sir." Neo was about to turn off his computer when he caught sight of something in the corner of his screen. "Hold up."
"What now?"
Neo didn't answer, as he was entranced by what he saw on the screen. He had been too preoccupied with tracing Senesis to notice that someone else had been tracing him. At first, he figured it was probably some teenager trying to hack into people's computers for a bit of fun, but when he read the message the person was posting out to several computers in his local area, he wasn't so sure…
Somebody please tell me why it feels more real when I dream then when I am awake.
How do I know if my senses are lying to me?
Neo was stunned, unsure of what to do. Morpheus was still on the phone to him, awaiting a response to his question. Should he tell his captain about the message? Something inside of him told him that it was best to keep this private.
"Some kid is trying to hack into my system. That's all." Neo said as carelessly as he could. "I'll just get rid of them and be out soon."
"Hurry up, then." Morpheus hung up, and Neo replaced the phone in his pocket before answering the question as cryptically as he could.
There is some fiction in your truth, and some truth in your fiction. To know the truth, you must risk everything.The kid, or whoever it was, took their time in replying:
Who are you?
Am I alone?
Neo stopped himself, realizing that he may have taken this a step too far. He quickly shut off his laptop without making a reply, and then headed straight for the nearest exit.
(o)
It didn't take Neo very long to track down the kid when he returned to the real world. After offering to take the rest of Morpheus's shift, he scanned the area where he had just been, and located a teenage boy, wearing his pyjamas and sitting in front of the computer in his bedroom. He had minimized the window with their conversation on it and was running a search for hackers, as if he were hoping he would stumble across the name of the person who hacked into his computer. He came across Morpheus's name, and Trinity's, and oddly enough, his own as well.
Neo remained transfixed to the screen as the sun began to rise over the small terrace house in which the kid lived. He watched as the boy dressed and prepared himself for school, using his lip-reading skills to learn all he could about him. He discovered that the boy's Matrix name was Michael Karl Pauper, and he lived only with his mother and attended the local high school. According to his mother, he was failing every class, which was typical of someone on the verge of being unplugged. Their mind was too preoccupied with other thoughts to really be focused on school, which had been the case for both Raven and Tosha.
Watching Kid reminded Neo of normality. Kid was so average…boring even, or at least that was how it did appear on the outside. Even so, Neo couldn't help watching him. He was getting the feeling that something was about to happen…something not so good.
He was watching the kid skateboard to school when he felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned around in his chair abruptly to see Trinity staring over him, watching the code.
"Have you been watching him the whole time?" She asked him, although her tone of voice made it sound more like a statement.
Neo nodded, not even attempting to deny it. "He's just some kid. Tried to hack into my computer when I jacked in earlier today. He was asking me some questions that I couldn't help answering."
"You should have just ignored him." Trinity replied, slightly irritated by his actions. God, I really hope he hasn't said too much this time.
"I know. But he was asking good questions." Neo recounted the short conversation he had with Kid, and when he finished, Trinity seemed much more relaxed.
Trinity knew that now was not the time for unplugging anyone else. They had to get back to Zion as quickly as possible in order to bring Tank's body back to his family, and couldn't waste any time training someone new.
"I'll watch him for a while if you want." Trinity offered. "But you know we can't unplug him just yet."
"I know." Neo replied, understanding that they needed to take Tank back to Zion as soon as possible. Besides, he didn't think Morpheus would want to be unplugging people so soon after what happened with Tosha.
"Trin?" He ventured. "Look, I'm not really tired. I'll take part of your shift for you. I want to keep an eye on him."
"Why?"
Neo shrugged his shoulders. "I just get the feeling that, you know, something might happen. Something bad."
Trinity nodded, knowing by now that Neo had a knack for picking up on things, and that usually his predictions of people were right. But instead of returning to her shared room with Neo, she decided to remain in the core with him, keeping her hand on his shoulder and squeezing it occasionally.
Together, they watched as Kid reached his high school and made his way to his first class – English. Trinity had to admit that she was surprised when he scribbled Neo's, Morpheus's and her own name absent-mindedly during the lesson on a blank page in his notebook. Neo explained that Kid had been running a search for hackers all morning. It was strange, Trinity thought, that Kid should only remember those three names so clearly. Perhaps they should consider unplugging him before they returned to Zion.
"Oh shit." Neo muttered when he zoomed out of Kid's school and caught sight of a black Agent's car approaching the large building. "How the hell did they know about Kid?"
"Maybe Senesis noticed you were trying to hack into his system and find out what he was doing, so he hacked into yours and saw your conversation with Kid." Trinity suggested the most logical explanation. "Now he's sent Jones and Brown off to get him."
"We can't let that happen." Neo said firmly. "I'll have to call him. We have no choice. We'll have to get him out."
He grabbed Tank's headpiece and dialed the number for Kid's cell phone. The boy nearly jumped out of his seat with surprise when he heard the phone ringing in his backpack. His English teacher put down his chalk and marched across the room to yell at him. Kid muttered an apology, reached into his bag and switched the phone off.
"Damn it!" Neo shouted in aggravation.
"There isn't much time." Trinity warned. "You'll have to bend some of the program rules and call again."
Neo frantically typed upon a few keys and tried calling again. The phone rang, even though Kid had switched it off. This time, he was too shocked to listen to the teacher and answered it instantly.
"They know you know." Neo said urgently, wasting no time now that the Agent's car had pulled up outside the school. "Get out. Get out now."
The English teacher slammed his hands on Kid's desk to get his attention, but Kid hardly cared about him anymore. He hesitated only a moment before leaping over the school desks, climbing out the window into the hall and sprinting to his locker to retrieve his skateboard. The Agents were right behind him.
"Trin, load me up." Neo ordered, and Trinity did as he said. In a matter of minutes, Neo was soaring through the sky towards Kid's school, holding his phone to his ear.
"He's a good skateboarder…good balance." Trinity dictated what she saw on the screens to Neo. "Now his English teacher's after him as well…wait, he just tripped him over with his skateboard…he's in the girls bathroom…climbing out the window and up the side of the building…oh no! Agents are already on the roof waiting for him."
Neo increased his speed and flew towards the school as fast as his body would permit. But he wasn't fast enough.
"You better hurry up, Neo. Oh God, he's going to let himself fall!"
He arrived at the school just in time to see Kid hurtle towards the earth from the very top of the four-story building. He winced just as Kid made impact with the harsh earth, but instead of dying, Kid's virtual body burst into neon coding that faded away into nothingness. He had completely disappeared. Neo hovered above the clouds and out of sight of Jones and Brown.
"Shit, where did he go?" He spoke into his cell phone.
"I don't know." Answered Trinity, sounding just as bewildered as he felt. "He just disappeared into the air."
"That's impossible!" Neo searched for an explanation but found only one. "Maybe he got himself out…somehow. Can that even be done?"
"I've heard rumors, but I've never actually witnessed it. Apparently, it takes a special kind of person to do something like that. I'll run a scan and see if I can find him. You better get yourself to an exit before Senesis turns up."
"Alright." Neo replied after she gave him directions, then turned round and flew away without the Agents ever knowing he was there.
(o)
"You should have alerted me immediately." Morpheus told both Neo and Trinity once they had located Kid and brought him into the ship.
"We're sorry, Morpheus, but there was hardly any time." Neo apologized. "It all happened really fast."
"It doesn't matter now." Morpheus sighed. "The two of you will tend to him in the Med Bay until he wakes up. It will take three and a half days to reach Zion from our current location. We start moving tomorrow."
Neo hadn't been near the Med Bay since Tank's death, not even to get medical supplies to cleanse his wounds after his battle with Senesis. Trinity had taken that task upon herself. He did his best not to look at the tightly bound body, resting in the very corner of the room, and kept his focus on Kid, who was very weak, brittle and completely bald.
"He's one scrawny kid." Trinity remarked as she wrapped a blanket around his body and lay him down on a medical bench. "His muscles have atrophied even more than yours did, Neo."
"But he'll be ok?" Neo asked in concern, as Kid stirred and his eyelids slowly began to flutter open. For some odd reason, he couldn't help but feel especially protective of the kid…as if he was his own brother.
"Well, his vitals are stable." Trinity replied, checking the numbers on the machine she had just hooked him up to. "He's going to make it. It's strange, though. I've never witnessed self-substantiation before. I didn't think it was possible."
Neo looked at her over his shoulder and smiled. "Apparently it is."
"Neo…" A feeble, hoarse sounding voice brought their attention back to Kid, who was gazing up at them with blurred vision. There was a small smile quivering on his lips. Much to Neo and Trinity's surprise, he looked anything but afraid. And how did he know that it was Neo who was standing over him?
"It's alright, Kid." Neo said soothingly. "You're safe now."
"I knew…you'd save me." He struggled to speak.
"I didn't save you Kid." Neo smiled as he leaned in closer to him. "You saved yourself."
(o)
The following day, while Kid was still recovering in the Med Bay, the Agents officially pronounced him dead, by cause of suicide. They found the body of some other boy and claimed it to be his, even burying him under a tombstone that read 'Michael Karl Pauper'. Neo supposed it was better that Kid's mother believed him to be dead. It was better for her to know the true fate of her son than to think he ran away and to be guessing what had happened to him for the rest of his life.
To make sure that she would be ok, however, Neo had Morpheus load him into the Matrix so he could attend the funeral and follow Mrs. Pauper home. That way, he could tell Kid for certain that she was fine…or as fine as a mother who believed her only child had killed himself could be.
Towards the end of the funeral, he overheard two of Kid's high school teachers discussing his death to one another. He almost laughed aloud when he heard what the English teacher said.
"Well, he's in another world now. Make no mistake about that."
You don't know just how right you are. Neo thought to himself as he proceeded to follow Kid's mother towards her home. He watched her take a taxi to her house, and hurriedly step inside the front door. Once she was gone, he suddenly remembered something. Kid had left his computer on when he went to school yesterday morning, which meant that their conversation was still sitting, untouched, on his computer screen. Quickly, he took out the laptop that had been uploaded with him and hacked into Kid's computer to answer his question:
Am I alone?You are not alone.
Neo smiled to himself as he turned off the laptop. "Not anymore."
(o)
A/N: Thanks for reading, please review!