**In the movie the never say what city all of this takes place so I'm just taking a guess if you have it in good authority that they do, please let me know otherwise enjoy.**
Chapter 5
Going to the Oracle
"Zion is the last human city." Kale spoke up. "Ivy and I were born there and it's our last refuge."
"Where is it?" Faith asked.
"Down near the core where it's still warm."
"Who's the Oracle?" Frost asked.
"She guides all the unjacked toward their destiny." Oz said, "anyone else hungry?" He asked cutting off any more questions.
A few hours later Oz sat watching the monitors. He was typing something in code onto one of the screens.
"What are you doing?"
Oz looked up. "Faith, you scared me."
She looked at the other four monitors, "is this it?"
"The matrix."
She leaned in closer, squinted and leaned back. "How can you see it?"
Oz smiled. "After a while you don't see the code anymore." He watched her as she tried to make her eyes adjust. "You seem different."
"Prison changes you."
"Maybe, but I think it's that."
"I'm not psychotic?"
"Obliviously, it's just something else."
Her face became somber. "When Sunnydale got sucked down the hole, I realized a lot of things."
"Like what?"
"Actions and consequences, and how the world is both big and small at the same time."
Oz watched her calmly.
"Sunnydale go down the hole."
He smiled at the Plucky Duck reference.
"So what's Zion like?"
"Big, cave-like, warm, and tons of people."
"Like us?"
"Changelings?"
"Yeah."
"Some about 30 all together."
"Any slayers?"
"You're the first."
"Lucky me."
"Mostly vampires, witches, demons, and 3 ghosts."
"How many werewolves?"
"Six including me."
"So what are you working on there?"
"Blueprints for an intercom system."
"Hmm, can we find anyone on these?" She asked pointing to the monitors.
"Who do you want to see?"
"Buffy, actually, wondering how she's doing without me." Faith waited as her eyes adjusted to the code, after a minute she saw Dawn and Buffy walking down a street in New York. It was sunny and bright.
"They look happy." Oz commented.
"Well, sure Buffy's no longer the only slayer." Faith looked away from the screen. "What are witches like out here?"
"What?"
"Like how…does magic still exist?"
"Many witches believe so, why?" Oz was trying to hide the fact that he was thinking of Willow.
"Well, I mentioned the first evil thing, and we did a spell to make all the potentials slayers."
Oz seemed surprised.
"Yeah, so all these slayers are running around. And if that's true out here we might have slayers out here."
"Sounds interesting, but I don't know that much about magic. When we get to Zion, we can ask around."
Faith nodded her head. "So the Oracle?"
"She's a guide."
"And we'll meet her tomorrow."
He nodded his head.
"Who's all going in?"
"El, you, Frost, Twitch, Roin, and I."
"What about Kale and Ivy?"
"I thought you and Frost would have noticed it out by now."
"What?"
"They don't have any plugs, they were born in Zion."
"Born, actually born, I thought that was just a figure of speech."
He shook his head no.
"I didn't actually notice, they just…"
"Didn't seem different?"
"Yeah."
"The only prejudices here are against the machines."
Faith nodded her head and yawned. "I'm going…"
"Night, Faith."
"Night, Oz."
The next day Oz found Faith and Frost waiting for him by the jack-in station.
"What's up, we going in already?" Faith asked.
"No, one last lesson." Oz replied gesturing to the chairs. They both took a seat as Eyecon jacked them in.
"Oz, I want you to do it."
"Sir?"
"Go ahead, they trust you."
Oz sat down.
Faith and Frost found themselves on a busy street with people and cars rushing by. Oz stood in front of them dressed in all black.
"Follow and listen." Oz said as he crossed the street at the green light.
Frost looked at Faith in the tight black leather outfit. They quickly followed after Oz weaving in and around people.
"The matrix is about control, but as free people we still have to deal with the law keepers. The ones who hold the people captive."
As Oz talked a woman in a red dress walked by. Frost couldn't help but look. She was luscious and sexy; her vibrant red lips and white blonde hair captivated even Faith.
"FAITH, FROST!" Both turned back to see Oz staring at them. "Not paying attention?" Both were at a loss for words. "Look again." Both turned to see a man in a suit pulled out his gun and point it at Faith. She gasped at the nozzle aimed at her nose. "Freeze program!" Oz spoke and everything froze.
"This isn't the matrix?" Faith asked.
"No, it's another training program." Oz replied.
"He's…" Frost started.
"An agent," Oz finished. "They are the gate keepers, they hold all the keys. They know every way out and they guard them with an iron fist. They are unkillable and unstoppable. The move fast, people have emptied whole clips on them and hit nothing, but air. When you see an agent, RUN! Anyone who has faced them is dead. Anyone in the matrix can be one therefore everyone is a potential enemy. Questions?"
"Anyone?" Faith asked.
"Anyone, Twitch and I were in a vampire club and watched three vamped out vampire of the demon breed change into agents. So today when you go in be aware and alert. Do not let anything go unnoticed. Ready?"
Faith and Frost looked at the agent and back at Oz.
"Kale, ready?"
The scenery melted into white. El, Twitch, and Roin joined them. El had spiky blue hair and was dressed in black cargo pants, a black tank with gun holsters on both sides of her chest and a black zip down hooded sweatshirt with black, steel toed combat boots. Roin's hair was pulled back into a ponytail. He wore black boots, black pants; a long sleeved black shirt, and a long black leather trench coat. Twitch's hair was short in the back and long enough in the front to cover his left eye. He was also dressed in black with a black trench coat. Oz's hair was blonde. He wore a black Dingoes Ate My Baby t-shirt, black pants and boots, and a black hooded sweatshirt like El's. Faith was in black pleather and her hair was long, she also wore a long black leather jacket. Frost found himself dressed similar to Twitch and his hair was styled short and spiky.
"I want everyone packing," Oz said. "Kale, weapons."
Walls of weapons zoomed up to them. El and Twitch grabbed two handguns each and put them in their holsters. Oz grabbed a sword and handed it to Faith who attached it to her belt. He also handed her a gun with four clips. El handed Frost a sword too and two guns with two clips each. Once everyone was loaded up, Kale sent them to an appliance repair shop. Oz picked up the phone on the third ring.
"We're in." He said and put the phone down. Twitch led the group out, as Oz turned to El, "El, stay here."
She nodded and took a seat.
They stepped outside to find a Ford escort waiting for them. Roin took the drivers seat as Twitch took the passenger seat. Roin started the car as the other three got in the back with Oz in the middle. Roin pulled out into the street and turned right. Frost looked out the window still in shock that he had not burst into flames.
"Nice to see the sun.' Oz commented casually.
Frost nodded and smiled.
Faith stared idly out the window marveling at her surroundings. She took note of some familiar landmarks. As the car rolled to a stop at a red light, she was surprised to see two familiar faces standing at the corner waiting for a bus. She turned to see Oz looking out the opposite window. Faith breathed a silent sigh of relief as the car started moving again and they left the corner where Willow and Kennedy were waiting. Faith let her mind wander and thought about what Buffy and Angel Inc. were up to. She became so lost in thought she didn't even notice when they had stopped in front of the shabby apartment building.
"Faith."
She looked up to see Oz holding the door open for her. She got out and stood by Frost on the sidewalk, who was staring at his hands.
"Call us." Roin said to Oz as he turned back into traffic.
Oz led them inside to a bank of elevators. Sitting across from the elevator was an old man who appeared to be blind. Oz nodded respectfully at the man who nodded back. When the elevator arrived Oz ushered the two inside and pressed a button.
"This oracle must be something to afford a place like this." Frost scoffed.
"She is very old and wise, and has been with the resistance for a long time." Oz said as the doors opened. He led them down the hall to a door where he stopped. Before he could reach for the doorknob, the door opened. A woman stood there dressed in a white flowing dress.
"Oz," she spoke with a smile. "Come in." She led them into a living room where a group of about 8 children sat. "Faith, Frost, you can wait here with the potentials." She smiled, "Oz, she would like to speak with you."
Oz seemed confused as he followed the woman further into the apartment.