3. Red Pill And Blue Pill

He doesn't know where all of this begins.

A mysterious phone call by Morpheus, some sketchy people looking for him, almost risking his life by escaping through a window...

And now? Neo's just waiting in this solid room for God knows how long.

The door gets open and three agents from before step in. One of them throws a thick file on a desk while sitting down in front of him. He opens the file and Neo swears that this man seems to focus on him rather than the file itself.

"As you can see, we've had our eye on you for some time now, Mr. Anderson," he began, looking at Neo. "It seems that you've been living... two lives. In one life, you're Thomas A. Anderson, program writer for a respectable software company. You have a social security number, you pay your taxes, and you..." he stops, looking at him, "help your landlady carry out her garbage."

Neo holds himself from making any remark of that last statement. Especially the way he speaks about it.

"The other life is lived in computers... where you go by the hacker alias Neo and are guilty of virtually every computer crime we have a law for. One of these lives has a future, and one of them does not." He closes the file. "I'm going to be as forthcoming as I can be, Mr. Anderson. You're here because we need your help." Then, he removes his sunglasses, showing his blue eyes that stare coldly at Neo. "We know that you've been contacted by a certain... individual. A man who calls himself Morpheus. Now whatever you think you know about this man is irrelevant. He is considered by many authorities to be the most dangerous man alive."

He leans closer. "My colleagues... believe that I am wasting my time with you. But I believe that you wish to do the right thing. We're willing to wipe the slate clean," he moves aside the file, "give you a fresh start and all that we're asking in return is your cooperation in bringing a known terrorist to justice."

If he's a normal person, Neo might be terrified by his thread and would gladly take that offer as soon as possible. But Neo won't stand by and let some craps tell him what to do or not. So he responds by saying this. "Yeah. Wow, that sound like a really good deal. But I think I got a better one. How about I give you the finger," he gives him the finger, "and you give me my phone call."

He just sighs while putting his sunglasses on. "Oh, Mr. Anderson. You disappoint me."

"You can't scare me with this Gestapo crap. I know my rights. I want my phone call," he insisted.

"Tell me, Mr. Anderson... what good is a phone call if you're unable to speak?"

He frowns. Unable to speak? What on earth does that supposed to be? Of course, he can speak...

Wait.

He tries to speak, to talk back... but nothing. He can't move his mouth.

Why... why can't he open his mouth?

Panic and fear surface his emotion. He stands up, taking some step back, confused and disoriented. Two agents from behind hold him up, forcing him to lay down on a desk while opening up his cloth, at his stomach.

"You're going to help us, Mr. Anderson," the agent before spoken, "whether you want to or not."

The last thing he remembers is trying so hard to leave, to get away from that place, but alas. He watches, screams in silence, as a robotic creature just seeps into his body...

And then, he wakes up, already in his bedroom.

Neo takes some breath, trying to calm himself. Okay, his mouth isn't melting away. His stomach is still okay. It's just a dream...

A phone rings.

The man was startled. Carefully, he steps away from his bed and answers it.

"This line is tapped, so I must be brief," Morpheus stated. "They got to you first, but they've underestimated how important you are. If they knew what I know, you'd probably be dead."

"What are you talking about?" He asked, so confused. "What... what is happening to me?"

"You are The One, Neo. You see, you may have spent the last few years looking for me, but I've spent my entire life looking for you. Now do you still want to meet?"

"Yes."

"Then go to the Adams Street Bridge."

▪︎1001▪︎

Enigma squeezes her hands together, looking around nervously as Apoc drove the car - the one they stole - into the location Morpheus had given them to pick up Neo. From what they know, it looks like the Agents put a bug in Neo before releasing him.

In a way, that's a bad sign. They need to be more careful when dealing with Neo since they could trace them. Luckily, Tank and Mouse already made a machine that can extract those bugs from someone. She had used one when dealing with Mr. Ash two years ago. It's quite gross. But she's glad such technology exists. That means they can still save him. Enigma is relieved that the chance to find The One still exists. She hears so many stories about The One from Morpheus and The Oracle.

Well, mostly Morpheus. The Oracle only mentioned him once or twice during her first visit. Something about her life will be different when meeting him.

"Here he comes," Switch commented as they're arrive on Adam Street Bridge. It's raining outside.

Trinity opens the door. "Get in."

Neo steps inside and the car moves. Switch quickly points her gun, confusing him. "What the hell is this?"

"It's necessary, Neo. For our protection."

"From what?"

"You," Enigma replied, making him turn his head at her. She smiles apologetically at his shocked reaction. Probably never expected her to be here. "Sorry, but can you take off your shirt?"

"What?" He frowns. This is just getting more and more confusing.

"Stop the car," Switch said to Apoc before looking back to Neo. "Listen to me, coppertop. We don't have time for twenty questions. Right now there's only one rule. Our way or the highway."

"Fine," he said, opening the door, ready to walk away for these confusing craps when suddenly...

"Please, Neo. You have to trust me," Trinity remarked while Enigma was holding his hand, stopping him.

He turns back, gazing between these two. "Why?"

"Because you have been down there, Neo. You know that road. You know exactly where it ends. And I know that's not where you want to be."

He looks at the street, thinking for a moment... and closes it.

"Thank you," Enigma whispered, letting go of his hand.

"Apoc, lights," Trinity said. "Lie back, lift up your shirt. Enigma, the device."

"On it."

Neo takes off his shirt, watches as the girl grabs a large device. "What is that thing?"

"We guess you're bugged. Those agents won't let you walk away freely," Enigma explained as minimal as possible.

"Try and relax," Trinity assured him, turning it on as the machine bears down on his midsection snd the cylinder sucking it, causing a pain reaction on Neo. "Come on... Come on..."

"It's on the move," Switch warned.

"Shit."

"You're going to lose it."

"No, I'm not."

Enigma closes her eyes, knowing what comes next.

"Clear," Trinity said as Neo gasped.

"Jesus Christ, that thing's real?!" He reacted.

"Unfortunately," Enigma responded, taking some bandages and some liquid medicine from behind, moving closer to Neo, and carefully cleaning his wound while Trinity throws the bug from the car.

He winces several times while Enigma takes care of him. She apologized to him, but the man himself didn't say much, letting her put some small bandage on his stomach as they slowly arrive at Lafayette Hotel.

"Thanks," he said to her as they all exited the car.

"No problem," she replied with a small smile as Trinity lead him upstairs.

"This is it," she announced as they arrive outside a room. "Let me give you one piece of advice. Be honest. He knows more than you can imagine."

She opens it and Morpheus, who's been inside the room for a while, turns around and smiles. "At last," he greeted. "Welcome, Neo. As you no doubt have guessed, I am Morpheus."

Neo shakes his hand. "It's an honor to meet you."

"No, the honor is mine," he said instead. "Please, come. Sit." He gestures quietly to both girls and they immediately understand as they left the room, leaving Neo and Morpheus as he opens a question he used to the young blonde three years ago in this room. "I imagine that right now you're feeling a bit like Alice, tumbling down the rabbit hole? Hm?"

"You could say that."

"I can see it in your eyes. You have the look of a man who accepts what he sees because he is expecting to wake up. Ironically, this is not far from the truth," he looks at Neo carefully. "Do you believe in fate, Neo?"

"No," he responded quickly.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't like the idea that I'm not in control of my life."

"I know exactly what you mean," he agreed before sitting down. "Let me tell you why you're here. You're here because you know something. What you know you can't explain. But you feel it. You've felt it your entire life. That there's something wrong with the world. You don't know what it is but it's there, like a splinter in your mind... driving you mad. It is this feeling that has brought you to me. Do you know what I'm talking about?"

"The Matrix?" Neo guessed

"Do you want to know what it is?"

The man nods. Morpheus continues. "The Matrix is everywhere. It is all around us. Even now in this very room. You can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work, when you go to church, when you pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.

"What truth?"

He leans closer. "That you are a slave, Neo. Like everyone else you were born into bondage, born into a prison that you cannot smell or taste or touch. A prison... for your mind." He leans back and sighs "Unfortunately, no one can be... told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself." He takes something from the small box he keeps holding. This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back." He opens his left hand, showing a blue pill. "You take the blue pill, the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe." He also did the same for his right hand. This time showing a red pill. "You take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes."

Neo slowly reaches the red pill, but Morpheus quickly reminds him. "Remember. All I'm offering is the truth, nothing more."

Already made up his mind, Neo takes the red pill, swallows it, and uses a glass of water near him to make the swallow easier.

Morpheus smiles, satisfied. "Follow me."

▪︎1001▪︎

"Apoc, are we online?" Morpheus asked as Apoc, Trinity, and Enigma worked on the hardwiring and some other techs for getting Neo out.

"Almost," he replied.

"Time is always against us," Morpheus sighs. "Please, take a seat there."

Neo does so as Enigma and Trinity gently putting some electrode disks to him. "You did all this?" He asked them.

"Uh-huh," Trinity answered. "Enigma helps a bit."

The girl shrugs while glancing at a mirror beside him.

"The pill you took is part of a trace program," Morpheus explained. "It's designed to disrupt your input/output carrier signals so we can pinpoint your location."

"What does that mean?" Neo wondered.

"It means buckle your seat belt, Dorothy," Cypher responded, "'cause Kansas is going bye-bye."

"Try to relax," Enigma suggested as Trinity and others were busy with their task.

Neo nods, take a deep breath, and lean back. He notices Enigma's gaze at the mirror intensely. Curious, he looks in her direction and finds some crack in a mirror. Suddenly, the cracks begin to heal themselves creating some ripple effect.

"Did you...?" He pointed out.

"Weird, right?" Enigma admitted to understanding his confusion. She also experienced it during her first awakening.

He slowly reaches out to touch the mirror and his fingers disappear beneath it. He pulls his fingers, only to make the mirror stretches in long rubbery strands before creating another ripple effect.

"Have you ever had a dream, Neo, that you were so sure was real?" Morpheus proposed. "What if you were unable to wake from that dream? How would you know the difference between the dream world and the real world?"

Neo looks bewildered as the liquid still stick on his fingers and slowly covers his hand. "This can't be…"

"Be what? Be real?"

"It's going into replication," Trinity warned.

"Apoc?"

"Still nothing," Apoc said as Cypher helps him.

"It's cold," Neo whispered, sensing how cold his body is. "It's cold..."

"Neo, take a deep breath," Enigma tries to assure him. Her 'wake up' is much more simple than getting some weird liquid from a mirror covering your body. She was just going through a mirror and then she woke up on her small pod. Still, it didn't help her shock and panic with what she saw afterward.

Morpheus takes his phone. "Tank, we're going to need a signal soon."

"We've got a fibrillation!" Trinity added.

"Apoc, location!" Morpheus urged.

"Targeting, almost there."

Enigma looks intense, knowing this will terrified Neo so much. "Just calm. It's okay," she said, giving a worried gaze at Trinity and Morpheus.

"He's going into arrest!" Trinity stated, returning her gaze with 'stay ease' one.

"Lock, I got him," Apoc finally gives a good news

"Now, Tank. Now!" Morpheus insisted as Neo screams with the liquid covering all of his body before his RSI was completely gone.

Enigma sighs. "It's working," she breathed.

"Tank and Dozer will take care of the rest," Morpheus commented as they take away all pieces of equipment "We need to move."