Note: Warning. This chapter contain some violence/abuse towards a child. Nothing graphic, don't worry. But it's best to put this warning first.
19. Inevitable
"Are you sure you have to leave?" Sparks asked her as most people had already started packing their stuff into Hammer. Ghost silently watches them, not sure how to accept this mission so suddenly.
Enigma looks lost and sad. "I'm sure," she insisted, taking a deep breath.
Sparks can't take this any longer. He knows her quite well and he cares for her in his way. He doesn't care if he's launching her with a tight hug or burying his face at her shoulders. He doesn't care if he looks like an idiot. If this is the last time he sees her, then so be it. "You better make a goddamn effort for this," he dared her.
"You know well I will," she responded, gripping his shoulder before letting go. She moves to Ghost, looks conflicted, likely unable to say what to him.
As usual, Ghost gives her a proud smile. "'You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength'," he quoted.
"Marcus Aurelius," Enigma remembered before leaning closer, kissing his cheek. "Thank you so much for everything, Ghost."
"Did you speak to your mother?"
She shook her head. "I don't think I can face her now."
He can't blame her. This is what Trinity fears the most. Ghost knows this mission is dangerous enough, the possibility for them to come back is nearly none. He dislikes it. But he can't force Trinity nor Enigma to stay onboard, no matter how much he wants. This is their choice. He must respect that. "She's just worried. You know that, right?"
She quietly nods. "Maybe I'll speak to her later," she spoke.
"Good," he stands up. "Because you know I hate how you keep things from her."
"Yeah, yeah," she lazily agreed, cracking a small smile before leaving.
Sparks covers his head with his hand. "God, I'll miss that girl," he whispered.
Ghost couldn't agree more.
▪︎1001▪︎
Neo grabs his tools and shoulders his bag. As he turns around, Trinity already standing at the door with two bags. A big one and a small one. "I'm ready," she said.
"Trinity," he drops his bag, looking straight at her. "There's something I have to say. Something you need to understand," he pauses. "I know I'm supposed to go. But beyond that... I don't know..."
"I know," Trinity spoke. "You don't think you're coming back. You and Enigma." She sighs heavily. "I knew it the moment you said you had to leave. I could see it in both of your faces. Just like you knew the moment you looked at me, that I was coming with you."
Neo nods. "I'm scared, Trin. I don't want..."
"So am I," she admitted, putting her bag down. Even now, she can see how devastated Neo is. How much burden he's carrying now. She doesn't know what exactly happened when he spoke to the Oracle, but it must be heavy. She can tell he doesn't want Enigma to come abroad and wants her to stay away from this. But knowing herself, Neo, and that girl, there's no way Enigma would stand by and do nothing. "Took me 10 minutes to buckle up one boot. But I'll tell you something. 6 hours ago I told the Merovingian that I was ready to give anything and everything for you two. Do you know what's changed in the past 6 hours?"
"No."
"Nothing."
She kisses him and hugs him tight.
"Trin?"
They turn around and spot Enigma standing outside, looking worried.
"I'll let you two talk," Neo said, grabbing his bag before walks away. Awkwardly, Enigma steps closer to her mother, head lowers down, her shoulder sags.
"I know what you want to say," she began, holding her arms, trying to control her emotion. "You think you must come with Neo. Even if means risking your life. Even," she takes a deep breath. Don't cry. Don't shout. Don't show how much hurt you are now. "Even if you died."
The blonde girl's jaw tightened while fidgeted. "It's not safe... and it's not right for me to come. I should be on Hammer with others. To come back to Zion. But," she shook her head. "I just... I can't... I don't..."
Trinity slowly nods. She understands what she wants to say. "I still hate this," she confessed.
"I know."
"I want you to stay with Morpheus and Link."
She starts crying. "God, I know."
Trinity wraps her closer. "As a mother, I disagreed with this," she stops, "but we both know that's not gonna keep you away forever, right?"
Enigma leans her head against her shoulder, no words come out of her.
▪︎1001▪︎
"Say hello to Zee, Cas, Star, Rock, and Kid for me," Enigma told Link as he let go of the hug, wipes her tears from her blue eyes. "Promise?"
Link quietly nods, watching Enigma hugs Morpheus as the man himself almost burst into tears. He focuses on Trinity, hugging her too. "I ain't saying goodbye. I'm saying good luck."
"Thank you," Trinity said, also hugging Link.
After hug Enigma, Morpheus looks at Neo, unsure. "I can only hope you know what you're doing."
"Me, too," Neo hoped, offering his hand. "It was an honor, sir."
He takes it, just like their first encounter six months ago. "No, the honor's still mine."
Hauling their bag, Morpheus watches as the small family head down the ramp one last time before they go. Forever.
▪︎1001▪︎
Neo climbs into the seat beside Trinity while Enigma stands between two seats.
"Ready?" Trinity asked them. Both nod. Trinity punches a button and the lights go out. Checking several gauges, she listens to the ship's engine. "Engine's still firing. Must be a fuse. I'll check it out."
She left the cockpit, climbing down the ladder, holding her light in one hand. Trinity searches the fuse boxes that line the walls, finds a series of disconnected fuses when suddenly, someone grabs her from behind with a force, dropping her light as she had trouble breathing.
"I should've known he'd sent his bitch first."
Trinity frowns. "Bane?!"
"No one ever got away from me as many times as you and that child did. Every single time I thought it was the last. Every time I was sure we had you or her, but somehow you'd slip through our fingers. I really can't express just how... aggravating that can be."
"What are you talking about?"
"I think I might enjoy killing you as much as killing him."
Rage and protectiveness surge inside her. Trinity forces herself throwing backward, crashing to the floor, shocking Bane as he let go of his grip on her. She grabs the light, smashing it against his face, pitching the room into darkness again. She lunges for the ladder, climbs out of the hatch just as Bane snatches her foot, tripping Trinity down.
She kicks his face with her strength until he lost his grip. In hurry, she rushes for the intercom. "Neo! It's Bane, he's psychotic!" She shouted before her head bangs against the wall, knocking her.
▪︎1001▪︎
"Stay," Neo ordered Enigma as he stands up, picking a gun. "If I don't come back, lock the cockpit. Don't let Bane enter."
Still shaken by the sudden news, Enigma quietly nods. After leaving her, Neo climbs down the ladder, sweeping the barrel of the lightning gun he carries. "Trinity!" He called.
"Neo, don't!" She shouted back.
"Yes, we're over here!" Bane replied.
"Trinity!" He yelled, running through the heavily cabled passageways that wind around the base of the core, leading to the engineering hatch. When he does, he sees Bane holding Trinity. Her hands are tied back while he holds a knife at her throat.
"Mr. Anderson," he greeted. "I see you're as predictable in this world as you are in the other."
Neo frowns, doesn't understand. "What?"
"He's out of his mind," Trinity reasoned.
"It might appear that way to you, but Mr. Anderson and I know that appearances can be deceiving."
The way he speaks now... Neo somehow knows. But why?
"Confused, Mr. Anderson?" Bane guessed. "Miss Lovelace can help you with that, but no matter. It'll all become clear in a moment. Now, thank you for bringing me the gun. You can set it down right there."
"Don't do it," Trinity warned. Bane pushes the knife closer, making Neo aims closer. "Shoot. Shoot now."
"Yes, shoot, fry us, burn us alive!"
"Shoot, Neo. If you don't, he'll kill us both."
Neo's hands feel stiff. She has a point. He'll kill them. Not just he and Trinity, but Enigma as well.
"Don't shoot," Enigma's voice echoed in his mind, surprising him a little. After all, she's just using her power outside the Matrix. "Don't do it, Dad."
"Look at him," Bane taunted. "He knows he should do it but he won't. He can't."
"Do it," Trinity insisted. She has a point. He should shoot. He should be.
But despite that, despite the logic behind it, he can't. He can't shoot. Not when he can risk Trinity's life. So, with a heavy burden, Neo puts the gun down.
"Back away from the gun and turn around," Bane ordered. And he does.
"Let her go," he told him. In a split second, he watches Bane throw Trinity down to the hatch, closing it down. He and Bane dive for the gun, but Bane already grabs it. Neo manages to hold the barrel before Bane yanks Neo off-balance, ramming his knee into his gut, swings the gun around, and clubs Neo over the head.
▪︎1001▪︎
"I can't take this anymore," Enigma muttered, witnessing what happens via Neo's eyes as she steps outside the cockpit.
▪︎1001▪︎
Neo drops to his hands and knees, looking up. He's facing the barrel of the gun Bane holds. "Somehow familiar, isn't it?" He asked. "We've been here before, you and I. Remember? I do. I think of nothing else."
"Who are you?"
"Still don't recognize me? I admit it is difficult to think, encased in this rotting piece of meat. The stink of it filling every breath, a suffocating cloud you can't escape," he spits blood from his mouth. "Disgusting! Look at how pathetically fragile it is. Nothing this weak is meant to survive."
"What do you want?"
"I want what you want."
▪︎1001▪︎
"Oh my God," Enigma realized as she climbs down slowly, ignoring the pain she receives from her connection with Neo. "Can't be..."
▪︎1001▪︎
Likely hearing the blonde's thought, Neo looks up with recognition in his eyes at Bane.
"Yes. That's it, Mr. Anderson," Bane alluded. "Look past the flesh, look through the soft gelatin of these dull cow eyes and see your enemy."
"No."
"Oh yes, Mr. Anderson."
"It can't be," he argued. How can he be here?! How?!
"There's nowhere I can't go, there's nowhere I won't find you."
"It's impossible," Neo whispered.
"Not impossible. Inevitable," Bane... no, Smith corrected. "Goodbye, Mr. Anderson."
Suddenly, the light goes out followed by an electrical shot. Neo quickly dodges it, grabs the gun, gesturing it somewhere else. It causes the cables to sever with sparks of electricity. In a corner of his eyes, he realizes too slow that Enigma sneaks inside, holding a small pipe as she uses it at Bane-Smith before he can fight back. Unfortunately, Bane-Smith seems to know her intention as he gives a hard punch at Neo's face and grabs Enigma's neck, pulling her up, making her choke.
In desperation, the blonde girl kicks his face hard, allowing Neo to attack him from behind. He swings his fists at him while pushing Enigma away from their attacker. Bane-Smith forcefully grabs Neo and swings his head against the wall several times to give him a hard time. That causes Enigma to quickly take the pipe again, swing it at his head. But it didn't work as he grabs the pipe from her small hands and uses it on her face instead. He brutally hit her forehead a few times while holding her neck so she won't move. It works as Enigma unable to fight back with her body going weaker by minutes, hopelessly tastes her blood coming to her mouth.
With all his strength left, Neo launches himself to Bane-Smith. He proceeds to punch his face without mercy. He keeps doing so non-stop, not even noticing Bane-Smith already grabs a severe cable and thrust it into his eyes.
Neo screams, releasing him while walking backward, cannot comprehend the immediate pain in his eyes.
The pain jerks Enigma by its sudden pain. As he stands up, clutches his neck, the blonde girl quickly rushes to Bane-Smith, trying to fight back while ignoring the pain from her eyes. Yet, Bane-Smith already grabs the pipe and proceed to swings it at her right eye with more force, double the pain as she cries, holding it with blood coming from her right retina.
In the Matrix, she had experienced injuries. From broken bones into bullets inside her body. But those were nothing compared to what she feels now.
"Enigma!" Neo shouted, sensing the pain in his right eye. He scrambles himself to her location from her voice, clutching her arms as she breathes hard, unable to speak.
Bane-Smith laughs in victory. "I wish you could see yourself, Mr. Anderson," he declared, steps back into the main chamber, watching him stands up and using his hands to feel something. "The blind messiah. You're a symbol for all of your kind, Mr. Anderson. Helpless, pathetic." He raises the pipe as he gets closer. "Just waiting to be put out of your misery."
The moment he swings, Neo suddenly ducks. Surprise, he did it again. With ease, Neo catches his wrist. "I can see you," he whispered, looking at Bane-Smith as Smith himself. He twists his arm, snapping it as Neo takes the pipe, jamming the end into his gut before he kneels.
"It's not over, Mr. Anderson. It's not over," he declared one last time before Neo swings his pipe, killing him forever.
Neo rushes back. "Enigma?"
"Here!" She replied, still holding her right eye. "Help me open it."
Together, they both open the hatch. "Trinity!" Neo called.
"Neo, Enigma," Trinity realized and quickly climbs up. When she was already up, she gasps, finding their state. "Oh no," she lightly touches their face.
"It's not your fault," Enigma told her, giving a small smile for reassuring.
Holding her tears, Trinity hugs them.
"I'll be okay. It's all right, Trin," Neo assured her before adding a small joke. "But I think you're gonna have to drive."
That sentence just makes Trinity hug them tight, feeling helpless with their condition.
