Update on Enigma's outfit in the Matrix: file/d/1FuxzSM2hyr2BPizIqN0PTTXakkCCoyiU/view?usp=drivesdk (gdrive)
28. Warehouse Fight
"You're staring again," Enigma spoke after a long silence inside an elevator.
"Sorry. I've never met a legend before," Sheperd admitted, looking shy everytime his eyes meet Neo or Enigma.
"Neo," he introduced.
"Enigma," the girl said.
"Sheperd," he greeted and shook his hand before doing it again at Enigma's, letting out nervous breathes and a chuckle in disbelief. "Crazy. You two are real."
"Real," Neo repeated. "There's that word again."
The elevator's door opens. Sheperd guides them as they walk out. "People talk a lot about the old days," he explained. "About you, Enigma, Trinity, the viral Agent, the siege of Zion. Everything was simpler back then. People wanted to be free. It's different now." He lowers his head. "Sometimes... it feels like people gave up. Like the Matrix won." He unlocks a door. "This is you. It's quite big so don't worry," he told them, knowing that they need some privacy, between father and daughter.
"Thanks," Enigma bows her head as she steps inside, takes Neo as well.
"I gotta ask you one thing," Sheperd said again, looking at them back-and-forth. "Is it true you could fly? That you could see the future?"
Neo and Enigma slowly nods.
"Cool," he complimented before closing the door, locks it.
Enigma sucks in a breath as she moves to the bed, sits on it. Neo's still looking around the room with an uncertain look. She doesn't protest when Neo approaches her and hugs her wrapping his arms around her shoulder, as if to make sure this is real. All the information they got was quite shocking and they really need a long time to process them, of what happened and what's happening.
From this silence, Enigma and Neo both know what they truly want now: save Trinity. It doesn't matter if later they will create new problems. From then until now, the three of them always cared about each other. When Neo and Enigma are forced to choose between saving Trinity or Zion and when Trinity threatened the Merovingian to bring Neo and Enigma back.
The problem is they have absolutely no idea what they can do.
From outside, they hear a trickling sound.
Confused, they walk to the balcony and find Morpheus. "Oh. General stuck you two in the Rapunzel tower," he exhaled. "On the upside, it's a nice view."
"Morpheus, what happened to them?" Enigma contended.
"They're supposed to be sterilizing the Mnemosyne with a toothbrush."
Neo frowns. "Supposed to be?"
"Well, I could tell you that they're standing by, waiting for you two to make the choice to remain meekly incarcerated or bust the hell out of here and go and find Trinity," he smirks. "But that ain't a choice."
They watch in awe as Mnemosyne slowly flies as the balcony.
"We're in so much trouble, are we?" Enigma blurted with a laugh.
▪︎1001▪︎
She leans backward from the monitor. "She owns a Ducati?" She stares at Neo, gives 'I can't believe you never told me this' look. "Feels like a long time since then."
His mouth curves into a smile, recalling that chase. "I remembered that. You threw up after we rescued the Keymaker."
"Well can't you blame me? She rode that thing so fast I barely can see," she insisted with a pointing look. "How's she read?" She lilted to Seq.
"Code-wise, she's pure bluepill," Seq denoted.
"This is a tough question, Neo, Enigma, but it has to be asked," Bugs fretted, looking at their eyes. "What if she's happy where she is?"
Enigma clenches her arm into a fist. "She's not," the girl claimed.
She and Neo only talked to her twice. One at Simulatte together while another was in a different place - snack shop for Enigma and Simulatte for Neo. Both know very well how Trinity reacted whenever she spoke about her 'family'. How tired she is with them, yet there's nothing she can do about it as she's trapped in motherhood's duty. Clearly, the Machines exploits that side of her into her prison, a way so she won't fight back and search the truth.
"How did we read?" Neo asked Seq, rubbing his daughter's shoulders, sensing how angry she is.
"Exactly like her," he answered.
Bugs nods, looks at Hanno. "Take us to broadcast depth."
▪︎1001▪︎
"I slipped you in through a hotel room," Seq addressed. "Should be safe."
Enigma steps into another room after Neo. Seems like they're inside a hotel room in Paris.
She takes a brief look at herself from a small mirror. Her golden hair seems more curly as her blue eyes stare back. Her red trench coat floating below with black tapered pants, not to mention her legs wear black knee-high boots. The only thing that is still the same is her white shirt, albeit in a bigger size, as a necklace with a triquetra hangs around her neck.
"Portal's open. Closest I could get you is the warehouse near her garage. Whole zone's crawling with bots."
Bugs nods. "Let's go."
Berg closes the door before opening it again, letting them enter first as he checks around. Enigma finds herself inside an old factory. Sunlight shines from broken ceilings and windows. A sense of familiarity hits her again. Like she saw this place but was unable to check. Damn her mind for being slow.
"Don't force yourself," Neo telepathically told her. "Remember. Slow down."
She takes a deep breath, steps downstairs. Slow down, slow down...
Suddenly, almost everyone besides her and Neo cock their gun at behind.
"Predictable as ever," a familiar voice sighs.
They turn around. "Smith," Neo realized, and Enigma tenses, eyes alert on him as he walks to them.
"An appeal to reason," he said, taking off his sunglasses.
Neo gestures to others to lower their gun. "How did you find us?"
"You never appreciated our relationship. Not like the Analyst."
"The what?" Morpheus asked.
"His therapist," Enigma answered, balling her fists, not sure whose anger she targets too.
"He used our bond and turned it into a chain. It's so obvious once you see it, right? But this whole altered-code update really blew my mind. I still don't know how he did it. You as a balding nerd. And her as a hipster. Hilarious. And me," Smith sighs, "even more perfect. Maybe a little too far on the piercing blue eyes. What do you think?"
"What exactly do you want, Smith?" Enigma doubted, narrowing her eyes.
"I have such dreams, Alice. Big dreams. Well, mostly just extremely violent revenge fantasies, but in order for me to pursue mine, I need to dissuade you two from pursuing yours."
"Hmm. Sounds like conflict," Neo proposed.
He raises his eyebrow. "Inevitable? Doesn't have to be. All you have to do is stay out of the Matrix, and leave the good doctor to me."
"You can have him. We're here for Trinity."
"That's the trouble, Tom. He knew you two'd come, just like I did."
Enigma huffs. "No 'Mr. Anderson' or 'Miss Lovelace' anymore?"
"Too old." Smith shrugs. "Trust me, Alice. You two are not ready for him." He steps closer. "I won't have his leash on my neck again."
"Good luck with that," Enigma commented, turning back with Neo.
As Smith's about to grab Neo, she gives a double kick at his face, sending him a few meters. He touches his cheeks. "I found some old acquaintances of yours," he said.
From darkness, some people in ragged clothes emerge, ready to attack. Exiles, Enigma quickly realizes. But that means...
"You?!" A familiar voice exclaimed excitedly. "Oh! It is you!" He said, slips some French. "All these years. I can't believe it."
"Oh, God," Neo blurted, annoyed, remembered the man's declaration after he fought his men at the chateau that he'll survive from himself and Enigma.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Enigma digressed.
"You two stole my life!" He declared and speaks in French. Why, oh why, does Merovingian still exist?!
"What the Merv is trying to say," Smith translated, "is that their situation is a little bit like mine. To have their lives back, yours has to end."
Neo quickly dodges the bullet Smith just fires as the fight begins.
Bugs shoot several bullets which Smith dodges at high speed like an Agent. While the rest try to fight the Exiles, Smith pushes Bugs and throws a fist at Neo. Neo repels with his left hand as Enigma attacks him from behind. Smith effortlessly repels Enigma and Neo's attacks and quickly targeted the two with a hand punch.
"You two ruined every suck-my-silky-ass thing!" Merovingian yelled as they all keep busy. "We had grace. We had style! We had conversation! Not this beep-beep-beep!"
Morpheus tries to help by attacking Smith, but unfortunately, Smith immediately caught his right hand and cracks his bone. As if having no trouble fighting Smith, the two Exiles attack Enigma and Neo. Enigma admits, she's not as flexible as she used to be. Several times she's hit by punches and kicks that he cannot dodge. The same thing happens with Neo. Both of them continue to try and fight, using all the martial techniques and abilities of The One that they had mastered before.
"Art, films, books were all better! Originality mattered! You gave us Face-Zucker-suck and Cock-me-climatey-Wiki-piss-and-shit!"
"Oh, just shut up!" Enigma snapped, slowly losing her patience with Merovingian's craps as she lands a kick on an Exile. She gives the Exile final force by generating a soundwave as her father gives a big force at another Exile by his palm.
He looks at Enigma. "I still know kung fu," he chimmed.
"Neo! Enigma!" Bugs warned too late as Smith tackles both into an old subway station.
Coughs, Enigma lands a kick on Smith's face several times before she and Neo stand up. Neo throws a fist which Smith repels with one hand while hitting it against the corner of the wall. Enigma pushes Smith away from her father by trying to generate another soundwave that's, unfortunately, doesn't come out.
Inwardly, she cursed himself as Smith caught her left wrist, hits Enigma hard in the chest, causing her mouth to open with blood before dodging the next punch by moving to the left so Smith's fist smashes into a pillar instead. Neo immediately steps in to help by pushing Enigma away, head-to-head against his old foe.
"Just like old time," he acknowledged as they both punch each other fists, sending a ripple as they balance each other. The same thing happened with their kick and their defense. Neo hits Smith in the chest which had no effect. He tries his face but found the same result instead. Yet, as soon as Smith hits Neo's face, he feels excruciating pain, just like when he fought Smith after rescuing Morpheus.
Even though Enigma's condition isn't good to fight, the girl still forces herself to help her father. She applies a powerful force on her left leg, directing it towards Smith's head. But unfortunately, Smith catches her ankle and throws Enigma and Neo into the old bathroom cubicles brutally.
Both Neo and Enigma felt the pain they received from Smith's attack. Their bodies are sore in any place as The One's connection spread each other's body.
"I've been thinking about us, Tom. About you and Alice. Look how binary is the form, the nature of things," Smith asserted as they desperately try to stand up. Enigma loses her balance and falls again. "Ones and zeros. Light and dark. Choice and its absence. Anderson and Smith." He glances at the blonde. "A father and daughter."
In kneeling position, Enigma watches as Neo and Smith aim each other's punch, sending them against a wall. They do it again, this time Neo kicks Smith's face and he stumbles back. This let him get a chance to fight Smith for a moment before Smith can block his attack. He tries another punch, in which Neo raises both hands, creates a small invisible wall of his telekinetic power.
Surprises and upset, Smith attacks again and Neo keeps using this power. As Enigma gets a hold on herself to stand up properly, she grabs Smith his neck from his back, crashes into a wall. Smith angrily throws her forward by forcefully taking her arms, her back hits against another pillar as she and Neo gasp, hurt.
Knowing their luck of this fight almost out, Neo throws a kick to the right side of Smith's body, which Smith catches easily, twists his body, and deals a heavy blow to Neo, knocking him into a pillar and falling on the floor.
"You two have lost something, Tom," Smith noted. "You're not what you used to be."
Neo kneels. "It's true," he admitted before kicking his stomach, walking briefly against a wall like Trinity did, spins his kicks at Smith again, stands up.
Grunts, Smith stands up, fixes his jaw with a crack. "Nice one," he said.
"Thanks."
And then, he forcefully pushes Neo into a wall and gives him rapid punches. A few meters away, Enigma yelps in pain, touches her stomach as blood keeps coming out of the corner of her mouth, unable to move to help him.
Neo finds a small chance to slip up and punches Smith. Smith presses his face on a wall as Neo punches his chest two times before focusing on his hand instead while sending him a few meters. In a rage, Smith pushes Neo into another wall, smashes it in the process of doing so.
Still feeling the pain, Enigma crawled towards the hole Smith had made. Her hands shake violently as her legs moved with all their might. Her breath hitches and his mouth let out a small groan that sounds desperate. Then, she hears her father's grunts follows by a blast. She closes her eyes while coughing a little. Neo approaches her, all worn out by this fight. Gently, he carries her as they take a step from upstairs.
"You all right?" Bugs inquired.
They both nod. "Yeah."
"It's gonna trigger a response," Berg pointed out.
"I got multiple exits ready," Seq remarked.
"This is not over yet! Our sequel franchise spinoff!" Merovingian shouted as he blabbers in French.
Losing her patience, Enigma grabs a gun from Bugs and aims it at his shoes, shutting him off. "Just go already," she hissed and he complies.
"We should go," Bugs suggested.
"We can't," Neo argued. "We have to talk to her."
"Neo, those Exiles were older than you, and we barely handled them."
"Please," Enigma begged.
She looks at them for a moment. "You really wanna do this now?" She questioned and they nod. "I mean," she cleans their jacket from dust, "you two look like shit."
The blonde nods her head. "Yeah, we know."
