"Even a thought, even a possibility, can shatter us and transform us."
- Friedrich Nietzsche
"Here." Apoc handed Neo a thin slab wrapped in paper. "It's designed especially for people out of the Matrix for the first time. It contains all the necessary vitamins and nutrients you need, and heavy with protein."
Neo started to unwrap it but stopped, turning towards the door when a sound like a banshee came moaning down the hall.
Trinity stepped into the room first, smirking as Switch stumbled in behind her.
Apoc raised an eyebrow. "How you doing?"
"Eeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhhh." Came Switch's reply. She looked at Neo. "Scooch down a bit will you?"
Neo moved down the bench so she could sit next to him.
"A lil' more."
He moved further.
"Lillllllllll more."
He took the last possible seat the bench could offer.
"Just a bit…."
Neo stood up just as Switch collapsed, face first, onto the bench.
"Switch," Trinity said as she poured two cups of water, "Stop being so dramatic."
"I'm dying."
"You are not dying."
"I want to be dying."
Apoc took a seat next to Tank on the bench across from Switch. "Neo," He indicated the same bench and Neo took a spot next to him. Apoc looked up at Trinity, "I take it you didn't go easy on her?"
"She asked me to go hard." She turned and walked back to the table, sliding in next to Neo. He tried not to pay attention to the way her leg was pressed against his or the way that she smelled like smoke. "Here's your water."
"It's too far." Switch groaned without sitting up, "Even when I asked, you wouldn't take it slow."
"Because you told me before we started not to listen to you if you said to slow down."
"Working out with you is like BDSM sex. You need a fucking safe word."
Trinity shot her a grin, "If it makes you feel better, you did really well sweetie."
"The condescension is unnecessary."
"Drink your water."
Switch reached a hand up and found the water. Neo smirked as her hand flailed around, before finally, Switch gave a huge moan and pushed to a sitting position.
"Laugh it up, coppertop. What she did to me was just her warm up. You're the one going into training with her."
Training with Trinity.
Everyone had warned him that she was brutal. Mouse had offered him a commiseratory glance when Morpheus told him he would be training with Trinity and Apoc the following day.
"Good luck, man. Trinity takes training super seriously."
"Of course she does." Switch had butted in, "Training in the construct keeps you alive in the Matrix. The purpose isn't to feel good about yourself, it's survival." The last part was said to Neo. "Morpheus goes easy on recruits sometimes. Trinity won't."
Cypher had asked Neo how attached he was to his balls and recommended he go into the Construct with a cup.
And Tank had giggled with glee. It was almost disconcerting how much pleasure he took at Trinity going into the Construct. And Dozer, Dozer had just sighed and told Neo to come see him in the infirmary after before walking away, muttering about how Trin better not get blood all over the Core again.
But after all the warnings and the sympathetic glances, she had brought a mug of tea to his room last night.
"I know you haven't been sleeping." She had said, "This is chamomile with honey and some synthetic melatonin. It should help."
Of course, he had no doubts that she would kick his ass. She was tough and graceful and unbelievably kind.
Switch was right, when she had defended Trinity earlier.
She wasn't being tough to be mean. In fact, it was the opposite. It was her kindness that made her so brutal. A great mercy that was largely ignored.
And Neo had gone to sleep with a smile on his face and tea in his belly. His hand still on the mug as he closed his eyes. And for the first time since waking up on the Neb, Neo slept all through the night. He didn't wake until Tank banged on his door the next morning for breakfast. They walked to the mess hall, where Trin, Apoc, and Dozer were already gathered.
They each grabbed a bowl of breakfast. Neo sat on the end, next to Dozer while Tank slid in next to Trinity, nudging her.
"Big day today." He had looked to Neo, "you're gonna want to eat up. If you thought training with Morpheus was tough, get ready for this bitch."
He slung an arm around Trinity's shoulder and planted a large, wet kiss on her cheek. Trinity made a face, pulling away, but with no real effort to escape Tank's embrace.
Neo felt his own lips twitch in response, "She's going to wipe the floor with me, isn't she?"
"With a smile on her face."
Trin rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Did you sleep last night?"
"I did. Thank you."
Tank had looked between them and waggled his eyebrows at Neo.
They finished breakfast and Apoc set Neo up to go into the Construct. With a final "good luck" from Tank, Neo opened his eyes back in the dojo.
Apoc arrived first, dressed similarly to Morpheus in a black gi. His hair was pulled back but rather than the typical ponytail, it was in a low bun at the back of his head.
"Apoc, warm him up." Trinity said.
Neo turned to where her voice was and had to stop himself from doing a double take. Of course, Trinity never was one for following expectations.
Her uniform consisted of a soft leather tank top, black gloves that extended just past her elbow, and pants so tight they looked as if they were painted on.
Oh, that's just not fair.
"Come on, coppertop. Construct or not, you're going to want to stretch for this."
Apoc led him through a few different stretches while Trinity practiced some kind of Tai Chi.
"We'll keep this basic." Apoc said, shuffling his shoulders. "You're on the offensive. See if you can strike me."
Neo tried his best to center himself, focusing his energy on his opponent as Apoc assumed a defensive stance.
He moved quickly, a series of jabs all perfectly blocked before Apoc grabbed Neo's fist and used the momentum to pull himself up and over. But Neo held fast, not letting go, flying over Apoc's head before landing ten feet away on the other side of the dojo.
Apoc was fast, but not quite as quick as Morpheus had been.
Neo ran forward, dodging the punch that Apoc put out in front of him, raising an arm and sliding under the man, knocking his foot out from under him.
Apoc lost his balance but easily turned the fall into a flip, landing in a squat.
He was back up in less than a second, foot raised to kick.
Neo raised his own, blocking the first, then a second kick with his shin before sweeping his foot under Apoc's and spinning so that he brought his foot down towards the ground. In the moment of startle, Neo landed several quick and successive punches to Apoc's chest. The last sent Apoc flying back.
He hit the far wall but turned, taking the impact with his legs and shooting forward towards Neo again.
Neo dodged the attack, turning to keep his eyes locked on his opponent but his eyes fell just behind Apoc to Trinity.
Trinity, who was doing a backbend in that tight uniform. She switched to a handstand, balancing and then going to one hand as Apoc ran at him again.
Neo blocked a series of punches with ease as Trinity, still on one hand, opened her legs in a perfect split.
He felt a pressure on his chest and then he was flying backward. He hit the same wall as Apoc before crashing down to one knee.
Apoc glanced back at where Neo's eyes had been and smirked, looking back at the newest member of the crew with an eyebrow raised.
Neo had the decency to look a little embarrassed but Apoc just rolled his eyes.
"You're good, when you're not distracted. Quick too, but I got the feeling you're holding back."
He shrugged, "I don't know about that."
"But I do." Apoc rationalized, "You haven't figured out how to let go of the real world. I get it. I was in the real world for only twelve years but I still struggle to let go of some of those base beliefs."
"Morpheus said that too. That I need to learn to let go but I don't know how to reject the reality I've lived with for thirty plus years."
"You're intellectualizing." Trinity walked over, stretching her arm out. "Focusing on the ideals of knowledge.. You need to realize that what you believe to be knowledge is just that: belief. If you change your belief, change your perceptions, then the constructs which govern you will disappear."
Neo blinked, "Thus, the jump test is not about accepting the parameters of the construct to allow such a jump, but the belief that the construct isn't real."
The start of a smile graced her lips, "Yes."
"Sounds like you're ready for another attempt." Apoc said.
"If he survives today, he can have another try." She looked to Apoc, "Ready to begin?"
"Machine would never ask." He said, immediately dodging an attempted strike from Trinity. The two moved easily, almost mirroring each other in terms of attack and counter attack. Trinity would move one way and Apoc would stop her from landing a true blow.
Still, she was magnificent, Neo noted, watching as Trinity demonstrated the importance of creativity in fight formations.
"Everything we know, the machines know. The ability to improvise is the difference between life and death in the Matrix." And that was something he couldn't learn through software.
"You have the tools," Apoc explained as he blocked another punch from Trinity, "Now you just need to learn to mix them. The good thing about programs is they're very much built upon cause and effect."
"If I do this," Trinity demonstrated a kick towards Apoc's stomach, "a machine will respond by grabbing my foot while I'm off-balanced and throwing me."
Apoc demonstrated, taking her foot and spinning to throw her. Trin landed gracefully on one knee and quickly rose to her feet.
"I thought no one could fight an Agent?" Neo recalled from Morpheus' earlier lesson.
"Trin has half a dozen times. Morpheus, too.. We can't win against an Agent, but sometimes a well-placed hit is enough to escape from one."
"And Agents won't be the only thing you face. I went up against two units of cops shortly before we picked you up."
"And messed her ankle up pretty bad, too."
Trin shot him a look of affectionate annoyance.
They had a sibling-like relationship, Neo had noticed in the first few days of truly being awake. Apoc was always on her to take a break and rest. She, in turn, frequently shot him the bird and offered scathingly witty remarks about the state of his hair.
She was like that with Switch, too, trading inconsequential insults with smiles on their faces.
Dozer appeared more like a confidant. The previous morning, after another sleepless night, he had dragged himself to the kitchen for something to drink and found them debating the relevance of Hiedeggar over tea. He got the idea that it was a regular occurrence.
They had been kind enough to invite him to sit with them. And he had listened as they spoke in low tones about the nature of truth and belief, until Tank came in, practically jumping with excitement for the day.
Tank had called Trinity his bff on more than one occasion and Neo got the feeling that it went both ways. They teased, they talked, they laughed. But there was also a mutual respect and platonic adoration between them. A kind of love he had never fully experienced.
When Cypher had come in, the easy smile on her face quickly became more reserved.
Neo couldn't come up with a real reason for why he didn't like Cypher. He was kind of a dick, reminding Neo a lot of hackers he met in college. The ones who could hack a firewall here and there and thought they were the shit even if they had no clue how to actually code or run a long hack. He got along with everyone but Trinity and Switch always seemed wary of him.
Neo had learned long ago that his own instincts were shit when it came to judging people. But he also knew that when women were uncomfortable around certain men, there was usually a reason. That, in itself, made him wary of the bald man.
Then there was Mouse. The youngest member of the crew sometimes seemed a little pervy but he was harmless. A literal kid, smart as hell, who knew he was lucky to be on the Neb and in the real world. The entire crew, save Morpheus, treated him like a little brother.
He'd seen Trinity ruffle his hair and tease him about some girl back in the Academy at Zion.
And Morpheus. Both father figure and Captain to nearly everyone on the ship but one she seemed to have wrapped around her finger. He held the titles, but she was the one in charge, giving the orders and keeping everyone afloat.
But he could not figure out what Trinity thought of him.
"I messed up my ankle? I'm afraid Smith gets the blame for that fiasco."
Neo blinked. "Smith? Agent Smith? The same guy who arrested me?"
"Mhmm. We're not exactly on the best of terms."
"Meaning she barely escaped with her life." Apoc interrupted with a frown.
Neo felt his stomach drop. Had it really been so close? A single encounter that could have resulted in a world where he never met Trinity? Unfathomable.
"Yet here I stand, ready to kick your ass."
And that was the right thing to say, apparently, because Apoc was now smiling.
It made sense. Tank had said that most of the crew had been together for ten years and all their relationships reflected that. He almost felt envy at their easy banter when he felt speechless every time he looked at her.
"Part of adaptation," Trinity was now looking back to Neo, tone serious, "is learning what your opponent thinks. An Agent thinks in terms of moves and counter moves and their mind is big enough to consider multiple scenarios. Surprise is the best weapon in your arsenal."
"Unless you have a flamethrower."
Trinity rolled her eyes and shot a quick glare to Apoc.
"As you can tell, Apoc is our resident demolitions expert. But, most of the time, you won't have your choice of weapons."
"We're going to go over some common counter-attacks and how to manipulate them to surprise your opponent." Apoc sajd with a small smile. "I'll attack, keep your eyes on Trin to see how she responds."
That won't be hard.
And so he watched as Apoc aggressed and Trinity remained unfailingly calm. She kept her eyes locked on her opponent, easily dodging prospective blows.
Apoc flew through the air, striking kick after kick. Neo assumed she would knock him off balance but instead Trinity sank to the ground, slipping out from beneath him and rising to her feet.
Again, she turned to face Apoc. Without looking away, she called to Neo, "Sometimes, an Agent will purposefully appear weak to trick us into a larger attack that will, inevitably, get you killed.
"Instinctually, if you saw someone coming at you like that, your gut says to knock them off balance. You have to learn to be counter-logical to your instincts. Case and point,"
Apoc demonstrated a punch, not exactly slow but it wasn't nearly as fast as Neo had seen him go. Trinity caught his hand, preparing to twist his arm, as Neo would have done.
Immediately, Apoc quickened his pace and used his free hand to grab Trinity's throat.
They froze. "What would you do in this position?"
"Instinctually or in the given scenario?"
"Both."
"Instinctually, I'd knee him in the nuts, but while that may work on Apoc, I assume an Agent isn't built to feel pain."
"Correct. They're also not built perfectly anatomically correct."
"You mean they don't have…" Neo flushed, unwilling to say it out loud.
"Smooth as a Ken doll."
Trinity's face scrunched up in discomfort, "you had to go there, didn't you?" Her eyes glanced to Neo, "Keeping that nightmare inducing fact in mind, what would you do?"
"If I wanted to get away…" It was about distraction. There was no way to be offensive to an Agent. Surprise was the only thing he had on his side, "I would pick my feet up, throw the Agent off kilter."
"Apoc."
Apoc gave her a disgruntled look but, with the hand latched to her throat, lifted Trinity off the ground and into the air. It was only long enough to prove a point but it made Neo tense with worry.
"Weight can barely be considered a factor with Agents. They could pick up Morpheus or Apoc as easily as they could pick up me or Mouse."
"Could pick up an elephant if the occasion arose." Apoc added.
Neo nodded, trying to force a thought through his head. Even though he wasn't squeezing, Apoc still had a hand around Trin's throat. He had to come up with an escape for her, but what could be done against an enemy that is virtually without physical weakness.
"If an Agent has you pinned, is there any physical way to escape?"
Trinity gave him a real smile at that point and Neo felt his heart soar. Apoc released the grip from her throat.
"Good." She told him, "It takes most people a lot longer to figure that out. We can dodge Agents and counter certain moves right up until the moment we're pinned down. And then, your only hope for escape is from a teammate or an attempt at trickery."
"Which is not recommended." Interjected Apoc, "Trin here is the only person alive who ever managed to trick her way out of an Agent's grasp."
"If you're pinned down," Trinity argued, "You need every tool in your arsenal, every possibility needs to be explored until the end. Anything and everything short of a breach in loyalty is acceptable."
"How often do you actually see Agents?"
Apoc gave a shrug, "Depends on how reckless you are in the Matrix."
Trinity rolled her eyes, dropping down low and sything Apoc's legs out from under him. The bigger man fell, landing on his ass before he realized Trinity had moved.
"Real subtle, Trin." He said, pushing back to his hands and flipping to his feet.
"I'm not here to be subtle."
Apoc raised a brow, "And yet, at times, you can be so elusive in your intent, notice just slips by."
Something passed between them as Trinity's face went blank while her eyes shot with fire at Apoc. "Would you like to go again, Apoc? You look out of place not splayed across the floor."
He pulled up his sleeve, checking an imaginary watch, "You know, I think it's time I get going. Why don't you splay Neo across the floor?"
Trinity and Apoc stared at each other for a long moment. There it was again, that sibling relationship, where Apoc seemed like he was almost trying to piss Trinity off but Neo couldn't understand why. He got the idea that something was happening that was way over his head.
Did she not want to have to train him?
"Why don't you signal Tank to get you out, before I pummel you."
Apoc took out his phone and hit the call button to Tank. "Have fun getting pummeled, Neo."
And then he was gone. A brief change in code and they were left alone.
Trinity's face remained blank but he could tell that Apoc had wound her up.
Thanks a lot, you bastard. Neo thought, get her pissed off and leave her to train me.
"We're focusing solely on defense. I'm going to attack you, you'll try to escape me."
Neo nodded and assumed a defensive position. Trinity took a step back, moving carefully with her eyes locked on his.
Defensive, defensive, defensive.
She was throwing him off, watching him like a lioness watching her prey.
He kept his hands in front of him, wondering if she noticed that they were no longer as steady as they had been just a moment ago.
There was a moment of complete and utter silence.
And she leapt forward, moving faster than Morpheus had at his peak. Her hands were flurry and Neo worked to block each one frantically, only to be struck by her leg knocking his out from under.
He landed on his back with a thud and Trinity had her foot to his neck in an instant.
"Don't become so distracted by the attack that you forget other factors. An agent attacking you with his hands can still kick. An Agent kicking you might still have access to a gun."
Neo didn't respond, just grabbed her ankle and, with a sharp tug, Trin fell forward, springing off her hands backward and onto her feet, turning momentarily defensive as Neo sprang to his feet.
Again, she attacked, her movements hard to track at the impossible speed that she was going in. Neo jumped back as, again, she dropped low to sythe out his legs. For a moment, he felt pride in having not fallen for that again but Trinity sprang from her crouched position, tackling him back towards the ground.
He could have shifted, he noted, as they were propelled forward, but he didn't want to crush her. Instead, Neo managed to get his legs under him, landing on his knees and pushing Trinity forward so that she fell onto her back.
Almost instantly, they were back on their feet. She threw a punch which he blocked with his forearm and then another. She was pushing him back, he noted, directing her energy to corner him. Neo ducked and rolled out of the way, rising to his feet again, walking in a semi-circle so that she could not trap him.
She approached again and Neo went on the offensive, throwing the first strike before she could. Trinity grabbed his arm, turning and twisting it behind him. He turned into it, striking back with his elbow. She spun to avoid him, releasing his arm. Neo turned quickly, in time to block a strike from Trinity.
He aimed a counter attack, an arm swinging down from above as she blocked with her right forearm. Neo brought his other hand up, clamping her wrist between his two arms. With all her strength, Trinity grabbed her own wrist just below his hands, and swung to the other side, breaking his grip.
He went to move his hands back but she locked onto his wrist with one hand and his bicep with the other, kicking his shin out from under him, forcing Neo to one knee. He rose back to his feet, grabbing her left hand and spinning it so that it was back. Their hands locked together as she tried to free her hand and he held fast.
They were both leaning forward, still moving as they fought.
Trinity managed to get one hand free and slammed it hard into Neo's neck. He doubled-over and she kneed up, colliding with his stomach. He grunted and she tossed him to the ground.
"Not bad," She breathed out, putting her hands on her hips. "But you're still holding back."
Neo rolled to his feet, wincing slightly as he did so. He shook his head at her assessment. "I'm not. You're… a tough opponent."
"You are." Said Trinity. "I could feel you holding back in your strikes. At one point, you could have pinned me to the ground but you didn't. I felt you start to turn, instinctively, but you stopped. You landed on your knees instead."
She had noticed. Of course she had fucking noticed. It was Trinity, she seemed to notice everything.
"I can assure you, Neo, I won't break. You have good instincts and you're resourceful, but I need you to be fully in this. What you learn here, in this Construct, is what will keep you alive in the Matrix." She paused, looking at him through narrowed eyes before she added, "Not just you, but Morpheus, Apoc, me. The whole crew will depend on you being able to give your all. Can you do that?"
She knew his buttons. How was it possible she had learned him so quickly?
But he nodded, "yeah, I can do that."
Trinity gave him a curt nod and took out her phone. She pressed the speed dial and waited for Tank to take over.
"Ho-ly shit, he's fast. Thought he had you a couple of times."
She ignored his comments, "Can you load the labyrinth?"
"Sure. What level and landscape?"
"Capital City, we'll keep it familiar. And difficult."
"Coming up."
She hung up and immediately felt the code around them change. It was like a misty wind, so strong that it felt as if it breached their skin.
And they were in Capital City, near the courthouse. There was no one around, which was disconcerting in itself.
Trinity looked over to Neo. No longer was he in the pajama-like clothes from the dojo. Instead, he was in the same black t-shirt and trousers from his RSI. While her outfit had not changed, she was now sporting a holster.
"Do you know where we are?"
He nodded, "Downtown."
"Do you know where Heart of the City Hotel is from here?"
"On Wabush Street?"
"Yes. It's just over a mile away. You get a thirty second head start. You need to get to the phone in Room 303."
"And… we're racing?"
Trinity smirked, "No. Your goal is to get to the phone. I'm going to be pursuing, like an Agent would."
She reached to the pistol at her hip. "This is a paint gun. I hit you, you're out. I pin you, you're out. Any questions?"
"Routes?"
"Any you'd like. I recommend not sticking to the main road. For the sake of practice, there are no other people here. But in the Matrix, anyone and everyone could become an Agent. A crowded street offers them hundreds of bodies to take over."
"Okay," Neo said, nodding and repeating the instructions to himself. Get to the hotel. Don't get shot.
"Run."
He took off down the side street past the court house, not looking back. He counted down from thirty in his head, knowing that she would soon be in pursuit.
While he was faster than he had ever been in the real world, he had no doubt that her experience would outweigh his. She would gain on him.
Fuck.
Okay, he knew Capital City. He had lived there for twelve years, knew the quickest paths to take, the least crowded streets. To avoid the subway stations.
He cut into an alley, a shortcut that would lead him closer to the hotel.
His headstart was up by the time he reached the street. She soon would catch up with him.
You know this city.
He cut into a movie theater. It was empty but the doors were unlocked. He ran through to the farthest screen, cutting out through the emergency exit. That saved him street time.
Theoretically, Heart of the City Hotel was only a mile away from where he started, but that was if he stuck to main roads.
He ran to the end of the alley, leaping to the fire escape and clambering up. He took the steps two at a time, emerging on the rooftop.
He looked south, towards where the hotel would be and felt a sharp, wet sticky substance pound into his back.
"Fuck." He swore, turning in time to see Trinity.
"Rooftops are decent escapes." She shouted from a few buildings away. She ran and jumped, like a skipping stone, until she was on the same roof as him. "But it's harder to hide. It also leaves you with few options."
She checked her watch. "You made it three hundred and fifty yards closer to the hotel. But you weren't paying attention to your surroundings. Start again. Fifteen seconds, this time."
Neo took off at a sprint, jumping down the stairs back to the street.
Okay, no roof tops.
No major streets.
No weapons.
He couldn't beat her at hand-to-hand combat and he couldn't stay ahead of her forever.
He landed on his feet at the bottom of the fire escape and went towards another side road. The hotel was south. He went west.
Hopefully, Trinity would continue towards the hotel. He could get around her.
He slowed in his steps.
That wouldn't work. She was too clever for that.
She was too clever for that.
Huh.
What was it she had told him early?
"Part of adaptation is learning what your opponent thinks… Surprise is the best weapon in your arsenal."
She had been talking about Agents but the rule seemed to stand.
He went into the nearest building, an apartment complex that rose at least twenty floors. Neo slowed his steps, conserving metaphysical energy.
How does one surprise Trinity?
She was expecting him to go to the hotel. He knew that she knew that he was weaponless. She had already predicted that he would go to the roof and had caught him immediately.
Gut instinct. Where would I go?
Gut instinct, he should remain on the ground. Subways beneath him, skyscrapers above him. It would keep his options open. She would expect him to take a convoluted path.
But she also had watched him for months in the Matrix. She would know the paths that he took, the shortcuts that he knew.
She would expect him to stay low. Sticking to side streets.
She was expecting him to try to be stealthy.
She was counting on it.
Neo walked up a few flights of stairs.
Time wasn't the issue. If it took him all day to escape, so be it.
He just had to survive the simulation.
And that was all it was, anyway, a simulation.
He closed his eyes, remembering Capital City in his head.
The apartment building he was in was right next to an office building, which was right next to another apartment complex.
The buildings were built together, separated only by walls.
He walked to the end of the hall that faced south.
Neo inhaled carefully and punched forward, creating a crack in the wall. With a kick, there was a hole big enough to climb through. He was in some kind of conference room. Neo dusted the drywall from his shirt, continuing on.
Three more buildings and then there was a street.
Sewers beneath him. Would she expect him to go there? Would she be waiting for him?
He went through to the next building, bursting apart yet another wall to climb through.
If he waited too long, she would beat him to the hotel. She could wait there to 'shoot' him as he walked in the door.
He had to move quickly. The street was a bigger risk but it was the smarter move. Therefore, Trinity would expect him to take it. Which meant she was around.
On top of the building? Already outside, waiting for him?
His gaze seemed locked down to the street corner. He had gone west to go south. She had watched him run, she would likely have put it together.
He couldn't seem to look away. She's there. He was almost certain of it, that she was at the end of the street, waiting for him at the start of a side alley. One he had used a dozen times before.
Neo wondered, briefly, if he was going about it all wrong. If Trinity would be angry with him for missing the point of the simulation.
But this seemed like the best course of action. The only way to make it to the end without getting shot.
Could he get around her?
Not without spending too much time taking convoluted routes that would ultimately lead him back to the same path. He could, however, get above her. If he were careful.
He reached the last building on the street and backtracked. He needed to get across the street but she would see him leave if he went to the building on the end.
The second to last would be far enough. He jumped the flights of stairs and came out onto the open street. Now, he just had to get into the building system that she was outside of. He ran as fast as he could, building up speed before running up the side of the building and flipping into the air, landing gently on the opposite side of the street. He rolled to his feet and found an entryway.
The second floor would be high enough.
He quickly made his way through the building until he was at a window, just above her and to the left. She was waiting, her gun already out, and looking out at the street. Listening.
He would have one shot at this before she could fire off any rounds.
Neo backed up, his heart thudding loudly in his ears. He ran and jumped through the window, angled down.
Trinity turned, the surprise evident on her face, but he knocked the gun from her hands and swept his leg low to knock her off balance.
She was stunned, but only momentarily. She didn't even hit the ground fully, stopping herself with her right hand and kicking up with her feet, hitting him in the chest.
He flew backward into the opposite wall as she scrambled towards the gun.
Neo shot forward, barrelling into her and knocking her to the ground.
She tried to twist under him but he held firm, this time, heeding her advice.
She grunted as they hit the ground and Neo wrestled for her hands. She placed them to the ground, palm down and bucked up, sending Neo flying off her. She rolled to the side and to her feet as he landed ahead of her, almost as if he was controlling his trajectory.
He snatched the gun off the ground and tucked it into the back of his pants before advancing.
"Interesting technique." She said, as he attacked. "Might not work with an Agent."
"Not fighting an Agent." He replied as Trinity blocked every strike he threw at her.
He slowed down, waiting. She threw a punch and he dodged it, grabbing her wrist. She put her hand on top of his, as they moved in quick tandem.
She kneed upward and Neo jumped away in time to secure his metaphysical masculinity.
With a quick bout of adrenaline, he used their momentum to propel her in a semi-circle back against the wall. WIth his hand, he twisted her spare wrist, securing them together in one hand.
His knee crossed over her legs, blocking them from kicking, her hands secured above their heads in one of his hands, his other at her neck. Both were breathing hard.
She eyed him, blinking as she processed his counter-attack.
And then Trinity smiled.
He had seen her smile before, the real one, not just the smirk she wore when amused. The smile she wore while debating with Dozer and joking with Apoc and Tank. Ruffling Mouse's hair and dodging a wrench used as a projectile from Switch. But it had never been directed at him.
Her eyes shone when she smiled, her face softening from its usually serious demeanor.
"Clever. I can honestly say that no one has ever attempted a counter-attack in this program." She relaxed in his arms but he did not release her.
"You said surprise was the best weapon."
"It is." Trinity looked up at him over long lashes, "Is there a reason you didn't shoot me when you got the gun?"
"Is that really necessary?"
She huffed a small laugh, "Fair enough. For the sake of your training, I find it imperative to mention that if you are ever in such close quarters with an agent, shoot."
"Understood."
They remained in place for several moments before Trinity softly said, "you can let go now."
"Right." Neo breathed, releasing his hand from her throat but hesitating to do more, "you aren't going to retaliate, are you?"
Trinity rolled her eyes as if to say, really?
He set down his leg and released her wrists before taking a step back.
Neo could feel the hair on his arms stand on end. She had just been in his arms, albeit because of an exercise, but he had held her. Had pinned her to the wall, holding her at his mercy.
And it felt good.
Trinity lowered her arms and signaled to Tank with some rapid movements of her hand.
Sign language, Neo wondered.
And the code around them shifted so they were back on top of the building where he had first tried to jump before plummeting to the street below.
Neo blinked in surprise and looked at Trinity.
He had failed miserably the first time. He still had a cut on the inside of his lip where his teeth had mashed into his gums. But she had brought him back.
"Morpheus said that this is about belief."
"Morpheus says a lot of things." Trinity replied as they peered out over the cityscape. The sun was high in the sky within the Construct, beating down upon them.
He was quiet for a moment. DId she disagree with Morpheus? On belief? On the One?
"Do you know what Morpheus believes me to be?" He asked finally.
She looked at him sharply, her face void of expression, "He told you?"
Neo nodded.
"What do you think?" She asked, looking away.
"I don't know what to think. I've never believed in fate."
"Nor have I."
Ah. So that was it, then. Morpheus had found Neo because he believed him to be the One; because it was fate that he would find Neo. But Trinity didn't agree.
Why would she? She was clever and skeptical, like himself in that respect. He would have been surprised if she had bought into such a myth, the way that Morpheus did. The way that Tank and Dozer and Apoc seemed to.
"However," She said after a moment of silence, "I have always believed in choice. There are things beyond our control, yes. Life is chaos. But we certainly aren't helpless. We make the choices that change the world. Not because we're ordained or because of a higher calling, but because we get up each morning and we show up. We don't choose much, but that… that is in our control."
"An overwhelming concept."
"Anxiety is the dizziness of freedom."
Neo paused. "Kierkegaard?"
Trinity smiled again, glancing over at him. "My brother has a man-crush on Kierkegaard and while I disagree with his thoughts on theology, I've found him to be quite relevant to my own journey. Subjective truth." She said inclining her head, "To Morpheus, you are the One. That is his truth. To another, that same truth could be seen as an illusion."
"And to you?" He hadn't meant to let that question slip, but it had. And now it was out there.
She met his eyes, her own looking quite lost for a moment. "Do you want to be the One, Neo?"
And oh, that question was loaded.
Did he want to be a savior? Not by any means.
He didn't want attention or dogma or to be living a life amidst believers and non-believers with him as the locus. No, he did not want to be just another face in the crowd, but there was a difference between wanting to be an extraordinary human being and being the savior of mankind.
But who would turn down such an honor? Who could turn down the possibility of saving thousands? Would it not be cruel to put one's self above the world?
"I'm not sure I have it in me to save the world." He admitted finally, "I'm afraid that Morpheus' belief may be misplaced."
And the silence between them hung heavily.
Finally, Trinity nodded as she gazed out on the horizon. "That's understandable. It's too much to ask of anyone. To make that choice, to make that sacrifice. In many ways, it's cruel."
Cruel. Cruel to ask someone so much and cruel to deny the opportunity to save others.
Subjective truth.
"At the end of the day, it will come down to choice. And for what it's worth, I would spare you from that burden if I could. You've been in the Matrix for so long, you deserve freedom unhindered by expectation."
Her words felt heavy and once again, Neo felt that the conversation had reached a place well over his head. He wanted to hug her. In the months to come, he would regret not taking her into his arms there and then.
Maybe, he thought upon reflection, if he had been brave enough to make a choice there, he could have spared the lives of so many. But maybe not.
Neo swallowed, "So even being the One is a choice?"
"Yes. At least, in my truth." She sighed, softly. "Believe it, or not. Know it, or not. Choose it. Or don't. How do you see the world, Neo?"
Her grey eyes assessed him, looking deeper than he cared for. Neo wondered if she could see into his mind. He hoped not. That might be too much to handle.
But, there was something there that he had not seen before. Her assessment was not as curious as he initially thought. She was not looking for answers, she seemed to know them already.
He swallowed, under her scrutiny.
What did she know?
Could she hear his heartbeat quickening? Could she see the way he looked at her, with adoration and respect and so much more? Could she feel that line that seemed to tie them together, urging him forward with every breath that he took?
He resisted.
No. Trinity would not feel the connection to him that he felt to her. She was too clever, too skeptical to believe in such connections.
Unless…
It was there, in her eyes, if only for a moment before she looked away.
Adoration. Pure and harsh and overwhelming. It was like seeing his own eyes reflected in hers.
Something akin to love.
But that was impossible.
Yet even as Neo thought it, why not? crept into his thoughts.
It was absurd but so was everything he had experienced since the moment she approached him in that club. The Matrix, the Construct, the belief in a Messiah, a last human city… it was all absurd. Why not one more absurdity?
Even the possibility...
His world shattered.
It broke apart into pieces, fracturing the life he had once lived until it was consigned to oblivion.
Every single thing he had believed to be true had been wrong. There was no sense because sense, like truth, was subjective.
There is chaos and there is choice.
There were still things he could choose. He could decide to be worthy, decide to be greater than he had ever been. He could decide to be everything for her.
Thomas Anderson was in the past.
He was broken and shattered.
Suddenly, the jump didn't seem that large.
Neo took off at a run, leaping off the building.
It wasn't real. None of it.
The gap between the buildings seemed to close and he landed on his feet across the way. The pavement cracked beneath his feet but he had made it.
He exhaled a small laugh and his eyes opened in the real world. Apoc was pulling the plug from his headTrinity's eyes opened.
. The older man shot him a knowing smile before walking over to unplug Trinity.
Her eyes opened and she sat up, rubbing at her neck. She swung her legs over the chair, sitting on one side as she looked at Neo.
"Well done." She said softly.
"Well done?" Said Tank, calling over his shoulder. "Shit, Neo, that was amazing! It takes most people months of training to get to a point where they can beat Trin to the phone and no one has ever done a counter-offensive. Fucking brilliant! And, you made it on your second jump! Takes most people half a dozen. Trinity and Morpheus are the only ones in this generation's fleet to have made the jump on their second try!"
Trinity stood, stretching as she did. Ignoring Tank's praise for Neo, she ordered, "I want training on close combat weapons, then guns. Apoc, go through the shooting range with him."
"You got it, mami." Tank said quickly, before turning back to Neo, "But seriously, Morpheus is going to lose his shit when he hears that…."
Tank's voice faded to the background as Neo watched Trinity leave the Core, going down the hall towards the back of the ship.
Well done.
And then she had left.
He listened to the sound of her footsteps falling away, wondering if he should go after her. To thank her for talking to him, for taking him seriously, for saying what it was he needed to hear.
"Neo?" Tank grinned down at him, "Focus, man."
Neo blinked and looked up, "I'm sorry, what?"
Tank smirked at Apoc and looked back to Neo, "I asked what the two of you were talking about? We can see you in the Construct but we can't hear without an open phone line. You were standing at the start of the jump for a good chunk of time. What were you talking about?"
Their conversation flew through his head. Belief. Fate verses free will. Kierkegaard. Subjective truth. Chaos. Possibilities…
She has shattered me.
Neo shrugged a shoulder, "Just choice."