Note: Anyone interested in this story getting some content that will change the rating from Teen to Mature? Let me know, by reviewing!
Also: due to my recent awareness that Ray has some fans, I may use him a bit more after this chapter. I was actually gonna get rid of him in a turning-into-an-agent way (that can be seen in 'A Detective Story' in the Animatrix) in this chapter- that was one of the few definite plot devices that was in my original outline. However, that plot kinda fizzled and died after that point, and I had not idea where to take it after that. But now…let's just say things are definitely about to get interesting.
The car pulled into the lot in front of the moldering old warehouse, unaware of the straggler they had picked up, sitting in a poorly-maintained white car on it last legs, watching the group get out of the car with a feverish intensity. He was tense, so tense his skin seemed to thrum and vibrate beneath his shirt. He saw the girl get out of the car…it was her, his lost friend. She casually slammed the car door shut, turning her head towards what some chump, about his own age but a little bigger, sitting on the front steps of the abandoned building had said, shrugging her shoulders and grinning in response. Ray almost growled, his knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel.
"What the hell are you doing here, Eva?" he whispered in a taunt voice laced with pain. Why had she disappeared from the face of the earth? Who were those people with her? Were they the ones responsible? A million questions raced through his mind, buzzing by too quickly for him to be able to think coherently.
Right then, his idling car gave him his second mind clearing jolt of the last half hour and backfired at a deafeningly high volume. Ray jerked like a frightened bird as four guns were drawn and leveled at him in a quarter of a second. He froze in his seat, going deadly pale and emitting a breathy squeak.
Nexus got out of the car, still contemplating the strange new ability that had manifested itself in her just recently. Slamming the door shut, she turned her head at the sound of Trans' voice calling over from the front steps of the warehouse. "I hope that old lady thought to pack some cookies for the rest of us…Although I'm starting to suspect that the cookies only come if a fortune comes with it."
Nexus didn't quite laugh, but grinned all the same to acknowledge him as she strode over. "Mine wasn't so bad, actually, but the little kids in the waiting room were actually a lot more educational. She just got me thinkin' about some broader applications." She shrugged a shoulder almost carelessly, her grin growing broader as Trans' expression, as well as Koi's grew mystified. She turned her attention to Koi. "I think….I'm not sure but I THINK…I manipulated light patterns. I only did it on a TV, so I don't know if it was just electronics that I messed with…" Nexus' expression grew doubtful as she pondered this. Loki came up behind her, moving past her towards the warehouse. "The Matrix IS electronics, remember? You manipulated an image inside the Matrix, without changing its essential nature, if what Medea said in the car is correct."
"Damn Aiglos and his big mouth. I wish I'd gotten a chance to mull this through first before opening it up to forum." She had reached the door by now, and Koi had caught this disgruntled mutter. "Ah, don't sweat it. Yo-" A loud crack cut Koi off neatly, and everyone but Nexus immediately drew their weapons at aimed them at the source of the noise, only to see a young man sitting in a battered car, scared shitless. Nexus, far more familiar with the sound of her old friend's car backfiring than gun battles, did not draw, but jerked in surprise to see Ray behind the wheel.
The older woman with brown hair seemed to listen to something Eva was saying then holstered her gun and pulled out a cell phone and punched in a number, while the other three kept their guns trained on him. Ray had decided to remain perfectly still, with the exception of raising his hands from the wheel in a sort of 'don't shoot me' gesture. Eva stared at him, looking more than a little surprised.
A piece of newspaper was blown by the wind between the group and the car, and Eva's attention seemed to fasten on it. The wind gusted, picking it up a few feet, and suddenly that random piece of trash changed. It seemed to scramble, like a bad video file sometimes would. Then it returned to normal, the moment over. Ray's eyes grew huge, and more questions filled his mind. However, these questions were a far cry from the ones he had had before.
"What is the Matrix," he whispered in awe.
Medea hung up. "I think your friend is bugged. He voice was calm on the surface, but the tenseness underneath it revealed her desire to be away from there. They were vulnerable likethis, out in the open.
Nexus smiled sadly, watching some degree of realization come over Ray's face from across the decrepit lot. "I should have guessed they'd target him too," she said softly, to no one in particular. "At least he'll have some closure on the subject." Medea hesitated, then touched the girl's arm. "We need to get out of here. He's still connected to the mainframe, and the last thing we need is the get five people out on one phone with agents behind us." Nexus nodded and let Medea lead her inside.
Trans, Koi and Loki looked at eachother and holstered their guns, following behind the pair. "What the hell was that about?" Trans muttered in bewilderment. Koi shrugged. "We all left loose ends behind when we were unplugged, to on degree or another. People don't tend to think much about it until something like that happens." Koi quickened her pace. "It easily could've gone worse, though. I'm surprised the agents didn't jump at the chance. We were all there..." Koi's brow furrowed as she strode easily toward the exit point, thinking of metallic bugs and coloured pills.