The morning went by fast, everyone knowing what was on the schedule for today, preparing themselves and everything around them the best they could.
Link took care of all the program and system precautions, and Neo and Trinity programmed their individual monitors. Morpheus checked the area one last time for Sentinel activity, but everything was very quiet for a change. If there were any Sentinels outside of the radar, it would take at least 16 hours for them to reach the ship, and they were not planning to be inside the Matrix for that long.
Finally, Morpheus jacked Neo and Trinity in, as Link sat and prepared everything behind the screens, having everything as much in check as would be necessary; which simple meant everything.
Morpheus walked over and joined Link at the screens, checking to see that they were loaded into the Matrix safely, and as usual, they were. Neo told them that they were in, and soon they descended out into the street.
He was here now. But he was not alone.
But neither was he, himself alone.
And if he got his way, he would not be for a long time.
He would be everything in that long time.
But now, it was time to let him come.
Neo and Trinity walked, knowing that it was just another building. And with him by her side, she knew she did not need to be afraid.
A moment later, she wondered why his stance, his walk had grown so tense, so stealth-like. She looked at him from the corner of her eyes, and even through the shades they were wearing she could see that he was thinking, most likely scanning the code, and she knew she should let him be as he did that. If any danger was about to come, he would sense it before she could see it.
Just when she was about to nudge him gently, letting him know he could tell her if something was wrong, he turned to her. He lightly grabbed her shoulder and pointed onwards, and she looked at him.
" Trinity, go ahead. We're getting company…" He needn't say more, she was already sprinting towards the building as he finished his sentence. That was what it all was about in here, about trust, about faith in the other. And luckily, that was something she had in heaps for this man.
Neo stopped, looking out at the small square to his left. He had felt the glitches, indicating something had changed from within it, and knew by the codes being written that an Agent was on his way… but his pattern was different. It did not have all the regular linings and basic form work that the others did, but he would remain still, waiting for what was about to happen.
As she reached the building, she got inside, grabbing her phone. She knew that it was most likely Agents that Neo had sensed, and that if she talked too long they would get her position, too, and with Neo that far from her, she was not sure how she would cope. She knew that they had upgraded, too, but quickly pressed a few buttons on the phone and talked into the head of it with haste as Link answered;
" Let me know if he gets in trouble, if I should abandon my position."
Just as Neo lifted his gaze from the ground, where he had looked at an inscription on the ground, he recognized the sight before him. It was all déjà vu, happening again… just in different times, in a different place, with the same people. Both had changed… but on the inside, they would always remain the same.
" Long time, no see, isn't that so?"
He approached Neo and stopped just a few feet away from him, but Neo was busy reading his new code rather than suspect his next move. And if it would be an attack, Neo knew that he could defend himself.
" You look the same, " Neo answered and received a chuckle. Raising an eyebrow at that, Neo decided that he liked the old one better… this new one, he wasn't sure of him anymore. He did not read like an Agent anymore, his code was… different.
" If you took of all the fancy clothing and replaced them with the rags you wore before, you would, too, " his opposite commented. Just as Neo was about to answer, he continued.
" But who cares about such trivial things, then again? They are but shells to us… it's what is inside that matters, is it not? Inside the package of the appearance… the deceiving appearance." Neo remained still, placing his hands resting behind his back, his position dead panned.
But then again, dead was something he had thought of the one now standing before him as well…