Title: The Best Homework Excuse Ever

Rating: M-15. It goes up in this chapter from PG-13, as the swearing goes up a few notches. Until now you haven't read anything worse than what you hear in the movies.

Disclaimer: I do not claim to own the Matrix trilogy, the canon characters, story or anything related. I can only wish that I did. I make no profit from this – I am merely exercising my writing skills for the reading pleasure of readers. However, I own this story. I own the character Chase, and Lady Delerith owns Ari.

Authors' Notes:

Solia: Okay, back to me. In case the end of the last chapter was a little hazy, that was Ari being thrown against a glass wall that is impossible to break – and breaking it. I promise the weird occurrences like this that seem to happen to the girls will be explained in coming chapters.

I start school holidays in a few days, but then I'm moving house, so I still won't be very active in anyway. I'll be thinking about it, though. Delerith and I need to work out a future fate for Glorious – if anyone has any ideas about what we can do with our least favourite character in future chapters, please feel free to either contact us or jot down your idea into your review.

Sad faces for Delerith, who missed out on School Captain, but congrats to us both for making Prefect! Next year we should be incredibly busy, preparing for our O.P.s and being generally good students so we don't get sacked, but we'll try to make time for The Best Homework Excuse Ever, which we really want to complete one day. I'm just warning the readers who actually read this all the time and want updates that next year, updates will be even fewer than they are now. I'm also doing a part-time uni course, and we both work, so yeah. We'll try to write heaps over Christmas.

THE BEST HOMEWORK EXCUSE EVER: Chapter Thirteen

Chase held Ninox's hazel eyes in her firm gaze as she parried against his attack. They each fought with identical, elegant swords that Chase didn't know the name of. She expected that they were of the 17th century era, though, and they were very slim and easy to manoeuvre. The weapons made for a fast fight between herself and Ninox, and she lightly pushed him away with her sword, flashing it about in a circle before blocking his next blow.

She knew she was lucky – her sparring partner was here for fun, not for blood, and Ninox always fought fair. She could sense that he wasn't putting his all into the fight because he didn't want to be responsible for hurting a girl. She didn't mind. She was holding back, too, because she wasn't here for blood, either.

Ninox stepped forward for a triple attack – three quick attempts to pretend to slice her up. Chase blocked each one and surprised him by going on the offensive, aiming the blade for his hip. He managed to block it in time, but Chase wouldn't have let it touch him anyway.

"How's your friend going?" Ninox asked as their swords swiped and clanged together, so fast that they made beautiful silver arcs between the two people. Chase smiled as the swords met in the middle and stayed together, each fighter pressing against the other's weapon.

"Good," she answered honestly. She knew without looking that Ari was currently absolutely fine, although she'd had a few knocks. "How about yours?"

"Glorious isn't my friend," Ninox answered, slowly putting more and more weight behind his sword. Chase knew she couldn't win at this. She was nowhere near as strong as Ninox, and nowhere near his weight. If he put more pressure on his sword, she would be forced to drop hers, and may be decapitated. "She's a bitch."

Taking a big gamble, Chase released the pressure behind her sword, dropping her hand as quickly as she ducked underneath Ninox's blade, which swung through the air where her neck had just been. Lucky she was so short, then, and that Ninox was so much taller. He wouldn't have been able to stop that blade from killing her when she dropped her own sword.

"Sorry!" he said instantly, as Chase swiped the sword at his knees. He jumped over it and she straightened in time to defend herself against his downward swing.

"It's true, she is," Chase agreed, blocking his attacks. In just a few moves, she would give her own attack… Three, two, one… Chase pushed one of Ninox's blows away and swung her elegant sword through the air and up to Ninox's neck.

Checkmate.

He had the same idea, and just as Chase stopped her blade from killing him for real, she felt the cool of Ninox's sword lightly touch the side of her throat.

Stalemate.

A tie.

Chase didn't move. She felt a shock in her mind, the part that seemed to know stuff Ari felt. She wanted to look, but knew she shouldn't. Ninox, although she did trust him, did have a sword against her neck, and of course Ari would get getting her arse kicked next door, probably getting back exactly what she gave. Ninox held Chase's gaze.

"Better than losing," he offered, but didn't move.

Beside them, the unbreakable glass wall shattered. Chase pulled her weapon away from her new friend and turned to the crashing sound, prepared to protect herself. To her shock, she saw Ari flying towards her amongst the terrifyingly sharp glass shards. With a small accidental scream, Chase dropped, blade against the ground to save Ari should she land there, her arms and hands covering her face. She knew Ninox was protecting his face with his arms, too. With a solid, painful thump, someone (Ari) landed in front of Chase. The bits of glass tinkled to the floor around them, giving them all a share of little cuts and scratches.

When it felt safe, Chase, opened her eyes and lowered her hands. She was surprised to notice that she hadn't dropped the sword, only lain it flat against the floor. In front of her, Ari was curling into a ball of pain. Chase straightened and glanced around to assess the situation. Ninox was only now lowering his arms from his face and turning back to the girls. Glorious was standing on the other side of the remains of the unbreakable glass wall, a heavy club in her hands and a bewildered look on her face. Ari shuddered a little, and coughed. A mouthful of blood splattered onto the mat, and a few drops ran down her face. Chase saw a tiny move from Glorious and turned back to her. The older girl, now a woman, really, being twenty years old, hefted the club and smirked a little, then started forward with a wilful purpose.

"Stay back, Glorious," Chase warned, feeling bad for stepping over Ari but knowing she would be okay. "Leave it be."

Glorious ignored her completely, and kept coming, determined to get Ari while she was down. Chase wasn't going to let her. Obviously the woman wasn't going to listen to Chase's verbal warnings, but that wasn't going to prevent Chase from fighting her back with everything she had until Ari found her feet.

"Let her come," Ari managed to say, but her voice was weak and pained.

"Shut up, Ari," Chase snapped, sparing her a tiny glance. "Ninox, get her up."

Behind her, Chase heard Ninox kneel beside Ari and talk quietly to her. Glorious kept coming, raising her club like a caveman. Chase braced herself and raised her own sword, determined to protect her friends.

"Yes, Ari," Glorious shouted over Chase as if she wasn't even there. "Get up. Fight."

She started to walk past Chase, but Chase swung with her blade, cutting her lightly across the chest. It was enough to make Glorious freeze, and finally notice that Chase was even there. Chase pretended to stab with her sword, forcing Glorious to jump backwards to save herself. Her piggy eyes narrowed in dislike.

"Back off," Chase said forcefully before Glorious could insult her. She held the sword offensively, threateningly, in case Glorious made any sudden moves. The twenty-year-old angrily swung her club at Chase's head, and the girl ducked, feeling her ponytail almost being caught.

Furiously, Glorious attempted to batter Chase with the club. Dodging each one, Chase knew her elegant sword, however manoeuvrable, wasn't going to protect her against this ridiculous weapon. As Glorious grunted and the club smashed into the floor where the seventeen-year-old had just been standing, Chase quickly sliced upwards, along her opponent's arm. She cut a long line from Glorious' thumb to her elbow, just missing the vital arteries in her wrist. Whimpering in pain, Glorious' strong grip fumbled, and Chase managed to make her drop the club with a sharp jab of her sword's hilt into the back of Glorious' wrist.

"Back off," Chase repeated, even forcefully than before. She raised the sword, poised to attack if need be. Glorious carefully wiped the blood from her arm, but the wound kept bleeding. She looked up at Chase, serious dislike burning in her small eyes. It wasn't pure hatred – that was an emotion reserved only for Ari. But it was near enough.

"You back off," Glorious answered angrily. She took a few steps to the right. Chase kept on her. But behind her, Ari was standing up with Ninox's help, and Chase heard her stumble. She allowed herself to give a tiny glance in her best friend's direction, but it was too much. Glorious' fist snapped out, punching Chase in the side of her jaw. She fell back, but didn't completely lose her balance until Glorious kicked her in the chest and booted the sword aside. In horror, Chase felt the hilt slip from her fingers as she hit the ground.

This was bad. She was down. Glorious scooped something up from the floor and advanced, holding the item like a dagger. It took Chase a moment to realise – it was a very large, very sharp piece of broken unbreakable glass, and Glorious was going to stab her. And probably not stop there.

No smile of achievement, no smirk as there would have been if Chase were Ari, Glorious tightened her grip on the shard and bent to stab Chase in the breast – her heart. Chase might have almost had enough time to move, but she was terrified.

A flash of silver, arcing above Chase. Then the glass shard met the blade of Chase's lost sword. But Chase hadn't moved for it, or grabbed it – in fact, she wasn't holding it at all. Ari was.

No one moved. Glorious and Ari glared into each other's eyes as Chase considered how to get away from the glass shard and sword blade that were testing each other ten centimetres above her.

"She said back off," Ari reminded Glorious, and suddenly Glorious dropped the long shard and sprung backwards. Chase caught the glass before it could stab her, and sat up. Furious, Ari threw her sword at Glorious like a spear and marched towards her enemy. Glorious managed to dodge the blade.

Chase felt a light touch at her shoulder. She glanced up at Ninox, but in that tiny amount of time, Ari had engaged Glorious in combat. She allowed Ninox to pull her to her feet, and together they stood for a moment, watching the furious fight being played out before them.

"Usually such nice people, too," Ninox said in a mock-mournful tone. The fight was slowly moving in their direction. Chase allowed a moment to give Ninox a mildly amused look, but like before, it was the wrong moment to take her attention from the action. Glorious took a flying kick at Ari, which of course Ari ducked, but then the boot was heading straight for Chase. She started to move but knew there wasn't time.

Just when the kick should have connected, Chase opened her eyes and sat forward. She was back in Zion, lying in her chair. Dasne was behind her, disconnecting the plug from her head. Ninox blinked and rubbed his eyes, obviously awake now, too.

"It's too dangerous to have you two in there at the moment," Chiron explained as he removed Ninox's head plug. "Those two are going to kill each other – best you and Chase aren't there to get mixed up with that."

Chase felt a surge of fear in her chest. Ari was alone with Glorious? They had left them alone!

"Are you insane?" Chase demanded, getting out of the chair and hurrying to one of the view screens. She nudged Teardrop so that she could see past her. Glorious and Ari were still fighting, their firm expressions dangerously hateful. "You can't let them kill each other."

"Of course not," Linden, Chase's teacher, said with a soft smile. He was usually such a calming presence. But now his serenity was maddening. "They can come out soon. This gives Captain Glyph a look at your friend's capabilities, and a look at the other girl's abilities, too, if he's interested-"

"No, you don't understand," Chase interrupted worriedly. "They really are going to kill each other. We have to get them out now, and separate them."

"Ari and Glorious do hate each other," Dasne agreed, folding her arms. "They always have."

"There's nothing wrong with rivalry," Roux said, closely watching the view screens.

"There is something wrong with my friend either dying or going to jail," Chase snapped. She strode over to Ari's immobile body. "I'm getting her out."

"No!" Roux and one of the technicians who had decided to stay and watch said in unison. Roux continued, "Give them a few more seconds. They can take it."

"No one knows Ari as well as Chase," Morpheus said in his low voice. The atmosphere of the room was getting tenser with each passing second. One of the technicians sighed.

"I still wonder what happened to the glass wall," he said, bewildered. "I know that program is unbreakable – but…"

"But Ari broke it," Chase said, remembering. "Why?"

"It must have been a glitch. Something happened in the program when Ari hit the glass. But I swear I checked that wall out only a few days ago – it was unbreakable."

"No!" Teardrop shrieked in horror. Chase felt her heart skip a beat. What? She was getting concerned – she couldn't feel anything in her mind from Ari at the present moment.

"Glorious has a sword!" Ninox warned loudly, glancing at Chase from his place in front of a viewing screen. Beside Ari, Chase couldn't see what was going on, but, frightened, she squeezed the triggers either side of the plug in Ari's head and pulled it out, severing the connection.

"No!" Ari screamed as she sat bolt upright, clutching her neck. Apparently Chase had disconnected her at the exact moment that Glorious had been about to slice her throat. The room was silent except for Ari's panting breaths. Someone, a random technician of some sort, chose that moment to go to Glorious to let her out, too.

"Where is that fucking bitch!" Ari demanded as she inspected her hand, noting it to be free of blood from her neck. Chase felt Ari's anger flare when Glorious slowly sat up, smoothing her frizzy hair. So Chase could feel Ari's strong emotions here, when they were in Zion together, and inside programmed realities when they were together, but not when they were in separate worlds.

"Looks like I won," Glorious said with a mild smirk. Chase heard a growl emitting from Ari's throat, which had so nearly been slit. Next second, Ari had launched herself across the room and onto Glorious, slamming her fist into her enemy's mouth. Instantly, Ninox, Morpheus and Chase were there, dragging them apart.

"You could have fucking killed me!" Ari screamed as Ninox restrained her arms and lifted her in the air where all she could do was kick in Glorious' direction. "You fucking bitch!" Morpheus held Glorious down as the bigger girl (woman, whatever she was) struggled to get back at Ari. Chase stepped in front of Ari, and immediately her friend stopped kicking. But she didn't stop ranting, now at Ninox. "Let me go, you arsehole, let me down!"

"I'm going to get you, Ari!" Glorious shouted from where she was pinned, strugglingly, to the tech room floor. "I'm going to fucking kill you! You wait! You're dead already!"

"Shut the hell up!" Ari shouted back. Ninox tightened his grip. Chase couldn't believe this was happening.

"Calm down, both of you!" Chiron ordered, but no one listened.

"I'm going to kill you! You fucked-up little whore, you're so dead. I'll kill you and your stupid skank friend…" Glorious continued ranting, but Ari was very, very pissed off now.

"Don't you fucking talk about Chase, you retarded-"

"Ari, enough!" Chase shouted, silencing her friend. "Settle down. Ninox, let her go, I've got her."

Ninox looked unsure.

"But-"

"Let her down. I've got her."

Very hesitantly, Ninox lowered Ari and released her. Everyone in the room seemed to expect an explosion of some kind, but none came.

"Ari, come with me," Chase said firmly, taking Ari's hand and leading her from the room. Neither of them spoke until they were back in their apartment. Chase shut and locked the door and turned to Ari, her eyes dark and burning.

"Before you start-" Ari began, but Chase was louder.

"What in hell was that just now?" she demanded. "I understand that Glorious is a bitch, I understand that she's always clashed with you, I know that she's got horrible hair and I realise that one day someone is going to have to put her out of her misery, but seriously. What was that? Glorious is a bitch, no one can change that. She's always clashed with you, and always will, so just accept it, okay? Her hair is disgusting and if it's been the same for all these years then obviously nothing is going to save it. And yes, one day someone is going to have to kill her, but that someone doesn't necessarily have to be you and it doesn't have to be today."

Ari said nothing. She just stared at Chase as she vented.

"There is no reason to lose your temper like that, Ari. You completely lost control."

"But she said-" Ari argued.

"I heard what she said," Chase continued over top of Ari's argument. "I can understand that you were angry. She was threatening you. But my God, Ari, if we lose those positions on the Nadir because of what you just did, I can tell you right now that I'll kill you, too."

For a moment, Ari was silent. Then: "Actually, she was going to fucking kill me. I think there's a difference in hostility and intensity between the types of killing someone."

Chase allowed herself to smile.

"Thanks for saving my life," she said.

"Thanks for saving my life," Ari answered. They smiled at each other, sisters of circumstance, and hugged each other tightly in forgiveness and understanding.