Notes:

I love torturing my blorbos.

Chapter Text

Mouse was two things. The first was she happened to be the best damn hacker this side of the Net and that she had proof to back it up. The second was, she was insightful and knew when something was wrong. Case in point, right now.

Oh she knew AndrAIa was shaken. It wasn't just the fact that Megabyte had tried to delete her, which he had openly admitted to. It was the FAQ that just happened between AndrAIa and that pile of bolts. She didn't know what had exactly occurred, but the expression on the blue-haired woman's face told her it was significant.

"What happened?"

Right now, AndrAIa was a mess, sobbing and vomiting into a nearby trash can while struggling to catch her breath. Her hair was covering part of her face like a veil, hiding the tears that were spilling out.

"I-I don't want to talk about it," she whimpered between heaves, her fingers gripping the sides of the can for support. 'It didn't happen, It wasn't real. It didn't happen, It wasn't real. It didn't happen, it-'

"Sugah, are you sure?" the hacker asked, laying a hand on her back to soothe her. AndrAIa exploded into a fury, pushing her back and swiping the hand away.

"I said I don't want to talk about it! Log-off Mouse, forget about it! It didn't happen!"

"Okay, okay, sugar. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry." Mouse said, raising her arms in surrender and taking a step back. The pair lapsed into silence before another wave hit AndrAIa, and she was back puking into the bin. By now, there was nothing left in her stomach and she was dry heaving.

Whatever happened surmised Mouse, it was apparently big enough that the AndrAIa felt the need to pretend like it wasn't real. It was concerning and worrying.

She could continue prodding, but she knew from experience that AndrAIa was impenetrable when she didn't want to talk about things, which was pretty much all the time, especially when it involved her past. Getting anything out of her was like squeezing blood out of a stone. Still to this second, she refused to talk about life prior to leaving her game, going mum at the subject.

Mouse took a look around the corridor. Based on her estimate, they were probably around the holding cells. "Look Sugah, I know you don't want to talk about what happened back there right now but we will have to talk about it eventually. In the meantime, let's see if we can't meet back up with the others before Megabyte returns for round two."

"…fine."

"..'Dre!"

If Mouse had been looking at AndrAIa when Matrix came around the corner and spotted her, she would have seen the disappointment that appeared on her face, ever so briefly. But because she didn't, the hacker wouldn't realize the full extent of the problem until much later. Pulling herself up, and wiping her mouth on the back of her hand to remove any trace of bile, the pair stood awkwardly as Matrix rushed towards them, coming to a grinding halt mere inches from her face.

Before Mouse could even inquire about Bob's whereabouts, the Guardian appeared around the corner, pausing for a moment upon seeing them before quickly making his way over, though not as urgently as Matrix who was all but fussing over AndrAIa.

"Are you alright?" the Renegade inquired with concern, wrapping AndrAIa in a tight embrace and examining her over for any injuries. Mouse knew that was less directed at her, and more towards AndrAIa who looked rough right now, clothing askew and hair amess. Over his shoulder, she caught AndrAIa's eyes, burrowing into her. A silent plea to not say anything. But why? What was she hiding?

"We're fine Sugah, just had a run in with Megabyte. Don't worry, we're not hurt, just a bit shaken." the hacker said after a moment. She would keep this secret, whatever it was for now. But as soon as she could, she was telling them. She didn't feel the need to tell AndrAIa that out loud. Her own expression of seriousness seemed to relay that well enough, causing the Game Sprite to look away as she tried to stop herself from crying again.

"What about Dot and the others, did you see them get out?"

"Unfortunately, Phong and little Enzo didn't get out. Dot and the Boys managed to get out before we did."

Matrix's face hardened, his grip tightening around AndrAIa's shoulders. "Enzo's still in there?" He turned to Bob, jaw clenched. "We have to go back and get them!"

Mouse placed a hand on Matrix's arm, her expression grim. "I know, I know. But the whole place is on lockdown. Megabyte has control of the entire Principal Office. We can't just barge in there without a plan."

"To the Recycling Bin with a plan!" Matrix growled, pulling away from AndrAIa and taking a step towards the way they came. "Enzo and Phong are in there, we have to save them!"

"And how do you propose we do that, tough guy?" Mouse interjected, hand on her hip. The pair quickly devolved into an argument, leaving Bob to play mediator and referee.

AndrAIa, lost in her own thoughts, tuned them out, as she began to spiral. It didn't happen, it was wasn't real. This had to be a nightmare, there couldn't be any other explanation. She repeated the words over and over, clenching her fists until her nails dug into her palms. She tried to still herself awake but it didn't work. Instead she found herself toppling over as an image flashed in her mind: a clawed hand reaching for her cheek, stroking it with a gentle touch. No, no! These thoughts were wrong! But why did it feel so right?

"AndrAIa!" Strong, muscled arms wrapped around her middle, pulling her up. The arms which were once familiar and felt right now felt so wrong. How many times had she woken up in these arms, content and happy? And now they were like poison on her skin.

AndrAIa flinched away, eyes wide with terror as she stared up at Matrix. His brow was furrowed with concern, but all she could see was Megabyte's claws reaching for her. She shuddered, trying to pull away from his grasp.

"Get off me!" she cried, voice shaking. Matrix looked taken aback, hurt flashing across his face as he loosened his hold.

"'Dre, what's wrong? I'm just trying to help you," he pleaded, his voice filled with concern.

AndrAIa shook her head frantically, her eyes darting around as if searching for an escape. "No… just don't touch me, please!"

The outburst drew the attention of Bob and Mouse, who quickly moved to intervene. Mouse placed a hand on Matrix's arm, guiding him back gently. The look of pain and confusion was insurmountable.

"AndrAIa, it's me." Matrix tried to reassure her, reaching out to brush strands of hair from her eyes. Instinctually, she flinched.

"Darling, Give her some space," the hacker murmured as she separated the pair with a gentle tug on Enzo's arm. He backed off but she could see the anguish and confusion in his eyes. She turned to AndrAIa, frown deeping. Something was definitely wrong, and Bob and Matrix seemed to have picked up on that. Before she could open her mouth to say anything, she found herself cut off.

"Bob!"

Bounding down the corridor, Hack and Slash following behind like the bumbling dolts they were, a hesitant Dot approached them, eyes scanning their faces as if looking for any sign of deceit before letting her eyes fall on AndrAIa.

Dot's eyes narrowed as she took in the scene before her - AndrAIa pulling away from Matrix's grip, the look of hurt and confusion on his face, and the worry etched on Bob and Mouse's expressions. Dot's brow furrowed in concern.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing. Everything is not fine." hissed the Gamesprite, moving away from Matrix and sending a glare towards Mouse.

"Are you-"

"I'm fine! …look we don't have time to stand around, Phong and Enzo are still trapped in the War room. We either need to come up with a plan or we need to leave before Megabyte shows back up."

"Unfortunately, I have to agree with AndrAIa, we don't have time right now. We need to focus on the present." Bob said, allowing his eyes to flicker over to AndrAIa. Out of any one here, even more so than Matrix, he knew what she was like. Whatever in the Net was happening with her would have to wait. That didn't stop him from worrying and scanning every inch of her for any sign of injury to make sure she was in fact okay. That earned him a glare from the woman in question.

He's seen that expression enough times since he's come home from the Web and heard her say it verbally to know what that look means.

"I know what you are doing, stop it. I am not a child anymore." Shaking his head, Bob turned back to the group.

"As much as I would love to, I have already tried to hack the security panel Sugah. We cannot get in." said Mouse, scowling.

"Agh! What about the emergency override codes?"

"Like I told 'Dre, He changed them and trying to reset the panel to get a temporary passcode is going to be next to impossible without access to the rest of the system."

Dot's face fell as she realized the gravity of the situation. She felt the panic rising within her, but she pushed it down, forcing herself to remain calm and focused.

"Alright, there has to be another way in. We just need to think this through carefully," she said, her brow furrowed in concentration.

"What about the air vents? Or the service tunnels - there has to be some access point we can use to get in," Matrix suggested, the urgency evident in his voice.

"Sugah, 'Dre suggested the same thing. Ah already checked the live schematics - that virus has every single entrance and exit sealed up tight. There's no way in…or out." Mouse replied grimly.

"Dot, I know you don't want to think about it but-"

"Bob, if you are even thinking about suggesting-"

"Look, Enzo and Phong are not his targets, at least not yet. If there is one thing I have to admit it's that Megabyte has a code of ethics; he won't hurt Enzo. He's never directly harmed a child in the past and I don't see why he would start now. Phong might be a different story but if history has told us anything, it's that he is more useful alive than deleted to Megabyte. We need to leave and regroup; we are NOT safe here. Megabyte might have sealed off all the doors and vents but there is still an emergency exit that cannot be sealed off, at least via the power controls."

"The one in the Core? Are you insane? do you know how dangerous it is in there? Even if it is still open, prolonged exposure in the Core room can kill us." said Dot, knowing exactly which exit he was talking about.

"I know, I know," Bob said, raising his hands placatingly. "But it's our only way out. Megabyte wants to toy with us, not delete us outright. If we leave through the Core, we can regroup with our forces on the outside and come up with a plan to rescue Enzo and Phong."

Dot pursed her lips, mulling over Bob's statement. She hated to admit it, but he had a point. Megabyte had never shown any signs of wanting to harm Enzo before; in fact, he had even been kind to him (like the infamous birthday incident that she was fairly certain one of her brothers still had the guitar from, most likely stored away somewhere.) on occasion. With the Principal Office under lockdown and all other exits sealed off, their only route of escape WAS through the Core room. It was a dangerous plan, but they had no choice but to take the risk.

"Alright," she conceded with a sadness. It felt like she was leaving Enzo to die to save her own life, but what else could they do? "But we need to be careful. We'll have to move fast and limit our exposure as much as possible."

Bob nodded. "Agreed. We'll need to work quickly. Megabyte could return at any moment."

The group quickly made their way to the Core Room, their footsteps echoing in the empty halls of the Principal Office. AndrAIa remained silent, her eyes downcast as she tried to push her emotions down. She couldn't bear to look at Matrix, lest he know she was tainted.

As they approached the entrance to the Core, Dot paused, turning to face the others with a grave expression. "Alright, everyone listen up, I don't think I need to tell you but I will anyway. The Core is extremely dangerous - the radiation levels are off the charts. We can't stay in there for more than a few nanocycles or it will delete us. We need to move fast and stay together no matter what. Understood?"

The group nodded solemnly, the weight of the situation bearing down on them. Bob led the way as he was the most intimately familiar with the Core room, his expression grim as he approached the entrance to the Core. The others followed closely behind, their footsteps quickening as they crossed the threshold. Out of the corner of his eye, he couldn't help but look at AndrAIa, who had grown quiet. She was doing it again.

The moment they entered, the air grew thick with the hum of energy and the palpable radiation. AndrAIa could feel it seeping into her code, making her systems buzz with an unnatural energy. She shuddered, forcing herself to keep moving. Every step was torture though as a part of her wanted to turn around and run to-

No! She wouldn't go there. It wasn't real, she was fine.

Out of the corner of her eye, Dot noticed AndrAIa lagging behind, her movements sluggish and unsteady, seemingly distracted. Dot's brow furrowed with concern - the Core's radiation was affecting her more than the rest of them.

"AndrAIa, are you alright?" she called out, her voice barely audible over the deafening hum of the energy conduits.

The game sprite gave a small smile, but Dot could see the strain on her face. "I'm fine, Dot. Just...tired is all.:" Dot opened her mouth to say something then quickly shut it, not sure what to say exactly.

As they navigated the narrow walkways, the group stayed close, their eyes darting around nervously. The Core was a maze of twisting catwalks and glowing conduits, each step a precarious dance between life and deletion. Even just a few minutes in, sweat was already beginning to gather on their brows.

If the radiation alone didn't kill them, the heat would.

"We're almost there, just a little further," Bob called out, his voice strained. The radiation was taking its toll, sapping their strength with each passing nanosecond. They could see the exit just ahead, a glimmer of hope in the sea of swirling energy.

Bob couldn't help but note the Gateway command situated below them on the platform. He seriously hoped that Megabyte wouldn't attempt to retrieve it and would leave it be. The last thing he needed was for Megabyte to get control of the Supercomputer. But if his speech was anything to go by, he seemed more concerned with revenge than power at this time.

Grunting and sweat dripping from his forehead he reached the sealed emergency exit and paused to lean against the door as he panted from the exertion put on him by the core. He stayed like that for a moment before slowly standing straight and turning to address the door. Unlike the other emergency exit doors, this one was not controlled by power but instead had a manual release in the form of a heavy handwheel. He regarded it and thought. He would need help.

"Matrix, help me with this thing, would you?"

"Y-yeah." Bob wasn't the only one feeling the affects of the Core, Enzo was practically panting. Still, he trudged over and began to help turn the rusted wheel.

With a great heave, Matrix and Bob strained against the massive handwheel, muscles bulging as they fought to turn it. Usually this would be easy for someone like Matrix who had built up his strength to the point where he could bend steel bars with ease. If they were in any other place, he would be able to do it by himself with one hand. However, here, his energy was sapped and it was like he was walking through a pool of molasses. The metal groaned in protest, but slowly it began to move, the heavy door creaking open inch by agonizing inch.

After a moment, the door swung open with a loud thud, revealing a service tunnel that stretched for at least a mile under the Principal's Office and out towards the other sections of Mainframe.. This would eventually lead them into a network of sewer tunnels, where they could climb out using a maintenance ladder.

The group wasted no time rushing through the open door, desperate to escape the oppressive heat and radiation of the Core, taking a moment to seal it behind them before darting off towards freedom. Though they would succeed in escaping the P.O. and by extension Megabyte, they would soon realize this was just the beginning to bigger, more complicated problem.

"It didn't happen, it's not real."

"It didn't happen, it's not real."