[NSW-Fic] A Matrix Online Fanfic: Mediation

[Davinq]

Back in the good ol' days, when I had enough money to cash out 15 USD a month to play one of the most underrated MMOs of all time, The Matrix Online was my life. Sadly, I went under a financial crisis, and had to cancel my subscription, but not before writing this fic for my friends' enjoyment.

 

Note that some of the concepts can and will be completely confusing to those unfamiliar with the Matrix story, and even still, some will be confusing to those familiar with the Matrix, but unfamiliar with the Matrix Online.

 

Mod note: Some moderate profanity is included that isn't censored by the LF system. If it's a little too much for PG-13, I'll be happy to edit it.

 

Enjoy:

 

 

Mediation

 

Davinq slowly came to realize his surroundings, taking in the bearings of the room around him. I hate emergency jack-outs and jack-ins A click. The door opens. The bluepill doesn’t even notice him at first, then slowly looks up, and turns tail to run

 

Look kid, I’m not here to shoot you, or rape you, or whatever you may think. I’m only here to help.

 

Who the hell are you? I just came back from the bathroom, and some guy in a trench coat magically appears in my apartment? Just what the hell do you want?

 

A twitch appeared on Davinq’s lips. This was the kid that Cinders had said needed to be extracted? Scratch that, re-extracted, if the intel on this case was accurate.

 

Look kid, I know that you know you’ve been being watched. Those men and women – they just might kill you for so much as seeing me. That’s why –

 

Then what the hell do you want from me? Get the hell outta my home if your being here is going to kill me!

 

I wasn’t finished. They aren’t the only party interested in you. Come with me, and I’ll explain in further –

 

A crash. Tinkling glass rains to the floor. A helicopter is hovering menacingly outside with its side turret blazing.

 

Get down! For once, he listened, and dropped to the floor, with near-military precision, crawling over to the door. Once we got into the hallway, a man in a black suit rounded the corner.

 

Mr. Pickering, you are not authorized to be near this individual. Prepare for termination.

 

Oh ****.

 

These friends of yours? the bluepill asked.

 

Yeah. We go back a long way, Agent Lee and I. Those handy FM-900s that Davinq kept handy at all times were already in his hands as he ran straight towards the Agent, springing from one wall to another to dodge the Agent’s salvo of bullets. 10 feet away, he opened fire, sending bullets around and past the Agent, who continued to dodge the shots. The window behind had shattered.

 

Outside

 

The General’s commandos that had been in the helicopter that had fired upon said bluepill’s were circling the building patiently, waiting for their prey to exit. Randall, the leader of the group, was the first to see the window shatter in the hallway next to the building.

 

Over there. He signals the turret man to open fire

 

Inside

 

Davinq was tiring, and quickly. The Agent’s fighting skills were amazing, though not unexpectedly. The Lee deftly batted aside Davinq’s blows, grabbing him by the neck and bringing him to the floor.

 

Feel death, Mr. Pickering.

 

Watching someone die often evokes completely unexpected things from even the most humble people, and so it was with the bluepill. He ran out from the corner he was hiding in and punted the Agent, right where the sensible region was. It hesitated, and that was just enough for Davinq to break free of the Agent’s grip and run back over to where the bluepill was standing.

 

Well… that explains a lot about your past redpill life, eh mate? He grins at the bluepill, whose confused expression meant that he no idea what Davinq was talking about.

 

The Agent gets up and raises his gun, ready to fire

 

Get behind me mate. Bracing himself.

 

The General’s helicopter comes up eerily from behind the window Davinq had shattered minutes before. The Commando in the turret seat pulled the trigger just as Davinq grabbed the bluepill by the shoulder, hurling them into the elevator he had summoned before the Agent had come.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

 

A long wait. Randall’s men had blasted the 14th floor of the apartment in Eshean to smithereens, but they still didn’t know if Davinq and the bluepill, Paul, were killed in the onslaught, and thus sent Commandos into the building to search the building out. Davinq and Paul had actually jumped out a window on the second floor and into a garbage bin, where they were now, waiting for the Commandos to leave the area.

 

So… explain to me. We’ve got a bit of time on our hands; tell me what’s going on.

 

So Davinq explained to Paul about the Matrix, its factions, and the recent goings-on that have influenced his existence

 

… And due to our recent enmities with the Cypherites, they’ve retaliated to our retaliating by reinserting more and more redpills. Our intel led us to believe that you were one of those captured and reinserted, and your actions in that fight with the Agent up there all but confirms my suspicions. Freaky eh?

 

Yeah… just a little. But… It seems to make sense. It clicks, like it was right, and I knew it all along, but sort of forgot, you know? Memories are pouring back in now. I remember! I was a spy of sorts, really good at getting into buildings an –

 

Shhh! Our enemies are near!

 

A patrol of Commandos strolled by, as Davinq balanced himself and decided what way to best eliminate his enemies with. He weighed the possibilities of using his guns to take them out unsuspecting, or to let them know he and Paul had survived. He decided to eliminate them the fun way: Karate-style.

 

Best of luck, warrior of Neo, The bluepill whispers.

 

Davinq burst from the trash bin, kicking off the side of it and landing a foot on the back of the first Commando, who collapsed, his spine broken. Landing cat-like, he swung his foot around, initiating a Ki-Charged Burst that knocked back the remaining two Commandos. Racing towards the next foe, he set off a flurry of attacks, fast and accurate, that dazed the second Commando, who could barely keep up with the assault. Davinq swung his legs up and across, feet colliding with his foe faster than the eye could see. One last commando was left. Raising his pistols at Davinq’s unprotected back. Barely noticing, Davinq spun around, FM-900s blazing, and he would have been dead, if it weren’t for Paul, who had quietly snuck up behind the Commando and twisted his neck.

 

You have been Awakened before mate, that much is clear now.

 

Hehe… I suppose so. So where to now?

 

That’s what I’m about to find out. A phone call Hello? Operator, I need the nearest EPN extraction point, pronto. Mmhmm. Yeah, that might not work, since we were just in that building. Any other options? Lemone? Alright, we’ll try. Dav out.

 

Alright mate, ready for a run? We’ve got Exiles incoming.

 

Exiles? Wait, I think I remem… Programs that the Machines no longer need, follow the… Mero-something, right?

 

Good enough. Now lets move!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3

 

Sprinting. He had forgotten bluepills were even capable of it. But boy could that kid run. All the way through Eshean, we ran until Lemone’s trademark warehouses were in sight. Davinq whipped out his phone again and dialed his Operator, Shocker.

 

Yo, Shocks mate? We’re in Lemone now, now where the hell’s that extraction point again?

 

You’re in Lemone, alright then, head down two blocks then turn east, and it should be the first one on your – A sharp intake of breath, then a cry of alarm. Ai! Davinq, incoming hostiles! Redpill signals!

 

Oh God, it wouldn’t happen to be that Merv ship we ran into on the Surface all those weeks back eh?

 

I can’t tell that by the signals, but… they are definitely Merv operatives, yes.

 

Davinq snatched Paul by the arm and prepared for a hyper-jump.

 

Don’t panic, and don’t say I didn’t warn you.

 

He was in a daze

 

Uh… yeah, sure. Whatever you say.

 

Bullets were pounding all around them. Concentrating hard, Davinq brought himself into position… and jumped, a trail of red flowing behind him.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Davinq! You okay man? Shocker’s heart was thumping at what he had just seen. As Davinq was gearing up for a hyper-jump that would have lead him straight to the warehouse where the extraction point, and Cinders, was, the Merovingian operatives had blown open the windows of the office building with their vast array of weaponry, all pointed in their general direction. The bullets were all miraculously, for the most part, missing, and it was quite a spectacle. At least it would have been, if a bullet hadn’t hit Davinq in the foot, and Paul in the shoulder.

 

Grunting Yeah, I’m fine.

 

And the bluepill?

 

He’s taken a shot to the shoulder Shocker, I don’t know if he’s gonna make it, mate.

 

Godammit. His vitals aren’t looking too good.

 

Davinq and his bluepill convoy hit the ground with a none too elegant thud, right at the feet of Cinders, who was overlooking the extraction operation.

 

G’day Cin.

 

Hey Dav. Business as usual?

 

As usual. They embrace.

 

Think you can extract a half-dead bluepill?

 

Cinders frowns.

 

Half dead? What did you do to him?

 

Not I. They. Davinq casually points to the 3 redpills standing atop the building on the other side of the street, one with a sniper rifle in hand.

 

Oh. Point taken. Taking a potshot at the sniper, Cinders and Davinq hoist the bluepill by his shoulders and haul him into the building, and downstairs.

 

Shocker, open the door mate.

 

Alright, I’m on it. What appears to be just another part of the brick wall in the cellar opens up. Cinders and Davinq drag the bluepill in, and lower him gently to the ground.

 

Shut it.

 

The door seals, and even on the inside it’s impossible to tell there was even a door there.

 

Now we’ll see whose operating skills are better, mine or that Merv’s, Shocker mutters to himself.

Davinq and Cinders stand on each side of the hidden door, pistols loaded and pointed directly at the entryway.

 

Footsteps, 3 pairs of them, rush down the stairs and into the cellar. Davinq and Cinders hold their breath. One of the Mervs shouts something to the others, and they begin firing shots into the walls.

 

****. Cinders whispers.

 

Paul comes around, and seeing the blood seeping into his shirt, he begins to gag. A stray bullet from outside flies through the wall and into the hidden room, piercing a hole in the floor inches from the bluepill’s hand. He gives a faint whimper. The shooting outside stops, and there is more shouting. The Mervs start shooting more bullets through the wall, and one punches a hole in, and takes a peek through. He is met with the barrel of Davinq’s FM-900.

 

That’s one down. Davinq mutters.

 

The remaining two Merovingian operatives take one of the shelves on outside, wheels attached to the bottom, and ram it against the wall, which crumbles as if it were made of clay.

 

Uh, Shocker? Might want to work on that coding of yours, mate.

 

Two on two would have been a fair fight. Would have been. That is, if another pair of Merovingians hadn’t run down the stairs at this time.

 

What a perfect time for them to call for backup, eh Cin?

 

Yeah. The pair brace themselves, prepared to die for the bluepill if they have to.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4

 

At first, there was an exchange of words, a few taunts, before the actual fighting began.

 

Just close your eyes and think of the Oracle, one said.

 

Whisky Tango Foxtrot! Said another

 

Davinq put away his pistol, which would be no good in close quarters.

 

Cover me mate! Davinq shouted to Cin before diving headlong into the quartet of enemies.

 

For Neo!

 

 

Meanwhile, in Hovercraft Pegasus, all was in turmoil. The Operator there, Mikhail, had received an emergency transmission from inside the Matrix.

 

You ready for this Ett?

 

Right on, it’s about bloody time I got some action.

 

Ettaric planted herself in the chair, and prepared for the jack-in procedure.

 

For some reason, the Lemone hardline isn’t working right now, so I’m putting you in manually, as close as I can. Get ready for a run.

 

Mikhail placed the needle in her neck, and her eyes fluttered, as her mind transitioned into The Matrix.

 

 

Cinders was getting worried. He had placed that backup call more than half an hour ago. Where the hell was she? Davinq had shouted for him to back him up, and protect the bluepill, Paul, and had thrown himself into the enemy ranks. The surprise tactic worked; for the first few minutes. He had even managed to kill one with a well-placed Dim Mak Strike, while Cinders had shot another one in the head. But now it was a standoff, for one of the Merv men, their leader, had taken Davinq from behind and put him in a chokehold, while he motioned for the other to place a gunpoint on his temple.

 

Shoot the bluepill, or we shoot him, he demanded.

 

Davinq gave Cinders a panicked look, one that clearly meant ‘stall.’

 

Why are you Mervs after this kid, anyways? I was under the impression that it was the Cypherites that re-inserted him.

 

It was then that they both noticed the bandana on the leader’s chin.

 

Davinq gasped, So the Mervs and Cyphs are working together now? And I thought I could think no lower of them both… The Cypherite squeezed his neck harder, and he turned a deeper shade of purple.

 

Another ten minutes of silence passed by. Where was Ettaric?

 

 

Ettaric was, in fact, getting there as fast as she could, there was only one problem: the helicopter full of Commandos that was shooting at her from above.

 

I never really like the General before, but… this is crazy! The helicopters were never hostile before, but now they’re shooting at us?

 

She jumped across to the next building, when, even over the clatter of the side-turret above, she heard a single, sharp pistol shot. Everything seemed to stop. Then, as realization dawned on her, she jumped down to the street and ran faster.

 

 

Moments before, the Cypherite rolled his eyes.

 

Time is up, young master. Who’s it gonna be, your friend, or the bluepill?

 

Cinders looked at Davinq, whose grim expression told Cinders that he already felt dead. The bluepill mattered more! Cinders looked at the bluepill, whose terrified expression didn’t tell him much. He looked at the Merv operative, and their eyes met. He didn’t really care about the situation. There! The weak link.

 

A shot was fired. Davinq’s eyes went wide, as he felt the cold barrel of the gun that was at his temples a moment before clatter to the ground. A streak of red across Davinq’s forehead began dripping slowly.

 

You sunuvabitch! That was the Cypherite, who started squeezing even harder still on Davinq’s neck. He might have died right then and there, if Ettaric hadn’t burst into the room, pulled out a pistol of her own, and sent no less then 4 bullets into the Cypherite’s unprotected back.

 

You sunuvabitch. Ettaric said coolly.

 

Davinq pulled himself free of the large man’s corpse, clutching his neck, as his face returned to its usual tan pallor.

 

Thanks Ettie mate. Boy do I owe you one!

 

Right. The bluepill, is he alive?

 

Cinders interjects

 

Yeah, now can we get this show on the road?

 

The bluepill pokes his head out from behind the rubble that used to be the door to the secret room.

 

Are the bastards all dead yet?

 

Yeah, now you remember what I was telling you about choice, eh? Davinq produced a package from his coat pocket, and retrieved two things: a red pill, and a blue pill. I suppose it isn’t really necessary to explain, but this is your choice. Take the redpill, and you can return to the life you once knew. Take the blue pill, and you can remain in this wonderland, with the constant feeling of being watched.

 

I think I’ll take the redpill. Stalkers scare me to hell. Paul took the red pill and swallowed it. Cinders walks up.

 

Alright, now if you wouldn’t mind sitting in that chair over yonder…

 

 

Five minutes later, Paul, now re-re-christened Retraction, was sitting in the Pegasus, taking in his new surroundings and regaining his old memories.

 

//// Connection Severed #//#//