IC: How Deep the Rabbit Hole goes...(Matrix thread)

[Dynosius]

Steel tried everything he could. He opened the same exit, but there was only static on the other side. He watched the blue screen, turning a different screen on to display the Matrix code. He searched everywhere, but he couldn't find 404's coding. Silence spread across the ship, save for the flat line beep. He let his head hang.

"It's over Necro... 404 is gone. Turn off his screen, it's over."

 

[Kuuroinochou]

Although his life gone, 404 lived on in rewritten coding through the Matrix. Somehow his image had been copied and recreated for purposes unknown. The one named B-SOD had said he was different that his coding had been different from the others. Who were the others? His memory held bits and pieces but no solid factors.

As his form blitzed and crackled it came to life in a jumbled format of coding that operators across the board would frown in confusion. The coding simply stated:

Error 404 - File or directory not found.
Internet Information Services (IIS)

Technical Information (for support personnel)​

404 himself looked at the phone booth then walked to it and held it to his ear. "Don't cry kid, I'll be fine." he said into the phone then hung it up and made is way into the Matrix. Who he had been talking to on the other end; his memory soon forgot but he had felt it important to say something...anything for reasurance. A cocky grin on his lips he rest his katana over his shoulder disappearing into the Matrix.

 

[Mephistophelily]

"404?" Necro's head shot up from the side of the cushion as she heard his voice, looking up the screen. Her slap against it had silenced the beep, but it still held the flowing straight line. She was hearing things..?

"What about Captain and Echo... They're gonna be ok, aren't they?," She asked, trying to calm down as she turned away from the chair. They all knew what could happen in the system, and were supposed to understand it could happen. Still, he was a friend... And he had gotten her out.

Leaning against Steel's chair, she tried to understand the screens, watching and waiting for him to give some kind of signal of the others' safety. "We should warn them- about Fuzzy. He looked like something out of an old samurai movie, right down to the black and white..."

 

[FenixZero]

OOC: waitin on Mayu....

 

[Mister J]

Knives had found himself in a rather bad spot, but this wasnt something that came around...often. He held onto the ledge as tight as he could, a groan escaping his lips as the Agent's shoe pressed firmly down on his fingers.

He held River's hand as she hung beneath him. His breathing was deep and sweat poured down his face. It all may have been fake...bits of code and such, but it felt real all the same.

"Noah Reynolds, we've been trying to catch you for quite some time."

The agent standing on his fingers spoke up, a smug grin spreading on his face.

"Where is the disc?"

Noah smirked, peering up through red tinted glasses.

"I'd flip you off if I could."

There was a sigh as the Agent pulled out his desert eagle, a large heavy gun. He trained it on Knives' shoulder and fired a round across him. It struck him hard, but only grazed his skin. River slipped a bit, but he pulled her back up as best as he could.

"Alright! Fine! You let her go back home and I'll give you what you want!"

The Agent paused for a moment as if thinking on the subject but soon released his boot from Knives' fingers. He tugged River up onto the ledge and pulled himself up, rolling over it and finally getting to his feet. He held his shoulder, wincing as pain.

"Now Mr. Reynolds, the disc."

Knives stepped infront of River, giving her the motion to run from behind his back. He then pulled out a disc from his pocket, empty and worthless but it would serve as a good decoy.

"Catch!"

He tossed it over the Agent's head and as the man in black went to reach up for it, Knive's riddled him with lead, his two pistols left smoking. He couldnt believe it, the agent was down...he'd killed an agent. The man disappeared in a blur of green and black code, fading into the surroundings.

An hour later found Knives and River in their quarters aboard the Zenith. The Agent came back and he had to outrun him...again. They made it though and that's all that mattered. As soon as they got out they sent a message to the Oberon, making sure everyone was alright and if they needed anything.

"Too close..."

Knives kicked off his boots and layed back on the small bunk, looking up at the steel plating on the ceiling.

 

[Kuuroinochou]

River sighed standing before Knives' door. With a quick rap at his door she opened it not waiting for an answer, a warm wool-like shawl wrapped about her shoulders to keep the chilly air of the ship from nipping at her skin, she came in looking decidely miffed.

"When are you going to stop trying to be a hotshot?" she questioned one hand on hip the other leaning against the door frame. "That was a close call back there. You have to be more careful Knives." she said sternly pushing off the door frame she stepped into his room slapping at his feet to make room for her to sit.

"I got word from Oberon. One of their crew didn't make it..." she said. That alone made her realize how close things had been. She was thankful he had not been taken from her nor she from him. "I'm just glad your safe." she sighed eyeing him.

Standing back to her feet she made to leave not wanting to nag... "I'll be in my quarters."

 

[Dynosius]

Nodding, Steel switched gazes between the now blue screens and the green code screen. Opening the com-link once again, Steel contacted Mayu and Echo. "Captain, Echo, where are you? We need to get you out of the Matrix, fast. 404 is... dead."

He looked at Necro for a moment. "Knives and River are both out, now just you two. I've set up an exit. The grocery store just two blocks away." His fingers flew over the keys, opening the exit. Inside the store a phone rang, but nobody answered...

...Yet.

 

[FenixZero]

Echo sprinted throught the criss-crossing alleyways, weaving serpentine through the streets in a hope of losing the Agents. Captain Mayu had ordered them to seperate, and as much as Echo despised leaving his Captain behind, he understood the order.

Pausing behind a dumpster to reload, an electric buzzing in his pocket caught his attention. Flipping his cell phone open and holding it his ear, Echo heard Steel on the other end, "Captain, Echo, where are you? We need to get you out of the Matrix, fast. 404 is... dead. I've set up an exit. The grocery store just two blocks away."

"Understood" Echo replied before bolting in the direction of the exit. He knew the neighbor hood well enough. And it was close if he could keep his focus up enough. "Steel, try and locate the Captain"

The world stretched and slowed around him, crawling to a snail's pace as he sped up to a blur. He could feel his reserves draining, he couldn't focus like this for much longer, but he prayed he wouldn't have to. The most important thing was to get Knive's disk to safety, and make sure Morpheus got it.

A favor from one friend to another

 

[Katamari Roller]

*whamp*


Echo fell down, hit in the neck, but still rolled on for a few more meters due to sheer momentum. The hit left behind a nasty ache on his clavicle, but nothing that wouldn't disappear in a few hours...

... if Stone decided to let him live long enough.

Her lithe, dark figure seemed to weave through the air ethereally, as if she herself was air. Her hair billowed in the soft breeze that brought her here as she stepped out of the alley from which Stone had extended her arm, a presence Echo had not felt until it was too late. As she moved forwards, Stone slipped a pale hand behind her black sweater, and her fingers slid under her pants... and coming back up with a combat knife she brandished expertly, twirling it over her fingers before her hand opened and spun around, gripping it into a position fit for combat, the blade pointed outwards.

The closer Stone was to Echo, the brighter her eyes were...

 

[FenixZero]

A dull, thumping ache spread through Echo's whole body, his mind only partially aware that he was hitting the ground. The yellow shades over his eyes shattered as his body collided with the concrete. Groaning aloud, he forced his eyes open to see his attacker.

His breath stopped for a moment. It was an Agent. It looked different, a female version, but he was sure it was an Agent. There was no mistaking it. She was moving in close, a heavy knife clutched in one hand. She hadn't killed him outright. Echo had never heard of an Agent toying with a Zionist rebel before, considering an Agent could effortlessly beat any human to death in a matter of seconds.

Rolling onto his side, Echo caught a distinctive light in the Agent's eyes. Was she actually enjoying this? Was it even possible for an Agent to enjoy something?

Moving to his feet in a sudden, smooth movement, Echo drew his jian. The chinese blade sprang into the air with a vibrating, metallic ring as he stepped into a defensive posture.

I'm out of my mind. There's no way I can fight an Agent. She's going to kill me...

He needed to buy time. He needed a window so that he could run. He needed a miracle.

 

[Dynosius]

Before Steel could react to Echo's message, his eyes widened in shock. An Agent! IT was too late to warn Echo. She was already on him. Today was a very bad day to enter the Matrix. Steel turned to Necro. "Keep the morphine ready, he's going to need it."

Looking back at his screens, Steel began a search for captain Mayu. She had not responded to any of his calls. It was a very bad day indeed. If the captain and Echo did not make it, then... He casted a glance at Necro. She was just a rookie, she would never stand a change in the Matrix.

There had to be another way...

 

[Mephistophelily]

"Dammit..." Necro pawed around in the metal cabinet, taking out a few needles and standing between the captian and Echo's chair. "What's going on in there, Steel?," She asked, glancing at Echo's monitor. "He's going friggin' crazy over here-!"

She turned around, frowning. "Let me back in. Please! If anything, I can distract an agent... Echo's got that disc...." She bit her lip. "The Flickering guy... If he's causing those errors, maybe I can cause one back!" She hopped up into her chair. "I'll fuck up the systems from the inside... Throw 'em off..."

 

[Dynosius]

Steel stared at Necro. She was right, she could be a distraction. But for how long...? He thought it over and over in his head. Should he or should he not send her in? Her arguments were quite convincing. Echo was top on the list of getting out. For what seemed like an age, he thought, then he finally answered. He got of his seat and moved to Necro's chair. He stared in her eyes, nodding slowly. After he jacked her in, he returned to his seat, booting up her system.

"Alright, let's do this. First things first. Weapons, and lots of them. You're going through Construct and there you will pick several guns. Take the fully automatics, Agents have a tendecy to dodge them. That'll distract them enough."

He paused and looked at her.

"Be careful and get Echo back home."

With a push on the enter-key he entered her coding into the system.

"Here you go!"

 

[Kuuroinochou]

404 stood at the top of the construction beams, looking down at the place he'd been moments before. But then he was what the those humans considered alive. now he was... part of the program. Made so by that strange rogue entity.

Despite this memories were flickering on and off in his mind. And as he felt the Matrix paulse with the knowledge of something being jacked into the program, he had the thought of disrupting the program. "Why are you letting her back in?" he questioned to no on inparticular but all at the same time he knew who his question was directed to.

"I will protect her." he said dematerializing. His next location was anyone's guess.

 

[Mister J]

One of them didnt make it?...

He frowned, looking down at the floor as he sat at the edge of the bunk..his hands cupping his face.

I should have stayed...but River...

"I'm sorry...dont go."

He looked over, giving her a weak smile and patting the spot next to him.

"It was stupid of me, I know...I love you, you know that right?"

------------------------------------------

*...tip tap tip tap...*

Two pairs of white snake skin dress shoes clicked against the pavement. Men dressed all in white, with long bleach white dreadlocks stepped up across from the female agent and Echo.

"Ello lovely, this pup be along wit us now."

One of the twins twirled a small switch blade about his fingers, pouting his lips at her as his brother spoke.

There were then several clicking noises, bolts being pulled back on automatic weapons. The twin who had been speaking pointed up at the dozen or so members of their crew all with submachine guns, rifles, and pistols trained on the female agent.

"You get 'em when we're done..."

At that, the twins crossed their hearts with a grin and spoke together.

"Scout's honor."

 

[Mephistophelily]

Guns in hand, Necro gave a shivering breath as she found herself before the grocery store intended as Echo's exit... But he was nowhere in sight. Her cell open, she dialed Steel with a frown. "I'm at the exit. Where is he?"

With Steel's help, she headed off down the street in a sprint, her eyes open for the agents' reappearance as well as Echo. Spotting him, she slid down behind a red Jetta, watching him a moment. One woman agent, not a problem.. She could distract her easily.

Taking a breath, she straightened to peer over the car again- and found a whole herd of people about Echo this time. "Hweh?!" her eyes widened, falling back down behind the car as she swore. "One, I can do. A gang, no way."
She peeked back at Echo, biting her lip as the group of men drew their guns. She couldn't just sit there...

"I'm not a kid. I thought I was brave enough to do this, I better do it- Oh, screw the pep talk-" Taking up her guns, she opened fire at the men hoarding around Echo as she circled the car, her fingers tight to the triggers. "Echo! Get up!," She screamed out at him, glancing at him on the pavement. "Get UP, Echo!"

 

[Mayu]

OOC: Sorry Guys

Mayu saw what was going on "Guys Pull Back!" She took out two guns her people were her responsibility. "No one hurts my crew" She hissed, seeing some of the agents, shooting 4 in the head right away, she looked over and ran toward the others she stopped "404!" She shouted and shot the agent that was coming up behind him.

 

[Kuuroinochou]

One of them didnt make it?...

He frowned, looking down at the floor as he sat at the edge of the bunk..his hands cupping his face.

I should have stayed...but River...

"I'm sorry...dont go."

He looked over, giving her a weak smile and patting the spot next to him.

"It was stupid of me, I know...I love you, you know that right?"

"Yes I know you do." she breathed sliding back into the room to sit on his bed. She reached over to caress his face staring deeply into his eyes before resting her head on his shoulder. "Just dont' scare me like that. I'd hate to lose you." she said softly sitting up.

"I'm worried for the others. Do you think we should return to help them?" though it wasn't a smart idea. The agents wanted Knives regardless of the disc or not, he'd alluded them plenty enough times in the past that it was becoming a personal vendetta. "I love you, so much Knives. Just stay safe... for me." she said with a chuckle lightening up. "So are you hungry?"

 

[Katamari Roller]

Stone surveyed the interesting situation she suddenly saw herself in. What was supposed to be just another hunt for rebels had become a three-way fight. The Merovingian's henchmen, the rebels... and herself. She was a side all of her own. Not that the fast-approaching Agents who would be there in a few minutes should be ignored, of course.

She was absorbed in these thoughts, when bullets started flying. Stone simply side-stepped or twisted gracefully out of the occasional stray bullet headed her way, as she kept advancing towards the rebel. If the Twins wanted to have their prize, it wouldn't be at the expense of the Matrix. And if they thought they were good with a razor, then they would see how good she was with her combat knife, or anything else Stone pulled out of her pants.

 

[Mister J]

As the bullets flew, the twins looked to each other, phasing into their ghost-like forms. Their dreadlocks seemed to resemble tendrils now as they flowed up and out as if in water. Both of their bodies became transparent as the bullets passed through them, hitting walls, cars, signs, breaking windows, and all manner of other things.

"We are getting annoyed..."

One of the twins spoke up, walking towards Echo as Stone came upon the rebel herself. His brother followed, replying in kind.

"Yes we are."

The crew on the rooftops above started firing down into alleyway, some aiming for the rebel girl, but just to push her back, hitting infront of her feet or to the side. They may need her later and the Master had been very clear he wanted the humans alive. The agent however, was fair game, and they fired upon her but she was quick this one. Stone dodged the bullets with an unseen grace.

It did however, give the twins just the chance they needed to pull Echo away from her, one of the twins stepping infront of his brother and their new hostage. He changed back to normal, his dreadlocks dropping back as if gravity just kicked in. He simply blew her a kiss as a large SUV pulled up in the alleyway, screeching to a halt as his brother tossed Echo into the back while the other twin distracted Stone.

Once the truck had taken off, both of the twins gave a bit of a wave and turned into their transparent forms, disappearing down into the street. The crew above them on the rooftops stopped firing and disappeared from view as an eerie silence took over in the alley, littered with bullet holes and lead.

-----------------------------------------------

"I am hungry, yeah."

He got up from the bunk and slipped his boots on, not bothering to buckle the straps. The two of them walked across the ship, down a small flight of stairs, and into the mess hall/kitchen. After fixing themselves some of the usual "slop", they took a seat at the single table there.

"I wonder where Morpheus is now. Last time I saw him, he and Trinity were trying to outrun some agents. I hope their situation has improved some."

With that, he gave a bit of a laugh.

"I dont think our situation will ever change. We're always going to be running..."

His laugh quickly faded away as his smiled dropped to a frown.

 

[Kuuroinochou]

"You should not give up hope Knives, I'm sure this war will end soon... we cannot give up hope." she said upon his crestfallen face. Times like these made living hard to come by but she had to stay strong for her brother, or what were they fighting for?

Eating what little she could of her 'slop' she remained silent poking at the food on her plate before pushing it aside. Resting her chin upon intertwined fingers she bore her gaze into her brother's wondering what he wasn't telling her. "Something is amiss?" she inquired with a slight pout to her lips as she chewed the inside of her cheek. "You know you can talk to me. I'm here for you Knives."

 

[Mister J]

"No no, I'm fine. My side just hurts a bit from that bullet."

He lifted up his shirt, showing her the large bruise on his right side. Knives smiled, shrugging his shoudlers.

"Other than that, I'm good...just a little---"

He was cut off by a message from their captain. It seemed that Echo got himself caught, but by the Merovingian's henchmen. It was better than the Agents having him, but that wouldnt last long. He slammed his fist on the table, growling to himself.

"Damnit!"

Knives looked up to River, anger in his face.

"I've got to go back..."

 

[Mephistophelily]

"Echo-!" Necro tried to start out towards him, but the returned fire drove her back just as quickly as she tried to move. Hiding back, she gave a soft curse, watching as the pale duo made off with her crewmate.

Grabbing up her phone, she ran back into the alleyway further, now even more frustrated. "I couldn't get him... They just- they just took off with him, Steel, I don't know what to do-" Her frustration was turning into panic now, trying to get as far from that woman as she could while holding the phone. "I don't want out, Steel. I'm not leaving without Echo!"

 

[Dynosius]

Steel listened to Necro. She was right, she wasn't going to exit the Matrix without him. Instead, he began to insert some program lines into the Matrix, directly into Necro's coding. Without waiting for her answer, he programmed another line into the Matrix.

"Right, if you look behind you, there should be a motor cycle. I've programmed you to be able to ride a bike. Now hop on and follow Echo. He's just a few blocks away, first turn left and then straight on 'till you hear from me again. Now go!"

He was anxious, this kind of programming wasn't really safe. Agents would come to it like moths to a fire. If Necro would just be quick about it and went into a pursuit, then all would be fine. For now...

 

[gagonthis]

B-SOD yawned slightly as the scene played out, again bursting into a static image for a moment. This damn virus made it so hard to concentrate. Though it was this rogue infection that had given him the freedom of life he now cherished he wished it hadn't come at the cost of his sanity. Oh well. He shrugged and watched Stone work, impressed with her effeciency, his interested piqued as he felt the Merovingan and the twins show up upon the scene. This had turned very interesting indeed. He drew his sword, prepared for anything that might happen.