Bob tried once more, unsuccessfully, to start the engines of the ship. Finally, he turned to Hexadecimal. "Hex. You need to give the order to go. We can't leave until then."

She smiled innocently at him. "Oh, Bob, I don't know if I should! After all, I need to be sure that everything is perfect…"

"Hexadecimal!" Matrix snapped, his eye spinning in his fury. "If you do not let us get going right NOW, we are going to loose the Game and all be nullified! And you will find life VERY boring as a null!"

She sighed in mock defeat and waved a careless hand. "Very well then. Let this mission begin!"

Bob turned back to the controls and grimaced. "And hope to the User that it's not our last," he muttered.
 
 
 

Dot walked briskly into the Command Center of the Principal Office, Switchblade and AndrAIa at her heels. The first words out of the Command.Com's mouth were, "Did anyone make it into the Game?"

Mouse, Raytracer, and Phong looked at each other before Mouse spoke up.

"Bob and Matrix did…" she started, and nudged Raytracer.

Her lover glared at her, not too pleased at having become the scapegoat. "With Hexadecimal…" he finished warily.

Dot's jaw set, her irritation plain in the flashing of her violet eyes. "Hexadecimal? What is she doing in a Game?"

Mouse rolled her eyes. "How should we know, sugah? We can just tell that she's in there."

"I'm sure that Bob and Matrix can handle her," Phong intervened, trying to calm the frazzled nerves. "Now, until the Game leaves, you can at least introduce us to this young lady you've brought in here…"

Dot calmed down a bit as the focus of attention shifted to Switchblade, but Mouse watched her warily, noting that she kept glancing at the Game sensors, obviously worried about Matrix and Bob.
 
 
 

Another shot whizzed by, nearly giving Bob a reversed mohawk. He quickly ducked behind one of the shipping crates in the hallway they were stuck in, one hand going up to feel his hair. "That was a little too close for comfort…"

Matrix stood up and fired off two shots, quickly dispatching the robotic guards at the other end of the hallway. "C'mon," he sighed.

Hexadecimal frowned. "I'm the captain, I get to give the orders," she replied sulkily.

Matrix sighed and rolled his eyes. Bob looked at Hexadecimal. "And what do you say we should do?"

She smiled saucily. "I say we should get going."

Matrix clenched his jaw and muttered something scathing, but Hexadecimal ignored him, sauntering right on by. Bob and Matrix followed, the former scanning the Game codes for a moment. "I think we need to go down that hallway," he said, pointing down another corridor. "Once we get down there, we have to beat a few more guards and then the plans SHOULD be in there."

"Should?"

Bob shrugged. "I could be wrong…"
 
 
 

Once introductions were made, all that was left was to wait. This was not an easy thing by far, considering how much was riding on the outcome of this Game. If Matrix and Bob didn't make it out of there… Dot shoved that thought resolutely aside. They didn't survive this long by being incompetent. Leaning back in her chair in a vain attempt to relax, the Command.Com glanced at AndrAIa. The orange sprite seemed the least concerned about the Game, which was odd, considering that Matrix was one of the sprites playing it.

Dragging her chair over to AndrAIa, Dot made herself comfortable next to the other woman's station. "What's processing?"

"Nothing."

"What're you doing?"

AndrAIa shrugged.

Dot sighed. "What's wrong then?"

"Nothing."

Dot took AndrAIa's arm, turning the other sprite around so they were looking at each other. "Do you expect me to believe that?"

"Nothing is wrong, all right?" AndrAIa protested, slipping out of Dot's grasp and turning back to her screen.

"Aren't you worried about Matrix?"

AndrAIa snorted. "He can take care of himself."

It would have taken someone much more basic than Dot to not catch the venom in that statement. "Andi…"

AndrAIa turned back around, her teal eyes meeting Dot's coldly. "We had a fight, all right? What, is it that obvious? Or is it just because I'm not hanging on his every sulky word that made you think something must be wrong?"

Dot raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Andi, I did not…"

AndrAIa sighed and looked over her shoulder at the others, who had not, as of yet, taken note of their conversation. "Look, I'm sorry, Dot. I didn't mean that. I should know that you of all people don't think…" She broke off and shook her head. "What am I saying, of course you think that. Everyone thinks that. Just little AndrAIa, doesn't have a thought in that fluffy teal head of hers, isn't good for anything except following Matrix around…"

"Everyone doesn't think that, Andi."

AndrAIa rolled her eyes with a sigh. "Even Matrix thinks that. He doesn't think I can do anything for myself."

"He does not."

"Stop that, Dot. He does so. Why do you think he keeps trying to 'protect' me? As if I need it…"

"He does it because he loves you."

"He stifles me."

Dot was silent and AndrAIa sighed again. "Look, just… we can work things out on our own. You have more important things to do than listen to me."

When Dot hesitated, the Game sprite waved a hand at her, pointedly turning back to her work. "Go on."

Dot stood up and left, but cast a worried glance back at AndrAIa. She frankly wasn't too certain that those two stubborn sprites COULD work it out on their own…
 
 
 

Matrix fired off another quick volley of shots before ducking back into cover, glaring at Bob in disbelief. "I thought you said 'a few'!" the renegade protested loudly to be heard over the gunfire.

"I was wrong!" Bob yelled back. He glanced over at their viral companion and grabbed her arm, pulling her back behind the crates and out of the way of the laser bolts. "Hex, you can't just stand there, you'll kill yourself."

"But it's so much fun!" Hexadecimal argued, cheeky grin spreading over her features.

Bob sighed and peeked over the edge of the crate to fire off a few more shots. "We can't just sit here," he said, looking over at Matrix. "The longer we're stuck here, the more time the User has to get to the plans ahead of us."

Hexadecimal looked at him innocently. "All we need to do is get rid of all those pesky things firing at us, correct?"

"Yes…" Bob replied warily.

"Okay!" she said cheerfully, standing back up and letting a burst of energy erupt from her hands. It barreled down the hallway and scattered their attackers like jetbowling pins. "Done."

She all but skipped down the hallway, leaving Matrix and Bob to once again follow her. Bob looked at the remains of the robots, then at Matrix, startled. The renegade shrugged.

"What can we say, she's efficient…"
 
 
 

Finally, the patience of those in the Principal Office was rewarded.

"Game Over."

None of them were able to breathe for a few seconds, certain that it would be followed by three more fateful words. When none came, smiles broke out. A few moments later, Matrix and Bob entered the Command Center, followed by a smiling Hexadecimal.

"That was fun! Can we do it again?"

In unison, Bob and Matrix said, "NO!"

Hexadecimal pouted. "Why NOT?" she mumbled, mostly to herself.

Dot suppressed a smile. "I think that you will have to tell me about this later…"

Bob rolled his eyes and was about to retort before he noticed Switchblade, who was sitting quietly in the corner. "Who are you?"

His inquiry brought everyone back to the matter at hand. Switchblade rose quietly as Dot explained. "This is Switchblade. She… She's come to ask for your help."

Bob looked from Dot to Switchblade, his face reflecting his confusion. Wordlessly, Switchblade handed him a .jpg that she had pulled out of one pocket. The Guardian took it and immediately sat down in one of the chairs..

Looking up at the pale pink sprite, he looked torn between curiosity and anger. "Where did you get this?"

Everyone else in the room had walked over, wondering at this display.

Mouse took the picture from Bob's hands and looked at it. It was of two sprites hugging; the younger, male one was obviously Bob, but she didn't recognize the older female one. "Who is that?"

Bob took the .jpg back. "My mother," he replied shortly before looking up at Switchblade. "You still haven't answered my question."

"That's because I know you aren't going to like my reply." Switchblade looked down at her hands, then glanced nervously at the sprites surrounding her. With a weak smile, she said, "I know they always say that you shouldn't shoot the messenger, but I'm not too sure how many people practice that theory…" When no one so much as cracked a smile, she coughed.

"As I told Miss Matrix, I'm a member of a rebellion against Daemon." She glanced at Bob. "Your mother was also a member. I… didn't know she had a son until… she was captured and I had to go through her things." Before anyone could comment, she plunged onward. "I was ordered to, to make sure that we had all the information she had gathered about Daemon and her Guardians. I figured that any relative of Beta's would be willing to help us with our fight and I took a gamble that you weren't infected."

Silence followed her announcement. Finally, Bob looked up from the picture, his voice hoarse. "She's infected then?"

Switchblade nodded slowly, her whole posture plainly stating that she did not want to be the one to tell him.

With a glance at Dot, Bob continued. "We'd already decided to fight Daemon," he said softly. "This just gives us one more reason to."
 
 
 

Iceshadow scowled at her folded hands. "They didn't want to help me when Sundance was the only one in trouble…"

Raytracer sighed and leaned back in the booth. He had brought Iceshadow down to Al's Wait and Eat - much to Mouse's displeasure - in an effort to figure out what was exactly wrong with his friend. "They agreed to help, Ice."

"But they didn't want to!"

"They don't KNOW you. All they knew was that you were my friend, and that you were trying to kiss me - something that irritated Mouse to no end."

"I apologized for that," Iceshadow grumbled.

"I fail to see what you are getting at, Ice. Look, I know this is hard on you, but…"

"Can't you see, Ray?" she said vehemently. "They don't care for anyone but them and their own! You don't belong with them, can't you just come with me? We can save Sundance OUR way."

Raytracer frowned, his forehead wrinkling in irritation. "Ice, I can't do that. These are my friends."

"But they aren't WebSurfrs!" she protested. "Ray, they're just system sprites…" Her voice could not hide the disdain in which she held them.

Tentativly, she reached out a hand as if to take Raytracer's, but he pulled back. "Those 'system sprites' are my friends, Ice," he repeated coldly. "And you were just complaining that you wanted them to help you. I suggest you be a bit nicer to them if that's what you wish." Not waiting for her to reply, he got up and walked out.
 
 
 

Dot jogged out of the Principal Office, quickly catching up to a lone figure that was walking slowly along the sidewalks of the system. "Bob!"

He stopped and turned slightly, trying to hide the .jpg he held before she saw it. "Hey."

Dot slowed a bit as she approached him, awkwardness settling in. "Are you okay?" she asked lamely.

He shrugged. "It shouldn't surprise me," he said softly. "It's just… I kinda always saw her as invincible. Now… I dunno."

Dot shyly slipped her hand into his, trying to comfort him. "I didn't know that you still… well…"

"That I had a family?" He smiled almost bitterly. "No, I didn't mention her much, did I." Bob started walking again, but not to try and get away from Dot. She kept in step with him easily.

"It seems so weird to think about it," Dot said softly. "It doesn't seem like any of us should have a family outside of our 'group'. I never thought about… I don't know, meeting your mother or your father someday."

"I haven't even met my father," Bob said, almost inanely, with no regret in his voice. "Mom never spoke about him." The last bit seemed to shatter the wall Bob had been trying to build around himself and his head drooped, tears rolling down his cheeks. "I should've known…" he said hoarsely. "I should have expected this news…"

Dot hugged him, painfully aware of the stares they were receiving from the binomes passing by. "Nobody should have to expect this kind of news, Bob," she soothed quietly, leading him towards the Diner. The least she could do was get him somewhere quiet so he wasn't being stared at. Cecil said nothing as Dot guided Bob through the Diner and down into the apartment she shared with Enzo. Bob sank into the couch and sat there for longest time, head resting on Dot's shoulder as he cried softly. It pained Dot to see Bob like this; she couldn't remember ever seeing him cry. He'd always been so cavalier, flying by the seat of his pants…

Embarrassed, Bob pulled away from her, wiping away a few stray tears with the back of his hand. "I'm… sorry about that…"

"It's all right," she whispered, looking into his eyes. Bob turned away first, looking down at the ground.

"No, I'm sorry. You've lost both your parents, you shouldn't have to listen to me…"

Dot grabbed Bob by the shoulders. "Don't talk like that," she said, more harshly than she had intended. "I'm not going to let that overshadow the fact that you need somebody's shoulder to cry on."

Bob looked at her, relief flooding his eyes. Almost unconsciously, the two of them leaned closer to each other. Their lips were about to meet when Enzo came barreling through the door, talking a mile a minute. Both of them jerked back like the other was on fire, faces burning.

"And school was really boring we had a substitute today because our teacher has a small bug but this lady was REALLY stupid and she blamed me for the whole slingshot thing even though it was that idiot Jimmy… Why are you two blushing like that?"
 



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