4.04: Time for some thrilling heroics.

[nofileext]

The Mainframe populace go about their business as usual, if disturbingly cheerfully. The air is filled with cars and zipboards, not CPUs and tanks.

Everything's quiet, more or less.

Of course, given the group that's just coming in from Milliways, that's not liable to last long.

Comments

Re: Team Cure

[renegade-enzo.livejournal.com]

Matrix makes an annoyed sigh, shaking his head slightly and holding his hands up in defeat.

"Okay, okay, I'll do it."

He walks over to Hexidecimal, leaning down in front of her.

Re: Team Cure

[nofileext]

Hex backs up against the Gateway Machine, terrified. "W-what are you doing? No, no! Please don't hurt me--"

Re: Team Cure

[renegade-enzo.livejournal.com]

Matrix takes his icon and holds it over Hex's, a beam of light going between the two for a few picoseconds as he uses the Antivirus to cure her. When it starts taking effect, he stands back, still looking down at her.

Re: Team Cure

[nofileext]

Hexadecimal shudders and screams as the Word is forced out of her. It's a gut-wrenching loss and a profound relief at the same time.

Trembling, she tries to stand.

Re: Team Cure

[notascreensaver]

AndrAIa catches her, and helps her to her feet. Sure, viruses are evil, but Hex almost doesn't count, really. She's more chaotic than anything else.

"Are you okay?"

Re: Team Cure

[nofileext]

"I... I think so..."

Re: Team Cure

[nofileext]

Without Hex's thoughts to give them focus, the nulls that formed Welman's body had been milling around aimlessly on the platform. Now, they begin coming back together to form the familiar quasi-humanoid shape that Welman Matrix had become.

"I'm never going to get used to this," he mutters.

Re: Team Cure

[a1enzo]

That is so cool to watch. "Hi, Dad!"

Re: Team Cure

[renegade-enzo.livejournal.com]

That gets an utterly shocked look from Matrix.

"Dad?"

Explanation, plz?

Re: Team Cure

[nofileext]

Hex has other things on her mind. "Where's Bob?" she asks, looking around. Where is everybody, come to think of it?

Re: Team Cure

[a1enzo]

That, on the other hand, is not cool.

"Daemon's got him."

Re: Team Cure

[nofileext]

Her expression hardens.

"Show me."

* * *

Getting into the War Room is surprisingly easy; the corridors are virtually deserted. Once there, AndrAIa programs the main screen to show the battle taking place atop the subsphere... and an unconscious, translucent Guardian sprawled on the roof underneath.

"She's hurt Bob!" gasps Hex in outrage. "We have to do something!"

Re: Team Cure

[renegade-enzo.livejournal.com]

"Like what?" He motions to the screen, showing Danny and Hellboy in a losing battle with Daemon. "They're getting their ASCIIs kicked, and they have powers. What the frag are we supposed to do?"

Even he isn't stupid enough to try and take Daemon head on again.

Re: Team Cure

[notascreensaver]

"Even with those guys we don't have the firepower to go up against her. I don't really see how anyone can take her down."

Re: Team Cure

[nofileext]

Hex knows someone who can.

She turns on her heel and stalks toward the door.

Re: Team Cure

[renegade-enzo.livejournal.com]

Matrix turns and gives Hex a curious look.

"Where are you going?"

Re: Team Cure

[nofileext]

"To get more firepower," she growls.

Re: Team Cure

[renegade-enzo.livejournal.com]

"From where?"

There wasn't anything in any of the armories strong enough to take Daemon out.

Re: Team Cure

[nofileext]

"The Core."

She is going to restore her viral power, and User help the program who tries to stop her.

Re: Team Cure

[nofileext]

The door slides open. Barring Hex's way is Phong, pulling karate poses and making ninja-type noises. Please don't laugh.

Re: Team Cure

[nofileext]

...what the frag?

Hexadecimal stares down at Phong for a long moment, then picks him up by the neck and drops him to one side before continuing down the corridor.

Re: Team Cure

[a1enzo]

Well, that makes this cure easy. Enzo zaps Phong while he's lying there groaning.

Re: Team Cure

[nofileext]

Phong twitches as the Word is purged from his code, then continues to groan but in a different way. "What have we done..."

Re: Team Cure

[renegade-enzo.livejournal.com]

Matrix moves over and kneels next to Phong.

"You okay, old man?"

Re: Team Cure

[notascreensaver]

AndrAIa hovers over Matrix's shoulder, not wanting at all to follow Hex.

"You did what Daemon told you to do. You didn't have a choice."