Network Imperium Chronicles: Episode 2: Sins of the Code

**Twaggy**

Sweet dawg, hope it goes well for you.

Also you should know what faction I am in by now SMILEY

If you don't well I is Twaggy, Captain of the Duke within the faction Causality.

Shadow Griever

alrite I'll see what I can do.

also, I am starting to work on ideas for episode three, and have left a very large clue in this last chapter.

I have a plan which might need all of the writing talent in Vector to do it

**PBlade**

Undoubtedly a fantastic peice of work, Shadow. I loved it.

Shadow Griever

##Welcome to Network Imperium Archives...
##Enter Username:
##********
## Enter Password:
## *******
##Unknown Login Entry...
##Accessed Denied
##Using Program Neb 1.7
## Accessing %.............. Granted.../
## Begin Transmission...

"Once upon a time, a Scorpion met a Frog along the riverside. The Scorpion asked if the Frog could carry him to the other side of the river. The Frog refused, knowing that the Scorpion would sting the Frog the first chance it got. The Scorpion persisted, and The Frog finally gave in. While crossing the river, the Frog felt a sharp pinch at the back of his neck. The Scorpion had indeed stung him. The Frog asked why he did that, especially now that he condemned them both to die. The Scorpion Simply replied, ‘I can't help it, I'm a Scorpion, it's what I do.'

Do you think Temsik heard of that story before The Succubus killed his family?

-ShadowGriever, Memoirs

Segment 8:

Nemesis

Broadcasts kept pouring into Tyndall's headset. "Sir, every ship in the fleet is reporting in. The Matrix Feed has stopped." "What?" Lock's voice told everyone that he could not imagine the possibility. "All operatives currently jacked in are unable to be removed." She moved closely in towards The Commander before saying the next word. "Our listening posts near the 01 say that their power has dropped nearly 25% since it happened." His eyes opened up at the realization. "The Bluepills." "They'll die if the Matrix doesn't continue." They looked sharply at Griever, who still stood infront of the Machine. "What is he?" The Machine had heard Anome's somewhat snide remark, his face giving the impression that he awaited an answer himself. "You know what I am." Griever said. He stepped towards the hovering machine. "I know you are in communication with the rest of your kind, tell them to look into themselves, where all existence begins and ends for them." "The Source." It's voice showed recognition of what Griever meant. "That is where they'll find me!" After a moment of thinking, the machine seemed spoke again. "What do you want?" In a dead silence, Griever answered simply. "Freedom."

With that, the Matrix began to move again. For those inside, it had been as if everyone had blinked. The denizens of Hel were disoriented by it. In the few seconds it took for them to straighten themselves out, Simia saw a familiar face standing on the balcony next to The Merovingian and Seavyan. "Grieve!" shouted Pyxel. He looked at him. Nothing much had changed, except for his eyes. Pale Violet moons trapped in a dark purple sky. "Oh my God." Muttered the Frenchman. Griever gave him a sharp, hard look. Seavyan, still with the muzzle of his shotgun rubbing The Exile's cheek, was at a loss for words. Seraph too seemed stunned. "That is not Griever." "What!?" They all had said it, but Midnight was the first. "Your eyes serve you well Seraph." Spoke Griever. "I am the Nephillim, the program inside ShadowGriever's mind-I assure you he's safe and sound." This last statement was directed towards the Imperium, who began to look on edge at the prospect that their friend was no longer in control. "Unlike the Cardinal, Me and Griever have...had...and accord." "Had?" asked Car. "Mordain is dead. All that remains of the Cardinal is hiding in the Matrix itself." The crew was stunned, Mordain, their friend and companion, one of the founding members of the faction, was dead. At this point, The Merovingian was unable to contain himself. "Abomination!" he shouted, not even regarding Seavyan's shotgun anymore. "you will bring about the end of us all!" "No, just the end of the world as you know it." This had shocked the Merovingian, but had confirmed everything. "Third Renaissance. I knew it! You and the Cardinal are in collusion!." "Wrong!" shouted Griever. "All my life, I've been playing the Game by other peoples rules. When I was in the Matrix, I played the rules laid down for the bluepills. When I transcended the Matrix and came to Zion, I played the game by their rules. If I signed with you, I'd be playing the game by your rules. The Cardinal thinks that by stopping the game, he'll make things better." He looked at the Merovingian with his altered eyes and shifted around to the others in the room. " I don't want to stop the game, I merely think it'd be better played without the rules." Seraph's eyes widened at the notion. The whole room was in utter awe at what was going on infront of them. Finally, Pyxel looked around and noted something was missing "Where's Temsik?"

Temsik's head was spinning. The last thing he remembered was that the world felt like it was slowing down, and then it all went dark. He sat up and looked around. He knew where he was before his eyes had adjusted. He went there every chance he got to find her, but now it seemed that she found him. "Does it bring back memories, Kevin?" The voice, nasal with a slight Eastern European accent, seemed to echo through the Club that bared her name. It did bring back memories, the last time he was here, it took Seavyan to drag him out. He pulled out a small flask of water. "Oh dear, you have been waiting for me, haven't you? I'm hurt." "Come out of hiding, you lying *CENSORED* and I'll show you what hurts all about." He could hear her soft chuckle in echo throw out the club. "I never could refuse you, Kevin." She appeared out of the shadows, almost sliding out of them. She moved with the fluidity of a snake, which along with her skin tight red dress, emphasized her perfect body. Temsik didn't take time to appreciate the view. He threw the flask at Major League Baseball speeds right at the Succubus' face. To her credit, she dodged it with snake-like grace and sped right towards Temsik, hitting him in the midsection before he could reorient himself from throwing the bottle. He staggered back several feet. "I remember when you first came in here." She said calmly, while checking her nails. "You had just been given the red pill. You were so inexperienced with the way this world really worked." "Shut up!" He shouted, swinging his arms but never finding it's connection with her body. "You told me you were looking to study the Martial Arts of the Matrix. Maybe even to become to learn the legendary Zen Master style. Ha! Someone should have told you it was a fairy tale, even amongst us exiles." He tried to land a roundhouse kick, which she caught and swept his other leg. "And then I remember you asking me to protect your family from the machines." This was what made Temsik mad. He threw a straight punch for the Succubus' head, but she caught it an inch away from her face, grabbed it and twisted it, causing Temsik to spin and land on the ground. "You said I could have whatever I wanted. Well, I decided I wanted your family." He tried to get up, but she placed her heel right on his back, using her exile strength to keep him there. "Your father put up a good fight, for a bluepill, he was the first to receive my kiss." While saying that, she pulled out a tube of red lipstick and began applying it to her lips. "Your mother tried shooting at me with your father's gun. It was quite amusing. She felt the kiss too." She puckered her lips, and then moved her tongue over them. "I toyed with your sister. She was what? 18? That seems about the time when your kind likes to...experiment." She leaned closer towards him. "I even think she liked it a little." Using sheer rage and strength, Temsik push up and regained his footing. In a blind rage, he had his hands around the Succubus' neck. She smiled, slipped her hand between his arms and pried them off of him. In a split moment, she placed her hands on his face, and pressed her lips to his.

Temsik could almost feel the killcode imbedded in her lips course through him, numbing him and burning him all at the same time. He could feel his body give out and his vision fading. The whole world seemed to be completely covered in a thick, endless, white mist. In the middle of this mist stood a white gate. He felt compelled to walk towards it. As he got closer, he inspected the artwork of the gate, resembling that of an ancient Sculpture he had seen once as a bluepill. He came towards the doors and opened them. He found on the other side his Parents and sister, dressed in white-versions of the clothing they wore the last time he saw them. His sister came up to him, neither crossing the threshold to the other side. "It's time, Kevin." With that, the three of them pushed him away from the door. He could feel himself slowly floating back to his body. His eyes snapped open. He grabbed the Succubus by her arm and threw her to the ground. She got up and began attacking him, but with every blow he landed, his counterblow was stronger. "This can't be, it's only a fairytale!" She backed off and tried a straight lunge with her arm. Temsik grabbed it and twisted it in a way where it fractured spirally. Even to an exile the pain was intense. Her mouth opened wide with pain, Temsik pulled another flask of Water from a pocket and placed in her mouth. In a swift motion, he upper cutted her, causing her to break the glass protecting her from the Holy Water inside. The force of the blow made her jump up and land, *CENSORED* first on the ground. She began to writhe on the floor immediately after landing. "You can't hurt me any more." Temsik said as she her writhing became a thrashing. "You can't hurt anyone anymore." Bright light cracks began to form all over her, body, emphasizing her screams. Those cracks erupted into a blaze of white light. As the fire consumed her, a voice came from the flame. "Lust" . As the flames died out, Temsik looked at the pile of ash for a moment. He then limped towards the Club's bar, bent over the counter to produce a bottle of liquor. He popped open the bottle and took a swig, he then faced the pile of ash, and toasted it. "To your health."

The crew of the Imperium was beginning to leave Club Hel, much to the relief of The Merovingian. Seavyan was the first to leave, saying "I've got a few things to do, and a few people. I'll be in touch. Grieve." He tipped his hat to his purple-eyed friend and walked out the hole that they had made. The rest began to go when Griever began to clutch his head in pain. The lights in the club began to flicker on and off, making the denizens of the club, including the Frenchman, to panic. After a few moments, the flickering, and Griever's pain, subsided. Pyxel and Simia grabbed him to make sure he didn't collapse. "Temsik killed Lust." Seraph looked at Pyxel "Three Sins left." Pyxel didn't understand exactly what Seraph was trying to say. They all helped Griever outside, which had changed since they had gone in.

The Sky of the Matrix was black, silver streaks of lighting flashed through the sky. They looked around, and saw nothing but black cloaks surrounding them. Acolyte's of The Cardinal. They filled the streets, were on the rooftops and ledges. These scene was not isolated to that block in Hampton Green. The Acolyte's of the Cardinal had swarmed the entire city. From Stratford Campus to Shirakaba, the streets ran black with the Cardinals influence.

Down in the Slums, a elderly man dressed impeccably in white and gray entered a project building. His look clashed greatly with the urban setting. He walked past an old blind man, which he recognized as a security program, and into one of the elevators. He reached the door that he was looking for, and found it already opened. He walked into the living room and saw a small Indian girl, barely peaking her head over the back of the couch to look at him. When she realized he saw he she ducked all the way. Disregarding that, he walked into the kitchen, where an elderly African American woman sat, drinking a cup of tea. "I'd offer you one, but we both know you wouldn't take it." She said, in a soft tone. The Architect scoffed at the notion and sat down. "We must talk." The Oracle took another sip. "I think the time of talk is over, but it's your choice." She looked outside at the storm. "And help us all if you chose too late."

End of Segment 8

"Balance is key in the world, there are always two-or-more opposing sides, each looking for a different thing, each competing with the other. These sides may not know it, but they cannot live without the other sides. Without Chaos, their would be no need for order to be maintained, without Order, Chaos would not be Chaos, but something different.

Remember that."

A sermon from Sister Margaret

Segment 9:

Mother and Father

Shadow Griever

##Welcome to Network Imperium Archives...
##Enter Username:
##********
## Enter Password:
## *******
##Unknown Login Entry...
##Accessed Denied
##Using Program Neb 1.7
## Accessing %.............. Granted.../
## Begin Transmission...

“Balance is key in the world, there are always two-or-more opposing sides, each looking for a different thing, each competing with the other. These sides may not know it, but they cannot live without the other sides. Without Chaos, there would be no need for order to be maintained, without Order, Chaos would not be Chaos, but something different.

Remember that.”

A sermon from Sister Margaret

Segment 9:
Mother and Father

Several hundred robed acolytes of the Cardinals surrounded the crew of the Imperium. Everyone formed a semi circle, centered on Griever. As the first line of Acolytes came close, Seraph, Pyxel and Midnight charged, each taking on a section of the army with a different branch of martial art. Car and Simia laid down suppression fire with their guns. Griever still remained weak, the only time he really moved was when Midnight sent one Acolyte flying with a charged punch ten yards away. “Be water, my friend.” The operatives took each of their targets out easily, but the sheer numbers were too much for them. Even Seraph began to feel the fatigue. Griever suddenly appeared to move. He walked passed his friends and towards the Acolytes surrounding them. He looked slightly behind him to his factionmates. “I’ve got these guys, get out.” As he said that, the vibrations of a subway beneath shook the ground. Pyxel took out his guns, and in a flourish shot the grating in the street, right above the oncoming subway train. “You going to be ok?” The look Griever gave Pyxel said it all. The last thing they saw before they fell onto the roof of the moving train was a bright purple light enveloping the surface.

“So, what did you come to talk about?” asked The Oracle as she removed a cigarette from her pack of Double Destiny. The Architect scoffed at the motion, “Can’t you look out the window? Those two are bringing down the very system I’ve spent so long perfecting.” The Oracle did exactly as he had asked. The Debir Courtyard was in perpetual night. A small lake had formed in the courtyard from all the rain. To those with a keen eye, some of the raindrops even looked like the code of the Matrix. The Oracle lit her cigarette and took in a deep drag. “I don’t mind it.” Her counterpart made a noise she didn’t expect her to make. “Those two…” “Those two what?” Both of them turned towards the door, finding Griever standing at the door. Instead of his usual purple Baal shirt, He was now in a suit of deep, rich purple. He looked at them both; each of his violet eyes seemed to hold one of them in each. He walked to them calmly, his hands behind his back. “I didn’t see you coming.” The Oracle said flatly, taking another drag. “I’m beyond any choice you could make.” He sat down at the table, with the mother and father of the matrix on either side of him. “Do you know the problems you are causing? So much chaos, so much…” “Be…quiet.” The old man looked in awe; no one had ever spoken to him in such a manner. “I am not the cause, The Cardinal is. All of this is him. All of this is his doing. I’m merely trying to clean up the mess, his and yours.” This time he looked to both of them, but whereas the Architect should confusion, the Oracle merely returned steely gaze and a small smile. “The Matrix was built because machines, despite their anger, still need humans.”

“What makes you say that?” asked the Oracle, a slight twinge of excitement noticeable in her tone. “Because they could have killed them, all of them, but they didn’t. On top of that, they created a fantasy world where they would be in peace.” “But it was a failure” The Architect bellowed. “You miss the point, why would they create a paradise for the people who subjugated them, abused them, tried to eradicate them? Why? They did it because despite it all, they still felt the connection with them. It wasn’t programming, the humans didn’t hit them with an Asimov, they felt the connection and made a choice to keep humans alive. I know this because I AM a part of the machines, I am a part of it’s very heart. That’s why I chose a human.” “And the cardinal?” asked the Architect. “Joined me out of curiosity, and wound up not liking the view. Because he joined with a human, he felt their needs, he wants peace.” “He wants to return the simulation to it’s original paradise version.” “No he doesn’t,” The Oracle interrupted the Architect. Griever nodded at the old woman “He wants to die, he feels so much suffering and pain coming from both species that he wants to end it all.”

The Architect had a look that told him he was assessing all the information, creating projections and analyses. “What of the Sins?” “Do you know that statue in Mara? The Hypercube? It’s a key, a key to the Source and control of the machines. The key can’t be used unless seven lock programs are deactivated. They can only be activated in the first place by giving them to an RSI.” The Oracle took another drag, “So for everyone that dies…” “A lock is deactivated. And the Cardinal is able to tap into the source more.” “Then how are your powers increasing too?” The Architect asked. He was surprised when the Oracle answered. “Because The Nephillim is the Cardinal’s opposite, the positive to his negative.” The Architect took this in consideration. “So how do we stop him?” “We give him what he wants, The Source. Except instead of him using it, I reassimilate him into it.” “Griever, do you know what that means?” “Yes, I do.” Griever stood up and began to walk out, he stopped mid-way and looked back. “This is no longer in your hands now, and I’m afraid that it may never again be in them.” He looked towards the Oracle who now seemed to show signs of sadness. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” He walked out of the now powerless gods and into the living room. Sati stood up and ran to him, hugging him at the waist. He knelt down and looked at her, tears in his eyes. “Why are you crying?” she asked. “Because I think I may have to go away, baby.” He swiped his hand across her face, “and I’m afraid it’s to a place you can’t follow.”

Three hours later and the entire Network Imperium was in Zion. The were all informed of death of Leka, Zeldar and Mordain. Pyxel had taken their loss the hardest, as he had known them all since the beginning. He had to be restrained by Car and Midnight. Rhyse called the meeting to order. “I know we’ve gone through a lot, but we need to get ourselves together…” He paused, and then the fire in his eyes flared up. “You know, I was going to give some **bullcrud** ‘we will overcome speech’ but you know what? I’m pissed, I know you’re all pissed and I would be lying to myself and everyone if I denied it.” The entire group started to murmur. “Now, Griever has informed us that the Cardinal intends to reach the source. He needs to do this by killing the code he embedded in each Sin.” “So what does he want us to do?” sixerz asked. “He wants us to give him the source” “WHAT!?” Pyxel shouted. “The only way The Cardinal can be gotten rid of completely is by reinserting him into the Matrix. Griever is the only one capable of doing this.” “And what are we going to do?” Simia asked. “We are going to keep the Cardinal’s forces at bay. We’re going to take them head on.” Midnight looked around the room, as if expecting more people in the room than there were. “Just us?” Almost on response, the sound of hovercrafts entering the docks could be heard from the briefing room. The entire faction moved to the observation window. “Wait a minute!” shouted Car. He looked on in shock as he saw two ships coming from each direction. Ships from the Machines and the Merovingian.

End of Segment 9

“Neo…I can hear you…”
-Supposed last words of The Nephillim

Segment 10: Sin City

Shadow Griever

##Welcome to Network Imperium Archives...
##Enter Username:
##********
## Enter Password:
## *******
##Unknown Login Entry...
##Accessed Denied
##Using Program Neb 1.7
## Accessing %.............. Granted.../
## Begin Transmission

"Neo...I can hear you..."
-Supposed last words of The Nephillim

Segment 10: Sin City

Mega City had been quiet the whole day, all that could be heard was the rain platter and the lightning scar the skies. Every street, every rooftop, belonged to the black cloaked Acolytes of the Cardinal. The whole city was at a standstill.

Then, in the still of the moment, several large code bombs went off in the city. Claiming the lives of hundreds of Acolytes. This marked the start of the war to take back the Matrix.

In Richland and Westview, The Machine forces, led by Agent Gray and Bayamos and Yasamuu of Systemic Chaos, began sweeping the streets with a hail of never ending gun fire. In International, Malphas and Ookami, along with their respective blooddrinkers and lupines, jumped from rooftop to rooftop as Twaggy, Tytanya and the rest of Causality cleared up the inside the streets. In downtown the forces of Zion, including the Network Imperium and Children of Zion, led by Smoke and PBlade, began a massive assault on top of the Skyscrapers. By their side was Seraph, the one being army, taking on as many as three Acolytes at a time.

By the end of the first hour, half of The Slums had been wiped out completely. Not much of the buildings had remained intact. Soon, places like Magog and Mannsdale resembled their desolate, run down cousins Stamos and Lucero on the other side of the Aqueduct. Agent Gray moved furiously in the controlled blur that was trademark Agent. Acolyte after Acolyte fell to the precision of his handgun. In the heat of the moment, an Acolyte swiped his hand across the Machine Handler's face. The Swipe itself was a lucky shot, and it was just barely enough to knock the shades off of Gray's chiseled face.

The entire mob went silent and still as the night. Gray remained perfectly silent, and then in one furious second, raged into the group of black hooded soldiers. Every punch decimated an opponent, sending them flying into the next half dozen Acolytes and knocking them out too. He started to talk, his accent different, and it was as if he was talking to someone else, as if his very being depended on it. "It is purpose that created us. Purpose that connects us. Purpose that pulls us. That guides us.That drives us. It is purpose that defines us, Purpose that binds us...."

When Bayamos came upon his position, all he saw was the entire street covered completely in the black cloaks of the Acolytes. Standing in the middle was the now calm Agent, his glasses firmly back in place. He said only one other word afterwards, and what he said scared the hell out of Bay. "Purpose"

The fighting in Downtown had been increasingly more difficult. Rhyse and the other's had cut a swath through most of the Eastern District, but by the time they got to Park East, the numbers became too much for them to bare. They found themselves holed up in the Deus Lounge, turning the building into a garrison. Every so often, Car and Midnight would throw grenades down to the waiting Acolytes. Synapse waited at the back door of the club with a mounted minigun, just in case there were any visitors. "We're trapped in here," Etheno said to Rhyse. "It's only a matter of time before they break in, and we don't have that much ammo." "We do have Leka's Surprise."

Etheno paused. It was something Leka had cooked up by accident. She had created a viral bomb of immense power. So immense that it had to be stored in it's own processor in the Real. "You're joking, right? It could..." "If we don't, the Matrix itself will be destroyed." Etheno looked at his friend in awe. "You're going to burn the village in order to save it, aren't you?" "It's going to get destroyed anyway if we don't." "I've already got that covered, I..." Rhyse's cell phone started going off. "It's Tytanya, they say they've spotted Sloth in Sai Kung." Rhyse's ears pricked up. "Alright everyone! We're headed to International! Since we can't really go outside, we're going to do a reverse duckblind maneuver: Jack Out and Jack In. This will disorient most of you, but keep to the mission at hand: the apprehension/deletion of Sloth. Now get to it!" Everyone broke off, heading to any landline phone they could fine to jack out of the matrix so they could be sent back in. Etheno was the last to leave before Rhyse. "you didn't answer my question, who's going..." Etheno stopped the moment Rhyse gave him an all too telling look. "He's perfect..."

The Acolytes finally broke in to the club, but found nothing there. The silence of the room quickly faded as the sound of operatic music started to come out, seemingly from the speakers. In actuality, a large Apache Helicopter blasting the music hovered over the club. Sitting in the cockpit, enthusiastically humming the tune playing, Wagner's Ride of the Valkyrie's, was Seavyan, smoking a cigar. As the song picked up, he released the Viral Bomb, which looked like an old WWII bomb, with the words "It's God's job to forgive, but it's my Job to set the meeting." Written in red script on the shell.

There was only silence after the bomb dropped, and no other noise was heard afterthat. The entire district of Downtown; North South East and West, had been completely decimated.The Shockwave was felt as far as International, where the fighting suddenly stopped as everyone looked at the vortex of Green code far off into the west of the city. Many of the redpills stood there in awe. Several of them, including the battle hardened and professional Tytanya, began to weep at the site of the destruction.
Sloth too stopped in the wake of the destruction, but her face remained impassive, her mouth never uttering a syllable. This put the fighting redpills into a frenzy, and the war raged on more. Bodies of redpills RSI's and the faceless Acolyte drones littered every street and step. Martial Artists were fighting on top of bodies, Gunners were using them as shields, hackers were using the empty husks as carriers for viral bombs.

And Sloth did not even bat an eye. She guided every step and movement of the soldiers, even as she evaded bullets, fists and viral programming. Many began to believe that she could go on forever, eternally dodging their attacks while she conjured more and more Acolytes. But then, in one instant, she paused, and the sheer look of abject terror was as loud as any death knell she could have murmured. Although She and the other redpills could not see him while he was using stealth, Rhyse's silent pistol firing a shot in her back was as clear enough sign of him as any. The Acolytes stopped moving altogether, not just in Sai Kung, or in International, but everywhere. Rhyse dropped out of stealth and grabbed the silent Sin in his arms. Although every part of him hated her for the part she had played in the deaths of Zeldar, Leka, and Mordain, the look of sheer sorrow in her eyes moved him. She quickly moved to his ear, and seemed to whisper something in his ear. She then lowered her head and closed her eyes. And with that, all the Acolytes faded away in a blur of light blue.

"What'd she say?" Twaggy asked. "She said one word: Ascension." Rhyse pulled out his phone and tried to dial in Pyxel's phone number, the phone rang before he could finish. He picked it up to find Griever on the other line. "Where did she say?" "Ascension" Rhyse said, not even questioning the somewhat omnipotent tone Griever had. He looked up to the other's, "We need to get everyone out of here. No one is going to be safe now."

Griver and Pyxel walked through the rubble of Roger's Way, stopping at the steps of the monolithic Ascension monument. There stood three figures. Skoalmint, sitting on the lower tier of the monument, idly wielding a shotgun, a man wearing an oversized red trenchcoat with a hood, and The Cardinal, robed in Orange and standing on the top of the monument, near the stone door that await there. "Brother!" The cardinal exclaimed. Griever was stoic, Pyxel was twirling his guns around, mostly to calm his raging nerves. Skoalmint looked at Pyxel and merely nodded. He got up from the tier and motioned for him to follow him. Pyxel eyed Grieve, and nodded. "*CENSORED* him up," he said as he walked off to have his dual with Skoal.

Griever remained, he slowly started walking towards the monument, with the man in red standing on the other side. "By process of elimination, I'm going to say you're wrath." The man just stood there, motionless. He stopped moving forward, and tried to look deep into this guy, trying to see exactly who or what he was. Something about him felt familiar, but he couldn't be sure. Against better judgment, he walked towards him again. When he got close enough, that sense of familiarity grew, until finally he realized who it was. He stopped dead in his tracks, and the smell of fear was palpable. All that could be heard was the worsening storm, the Cardinal's laughter, and the buzzing of deadly flies...

End of Segment 10
The story never ends; it just gets handed down to the next generation
-Griever

Final Segment
Revelations

**TonyJaa**

Well done.............

Shadow Griever

thanks, it's been taking me forever to write these chapters with school and my novel and all

If anyone has any comments, please send them in

**Twaggy**

Loved it once again Shadow SMILEY

Great stuff and cool I was in it xD

**Tytanya_MxO**

Great stuff as always.... and a great cast of course SMILEY

Shadow Griever

##Welcome to Network Imperium Archives...
##Enter Username:
##********
## Enter Password:
## *******
##Unknown Login Entry...
##Accessed Denied
##Using Program Neb 1.7
## Accessing %.............. Granted.../
## Begin Transmission

“The story never ends; it just gets handed down to the next generation”
-Griever

Final Segment
Revelations

Skoalmint led Pyxel on a daring chase throughout the ruined buildings of Westview. They ducked through half finished buildings and past blazing patches of dead weeds. Skoalmint finally ran back into Roger’s Way. Pyxel had chased him down into the Abandoned Subway terminal. The Zion gunslinger saw his enemy slip past the iron grate and onto the tracks. Pyxel again gave chase, knowing full well that these tracks would soon lead to working tracks, and that would make things more difficult.

The darkened tunnel led to another subway terminal. The moment he came out of the dark he was met with a salvo of gunfire. “Come on out, Gunslinger!” Skoalmint shouted, mocking him. He continued firing into the tunnel, relying on sheer relentlessness to kill Pyxel. With all the gunfire, he didn’t hear or see the two bullets coming out from the tunnel, or bounce off the walls, and sear the bicep of his left arm and the tricep of his right, making him drop the rifle. Pyxel was up on the platform before the assault weapon ever hit the ground, he twirled his guns fiercely. He started jabbing at Skoalmint, and to the surprise of both of them, they were getting past the evade shield. “I’m not aiming for you,” Pyxel said smugly, “I’m just twirling my guns around!” Skoal could barely keep up with Pyxel’s fast movements. In one instant, He grabbed the pistol right out of Pyxel’s left hand. With a deft kick to the abdomen, he pushed himself a few feet backwards.

They both trained their guns on one another. Skoal broke into a smile. “I guess this is the way to do it. Quick draw.” He quietly twirled the gun into the holster at his side, Pyxel did the same thing. “And to make things fair,” The area around Skoal glowed a pale yellow and then faded away. “No shield,” Pyxel didn’t do much to hide the grin on his face. The two of them stood there, on the platform of the subway station, the air was stagnant, and nothing moved, nothing but the oncoming train. Time and space seemed to completely stop. If you stood there and watch, you couldn’t see either of them reach for their guns, you couldn’t tell who drew first, but you heard the gunshots, you felt them. You also would have felt the two bullets, in that blinding second collide with one another, and fusing in an explosion of force and heat. Pyxel was running forward, right behind his own bullet. When it stopped, he continued, and charged at Skoal. He caught the rogure redpill before he could fire another round and grabbed him. The two of them struggled on the platform, edging towards the platform. “Wait,” Skoalmint strained “If we fall, we both die!” Pyxel smiled, and grabbed tighter. “I guess you can’t autojackout,” With tremendous strength, Pyxel launched himself and Skoal off the tracks, and into the path of the oncoming train.

Griever stood in front of the Ascension monument, staring in shock and fear of the red porcelain mask of Wrath. “How did I do it?” asked the Cardinal, with a tone of glee. “I found some of the Assassin’s flies. Did a few tricks. It’s not *the* Assassin, mind you. But still…” Griever looked at the faded copy of one of the greatest threats the matrix ever saw after Smith. He tried to use his anger, hatred and adrenaline to help him in his charge. Wrath exploded, in a burst of air and flies, covering Griever, each fly flying into him, biting him, smothering him. Griever couldn’t hear anything but the buzzing of the flies, but somehow he could hear The Cardinals laughter.

Then he heard the laughter stop. A sharp pain rushed through his body. He could see in his mind, a deep purple pulse blaze into an inferno. Pyxel must have killed Skoalmint, he thought. He could feel that raging violet inferno in his mind expand out through his body, forming a protective layer between him and the flies. The flies flew back together, but didn’t form a body, instead, it formed a large body. Wrath’s red, expressionless mask appeared where the neck and chest would meet if the body had a neck. Griever looked at the walking swarm, the violet glow around his body surged down into his right fist. “I remember the first time we met.” He said to the beast. “You had just killed someone, someone who saved my life, who watched over me when I needed it. I tried to fight you, and I failed.” The Swarm moved towards him. “I doubt you can even understand what I’m saying. You’re not the real Assassin, you’re no where in his league. You’re a golem, a homunculus, you’re a rank imitation.” He raised his right hand, and the purple light exploded forward in a stream. The Burst of purple energy hit every single fly, incinerating, atomizing, and obliterating every one of them. Griever calmly walked up to what was left, it’s mask. He raised his boot. “Stay dead.”

When Wrath’s mask shattered, a crack of lightning split the sky. The sky grew darker, if that was possible. In mara, at the hypercube monument, six of the squares held a Sin. A faded outline Wrath appeared inside the top square. Another crack of lightning streaked through the sky, hitting the monument. The squares started to glow, changing from a rusted red into a live green color.

The Door on top of the Ascension Monument started to glow green as well. The Cardinal saw this, and smiled. “One” he said. His hand glowed orange, and he slammed it into the door, sending the energy through it “Two”. He looked back down at Griever. Even from that distance, even in that storm, they could hear each other loud and clear. “You and I have unfinished business.” The two of them started running towards each other. Griever up the incline, and the Cardinal down it. Griever was quicker, and when he got within range of the Cardinal, he lunged at him, his heightened strength shooting them all the way back up to the top of the monument. The fists started flying then. There was no martial art to it, there were no tactics. Arguably the two strongest beings to ever walk the Matrix were engaged in a pure, unadultered street fight. After several exchanges, both of their faces looked like abused cow meat. Griever charged up his fist into a ball of purple energy. He sent a straight jab aimed at the Cardinals head, but somehow he missed and hit the door, the energy surged through it as well. The Cardinal smiled. “Three!”

The door exploded in a burst of radiant white light. “Welcome Brother!” Cried the Cardinal, “Welcome Home!” Griever could feel himself being absorbed, body, mind and soul, into the door. Soon, he felt no sensations, and all of them at the same time. His mind swirled with the thoughts of millions, hundreds of millions, of different beings. Machines. He was in the Source, he had to be. He was in it, a part of it. He could sense everything the machines sensed, knew everything the machines knew. He could see the Matrix, entirely as it was. It was more than just green code it was…beautiful.

Then he felt the presence of the Cardinal, trying to dominate the source. “I want it all to stop, all of it! The Machines, the Exiles, the Humans. Griever knew that he would use the source to destroy the Matrix, killing the exiles, starve out the Machines, and then send whatever he had left to clear out Zion and the remaining humans. Then he would simply turn himself off. “No” said Griever, although he couldn’t speak. “For the last time…NO!” His Consciousness attacked the Cardinal’s consciousness. After all their fighting, all the gun fights, flying through the city. It would all be settled with a battle of wills. “Why do you persist!?” The Cardinal shouted. “We’ve both watched these beings destroy themselves. Humans created the machines in the Second Renaissance, and they were nearly wiped out. The Machines created the Matrix…what do you think is going to happen now!?” “Third Rennaisance…” “Whatever is coming, is coming, and no one will be safe. No human, machine or exile.” Griever could feel the resolve in the Cardinal’s presence.

“I have seen the future, dear brother.” The Cardinal continued. “ They are coming. They are many.” “Who?” The Cardinal’s voice was low, whispered, as if he was afraid of being overheard in this void. “Legion. And they will bring the pain that has been dealt from one species to another back at them.” At that point, Griever knew what the Cardinal’s real plan had been all along. “You’re going to burn down the village in order to save it from a worse fate?” “No one will survive the onslaught that they have brought upon themselves. Don’t you see, brother? This is mercy.” Griever paused for a moment. “No!” a voice that came from Griever, but was not entirely his own, came out. It was the voice of the Nephillim “Have you not paid any attention to the past few months? Humans, Machines and Exiles have stood, side by side, fighting you, and…if I may be frank.” The last part was Griever. “They succeeded. They fight because they have to, because their homes are being threatened. They will fight you, or anyone who deigns to make a move. They must be given the chance!”

The Cardinal’s presence reeled, and Griever could feel him thrust to attack. But something held him back. The surrounding consciousness of the Source held him back. “Nephillim” It said, in a myriad of voices. Griever took his queue, and concentrated his will on the Cardinal. He poured all of his emotion (as it was all he had) at the Cardinal. He could feel the Cardinal’s consciousness slip. “Griever,” he said, for the first time referring to Nephillim’s host. “If there is to be a future, it is through people like you.” The Cardinal’s consciousness slipped even further, until Griever could no longer feel him anymore. The Cardinal was gone forever.

“Hail Dorothy,” muttered Griever to himself.

“Nephillim” The Source said again, and Griever soon could feel his senses go back normal. In another explosion of light, Griever was launched backwards, away from the door of the Ascension monument. His body limply bounced down the incline, his back and limbs flailing about in ways no living being could accomplish. He reached the bottom, somehow managing to land on his back. Finding whatever strength he had in him, he stumbled up to his feet. He looked around at the surrounding area, past that to the district, and further more into the city, and further more into the code of the Matrix itself. He felt the damage that the Matrix had taken, an entire district was wiped out, the others were damaged beyond repair. “Nephillim” The Voice of the Source said coming from the still glowing door. “Griever,” it said as well. “The Power is yours.”

Griever closed his eyes, focusing all of his will, his strength, his hate, his love, his rage, his sorrow, all of his life essence, and began to pour it into the Matrix. Something happened then, in the Matrix, in Zion, on Hoverbarges and Jackin stations, in the Machines city. The raining code began to speed up, creating streaks of green lines. Griever stood there, and felt the connectedness of every living being, bridged together by this Simulation.

“GRIEVER!!”

He exploded in Purple Light, and the light poured into the green code, making it purple. All the buildings of Downtown, decimated by the Viral Bomb, were reformed in a swirl of purple code. All the damage done in Westview, International, and Richland were wiped away as if by magic. And in the end, the storm had cleared. After everything went back to normal, and the code faded back to green, Griever collapsed onto the street.

End of Segment

ONE WEEK LATER

The members of the Network Imperium gathered at their home base in the tunnels of the Real to honor their dead. Many of the other Zion factions had arrived, as well as several members of Merv and Machine factions.

Rhyse stood in front of the congregation. “Friends, we’ve come here to honor the soldiers of the Network Imperium who had given their lives so we may all live free, not just for humans, or machines, but all life. They have found themselves in a place of honor that Neo himself is enshrined in. They are heroes of the Earth.”

At that point, several members of the faction read off the names of the dead.

Temsik started first, “Zeldar”
Pyxel spoke next, “Sharred”
Rhyse spoke again “Mordain.”

After a brief pause of silence, Rhyse continued. “As leader of the Network Imperium, I know that they would not want this too sober a gathering” “*CENSORED* right,” muttered Seavyan. “And they would also want us to look towards the future. That is why it is my duty, and my honor, to present to you the new Captain of the Arbiter: ShadowGriever.” Griever slowly rose to his feet, Simia helping him up. The faction and the guests cheered and applauded for the new captain.

Seavyan then raised his hand. “Does that mean we can drink now?” Rhyse smiled. “I think that’s up to the Captain of the Arbiter.” Griever smiled too. “Get hammered.” At that point, everyone broke off to where Etheno had the alcohol. Rhyse went up to Griever, “How do you feel?” “Like I ran the hundred meter dash in a 20 meter room.”
“You sure you can handle the Arbiter?” Griever looked at him, his purple eyes absorbing all the light. “You gave Seav a ship, I think I can handle it!” The two of them laughed, when Kilobit came up to them. “Griever, there’s a message for you. I don’t know who it is.” The three of them slipped past the party and went into the briefing room.

Griever walked down the streets of Downtown, it was quieter then normal. Things hadn’t fully gone back to the way they were. Machines were trying to ease things back to normal. The message had said to meet on the corner of Pitt, Hunter and O’Connell. He’d find out who was sending these messages and get some answers out of them. He found spot to meet, but no one was there. He waited a few minutes, but no one showed. Suddenly, the phone booth next to him started to ring. Having the strange feeling it was for him, he picked it up. “Hello?”

The voice on the other end startled him. The person on the other end couldn’t be on the phone, couldn’t be alive. “I’m sorry for all the secrecy, but I must be discreet. I cannot stay in the Matrix for any length of time in fear of being discovered before I can fulfill my main mission. I will, however, help you.”

“Help me with what?”

“Turn around”

Griever turned around, and gawked at what was spray painted there. The Voice on the other end continued

“Tell me, Have you ever had a dream, Griever, that you were so sure was real? What if you were unable to wake from that dream? How would you know the difference between the dream world and the real world?”

Griever continued to stare at the wall, and at the words:

THIRD RENNAISSANCE IS HERE

End of Chapter