Through It All
Written by Airstrike Brant
Part 3: Shadows
Bob guided his zip board toward the docks, but his mind was elsewhere or, more precisely, elsewhere; back to the time when the item in his hand had more than sentimental value. That had been Daemon's first attempt. She had sent a guardian, an former friend of his named Lady McDriver, to bring the 'shadow bug' to Mainframe. He had surprised Lady McDriver, who had dropped the container which held the bug and the container had burst, which led to a series of events he wouldn't ever forget.
Bob was slowly traveling through Mainframe on his zip board noticing how it looked as if nothing had changed. Except for the absence of the Silicon Tor and Megabyte, things looked the same as when he first had arrived here. Binomes walked the streets happily, as if they didn't have a care in the system. Still, he knew things would never be the same. He had changed and not just in physical appearance. Dot had commented, just recently, at how he was less impulsive and less reckless, and he knew it was the truth. Something had happened to him while he was in the Web: a bridge had been crossed that he could never travel over again.
Dot said she still loved him and he would always be the sprite she fell in love with, not matter what. He believed that she was telling the truth. His love for her had been one of the few things that had remained constant, as well. Even the webriders had asked him what kept him pushing onward when many of their comrades had fallen, and he had tried to tell them. A few of them understood how just the image of Dot's lovely face kept him going; the ones who had truly been in love. The others had shaken their heads, not comprehending his words.
He was not the only one who had changed, anyway. Dot was not the same and neither was Mouse. And Matrix had been the one who had undergone the most change. If he was going to feel sorry for anyone, it should be Matrix and not himself. AndrAIa was helping Matrix adjust to being back in Mainframe as well as everyone else, but it was obvious it wasn't going to be an easy task.
Bob looked over at Lost Angles, which had not even been touched by the restoration due to the fact it was a twin city and not really a part of Mainframe. Hexadecimal had surely been changed as well, but was quite comfortable with it. It was the inhabitants of Mainframe that were having trouble accepting her transformation.
All at once, a giant ball of light erupted over the island. Bob couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the portal. Where did it come from, he wondered. Did Hexadecimal create it? Quickly guiding his zip board, he decided to get a closer look.
Bob arrived just in time to see someone jumping into the portal and the portal disappearing. Whoever it was, he mused, was sure in a hurry. He was so busy wondering who had come through the portal, he didn't notice the black pool that was collecting on the ground just below him.
A sudden jolt of pain shot through his leg and he looked down only to see a dark liquid attaching itself to him. He tried to shake it off his legs and only succeeded in falling off his zip board. "What in the Net!," he yelled, as the liquid entered his body and an uncomfortable warmness filtered throughout his insides. Shutting his eyes, involuntarily, he didn't know what was happening. Then, it was over. It had been done. He opened his eyes and peculiar light shown from his irises. Getting to his feet, he started to get back on his zip board when the ground opened up below him. The fall to Hexadecimal's underground lair was quick and relatively uneventful.
"Bob," Hexadecimal cooed, "How nice it is for you to visit."
He smiled at her, but the smile did not quite reach his eyes. "Hey, I'm just a nice kind of guy," he replied, walking closer to her.
"You sure are," she agreed.
"You want to see how nice?," he asked, teasingly.
Before she could respond, he grabbed her arms, pulled her closer, and roughly kissed her on the lips. She must have been surprised, because she pushed him away and backed up. "Bob?," she asked, her voice and expression uncertain.
Bob laughed. "Now you want to play hard to get," he teased. Laughing some more, he jumped on his zip board and headed back toward Mainframe.
Bob laughed a bit at the memory, although at the time it had been a frightening ordeal. He knew about everything he was saying and doing, but had no power to control any of it. It was like he was a passenger in his own body and someone else was in the driver's seat. After he had left Hexadecimal, he had gone back to his apartment, trashed it and threatened to delete Mike the TV. He had done that before, but Mike must have taken him seriously because he ran out and told Matrix and AndrAIa. They had come back to the apartment, but Bob had already left. Still, they saw the damage so they went to find him. He had already taken Dot to the docks because they were supposed to take a cruise on the Crimson Binome's new ship, the Saucy Mare II. Originally, Bob had big plans for that cruise, but his ideas had changed�
Bob and Dot were standing on the front deck of the Saucy Mare II, staring out at the view. Bob couldn't help but wonder if Dot was suspecting that something was different because she would turn to look at him oddly from time to time. He hoped it was just his imagination. Captain Capacitor walked up to the pair.
"Is there anything I could be getting you?" he asked.
"Yes," Bob curtly replied, "privacy."
"Thank you, Gavin," Dot said, "but we're fine."
Captain Capacitor nodded and slowly walked away. The rest of his crew also found other jobs to be doing so as to leave the two alone. Dot turned to Bob.
"You didn't have to be so rude," she said.
"I didn't mean to be rude," he replied, "but I wanted to be alone because I need to tell you something."
"What did you want to tell me?," Dot asked, smiling.
"I wanted to say -"
"Yoo hoo!," a voice yelled at them from above.
Both Bob and Dot looked up only to see Hexadecimal descending down toward the ship. Bob could tell Dot was deeply annoyed.
"Now, Bob," Hexadecimal said, "It's not very nice of you to be hugging Miss Matrix here just after you kissed me. I wouldn't have thought that you were like that."
"Come on, Hex," Bob said, "I have to deal with Dot first."
Dot spun around and looked at Bob. "What do you mean you have to deal with me first?," she asked. Bob heard her question but ignored it entirely.
"But it was such a nice kiss," Hexadecimal insisted.
"If it was so nice, why did you push me away?," Bob asked.
Hexadecimal blushed as she fumbled for an answer. "You just surprised me," she managed, "that's all."
"What's going on here?," Dot demanded.
"I guess it's time you knew," Bob replied.
"What about the kiss?," Hexadecimal asked.
"Buzz off, Hex!," Bob yelled.
"What?," she asked in disbelief.
"You heard me," he exclaimed, "Get out of here!"
Hexadecimal eyes narrowed into angry slits. "How dare you talk to me like that!," she hissed.
"I'll talk to you anyway I want!," Bob insisted, "Especially after I take over this system." He saw Dot's eyes widen with this particular announcement.
"You know," Hexadecimal said in an angry tone, "You are starting to sound like Megabyte and I really, really hate that!"
The exchange was interrupted by the sound of another boat fast approaching. A moment later, Matrix, AndrAIa, Mouse, and Ray boarded the Saucy Mare II. "Bob," Matrix said, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong," Bob growled, "except that you fools are trying to stand in my way of system conquest."
Matrix appeared stunned as Ray spoke up. "Something's wrong with you, mate. Let us help."
"Stay back!," Bob yelled.
"Copeland, separate and enclose bug!," a voice commanded. A brilliant beam of light hit Bob and enclosed a black, oily-looking liquid. The liquid was separated from Bob and encased in a see-through globe as Bob dropped to his knees. Turbo and Enzo landed on the deck.
"Alphanumeric!," Enzo exclaimed, "That was so cool!"
"What is that?," Dot asked, pointing at the black liquid.
"It's called a shadow bug," Turbo explained, "Daemon designed it. Basically it makes anyone it infects into a megalomaniac." He looked down at Bob. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," Bob weakly replied, "Did Daemon send that thing to infect me?"
"No," Turbo answered, "That was an accident. She actually sent it to infect the registered virus."
"Me?," Hexadecimal asked.
"See any other registered viruses around here?," Dot retorted.
Hexadecimal smiled. "I guess I am unique," she said.
Turbo sighed. "She wanted you to be distracted so that you would be unprepared when she attacks Mainframe."
"When is she going to attack?," Bob asked, getting to his feet.
"I don't know for sure," Turbo replied, "The failure of her Shadow Bug may set her attack plans back a bit, but I'm not sure."
"Whenever it is, we'll be ready for her!," Matrix declared.
"One other thing," Turbo said, "I'm afraid I can't be anymore help to you. I had to use a registered portal to get here. Daemon will know that I'm the one who helped defeat her Shadow Bug. I can't go back to the Super Computer."
"You've been a lot of help already," Bob said.
"I can't stay here either," Turbo continued, "I am infected. I don't want to hurt anyone, but I don't know how much longer I can fight off Daemon."
"We have quarantines," Dot said, "I hate to ask you to be locked up after all you have done for us, but maybe it's the best thing for right now."
"Besides," Mouse said, "Maybe I can look at that infection for ya and figure out a way to fight Daemon."
"I don't mind being quarantined," Turbo said.
"Well, I'm glad I could be helpful," Ray loudly announced.
"But ya didn't do anythin' at all," Mouse countered.
"Oh, I did something," he insisted, "I gave you the thrill of seeing my dashing entrance when I jumped on board this ship."
Mouse laughed and they reboarded the other ship along with Turbo, Enzo, and AndrAIa. Matrix spoke to the Captain for a moment before boarding the other boat himself. Bob and Dot watched the other boat head for the docks.
"I'm sorry about all this," Bob said, "This is definitely not how I planned this evening to go."
"That's okay," Dot replied, "At least it hasn't been a boring date."
Bob laughed, but he still couldn't help feeling the entire thing had been a disaster. He was about to apologize again when Captain Capacitor walked up to them.
"Excuse me, mate," he said to Bob, "Can I speak to you?"
"Okay," Bob answered walking off to the side with him. "What is it?"
"Matrix asked me to give you this," the Captain said, handing Bob a tiny box that held the ring he had been planning on giving Dot on this cruise. Bob was astounded because he had left the ring in his ruined apartment. Apparently, Matrix had found the ring and had brought it with him. "Now don't keep the lass waiting.," Capacitor said, "I believe you have a question you need to be asking her."
Bob nodded and walked back to Dot. "Uh, Dot," he said, getting down on one knee.
"Oh, Bob!," she exclaimed, "Yes!"
"Yes, what?"
"Yes, I'll marry you. That is what you were going to ask me, wasn't it?"
"Well, yeah."
"Then, of course I will!"
"Wow! That was easier than I thought it would be!"
They both laughed as he placed the ring on her finger. It was truly the happiest moment he could remember and it would be the happiest moment he would ever remember.
Bob looked at the ring in his hand, although now it was charred black. It was just the way he had found among the ruins of Dot's office. Besides the piece of the cloth, it was all that he had left of her. Choking back his tears, he placed the ring in his pocket as the docks came into view.
Go to Part 4: To Change It All