The Matrix

Card 6: Joker

As Apoc and Switch were keeping watch behind them. "You're not far from Cypher." Tank informs them and Trinity looks at Zelda. "Cypher?" she asks as they make a turn into an alley. "I know. I sent him to Franklin and Erie," he informs her. "Got it," she answers and hung up. "We need to hurry," Zelda states as she walks faster. "Why?" Trinity asks her, "I don't know, but something is telling me we need to get there before Cypher is out." she informs them and the others hurried after her.

~8~8~8~

They quickly ran into the building, they heard that the phone was ringing, Zelda stops inside the room, seeing the wired phone on the table and she lunges for it, grabbing the phone, the others make it into the room. "Tank?" she calls out and heard nothing on the other end.

Trinity steps next to her as Zelda pulls the phone away, "What's wrong?" she asks, "There's no one there." she answers, Trinity took the phone and holds it to her ear. She heard nothing and then Zelda's phone began to ring, she picks it up and answers it. "Hello, Zelda," Cypher states, making her freeze. "Cypher. Where's Tank?" she questions him as the others look at her, but then she felt faint brushes of air glide over the skin of her collarbone and neck. "You know... for a long time. I thought I was in love with you." Cypher admits to her, Zelda froze as she raises her hand to her neck. "I use to dream about you. You're a beautiful and fierce woman, Zelda," he tells her as she felt pressure sliding down her hair. "Too bad things had to turn out this way," he tells her and she clutched her fist. "You killed Tank, Bozer, and Mouse," she growls and the others looked at her in shock. "What?" Apoc questions taking off his shades. "Oh, God." Switch mutters as she lowers her gun.

Then Zelda felt a breath blown against her lips. "I'm tired, Zelda. I'm tired of this war. I'm tired of fighting. I'm tired of this ship. Being cold, of eating the same goddamn goop every day." he tells her as she paces slowly as she controlling her anger. "But most of all... I'm tired of that Jagoff and all his bullshit," he states then Zelda exhales with relief as she could feel that twisted warmth near her. "Surprise, asshole!" he exclaims with excitement. "I bet you never saw this coming... did ya." he states as Zelda felt her marking flicker weakly. "God, I wish I could be there... when they break ya. I wish I could walk in just when it happens... so right then... You'd know it was me." he said on the phone, but mostly to Morpheus' unconscious body. "You gave them Morpheus. Right from the start when we were tracking Neo, you've been feeding them information." Zelda states.

Trinity grits her teeth as she looks away, "He lied to us, Zelda. He tricked us. If you would've told us the truth, we would have told you to shove that red pill right up your ass!" Cypher shouts over the phone. "Cut the bullshit Cypher. Morpheus set you free from a lie. I learn the truth on my own, don't mix me in with your twisted logic." she snaps at him as they watched her pace faster. "Free... you call this free? All I do is what he tells me to do. If I had to choose between that and the Matrix... I'd choose the Matrix." he tells her.

Zelda rolls her eyes at him, "The Matrix is a lie, Cypher. A dreamworld to keep the cattle satisfied until slaughter." she snaps at him. "I disagree, Zelda. I think the Matrix can be more real than this world. All I do this pull the plug here. But there... you have to watch Apoc die." he states, Zelda gasp in horror as she quickly turns and looks at him. "Apoc..." she whimpers at him, seeing the fear in his eyes "Zelda..." he calls out, but then drops dead on the ground. "No!" Switch calls out as Zelda covers her mouth in shock as Switch ran over, slides onto her knees and grips Apoc's back as Trinity leans down next to her, looking down at Apoc "Welcome to the real world, huh, baby?" Cypher laughs and Zelda rips her hand away from her mouth "You are not God, Cypher!" Zelda snaps at him as her finger twitches on its own. "You were taken out of the Matrix, there's no going back in," she growls at him. "Oh, no, that's what you think. They're going to reinsert my body. I got back to sleep and when I wake up, I won't remember a goddamn thing." he informs her. "They're manipulating you into doing their dirty work, you dumbass," she shouts.