Crow: Where's Bob?
Mike: He's getting some snacks for us.
Crow: Great! I hope he brings the good stuff.
Tom: Who's next Mike?
Mike: (searching the list) Let's see... we have... Jo Ann Montgomery?!
Crow: That's not funny, Mike. Who's next, really?
Mike: Jo Ann. Looks like she submitted a entry "Star Slammer".
Tom: ... Life's not fair.

Enzo and AndrAIa looked over the Pogs and Slammers that were for sale in a glass case.

Mike: (Binome) Can you please refrain from breathing on the glass? Oh look at those smuge marks!

There were lots of different discs to choose from.

Crow: Alf; he's coming back in pog form!
Tom: X-Files.
Mike: Mr. T and the A Team.

She would get a starter set: Any ten she wanted, plus her choise of one Slammer.

Crow: (AndrAIa) Just one?! What a tear!

AndrAIa gazed at the display, chosing her Pogs carefully.

"That one," she said, for the tenth time since they entered the store.

Tom: (Binome) Okay. I heard you the first nine times.

Most of hers showed fish and ocean scenes. One had a picture of a mermaid on it, her golden crown and jewelry given an extra glow with holographic foil.

Mike: (Enzo, flatly) Oh how original, AndrAIa.

"Now," Enzo urged, "choose a Slammer."

Tom: How about the pile driver?

There were several Slammers to choose from: Many with icons, some with pictures or words,

Crow: The descriptive-ness of them astounds me.

and some that had nothing on them at all, where the owner could customize them anyway he or she wanted.

Mike: In other words, add your own sticker.

The one that grabbed her attention, however, was a red Slammer with a golden starburst in the center. It shimmered and gleamed in the store's lights as if it were a real star.

Crow: Even though AndrAIa had never actually seen a real star, but that's beside the point...

"That one," AndrAIa said, pointing to the Star Slammer. Smiling, the clerk

Tom: Refused her.

retrived it for her. After she paid for her purchace, the clerk gave her a card.

Mike: (clerk) Call me anytime you need a tune up.

"Every time you come in a buy five or more Pogs for your collection," he said, "I will punch

Crow: Enzo.

a hole in

Tom: Enzo's head.

the card, where the circles are." He showed her the ten circles at the bottom of the card. "When the last circle is punched, you get to choose another Slammer for free. Then, I'll give you a fresh card, and you can start collecting more Pogs."

Crow: Who gives a rat's as-
Mike: Shhh!

"Okay," AndrAIa replied. "Thank you." She took the sack that held

Tom: Enzo's remains.

her new toy and left for the diner with Enzo.

(Bob comes in ladden down with snacks and beverages.)
Bob: (as he hands out what belong to who) Here you go. Here you go. For you. (sits down) What did I miss?
Crow: Jo Ann's submission.
Bob: (looks at Crow and can't believe is luck) Really? Sweet!
Mike: Shut up. Next we have Silver Owll's "Has Anyone Seen My Pants?". There were five stories written with this title, but only one was submitted; the others were just written and sent for fun. Strangely enough, they all stared Bob.
Bob: Why? I have no idea.
Crow: (sarcastically) It's a complete mystery. (happily) Let's read!

It was morning in Mainframe. Light filled the sky, binomes went scurrying about the start of their day, and a certain Command.Com was managing her business from her diner.

Mike: Oh. Phong right?
Crow: Only if Phong had a sex change.
Tom: But we're not here to judge.

Dot Matrix sat in a booth in the corner with at least fifteen

Crow: Other men.

Vid windows open around her, trying to manage her

Crow: Love life.

accounts. "Did the shipment of CHIPS get to Al's on time?", she asked the pink and white binome in the window.

Bob: No, actually the shipments are always late.... but then again no one really notices at Al's.

"Yes, Ms. Matrix."

"Good." She relaxed slightly. Only one more thing to take care of, and then she could go home for the night...

Tom: And have kinky Sprite sex.

It's kinda bright for nighttime...she thought to herself, looking out the window. With a start, she realized that it was morning, and she had been working all through the night. "Cursors!!",

Crow: (Dot) Now I can't have kinky Sprite sex.

she exclaimed, fist hitting the table. "Now I'm not even going to get to sleep!"

Bob: (Dot) And I was looking forward to wearing my new cow pj's.

The door to the diner flew

Mike: Away.

open, and Bob walked in, looking

Crow: Sheepish.
Bob: (apologizing) Sorry.

groggily worried. "Dot... What are you doing?"

"What?!", she snapped

Tom: Her neck.

at him. "Oh. Sorry, Bob. I'm just finishing my work..."

"Oh..." He decided to let that slide for a moment, too weary and confused to question why she was finishing this early in the morning.

Bob: Aww come on! Dot does that all the time!

"Uh... Well, I was going to ask you if had seen my pants recently..."

Crow: (shocked) You mean Bob is out in public... pants-less?
Tom: Oh Bob, we though you had more sense than that.
Bob: So did I!
Mike: (Bob) I am the king of no pants!

She looked up, her eyes confused. "...You have them on, Bob."

Bob: Oh yes. How silly of me!

He looked down. "No, not these." He jerked on the side of the old gray sweatpants with numerous holes that he was wearing.

Mike: (Bob) These are my Holy pants.

"My armor. I can't find my armor. You know, the silver ones...?"

Crow: (Bob) With the gold trim?

"Oh. Well, how would I know where they are?", she asked, eyes narrowing. "I can't take care of everything, you know. It's not as if it were my job to keep track of your pants, is it?!"

Tom: (Bob) You mean you're not my mother?

"I was just wonder-"

"Am I suppose to take care of everything around here?!

Bob: Um, yes?

What are you going to do when I'm not around, huh?! WHAT THEN!?

Mike: He'd walk around with no pants on?

I'm the Command.Com, and I run over thirty businesses, plus playing the stock market!

Tom: (Dot) I've just invested in a company, Bri-ex!

And what about Enzo?

Crow: What about Enzo?
Bob: Does he know where my pants are?

You don't think he takes care of himself, do you?!?!

Mike: Well, he is at school all day.

Phong is constantly calling me because of some malfunction with the Core,

Tom: Um.. that's a bad thing.

Enzo is always pestering me about going into Games with you,

Bob: And that's my fault?!

Enz-- Matrix is relentlessly trying to shoot up my brand new city,

Mike: Well, that I can see happeneing.

AndrAIa keeps asking for help on her security projects, and I've just about had enough!! The entire city needs me! I don't have time to take care of YOUR PANTS!!!"

Crow: (Bob, insulted) Well if you don't know where they are, just say so. Geez! Some people are so touchy.

Bob backed away, frightened of the advancing woman. "I just thought-"

"YOU THOUGHT WRONG!!!!" Dot turned around and roughly closed the Vid windows in front of her. "I'm going to my apartment, and I'm not coming out until

Mike: (Dot) I figure out what I've done wrong!

tomorrow! You are going to take care of all my commitments for me! GOT IT!??!"

Crow: Bob take all of her commitments?
Tom: Isn't that like asking a dog to fly?
Bob: Even I think she's random.

"Yes...", Bob said meekly, cowering.

"GOOD!

Mike: (Dot) Now go lie down.

I'll send Enzo over! Here's my organizer!!! You know the password!"

Tom: (Dot) Do my laundry while you're at it!

With that, she threw the small data compressor at him

Crow: Putting his eye out.

and stormed out of the Diner.

Bob: (calling out) Have a good nap Dot! Don't worry, I'll mess up everything for you!
Crow: Charming.
Mike: Next we have Tracy Sue's "Not Now Darling" where it's Dot's turn to be viral.
Tom: And related to a very close rival too. Let's watch.

"Sister?"  Bob looked as if he'd just had cold water thrown over him.

Crow: Turning him into Bob-chan.

"Dude!"  Enzo looked with wide-eyed fear from his older sister to Megabyte.

Tom: (Enzo) I'm related to Megabyte?!

"You just couldn't leave well-enough alone, could you Megabyte?"  The normally honey-warm tone of Dot's voice was gone.  Instead her words were edged in icy steel.

Bob: (Megabyte) No, I do enjoy revealing others deep dark secrets.

"Dot?"  Bob turned to her.  Everything in his stance conveying that inside, he was denying what he was hearing and begging her to deny it as well.  "Megabyte?"

Tom: Ben Stine?
Mike: Flloyd?

"Oh come on, guardian!"

Crow: (Megabyte) Hop in!
Tom: (Bob, singing) I'm a Guardian boy/ In a Mainframe Wooorld.

Megabyte said impatiently.  "Think about it!

Mike: (Bob) Ow.

Her skin is green.

Tom: Duh!

Viral green."

"But . . . But."  Bob spluttered.

Mike: (small child's voice) Grandma says that 'buts' are for goats.

"It's true Bob," Dot lowered her head.

Tom: (Dot) I was going to tell you... on our wedding night.

"Our father created viruses. Megabyte, Hex, Enzo

Tom: Barbara Strasand.
Mike: Bill Gates.
Bob: Richard Simmons.
Crow: The Crocodile Hunter.

and I are all from the same viral strain."

Tom: (Bob) Are you contagious?

"I'm a virus?"  Enzo yelped.

Mike: (Enzo) Cool! *runs around infecting things*

The small green sprite pulled from his sister's arms in his own mute denial.

Crow: (Enzo) You're not my sister!

Bob shook his head.  "But viruses take over whole systems and . . ." He stopped.

Bob: (thinking) You know...

 A look of comprehension crossed his face.  "Dot, how much of Mainframe do you own?"

"Everything but G-Prime."  She said.

Mike: This does bring up a valid point.
Bob: Well, not all virus' take over. Some, like Hex just cause random ac-
Crow: Shhh! Less talkie, more mstie.

"Everything?"  The guardian shook his head in wonder.

Bob: And except half of Al's Diner.

"Yes, and it just makes me sick with jealousy."  Megabyte sighed.

Crow: (Megabyte) Pardon me while I toss my biscuits.

"Well, now my evening is ruined."

Tom: (Dot, pouting) I'm going to bed.

Dot turned to Megabyte with a patient expression. "Do you still want to kill me, Brother?"

Bob: (Megabyte) Yes, so if you wouldn't mind turning around while I insert this dagger into your back...

"Do not humor me woman."  Megabyte pulled the tatters of his dignity about himself and stalked from the room.

Mike: (Megabyte) So there.

"Why didn't you tell me you were viral?"  Bob sounded hurt.

Crow: (Dot) Well, you know... this and that... and... I just didn't.

"Would you have believed me, guardian?"  Dot raised an eyebrow sardonically.

Bob: Well, no. Probably not.
Mike: Next we have our last entry before we look at the winner of the contest. Questina submitted three entries but picked her second "Life is Cheep... But Toilet Paper is Expensive" for the actual judging.

Life is Cheep... But Toilet Paper is Expensive

Bob: How true...

by: Questina

Tom: I'm on a questina to find good fics!

Disclaimer: I don't own ReBoot, and I'm getting no money out of this.

Crow: (author) At least, that's what I'll tell you.

Believe me, BSn'P would totally love to edit this to scrap.

Note: This takes place after Season 3.  That's all you need to know.

Tom: The end. Thank you.

Bob was in total turmoil.

Crow: He had missed the last episode of 'American Idol'.

All the bathrooms in his apartment had been backed up and it had been 3 microseconds since the apartment manager called the plumber.

Mike: He had eatten too much of Al's chili again.

And all this happened at a very crucial time.

Tom: The Super Bowl.

Bob really had to go use the bathroom and he wasn't up to finding a port-o-potty somewhere in a construction site.

Bob: But when you gotta go, you gotta go!

His feverish mind though of the possible places where he could find a nice place to relieve himself.

Mike: Bob begins to eye the potted plants in his appartment desperately...
Bob: Not the cactus!  I love that cactus!

His mind finally came to a place he knew and seemed to be his second home.

Tom: He couldn't just go over to his neighbours and ask to borrow their washroom?
Crow: No no, let's...see what the fic has in store.

Dot's Diner.

All: Ew!

He knew that Dot kept the rest room nice and clean all the time.

Bob: Music softly piped in, towels clean and crisp...Ah, the hours I've spent there.  Paradise I tell you.

In a hurry he rushed out of his apartment and headed straight to Buadway.

Tom: Unfortunately the washroom was in BAUDway and, well, his liver exploded, the end.  Let's go!

He didn't bother to grab a zipboard because at that moment he didn't have any at all.

Bob: What?

So he ran as fast as he could.

Mike: Ouch.
Bob: Oh now that's just cruel!

This running just made his little emergency all a little more urgent.

Bob: This is heartless!
Crow: I noticed you drank a really large pop before coming in here, Bob.
Bob: Stop that!  (begins to fidget)

By the time Bob got to Dots Diner he was almost at the point of bursting.  He couldn't go off to a bush somewhere and relieve himself because his Guardian Protocols wouldn't allow him to do that..

Crow: What, really?
Bob: (gloomy) Public sanitation act of '67, section 2b.

When Bob ran through the diner doors, Dot and Matrix saw him come and almost rip the door off it's hinges.

Tom: There's another door Bob has to fix at Dot's.

"What's the problem Bob?" Dot asked as she saw him dash to the back to the rest rooms.

"Can't..... Talk.... Need.... Relief!!" Bob said frantically as he fumbled with the bathroom doorknob.

Mike: Take Ammodium!

Finally Bob got the doorknob to work

Crow: Because everyone knows how complicated doorknobs can be.

and he rushed into the rest rooms. He quickly locked the door and reminded himself to ask Dot to replace those things.

Mike: What things? The doors?
Tom: Yeah, Dot! Get with it!

Many nanos when by mainly because of Bob's suit was so difficult to get out of.

Crow: (Bob) Stupid velcro!

Finally, after a long silence within the rest rooms, Bob could be heard screaming from within and the sound echoed throughout the sector.

Tom: This is why it's so important to really chew your food, Bob.

Both Dot and Matrix cringed at the screams.  Matrix shook his head at his sister not understanding what was the problem.  Unfortunately Dot knew.

Mike: (creepy voice) 'Cause she knows eeeeveeerrythiiiiing....

"Sorry Bob!  But we're on a budget this month!  Toilet paper kinda was cut out of the budget right now.

Crow: (Dot) We had to save up for a new D in the sign again and, well -
Mike: (Bob) You couldn't have taken the money from Cecil's tips?!

Sorry!" Dot called back towards the rest rooms.

Another scream could be heard from within the rest rooms again.  This time with more anguish.

Bob: This is the most tasteless thing I've seen so far.

"I'm not going in there and getting him some toilet paper." Matrix said.

Tom: And he speaks for all of us.
Bob: Real friends would have come to my rescue!
Crow: Bob, haven't you seen season 4?  You have no friends.
Bob: I'm SURE Megabyte just...just infected them!
Crow: It's so sad when they try to hang on like this...

The End.

Mike: Great!
Bob: That's just gross. I thought I was the popular one!
Crow: (shruging) Eih.
Tom: Finally we have the winner of the contest; Joshua Falken with "It's a Gift".

It's a Gift

Crow: So don't eat it.

By: Joshua Falken

Bob: Author of fics that need sub titles.

Editor: Tewghi v1.5

Crow: Should we care?

Beta-Reader: Sydney Schaffer

Tom: Beta-Reader? We better not find anything that grammatically *wrong*!

Rating: PG (just a swearing)

Content Warning: none

Mike: Wow. This intro has everything!

Timeline: Season 5 (after Daemon)

Bob: That's good to know.

To: Guardian 452 (grd452@MainframeA.kits.com)
From:Command.Com (Command_Com@Mainframe.Principaloffice.org)
Subject: Personal
Security Level: confidential

Mike: Whoa. High security... for an email.

Hi, Bob.

Bob: Hi.
Crow: (Dot) I'm sending you this e-mail cause I can't face you. I think you're ugly-
Bob: Hey.
Crow: (Dot) - and that I never liked you-
Bob: Hey!
Crow: (Dot) -and that time when we-
Bob: HEY!
Mike: Crow, that's enough.

I have something to tell you...

Crow: I'm a man.
(Bob glares at Crow)

and I know what you will say.

Mike: (Bob) NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

That this is a blessing... a gift....

Tom: (singing) 'Tis a gift to be simple, 'tis a gift to be freeeee...!

Have you ever heard "not every gift is a blessing?"

Bob: Um... no!

Such is my case...

Crow: A basketcase.

Or perhaps not...

Tom: (Dot) But what ever you think Honey...

Well, let me tell the story from the beginning....

Tom: (singing) A very good place to staaart!

****

We were in the System NCSA, the nearly-mythical CM-10, the machine that made the Supercomputer appear prehistoric as the ENIAC. And, at that moment, the headquarters of Daemon...

All: Dun dun dun!

I know that you already know this, Bob.

Bob: Because I was there.

After all, you were there too.

Bob: Uh... I just said that.

I only ask that you have patience, because

Tom: I'm going to tell you things that you already know.

it helps me tell you what I have to say.

Mike: Even though I'm sending you this email cause I can't tell it to your face...

Well, she had almost infected all the sprites and binomes of the system, but there was something that she could not control: simulations.

Crow: Oh I see. ...huh?

The simulation cubes, that make the game cubes seem like a joke,

Bob: Kinda like 'knock knock' jokes only, they kill you if you get them wrong.

were the only thing that Daemon feared.

Crow: (Daemon) The horror! The horror!

She could control where a game would land, she could even to begin a game and to alter its running process, but only Users could alter the configurations of the simulations.

Mike: Um... ok.

Users and System NCSA'S Command.Com, Altavista.

Bob: Hey, I think I know him.

She needed the Alpha code, that would transform her into Command.com

Tom: Ooo! Daemon's either a new type of transformer or some sort of Digimon. Cool.

for the simulations, and she would have total control of the Net in this way. But for that she would have to take the code from him...

Crow: 'Cause Phong was unavailable.
Tom: Ya see, he has a fear of getting his head torn from his body and put in a jar, for some strange reason.

Well that was the situation, as you know, when we arrived at the system NCSA...

Bob: Yes, it's all coming back to me now...

****

To make a long story short,

All: Yey!

she erased Altavista,

Mike: (Daemon, reading) Lessee here... 'Big eraser for big mistakes'.

and took his code,

Tom: (Daemon) Yoink!

but when she transferred it to her icon

Crow: She turned into George Cloonie.

... nothing happened.

Bob: (Dameon) Teach me to invest in Windows 98 version!

The system didn't crash,

Tom: It was more of a splat.

because it was recognizing other sprite as the Command.Com.

Tom: Phong, but you know... with his phobia...

And in this case it was me, Dot Matrix.

Crow: Oh, of course... we knew *that*.

Don't ask me how that happened.

Bob: Okay.

He should have transferred the code to my PID while I was unconscious,

Mike: (strongly) Yes, he should have!

due to one of the attacks of the infected guardians

Tom: Those pesky infected guardians! Always appearing where you don't want them.
Mike: Yeah, they're kinda like roaches in that regard.

... and when he was infected, I automatically assumed the functions of Simulation Controller and Command.Com.

Crow: So, does that mean that he did the transfer of the code?

And I don't see reason for not admitting,

Tom: (Dot) Matrix to the high security ward. He's really out of control.

I never felt so much power in my hands and the thought caused me a mixture of excitement and fear...

Bob: Like jubilation and sorrow.

I felt that I could make any thing that I wanted...

Tom: (Dot) I could do toast.
Crow: (Dot) Or a tool shed.
Mike: (Dot) Or a functioning car.
Bob: (glaring) What are you inplying exactly?

and it terrified me. "Absolute power corrupts",

Mike: Absolutely!

you know... I was afraid that the power blinded me...

Bob: (Dot) Help! I'm so powerful I can't see!

Well, the fact is that I didn't need to be in that position for a long time, courtesy of Daemon.

Crow: (Dot) So in that way, I owe her big time.

Enzo -excuse me,

Tom: (Dot) I farted.

Matrix- and you were inside of a simulation of User aeronautical technology,

Bob: Yes yes, I remember.

when Daemon entered in the Core Control Room.

Tom: And she was wearing that smashing red dress.

A glance was enough to understand that she was Daemon.

Mike: Well the '#1 Ruler of the Known Net' t-shirt kinda gave it away.

A tall sprite-looking virus, white skin with green veins on the skin,

Crow: (Dot) Or under. I can't remember exactly which.

short dark hair like mine,

Bob: It's true. I think they might have the same hair stylist or something.

and eyes with a mixture of green and red that shone of pure rage and hate.

Mike: I would have expected love and affection, but that's how it goes sometimes.

She wore a Guardian uniform, but completely black, covered with the infection veins, besides a cloak that black as well.

Crow: Black: the generic colour for villians... and some superheroes.

There wasn't anyone else in the room.

Tom: (singing) On my oooown...

Only her and I.

Mike: And only one piece of pizza.

We looked each other for a moment,

Bob: Then took a dive for the box.

while a message was being broadcast by the system: "Simulation Over! Simulation Over!"

Tom: (system voice) You can all go home now.

Before I could reach my weapon on my leg,

Crow: (Dot) I sneezed.

Daemon grabbed me by the neck with her left hand and slammed me into the wall.

Tom: (Dot) What are you trying to do?
Crow: (Daemon, unsure) The Vulcan Neck Pinch?

"Then, you must be Commander Matrix, right?"

Bob: (Dot, laughing nervously) Well, that's what it says on my drivers licence.

The virus said with a surprisingly musical voice.

Mike: (Daemon) Do you like it? I'm trying out for Victor/Victoria.

"I must admit that you are a good strategist, but a very arrogant one..." Daemon shook her head.

Tom: (Daemon) Now take me for example: I'm so humble, people look up to me.

I remember staring at her eyes.

Mike: (Dot) They were green on red, remember?

Was she trying to control the entire damned Net, and was I the arrogant one!?!?

Bob: Testify sister!

"For thinking that you could stop me." she completed.

Crushing my throat to the point that I couldn't breathe, she slowly placed her hand on my forehead.

Crow: (Daemon) Oh my, you have a fever and you look a little flushed. Oh wait, that's because of my hand on your neck. Sorry, my bad.

In that moment, I felt the deepest headache that I had ever felt in my life. She tried erase the Alpha code from my neural interface, without success because of my copyright protection.

Bob: Thank the User for copyrights.

Hearing her frustrated scream, I felt that something entered in my head,

Tom: It was a thought.

as a lance. I tried scream of pain, but I couldn't get it out.

Crow: It was just too painful.

I looked around at that moment and noticed vaguely that you and my brother entered in the room...

Tom: (Dot) You were late. You are always late. Why can't you ever be on time, huh?
Bob: You whine like a null. You are still alive.
Mike: Terrific! Lastly, we have a bonus short - Al's Waiter's very own "The Couch".
Crow: We stole it from him, because... it wasn't fair for all of the other stories to go through this treatment without a bit of payback, soooo....

The Usual Disclaimer:

Mike: I'm stealing ideas from huge companies that could crush me like a bug, but please don't.

ReBoot, Enzo Matrix and AndrAIa are property of

Tom: God.

Mainframe Entertainment.

Tom: Oh, right.  Sorry.

This is just an example for "ReBoot Shorts" Contest and is not making me any money.

Mike: Just like a high school diploma.

Rom is a character I created for my fic An Eye for an Eye and can not be used without my permission.

Crow: What if we put in a disclaimer about how we're not making money?

This has not gone though a grammer check

Bob: Wow.  Sure hasn't.

(boy! Nice example isn't it? ^_~). Just for reference, this story is 6 pages hand written and two and a half typed. Now that's done with...on with the contest example.

(All start humming the end of the Monty Python's Flying Circus theme.)

The Couch

Matrix opened his eyes and waited for the ceiling to come into focus. As he did, he wished he hadn't;

Tom: (Matrix) Damn!  I promised myself I wouldn't let the ceiling come into focus, and then I just go and do it.

the headache that was the result of a late night with Phong in the PO,

Mike: Playing Twister. . .
Bob: Giving each other makeovers. . .
Crow: Doing Jello shots. . .
Tom: Calling Hex up and asking if she has Prince Albert in a can. . .

recalberating the new upgrade programs that had arrived the previous second, was pounding in his temples. He quickly shut his eyes again and waited for the pounding to cease.

Mike: Six weeks later. . .

Lying silently on his back, he heard a soft knocking on the door of his apartment. He got up slowly,

Bob: So as not to startle it.

walked to the door and opened it. AndrAIa stood smiling in the doorway.

"Morning Sparky!"

Matrix forced a smile.

Crow: (Matrix) God I hate morning people.

"Morning AndrAIa."

"Did you get all your work done last night?"

Tom: (Matrix) Well, I've got a few math problems left, I can probably wrap those up in study hall. . .

Matrix nodded his head wearily. "Yeah, Phong and I finished just a few microseconds ago."

Mike: (Matrix) But it's all worth it to know that the User can finally play Playstation games illegally.

AndrAIa's face clouded over.

Bob: It's mostly cloudy on AndrAIa's face this morning, but that should clear up around this afternoon.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Love. I should've let you sleep. Did I wake you?"

Matrix gave a relaxed smile. "No, I was awake before you knocked.

Crow: (Matrix) I heard your deafening perkiness a mile off.

Do you want to come in?" A small smile spread over the game sprites' face as she gently nodded..

Bob: So as not to startle him.

Matrix stepped aside, making room for her entrance and then shut the door.

Tom: (AndrAIa) Umm, you're supposed to wait 'till I come through it first.

AndrAIa sat down on Matrix's couch and put her head back, while Matrix walked into his kitchen. "Do you want a drink, Andy?"

Mike: (Matrix) I've got some half-empty Frescas on the coffee table.

"No thanks!" she called.

Bob: (Matrix) Want me to tap some flakes onto the tank for you?

Matrix opened a bottle of pills and dumped two on the counter.

Tom: Nothing like a hearty breakfast!

He yanked open the fridge, took out a pitcher of energy shake

Mike: What, so in your culture you keep pitchers full of milk shakes handy?
Bob: Well, I bet Enzo would.
Mike: Yeah, good point. . .

and shut the door with his hip. Taking a glass from the cupboard, he filled it to the top with the liquid, and replaced the pitcher back in the fridge.

Crow: Matrix, for the Ultra Slim Fast program.
Tom: (Matrix) A shake for breakfast, a shake for lunch, and then a sensible dinner!

He collected his medication

Tom: D'ere you go mistah Tay-buhr.

for his headache and his drink and joined his girl friend in the livingroom. AndrAIa had her eyes closed as she rested on the couch.

(Mike makes nasal snoring sounds.)

Matrix popped the pills into his mouth, took a sip of energy and swallowed; his headache would be gone soon.

Bob: Only to be replaced by colorful hallucinations.

He set his glass down on the coffee table and sat down beside her. AndrAIa's eye's fluttered open when she felt the couch cushion beneath her shift.

Tom: VREEEP!  VREEEP!  VREEEP! VREEEP!

She silently looked at the sprite, remembering the young boy that she had grown up with.

Crow: As she was compelled to do once per story.

Matrix put his arm around her shoulders. "Tired?" he asked softly.

Mike: (AndrAIa) Nah, just absorbing some more perkiness from the ether.

AndrAIa nodded and leaned on Matrix's chest. "Babysitting Enzo is no easy task." she said quietly.

Bob: It helps if you stand downwind; he smells fear.

"I could have told you that." Matrix chuckled. "How did you get stuck with him?"

Tom: (AndrAIa) Corporate merger.

"Dot wanted to go out with Bob last night. Dot had asked Mouse if she would take care of Enzo for the evening, but Mouse said, ‘No way, Sugah! Ah'm not goin' ta spend all night pryin' that boy off da walls and ceilin'.

Crow: (AndrAIa) I remembered her exact wording just in case you'd ask me.

I like ya Dot, but not that much.'" AndrAIa said, mimicking the hackers accent and making Matrix laugh.

Mike: (Matrix, laughing) She has a southern accent!

"So," she continued, "Mouse went out with Ray last night and you were busy working with Phong."

Bob: (AndrAIa) And the other thirty thousand people in the system had stuff to do too.

"What about Hexadecimal? Wasn't she free?"

(Chuckles from the guys)

Tom: Of course!  The psychotic one!  We always forget to ask her!

AndrAIa gave Matrix a funny look.

Crow: (AndrAIa) How many of those pills did you just take?

"I know Hex is one of us now,

Mike: (AndrAIa) Or at least has tricked us successfully so far. . .

but I don't think that Dot would trust Enzo in Hex's care just yet."

"But that way, Enzo would have been on better behaviour..."

"Only because he'd probably be

Crow: Dead.

cowering in the corner with fright; he doesn't trust her yet and you know it."

Bob: (Matrix) But he would have been on better behavior!  Stop dodging the issue!

she interrupted as she playfully pinched the renegade's side, causing him to

Tom: Pass out.
Mike: (AndrAIa) Whoops.  Paralyzing nails.  Keep forgetting.

flinch. "You remember when you were scared of her, don't you?"

Matrix remained silent.

Crow: (Matrix, about to cry) Shut up. . .

"Don't you." AndrAIa prompted.

Crow: (Matrix, a bit more weepy) Leave me alone!

"I remember." he said finally as he hugged the female sprite gently. "I remember."

Bob: Do you remember?

AndrAIa let out a burst of laughter.

Tom: (AndrAIa) He has memories of pain!

"Remember when your voice was changing?

Mike: Remember how hard it was to find a new voice actor?

It was cracking all over the place."

"Aw, Andy. Why did you bring that up?"

Crow: (Matrix, miserable) What'd I ever do to you?

Matrix winced. "You know I hated that part of growing up."

"I know, but I just found it so funny when you were trying to sound threatening to the virus' and your voice cracking the whole time. 'Mercy? To a virus? Never!'" AndrAIa giggled as she caused her voice to crack every second syllable.

Tom: Now, you've gotta admit, that does paint a rather interesting picture.

"Andy..." Matrix complained. "Please?"

Bob: (Matrix) Can we have one breakfast where you don't crush my ego beneath your heel?

AndrAIa snickered but consented. "Alright. Alright." she paused. "Remember that necklace Rom bought for me that you gave me?" AndrAIa asked.

Mike: (AndrAIa) I thought it was dumb!  (maniacal laughter)

"Yeah..." Matrix said thoughtfully...then stopped. "You knew it was Rom who bought it? How did you find out?"

Crow: (AndrAIa) Umm, you told me yesterday.

"Enzo, you don't think I thought you bought it, don' t you?

Tom: (Matrix, uncertainly) Umm. . . yes?

You didn't have any money at that time and we never did have much while we were game hopping."

"I know Love." Matrix smirked. "I was just hopping you wouldn't have thought about it much at that time."

Bob: (Matrix) I guess I should have gone with my feelings and given you a lobotomy.

"I'm a game sprite, Enzo," she elbowed him in the ribs "not basic."

"I'm sorry, AndrAIa.." he apologised..

Mike: (Matrix) I never should have not thought you wouldn't think I wasn't the one who didn't not buy the necklace.

"I guess I wasn't thinking. You don't happen to have a shoehorn so I can fit both feet in my mouth?"

Crow: (Matrix) I've got this bet with Bob. . .

AndrAIa laughed. "It's alright Enzo, I understand. You're just tired."

Tom: (AndrAIa) It happens to everyone, let's just stay up and talk.

Suddenly she turned serious. "I wonder how Rom is..."

Matrix frowned. "Turbo said that Bob and I were the only guardians that weren't infected by Daemon. That means that Rom must be viral by now."

Bob: Or dead.  Gotta keep all your options open.

"Maybe he's fighting the infection like Turbo is.

Mike: Maybe he quit the Guardians and went back to flipping burgers.

There's a chance that he's still on our side." Matrix exhaled slowly. "You're right. I'm sure he's fine. Besides, he had Bob as a teacher;

Crow: Oh, so he's doomed.
Bob: Do you ever get tired of those jokes?
Crow: I think it's obvious at this point that I don't.

he's going to beat that infection."

AndrAIa sat up. "But, if he's completely infected, it's out job to save him;

Tom: (AndrAIa) Buuuuuuut. . . not right now.  Maybe this weekend.

he would do the same for us."

Silence fell over Matrix and AndrAIa; they were both thinking of their
friend. Rom had helped them in their greatest time of need;

Mike: He'd taken them out for slushies. . .

right after Enzo and AndrAIa were first lost in the Net. "Soon we'll have the means of defeating Daemon."

Bob: (Matrix) I sent in the box tops, and it'll be six to eight weeks till delivery.

Matrix finally said as he squeezed AndrAIa a little tighter.

AndrAIa inhaled deeply. "You know...we have it pretty good, Enzo." she said changing the subject.

Matrix turned and looked at her. "What do you mean Andy?"

Crow: (AndrAIa) We're coming back to the Cartoon Network. . . there's two movies in the works. . .

The game sprite returned her lovers gaze. "We made it home and it was restored. Our family is safe because Megabyte is trapped in the Web

Tom: (AndrAIa) And it's not like he has enough fans to bring him back.

and everything is fine." AndrAIa yawned and rested her head on Matrix's chest again.

The renegade layed his head against the back wall. "But Daemon is still out there." he frowned. "Still infecting systems and controlling the guardians..."

"Just try and relax, Lover;

Mike: (Matrix) But we've got to stop the super virus from annihilating everything and everyone we hold dear!
Bob: (AndrAIa) Ah, we'll do it this weekend.  I'm tired.

try and enjoy the moment." She reached out and took hold of Matrix's hand in her own. "We're not at war now and we still have each other after all these hours."

Matrix stifled a yawn

Crow: (Matrix) All this love is boring.  Let's shoot something.

as he nodded. "I'm so glad I have you. I don't know where I've be without you." he kissed the top of her head. "...well...I'd probably be nullified."

"Oh Enzo," AndrAIa sighed.

Tom: (AndrAIa) You say the sweetest things. . .

"You give yourself so little credit."

"But it's true and you know it." he smiled. "If you hadn't been watching Mouse as she transferred the rebooting information onto your icon, you
wouldn't have known how to transfer the game sprite data onto my icon;

Bob: (AndrAIa) Oh, I thought you meant the time I helped you win the Lost Treasure of Atlantis game. . . or when I defeated Nullzilla. . . or when I dragged you through that Rocky the Raccoon game. . .

you saved my life."

AndrAIa blushed slightly as he tilted her head up and kissed her fully on the lips. As the two sprites backed away, they smiled sweetly at the other.

Crow: But why would they. . . hey, are they in love?
Tom: You know, I read something about that on a website, but I thought it was just a rumor.

AndrAIa returned her head sleepily to Matrix's chest and he layed his head on hers.

Mike: Ouch!  That's a pretty awkward position.

He pulled her closer toward himself

Bob: She's already got her head on his chest; how much closer can she be?

and she quietly let him.

"I love you, Enzo Matrix." she whispered as she drifted off to sleep.

Crow: (falsetto) I love you Beetle Bailey.
Tom: (falsetto) I love you Alan Greenspan.
Mike: (falsetto) I love you Martin Lawrence.
Bob: (falsetto) I love you George Saunders.

Matrix kissed her forehead. "I love you too, AndrAIa and I'll always will." he closed his eyes and soon both sprites were embracing each other as they slept on the couch.

(Various snoring sounds from the guys as they exit the theatre.)

@ . .  2 . .  3 . .  4 . .  5 . .  6 . .

(Back on the bridge. Crow is wearing black rimmed glasses, a black robe and a mortar board. Everyone else is crouched down and looking attentively at him.)

Crow: So what did we learn today from these stories, class?

Tom: (puts his hand up) Oh oh oh!  Pick me!

Crow: Servo?

Tom: That if you're a viral, you can easily fool Bob!

Bob: Hey!

Crow: (ignoring Bob) Correct. Anything else?

Mike: Um... (puts up his hand)

Crow: Yes, Michael?

Mike: (hesitantly) That... Bob can't keep track of his pants?

Bob: (more offended) Hey!

Crow: (still ignoring Bob) Right! Any more?

Tom: That... uh... Bob should watch what he flushes down the toilet in case of emergencies?

Bob: (sounding hurt) Hey...!

Crow: Wonderful! A+'s for everyone!

Bob: That's it! How come that all the lessons from the stories are about me and make me out to be some sort of dimwitted sprit-

Crow: (angrily) I did not see your hand up, Bob! You have a detention after class.

(Somewhere, a school bell rings.)

Bob: (shocked) But...!

Crow: Class dissmissed. Bob, clean the chalk brushes.

(Crow gets up and leaves. Mike and Tom follow singing "Bob got in trouble". Bob is left alone.)

Bob: (sighing) Why me?