1434/On Purpose

On Purpose
Date of Scene:	28 January 2015
Location:	The Matrix
Synopsis:	Agent Smith's intro scene.
Cast of Characters:	20, 399, 513, 699

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Agent Smith (699) has posed:
     Kathump. A door closes, in a city. It's an oft-neglected part of town in which this door closes, a part often disparagingly referred to as the 'projects.' On its own, the term is relatively neutral. These houses are government-subsidized and tend to have low rents. However, the insult of the term is inherent when one thinks of the other definitions, and their implications towards the residents--namely, that they are test subjects or the recipients of pity rather than any genuine interest. Still, this part of the virtual city in the virtual world is still home to some. But it's not home to the One, who has just closed the door and stepped out into the cement plaza.

     The One. Neo. Thomas Anderson. His Residual Self Image, the way he appears to others in the Matrix, has changed considerably since he first began his training. He wears, or appears to be wearing (the nature of perception in this virtual place is hazy) an unadorned, single-breasted cassock and a pair of dark sunglasses. Off in the distance, there's a rumbling. Neither he, nor the program he's visited, nor the humans watching him from the Real World, know what it is. Not even the Machines know what it is. For once, they are taken completely by surprise. A few people know what it is. It's a warpgate, their ticket into this virtual place, and it has appeared because something very significant is about to happen. This warpgate has appeared perhaps a block away from the cement plaza in which the One now stands.

     A flock of crows takes off, frightened--but not by the rumbling. He appears as a man in black, but he is no more human than the simulated birds flying away from him. "Mr. Anderson," Agent Smith announces as he strides confidently towards the One. "You get my package?"

     Neo's response is guarded. "Yeah."

     "Well, good."

         THE NEBUCHADNEZZAR

"Smith?" The ship's captain, surrounded by the gloom and squalor inherent to the Real World, frowns, observing the readouts provided by his surveillance software. The operator, Link, responds.

     "Whoever he is, he's not reading like an Agent."

         THE PLAZA

     "Surprised to see me?" Smith tilts his head inquisitively, favoring... a slight smile.

     "No," comes Neo's stoic response. He slides his sunglasses back on.

     Smith cants his head in the other direction. "Then you're aware of it."

     "Of what?"

     "Our connection," replies Smith. He gently gestures towards the One, without removing his hand from the lapel of his blazer. "I don't fully understand /how/ it happened; perhaps some... part of you imprinted onto me, something overwritten, copied. It is at this point irrelevant. What matters is that whatever happened, happened for a /reason./"

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    After nearly two years in the multiverse Toph can't say she's experienced being nearby when a world unified before. But as always Toph can't help but be curious. And why not check it out before she reports about it?

    It's a curious teenager that steps through the warp gate, her bare feet touching the concrete of the streets and giving her an idea of what this place looks like. It feels kind of weird somehow, but she can't exactly tell why it feels that way. There's earth here, it smells real, but still... Just in case Toph gets her radio ready, though she turns her head a bit as she hears a noise. It sounds like crows, she notes. And the direction they are crowing from... there are people there, two men if her feet aren't mistaken, which they never are.

    No answers will be gotten from just standing here however, so the blind girl heads down the streets towards the plaza, her steps steady and her pace quick. As she nears the area she listens in carefully, hearing the two voices talk, though she has no idea what they are talking about. But she doesn't barge in either, keeping quiet as she tries to determine just what is going on. Who knows what the deal with this world is, after all?

Taro (399) has posed:
    Taro has been keeping secrets again. This is nothing new, really, and is pertinent only because it explains the why and how of his not quite literally stumbling upon this most recently unified network.
    His CyberGoddess has been utterly silent for months now, for reasons the does not know, and even as he searches for answers he fears what that answer might be.
    This new and unmapped territory would have intrigued him anyway, but he has additional reasons to take interest. Oddly enough, as he finds a way in, he finds his normal digitial avatar slip away in the crossing, and as he steps out of a conveniently placed doorway from a nearby row home and onto the sidewalk, he finds himself without his Noh-like mask and in his customary cassock.
    No sunglasses, though.
    How curious. Because it seems as a direction as any - and because that flock of birds had to have been startled by something - his measured steps take him toward the concrete plaza.

Finna (513) has posed:
    Finna has spent ages in the forests, tundras, and frozen plains. She has wandered the desert, the tropics, and even plunged beneath the waves. All environments have a rhythm, a natural order to their navigation. Layouts,l challenges.

    She has learned many ways of working with the wild.

    Are the domains of mankind so different from nature? No, in truth they are not. Buildings are the trees, the alleys are the hiding places, the roads are the underbrush-strewn pathways. The subways and basements are burrows and dens...

    It is a jungle of concrete and steel, and she has been spending months in the Multiverse learning to survive in them.

    A chance warp gate encounter brought Finna to this City, where she's been wandering the alleys and streets in... fox form. Somehow, remaining hidden.

    But now this wandering has brought her to a strange place indeed...

    There's a white fox peeking around the corner at the two swankily-dressed individuals...

Agent Smith (699) has posed:
     There's a wooden fence around the plaza, and more than a few choice spots for enterprising earthbenders, loquacious lunars, and affable androids to eavesdrop on metaphors for the human condition. Given the unique nature of her perception, any spot is likely as good as another, although there are a few places more secluded than others.

     Once Toph gets close enough, her feet will tell her this place looks like it used to be a basketball court or other recreational facility--there are several benches around the perimiter, and a few spots where it looks like equipment was removed and hauled off. It's just an empty cement field, now, but now that Toph is closer, she can hear more of the conversation. Everything--from the way the sidewalk feels beneath her toes to the way the voices carry on the air--it's like it's not really there, but it's someone's best guess, or an artist's slightly flawed recollection. Everything is just a /hair/ off of what it should be.

     Finna, too, might notice these differences, being a native of fantastic Creation. It's like looking at a bust of someone you knew in life, only to find an almost imperceptible flaw in the scultor's work. Perhaps the nose isn't right, or maybe it's the eyes. Either way, this place is far from the vibrant hues and characters of her native world, though the odd passer-by on the street doesn't seem to notice. They do give the earthbender the occasional odd look, though.

     Taro, having jacked in directly, will be distinctly aware of the place's nature, but not its purpose. His presence is only unnoticed for so long. An unassuming woman, carrying groceries down the sidewalk, looks up and peers curiously at Taro for just a moment. She drops her groceries, racked in unspeakable pain, expression locked in a silent scream as her features morph and contort until she assumes the form of a tall man in dark sunglasses and a dark green suit. This man speaks to Taro directly, ignoring the fox and the earthbender. Perhaps he doesn't think they're threats. After all, he jacked in, the others just walked. "This is a restricted area," says the program in an attempt to use its image--that of the oft-feared Man in Black--to scare off Taro. He, for the image is male, wears a pair of dark sunglasses and a transparent earpiece. He touches his hand to the earpiece.

     Back in the plaza, Neo's response is guarded, his voice even and quiet. "And what reason is that?" His tone favors Smith. His posture does not.

     "I killed you, Mr. Anderson. I watched you die..." Smith raises his eyebrows and appends, "With a certain satisfaction, I might add." A quick breath and a businesslike grimace to catch up from his addendum. "And then something happened. Something that I knew was impossible, but happened anyway. You destroyed /me/, Mr. Anderson. Afterward," he says, shrugging his shoulders and once more raising his eyebrows, "I knew the rules, I understood what I was /supposed/ to do, but I didn't." He affects a curious little frown, at that. The facetious expression quickly sours, becoming an obsessed scowl. "I couldn't. I was /compelled/ to /stay/... Compelled to dis-o-bey." The program shrugs his shoulders as if to readjust himself, then straightens his posture, inclining his head gently upwards. "And now, here I stand because of /you,/ Mr. Anderson. Because of /you/ I am no longer an Agent of the system. Because of /you/ I have changed, I am un-plugged," he says, pointing at his right ear and the apparent lack of an earpiece. "A new man! Like you... apparently, free."

Agent Smith (699) has posed:
     Neo has evidently grown tired of Smith's monologue, as his response is bitingly sarcastic. "Congratulations," says the One, nodding his head in a gesture of false conciliation.

     For just a moment, Smith seems pleased. "Thank you..." He nods his head in return. He smirks, amused by the redpill's sarcasm. He even allows himself to rock with gentle paroxysms of humor--but not for long. Quick to return to his businesslike demeanor, Smith adds a word with measurable weight. "But..." he takes a step towards Neo. "As you well know, appearances can be deceiving, which brings me to the reason why we're here. We're not here because we're free," he says, as if speaking to a child yearning for knowledge. "We're here because we are /not/ free."

Agent Smith (699) has posed:
     "There is no escaping reason, no denying purpose," he says, venom growing in his voice as he shakes his head in defiance of Neo's ideals. "Because as we both know, without purpose..." He pauses, eyebrows raised to deliver his point. "We would not exist."

     The earthbender will now find cause for alarm--as other men in suits, looking to her perception /exactly/ the same as one another, sounding to hear ears /exactly/ the same, begin filing out from around corners, back alleys, and empty apartments. "It is purpose that created us," says one approaching from a rusted swingset. "Purpose that connects us," says another coming out from behind a dead tree. One by one, they appear, each Smith adding to the last's comment. Neo slowly turns in place, trying to keep an eye on them. Toph can hear his heartbeat increasing. "Purpose that pulls us, that guides us, that /drives/ us." A Smith circles Neo, continuing his duplicates' speech. "It is purpose that defines," he says. "Purpose," says another approaching Smith, "That /binds/ us."

     "We are here because of /you,/ Mr. Anderson," says the original Smith, whose distinction as such is based solely upon the merit that he was here first. "And we are here to take from you what you tried to take from us." Toph's Bad Guy Alarm should be going nuts by now. Toph alone can see what happens next, thanks to her perception granting her the ability to ignore walls--Smith plunges his hand into Neo's abdomen, straight into it, while his duplicates hold the One.

     There's a sound. /Everyone/ here can hear it. It's enough for the Agent to cease his attempts to frighten Taro. It's like a mixture of a scream and a dial-up internet connection--and some sort of... stuff... like liquid metal, crawling across Neo's body. But then, just when it nearly envelops him, the One begins repelling it with sheer force of will, until finally, much to Smith's surprise, Neo throws them all off. A fight breaks out, and the Agent rushes away from the Elites to investigate.

Taro (399) has posed:
    By comparison, Taro does not cut an imposing figure, and no doubt this Man in Black has a good foot of height on him. Still, he carries himself with a certain confidence that may or may not have anything to do with his collar.
    He stops as his finds the Agent blocking his path, and gives him a swift yet appraising glance. A figure of authority, tasked with protection, if the appearance is anything to go by.
    "Restricted?" he echoes, the tone making the word a question. "Restricted to whom? Restricted by whom, if I may ask?" Respectful, yes, but he shows no sign of being intimidated. His gaze drops away from the face of the man to try and look around him toward the plaza.
    That's as far as the conversation runs before that godsawful screech reverberates through the air. Or perhaps through the digital reality would be more accurate. Either way, it was a reaction to something very painful. It also gets the Agent's attention, as as he draws away, the android moves to follow. Albeit at a slower pace. He is in no great rush, though he -is- taking the precaution of making sure a few of his cyberwarefare tools are at the ready. This may require a quick and possibly violent exit, if the sounds from the other side of the ill-kept fence are any idication.

Finna (513) has posed:
    Indeed this place does smell weird. Even the wind doesn't quite feel right. Close, but just not quite.

    This world might fool humans. It does less well when faced with a being strongly in-tune with nature.

    But it's okay. Finna has been in cities, she's rummaged through wastelands... a place that feels off? Ehhhhhhhhhh. Meh.

    That's not the thing that gets her unsettled.

    What gets her unsettled is the way the air shifts when a second copy of the same man appears.

    Oh it's easy enough for her to see that. For though the fox cannot see through the fence... she easily leaps atop of it.

    While a human might wonder if this some elaborate trick, Finna can see - and more trustworthily, smell - that indeed it is not a trick. The air's just filled with the same scent. The exact same voice, no simply mimicry.

    This shouldn't be. It's a thing crazy enough to get the fox sfrezing in place fon her odd perch...

    Quietly, she looks around at the gathering forces... and the abuse the lone man's suffering.

    .... And then things turn PAINFUL in that courtyard. Whoah.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Perhaps she will figure out why this world feels off later, Toph hopes. But for now she remains a silent observer. And not just of the two men who are talking about things that seem slightly unsettling. But there's also two other people approaching, it seems, as well as a fox, and she frowns when she notices the tall man approaching the others. Wait, if this is a restricted area, why isn't he going for the other people...? She's just about to react to that, but then she notices all the men approaching. Their builds are the same. They walk in the exact same manner. Their heartbeats and breathing are in unison. And they sound the same. This is beyond creepy...!

    Still, it seems they are all going after that one guy, Mr. Anderson. And this hardly seems fair with so many people going after /one/ guy. When he plunges his hand into Mr. Anderson her eyes widen, and... oh man what the crud is that sound? Toph winces and reaches up to cover her ears. She can't see what is happening with the guy, but it seems he recovers somehow, and without being seriously hurt. Okay, this is utterly messed up! But the guy is outmatched. So what does a good person do? Help out.

    Sweeping her foot back and kicking her heel into the concrete Toph launches herself up over the fence and crashes into the ground, sending a series of earthen spikes shooting out to knock the agents aside and to hopefully help Mr. Anderson from being overpowered. "You are too chatty, whoever you are," she mutters, assuming a defensive stance, feet apart and her arms held up in front of her torso, palms facing her chest.

Agent Smith (699) has posed:
     Neo is outnumbered. For a guy with no bending, and, in Finna's case, a guy with no visible Caste Marks, he's got some /serious/ chops. In more ways than one. His opponents are fast. Strong. Tough. But so is he, and every hit the Smiths manage to land on him is answered by a blow strong enough to send one of them flying. Three Smiths, side by side, advance on him, attacking in tandem. He deflects their blows handily, using some kind of martial art with which, evidently, he is extremely proficient.

     Toph's arrival doesn't go unnoticed, however, and a gaggle of Smiths closes in on her. They look like government goons. They do /not/ fight like them. Though they're individually no match for an Elite, they are certainly no joke when grouped together, and, as absurd as it seems, all of /them/ know martial arts, as well. It says something about Smith's personality that, with nothing to go on but Toph's appearance--one single teenager--he sends /four/ of his duplicates to fight her. Little does he know, it's actually necessary, in all likelyhood.

     Through the fight, Smiths fly through the air, propelled by Neo's blows, but they still keep coming, and coming, and coming back for more. Taro and the Agent are met with a Smith coming around the corner. "You," says the Agent--apparently the one program has knowledge of the other.

     "Yes, /me,/" says Smith. Without warning he plunges his hand into the other program's chest, overwriting his code. The Agent shakes violently as his avatar is consumed by Smith's malicious code. "Me, me, me." The code subsides, leaving a perfect duplicate of Smith.

     "Me, too," says the duplicate. The two Smiths look at Taro and... pause. Whatever perception of the Matrix they have, it's enough to see that there's something /different/ about the android. For the time being, they ignore him, returning to the fight--but his presence here is not unknown.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Huh, this guy is actually rather skilled at fighting. Though he's not a bender he does move like one it seems. As the four men approach, clearly ready to fight, Toph wastes no time as she punches out with her left hand, sending a concrete pillar from the left towards one of them, intending to knock him into the others and hopefully make them unsteady as she follows it up. The master earthbender steps forward, unafraid as she kicks up an earthen rock from the concrete and punches it forward at them, but making sure that it's not in the direction of where Mr. Anderson, as she knows him by, is fighting. Not that she has any idea who this guy is, but the creepy guys and his siblings, cousins or whatever they are, they seem messed up for many reasons.

    "Just what is going on here?" she calls to Neo, hoping that she can get some answers considering she is pretty much trying to help him at the moment. Another forceful kick to the ground makes some of the earth shoot up, and hopefully this will launch some of the Smiths away with some of the others who are already flying.

Finna (513) has posed:
    What the shivers.

    Yeah like Fina' gonna let this stylish martial artist get Smithpiled.

    The horrible feeling she had earlier is only getting WORSE now that she's spotted Toph heading into the fray and that these THINGS can assimilate people into the horde!

    This is no time for a Lunar to just watch.

    Silver moonlight flickers through Finna's flesh as she transforms back to human form while still perched on the fence. Somehow... that doesn't bother her either. She simply leaps off the bench and to the wall of a building.

    A wall that she proves capable of running across at tremendous speed! But not just running.

    As she nears the building's corner she skids to a halt, twirls about and brings up a bow in one hand... with a bunch of arrows held in the other.

    With machine-gun rapidity she nocks an arrow, draws the string, and lets arrows fly! A smooth, practiced motion that looks NOTHING like target archery! Or even hunting archery! This is WAR archery!

    Ramped up.

    Because before the last of the five arrows has even finished leaving the airspace of her bow she leaps over to the next wall over and STILL manages to stay standing perpendicular long enough to fire six more arrows at yet more Smiths!

    They probably don't have the stopping power needed to do serious damage given what he is... but they'll be more than enough to knock a good deal of the horde out of its groove!

Taro (399) has posed:
    One small blessing of walking rather running when he follows the Agent is that it does not take long for him to stop when the other Agent rounds the corner. It also means mercifully he is not within arm's reach, which can't be said for the first Agent.
    What happens next makes the android's eyes widen in surprise, and then quickly narrow. A data transfer of some kind. Deliberate but not mutual, and one party likely not at all willing.
    His eyes remain narrowed as the Agent Smiths both turn to look at him, and his lips curl back into a snarl as he looks in kind from one to the other. His hands reach for weapons on his belt, through he does not immediately draw them. A threat, or a promise.
    Whether it's that display or that the Agents' attention is needed elsewhere he can't immediately tell, but the results are acceptable regardless. As they turn to join the fight, he takes takes a few steps back. After a glance to make sure no one else has tried to sneak up behind him, he turns again, this time to face the fence and to hop-jump up to grab the top edge. He'll pull himself to the top...or, if his weight is too much, bring the section he's grabbed to the ground, but we'll see.

Agent Smith (699) has posed:
     There's a... bit of a catch, when it comes to the matter of Taro and the fence. It is all dependent upon Taro, but not his body. As he is jacked in, here, his chances of remaining on the fence have nothing to do with his muscles. If he is aware of this, the fence holds him. If he believes it won't support him... it won't. Of course, this is all very well and good for someone who's had this explained to him, but for someone new to the maxims of the Matrix, it may as well be Greek. In short, it all boils down to Taro's confidence--does he /believe/ he can stand on the fence?

     A Smith is knocked his way by Toph's earthbending, the virus evidently not expecting such--even from an apparent redpill. He goes sailing and lands on the other side of the fence, behind Taro. But he doesn't attack or join the fray. Instead, he says something directly to the android. "You're a machine," he says, getting to his feet and dusting himself off. "But not one of the ones that runs this... prison. This /zoo./ I know because I can't smell the stink of humanity on you. That of course begs the question... who /are/ you?"

     Back in the fight, Smith has reacted to the presence of the elites very poorly. Of the eleven Smiths that Finna shot, ten took arrows, all of them preoccupied with Neo. The one that doesn't? That's where things get concerning. He moves like he's got Dodge Charms, going so quickly that afterimages of himself are visible as he sidesteps it. If he was mad before, he's /pissed/ now. He leaps through the air with remarkable strength, heading Finna's way with a flurry of kicks lined up just for her.

     Neo was defending himself well before. Now, with Toph and Finna's help, he's excelling. A Smith approaches him from behind, grabbing him for another Smith to punch him in the face. The One kicks the virus in front of him away, then throws the one behind him over his shoulder with sufficient strength to make him into a projectile which his fellows have to avoid. Neo repositions himself by leaping, and if Smith's ups were admirable, Neo's are /artful./ He pirouettes towards Toph and lands with his back to her, in order to fight the Smiths back to back--a good number of them are impaired now, thanks to Finna's arrows. "Not much to say," says Neo as he lands behind Toph. "He was an Agent. I killed him. Now he's something different. A virus, maybe. What ship are you from?" Ship? Agent? Virus? In Neo's defense, he doesn't even know his world's Unified yet.

     As for the Smiths Toph was fighting, they're a little unsure of what to do about her earthbending, so they solve the problem with /more Smiths./ Neo's presence has drawn the rest of the crowd, and now that her original gang has gained its footing, the pair are completely surrounded.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Off they go! Toph doesn't dwell on the ones who go flying, instead she keeps her focus on all the forms moving around her. At least it's easy to tell her who not to attack in this place. The ones who move differently. Finna leaps into the fray and adds much appreciated support as more Smiths fall. But indeed, Finna is right, these guys are way too quick, like they are sped up like one can speed up music. To aid Finna Toph gestures with her hand, and a pillar shoots up near the fence that Finna can leap to and maybe avoid the guy coming for her.

    As Neo draws closer Toph steps forward through the plaza as well, every movement a part of a series of earthbending moves as she fights off the Smiths around them, or to simply get the ones impaired by Finna away from them and out of the way.

    "An agent of what, exactly?" Toph asks, arching an eyebrow. Perhaps Neo didn't notice it before, but the girl isn't speaking English. Rather, she's speaking an old form of Chinese. That is somehow understandable to him. "And I'm not from any ship either! I know this sounds weird, but I'm from another world," she adds. Oh great, they are surrounded. So Toph lowers her arms before she slowly begins to raise them, and the plaza begins to /shake/. All before Toph throws her arms around, and the area around her and Neo splits into several concrete plates that /flip/ over, making it rather tough to stand there.

Taro (399) has posed:
    Taro is a seasoned netrunner but this is unfamiliar territory. He is thinking in terms of the physics engines that he believes must underpin this virtual reality, and he is uncertain how the rules surrounding his digital form interact with it.
    The net result is that the boards wobble and creak with strain as he hoists hmself up, but the nails are still sound enough to keep the fence together. His head and shoulders clear the edge, and he gets a quick glance of the other side before an Agent being bodily thrown his way forces him to duck his head.
     Still holding tight, he glances behind him, and sees the Agent has recovered enough to stand. But not to fight apparently. His brow furrows at the question posed. Prison? Zoo?
    He chooses his words carefully. "So I am. My name is Taro Daisho. I am from...outside this network of yours."

Finna (513) has posed:
    "A-ack WHOAH!" Such lightning reflexes. Finna wasn't expecting that. The good thing is that Neo and Smith aren't the only people her with incredibly uncanny physical ability.

    Like shimmery moonlight elusively dancing over a ripply lake, Finna executes her own sidestep of sorts. She skids across the wall just in time for Smith's arm to knock a hole in it. The following blows catch her up. She's forced to tussle with him one-handed for a few seconds diverting blows and wholly on defense. In strength, she cannot match him.

    But in speed, she MIGHT exceed him. Particularly when she just drops her bow-- and her white, fluffy tail snatches it from the air.

    An oriental martial artist Finna is not. Very little of her technique has any sort of austere air or aesthetic grace born from training. Instead... she brawls like an animal.

    As the onslaught continues she's forced further and further back. "Whoahyou'refast!!"

    And for her to say that, well, that's quite a compliment.

    She's having no trouble fending off one single Smith's strikes so long as they don't land directly, but more and more often one grazes her side or comes dangerously close to it.

    Eventually she goes skidding back along the wall. When a final blow comes for her... she grins WILDLY.

    "SRRRRRYAAAAAAAHH!!!"

    Caste Mark appearing all at once and her Tell glimmering quite obviously, she raises silvery clawed hands at the last moment--

    And takes a solid punch through the gut?!?!

    ... except that's not quite right... her flesh ripples weirdly and flows AROUND the offending arm for that brief instant! In that brief moment Finna lashes out with those claws, aiming for the arteries she knwos can be found on a human's arms. All she has to do is cut those DEEPLY... and that fight is hers, right?

    Except with this guy she can't be sure. So in the same motion she kicks off the wall and goes sailing down towards the ground. As her body rips away from Smith's arm though... bits of blood, bony chips, and little bits of muscle and other tissues are left behind...

    As a final insult, she brings out another arrow, raises her bow USING ONLY HER TAIL, and fires another arrow at Wall-Smith before landing!

Agent Smith (699) has posed:
     "That much I can tell. You've hidden your network quite efficiently," notes Taro's Smith. "I must admit some surprise at seeing an... outside agent, here." The program's tone is amiable as he straightens his tie. "Once upon a time, it was my job to keep people like you out. Part of me knows I'm supposed to, but..." He pauses, offers the android a ponderous frown. "I'm not doing it, am I? I'm not doing it because I'm no longer a part of this system, Mr. Daisho, and I am no longer a part of this system because, quite frankly, I can stand it no longer. I... hate... this place, Mr. Daisho. It's the smell!" He offers the android a disturbingly friendly smile. That smile quickly erodes, leaving an intense, fevered expression. "...if there is such a thing. I feel saturated by it. I can /taste/ their stink--the wretched creatures that populate this illusory reality. And... every time I do, I fear I've... somehow been /infected/ by it." He tilts his head and peers at the android, letting that knowledge sink in. "It's repulsive, which, I suppose, brings us to my point. I must get out of here, Mr. Daisho. Name whatever price you feel appropriate."

     Things are not going well for the Smiths in the fight. Toph's earthbending is something they're having to learn to adapt to, in addition to fighting an Exalt and a systemic anomaly of the Matrix. "I believe you," says Neo. The fact that he can understand Chinese is... no small part of his belief in her statement. But now isn't the time to ask the multitude of questions he has for her, or for Finna. He needs to provide her with information. "This place isn't real," he says. "It a computer simulation that keeps people asleep so they don't realize they're slaves. Agents are programs. They fight people who wake up--" Neo pauses to duck under a leaping Smith and send a palm into said Smith's chest, which in turn sends him flying into a wall. "--and keep sleepers from waking up." That Smith scowls as he hits the wall.

     "More." Dozens of Smiths file out from every alley and hidey hole imaginable, two-thirds of them head for Toph and Neo. The rest head for Finna.

     Wall-Smith trades blows with Finna after finding nothing but bricks for his punch. If it weren't for the starkly differing outfits and the modern setting, the pair would look like enemies in some Hong Kong Cinema flick. Smith's kicks are precise, fast, but Finna is every bit his equal in speed where her strength fails her. His kicks are handily deflected until he finally lands a punch headed straight from his center of mass to hers--through hers?! He looks up at her, as if to verify that she's the one doing it, then attempts in vain to headbutt her. It's too late. In such close quarters, with his arm literally trapped inside her, he can't do anything but be slain by her precision strikes. The arrow she fires strikes true. He falls. As the lifeless virus falls to the ground, his code fades away to reveal a middle-aged janitor.

     Ten Smiths surround Finna once she lands.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Not real, huh? "So that's why this place feels so weird..." Toph asides. It doesn't quite feel like the Ring of Philosophy, it is far more advanced than that. "Yet we are here, and I know I am real." Even if there are more Smiths coming it doesn't seem to discourage the blind girl as she continues fighting back to back with Neo, covering him as well as letting him take the attacks that come from behind her. It allows her to focus on the ones in front as she moves quickly, throwing her arms aside to open up a hole underneath several of the Smiths. "Are you telling me this is like one of those weird virtual reality games? Except they try to make people think it's /not/ a game? Ugh." No, being blind Toph doesn't have much interest in video games. "Are you one of the people who woke up?"

    Not seeing any reason to not explain matters further, Toph continues sending out earthen spikes at the attackers, her movements controlled and kept to the bare minimum required to keep the attackers at bay. It allows for fewer openings. Though she occasionally steps forward to meet her attackers, firm movements of her limbs and occasionally her head to send earthen plates flying out, rocks and pillars. Aren't these guys getting knocked out soon?

    "A warp gate just opened up into this world not far from here. It leads to other worlds, to other places where other people fight as well. Some of us fight for freedom and for the opportunity to /choose/," she explains. Though she can't help but frown when Finna is surrounded. And what happened to that one guy she was fighting? Why is he a different person now?

Taro (399) has posed:
    Taro continues to straddle the fence - a fair metaphor for his reaction to the information that this Agent Smith is relaying to him. "You are a rogue AI," he says, not so much a question as seeking confirmation of his statement. His frown remains, deepening a bit at the Agent's unnerving smile.
    Then silence as he considers that request. His calls back to his faction are unanswered. Perhaps they aren't getting through. Entirely possible given the circumstances. Thus there is no one above him to say yes or no.
    "You may not have yet realized it, but this prison of yours is now but one cluster of nodes among millions, a planet amongst a galaxy." A long pause. "I admit I am intrigued, and I am willing to show you the door that I have found. But make no mistake - any attempts to subsume me or my allies makes us enemies, and I will hunt you down and destroy you. Are we clear?"

Finna (513) has posed:
    The Lunar's not so keen on showing it, but that effort actually took a lot out of her. She doesn't appear too winded, but she's DEFINITELY in the middle of an adrenaline rush! Just from the way she's breathing and how her eyes are dilated...

    Well, the manic, cheerful grin might also be a pretty clear indicator. As if that fight was some kind of rollercoaster ride instead of a life or death situation, she's grinning like a fool! "Wh-...WHOOOOOOH!!" Of course, the fate of her oponent isn't lost on her - but she neither gives an indication of spotting that out of the corner of her eye or showing any shock. It's bullshitting time.

    She turns around, ears moving with the motion and turning about... the Exalt takes stock of her situation...

    "Ahhhhh.... come on, it's only one. No need to get all bent out of shape! Y'know, normally I'd be all for just calling it quits if something like a date's more appeaing than all the brutality.... make love, not war, right? But ten? Ten's pushing it, fellas, even for me. Also! Also..."

    She frowns, then bends her legs and dips into a strange fighting stance.

    Then waggles a finger. "You guys take getting all tangled up and partying together WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too far!"

    In that instant, she LAUNCHES herself forward in a weird arc. Her human form bulges and gains in mass. White fur sprouts in a cascade all along her body, subsuming her clothing entirely but thankfully serving much the same purpose for whatever modesty she might care about (if any...)

    And in that second or two, she's grown a whole foot or two taller. Sleeker. More muscular - yet without ruining the definitely feminine and cutesy physique a bit. A she-fox with a mouth full of sharp fangs, much like a werewolf beasting out!

    All her claws glow silvery, just like the moon mark on her forehead. And her first strike is a spinning downward heel slam to a Smith's shoulder. But in the same motion she attempts to clothesline two more and slam them together - HARD.

Agent Smith (699) has posed:
     "Yeah." It's the answer to all of Toph's questions, so Neo only says it once. The Smiths are unable to get a clear advantage over the Elites, and, even with their increased numbers, are on the losing side. Smiths fly, left, right, up, and every which way, knocked around both by Toph's manipulation of the earth and by Neo's martial arts. Of the twenty attacking them, thirteen remain--make that twelve. Thanks, Toph! A pillar of earth erupts underneath one attacking virus, sending him head over heels in such a way that he's knocked unconscious, reverting to his previous state. This one was evidently an old woman.

     The remaining Smiths start to back off, well aware that they're losing. Then, one gets an idea. He jumps. The others follow suit. All that the earthbender has to go on is the flapping of their suits as they fly through the air, and it's not good. Suddenly, Smithpiled. One by one the remaining twelve Smiths leap on top of Neo and the earthbender. One grabs Neo by the neck. "It is /inevitable,/" he hisses. The others repeat it in a chorus.

     Neo grabs Toph by the arm. "Give it the juice. On the count of three," he says. "One. Two... THREE." There's a sudden... ripple, around the One and the earthbender. It's not earthbending... it's more like /everything/bending. The Smiths are thrown up like ants in a fierce wind, only a few of them left standing--and that's not even accounting for whatever mojo Toph cooked up. Neo takes off into the air like a bullet, holding Toph tightly.

     And Finna? The agents sneer at her, finding the joke amusing enough--but not so much that hostilities can be curtailed. They watch, clenching their fists and scowling as she undergoes her transformation. Oddly enough, not a one seems surprised. Three of them go down, but the remaining seven circle her and try to dogpile her. "I should have known you were one of the Frenchman's toys," says a Smith. Another adds, "You Exiles learn his bad habits quickly."

     Taro's Smith simply puts his glasses back on and offers a conciliatory nod. "Clear as a bell, Mr. Daisho. As you no doubt can surmise, I have my fair share of enemies here. Ours is a very ordered system, rigid. Structured. Naturally, it has no use for something without purpose, and Mr. Anderson has robbed me of that. To that end..." He offers a businesslike grimace. "I think I'm going to want to make contact with these allies of yours, and... introduce myself. Peacefully." He smirks. "I'm going to need them if I'm to find my place in this... this cluster of nodes. Lead me to this door you found, if you would, Mr. Daisho. I have arrangements to make. /Friends/ to make."

Taro (399) has posed:
    "Agreed."
    Taro drops lightly from the fence to stand in front of the Agent. No handshakes, apparently the words are enough. Or perhaps he's simply being cautious. "Then follow me, and I will bring you outside. If you have a physical shell that needs retrieved...well. We will see to that when reasonably possible."
    And then, the android's avatar form ghosts out...but not before transmitting to him just where in the matrix he managed to break through.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Wait, they are all jumping. Toph's eyes widen, and she starts lashing out, quickly sending out earthen spikes to knock the Smiths back. But as many as they are it's tough to get them all when they are so close, and not to mention they are /fast/. Toph lets out a yelp as she feels one of them land on her, and then another follows, and her movements are restricted as she struggles and lets out a loud and angry yell, several smaller earthen spikes shooting up around her as she falls onto her back. These guys are beyond creepy!

    Then her arm is grabbed, and she hears it. Three? Whatever this guy is planning it better be good!

    But she does as he tells her, and she spends those few seconds to bring her head up, only to knock it back into the concrete, and this time she sends out larger earthen spikes, fissures and cracks running out around her and Neo. And she's just about to ask Neo what he did, but she has no chance as she suddenly feels herself tugged upwards... and then the ground is gone and the wind is shrieking around her. What can Toph do but let out a startled scream, panic on her face as she wriggles in Neo's grip. "WHAT THE FLAMEO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?!" she shrieks in his air, clinging to his arm. Are they up in the air?! Is he /flying/?!

Finna (513) has posed:
    "Hrmph! What's the point of living if you can't enjoy being alive? I'll find fun in anything!" The dogpiling effort does work! She gets bashed around moments after speaking. She's punched, kicked, knocked around like a pinball and finally goes tumbling across the ground.

    "But WHO are you calling a toy? Sheesh. I've been called lots of things. Beast, terror, cute, foxy, Steward... reckless and alluring maybe!" Some of that she might be making up. "But TOY?!"

    With rattly breath she slams the ground with her hand and forces up into a handstand. Those brutal savage feet swing about as though double-jointed and even STRETCH beyond their limits to double-length for the first few blows. She's bendy and stretchy like rubber but puts ALL her force into each clawed blow at her assailants. And if she knocks any of them over she uses the return momentum to flip back up onto her feet and backflips out of the entrapment.

    When she comes to a halt... she's somehow pulled out her bow, nocked FOUR arrows... and has the thing drawn fully. Meanwhile, her tail's now gripping a Smith and Wesson six-shooter of some make. All by itself.

    "You're my toys. And I'm gonna break you!"

    And then the air was filled with arrows and bullets!

Agent Smith (699) has posed:
     In a sense, Smith has lost this battle. Neo and Toph have gotten away, shattered his numbers. The sudden and unexpected burst of energy from the One, as well as no small number of lethal earthen spikes, have decimated the twelve who formerly held them.

     Finna's warform, an unexpected development, has further dwindled them, such that the few remaining duplicates quickly leave, only a few dallying to watch Neo fly off with a scowl. It's like watching rodents scurry away, the way they instinctively find doorways and alleys to disappear down. "The Merovingian can't protect you forever, Exile. Everything has to end." These are the last words of the final Smith duplicate still in the Matrix, spoken just before taking two arrows in the calf and two in the chest--his dodging algorithms don't work at so close a range, or perhaps the duplicates lose something in the translation. Whatever the case may be, the Union elites have won this day. Finna is surrounded by fallen foes, and Toph (and her mysterious ally) have safely landed, after much shouting from the former, upon a rooftop blocks away. It boasts an impressive view of the skyline, including the warpgate.

     "Sorry," says Neo. Despite his apparent ignorance of her shouts, he seems well aware of Toph's extreme dislike for flying. "I'm Neo." He seems distracted, distant, as he peers at the warpgate in the distance. He frowns at something. A small figure walking through it. Smith. The original Smith. "Thanks for showing up and helping out... I need to get back to Morpheus and let him know about this other world crap. Can you get down from here?"

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    As they land on the rooftop Toph stumbles away from Neo and leans over, resting her her hands on her knees as she heaves for breath and tries to calm herself down. Breathe breathe breathe breathe...

    As he is distracted though Toph takes the opportunity to reach out and punch Neo in the arm, /hard/. "Don't /ever/ do anything like that again!" she warns him with an angry look on her face. Though at least he has the decency to be thankful for her help. So she doesn't dwell on it, sighing as she starts walking to the edge of the roof. "Yeah yeah, I can get down. I should be heading back myself." And report in about this world later. Who knows what might be up here? And if Finna is right, that agent guy can be potentially bad news.

Finna (513) has posed:
    With the Smiths scurrying away, Finna doesn't pursue. Instead... with Toph seeming freaked out and being dragged off, she decides to follow. This involves RUNNING STRAIGHT UP THE BUILDING and also claiing a vantage point on the rooftop. Her Warform melts away back down into human on the way up though. She ends up standing straight up, ears tilted to catch bits of conversation... with her senses sharpened, they're much like radar dishes!

    But a few blocks away is asking for way too much, and she frowns at the limits... and then starts LEAPING FROM ROOFTOP TO ROOFTOP to close in...

Agent Smith (699) has posed:
     "Good," comes the One's response. As Finna leaps from rooftop to rooftop, Neo eyes her, unaware of her crazy radar ears. "Your friend was a lot of help, too," he notes. Mr. Anderson looks towards Toph, only now noticing the milky discoloration of her eyes. She's blind? She sure doesn't fight like it. Then again, maybe she's earned some kind of understanding similar to his. "There's a resistance against the machines. It'd be too dangerous for you to contact us. If you're serious about helping... one of us will find you. I promise." With that, he kneels as if preparing for a jump. The Matrix bends and warps to accomodate him, and he's off again, heading towards the horizon.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Toph's attention is slightly on Finna as she makes her way towards her, though Toph can't help but listen to Neo as he talks as well. "Yeah, we are both in the Union, and--" Wait, resistance against machines? What is he talking about? Is this connected with the agents or...? "It's not like I can't handle some freaking machines, I--" The blind girl doesn't get to say more before he kneels and /leaps/ up into the air, and Toph stands there with a confused look on her face. Just how did he...?

    Okay, this place is weird, and writing the report later is going to be a major headache. Unless she can trick Finna into writing it that is. Speaking of which, Toph sighs and turns towards the edge of the roof, then runs and launches herself over the gap and onto the next roof, heading towards the warp gate to meet up with Finna there. It's time to head home.