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The Matrix: Vendetta

Dark.

That was what described the city best. It was dark and dirty and dismal. The only light came from the lights shining through the windows of the apparently endless number of buildings stretching far off into the horizon. Between two of these buildings was a dark alleyway. Trash was scattered about the alley and it was lit by a single rusted street lamp. In the wall of one of the buildings was an iron door with sliding peephole.

Footsteps echoed throughout the alley as a shadowy figure walked towards the door. He knocked on the door a few times before it was answered. The small opening was yanked open and the face of a young Caucasian man with a shaved head and a pair of large sunglasses appeared.

“What is it?” he asked, annoyed.

“I’m looking for Neo,” the man replied evenly.

“Never heard of him,” the guard answered rudely.

“Well if you ever happen to meet him, will you give him this? Tell him he…set me free.” the man said, sliding an envelope through the opening.

“Yeah, whatever,” the guard replied, taking the envelope, “Now get the hell out of here.”

At that, the man turned and left without another word. As soon as he left, the guard turned around to look at the other guard, a large burly African-American with a shaven head and a shotgun, dressed in a black, leather jacket and black pants with a pair of sunglasses.

“What is it?” he asked the first guard.

“Beats me, but we should probably give it to Neo,” the first guard replied.

As soon as he said it, a man came running up a flight of stairs near the back of the room. He was in his mid twenties with an athletic build and slick black hair. He wore a black shirt and black pants over which he wore a black trench coat as well as a pair of sunglasses.

“Was there someone at the door?” he asked.

“Yeah, how’d you know?” the second guard asked.

“He left this for you, Neo” the first guard stated, handing Neo the envelope, “He said you set him free.”

Opening the envelope, he found an earpiece along with a black card on which was the image of a red V in a circle.

“What does it mean?” the second guard asked.

“We’ll have to figure that out later. Agents are coming,” Neo replied, dropping the envelope to the ground.

“Agents!?” exclaimed the first guard.

“Yes. Go down and tell everyone to get to their exits. Quick!” At his orders, the two guards rushed across the room and down the stairs, just as the door they were guarding burst inward and three men stepped into the room.

Shots rang out through the city. A young woman was running down an out-of-the-way alley. She had an athletic build and short, slick backed, black hair. She wore a skin tight black leather outfit along with black sunglasses. Turning a corner, she managed to dodge the bullets shot by the two men chasing her. Both appeared to have strong builds under their official looking suits. They both had short, dark hair and wore sunglasses.

The woman continued to dodge in between alleys, desperate to lose her pursuers. Suddenly, a third man stepped out from behind a corner, aiming his gun at her. Sliding to the ground, she kicked her leg out, knocking the gun out of his hand. Planting her hands, she turned into a handstand and kicked her other leg at his head. The man blocked and, grabbing her leg, lifted her and through her into a wall.

Slumping to the ground, she attempted to regain her footing, but she had hit her head hard against the wall and was struggling to regain her senses. Before she knew it, the man had retrieved his gun and he and his comrades had surrounded her, guns pointed at her.

“Any last words, human?” the one in the middle asked, his voice even.

“Go to hell, Agent,” she spat.

The Agents raised there guns preparing to fire…when they heard from behind them and whirled around.

“The multiplying villainies of nature do swarm up on him,” it said as a figure stepped into view. He wore a black shirt and black pants, which were obscured by the black cloak that was drawn around him. He wore black gloves and boots along with a black hat. He had shoulder length brown hair and his face was obscured by a white mask depicting a smiling mustachioed face.

“An Exile,” the Agent on the right said.

“Not just any Exile,” the left stated.

“Him,” finished the third.

The woman lifted herself shakily to her feet as the Agents lifted their guns to fire upon the masked man.

“New objective,” stated the one in the middle, “eliminate the Exile.”

In response the masked man waved his cloak back and produced a steel dagger from his belt.

“Disdaining fortune with his brandish’d steel which smoked with bloody execution,” he stated as the Agents aimed at him.

“Destroy him,” the lead Agent ordered as he and the other Agents opened fire. Trinity’s eyes widened in shock beneath her sunglasses as the masked man became a blur of motion. Bullets shot passed him as he contorted his upper body in hundreds of different ways at once, leaving a blurred trail of movement as he did so. Eventually, the Agents ran out of bullets and the man straightened up as if nothing had happened, not a single shot having found its mark.

As soon as the clips from the Agents empty guns fell to the ground, the masked man sprang forward. He dodged under the middle Agent’s punch before bring the handle of his dagger into his stomach. The one on the left tried to kick him, but he slid under the first’s doubled over form. He kicked the third Agent in the chest as he dodged, before, sliding over the back of the first and kicking the second in the face, followed by a knee to the first face, then a one-two combo of a chop to the neck and a punch to the chest. As the first Agent recovered, he sent a flurry of punches at the masked man before he caught the Agent’s fist. He twisted it, before kicking the back of the Agents knee, forcing him down, and slitting his throat with his dagger. As the first Agent crumpled to the ground, the other two attacked simultaneously. Both threw punches and kicks with amazing speed but the masked man blocked them all before he leaped into the air and made a running motion with his feet, striking both Agents three times in the chest at once. As the second reeled back, the masked man sweep kicked his legs and in the same motion, whirled around and plunged his dagger into the Agent’s chest as he hit the ground.

The Agent began to convulse before his features and clothing changed into that of a normal police officer. Rising up, the masked man faced the last Agent, whirling his dagger in preparation. The Agent threw a punch but, the masked man grabbed his arm before kicking him in the chest, stomach and face in quick succession. Releasing his arm, the masked man gave the Agent a big boot to the chest, sending him crashing into a nearby wall, cratering it. The Agent tried to recover, but was stopped when the masked man pushed the point of his knife against his chest.

“Why are you doing this?” the Agent asked, “Where is the logic in it? Why are you defending this woman? Why did you abandon our mission?”

“We are oft to blame for this. ‘Tis to much proved that with devotion’s visage and pious action we do sugar o’er the devil himself,” the masked man replied evenly.

“What meaning is there to that human babble?” the Agent demanded.

“Spare the rod,” the masked man said simply before driving the dagger into the agent’s chest.

Turning around he found Trinity pointing one of the Agent’s discarded guns at him, a new clip placed in it.

“I can assure you, I mean you no harm,” he said.

“Who the hell are you?” she demanded, not lowering her gun.

“Who?” he asked, “Who is but the form following the function of what and what I am is a man in a mask.”

“I can see that,” Trinity replied, annoyed.

“Of course you can. I’m not questioning your powers of observation. I’m merely remarking upon the paradox of asking a masked man who he is,” he explained.

“Oh, right,” Trinity responded, slightly confused.

Suddenly there was a large whooshing noise as Neo descended into the alley, the air seeming to ripple around him.

“Trinity!” he cried, rushing to her side, “Link said you were surrounded by Agents. I got here as quickly as I could. Are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” she reassured him, “Thanks to him,”

Following her gaze, Neo looked suspiciously at the masked man.

“Who are-” he began, but was stopped when Trinity put her hand to his mouth.

“Don’t bother, he’s a man in a mask,” she explained, earning a confused look from Neo.

“Yes I am,” replied the masked man, “But on this most auspicious of nights permit me in lieu of the more commonplace sobriquet to suggest the character of this dramatis persona.”

Lowering his head, the masked man paused, before quickly raising it and flinging his cape back while shouting “Voilà!” before continuing, making varied hand motions as he went. “In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition.” Whirling about, he stalked over to a poster hanging on the wall and with two quick slices, cut a V shape into it, before sheathing his dagger.

Looking at Neo and Trinity over his shoulder, he continued, “The only verdict is vengeance, a vendetta held as a votive not in vain, for the value and the veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous.” Suddenly, he brought his hands up to his mouth and began to laugh to himself, like he found something funny in all this. “Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose. So let me simply add that it’s my very good honor to meet you and you may call me V,” he finished while removing his hat and bowing.

“Are you insane?” Neo asked hesitantly.

“I am quite sure they will say so,” V responded, “But to whom, might I ask am I speaking?”

“I’m Neo,” Neo said with a slight hesitation, “And this is Trinity.”

“Neo?” V asked, sounding rather surprised “Neo. Of course you are. Didn’t expect to meet you so soon.”

“What does that mean?” asked Trinity.

“It means that I, like God, do not play with dice and do not believe in coincidence,” V explained, before turning to Trinity and asking “Are you hurt?”

“Not much. Thanks,” she replied.

“Oh, I merely played my part,” V said, waving it off before turning to leave, “Now I must be going.”

“Wait!” called Trintiy, “You’re an Exile right. We can find you a safe place to stay. It’s the least we could do to repay you.”

“Think nothing of it, Trinity,” he said, pausing in his walk, “Tell me, do you kow what day it is, Neo?”

“In the Matrix?” he asked, “It’s November the fourth.”

“Not anymore” stated V, before a church bell began to ring somewhere in the distance, “Remember, remember, the fifth of November, the gunpowder treason and plot. I know of no reason why the gunpowder treason should ever be forgot.”

As soon as he had finished, a huge explosion could be heard as a fireball leapt into the sky over the surrounding building. Suddenly, a group of fireworks shot out of the flames, forming a V while another created a circle of sparks around it.

As Trinity and Neo watched the explosion, V began to walk away.

“Until we meet again…Mr. Anderson,” V called over shoulder.

Whirling around, Neo looked to where V had gone, not believing what he had heard. Running after him, Neo rounded a corner…but V was gone without a trace.

“Smith?” Neo whispered to himself.

A/N: Just an idea that’s been buzzing around in my head for awhile. I have other crossover ideas that I hope to make into fics someday, which is why I made this fic to see how you guys like them. Don’t worry, I’m still working on the Marvelous World of DC. So tell me what you think of it. Please review! Later, True Believers!