The blast ripped through the air, and would have hit Bob directly in the head had he not ducked in time. It hit the wall behind them and Bob watched as it drilled a small hole in it. Bob turned and glared at the binome, knowing the binome would make sure the next one did not miss its target.
Just when the viral raised his gun again, there was a loud noise, and Princess Bula burst in from behind the troops, followed closely by the rest of the pirates. She waded into the mass of panicking binomes, and began swinging her fists, knocking the terrified troops everywhere. Some tried to fight back, but were soon overtaken by the massive woman. The binomes that remained conscious or unhurt ran as fast as their stumpy legs could carry them down the hall. A few rowdy pirates took off after them, wanting to get rid of them for good.
Dot watched them run, then turned back to the Princess. She was standing in a pile of binomes, laughing happily and pounding her hand into her fist. "They not so tough." She commented, kicking one of the bodies.

Dot knew it was morbid, but she began giggling. She tried to stifle it, putting her hand over her mouth, but she couldn't keep it in. She burst out laughing.

Bob, and everyone else in the hall looked at her.
"Sorry." She apologized, and bit her lip. It just looked so funny- she couldn't help it. Matrix grinned at her, knowing how she felt.
Capacitor came back down the hall, saving her from further embarrasment. "They've left, but knowing virals, they'll be back soon. We'll stay here and take care of things, you sprites go to the P.O and tell Phong." AndrAIa broke in saying, "Not all of us need to go, and besides, you need some help here. I'll stay." The Captian nodded.

Dot, now much more composed, looked at her brother, Mouse, and Bob with a worried look. The city was flooded with viral turrets, ABCs, and other defences. This was going to be chaos, and she knew there was a good chance one of them probably wouldn't make it out compiled.

***

Bob, Dot, Mouse, Matrix and Frisket gathered together in the captain's room, getting gear and making last nano plans. They all had different reasons for going.
Dot, because of her knowledge of the system, Mouse because of her ability to hack through anything, Bob, so he could mend tears or open portals if anything happened, and Matrix, because they needed someone to handle the virals. AndrAIa was staying back, and so was the surfer, because he was unfamilliar with Mainframe.

While Bob stood taking with Capacitor, Dot looked over her armour. She was still wearing the Web armour that Bob had given her, and so was Mouse. Finding her icon in the mist of the strange material, she clicked it once. The heavy substance instantly vanished, and her old body armour re-appeared in a wave of sparking green light. She stretched her arms, happy to have more freedom.
Mouse, who was sitting on the table, did the same. "Good idea." She said, her Web armour fading into her old clothes. The Web shielding worked very well, but it was hot, and restricted movment.

Dot attached the viral blaster she had picked up on her leg, and walked across the room to where the men were standing.
"If we don't get any contact from you in a second, we'll assume that you've been infected or deleted," Capacitor was saying grimly. Bob clenched his fists, not liking the situation, but knowing it was a necessary precaution. "Alright." He said sighing. He turned to watch as Matrix looked over Gun, and Mouse sharpened her kitannas. He didn't need a weapon, now that he had glitch's abilities downloaded. Dot had managed to pick up a blaster, though he didn't know where from. It was a good weapon though, much better than the one he had given her in the Web.

Frisket was lying patiently on the floor, waiting for Matrix.
"Everyone ready?" Mouse said, hopping off the table and sheathing her blade. "We got to leave before Megabyte's 'friends' come back." Everyone had the things they needed, so they left the small room and headed to the deck.

On the way down the hall, Frisket walked by Bob, giving him a small growl before pacing ahead and falling in stride with Matrix. Bob, first startled for a moment, grinned. The dog had never liked him. Well maybe he would have if you hadn't accidentally stepped on his tail when he was a puppy! He told himself. Bob didn't know if that was the reason, but if it was, the dog sure held grudges a long time.

Upon reaching the deck, a pirate handed them zip boards. Dot tossed hers down and hopped on it. She had a nervous feeling in her stomach, but she ignored it, hoping it would leave. Looking above her, she found that it was still dark out, but it would soon be morning. The air was cool, and smelled like the energy sea. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to forget about what she was about to do, but it didn't work, and she still was anxious.

She opened her eyes, she found them about to leave. She moved slowly behind Mouse, who grinned at her.
With Bob in the lead, the group of four sprites left the ship and started across the huge expanse of energy. They were most vulnerable right now, and if they were spotted, they could easily be blown out of the sky. Frisket, who Matrix was carrying in his arms, whined at the sight of seeing so much space with no cover from enimies.

Bob leaned forward on his zipboard, trying to go faster. Being in the open with so many virals around made him nervous too, and it would soon be light out. The energy glittered below him, pulsing in small waves. In front of him, Mainframe sped closer and closer. In a moment they would reach the Kits sector docks. Looking behind him, he found the other sprites glancing around for any trouble.
When Bob reached land, the first thing he did was to lead his friends to the side of the nearest building, where they hid in the shadows. "Okay honey," said Mouse when they were all there, "What now?"
"Now we have to get to the P.O without being discovered. If we are found, we should split up. Mouse, you and Dot should be in different groups. Each of you know how to get through the shields to warn Phong. "

Mouse nodded. It was true that they both knew how to get through, only in Dot's case; she entered the codes, while Mouse could simply hack through.

"I'll go with Mouse." Matrix volunteered while he set Frisket down.
"Sure" Mouse said. She unsheathed her kitannas. "Bring it on." She muttered, staring at the Tor in the distance with hatred.

The sprites set off together, heading towards the center of the system. They stayed in the alleys, and out of areas where the infected binomes might be patrolling. By the time they reached the edge of the sector, it was light out.

Chapter Thirteen

Standing in the alley, the sprites looked pessimistically at the Principal Office. The opaque blue shields were up, and swarms of ABCs patrolled it. Dot shivered to think of the poor sprites and binomes that were trapped inside, knowing that if they left the sanctity of the P.O. they would be enslaved or deleted. How could you let this happen? She asked herself for the hundredth time. Her thoughts were interrupted by her brother, saying that they should just make a run for it. Bob stopped him, saying, "We should have some kind of plan."
Dot grinned to herself. She never thought she would hear him say that. When she looked up, she found Bob looking questioningly at her. "What?"
Her grin faded. "Nothing." she lied obviously.
They were all badly startled by a painfully loud, "PUT YOU HANDS UP, OR YOU WILL BE DELETED!"
Bob and Dot exchanged worried glances, and put their hands up slowly. Bob turned around to see a viral ABC almost directly behind them. "This is bad..." Bob heard Matrix whisper.
Very bad.

***

Inside the Principal Office, Phong paced around his small office. The virals were closing in. In the past few hours, they had destroyed almost all of the P.O's main weapons, and the external sensors were gone, blown away in one of the attacks. All that stood between the citizens of Mainframe and deletion was the shield, and even it was beginning to weaken.

If only she hadn't left. Dot would have found a plan to get rid of that infernal virus! Phong looked at Dot's picture and gave a small smile. Then he sighed. She was in the Web, probably erased by now. The old sprite shook his head, and went to his desk to get his mug. We are all doomed.

***

"TURN AROUND SLOWLY!" The annoying voice commanded. The group of sprites did so. "Hey!" Mouse called quietly. Bob looked over, but didn't move his head, worried that the binomes might catch on. "You two go to the P.O, Matrix ahn I will cause a distraction." Before Bob could ask any questions, Mouse gave a loud cry and zipped off on her zipboard, with Matrix right behind firing shots at the tank. The ABC took off and raced towards after them, not noticing the other sprites. Dot, seeing that there was no time to get to the side, pushed Bob to the ground just as the tank rushed overhead. The noise was incredible. As soon as it passed and was out of sight, Dot relaxed, but her ears were stilling ringing. "Thanks." Bob said gratefully as got to his feet and helped her up.

He scanned the area, and found that no other ABCs were around. They must have all taken off after Mouse and Enz- Matrix He corrected himself. "Let's get to the P.O before they call their friends to find us." He suggested. Dot nodded in agreement, and got back on her zipboard. They both headed across the stretch of ground that encircled the Principal Office, and started to fly over the pit around it. Bob concentrated on gaining his power back- he would need it to create a temporary hole in the shields so they could get through. He was concentrating so hard; he failed to see the ABC coming up behind them. He heard a blast being fired, and when he turned around to find where the source was, he saw it slam into his board. The impact knocked him violently backwards, and he fell towards the pit below. Dot watch in complete horror, but quickly got over the shock and realized she had to do something. Tilting her zip board down, she flew at full speed after him. At that moment, the virals sent another wave of fire to intercept her. It hit the board, instantly incinerating it. She felt her stomach drop as she too plummeted towards the ground. The wind whipped past, and sucked her breath away, making it impossible to make any kind of noise. She could see the steep walls around her rising, and she knew she was about to hit. She couldn't do anything, and slammed into the ground at full speed. She landed only a few meters from Bob, who had already hit. Dot lay at the base of the P.O with her eyes closed. She opened them slowly; her head feeling like it was about to explode. Far overhead Dot could see two ABCs circling.

Wait. She thought, there's only one. Moving her arms to push herself up, she felt something rush through her, then fell back to the ground, unconscious.

Bob moaned in pain. He turned to see Dot lying beside him. "Dot!" he called as loud as he could, which was almost inaudible. She was unresponsive. He peered up at the ABC, which was coming ever closer. Bob put his head back against the ground and let the pain-free unconsciousness sink in.

***

Matrix turned a corner sharply, following Mouse, who occaisionally shouted out threats at the ABC behind them. "That's the best ya can do?" she yelled, easily dodging the energy blast the virals fired at her. "I've seen nulls who could shoot better!"
They crossed the border into Beverly Hills, the posh residential sector where only the richest binomes lived. Speeding through the allies, they began to lose sight of the tank in the maze. Comming to a large square with a fountain in the middle, they hid behind it, waiting for the ABC to come within firing range again. The fountain had long since dried up, and was in desperate need of repair. The statue in the centre was crumbling, but it would have been very nice back when Mainframe was peaceful.
"How long should we give Dot and Bob before we head to the Principal Office?" Matrix asked, checking the energy level of his gun. Mouse considered for a moment, then said, "As soon as we finish off this tank, Sugah. " Mouse hadn't even finished her sentence when Matrix noticed a sound. He could hear a humming noise, like the one that the ABCs made. He opened his mouth to tell Mouse, but he didn't have to. The ABC turned a corner driving slowly. Must be looking for us Matrix thought. "Would you like to have the honours?" Mouse whispered. Matrix grinned. "Love to." He sprang to his feet and aimed Gun. Closing one eye, he said quietly, "Be seein' ya." The ABC didn't have time to get a single shot off, and it exploded into a ball of flames, crashing to the ground. A small cloud of smoke drifted into the sky.
They both watched as it burned. The only sounds in the alley were the sounds of the flames eating away at the wreckage. Mouse shook her gaze free of the sight and picked up the small organizer Mr. Christopher had given her. She quickly hacked through the codes. As she worked, she explained the situation to her big green friend.

"We're ready. I can open a spot in the P.O shields for us to get through, but I can only open it for a small window of time. We'll have to get through before it closes. If we miss it, we'll have to wait a long time before I can open another window."
"Set it up!" Matrix said, anxious for more action. Mouse presed the enter button, and it emited a small beeping sound. "Let's go!" Both sprites took off, heading straight for the Principal Office. Unfortunatly for them, some other ABCs had come to see what the smoke in the alley was about. They saw the renegade and hacker flying away from the crash site, and instantly went after them.

"Mouse! We have company!" Matrix cried. Mouse glanced over her shoulder to see an army of eight ABCs after them. Without saying anything, she bent forward, pushing the board to go faster. They reached the edge of the sector and began the dash across the gap between the P.O. The virals were comming up fast. Mouse scanned the shields for the opening. There it is! she thought in relief. The virals were almost within firing range when they raced through the small hole. As soon as Matrix flew though, it closed. Cutting it a little close, Mouse. He thought, just thankful that he had managed to make it through. He hated to think of what would have happened if he had only been halfway in when it closed.

"WE MADE IT!" Mouse cried happily. She turned to go in, but then it occured to her that the door armour was down. She sighed, not knowing what to do now. "What do we do now?" she asked. Matrix looked at the door for a moment, then raised his gun, and fired. The metal ripped apart, leaving a large hole in the armour. Mouse stared at the hole, then said gratefully, "I'm beginning to like that weapon more and more." Matrix grinned, and followed the hacker into the Principal Office.

Walking through the halls was like some kind of weird dream for Matrix, who hadn't seen the place since his childhood. Suddenly he became aware of Mouse, who had suddenly stopped. She was standing with her arms over her chest, and was looking extremely bored. He followed her gaze and saw several Principal Office guards with their guns pointed directly at them. "Drop your weapons!" They ordered. Mouse grinned. "You boys sure have bad memories." The guard in the lead stopped and blinked. "Mouse?" She nodded, exasperated. "Of course, honey."
" You're back?! Come on, I'll take you to Phong."

***

Phong leaned over the controls, concentrating on his work. He heared the doors behind him slid open and shut, but paid no attention. Just then, he was interrupted by a voice with a southern accent behind him. "What, no hello?"
Spinning around, he saw Mouse, standing with her hands on her hips. "Mouse! You are back! Where is... " He stopped, seeing Matrix looking around the room. "Mouse, who is that?" Phong asked carefully. Mouse grinned, "Phong, this is Enzo." Phong looked at the large green sprite with one eye. He did have a stunning resemblance to Dot, but he was huge!
Matrix stepped forward. "Hi Phong, it is me. After I lost the game, Frisket, AndrAIa and I had to game hop to stay alive. " Phong thought about it. "And because game time is faster compared to our time, you compiled faster?" "Exactly." Matrix said.
"It's a miracle! We all thought you had been nullified! Dot must have been so thrilled to find out..." He stopped, his joy fading to dread as he realized something. "Dot, where is she?"
Mouse looked at Phong, astounded. "You mean, she's not here?!" Phong shook his head negatively. "Oh no." Mouse muttered.

Chapter Fourteen

The two virals looked eagerly at the two unconcious bodies on the ground. "That's the command.com!" Said one happily. "Megabyte will be very happy with us! We might even get promoted!" His companion nodded. "But who’s the other one?" She wondered out loud.
"Who cares? Let's just get them back to the Tor!" They each took an arm of the blue one, and pulled his body into the ABC. When they were finished, they did the same with the command.com. "Nice gun," commented the female binome, seeing the viral blaster on Dot's hip. She grabbed it for herself. They then got back in the ABC and raced back to the Tor.

Megabyte paced around his chair. He was deep in thought, thinking about where all the new rebels were coming from. Until now, he had thought all the rebels were hiding in the P.O. but these new ones worried him. They had even destroyed one of his ABCs!

"Um, excuse me, Lord Megabyte?" Megabyte turned around quickly, wondering who had the stupidity to dare interupt him. He saw two of his incompetent troops, shivering in the doorway. "What!" He growled. The two binomes looked at each other nervously, then one smacked the other one in the back of the head, wanting him to talk. "Uh, we uh, found something for you," he stuttered. They both moved aside to reveal the unresponsive bodies of two sprites. Megabyte walked over to the bodies, his rage now subsiding to intrigue. The binomes shrank back as he neared. Standing over the bodies, he couldn't believe his eyes. The one that was face up was none other that Dot Matrix, one of his worst enimies. The other sprite was lying face down. Megabyte leaned down and rolled him over. Then he stepped back in surprise. "The Guardian?"

Megabyte stared. It was him. His hair was different, his armour had changed, and his skin had strange markings on it, but it was Bob.
"Sir?" Asked the binome quietly. Megabyte looked up and smiled, revealing three rows of dagger sharp teeth. "Ahh yes. I will have something for you, but first, take the sprites to the brig." The binomes glanced at each other, now much more confident. "Yes Sir!" They chorused, and eagerly went to work, each dragging a body down the hall.

When they were gone, the virus removed his legs and sat down in his chair. "How ironic." he said to the empty room. He raised his hand in front of him. Extending his claws, he listened to the metallic sound, and began to laugh, quietly at first, until he was almost shaking. The sound echoed eirily down the empty halls, and caused all the nulls within hearing range to squirm back into their hiding spots.

***

The two virals lugged the sprites down the hall, anxious to get back so they could get their reward. "Come on Prestel! You're so slow!" The female one shouted. " Sure Mos, but only because you have the girl. I get stuck pulling the heavy one around." Mos shook her head, Wuss.

When they reached the cell, Mos opened the door. Prestal took ahold of Dot. "Ladies first." He grunted, and half threw, half pushed her in. Working together, they then grabbed Bob and tossed him in, landing half on Dot. "Oh well." Pres said, and slid the bars back. When it was locked, Mos fliped the nearby switch, turning on the power to the bars. It was an extra precaution that worked very well. Once Pres had accidently touched one of the electrified bars. It had shocked him so badly he still had the scar.

"Let's go!" She smirked, and ran down the hall, with her friend only a short distance behind. Bob and Dot were left unconscious in the dark prison.

***

Bob regained consciousness slowly, not even realizing that he was awake for a moment. When it did occur to him, he kept his eyes shut, not wanting to move. After a long time, he opened his eyes, and found that he wasn't on the ground below the Principal Office anymore, he was lying on the ground in a cold, dark room. One strange thing about the room was that one of the walls was made entirely out of bars, like a prison. The bars glowed with a purple-blue light, and he could hear electricity coursing through them. Bob bit his lip and tried to change positions to see his surroundings better, but stopped instantly when pain shot through his body. Like one big bruise. He thought painfully. He put his head back down, grateful that someone had at least given him a pillow.

Wait a nano... He lifted his head again to find that it wasn't a pillow at all, it was Dot. He quickly sat up, and then winced. When it subsided, he moved beside Dot, careful not to make any sudden movements, afraid the pain would come back. His eyes adjusted to the dark, and he could see much better now.
She was lying on her back, breathing shallowly. "Dot." He called quietly. She didn't respond; she was still knocked out. He didn't want to move her much, in case she had any broken bones, but he tried to make her comfortable. Bob then stood slowly, and went to the bars to look out.

In both directions, all he could see was a dim hall, lit only by a few lights every hundred meters or so, and the light from the bars. On the wall opposite from him was Megabyte's green emblem. So, we're in the Tor. He thought to himself, though he had already suspected it.
Turning around, he found that the other walls, the floor, and the ceiling were made out of metal. He looked at Glitch, thinking maybe he could blast his way out, but almost all of his energy had been used up opening the tear to Mainframe, and it would take time to recharge. Until then, they were stuck in the cell. Dot's blaster! He remembered, but when he bent down to retrieve it, he found it was gone.

At that moment, she moaned, and breathed in deeply. Bob leaned over her, wanting to see if she was alright. Her flawless purple eyes opened, and she focused on him. "Bob?" She glanced around the small room. "Where are we? What happened?"
"Stay still." He warned her, but Dot struggled into a sitting position anyway. She leaned against the back wall, and gasped in pain. "Told you." he said smiling slightly. She had never listened to anyone's orders except her own.
Bob leaned against the same wall, and slid down beside her. "Did they capture us?" Dot questioned, rubbing the back of her bare arm. "Yes, but I don't know where we are in the Tor." he said. Bob suddenly got an uneasy feeling. He turned his head to see a viral binome standing across the hall.
"You're finally awake! I'll go tell Lord Megabyte." He then scampered away, his footsteps fading as he went down the corridor. Bob and Dot looked at each other. Dot said nothing, but hudled closer to him. Bob shivered unwillingly. We're in trouble.

***

Megabyte strode down the hall to the elevator. When he entered, he pressed the illuminated button to reach the bottom floor, where the cells were. As it descended, he considered what to do with his new found captives. He rubbed his hands together in anticipation. At last.

***

The silence in the cold cell was eerie. They knew that all they could do was wait until Megabyte came, but the wait was excruciating. Bob tried to comfort Dot by holding her hand. It was ice cold. He felt the sensation return, the one of being watched. Looking up, he saw two glowing red lights. It took him a millisecond to realize they were eyes. Dot looked up too, and he could feel her grow tense.
"Well, isn't this wonderful. " A familiar voice said from the dark in fake pleasantness. "My friends are back. Bob, I hope your little trip wasn't too chaotic." Bob got to his feet, not wanting the virus to see how much pain he was in. Megabyte continued his platitudes. "New look? No offence Guardian, but the old one suited you much better."
Dot grew frustrated. "Megabyte, enough with your basic little games! Get to the point!"
Megabyte stepped into the light, and Dot could see he looked more amused than mad at her words. "Why Ms Matrix, you haven't changed at all. Always wanting to get right to buisness. "
Bob spoke up. "What can we say that will get us out of here compiled, Megabyte." The virus raised an eyebrow. "How interesting that you should say that, Guardian. There is something that can be said to get you out of here, but not by you." Bob glared at the figure through the bars, not quite understanding.
"It's all up to her." Megabyte stated calmly, pointing a finger at Dot. Leaning against the wall, she pulled herself up. "What do you want."

Megabyte grinned cruelly. "Not much, and I'm giving you a choice. All you have to do is tell me the security codes to the Principal Office, and the codes to create a port to the Supercomputer." Dot crossed her arms, glaring at him. "Never, I'd rather be deleted than to let you into the Principal Office." Megabyte sighed, "Somehow Dot, I knew you'd say that. Luckily for you, I won't delete you to get the codes." Dot opened her eyes wider in surprise. Is he actually saying this? It must be a trick.
He continued talking. "No, you don't have to worry Dot, I won't delete you. I'll simply delete him." Dot looked in horror at Bob.
Megabyte raised his hand towards the bars, and closed his fist. His claws shot out. They gleamed in the dim light. Bob stepped back in alarm. "So Ms Matrix what will your answer be?"
Dot felt sick. She had to make the choice of deleting Bob and saving Mainframe, or letting her home be taken over by a virus, but letting Bob live. "Dot, don't give him the codes." Bob said gravely. Megabyte narrowed his eyes at Bob, not wanting him to talk her out of it. Dot felt like crying out in frusration. Megabyte frowned. "This is taking much too long, decide now sprite." He spat out the last word in disgust.

Dot suddenly thought of a plan, but it would be extremly risky. She took a deep breath, and whispered, "I'll give you the codes." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Megabyte turned off the power, opened the cell and grabbed her arm, yanking her out into the hall with him. He then slammed the door; it shut with a loud metallic clang. "DOT, NO!" Bob cried in grief, gripping the bars from inside. "Be careful, Guardian, the bars bite." Warned Megabyte. Bob pulled his hands away just in time as the power began to surge through them again. Megabyte laughed triumphantly, and began to pull Dot down the hall. "Don't do it!" Dot heard Bob cry in anguish.

Dot struggled in his tight grasp as she was pulled farther and farther away. She could feel her blood being cut off by his hand. "Let go!" She said twisting to get Megabyte to loosen his grip. He looked down at her and grinned. "You don't think I'm that basic, do you?" She set her jaw and glared at him. "I can't type the codes if my arm doesn't work, idiot." He returned the evil stare, but she felt his grip relax a bit.
They continued walking down the dark hall, making their way past other cells. Some were dark and empty, but others held prisoners, binomes that had refused to yeld to Megabyte, or were unlucky enough to be trapped out side when the Principal Office was sealed.
Dot watched as one small binome shrank into the corner when they past. He can't be any older than Enzo was. Dot thought guiltily. It was depressing to know that in a short time, he too would be infected, and would have to serve Megabyte. Dot looked away, not wanting to face the truth.

On occasion, they passed viral servants or soldiers, who each bowed or saluted to Megabyte. Dot felt even more guilty.
When they got to the elevator, Megabyte threw her roughly in. Dot noted that they were on the bottom floor. The silence was awkward, but it was soon broken . "You really decided to pick that incompetent Guardian over your beloved system? My, you're stupider than I thought."

Dot ignored the insult and concentrated on a way of getting Bob and herself out of the Tor compiled. Maybe if I stall long enough, Glitch will be fully recharged. She planned.
Before she could think of any other plans, the elevator slowed to a stop. When the doors slid back, she saw two guards, standing watch at the doors. Peering around, she found she was in a room she recognized, but not in a happy way. It was Megabyte's main room, a huge space with his chair sitting in the middle, and several control panels along the back wall. He led her to the wall with the monitors and controls. Motioning to the main set of controls, he commanded, "Enter them."
She swallowed nervously and went to the controls. Dot hesitated, and then began to type, first slow, as if remembering, then faster as she grew used to the buttons. Megabyte watch curiously. "How much longer?" He said impatiently after several milliseconds had gone by. Dot didn't bother to look at him, but said quietly, "Not long." After a few more commands, she stepped back, scowling. "Press enter."

He laughed to himself, and stepped towards the controls. "I have waited for this moment for ages." He slowly moved to press the button, activating it with one finger. It beeped affirmatively.

Chapter Fifteen

Bob watched helplessly as she was dragged away. When she was gone, he sank to the ground, and closed his eyes, putting his head in his hands. I can't believe she did that. He thought miserably. What about the rest of Mainframe? Matrix, Mouse, and Phong? He sat in the cell, not knowing what to do. I didn't think Dot would ever do something like that. He put his head back on the cold metal wall. Then it struck him. Because she wouldn't do something like that! It's another plan! He got quickly to his feet, ignoring the pain it caused. He looked a Glitch's status. The keytool was 91% recharged, but he needed full power to create a portal out of the Tor. If she can only keep stalling Megabyte for another few milliseconds, I can use Glitch again, and we can get out of here.

***

Megabyte waited impatiently for it to happen. Suddenly, the screen flicked on. He could feel his stomach turn. The screen was black, with small, moving white lines on either side, with a white bar down the middle. A white square that was suppose to represent a ball bounced from side to side.
"WHAT!" The virus cried, realizing that it was a game. He spun round to face Dot. I was tricked! He thought infuriated. She raised an eyebrow, and said calmly, "Do you want to be first player, or can I?"

He growled in anger and lunged at her. Dot tried to jump out of the way, but was too slow, and fell backwards, landing with a small cry. Megabyte took her by the shoulders and lifted her off the ground. She squirmed, but he was too strong for her to get away. His fingers dug into her skin. "I'll never tell you the codes, and you can't force me too, either!" Dot said, fiercely loyal to her system. She had screwed up one time by leaving it alone; she was not about to mess up again.
Megabyte grew even more impatient. "I want those codes, and I'll get them if I have to rip you, and that Guardian, apart."
It then occurred that her legs were still free. Griting her teeth, she kicked upwards as hard as she could, nailing him directly in the jaw. The impact caused Megabyte to lose his grip, and he dropped her. She landed on her feet and immediately sprinted for the exit, but realized the elevator was still guarded. Instead, she altered her course, and ran for another nearby door. As luck would have it, it turned out to be the stairs. She flew down them, resenting the fact that the cells were on the bottom. Above her, she could hear the terrifying sound of metal pounding against the stairs, and echoing off the walls. It meant one thing, Megabyte was after her. She jumped down the steps two at a time. Every time she landed, Dot felt her sore body scream in protest.

When she finally reached the last door in the stairwell, she shoved it aside and ran, faster than she ever had in her life. The sound of her footsteps alerted a pair of guards that patroled ahead of her. They moved to intercept her. Think fast, Sugah. She thought, imitating Mouse. "The rebels are attacking!" She panted, hoping they would fall for her trick. "They're in the Tor!" Luckily, they believed her, and ran past her down the hall in the direction she had just come from. She would have laughed if her side had not ached so much.

She finally came to the cells, running past the other binomes trying to find Bob. When she found Bob, he was standing as close to the bars as he could without shocking himself. "You never stop amazing me." He said, smiling slightly, relieved that she was alright.
. Dot quickly found the controls, and pulled down the switch, turning off the power. She pressed the remaining button, and the door unlocked. Bob pushed it open the rest of the way. "Come on, Megabyte's coming." Dot warned him.
"Too late." An angry voice responded. Megabyte stood with his claws out. "I've had enough with you. Now I'm just going to get rid of you for good."
Bob grabbed Dot by the arm and pulled her down the hall in the opposite direction, away from the virus. Glitch was now 97% charged, but Bob couldn't afford to wait until he could make a portal. As they ran, Bob tried to slow Megabyte down with energy bolts. One hit Megabyte in the leg, and he stopped for a moment to assess his injury. The sprites continued running, leaving him behind. They reached a fork, and skidded to a stop.
Both passages looked the same. They had dark blue walls, dim lighting, and no visible way of escaping. "Um, this way" Bob decided, and pulled her down the left one. "Do you know where you're going?" Dot gasped, brushing some hair away from her face. Abruptly, the hall ended, and they were stuck in a dead end. "I guess not." Bob said unhappily.
When they turned to backtrack, they found Megabyte blocking the way. "It ends now." He said, slowly advancing on them.
Dot stepped backwards, and bumped into the wall. There was nowhere to go. At least he won't get the codes. She thought morbidly. Bob stood in front of her, trying futilely to protect her.
Megabyte stopped a few feet away, and raised his hand to strike. Bob closed his eyes, expecting his deletion to be incredibly painful. His claws came down though the air with a rushing sound, and sliced into Bob's shoulder. Or, they would have, but his body had no solidity. Instead the claws went through thin air. Megabyte pulled his hand back in surprise. Bob felt a strange feeling, and suddenly found himself not in the Tor facing a certain death, but in Hexadecimal's layer in Lost Angles. She had transported them just in time.

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