*Disclaimer*: ReBoot is owned by Mainframe Ent.

DM: Okay peoples, I'm back again. Unfortunately, so is my idiot muse.

LANZ: Hey!

DM: Truth hurts pal, live with it. AndrAIa is approx. eighteen in this and Matrix is approx. nineteen. This takes place in that annoying time between Game Over and Icons. Matrix's POV.

TIME SCALE:

Nano = second

Micro = minute

Millisecond = hour

Cycle/second = day

Beta = week

Minute = year

By: Dragonmaster

"Hey Sparky!"

My eyes snapped open and met a pair of bright black ones. I glanced at the alarm clock by the bed; six-forty-five am. Ah, yes. AndrAIa's morning wake-up call.

"Why don't you let me sleep?" I muttered, rolling over.

AndrAIa grinned. "Cause you're getting lazy. Besides, my alarm is the only one that works." She climbed off me and me my shirt and a clean pair of jeans. "Up. We've got to be out of here by ten anyway."

I should've been used to it by then. Every morning at six-forty-five sharp, the younger sprite would come bounding into my room and use any means necessary, short of deleting me, to wake me up.

Sighing, I sat up. "Is there any java left for me, at least?"

AndrAIa stopped and thought for a nano. "Um, I think there's enough left for a cup. I've been online since start up, I need my java."

"Why the hell do you get up that early?"

"I like to see the sunrise. I had never seen one before in my game," she replied, looking at me seriously.

I met her eyes for a nano, then smiled and shoved her out the door. "Wait for me downstairs, I'll be dressed in a micro." AndrAIa nodded and left.

As I was getting dressed, I noticed several wires had been pulled out of the alarm. AndrAIa, no doubt. That explained why her alarm was the only working one. I have no idea how she manages to get up so early and still be so damn cheerful and hyper.

I wasn't exactly in the best of moods as I walked downstairs and into the kitchen. Jeremy Intel, the 2.0-minute-old sprite that we were staying with until the next game hit, had left a note for me on the counter.

Matrix-

Tab was the Command.com of the system and she was constantly finding excuses for me to help her. Needless to say, she and Andi weren't exactly on the best of terms. This wasn't improving my mood.

However, there was something about that letter that didn't look right.

"Hey Andi, if we have to be out of here by ten, how come Jeremy said he'd see us at six?"

The game sprite glanced up at me and shrugged. "Guess I was mistaken. Oh well," she said innocently.

"Why am I not surprised?" I muttered. Sometimes I regretted teaching AndrAIa sarcasm and pranks. This was one of those times. "Come on. Tab needs us over at the P.O.. The sooner we get done, the more time well have to ourselves after," I said, shooting her a grin.

AndrAIa laughed and followed me out the door.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Tab? Hello? Anybody here?" I called. The P.O looked empty.

AndrAIa glanced around then shrugged. "Oh well, looks like there ain't anyone here. Lets go-"

"Hold it Sakai. I'm here." I turned to find Tab standing behind us.

"Oh joy," AndrAIa muttered, then winced as I elbowed her sharply in her side.

I walked over to where Tab was sitting, starting up one of the computer consoles. "You said you needed our help."

Tab glanced up at me. "Actually, I said I needed your help. You didn't need to bring your little pet." I heard a brief growl coming from the corner where Andi was currently sulking in.

I rolled my eyes. "You're right. I didnt have to; I wanted to."

"Then make sure she doesn't get into anything," the crimson-skinned sprite snapped.

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. Tab could be really difficult to be around, especially if Andi was around. "Whatever. What do you need me for?"

Tab nodded and searched through a desk drawer. After a nano or two of throwing random things over her shoulder, she produced a long list of things and a leash. She handed both to me. "Everything on that list needs to get done."

I scanned the list quickly. A simple copy and paste job for most of them. "Fine. What's the leash for?"

The Command.com smirked. "Your pet game sprite," she replied.

The snarling from the corner increased. Oh this was going to be one long cycle

Chapter 2: Sugar High

By: Dragonmaster

"Damn that little-"

I clamped my hand over AndrAIa's mouth as we passed a young mother and her child. "Watch your mouth," I snapped. Our little encounter with Tab hadn't really helped my mood.

AndrAIa rolled her eyes and pried my hand away. "Yes mother," she said sarcastically. "Where are we goin' anyway?"

I glanced at the list. "Weaponry shop. We're picking up some blasters that Tab had custom-made."

At the word 'weaponry', AndrAIa brightened. "Cool! Maybe they'll have some parts I can use for my trident," she said with a grin. Andi had been working on a making a trident for the past few cycles and it was coming out pretty good.

We arrived at the shop. A greasy-looking binome glanced up at us as we entered and glared. "Go 'ome kids. This ain't a place fer y'all ta be 'angin' around," he grunted.

I matched his glare with one of my own, my cybernetic eye activating instantly. "We're here to pick up some guns for Commander Intel." I handed him my ID and AndrAIa did the same.

"You can, but the lady can't. Need ta be at least 2.0," the binome replied.

"What?!" AndrAIa gaped. "I've been handling weapons since I was initialized!"

The binome shrugged. "Don't care if ya damn well know the User; you're underage. Out."

I shot AndrAIa an apologetic look. "I'll pick up the supplies you need. There's a java shop next door, why dont you wait for me there?" Giving one last Death Glare to the shop owner, she nodded and left.

"Well," I said, turning back to the binome. "I'll be taking those guns, and some trident parts." The binome scowled, then got up and went into a back room.

"'ere," he growled, handing me a large box. "S'all in there." I nodded and paid him.

As I left the store, Frisket came racing up with a happy bark. I grinned and ruffled his ears. "Hey boy. What d'ya say we go pick up Andi?" Frisket barked again and wagged his tail.

We walked into the coffee shop and it didnt take long to spot Andi. She was sitting in a booth sipping a large coffee.

"Hey," I said, sitting down across from her.

AndrAIa glanced at me with unusually wide and bright onyx eyes. "Heya Sparky! Good java this is ya want some? They give free refills so ya can 'ave as much as ya want. In fact this is my third or fourth cup. Or maybe my sixth, can't remember, oh well, I think there's too much sugar in there, waddaya-"

I cut her sugar-induced babbling off with a kiss. As I drew back, her eyes seemed calmer, more sane. "Let's get the rest of this stuff done before that caffeine runs out of your system," I said.

"Alright! Then I can annoy Tab, right?!"

"For as long as you like."

"Yes!"

tbc...