Disclaimer: The Matrix and all its characters belong to Wachowski brothers.

"You look..." he paused.

"Good? Nice? Great?" she offered him a cheerful smile.

After a considerably long pause, he finally answered. "Different."

"Oh?"

He studied her new look.

"Well, different in a good way or different in a bad way?" she raised a questioning eyebrow.

"In a... better way" he answered. "A pleasant way" he added.

"Oh? Did the Big Bad Agent Smith just give me a compliment?"

"Let's just say that your new, as you humans would put it, er… ombre blond hair, makes you look younger" he ignored her remark.

"Younger? Because usually I look so old?"

He sighed. "I didn't say that."

"But you suggested it."

"No I didn't."

"Yes you did."

"I don't spend my time with speculations about your looks, Miss Edwards" he growled. "My usual concern is finding a best way to eliminate you. That satisfaction, as we both know, I cannot allow myself at the moment, due to the mutual peace agreement. Rest assured, Miss Edwards, yes - to a male of your species your presence would appear quite appealing."

She raised both eyebrows. "And to a male of your species?"

Agent Smith stared at her though his dark lenses. He shifted his position, before answering her question. "You are a virus, Miss Edwards. Your species is a representation of every aspect of failure and misery. You are destroying your very planet and your oh so great human race. Your race is bound to be extinct."

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, leaning against the side of his Audi. She half expected his usual long monologue, but surprisingly the Agent stopped talking. He stepped a closer to her.

"Under any other circumstances, and if we were in a different scenario, then..." he paused.

"Then what?"

"...then I would have had a different approach" he finished.

"A different approach?"

"Yes."

"Like what?"

"Like having my way with you and doing things to you till you would forget your own name" he smirked.

Her jaw dropped.

"I have to go, Miss Edwards. Kindly remove yourself from my vehicle."

"Wha... what?" she was still shell shocked from hearing his previous statement.

"I repeat, Miss Edwards, do remove that fairly shaped bottom of yours off my car."

Trinity still had a hard time believing her ears. "Since when have you started to observe my ass?"

Smith smiled. "Unlike your probable assumptions about my kind, we Agents are not made of stone."

Her eyes widened as her brain processed this new development.

"Hey... Hey! What about that whole doing-things-to-me-till-I-would-forget-my-own-name thing?" she challenged.

He opened the car's door. "Oh yes. Soon."

"Soon?"

"Yes. Soon. In our interrogation room. After I've captured you, Miss Edwards. I would torture you till you'll forget your own name. Till you will die."

This new development swept her off her feet. Mega City's midday summer heat increased, so as her confusion.

He sighed. "I am on a tight schedule, Miss Edwards. I believe that our daily endeavor has ended." He climbed inside the polished Audi, having every intention to get away from this scenario as soon as possible.

She quickly opened the passenger's door and got in the car. Slowly, he turned his head and regarded her with a raised eyebrow. "I just love German cars" she cheerfully smiled at him. "Care to give me a ride?"

He growled. "I am not your driver, Miss Edwards. Kindly remove yourself from my vehicle – before I will be forced to remove you."

"I'm heading for the beach" she ignored his frustration. "It's just fifteen minutes away from your Gestapo Headquarters. I'm sure that your Nazi friends can wait, Herr Schmidt."

Smith's hand itched for his Desert Eagle. "I'm not driving you anywhere. Get out. Or else."

"Or else?"

"Or else I would have to clean the interior of my car. After I've planted all my bullets in your skull, Miss Edwards."

"You do that and you will be heading straight for deletion" she disregarded his threat. "And since when do you have a tight schedule, Agent Smith? We are in a period of truce. No rebels to hunt. No humans to kill. What is so important? Do you have an appointment?"

"You'll see" he clenched his teeth and started the engine. "Since I can't seem to shake you off, I might as well take you with me. Perhaps she would have a better luck."

"She?"

They drove off in thick silence and Trinity's every attempt to satisfy her curiosity failed. She briefly considered if not getting in his car and annoying the hell out of Agent Smith, would have been a much better idea.

After driving for eight minutes, the Audi stopped outside a small cozy looking French café with outdoor tables and pleasant atmosphere. Smith parked the car and got out, not caring to open the door for Trinity. As she got out while cursing about his lack of chivalry, he already disappeared inside the café.

She briefly argued with herself whether or not to follow him, and after her curiosity won and the sudden change of weather didn't give much prospect of a trip to the beach, she decided to enter the café. After scanning the room, she finally spotted the Agent already seated at one of the tables. He wasn't alone – a dark haired woman sat in front of him. Before Trinity could get a chance to find out the identity of the woman, she turned her head and looked at Trinity.

The woman was stunning. Long raven hair, almond shaped eyes, full lips, olive skin, hourglass figure – every man would kill to have an audience with that woman. That woman was one of the most well-known programs in the Matrix.

That woman was Persephone.

"Ahhh the legendary Trinity" Persephone regarded her lazily. "My husband seems to be very fond of you. Please join us" she gestured the waiter to bring another chair.

Trinity stumbled. "Perhaps I should go…"

"Do join us" Smith insisted in a commanding voice.

As the chair appeared, Trinity carefully sat down, uneasy with this new development.

"I like you new hair" Persephone studied Trinity's features. "But small talk is not the reason why you are here, my Dear."

"He is the reason why I'm here" she pointed at the Agent. "He brought me here."

"You followed me here" he barked.

"No but you…"

"Please you two – stop it" Persephone cut in.

Trinity glared at the beautiful program and narrowed her eyes. Persephone turned to the Agent. "You have a funny taste in women, Smith."

"She is not my woman" Smith retorted, pouring more sugar in his coffee.

Trinity rolled her eyes. "I don't have time for this."

"Oh yes you do" Persephone smiled at her. "You have all the time in the world. In fact, you would rather be here than in the depths of your so-called last free city. In fact, you enjoy being in the Matrix."

"Bullshit!"

"You have visited the Matrix since Monday, Trinity. Relaxing, going to the beach, being with him" she pointed at Smith. He stiffened for a brief moment, before returning to his usual composure. "You regret being unplugged. I see it in your eyes" Persephone finished.

Trinity rose up from her seat and took a deep breath. "This is nonsense. Empty words from an empty program. You know nothing of me, Persephone."

"On the contrary, I know a great deal about you, my Dear" Persephone smiled. "The question is, do you know yourself?"

"Just because your douchebag of a husband is a trafficker of information, it doesn't mean that you have any idea regarding my personal life. Any idea at all!"

"Keep telling yourself that" Persephone smiled sweetly.

Trinity eyed the beautiful program and the Agent and turned to leave. "Remember, Trinity, my husband and I can help you to come back to the Matrix. To plug you back in" Persephone addressed her.

Trinity stopped in her tracks. It has been a very odd Thursday and she needed to get back to the real world. She turned back to face Persephone. "Who do you think you are? The Oracle?"

"No. Someone better" Persephone answered nonchalantly.

Smith sipped his coffee, observing the unfolding catfight.

"We can plug you back in" Persephone added. "Reinsert you into the Matrix. You could even end up working with Agents. Perhaps even become one of them."

Trinity clenched her fists, stepped forward and leaned in, until her nose almost touched Persephone's. Trinity was furious, but the beautiful program kept her cool. "Never. I will never be a slave to the machines. I am free, and none of you can change that fact."

"You call that freedom, Miss Edwards?" Smith interrupted her line of thought. "You live – literally – in a hole in the ground, you blindly obey the rules of your senile elders, you live under a constant threat from the Sentinels and you follow orders from your imbecile superiors – you call that freedom? When was the last time you saw your real Sun, Miss Edwards? When was the last time your real ocean caressed you skin? Well, never. Because it's all gone, Miss Edwards. Long time ago, when your race destroyed your entire planet. The plant and animal life. Ecosystem. It's all gone. And now the remains of your pathetic race attempt to wake up the humans in the Matrix. To wake them up and show them what, Miss Edwards? Your glorious real world? Your so-called freedom?"

"Smith has a point" Persephone leaned back and took a sip of her red vine. Trinity withdrew and stood by the table, unable to argue. Suddenly, the whole we-are-a-magnificent-human-race argument seemed to be lost in light of Smith's conclusion, which she realized, was indeed quite valid.

"Oh.." the word already came out from her lips, and she immediately regretted it. Then she realized that it all became too much and she needed fresh air. She turned around and rushed out of the café, leaving the two programs behind her. Air. Even the non-existing air. She needed it.

Hours have passed, as she watched the artificial sunset and enjoyed the calming hum of the ocean. She didn't remember nor cared how exactly she got out of Mega City. All she needed was to get away and have a time to think. This surreal Thursday was a blur and she didn't want to go back to the real world. Not yet.

The beach was deserted, but she didn't care. She sat on the ground and took off her shoes, letting the fine sand caress her feet. Her white summer dress and lightened hair was a strong contrast to her usual latex uniform she used to wear in the Matrix. She looked almost… normal. She liked the change. She secretly welcomed the idea of returning to this artificial world, although she knew that she would never voice those thoughts in public. This entire day and the straightforward conversation in the café made her realize that missed the Matrix. Very much.

A soft sound of car wheels against the sand brought her back to focus. She slowly turned her head and narrowed her eyes, observing the approaching car. "You've got to be kidding me…"

The black Audi was driving along the sea shore and Trinity didn't need guess about the identity of the driver. All she knew that her solitary evening was about to be ruined. As the car stopped and he opened the door, she greeted him by closing her eyes and rubbing her temples.

"Did you come to lecture me or to kill me, Agent Smith?"

"Both. But not tonight."

She sighed and remained sitting. "What do you want?"

Smith moved a step closer, yet remained standing. "Your world is ending, Miss Edwards. You may think that you 'free' humans in Zion are at the beginning of your time. But the reality looks much different. You are at the world's end. Your world."

"That's a lie, Smith."

"A lie and propaganda – that is what your leaders and your Zion Council are telling you, a lie to hide away the real situation from you. To hide the truth. The truth about Zion's finite resources – energy, water and food. These resources are almost used up. Zion cannot support life for much longer, Miss Edwards. Your leaders know it."

"You have no proof of that, Smith."

"On the contrary, Miss. The proof is this very peace agreement that is established between our races. We have little time left to reinsert you into the Matrix. Zion will collapse within three months."

As the gravity of situation sunk in, Trinity rose up. "Who made this agreement?"

"Your leaders and ours. We are trying to save your people."

"Why isn't this official news, Smith? Why all the cover up?"

"There is no time or capacity to reinsert everyone. We can only reinsert small amount of humans, who were once connected to the Matrix. The rest of the unplugged humans in Zion will be put in hibernation to preserve your species. The whole operation is classified to avoid public panic."

Trinity bit her bottom lip. "But why? Why are you helping us? Why saving the race that is, to put it in your words, bound to be extinct?"

"Because…" Smith paused, looking for a right answer. "Because you created us. Yes, you are an irrational and self-destructive race. You are parasites. But you are also the creators. Human DNA contains abilities much beyond our own. And because we believe that we can improve your race."

"Improve? How?"

"Genetic engineering. It has already begun."

"What?"

"We are creating a new race, Miss Edwards."

Trinity looked at the artificial ocean. This new information was hard to digest. "So, you are creating… human-machine hybrids?"

"Exactly."

"But you need humans for harvesting energy."

"Not for much longer. We have found a new solution for sustainable energy source. This new hybrid race will play the crucial part in restarting this planet."

"The Third Renaissance…"

"Indeed."

"But why are you telling me all this? Why bringing me back into Matrix? Why not putting me in hibernation – just like others?" she asked.

He shifted his position. "As you might already have guessed, Miss Edwards, you have great value to us. We've had our eyes on you for over nine years."

"Oh? And this is the part, where you tell me that I have a potential to become a great Agent?"

"No. This is the part, where I tell you that I'm offering you a choice, Miss Edwards. But no uncertainties this time. No unknown factors. No red or blue pill. Just the truth. You can go back to Zion and soon you will be put to sleep for an infinite time. Or you can choose to be reinserted into the Matrix and become a part of the imminent future and the dawn of the new world."

She bit her lip and jumped a little, as Smith placed a hand on her bare shoulder. "Go back to Zion now and think about our offer. Don't rush things. The choice is always yours, Miss Edwards."

She reached up and brushed his hand on her shoulder, but didn't look at him. His hand was warm and felt very human. "I need to go back. I need to think" she whispered.

"Of course" he squeezed her shoulder lightly and withdrew. He went to the car, opened the door for her and gestured her to get in. "I will drive you to your exit."

She gave the ocean a final gaze and climbed into the Audi. "But on Monday, you won't hesitate to kill me."

He smiled, starting the engine. "Monday is still far away, Miss Edwards."