Twisted Fate
- Part [x]: Birth

Megabyte wasn’t one for pacing - pacing didn’t become him - yet he somehow found himself pacing as he waited for news of Dot to come through. His spies had been trailing her for some time, and the long awaited moment had finally arrived; her baby was to come into the world very soon, and, despite it going against his better judgement to feel so, Megabyte was eager to see it.

He paced and he paced some more, up and down the space in front of his throne, with his hands clasped at the small of his back, the time rolling by for what seemed like seconds, and still he heard no word from his spies…

Then, with a crash, the doors to his throne room burst open! He pivoted about on the spot, alert as a tiger on the hunt, and turned just in time to see his doctor tumble through the door. The small binome quickly scrambled back to his feet and dusted himself off, hoping to retain at least some of his dignity, before, with a small cough, he then began to make his way toward his master.

“Well?” the virus demanded before the doctor had come even halfway across the room. “What news?”

The doctor picked up on Megabyte’s urgent tone and hurried along, stooping into a bow by the virus’ feet and saying, “Mein fü hrer, I take great pleasure in--”

But suddenly, the doctor chocked as he was grasped by the collar and hauled up before his viral overlord’s face? “What?” Megabyte demanded, shaking the binome. “Out with it!”

The doctor smiled, and then managed to say, in a strangled voice, “Congratulations, my lord. You have a son.”

Megabyte stared at the binome for a while before he allowed a slow grin to rise up on his face. “A boy,” he murmured, releasing the doctor without a second thought and turning away.

The doctor hit the floor with a thud. “Yah, mein grossen bitte,” he said, struggling back to his feet. “A little boy.”

Megabyte took a few steps round the room in a kind of strange daze - he just wasn’t sure what to do with himself. The emotions that were rushing through his head, sensations of pride and sheer contentment, were odd to him - he couldn’t quite comprehend them - but he knew that he might as well exploit them whilst they lasted.

“Good doctor,” he said, gesturing for the binome to approach with the waggle of a finger. “Make contact with the sleuths in Baudway. I have a task for them.”

“Right away, Lord Megabyte!”

----

Agent Four had never been one of Megabyte’s top detectives. After the mess that had been Megaframe, and the rebooting of the system, many of Megabyte’s previous emissaries had been lost, which had given the rising neo-virals a chance for some glory. Agent Four had been waiting for a long time for his calling, counting by the nanos until surely, most surely, he would be assigned a most important task…

And then the call had come! “Agent Four,” he had been told, “We have an important assignment for you, priority one.” And he had listened to the instructions and, full of enthusiasm and practically humming with excitement at the prospect of being trusted such a mission, he had said yes barely before he’d processed the command.

It was when the vidwindow had closed and he actually realised what it was he’d been asked to do that he questioned the authenticity of this mission. When he had proven to himself that this task was completely and utterly genuine, he hopped to it, but couldn’t help but feel a little… embarrassed. He knew better than to question Megabyte’s sanity, of course, though, for his viral master was a frighteningly clever man, and there was no doubting that, whatever his instructions, he always had good reason for them…

And so Agent Four made his way along the corridors of Mainframe Infirmary, looking sheepishly this way and that as he held in his hands the article that was to be delivered, on pain of deletion, to Ward 5, Room 6. He passed many binome nurses and surgeons, all of which gave him curious stares, and he also walked by various other binomes with all manner of injuries, until he finally reached the designated location.

With a small cough, he walked into the room and bowed to the lady in the bed. “With his Lordship’s compliments,” he said, before he placed the bouquet of flowers on a side unit and promptly departed.

And so Dot Matrix was left staring curiously after the small binome whilst she cradled her newborn sprite in her arms. She smiled to herself at the oddity of it all before she glanced at the flowers he had left her and reached out to run her fingers through the multicoloured petals, inhaling their fragrant scent. They were indeed beautiful - the gift of a gentleman. And she knew which gentleman, too…

She turned her eyes back to her tiny, slumbering infant and now ran a finger over his brow. Part of her was uncertain about making the next move, but after such a courteous gesture on his behalf, she knew that she should give a little something in return. It had taken both of them to result in the birth of this little sprite, anyway.

“Nurse,” she therefore called, and smiled at the pink-coloured binome as she came into the room.

“Oh, what a lovely bouquet of flowers!” the binome exclaimed. “How thoughtful of someone.” She then looked to Dot. “And how can I help you, Ms Matrix?”

“I need to send a message,” she said. “To G-Prime.”