Untrue

DISCLAIMER: The characters in this fanfiction are not mine. They belong to the Wachowski brothers and anyone else who has rights to The Matrix trilogy.
PART: 2/2
SUMMARY: The Twins are away and Persephone is missing them – but what will happen when the liaison stops being a secret?
AUTHOR’S NOTES: This is told in Persephone’s first-person POV. This second part is being told in “real-time”, and hence is mostly told in present tense. It is a little AU because it deviates from the plot of Reloaded (and also modifies the plot of the original Matrix a little).

Untrue
Part Two

It has been three months now. Three months of being stuck with Merovingian, while my dear twins have been parted from me. They have visited once or twice, but only ever during the day and only ever to speak to my husband.

The first two weeks weren’t so bad – my husband actually seemed to be trying to make up for the past few months. After that, however, he reverted to his usual self and so I have had to rest alone. And while I rest alone, I can think about and miss my boys.

~*~

I wake with a start as I hear a quiet tap on the door. I sit up and hesitantly call, “Who is it?”

Two figures float through the door and I have to stop myself from crying out with joy – my twins have returned. I get out of my bed and run to hug them both. They seem to instinctively flank me, as if to protect me from both sides.

The first looks closely at me. “How have you been, Miss Persephone?” They are still so polite, still so formal, even after all we have shared.

“I have missed you,” I tell them, seeing no need to lie.

“We missed you too,” the second replies. “We feared that you had gone back to your husband and that you would no longer need us.”

“My husband grew bored of me weeks ago,” I inform them. “But how did you know I’d be here?”

“We have already seen the Boss. You weren’t there, so we assumed you’d be here.” My first twin gently brushes some hair from my face. “We don’t want you to be alone, Miss Persephone.”

“I am not alone anymore,” I reply, taking both twins by the hand. “It is good to have you back.”

My twins respond by kissing me on the cheeks, taking a side each. This rapidly leads to us becoming more passionate, and before long the three of us are on my bed, I entwined between both twins as they combine their actions to drive me over the edge. After the cold intercourse taken with my husband, I finally feel special again.

I am about to give in to my climax when the door bursts open. The three of us freeze, unable to believe that we have been found. A cold, unfamiliar voice asks, “This is your wife?”

“It is,” my husband confirms. “And the riddles that have surrounded her for the past few months or so are finally being answered.

My twins move so that their bodies cover mine, trying to protect any modesty I have left by discarding their own. This seems to amuse my husband. “I had wondered what could make two of my finest assets so keen to remain around us. I should have known it was you keeping them here.”

As he addresses me, his tone is filled with disgust. I almost feel guilty at this, but I am then reminded of his treatment of me. “What did you expect, my love?” I shoot back at him. “For months now I have been ignored by you whilst you obsessed over that stupid Agent.”

“I would watch your mouth if I was you.” Merovingian indicates his companion. “Persephone, this is Agent Smith. He finally has his freedom.”

The newcomer takes a threatening step towards me. Even from here, I can sense the hatred surrounding him – not necessarily hatred towards me, but the loathing is there. When he speaks, I can tell he is addressing my husband. “Perhaps I should stop her being a problem for you.”

My twins move even closer to me at this, seemingly aware of what this Smith is about to do. Smith, however, simply shoves them aside with such speed that they cannot even think of reverting to ethereality. He then plunges his hand into my chest and I suddenly feel myself begin to change – as though something is trying to overwrite my programming.

I try to struggle, but I am unable to free myself – and my husband seems in no rush to stop the Agent. Thankfully, however, my twins manage to recover quickly from Smith’s attack and soon pull him off me. I feel my usual programming flood back into me, replacing whatever was being written in its place.

Smith is about to assault me again when my husband finally speaks up. “Leave her. I have thought of a better punishment for her misbehaviour.”

Smith nods and backs down. Merovingian turns to my boys. “You two, wait outside. Smith, go with them but don’t hurt them.” There is a low, threatening anger in his voice that almost overwhelms me.

My twins shoot a final concerned glance at me before walking out, Smith almost pushing them out of the room. When we are alone, my husband moves to sit on the end of my bed. “How long has this been going on for, Persephone?”

“You should know.” An angry edge is creeping into my own voice. “You were the one who sent them to me.”

“Don’t lie, woman!” He slaps me across the face and I feel a flash of the anger he feels. There is no hurt in his skin – the only thing wounded is his pride. “Why would I send them to you?”

“To keep me out of your way.” I am past caring about his temper – mine is justified, more than his could ever be.

“Don’t be stupid. If I wanted you out of my way, I have better means at my disposal.” He stands suddenly. “I thought that you would at least be honest with me now that you have been caught. It is the least you owe me after half a year of betrayal.”

My eyes widen at this – the discovery tonight has not surprised him. “So you did send them to me.”

“No, I did not send them to you. That does not mean that I don’t know what has been happening.” He lets out a short laugh. “What else would make those two so reluctant to leave?”

Now that my rationale for everything has been shattered, I am confused. “Then how…?”

“You, Persephone. You made this happen.” My husband’s tone is designed to make me feel small. “Your pathetic self-pity created an aura wider than necessary, and somehow changed the twins’ programming. You became dependant on each other – but not anymore.”

He moves to leave the room. “By tomorrow, they will remember nothing. You, however, will remember all. And be grateful that I am still keeping you here after your filthy betrayal.”

As he slams the door on me, I feel the despair set in. Despite the way he has treated me, I am the one left feeling guilty. I crawl back into bed, not even bothering to dress. I find myself wishing not to wake from the night’s sleep.

~*~

Of course, I do wake from my sleep. It is early – I am not sure of the exact time, but things are too quiet for many people to be about.

I dress myself and then set about trying to conceal the mark left by my husband’s abuse the night before. I silently curse him for letting me bruise – after all, it is his manipulation of my code that has caused it.

After doing the best job I can, I leave the room and walk to the dining hall. My husband is already there, along with Smith and my twins. All four of them look up as I walk in.

Merovingian smiles at me. “Good morning, Persephone. I trust you slept well?”

I nod meekly, afraid to open my mouth in case my true feelings emerge. I risk a glance at my two boys – they are looking at me with cool disinterest, as they always used to. I realise what my husband has done – he has wiped any trace of my code from theirs.

A smirk plays on my husband’s lips as he notices where my gaze has fallen. “And don’t think you can re-sully them, either. I have made them more resistant to your code. Hopefully I have made them immune to it.”

My mind reels as I move to take my place by Merovingian’s side. I cannot believe he has done this – or wait, maybe I can. After all, it was what he had threatened to do. And he has always been good at assigning the most painful punishments he can think of.

As the rest of our army arrives and my husband begins his planning with them, I sit feeling numb. The hollow feeling is fast returning to me, made worse by the knowledge that my twins are not mine anymore. I can no longer seek comfort with them for they are no longer capable of sympathy. Nor will they ever be, if my husband has his way.

As the hollowness grows, so does a desire for revenge. It is then that I make up my mind – some day, Merovingian will pay for what he has put me through, what he is still putting me through.

My husband is now discussing a plan to do with the Keymaker – an unwanted program that we took in many years ago, and that my husband has been holding as a virtual prisoner. Apparently he will be vital to the humans, and the One and those with him will be coming to rescue him.

It’s perfect. If my husband already believes me to be a traitor, then betraying him once more should make little difference. And if it makes his life more miserable, I will give the humans what they want.

The Keymaker shall be theirs.