System Reboot (Sequel to System Failure)

Chapter 6

Alesa's POV
There were less jobs than usual that day, which was expected given the virus attack in the morning, but I almost wished that we were busier. It would have given me less time to think about that morning. In between jobs, Ty and I tried not to talk about Adam being a virus, or about what the others had said, or anything else, really. We just jogged in silence beside each other.

Even with the slight lack of jobs, night had fallen by the time Ty and I walked home through the pack, as we did every night. Ty was filling the air with conversation, and I was listening but only part of what he was saying sunk in. Something about a hermit crab he had when he was growing up? I thought it was because I mentioned that I wanted to get a cat, but honestly, I couldn't remember anymore.

I glanced around, barely seeing what was around me as I momentarily became lost in my thoughts, but a movement in a dark corner of the park snapped me out of it. Two men were standing under the shadow of a tree, talking quietly. There was something familiar about them, and something that sent shivers down my spine and warnings ringing through my head. I nudged Ty with my elbow and turned down a path that took us towards them. If Ty was surprised, he hid it well and fell in step with me.

"Keep talking," I whispered to him, watching the men out of the corner of my eye.

I could see him frown at me a little but he kept talking, switching the conversation to something about how his old neighbour had an obsession about opera music and how his neighbour who has recently moved in has the exact same fascination, so he was totally cursed for life, but I wasn't paying attention. I recognised one of the two strangers; he had been the person standing in the corner of the city hall with the sunglasses, watching. The other seemed to be dressed in a similar fashion to him, also wearing the sunglasses.

As we came closer, the two finished off their conversation and gave a single nod. The one I recognised stalked off into the shadows, disappearing into the night. The other paused for a moment and glanced at us, his sunglasses low on his nose, before taking a step back and turning away, but not before I had seen the deep red coding that filled his eyes.

"Virus," I hissed to Ty and instantly, I was running towards the man as he tried to slip away into the city. Ty's footsteps started up a few seconds late behind me but he was giving chase.

The virus glanced over his shoulder to see the two of us running after him and he dove into the back alleys of the city that wound between the tall apartment buildings. The sounds of our footsteps echoed up the tall concrete walls that surrounded us and breaths of wind stirred the air like giant sighs as we hunted down the virus. They were bad enough in the mainframe; I didn't want to think about what they could do in the real world.

Ahead of me, the virus turned the corner and I took it a second later without slowing down, only to have something slam into my face. The world went blurry as tears sprung up in my eyes but I had enough sense to duck the blow that I was sure followed next before backing up a step, getting distance as I dashed the tears away. The virus had already taken off again and I ran after him, refusing to give up, Ty now right behind me.

These alleyways were usually watched by security cameras, but even so, graffiti lined the walls around us and rubbish was scattered about as we ran after the virus, who then made a critical mistake. He took a turn and slid to a stop, facing the tall wall that formed a dead end. He spun around to run the other way but I was already there, blocking his escape. He jumped towards me, fist swinging and I leaned back, ready to duck under his follow up blow-

Wham!

The sound of Ty's fist meeting flesh made me wince, and I wasn't even the one being hit by it. The virus stumbled several steps, a hand going to his cheek as he grunted in pain, tripping over one of the steel bins and collapsing to the ground.

"Thanks," I said breathlessly.

"No problem," Ty panted, hands on hips.

I stepped up to the virus, one of my chains in my hand and ready to throw as he rapidly shuffled back, putting his back to the wall of the tall office building behind him. His coded red eyes glared at me, teeth set in a snarl, but he otherwise didn't move.

His suit was black, though a little dirty now from falling over. He had a bright orange tie that clashed horribly, especially with the red eyes but at least he had matching orange socks. Behind me, I heard Ty suck in a breath but I didn't dare take my eyes off of the virus, just in case he decided to make a run for it.

"What are you doing out in our world?" I asked, my voice cold.

The virus laughed, his voice cruel and sharp as steel. "Why wouldn't I be? You Glitches have no idea what's coming."

"Then why don't you enlighten us?"

He laughed again, but didn't answer my question. Instead, he said "I know who you are. You're the worm, the one who got the Glitch to bring you out into the real world. You might be a crap virus, but at least you helped us put that bug into the Glitch database."

"What? What are you talking about?" Ty asked, stepping forward. I didn't miss the glance he gave me and a shiver of fear went down my spine. If he thought that I had willingly worked for the viruses...

The virus sneered at him. "You Glitches act all high and mighty, but you have no idea the plans he has. Using her," he lazily flicked a finger towards me, "to bring down the Glitch mainframe was only the start of the plan. And soon, the final stages will be coming."

"You loaded the bug into my amulet," I said quietly. The virus smirked at me and I grew angry, flicking my chain in my hand. "Alright then, if you're so smart, then what's this plan you're talking about? What's the final stage?"

He smirked. "Say your prayers. You'll stand no chance against us," was all he said.

Just as Ty stepped forward, mouth open to ask another question, the virus leapt to the side, sprinting towards the dead end and with inhuman ability, jumped up the wall, grabbed onto the top of it, and rolled over onto the other side, my chain clanking uselessly against the bricks behind him.

"Come on!" Ty sprinted out of the alley, me hot on his heels, and we turned two corners and burst out onto the night-time streets only to be met with a crowd of people leaving the nearby cinema, creating a mass of people and cars. The virus was gone.

I glanced at Ty. He was looking out at the streets, his gaze vacant like his thoughts were far away. "Look," I said, my mouth dry. "Whatever that virus was talking about, about me having to do with the fall of the Glitch mainframe, I didn't know. I didn't work with them, I never wanted to. I didn't mean to have a part in whatever plan he was talking about."

Ty glanced at me and nodded his head a little. "I believe you," he said with sincerity. He gave a deep sigh and dug his phone out of his pocket, rapidly flicking through it before pressing on a number and holding it up to his ear.

"Who are you calling?" I asked, curious.

"Jason."

"About the virus being in our world?"

"Partly." He angled the phone so it was a little away from his mouth. I could see the nervousness in his eyes as he talked. "I knew that virus Alesa. I knew him before he became a virus."

I frowned and slowly asked "Who was it?"

"You know how every new Glitch has a mentor to teach them the ropes? Show them how to fight the viruses in the mainframe? Well, before he fell into cyberspace and died, that virus was my mentor. A Glitch named Bodil."