BOB RETURNS

Dot Matrix lay in her bed, staring blankly at the darkness. She had spent many nights like this. Alone. She felt the tears begin again, and let them fall. She was used to this now. After all, the two most important people in her life were gone.

"Enzo…" she sniffled. "I swore I would take care of you.. I swore I would protect you… and… I failed! I failed miserably!" She let a small sob escape her throat. "I shouldn’t have let you go into that game! I shouldn’t have let you…" her voice trailed off. She couldn’t help but feel guilty. Not only had she lost her brother... but she had also lost her best friend.

No. He was more then a friend. She had loved the Guardian! But now, Bob was gone as well… thrown into the Web by Megabyte. Lost forever.

"I couldn’t protect you either, could I, Bob? After all the times you protected us! I couldn’t even repay the debt!" She whispered to herself. She was going to cry herself to sleep again. It seemed the only way she got any sleep nowadays was through crying.

Dot DID have friends… and they had been very supportive in trying to see her though this… but they could never fill the loneliness she felt! She closed her eyes, and allowed her emotions to drain her until she finally fell asleep.

He looked around the dark apartment. A part of him remembered this place. But there was another part of him that was unfamiliar with it.

He could see in the darkness a door up ahead. It was slightly ajar. Someone was in that room. Part of him knew who it was, and that part truly wanted to see her. The other part, however, was simply curious. Nonetheless… he headed towards the room.

Dot heard a slight shuffling outside her door. She quickly sat up in bed, and looked around, "Who’s there?!" she asked the darkness. "Mike? Is that you? What are you doing here? I don’t feel like being cheered up right now!" She said, expecting to see a rather lively TV pop into her room, blabbering about A Bucket ‘O’ Nothing for the low price of only 99.99.99.

When she didn’t get what she expected, she flicked on the light beside her bed. The shadowy figure in her doorway quickly ducked away. She only caught a glimpse of long hair… at least.. long on ONE side. The other side sported a shorter hair cut. "Little punk sprites! Probably came to rob me!" she thought to herself

Dot jumped out of bed and stood her ground. "All right!! WHO’S THERE?!" She shouted. Still no answer. "I am the Command.Com of this system! I DEMAND you tell me who you are!" She clicked the Icon on the collar of her night shirt, and ReBooted into her official uniform.

‘Light!’ he thought. Why did she have to turn on the light?! It hurts!

He closed his eyes. If it weren’t for the light, he would have continued looking at her. There was a part of him that remembered her. And that part thought she was the most beautiful sprite in all the Net. The other part of him was beginning to gain an appreciation for her as well… though with a slightly wicked twist.

"Answer me!!" Dot shouted as she grabbed her gun, "WHO ARE YOU?!"

The shadow moved slowly… and finally stood in the doorway . Dot took one look at him - no... at IT - and screamed!