PART THREE: A chance encounter

Romy fought frightened tears back as the boy struck her across the face again.
"What did I say woman?  No screaming.  Ya want this to take longer then it has too?"
"Screw you."  Romy whispered, her mouth swollen and sore from his constant blows.
The leader laughed coldly.  "No, no, no.  Ya got it all wrong."  A sharp blade was placed at her throat and the leader leaned towards her ear.  "I intend to screw you.  Isn't that right boys?"
Silence.
The leader looked up, his eyes searching for his friends.  Not immediately seeing them, he squinted, scrutinizing the darkness.  Finally, he was able to make out two still bodies lying on the ground, the knives they had been holding placed neatly beside them.  An expression of surprise mixed with confusion appeared on his face.  "What in the net?" 
A tall sprite stared down at him from the entrance of the alley.  He stepped forward and the dim streetlights sketched out his intimidating build. 
"Who-who are you?"  The leader stammered out.
"Does it matter?"  The sprite asked in a low voice.  "I suggest you let the girl up."
The leader got to his feet, dragging Romy up with him.  He pressed the blade deeper into her throat, letting only a miniscule of air through to her lungs.
"Please,"  Romy begged the stranger, her words coming out in short gasps.  "Just go, I'm not worth losing your life over."
Matrix laughed darkly.  "I'm not worried about me." 
Matrix approached slowly, letting the light glint dangerously off of the gun strapped to his hip.  His right cybernetic eye glowed a deathly red, making the leader begin to sweat nervously.
Romy let out a squeak as her captor shook her threateningly.  "Come any closer and she dies!"  He shouted.
Matrix stopped walking and narrowed his eyes.  He was already getting tired of talking to this piece of city trash.  He just wanted to kill him and be on his merry way.  Frisket sensed his master's thin patience wearing out and emerged from the darkness, growling menacingly.
New beads of sweat formed on the boy's brow as Frisket bared his sharp white teeth and crept closer.
"Stay back!"  The sprite yelled.
Matrix saw the desperation welling up in the boy's eyes, and turned to nod briefly into the darkness.  "Who you nodding at?!"  The sprite yelled at Matrix, paranoia now joining with his anxiety.  "You got friends back there?!"
Matrix ignored him and instead gestured to Romy.  "I won't ask you again to let her go.  You don't have to end up like your friends."
Angrily, the boy spat on the ground.  "Screw you!"  He cursed.  Whipping around, the boy yanked Romy roughly under his arm and sprinted for the end of the alley. 
Suddenly, a glimmer of silver sliced through the darkness and the boy backspaced with a cry of surprise.  His hold on Romy loosened and she pulled herself away, backing up into a corner as a sleek female sprite holding a trident pushed passed her.
As soon as Matrix saw that Romy was out of the way, he leaped on the sprite shoving him against the wall and pinning his arms beneath him.  Matrix jerked the knife from his hand and flung it into a bunch of cardboard boxes.  The boy howled in frustration and wrestled an arm loose, swinging at Matrix.  Easily sidestepping the blow, Matrix backhanded him across the face and sent the boy stumbling into a pile of garbage.  The boy struggled to get up, but stopped his efforts when he found the barrel of a silver gun shoved in front of his face. 
"Try it."  Matrix said coldly, shooting out a red targeting icon onto the terrified boy's forehead. "I dare ya."
The boy's eyes remained fixed on the gun, his breaths quickening as his fear escalated.
Matrix smiled evilly and cocked gun.  Suddenly, an orange hand was gently lowering Matrix's arm. 
Matrix raised a questioning eyebrow, but AndrAIa just shook her head and gave him a pleading look.
Romy approached slowly from behind and stood beside Matrix.  "He's just a kid."  She said quietly.  "He's suffered the same, like us.  Let him live and I will take him to the Command.com.  He can decide the punishment."
Matrix stared in disbelief at both sprites.  This kid was sprite trash.  Someone who would probably not think twice about hurting an innocent person.  Yet in spite of all of this, they wanted to help him? 
Matrix shook his head, not understanding, but re-holstered gun obediently.  If the girl wanted him alive, then he would comply; for now.  It was, after all, her decision.
Romy smiled nervously, but gratefully.  "We should probably get out of here."
Matrix nodded and hauled the frightened boy to his feet.  "Let's go."  Matrix hissed in his ear and shoved him down the alley, following Romy.
AndrAIa glanced down at Frisket as he gave her a questioning whimper.  AndrAIa shrugged and minimized her trident, following Matrix.