An unprecedented event has occurred.  The Oracle has addressed the community of Redpills.  She sees vast darkness coming.  That she has exposed herself in this public manner suggests the gravity of the developing threat.

She told Redpills this:

"I don't know if there were flies in the Garden of Eden, but we have them in the Matrix.  It's a problem.

"These aren't just pests.  They spread a sort of disease.  This program, The Assassin, is taking his function of disposal to extremes.  The Matrix can be stressed beyond its ability to self-repair.  This could be the time that happens.

"I can't see beyond certain choices.  The future depends on what you choose.

"Earlier, you chose well.  You managed to destroy the Corrupted, the great man-shaped swarms.  That was the first step.

"Now smaller Corrupted, the RSIs of helpless bluepills consumed by flies, stalk the Matrix.  They must be eliminated.  Only then, when these false aspects of The Assassin are gone - think of them as his projections into fourth-dimensional space - can his true aspect be destroyed.

"That's the one that wears the mask.  It killed Morpheus.  My friend.

"That time will come, if now you can destroy the Corrupted."

With this wind at their backs, redpills of Zion and the Machines set out to challenge the Corrupted wherever they would manifest. In the shadowy streets and open courts of the MegaCity operatives from both sides pursued their common purpose. For once, names such as DizzyBlonde and Calliente, Ru7hL3Ss and LittleWyvern, even Hyster1a and LilJade could be found together without bloodshed between them. Some, such as Kaspanova, came too close to the goal and learned The Assassin is aware of his pursuit.

More hesitant, due to Flood's announcement in the recent Sentinel hack page, were those of the Merovingian's organization.  The Assassin, after all, at one point served the Merovingian.

But this hesitancy was not universal.  The untamable Lupine Ookami led some Redpills against the Corrupted.  Perhaps she felt the threat to the Matrix (it is evident to any skywatcher) was worth defying her master.   Perhaps she simply wanted to spite Flood, with whom she shares a reciprocal loathing.

This led the Assassin himself to attack Ookami.  Perhaps he was rankled that a peer in his organization should join the assault.  In any event, Ookami was grievously injured.  Why she did not die, given the Assassin's powers, is a mystery.  Could he be weakening?

The answer to that question could be crucial.  For the attack on Ookami will have ramifications.