Fragmentation IV
Title: Fragmentation IV
Genre: Family/Drama
Summary: Five Times Someone Told Jet Bradley they loved him, and the One Time he didn't think it was just sentiment. [Canon. Subroutine universe. Timeline compliant.]
Author: Sakura123 (weber_dubois22, Knightqueen)
Rating: T
Characters: Jet Bradley, Lora Bradley, Alan Bradley, Sam Flynn, Kevin Flynn, Eva Popoff, Seth Crown III, Esmond Baza, Edward Dillinger Jr.
Chapters: 6
Written: 9/ 21/ 2018
Completed: 11/3/2018
Disclaimer: Tron/Tron 2.0/Tron: Legacy and all things related are property of Steven Lisberger, Bonnie MacBird and Walt Disney Studios (and some other guys I'm probably forgetting but don't care to remember).
Author's Note: Check out subroutine-fic on tumblr for updates, headcanons, and graphical edits that relate to this series for the mainline story.
1. Kevin Flynn – October 31, 1988
Halloween was not Kevin's favorite day of the month. By design, the ceremony of dressing up the house and the arcade in faux webs and everything that represented the hallowed day was an exhausting ordeal he no longer reaped any joy from since Jordan died. In general, he was never that big of a fan of Halloween to begin with. One particularly bad experience bobbing for apples set him off the holiday for life.
But, now there was the kids to think about. Jet and Sam were finally at an age where Halloween actually registered as something important to them as individuals, not just something their parents inundated them with on the basis of "tradition".
Sam and Jet spent the better part of two weeks going back and forth from each other's houses, bouncing ideas off him, off Alan, off Lora, all to come up with the perfect costume.
Sam fell asleep often on the couch after finishing homework, doodles in crayon and faded pencil on notebook paper. From what Kevin could tell from the misshapen figures meant to represent his son and godson is that they wanted to be pirates one week, astronauts the next, then Dr. Quest and Race Bannon. Jet was Dr. Quest because he had glasses. Sam was Race Bannon because he was cooler than Dr. Quest.
Kevin figured the first and latter would be the easier to cheese. Turtlenecks and dress shirts were a dime-a-dozen. None of them, not even Lora, were aces with sewing machines. But, just as he and Alan got into their heads that sewing and stitching together a costume would be required of them - because that's what their mothers did for them - Lora reassured them, "People buy their costumes, guys, I don't think you need to worry about making them for the boys."
The Jonny Quest costume idea fell through. Sam was now utterly convinced that the two of them were going to be pirates, and Jet thought as much. Sam dragged Kevin to their not-so-local Jo Anne's Party City to buy his accessories for the big night of house-to-house trick or treating. Kevin got him a big hat with a giant feather to go with the cheaply made Captain Hook jacket that matched his worn brown backpack.
Alan and Lora, who usually accompanied Jet on Halloween, opted for a couple's night that year. The most Kevin saw of them that night was Lora's station wagon pulling away from his house as Jet shuffled up across his tiny yard.
Jet arrived at his doorstep, not as Captain Bluebeard, but in a worn out bunny costume adorned with long ears, welder's goggles atop his head, and a red down vest. "Mom burnt my costume with the iron," He said, his expression dour. The only thing that remained of his Captain Bluebeard (the second mate) costume was the eyepatch that sat on his forehead under the hood.
Sam was devastated. Kevin tried to be a bit more positive about the situation. "Lora always was a creative one, Jet."
"That's not even funny, Uncle Flynn. I spent my allowance on that costume."
The trip through their neighborhood wasn't exactly a tumultuous one, but Kevin could tell from the slump in Sam's shoulders that he wasn't quite got over that their costume ensemble was broke. Jet walked beside him, occasionally falling back whenever he thought he saw someone he knew from school. Most people were too preoccupied with counting their candy to really make fun of him. If anything, Kevin thought he looked unique.
"So, why a rabbit?" He asked as Jet and Sam ran down from the elderly couple's yellow porch.
"Huh?" Jet struggled to keep his eyepatch from sliding down his face away from his left eye. Kevin freed his hands from the responsibility of carrying his blue backpack and repeated, "So, why a rabbit? Why not a superhero?" Jet fell into step with Kevin and Sam as he adjusted the strap of his eyepatch around his head.
"Or, a pirate, like we planned," Sam interjected, frowning.
"I told you, Mom burned my costume with the iron," Jet reiterated. "And it wasn't my idea to wear it."
"But, you're wearing it, so, it can't be all bad," Kevin observed.
"It looks stupid," Sam offered.
Jet just shrugged. "I guess. Dad got this out of the attic, said it was an old Halloween costume of his," Jet explained.
"Is that right?" Kevin laughed.
"Yeah. He said it was a costume for some show he used to watch. Clarence the Rabbit."
Kevin vaguely remembered the name, but couldn't recall any images that weren't Jet looking absolutely silly (but unique) in a rabbit costume.
"The goggles and the vest were my idea," Jet supplied proudly. "I think the eyepatch looks cooler, though."
"That's what I love about you Jet," Kevin ruffled his hair – or at least tried to – causing the rabbit themed hoodie to fall over his eyes. "You're always on the lookout for what's cool." Were it not for the sour expression Jet managed to communicate with only a scrunched up nose and the thinning of his lips, Kevin would've assumed he appreciated the playful affection. He usually did.
Most houses were decorated in faux webs and skeletons, but Kevin steered them away from houses that were plain, assuming the residents didn't want to be bothered. Jet's story of costume dilemmas stopped and resumed in between pit-stops at the doors catering to children. It was a disjointed conversation, but Kevin was used to it by now – still somewhat able to recollect his own inability to keep his attention focused on any one thing when something else caught his eye as a kid.
Six blocks from his house, Sam and Jet finally slowed down, seemingly content with the amount of candy they were lugging around in their backpacks. Kevin found himself wishing he brought his car with him, at least then he could use the car phone to call Alan to come pick Jet up from his house.
FIN.