Note: This chapter has been edited.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything that is related to the Tron universe, tee hee! Wish I did, though.

Chapter 1: Ambush

The program stood on the top of the plateau, its feet a few inches away from the edge of a canyon that split the plateau in half. It observed the horizon, where the plateau ended abruptly and the last of the flat lands stretched on for miles. Beyond that were the Outlands, a maze of mountains and caves and rough craggy terrain where no light cycle could traverse. A program could get lost in there and never return.

But in this day and datacycle, a program would do anything to survive.

Including robbing.

The program smiled as a speck of green appeared on the horizon. Time for action.

It dimmed its white circuitry and crouched, baton at the ready. At the far side of the plateau, the side that faced Tron City, two programs took note and brandished their own batons before leaping off the edge.

The program watched as the green speck drew nearer and entered the dark canyon, the fierce green light of the rider and its lightcycle bouncing off the walls and the path ahead. That path used to be lit in a more prosperous time, but this was a hard and difficult datacycle. Any road outside the city could no longer afford to be lit.

Once the lightcycle rushed past, the white program leapt down the crevice of the canyon and activated its baton. A lightcycle materialised and a helmet enveloped the program's head just as both wheels landed on the ground and accelerated, flooding the canyon with white light.

The revs of the white lightcycle were not lost on the green rider. He glanced behind at the fast approaching lightcycle and gulped. This was exactly as he had feared; vagrant programs trying to steal from him, but his employer had refused to provide him an escort. The only thing left to do was try to survive and transport his cargo to the city in one piece, at all costs.

The green program removed his identity disc, activated it and threw it with all his might towards the white program pursuing him, but this proved to be a fatal mistake. The disc whizzed through the air, but the white program simply lowered its head to avoid decapitation. The disc flew past and made a round turn back to its owner, bumping against the harsh canyon walls and thus losing speed. The white program sensed the disc returning as its approaching light reflected off its helmet. With its fast reflexes it caught the disc.

The green program wondered why his disc had not returned to him. He turned around and saw it in the hands of his pursuer. His heart plummeted just as he jaw dropped. How did he do that? But he had no time to think.

The next thing he knew, his lightcycle had crashed into a white light ribbon that he had not noticed earlier. His lightcycle disintegrated, the momentum sending its rider and a matte black metal box, flying through the air and landing unceremoniously on his butt. Two more blue programs emerged and circled around the beaten program, trapping it in a blue circular light wall.

The program that had given chase brought its lightcycle to a halt and descended from it. Its lightcycle dematerialised and it caught the baton neatly in its hand. The other two white programs, its accomplices, halted as well, but kept their lightcycles running.

The green program scrambled for the box, clutched it to his chest and got to his feet. His helmet unfolded back just as the white program walked towards him. He reached for his identity disc and his throat turned dry.

"Looking for this?" said the white program as it held up the green disc.

The green program's breath and voice shook. "P-p-p-please... I was only doing my j-j-job..."

The white program nudged its head towards the box. "Give me that and I'll give you this."

The green program's circuitry went two shades dimmer. "I – I can't."

"You can't?" The white program sighed and its helmet folded back, revealing a female program with her sleek black hair tied in a neat ponytail. The other two programs darted surprised looks at each other.

The green program's eyes widened. "Tova?"

"Yes, it's me, Cadmus," she said with a smile.

"But – but why? I know you, Tova. You're a good program." He glanced at the other two programs, who remain masked but who were looking at Tova's direction as well. "You – you wouldn't do something like this."

"Like you, I had no choice," she replied simply and shrugged. Cadmus, the green program, could not believe the situation he was in. Her words and tone were serious, but her expression was almost... cheerful. It was unlike the Tova he had known many datacyles ago, before Clu, their ruler, was destroyed along with his user.

"Please let me go," he said even though he knew that whatever he said would be in vain, "please! Or I'll be – "

"Derezzed?" finished Tova. She broke into a sudden, hearty laugh. "Oh, Cadmus," she said softly. "I was really afraid that some day something like this would happen. That on one of our runs we'd get stuck between a rock and a hard place." She glanced back at the plateau behind them. "Seems about right, doesn't it?"

"Tova," said one of the white Programs darkly, shifting in its seat. "Get it over and done with."

Tova fixed her eyes on the green program, who gulped. Those brilliant blue eyes, which had once had been always kept downcast and which looked up only to afford her friends a polite or shy smile. This couldn't be the same Tova.

"Were you reprogrammed?" he asked her.

"Me?" she seemed taken aback. "Well no, I haven't. Have you?"

"No."

"Why do you ask?"

"You've changed," answered Cadmus.

"I had to, Cadmus. I didn't think you would become a dispatch rider for an energy supplier."

"At least I'm on the right side of the law, Tova."

"What law? As far as I'm concerned there are only two possibilities: either we're in the Game Grid, or we aren't." She activated his identity disk. The energy blade whirred ominously. "And I'll do anything I can to stay outside."

Cadmus steeled himself for the worst.

"Well, it was nice meeting you again, Cadmus," she said with a smile. She raised the disc.

"Do you believe in the Users?" he said suddenly.

She stopped. He thought he saw a flicker in her blue pupils. "I do," she replied.

"So do I."

Her expression clouded over. For a moment, Cadmus thought he would be spared. His employer would be pleased to with his return, he would be kept out of the Game Grid for another day, he may even be able to afford a better unit –

"End of line," she said coldly and threw the disc in his direction. Cadmus didn't even have time to blink.

The black box dropped onto the ground amidst a shower of green pixels.

In the far reaches of the Outlands, where the Sea of Simulation lapped hungrily at the craggy, rocky shores of the Grid, a program laid still and unconscious on the dirty sand. He had been in the water for more datacycles than he had cared to remember. The only thing he knew was that the moment he had come into being he had been plunged into an immense body of free data so random and muddled that he couldn't make sense of where he was and in which direction he was being mercilessly tossed and whipped.

The program awoke.

Somewhat disoriented, he pushed himself slowly onto his feet. His circuitry glowed gradually brighter with the colour yellow. When he had regained much of his consciousness, he was suddenly struck with the overwhelming feeling of helplessness. Where was he? What was the name of this system? All this was alien to him.

He only knew two things: his name was Janus, and that he had one objective: to learn whatever he could of the name 'Flynn' and take that information back to his User.

A/N: Sorry for any discrepancies, inaccuracies, etc. I haven't watched the first TRON (yes yes, so sue me :P). This chapter was partly inspired by the VFX Concept Test and I decided to give it a whirl. I also apologize if I have offended anyone throughout the course of the chapter. If it's good and worth continuing, well, let me know, won't you?

Thanks!