As what the summary says, this one-shot depicts what exactly was going on in Rinzler's mind when he and Kevin Flynn made eye contact for the first time during the Light Jet chase sequence.
As you all probably know, if you had seen Tron Legacy, the moment Rinzler and Kevin make eye contact to the moment Rinzler crashes into Clu, all that happened in the span of just over a minute. So this one-shot depicts Rinzler's thoughts all within that timespan.
The final Black Guard was taken out by the large Light Jet and crashed on the pillars as its remains scattered throughout the Sea of Simulation. With the Light Jet interceptors and their Black Guard pilots derezzed, it only left Rinzler and Clu on the pursuit of the two Users and the female ISO. The Light Ribbons from left behind this large Light Jet hindered Rinzler's chase, but not enough to lose them. Despite being larger in size, the Light Jet was doing well maneuvering across the Sea of Simulation with the obstacles in the way. The Light Jet interceptor had less of a problem, they were all designed to handle sharp turns and quick maneuvers. Rinzler focused on taking out the Light Jet.
Kevin Flynn.
The Creator.
He was Clu's primary target. He was the source of the imperfections in this system. He had escaped Clu's wrath once already, this won't be a repeat of such an escape.
The ISO, Quorra, was the last of her kind. Clu had them all eliminated and leaving one alive was no exception. The purge was meant to ensure no ISO would ever live once again, and now with this ISO up and about, Clu's purge is not yet complete.
As for the final User, this Sam Flynn. He was proving to be a problem for Clu, and anything that was a problem for Clu, Rinzler would eliminate.
This Sam Flynn User made things no easier ever since his appearance.
Rinzler was finally within range of the Light Jet. He fired on them, successfully taking out their tail guns. From his position, he could see the User controlling the tail guns trying to fire, but unable to do so. Rinzler picked up speed, going underneath the Light Jet and then ascending above it from the left side. He barrel-rolled over the Light Jet and looked down upon them. He flashed a quick glance at the ISO pilot, but his attention was on the User. The moment they both made eye contact with each other, something within Rinzler emerged.
"Tron, what have you become?" He asked.
Tron? Rinzler didn't answer the User, but that name was familiar to him. Not as in the name of the city, but as in the name of the legendary Program. Tron...
The Light Jet picked up speed, putting Rinzler behind them once again. This wasn't like him, Rinzler would never let a target escape, but he wasn't himself. His interceptor was slowly starting to fall back. The mention of that name put Rinzler in a state of distraction, things were entering his mind and he was losing focus on the task at hand. He began to see an image of a world back in the past. He saw some Programs that looked as though they was from the the older version. He then saw another Program that was involved in the earlier generation of the Disc Wars. The Identity Disc in this Programs possession proved such a theory that this event took place long ago.
"Who's that guy?"
"That's Tron. He fights for the Users."
Tron. That name came up again. Why does it feel so important to him? Rinzler never met Tron, he was always under the impression that Tron was either just a story, or was an existing Program long before his own time. But that name kept overpowering anything relevant in his thoughts. The image then changed to one with two Programs. Once again, these two Programs looked as though they were from the older generation.
"Alan?"
"Where did you hear that name?"
"Well that's your name isn't it?"
The images and voices changed once again, giving him new visions. Flashes of more events were filling his system, events that were from long ago. Another image entered; he sees a Program, another one that was of the past. His appearance was a bright white body with such intricate red colored circuitry throughout the body and a headpiece that seemed to signify a high status.
"You are certainly persistent Tron."
"I'm also better than you."
Did he just say that? Did Rinzler just respond to this program's words? The red Program threw his Light Disc and then the image flashed off. It wasn't the end; the image then changed to one of a more modern time, a place that was more familiar to Rinzler. He now saw the Creator once again, but he looked younger, much younger. An uncanny resemblance to Clu. After all, this Creator was the one that made Clu, it was only natural that Clu would have the appearance of the Creator. Alongside the Creator, Clu was with him as well; both of them were exactly similar in appearance and attire. But what was the significance of this event?
"Flynn, you should leave the Grid. It's an unnecessary risk being here while we resolve the situation."
"Right, right. But I'm sitting this out Tron. You tackle it from here and I'll see what I can do from the outside."
"I'll escort you to the portal."
Rinzler was beginning to see this images not as a bystander, he found himself right there with them, involved in the event. Was there a reason for this? Was there a reason that he was a part of it all? Why does he feel as though he's been there before? Why is he finding every single voice and scene familiar? His mind then shifted to another event in which he was involved in an fight. He couldn't see what exactly he was fighting, but he knew that it was a fight.
"Flynn, go!"
He was losing focus, Rinzler's targets were escaping. He shook his head, getting those images out and resumed his chase on them. He was able to pick up speed and get right on their tail without trouble, even with their Light Ribbons in the way.
Unfortunately, it wasn't long before the chase began to lose priority.
The images came back again. They were getting too frequent to be a glitch in his programming. He now saw himself fighting against the very Black Guards that protected Clu, the same Black Guards that fought alongside him. He was derezzing them all. What was going on? Why was he attacking his own?
Clu then caught up with the chase; he powered up his Light Ribbon and flew right behind Rinzler.
"RINZLER, TAKE A SHOT!"
Rinzler couldn't hear him, his mind was still focused on these images. He struck one of the Black Guards with his Light Disc and took that Guard's own. As more Black Guards approached, he took his stance against them with his two Light Discs. Fighting them off, he successfully derezzed them. With all of the Black Guards derezzed, his attention turned to something else. He saw a yellow lit Program approaching a fallen target. He charged at a Program, tackling him to the ground, but this opponent overpowered him. He proved to be much stronger than himself.
"FINISH THE GAME!"
Rinzler heard that. He looked back to Clu. He was prepared to obey, but something in him did otherwise. As if by some glitch in his system, he maneuvered his interceptor to soar upwards, abandoning his target. He watched below as the large Light Jet dove downwards with Clu following.
It came back once more. The event.
This yellow Program beat him down stood over him. The Program then raised his Light Disc and struck him. Everything then went white. Rinzler felt a stinging pulse through his system that faded, revealing many new things.
He now realized who he was fighting. He remembered who it was in that vision. It was Clu.
It was finally coming back to him. These images were of a past programming. Names entered his mind as if he had hacked into a mainframe of unlimited knowledge; Sark, Ram, Yori, Anon, Flynn. There was a reason why all his visions were so familiar, there was a reason why he saw these visions in the footsteps of one who was there. It was because he was there. All those events that happened, he saw these visions because they were all memories.
But what has become now? What's happened to him?
"Tron, what have you become?"
Fynn had asked him this, but he didn't have an answer. Now he does, Clu made him this way. He wasn't always this silent warrior, he wasn't always so menacing. He wasn't always Rinzler, he went by a different name once before. He was the legendary Program, he was the hero, he was Tron.
No. Not was. Is.
He is Tron.
He had always been Tron. Always has been and always will be.
He punched it and his Light Jet picked up a boost in speed. His speed managed to bring him past Clu. He brought his Light Jet back to horizontal position and soared towards the other Light Jet. His target was no longer Kevin Flynn or the ISO. He knew he would never do anything to hurt Flynn and he knew why.
It was the same purpose he had for his previous User.
It was what made him what he is.
It was why he existed.
And finally, the silent warrior spoke; saying what mattered most. Saying what made him Tron.
"I...fight for the Users."
And that's the end of that.
What do you readers think? The idea just came to me after reading a fanfic by the writer name Ridyr. The story is called 'Through Broken Eyes'. I found it to be a very great story, and I'm sure any Tron fans will love it as well.
Please give me a review and tell me what you thought of this.
Long live Tron.