TRON RESTORATION
S.L. Towne
Chapter 1
From above, a light glowed in the dark clouded sky; Nothing even worth comparing to the sun, but just as intriguing. Far below a black sea raged and beat at the pinnacle rock island. Meeting at a point, intricate slabs of architecture held a hybrid appearance of both natural and artificial. Large tower like structures reached into the darkness. At the foot of one of these towers, a figure stood at attention, with a Light Staff in its grip. The red circuitry glowed its loyalty as a soldier for the Disciples.
The Guard received no warning before being struck down. It's derezzed form shattered into tiny bits, flooding the floor. Another figure dropped from his perch up on the balcony above them. He landed in a low kneel, trying to stay hidden. Even with the glow of blue circuitry lining his black suit, the figure stayed out of the gaze of the other two guards. Satisfied he was safe now, Sage stood up, retracting the dimly lit white blade back to his Baton's handle. Sage reached for his upper back, extracting a disc. The object ignited in his hands, the rounding edge sizzling with lethality. Still staying low, Sage cast his disc with an outward toss of his arm. The weapon soared through the air then effortlessly punched through both remaining guards. The disc caused the two figures to shatter into deresolution. Like a boomerang, the disc faithfully soared safely back into Sage's hand in a wide arc. Sage returned it to its dormant state on his back. He raised his Baton, pointing out it's end like a wand. The end suddenly launched a glowing blue tether which grappled onto the ledge of the tower many feet above him. By controlling the slide, the tether retracted, carrying him up the tower. As he neared the top he calmed himself, focusing on the tiny glow of red circuitry at the top. Once the tether reached its end, Sage used his strength to throw himself over the edge and tackle into the Guard. With a grunt, he went down. Sage used his elbow to hold the Guard down while he reached for his disc and activated it. Again it sizzled as he sliced the forehead of the Guard. The rest of the figure shattered into crystalline bits. Sage stood back up and crouched at the shielded doorway. He passed through the barrier with his Baton ready in his hand. Sage ran down a hall, knowing exactly where it was he had to go. He came to a ramp inside the building. He stayed low as he snuck up onto a walkway. He suddenly felt a hand rest gently on his shoulder making his body disappear. Sage glanced over at another figure in his peripheral vision. The other figure wore similar plating. He was bald and a full streak of his face was missing; scars from a past encounter.
"Took you longer than usual," Bril mocked.
"I had a few Guards on my plate," Sage grinned. "Where's Tyree, is he dropping with Chief?"
"Nah, he's supposed to be meeting us here. Why couldn't we all have dropped in?" Bril asked in annoyance.
"The portal takes time," Sage said simply. He breathed slowly focusing his attention on the upcoming task. Bril glanced over. He checked him up and down. Bril took in Sage's younger appearance and acknowledged it.
"You're going to be fine," he said. "We got your back." Sage nodded. "Tyree was supposed to meet me here," Bril sighed nervously. Sage looked nervous suddenly; though he wasn't. "Break in three." Bril counted down reaching zero, he took his hand off Sage's shoulder and deactivated the camouflage unit in his armor. Sage stalked back down the ramp and snuck down a corridor. Bril followed behind him. His Baton was out and ready for any threat. Suddenly Sage's foot crunched. He lifted it carefully to discover blue crystalline bits scattered on the glossy, black floor. Bril approached from behind.
"Tyree?" Sage asked. Bril shook his bald head.
"Not enough of it, he wasn't derezzed,"
"They're probably torturing him right now," Sage said through gritted teeth.
"Focus on the mission, we gotta get you to the portal," Bril chided. They continued down the corridor, Sage distracted by Tyree, again shook his head as he navigated through the intricate interior of the temple. Sage couldn't help but wonder about the odd absence of security and resistance, even so, he kept his baton out and ready. Suddenly they came to a dead end. Carved into this long wall was an intricate arch. In the center of this wall, below the arch, a round slot was hollowed out. Sage stood before this wall with intent on his face. With his hand he, brushed the slot. A small smile edged on his face as he inspected the wall. Despite for Bril's usual hard manner, he too showed appreciation. Here they were, about to enter the very spot, where their deity, the Creator had become one with the grid, freeing Programs from the tyranny of Clu over a thousand cycles ago. This location was a holy site to Sage and his allies.
"This," Sage started. "This is incredible," he said under his breath. Bril clasped his shoulder.
"Sage, we don't have much time." Sage backed away. He replaced his baton on his hip. With reluctance, the Program raised his hand up to the wall. As he did so, the fingerless glove, dissolved away into his sleeve. Sage placed his palm on the smooth surface of the wall. Suddenly from under his hand, a blue glow pulsated. Sage removed his hand, but a print resided. From the ends of the prints' tips, streaks of light glowed like a web. The arch too glowed bright. From the base of the key stone, the opening dissolved allowing the two Programs inside. Sage stepped back again. Bril entered first with his disc out and sizzling. Sage however felt a surge of reverence flow through him as he stepped onto the platform. Above them, the ceiling of the intricate temple dissolved to reveal the storm raging in the sky. The platform's edge glowed blue then suddenly, a light like energy emitted from the edge forming a large round bridge, separating them from a restless ocean of dark water below. A beam of light glowed from the darkness above. The beam streaked from the sky onto the platform. The force of the portal threw gusts of wind inside the opened chamber. The sight was enlightening to Sage, the awe was nearly overwhelming to him and Bril. From behind, Sage heard furious footsteps. He glanced back over his shoulder. Bril looked back as well. His eye narrowed with sudden hate. "Take the left," Bril snarled as he threw himself up against the right side of the arch. Sage followed the order and planted himself on the left side. He too extracted his disc. As their weapons sizzled in their grasps, they waited for their enemy. The footsteps finally reached the archway; only to be greeted by Sage and Bril's discs. The two guards shattered into orange bits. Through the haze of deresolution, four more Guards stormed in with their own weapons. Sage encountered a Guard with a double-edged baton. The blades glowed as they hummed to destroy its target. Sage blocked the blades with his disc and threw punches at any chance he got. Bril fought more ferociously with both disc and baton at use. He shattered away one combatant with a slice of his baton. Though no matter how many guards fell away from the Programs, more poured into the chamber. Suddenly three flashes of blue caught Sage's eye from high above in the dark sky. After the dissipation of light, three figures fell in a freefall which was then ceased by the emission of glowing fan-like gliders. One of the figures dropped faster and was nearing the platform. Sage looked over to his ally.
"Bril jump!" he shouted over the fight. Sage and Bril timed their leaps perfectly. The first figure disengaged his glider and brought out his disc. Using the momentum of his drop, he slammed the disc on the platform. The impact caused a forceful wave throwing all remaining guards off balance. Bril's midair back flip allowed him to land on one of the fallen guards and quickly derez it. Sage landed in a roll allowing him to tackle another guard. With a flick of his wrist, the guard's throat shattered away followed by the rest of its body. Soon after the first figure's landing, the other two quickly followed. Sage knew exactly what their arrival meant. He charged up the center of the bridge, approaching the brilliant force of power of the portal. The First figure glanced over at Sage and chucked his disc to him. In return, Sage chucked the disc he used to the figure. Sage caught the disc harmlessly, though noted the hefty feel. It truly was an honor to him to hold this sacred relic. The first figure caught Sage's disc as well then continued to use it against his combatants. Bril grouped together with their other three allies. Now that it was time however, Sage didn't want to go; he felt compelled to fight alongside his allies. The first figure then looked up at Sage, whom stood on the pedestal at the heart of the temple.
"Go Sage now!" the figure demanded with a heavy yet soothing voice. The program knew what he had to do. Sage however, quickly found himself unable to move, he was petrified by the anger of what he saw. From the far side of the chamber in the archway, two figures stood, one in captivity. The captive figure shared the same circuitry as Sage and his other allies. His shoulder had been cut and the jagged glowing inside of a program was visible. Tyree was trapped in a headlock with a disc at his temple. The captor chuckled menacingly. He glowed with the same orange circuitry as the Guards. The figure's lower half of his face was covered by a mask, but Sage and the others knew exactly who he was. Nexor was the fist of the Disciples, and guilty with the deresolution of many Programs.
"You pathetic Defender," Nexor taunted. "You hope to bring your hero? Any User you return with will never be any match for the Disciples. Give up this foolishness and give me the disc." None of Nexor's words affected him. He glared at him with venomous hate.
"Sage now!" The first figure shouted again.
"Do it and I'll derez him," Nexor threatened with the disc. Sage shifted his gaze to Tyree who struggled in the evil program's grip. Tyree's eyes locked with Sage's. The program nodded at him, communicating louder than any shout. With the relic in his hand, Sage raised it above his head, activating the portal. The disc of their creator, Kevin Flynn ascended from his grip, and suddenly with a flash, everything; the temple, the fight, Tyree, Nexor and the Grid was gone.
