A/N: Yup I'm back with part 2 of the Dues Ex Machina: Dasein. If you're wondering where I get all my neat words? I bought a book of thematic terms for half price, and well... I blame my best friend. It's always her fault. Yup. So, Miranda's back, and towards the end you might actually get some Tron:Legacy. But that is the future. Right now I have quite a bit of time to deal with for Miranda, Clu and poor Tronzler. Don't worry, nothing to risque will happen. Not that Clu wants to hear that, Nutter that he is. First chapter done, second in the works and the rest is in the wind.

Part 2- Deus Ex Machina: Dasein

By: Tamuril Telrunye A.K.A Bamvivirie

Chapter 1: Mise-en-scen'e

"If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?"

~Alice: Alice in Wonderland

When you lose someone, someone you are truly close to. Your heart feels such pain that you often don't know what to do. If you lose such a person violently, one day you catch yourself wishing, the person you loved never existed just so you would be spared the pain. But that does not change the way things are.

If you allow it to, it can easily consume you.

It's harder still, to let it go and become stronger. But I had the time.

Sometimes I would dream I was there.

Back in that office, on the couch in the warm fuzzy half-awake state that I would get when curled up against Flynn.

Warm. Safe. Secure.

And then I wake up.

And I'm here, in this place.

The Grid.

The Grid as Clu made it, not as Flynn created. Not as I'd hoped to know it. No, a place much changed, not that I would have noticed, since I'd never had the chance to see it as it was. But perhaps I should start from where I left off. The portal, the platform and my last chance for happiness slipping away with the light in the sky. My desperate refusal to believe that Flynn was dead, the one fact that I could not and would not accept.

The wind seemed to whip up out of nowhere, as Rinzler removed an all to familiar looking bundle of rope-like material before binding my hands and hefting me up much like a sack of potatoes, up over his shoulder; Thick shoulder muscles eliciting a grunt from me, as my stomach hit but nothing more.

I was to... Shocked. Too far in denial to even accept that Flynn was dead, let alone that this was happening, and as he marched up the ramp to the recognizer Clu ahead of us Jarvis taking up the rear I couldn't stop myself from looking back. A moment later and the portal mouth was lost to my sight as I was plunked down unceremoniously on one of the many couches, falling sideways from the force.

The material of the couch cushion was soft against my cheek, and I tried desperately to calm my breathing as I fought the urge to cry. A hand grabbed my arm, and I was levered up right again by Rinzler as he started making the strange purring noise again. A hand moved towards my face as he did so, and I couldn't stop the instinctive recoil.

His hand stopped, before moving again index finger moving gently a crossed my face before pulling back wet. Crap, I really am crying. I felt a sob rise in my throat, as Rinzler moved to show Clu the liquid on his fingers.

"Curious," Came from Clu before he moved closer, looking at me as though I were a rare treat "And what would this be called?"

"Wh-" I gulped as a lump seemed to form in my throat, before continuing. "Wh- Whu- What is what?"

"This," He said, moving a finger a crossed my face much less gently then Rinzler before gesturing at it.

"Tears you ninny-hammer." My voice came out broken, but scathing. "I would figure you've seen a lot of crying."

"Crying?"

"Yeah, you know. The result of making someone upset." I rolled my eyes at him in exasperation before dropping my head. "Now fuck off. I don't feel like talking to you, or anyone for that matter."

A hand grasped my hair, forcing my head upwards and my eyes met the cruel glare of Flynn's dopple-ganger.

"Do you know why you're not deleted, User?" Clu said eyes like chips of ice in his head. I had never seen such a cold look on his all too familiar face. "Because I deem you useful to me. You have information, information I cannot get from anywhere or anyone else. If you want to live, I suggest you answer my questions."

"Delete me then," I said, "It would be a mercy."

"There are worse fates then de-resolution on the Grid Miranda." Clu said as his hand slipped from my hair, moving down in a deceptively gentle caress to sit just under my neck, before tightening painfully. "You are a User true. The only User on the grid as far as I know. But that doesn't mean you're indispensable. I could delete you now and not lose a nano of recharge over it. Not a nano."

At this point his grip was so tight I couldn't breathe, and I squirmed under his weight; fighting to breath. Another moment passed like eternity, and before I was allowed gasping breaths again as his hand released its death grip on my throat. I coughed, for a moment simultaneously angry and relieved.

I hadn't wanted him to let go, but I also didn't entirely want to die. No, I wanted to make him pay for this. Make him pay for perverting the grid, for killing Flynn and for denying me the death I wanted so greatly. How dare he!

How dare he take everything from me, than decide my life wasn't worth joining it. My mind ignored the fact completely that I might not want to die for other reasons. I was being selfish, and the rest of the world be damn. I would die, but I would do it on my terms. And I was going to take this egotistical bastard with me when I did it to.

They say two things about revenge, one is that it's petty; the other is that it's a dish best served cold. But when you have nothing else?

No, he would pay for his cruelty and malice. My thoughts strayed too the disk hiding just beneath my own feet, and for a moment I thought I might have him, dead to rights. But no. Even if I could get my arms free, I would still have to contend with Rinzler and Jarvis. No, I would repay him properly. I owed him that much.

"Now," he said, dragging me from my own malice filled thoughts. "Tears."

"Yeah, tears. Users make them."

"Are they dangerous?"

"Not unless you allergic to salt-water." I said scathingly.

"How intriguing." He said turning away. "Users can make water fall from their eyes when they are upset."

"It's not something that happens by choice, and usually when it does happen it isn't just because they are upset." I said, turning away.

"Oh?"

"Yes."

"Explain further." He said voice dangerously soft.

"When a person cries, generally it's because they are under extreme mental duress." I said, letting the hair that had fallen out of the clip settle a crossed my eyes.

"Such as?"

"Pain, sorrow, joy, stress. The list goes on," I paused thinking about my college classes on physiology, before continuing. "Generally, it's a way to gain sympathy. Unintentionally mind you, but sympathy none the less."

"Fascinating." Was all that escaped him as he sat, rolling his fingers around as if trying to get a feel for the tears. Rinzler came close again as his master pulled away, tilting his head to the side like a cat. He stared and I ignored him. Eventually I managed to cry myself quietly into an exhausted state, slumping down against the couch once more.

Mise-en-Scene:

Meaning: Visual setting and/or the elements of the story that lay out its telling. Usually a thematic term used to describe the quality of the movie and narration. (Meaning varies depending on use.)

In Reference to: Scene, Narration, and main characters.

As a side note, I would like to mention that when I first started writing this chapter my Itunes started playing Adagio for Tron. Irony.

Started: 3-4-11

Finished: 3-5-11