So I got bored and I decided I was going to do little bits and pieces of Transformers Prime: Gridlocked from the Grid side of the screen. This will include the "Return of Tron" (this chapter) "Rinzler's Return" (possibly next chapter) "Samand Quorra's capture" "Quorra's Rescue" and maybe some of the things that happen when the Users leave the Grid...I mean, we've still got Cyrus and Pavel and Tesler to deal with...don't we?
Chapter 1
Fall and Rise
He was falling, his head hurt, his arms hurt, his legs hurt…everything hurt. Rinzler opened his eyes, shaking his head as the Sea rushed up to meet him. He had just been flying a few minutes ago…what happened? Wait, the Users! They made him fall!
Splitting pain erupted into Rinzler's head, multiple error messages popped up, but he ignored them, trying to get his bearing so he could get back at the Us…
Tron shook his head, fighting desperately to throw off the virus. He had spent over a thousand cycles under that…that thing and he was not about to spend another nano under it! He groaned in agony as hot pain shot through his head. He had to get to Flynn and hel…
Rinzler overrode the invasive programming. Never mind that…he was too close for comfort to the surface of the Sea of Simulation. He unhooked the spare baton on his leg and got ready to break it…
When something rammed into him. Hard.
Rinzler's head snapped up to see…Master?
CLU fought for the baton hard, trying to snatch it from the Enforcer's grip. Rinzler resisted, but CLU managed to get a hold on the baton, kicking Rinzler in the helmet repeatedly. Rinzler gave a choked cry of denial as CLU sent a crushing blow to his chin, sending him flying backwards…
And into the Sea.
Rinzler looked up and the last thing he saw was CLU flying towards the shining light of the portal. The Sea dragged him down as his circuits flickered once…twice as the invader struggled to take control. He fought for air, but his limbs were made of lead and he g-gave in…There was nothing he could do. After all these cycles of fighting and winning…
Rinzler was losing. The Enforcer's amber gaze flickered, fluttering shut…
And steel blue eyes snapped open as the circuits blazed blue-white.
Tron, after so many cycles of being suppressed…had won.
The Protector struggled to swim upwards, towards the wavering light of the portal, towards the shallows.
His head broke the surface and he gasped for breath, clawing at the ebon mask that hid his features. He managed to get it deactivated and the black shell collapsed under his fingers. He took his first breath of clear, fresh air in a long, long time.
He swam towards the shallows. Standing on wobbly legs as soon as he could. He turned his azure gaze towards the portal, maybe there was still time? Maybe Flynn got out! Maybe…
A white-hot explosion tore through the Grid-sky, a massive globe of white light that expanded by the second.
Tron fell to his knees, sending the water up in splashes.
He knew what had happened.
"No…" he croaked, his voice raspy from lack of use, "No…"
A loud, heartbroken, strangled scream ripped through the air and with horror, Tron realized it was him.
"NO!" he howled, "No…Flynn…why? Oh Users! WHY!?"
He covered his face, sobbing.
"Too little, too late, I failed. Alan-One, Beck, Flynn, I failed,"
He stayed there for a long time…he couldn't tell how long it had been, but when he finally finished, he stood, a thought occurring to him.
Only Grid-made things would be destroyed during Reintegration. Flynn (and sadly his Miracle, the ISO, if she didn't make it through the Portal), more than likely was gone…
A badly garbled image came to the front of his mind. A tall, blond male…with Flynn's eyes and attitude…looking up at him from the Arena's floor, defiantly staring him down even though a Disk was at his throat.
The Son of Flynn.
Perhaps he was still alive!
Tron got up and waded back to shore.
"Have to find something to get me across…" he thought to himself as he searched.
If he remembered right…Flynn had set up an outpost near here, abandoned now since the ISOs stopped coming from the Sea…since CLU poisoned it!
"No, he's dead…there is no possible way he could have survived that," Tron thought to himself as he walked forwards, searching.
"Aha!" he smirked as he came across two metal doors embedded in the side of a cliff, "Found you!"
He forced the doors open and walked inside. The only light in the room was that of Tron's blue-white circuits, but that was all the light the System Monitor's keen gaze needed. He'd been to this outpost before, seeing as Flynn wanted someone to guide the new ISOs to civilization instead of letting the wander around the Outlands where gridbugs and other unpleasant things could get them.
The Monitor scanned the area…finally finding what he was looking for.
He snatched the baton and quickly made his way out, limping a bit but still moving quite fast. He jumped off the cliff and rezzed the Lightjet, smiling to himself as he soared upwards on blued wings towards the dimly flickering Portal, still activated despite the explosion.
He circled around the Portal, amazed that it was still standing. He found a spot to land…right next to the pixels of the three man jet that Flynn, his son, and the ISO, Quorra had escaped in.
He derezzed the jet back into baton form and stood upright.
"You really did a number on this place, didn't you, old friend?" he thought wryly as he carefully walked forwards up the stairway.
He was met by the worst form of destruction that he had ever seen. The once elegant structure that Flynn had taken forever in creating had been mangled beyond repair. Smoke rose from the spot where the bridge connected to the portal, and Tron's gaze turned downwards, focusing on the blackened smudge that he felt had once been his best friend.
There was no sign of survivors.
Tron closed his eyes, breathing heavily.
"Alan-One…forgive me," he prayed, "I failed you,"
A faint moan caught his attention and the Monitor's gaze snapped up. He saw the edge of a shoe sticking out of some of the rubble and he hobbled towards it, wincing as pain lanced up and down his side.
He tore away the rubble with a frenzy, hoping that the Son of Flynn was still ali…
Tron froze…it wasn't the boy in the rubble.
The blue, aged gaze of Kevin Flynn fluttered open, locking blearily onto Tron.
"Alan…" he muttered, "How…What…"
He was bleeding badly from a nasty gash on his forhead, it also looked like one of his legs was broken, the other possibly sprained.
"No," Tron rasped, "Not Alan-One,"
Flynn's blue gaze lit up just a fraction and he gripped Tron's shoulder.
"Good to…have you…back…Tron…" he coughed, hacking up smoke and dust from his lungs.
Tron gently picked up his friend and they both limped over to the edge of the structure. Flynn's blue gaze looked up at the Portal…
Right as it winked out.
A tear streaked down the aged User's face as he bowed his head.
"Goodbye, Kiddo," he whispered, voice cracking.
Tron gently squeezed his friend's shoulder before rezzing the Lightjet and taking off. He had to get Flynn to some help…there was no other way…
Suddenly, the jet's sleek form started derezzing. Tron cursed bitterly under his breath as he guided the jet closer to the water's surface…if he could only make it to shore…
He wasn't that lucky.
Both Program and User hit the water, Flynn struggled to keep his head above the water, crying out as the viral code bit harshly into his wounds, Tron gave a low, determined growl and kept a firm hold on his friend's robe, pushing forwards and trying hard to get to shore and trying to stay conscious.
Suddenly, two strong white beams cast themselves over the water. Tron waved his hand in the air and the vehicle stopped, a tall, slender figure stepping out.
"Help…" Tron croaked, unable to shout, "Please help us…"
His vision started failing and his head sank beneath the waves.
Flynn fought on, he felt his friend go beneath the waves and he held on tightly.
"Help!" he screamed as loud as he could, his voice carrying far more than Tron's did.
The driver plunged into the Sea, swimming powerfully towards them before grabbing onto Flynn and dragging him towards the shore.
"It's ok," the Program said as Flynn hacked up the water that had gotten into his lungs, "You're ok, you're both o…"
The young Program stopped, his dark eyes flaring angrily, fearfully, and…sadly? As he saw Tron lying on the beach, still breathing, but out cold.
"Rinzler," the Program growled, unsheathing his Disk.
"Easy…" Flynn said, raising his hands, "Don't you know who that is?"
The young Program's eyes turned sad and he nodded.
"I do…and I know he wouldn't want to live like that," he said.
Flynn's gaze narrowed.
"Who is he then?" Flynn asked, "If you claim you know him,"
"His name is…was…Tron," the Program said, "He was a friend of mine,"
"Was?"
"Before he tried to kill me, yes,"
"What's your name, Program?"
"BECK-RF-307091 is my designation," the Program replied, "But everyone calls me Beck. Who are you?"
"You don't know?" Flynn asked with a slight smile, "Well, Beck, I'd thought you'd know the Creator of the Grid,"
Beck's dark blue gaze widened and he bowed his head sheepishly.
"Forgive me, sir," he stammered, "I…I didn't know,"
"It's fine," Flynn chuckled, extending his hand.
Beck took it, his circuits, even the pale blue ones, all flared brilliant white and Flynn's gaze turned thoughtful.
"Isn't that something," he muttered.
"What?" Beck asked, "What is it? And why did that happen?"
"Beck…what I'm about to tell you…is going to shock you a bit," Flynn said, "Beck…you're a Flynn Program, not mine…and not Sam's. But there's something about you that is telling me that you're going to be claimed as a Flynn Program,"
Beck's mouth opened, but he was cut off by a low moan.
Both User and Program's gazes snapped towards Tron, whose steel blue eyes slowly fluttered open and locked on Beck.
"Beck?" Tron rasped.
Beck nodded.
"It's me, Tron," he said, cautiously coming forwards and putting a hand on his mentor's chest.
Tron weakly grasped Beck's hand.
"Sorry…s-so sorry…" he said weakly, his circuits dimming dangerously.
"Easy," Beck said, "Just rest, ok? We're going to get you outta here,"
He turned back to Flynn.
"He needs energy…bad. Did you have a place to hide when CLU took over?" Beck asked.
Flynn nodded.
"How fast can that truck of yours go?" he asked.
Beck looked back at Tron, whose eyes slowly blinked shut.
"As fast as I need it to," he said firmly.
So next iI'll probably go with the recovery scene...including the part where they find out Rinzler's not completely gone...
Anyway, hope you liked it. If you did, please R&R! :)
Qui vállë tóquetë, ván tecë (If no review comes from y'all; no story comes from me)
Máriessë ar mára tecië
Fair well and fair writing
Elhini Prime signing off.