Disclaimer: I do not own Tron, or anything to do with Tron. I am not so lucky as to own Disney. They own Tron. I am a simple fan sharing a story…my first story. Please R/R.
Tron stood in front of one of the platforms for incoming programs. Why Flynn had asked that he personally met this program made no sense to him. Flynn's message had been simple at least; bring the new program to the command complex. Couldn't Flynn have just programmed it to activate at the command center, or at least tell him what it was? Tron did not like surprises. Worst of all, why pick the platform in the Outlands? Flynn always told Tron what programs were coming in there. They were usually new monitors or a sensitive program that wasn't ready for living in the city.
The sky above him lit up. Tron folded his arms over his chest as the program materialized in front of him. She was a little shorter than he was with data-lines a shade darker blue than his own. Her helmet masked any hint of what her face looked like. She stood like a perfect doll. She stared at Tron, which for some reason made him uneasy. He was full of even more questions now. Why a female program in the Outlands? What was her directive, considering she didn't look built for security? Tron shook his head. Flynn would answer all his questions, he always did.
"Greetings program," Tron said, "welcome to the Grid."
The program nodded. Tron handed her a baton.
"Do you know how to use this?" he asked.
"Lightcycle," she said in a quiet voice, "activate for ground transit when distance and speed are required; stealth mode available for expert-level programs."
Tron tried not to smile.
"I asked you if you knew how to use it, not what it does," he said.
"Yes, sir," she said, "I can use it. I was granted operator privileges."
"Then follow me," he said.
Without another word, Tron led her outside the platform area and engaged his Lightcycle. She was right behind him. He glanced a look at her. Had he been that way when he was first programmed, back before he had met Flynn and destroyed the MCP? He focused on the road ahead. He was still like that most of the time. Flynn often teased him about it. But Tron had opened up since Flynn created this Grid cycles ago, mostly when he was playing the Games on the Game Grid. In these Games, no one really lost because everyone walked away. He was the only program that remembered the previous system, where programs that lost their Games were derezzed on the spot.
Tron watched the lights as they entered the city. People smiled at him, some even waved. They all assumed the program behind him was a system monitor. He stopped at the city center, where Clu and Flynn were standing outside the command complex. Clu had a sour expression on his face. He apparently had been discussing the ISOs with Flynn again. Clu didn't understand what a miracle the free will of the ISOs was, and Flynn had tried time and again to explain it to him, to no avail. Tron and the new program walked up to Clu and Flynn. Flynn opened his arms and grinned when he saw Tron.
"You got her!" Flynn said, "Perfect, she's just what I've been waiting for, man."
Tron and Clu both looked at Flynn, confused. The young program's helmet hid any indication of what she was thinking. Flynn led them inside where the four could talk in private. The new program stood by the door of the room as Flynn invited Tron and Clu to sit down.
"I saw all the glitches with the ISOs and how hard it is to help them out when there are so many of them," Flynn said, "I know Tron, you've been trying your hardest and with the system monitors the Grid is as safe as it's ever been. But I wanted a program to help you out that could traverse the Outlands without a significant power drain. But the program didn't need to be a fighter. It needed to be agile and able to communicate with the ISOs on their level. But it also needed to be tough enough to survive the Outlands and anything that came up while it was on its own. So I made the Re-integrated Security Independent Evolution program. She can adapt to any situation she encounters and has enough space that she can learn almost as fast as you can, Tron. I gave her a copy of your Light Disc combat sub-routines and a fair amount of Lightcycle sub-routines. She can help keep the peace between ISOs and Basics."
The new program folded her helmet back. Her dark blue eyes locked with Tron's as he looked at her. Her face was familiar, but he couldn't place it. It was like she had popped out of a dream, only programs didn't dream. She gave him a small smile and he placed it. Her face features were different, with her shoulder length brown hair and white highlights out her temples, but the basic structure made him think of one program. He turned to Flynn.
"Why Yori's face?" Tron said.
"I don't know," Flynn said and looked at her face for the first time, "I didn't program her with that idea. Maybe I was thinking about Lora and all the things that happened when I first came to the Grid. I know I wanted to give her a friendly face."
The new program looked down, as if she knew that she looked like someone from the past that no one really talked about missing, but always did.
"Risie," Flynn finally said, "I didn't program you to be this quiet."
The new program looked up again. Tron could tell she was confused and a little scared.
"This is a lot of information to process," Risie said, "the Grid is so large. Am I supposed to protect all of it? There are so many programs here."
"I know what to do," Tron said, "Risie, was it?"
Risie nodded.
"Do you know where the Game Grid is?" he said.
Again, she nodded.
"I'll meet you there when we're done here," he said, "I have just the thing to make you feel more at home."
Risie smiled slightly and left. Clu stared at Tron.
"What are you doing?" Clu said.
Tron leaned back in his seat. Flynn knew what Tron was planning and laughed.
"You're enrolling her in the Disk Wars today," Flynn said.
"Aren't you competing today?" Clu said.
"That's what will make it a challenge," Tron said, "she needs to see what she can do. What better place to test your limits than in the Games?"
"This I gotta see," Flynn said.
The sound of the crowd filled Risie with a drive she didn't realize she could have. Tron had met her not long after she had arrived at the Game Grid. He explained his plan, to have her compete as an unknown in the Disk Wars. He explained the rules to her, which were fairly simple, wished her luck and saw her to her starting point. She didn't know if she was excited or afraid. She had only just come online and it felt like she was being tossed into a world she was unprepared for. But Tron's last words gave her a piece of comfort.
"No one dies here," he had said, "It's all just fun. Don't worry about what you are doing next or what they will think of you. Live in the moment and let it all go."
She walked out onto the arena floor. Her first challenge stood before her. The green-lit program did a back flip and smiled at her. He drew his Identity Disk and took up an attack stance. She pulled her own disk off her back and matched his stance.
"Let it all go." Tron's words echoed in her ears.
The buzzer to start the Games went off and he struck first. Without thinking, she blocked his disk and made a running leap at him. This caught him by surprise and she landed on his chest, knocking the challenger flat on his back. He has underestimated her and paid for it with his pride. She held her disk above her head and his eyes went wide.
"Don't underestimate programs," she said quietly, "they might surprise you."
He nodded. She stood up and offered him her hand. He took it and stood next to her.
"You're new to the Games," he said, "Watch your back, not everyone always plays fair."
He left the arena. Two more challengers came and went before she made it to the finals. Risie stretched her arms and looked at her final challenger. Sure enough, Tron stood in front of her. He held his disk loosely in his hand. Risie dropped hers.
"Primary Function conflict," she said in a monotone, "Assist Tron program. Current program directive: compete in Game Grid Disk Wars."
"You're not going to conflict with your Primary Functions," he said, "Win or lose, it's just a game."
She shook her head and picked up her disk. She took up a defensive stance. Tron followed suit and when the buzzer to begin the round sounded, they launched themselves at each other. Tron went to attack her mid-section, only to find that it wasn't there. She had leapt above him, her legs curled up and arms spread wide. He jumped back as she landed where he had been with enough force to shake the floor.
He had told her to let her feelings go and play the game. Now she was playing to win with all her skills. Most of those skills, though never used, had come from his own program. Tron knew he had to step up a notch if he wanted to win this match.
He rolled to the side as she launched herself at him, standing up and slamming his arm into her back. She landed on her stomach, sliding into the wall. She stood and without so much as a pause, charged again. This time she stayed low and went into a slide, trying to take Tron's legs out from under him. She succeeded, but he took her down with him. They rolled away from each other and launched one more attack. This time Tron hit her square in the chest. She yelled and crumpled next to him. The crowd went wild and Tron's helmet folded back. He was breathing hard.
"First big challenge I've had this cycle," he said, "that really hurt."
He could hear Risie under him, growling in frustration and breathing just as hard as Tron himself.
"I'm impressed," he said, "most people use disk combat as a ranged attack and try to avoid hand to hand,"
"I assessed the situation," she said, "you are an expert in disk combat and thus you are used to people throwing disks at you."
"Flynn was right, you really can adapt to anything," he said, "I look forward to working together. Are you feeling better?"
"Much," she said, "I like these Games."
"You can come here and compete whenever you want," he said.
They left the Game Grid together. Tron took her back to the command complex to learn everything she would need to defend and protect the Grid. By the time Flynn returned to the "Real World", she was ready to assume her directive.