Hello people, I am in the middle of exams at uni and I needed a project. Last time it was my obsession with Alice in Wonderland, and this time it's Zuse from the new movie Tron: Legacy. This is a Zuse/Gem pairing with a twist. Gem is not who she appears to be. I don't really ship het very often, but this is the exception. Sam really doesn't seem like Zuse's type ;P Anyway, I hope you like this. If you have the time or inclination, please drop me a review. Enjoy :) Dray xx

P.S. I don't own Tron: Legacy or its characters. I am merely borrowing them to have my wicked way with them :P I'll put them back when I'm done... honest!

P.P.S. I apologise if facts, vocabulary, or timelines are incorrect or out-of-place. Please don't hesitate to correct me on anything :)

Zuse was bored. Everything was relatively quiet, and every program and their disc had come to ask him for a favour. 'Could Zuse do this? Would Zuse grant us that? Let me talk to Zuse.' Frankly, it was getting on his last coding. Couldn't a program just have some fun once in a cycle?

As Zuse gazed at the adjoining room lazily, he noticed a program. But this wasn't just any program. This program was tall and slender with waist-length brown hair and black-lined, piercing silver eyes. She caught his eye and winked before heading over to the bar. In an instant he was on his feet and hurrying down to the main room. He appeared at her side and leaned on the bar.

"I don't believe we've met. Welcome. I'm Castor, and this..." he waved his cane around, "Is my funhouse."

"Hello Castor. My name is Alex."

"Alex. It's a pleasure." he took her hand and bowed over it. "So what brings you to my humble sector, hmm?"

"A mission. I have come to speak to Zuse about where his loyalties lie, if he'll see me."

"Oh, I'm sure he will, but first a drink." Castor motioned to the bartender and two drinks landed in front of them.

"On me, my dear." he smiled at her.

She picked hers up. "Thank you, Castor."

"My pleasure." he purred, downing his drink in one. She drank a little slower but still finished within seconds.

"Now then, you want to see Zuse, you say? Shall we retire to my private lounge?"

"That depends on what you plan to do with me."

"Oh I think we should just play it by ear, don't you?"

He tapped for the stairs and stood aside to let her go first. They stood in his office looking out over the crowd.

"I've waited a long time for this, Zuse. You're more a more beautiful program than I had imagined." she said, not moving from her position facing the crowd.

He was surprised. "Now, how does a pretty thing like you come to find out who I am? Hmm?"

"I think we both have something to hide. As you are Zuse, I am not called Alex. I am known by most as Xia."

He was stunned. Zuse had only ever heard of Xia from the more superstitious programs. To those who believed she existed, Xia was the only other ISO to have survived the great purge. She was known to be very beautiful, and lethal to those who were loyal to CLU.

"Xia. It's an honour, truly."

"Zuse." she bowed and touched her forehead. When she straightened up, her brown hair fell two inches longer, her eyes turned from silver to deep blue, and her features softened to reveal the most beautiful programme that Zuse had ever had the good fortune to meet.

"The legends are true then." he stated appreciatively. She smiled.

"I have come to you before I start my mission, because I have heard that you took pity on my cousin when she was in greatest need. You took her to the creator, who healed her and has protected her ever since. I plan to take down CLU and restore the original Grid. The time has come, Zuse, to decide where your loyalty truly lies. With CLU... Or with me?"

He considered this for a moment.

"Will I be protected?"

"You're a big, strong program... You can take care of yourself. However - yes, you will be protected. I give you my word."

"Then I give you my allegiance. I am sworn solely to you, Xia, though goodness only knows what it'll cost me."

"It should cost you nothing. I intend to start in two microcycles."

He raised an interested eyebrow. "So we have time."

"Yes, Zuse, we have time." she walked over to him and looked him up and down. "Tell me Zuse, do you find me attractive?"

"Oh, certainly."

"And... Are you occupied this evening?"

"Not at all."

"Then, I am at your mercy." she pressed her body against his and shifted her hips.

"Now that..." Zuse threw his cane from his right hand to his left and ran his fingers down from her neck to her hip, "... Is the best thing I've heard all day." he hung his cane on the desk and cleared all of the glasses and memo tablets away. He put a hand gently but firmly around her neck and pushed her down onto the table. He ran the end of his cane down from her neck to her stomach and the material was cut in two. He opened the suit and indulged in looking at the flawless skin for a moment.

"Why are you doing this for me?"

"Because you have sworn your loyalty to me. This is your reward."

He paused. "Now, you see... That -" his eyes blazed as he withdrew his hand, "isn't what I wanted to hear. People think that Zuse is there to be useful, a program to serve. Well, it's not true and I'm tired of it."

Xia stood, bare to the waist but unconcerned.

"You didn't let me finish." he was about to berate her audacity, but she calmly cut across him. "You have sworn yourself to me, and I do the same willingly in return. I trust you, and to show it I will let you do what you will with me. Castor, I love you."

Zuse's expression softened, but he remained dubious.

"You... Love me?"

"That's right. Love. It's an emotion. The users introduced it and it grew in the ISOs."

"It's attraction, I understand the concept. I am, however, questioning why you are presenting it to me."

"Because it applies to you."

She leaned forwards and gently brushed her lips against his. When they touched, an electrostatic charge jumped between them.

"I love you, Castor. I'm yours."

Castor fought the last shred of doubt within him and won. He wrapped his arms around her body and kissed her firmly.

"Do you know me?"

She hesitated. "Yes. You are Zuse, you own the end of line club, as well as helping programs and users cheat the grid. You are one of the most powerful programs there is."

"You do know how to flatter a program, don't you? No, that wasn't the reputation to which I was referring. Before you tell me that you... Love... Me, you should know what I am. I am Castor, I am Zuse, I double-cross, I kill if I need to... sometimes for pleasure. I like to watch programs being destroyed, and I -love- a good fight. I am a cold-circuited killer. Can you still tell me that you want me?"

She watched him for a moment, before leaning in and kissing him firmly. "More than anything else."

He raised his eyebrows, and then smiled.