Disclaimer:: I do not own any characters from Tron. They all belong to Disney.

A/N:: Right now I have decided to switch from the Rated M, to the Rated T.
If the story becomes darker, then I will change it back.

'I shouldn't care what you suffered. I care nothing for your sufferings. Why shouldn't you suffer? I do!' – Emily Bronte

'Man is sometimes extraordinarily, passionately, in love with suffering . . .' - Notes from the Underground

There are many things to calculate. Too many things. First was that of Rinzler. He had disobeyed me. It was impossible, and yet… At the sight of Flynn, Tron was able to trace back his original coding and act upon it. This event nearly negates reprogramming altogether. If original coding still exists but the file is only hidden… Terrible. This must be fixed. If other programs were able to retrieve their original data the Grid would fall into disarray.

Next was her. The ISO. Her body lay before me on my desk table. Her disc open in my hands. From Flynn, I learned about ISO coding. It was all very complex. Beyond him, beyond me. I remember him describing the structure of human coding. Acids, bases, molecules, proteins. The double helix. It did not sound very favorable. But the ISO… her coding is a variation of the form. A mixture between human coding and our own.

In frustration, I bite the inside of my cheek as I move my hand through her CPU. Finally the damages were found. Fluently I removed it from her coding and returned the disc to her holder. It charged and the light of her suit glowed. Her eyes stared listlessly at nothing. I leaned back and silently watched as her leg began to re-encode itself to her body and the skin of her face became impeccable.

Then, there was Flynn himself to think about. So many things surged through me as I thought of the User. At least when he was in the System, I could be comforted by the thought that he was alone and miserable. That he was reaping what he sow. But now he was back in his own world. The world that he loved and cherished so much. Now it was I, to be left alone and miserable, in this world of darkness and lights. Meanwhile, he is free to be complacent and out of my grasp. The thought of it creates such violence in me. The thought of him being happy. I had longed to stand on the other side and laugh back at Flynn. See his own plan turned on him. It should have been him to be trapped here.

My eyes close as I think back to the look on his face as I was reduced to pleading to him… Pleading for him to take me. But he did not. He did not reach out for me as I did for him. He chose Sam instead. My hands clench into tight fists atop my table. The tangibility of my humiliation and failure is overbearing. I exhale and look over the ISO as she remained rebooting. My gloved hand thoughtfully comes to rub my bottom lip.

Will Flynn and the boy come back for her? She is, after all, the key component in achieving everything Flynn wanted. I do not think they would chance another trip in to the System. Flynn is not foolish enough for it. They may be trying to find a way from the outside. But all possibilities seemed obsolete. It all came back to them needing to enter the System in order to get her out. Will they disregard her and delete the System to ensure I will no longer be a risk to them? Possibly. Then again, the boy seemed to have an attachment to her.

What a nuisance she will be in my company.

My eyes lazily trace over her vacant face. Languidly, I stand from my chair and pull out handcuffs from my top drawer. Subduing her arms effectively behind her back, I carry her to the couch. At least then she will have a comfortable place to awaken to when she has finally finished rebooting. In my pondering, I continue to stand looking down at her. Another issue to address was that of finding a new Rinzler and a new Castor. I should have calculated twice about destroying the latter. At the time, it seemed my goal would be achieved and there would be no further use of the irritating program. Now… now I am left without an informant and a right hand man. No matter, no matter. Easily fixable.

For a new Rinzler I need only to look at the stadium for the most durable program. For a new Castor… well the Grid is always filled with those wishing to comply with their respected leader. It should produce no problems. With a raise of my brow, I note the ISO's eyes have begun to blink. I turn on my foot and face out the window. Order will return to the Grid. Many of the rebels have shrunk back into hiding on discovering that their leader truly did abandon them by leaving the System. All that is left is capturing the defected and reprogramming them. Ah, the glitch in the reprogramming. I must fix it.

"Flynn?" comes the ISO's fluttering voice.

I do not react nor acknowledge her voice.

"Flynn, I had such an awful dream." Her voice is tight; I can sense her recollecting events. I humor her now, turning so she may see me fully. She gasps as she comes in contact with my blank stare. She must have lost herself… Perhaps she thought it all had been a dream, even the part of Flynn growing old. Her blue eyes, incased in their liquid black, look wildly about the room. Realizing her arms have been subdued, she ceases her fidgeting. Cautiously, I take a seat next to her laying form.

Her jaw is set in a stern fashion as she addresses me, "Why didn't you derez me?"

I do not answer; only sigh as I run my hand over her knee, down her shin, grasping her ankle. I swing her legs forward and pull her up by her suit so she is now sitting beside me. Her body is stiff next to my own. I take no notice as I leisurely allow my arm to curl around her neck. "Do not think of me fond of you, ISO." She does not want to look at me. Instead her attention is focused on the grand window over looking the Grid.

"You are still running because I see you to be useful." I state in a low voice. I lightly run my thumb on the exposed skin of her arm.

"Don't touch me!" she hisses abruptly. Her eyes are squeezed shut as if my mere light caress is painful to her. Amusing.

I retract my arm and lean back slightly to a more comfortable proximity for her. Finally, her eye chances a glace. I tilt my head and give a false encouraging smile. "Better?" I inquire. I notice her pale lips purse together but she nods anyways. "Good." Comes my light appreciation.

"For you see, ISO, I think we can get along just fine… As long as you remain agreeable."

I can feel my features darken as I speak on, "You will not defy me again such as you did at the portal. Do you understand? Or I will make sure you wish for me to derez you."

My threats do not seem to reach her. Her face is free from trouble. The blue eyes trail away from my face and return to looking out the window. Harshly, I grab her jaw. I will not be ignored. "Answer me." I demand in a severe tone. She blinks those large eyes at me.

"I will not, and will never be agreeable to you, CLU." Her calm voice ignites my temper.

I push the whole of my palm against her face so she is pushed back into a laying position. My teeth are barred as I stare down at her. I grab her by her short black hair. "We will see." I snap. She screams as I haul her off the couch and drag her out of my quarters by her scalp.

Through tedious study and using my personal guards as test subjects, I have finally been able to get rid of the reprogramming bug. Initiative can finally get started. To my gratification, I have been able to find Rinzler's replacement. A program identified by the name of Voltas. To my preference, he says very little, much like Rinzler, but sufficiently serves his purpose. Unfortunately, finding Castor's replacement may not be as easy as I first calculated. I needed someone with high social standing that was able to mix between crowds. None such candidates seem to be around.

There is also the ISO. The despicable little virus. After our dispute, I had her chained into a cell. Perhaps a bit of dreary environment took out her pride.

I exit my quarters and Voltas stands dutifully waiting. He returns my nod and falls into step behind me as I make way for the elevator. The doors enclose us and the descent begins. I stare at my reflection. The soft orange glow lighting up my features in a harsh manner. "Progress?" comes my inquiry.

"She remains stubborn." Answers Voltas.

Voltas who is a head shorter than I am but twice as wide. The program was cold and brutish, to say the least. Not as fast as Rinzler, sadly, but caused more damage once his victim was in reach. Rinzler was gifted with the ability to use two discs, Voltas was gifted with a heavily made staff. The black instrument was held firmly in his right hand. I have seen how deadly the program can be with it.

A sneer breaks my apathetic demeanor. "She is not too damaged, I hope?"

"No, sir."

The elevator opened to reveal the darkened hallway. Many cycles ago, I could recall when every cell in this hallway to be filled. Cells where we would extract information from Flynn's followers through tortuous means. But that was long ago. The rebels now do not harbor any information I wish to extract. If they are not derezzed, they are sent for immediate reprogramming. Voltas leads me down the hall, passed the empty cells, takes a right to her door. The program punches in the code and holds the barrier open for me.

"Remain outside."

Voltas nods and awaits me to cross over. After I pass through, the door closes and locks behind me. The darkened cell has only one strip of thin light that starts from the center of the floor and then surges across to the wall, where it climbs and reaches the ceiling. It travels to the other wall, comes down and returns to the floor. The light is purposely dim and bleak. My eyes need time to adjust. I spot the outline of her form against the right side of the cell.

Finally I am able to see her fully. She hangs by her arms in chains that are locked up at the ceiling, causing her body to stretch and leaving the tips of her shoes to rest on the floor. Her face is quite badly beaten. The sleek black hair is now dirty and in disarray. Her head rests against her right arm. Slumbering or unconscious, I cannot tell. Approaching the girl, I take in every note of injury. After this, Voltas says she still remains stubborn. Admirable.

"ISO."

She does not stir. Her face remains peaceful as ever. I give her a hard pinch on the cheek. Still, she does not show any pain. For a moment, I become panicked that her system may have shut itself down. But this feeling is quieted as her blue eyes come to open. "It's rude to interrupt someone's meditation." She receives a sharp slap for that.

"Silence, ISO. I would like you to answer a couple of questions today."

She says nothing. Only blankly stares at the floor. She may be agreeable after all.

"I want to know what you and Flynn were doing those many cycles. You call him your mentor and master. Why? What did he teach you?" I ask slyly.

She says nothing, and then breaks out in the strangest of smiles. "He taught me about philosophy. About taking yourself out of the equation. Self-sacrifice. Patience. Meditation… I've only now realized how useful these all are. Sometimes I think that he foresaw this happening… That maybe he wanted me to be ready… for you."

I flare my nostrils at this, "Flynn can see into the future no more than I can. He is not a divine entity. Only human. A flawed, lying being."

She shakes her sad head at me, "He's wiser than you give him credit, and he doesn't lie."

Again with the denial of his lying. How could he have filled her system with so much misinformation? I slap her again. She will learn. I grab her by the front of her suit and pull her close to me.

"Once again, you presume to know him better than I do…" I say in a dark whisper. "Flynn has broken many promises, be assured, ISO. I have been with him for more cycles than you have. Do not think you are better than I in his knowledge." I release her and allow her to fall back into her chains.

Her mouth opens and a hesitant breath escapes. "Yes?" comes my curious voice.

"If I didn't know any better… I would say you were jealous of me."

Her impassive expression slowly begins to unravel at the sight of my growing fury. A favorite by me, I grab a fistful of her hair. A shout of fright escapes her mouth. I slap her repeatedly to silence her. "Jealous of you?" comes my hoarse whisper. "Why would I envy such an ugly, foul disease like you?"

She starts to cry. A thought is saved in my programming. The ISO is more vulnerable to verbal abuse than physical. Interesting.

"You should think of yourself lucky, little virus, that I am merciful enough to keep your program running. Did I not heal you when we returned from the incident at the portal? I could heal you now if you like. I must say looking at your damaged face is becoming repugnant."

I suppose she was not use to being degraded in such a way, for more tears streamed from her eyes. Oh, how I do enjoy her silent weeping. The gratification of seeing her so miserable… I take a deep breath in to savor it. Behold, Flynn. Look at your little miracle now. Miserable, alone, abandoned… All because of you.

"I will never ask you, or even beg you, to heal me…" her trembling voice ushered forth.

I give an uncaring wave of my hand, "Why continue with this charade of courage, ISO? You could easily be sitting upstairs, comfortably, in my lounge. At night you could be sleeping in a bed. You would be treated nicely… Does that not sound more preferable to this?" I lift my arms indicating the tiny cell.

She shakes her head; "I won't ever be treated nicely by you."

"Why is that?" I ask with a bemused smile.

She hangs her head, hiding her face from me. "Because you hate me… because I'm an ISO."

My hands come to rest on my hips and I give a thoughtful nod, a smile still pressed to my face. "True, but I do not lack manners, ISO. I attempt to treat you kindly in promise that you may show me kindness in return…" I tilt my head and fix my eyes on her beaten form. "But you will not show me kindness, will you?" with my fingers on her chin, I lift her face to meet my gaze.

"Do you hate me, ISO?" I close the space between us as I ask this. She shudders at me and refuses to meet my eye. Another piece of information is stored. She is uncomfortable with being in close proximity to me. Peculiar. My eyes catch her teeth sinking into her bottom lip to quell the trembling. "Answer me." I make my voice soft for her.

"I should…" a breath shakes out of her. "… but I don't. I have been taught to give up things such as hate and anger. You have taken away all of my friends, Flynn, Sam… You say terrible things, hurt me physically, and go to great lengths to make me unhappy… But, no, I don't hate you."

I look curiously into her face, a frown pulling at my lips. "Then what do you feel for me?"

"Pity." She says in a hushed tone.

I release her chin and my hand clenches into a fist. It shoots forward and crashes into her stomach. The ISO sputters and coughs, her body becomes distraught with pain. "How illustrious of you…"

Pity! I will have no one pity me, especially Flynn's rescued pet. I hold her by the face. "You will look at me when I talk to you!" I hold her own face immeasurably close to my own. Her expression shined like one of grievance, as she was unable to look anywhere but into my gaze. I could see it in her eyes, how it pained her to do so. Good.

"You insipid thing… You will come to hate me, scorn my existence, wish me to be derezzed…" I whispered with malicious ferocity against her. "The emotion you will feel for me will surpass any feeling you have ever had for your Creator." Her breath came in short labored gasps. It caused my lips to curl up in a snarl.

"He has your mind. But I claim your heart to be mine; soon it will be emptied out! To be only filled with spite against me."

I hit her again and again. All those horrible feelings in my coding. The humiliation, the anger, the disappointment… I let it out on her body. Soon, I come to realize how my fury has caused my body to tremble. I hold a gloved hand to my head, smoothing the hairs as I release my shaking breaths. My calm disposition returns to me and I catch a glance at the ISO's severe condition. She hangs lamely by her chains. Her head is rolled to the side, dirtied with those silent tears again. Her body sways lightly, to and fro, still energized by my attack.

From my mouth, a low chuckle rolls forth. I pat her lightly on her damaged cheek. She attempts to crane herself away from my touch.

"You will come to measure out your existence, not by cycles, but by my temper, ISO. Your happiness and misery rests solely with my mood. Let you hate me for that as well..."

Untroubled from the events, I turn my back on her and knock on the door. Voltas immediately unlocks it and holds the door open. I pause for a moment as he pushes the heavy barrier closed behind me. Before he is able to lock it, I intervene.

"Bring her up to my quarters… For healing."

I march back towards the elevator on my own.