Author's Note: Heya :D Here's the new chap! Just one thing to say: I seperated this one into 2 or 3 parts, I'm not quite sure yet, since it's actually very long and I just wanna warn you that it will become verrrry sad (well I guess you know why from the title)... or happy. Depends on whose side you are :P And now enjoy, programs, and don't forget to REVIEW :DD

END OF LINE

/The Purge/

300 cycles since she came to the Grid.

250 ago, she, CLU and Flynn had found the ISOs.
They were indeed different than other programs. They had a free will and where without special purpose. Much like Susan. She identified with them. Maybe that was the reason, why she got along with them so well.
Most of the others, however, did not. There were many programs that detested the ISOs, feared them. They believed that noone could trust them concerning their unpredictability. There were even riots out of this hatred, and they became more frequently and brutal. At first, the ISOs had lived in the cities, but once it became clear that they were not welcome there, Flynn had build them their own ISO towers, where thy could live and develop in peace.
Of course there were also programs, or basics, as 'normal' programs were called since the discovery of the ISOs, that get along extremely well with the new inhabitants of the Grid. One of those was Zuse, whereby the End Of Line Club was one of the few ISO-friendly Clubs on the whole Grid. Zuse let everyone kicked out who held something aganist them. Especially sentries and other security programs were prone to ISO-hate, wherefore only a few were permitted to enter the club. There had also been some whippings, that Zuse had put a stop to at once.
Or Susan, since she had risen to a successful and highly respected security program by this time. But she did not want to be called like this, since the did not see it as her profession, rather as a hobby among others. She often was a combatant in the games - she even managed to be in the Top 5 list of the best disc fighters. This white guy who she had never gotten to know the real name of, since he always registered himself with another identity, appeared extremely rarely though, in about one or two races in 100 cycles, where Susan did not participate. She had recognised that light cycle races did not appeal to her like disc wars, but of course she had learned from her failures and trained quite often.
She had also designed a new bike that she rode right now through the luminous streets of the by now huge Tron City. She was on her way to a meeting of representatives of ISOs and Basics. She and Tron would operate as neutral bodies there and cater to their safety while the meeting would take place. CLU, as system administrator, would of course be neutral too, listen to suggestions of improvement and decide what to do next.
It happened often though, that these meetings were adjourned, since the representatives, in Susan's opinion, took trifles too seriously and set far too high expectations into CLU, so that he could not come to a decision. However, he oftenly decided in favour of the basics, what Susan did not take amiss since she knew that a great responsibility rested on him since Flynn's visits had become rare.
This was not his fault, though. At first, he had come very often, every day in the realworld. He adored the ISOs so much, they were his master piece, his oeuvre, his gift for mankind. However, everything changed. Jordan, Flynn's wife and mother of Sam, passed away in a car accident. Understandably, he could not visit them oftenly on the Grid, he was too stressed with ENCOM and raising Sam alone. Susan had mourned very long, but her friends CLU, Zuse and especially Tron had comforted her in the most loving way.
Tron had become one of her best friends. She did not even think of Alan anymore when looking at him. Only one time, the first time they had slept together, he reminded her of Alan.

She just danced with a few programs she knew, when she spotted Zuse and an ISO at the bar.
Susan didn't have time for him very often lately, but he cared more for the ISOs anyway. They fascinated him, and the ISOs were thankful that he offered them a club in the big city too.
Susan knew this ISO. She had met her when she nearly ran her over because this ISO had not been careful while walking over the street. Susan and this ISO became friends and she soon took her with her to the EOLC and introduced her to Zuse. They just clicked with each other.
This ISO, called Quorra, was now at the bar with him Susan recognised on his piercing looks and gestures that he was flirting with her, and it seemed that it appealed to Quorra. While Susan was dancing she glanced over to them a few times and saw, that they came ever closer to each other. She grinned when Zuse put his hand on Quorra's hip, nipping on his drink. Then something happened that Susan didn't count on: Quorra slid from the bar stool, took Zuse by the hand and the two wound through the dancing programs, past Susan and to the door next to the club entrance. He opened the door for her in a way that's very gentleman-like and let her go first.
Before he entered too, Susan called for him. He turned to her. Susan grinned widely and pointed her thumbs up. Zuse smirked, indicated a 'Thank you' with a little bow and disappeared behind the door.

The next day, at the training with Tron, the hologram of a fighting program brushed Susan's arm with its disc.
"Shit!"
There the simulation stopped.
"You always have to take care of your defence. Watch your surroundings.", Tron said and came to her. "When someone tries to hit you from above, it would be unwise..."
"... to beat him from below at the same time, i know." She sighed. "I'm sorry."
Tron laughed. "You don't have to be sorry. It's YOUR training."
"Yes...", she muttered. "I just was... distracted. Thought of something completely different than fighting. Does that happen to you too sometimes?"
Tron thought for a moment. "No, I believe that never happened."
She rolled her eyes.
"Susan, I always concentrate on what I'm doing. That's why I'm a good security program. But I have an advantage. I was written like this."
"Hm..." Susan sat down and drank from a bottle filled with blue liquid.
Tron sat down next to her and observed her. When she noticed that, she gave him a questioning look with big cheeks and swallowed. "What?"
"What distracted you?"
She thought about it.
He was a really good friend indeed, but she wasn't sure, if she could talk about that. Would he understand, or was she just getting overly excited?
"I...", she began, then changed her mind though. "I want to continue training!"
She got up, put the bottle down and took her disc from her back again, but Tron didn't start the simulation.
"What's wrong?", he asked in a soft tone.
She bit her bottom lip. "Alright...", she sighed and turned around. "There's this question bustling about my mind since yesterday, accompanied by... um... physical... movements..."
He looked at her confused.
"Well, I wonder... You know, it surprises me, that this become a topic for me just now. Appearently, I was too busy exploring the Grid and helping you, helping CLU and so much more... So I wonder... do programs also have... uh... special needs?"
"I don't understand what you..." Tron looked away for a moment. "Oh... OH!" He bashfully laughed. "Well, uh... I... um... What makes you think about that?"
"I watched a friend doing it."
"WHAT?"
She burst into laughter. "NO, I DIDN'T MEAN THAT!" They laughed loudly. "I mean, I watched him retiring with a woman."
"Alright...", Tron managed to say between his laughs.
Then the two calmed down again and he answered her question. "Well, yes, normally programs develop their needs too..."
"Hm..." This topic made Susan curious, especially in connection with Tron. "And you? Are you an exception?", she asked smirking.
"No, no, no, now it's your turn to answer questions! I'd like to know what you meant with 'physical movements'."
He grinned.
She laughingly bit her bottom lip. "Weeeell... Let's say my body slowly realises, that it's been a long time that I... satisfied my needs." She grinningly licked over her teeth.
Tron laughed.
"Now to MY question.", she said quietly and walked over to him. "Do you also develop your special needs?" She looked at him from below and rose her eyebrow.
He only smirked a little bit. "Depends on the situation..."
She stood right in front of him, with just little distance, looked into his eyes and grinned. There she remembered the moment she met Alan the first time. He had looked good. So did Tron. He looked even better with his trained body. And he had no girlfriend...
"What sort of situations do you mean, Tron?"
"... Situations like this maybe, depends on how it develops." He grinned teasingly.
"Mmm..." Susan eyed him up. "This, again, depends, if you really always concentrate on what you're doing. 'Cause if it's like that..." She came very close to him. "... then you have to be the best in every aspect...", she breathed.
Tron smirked and looked into her eyes.
Was she just playing with him, or did she really want this? Did he actually have the the right to do something like that, especially since she's Flynn's best friend? And where will this end up? So many questions rushed through his mind. But as he looked into her teal eyes, Tron forgot all about them.
He firmly took her hips into his hands, pulled her as close as possible to him and kissed her passionately.

Susan and Tron had had such 'training lessons' several times, but they did not tell anybody. They did not want to make a big deal out of it, just have fun together. After all Tron was not more than a friend to Susan. A damn good friend.
She just wanted to turn into a wide street that guided to the ISO Tower, where the meeting would take place, when something struck her eye.
Further afar stood three basics around an ISO, that Susan recognised, and kicked kicked him.
"If you're so special, why is it so easy to beat you up then?", one of the basics bullied him while kicking, and the others laughed.
Suddenly the basic got struck in the face. The two others took their discs from their back and wanted to face their attacker, but there they got greeted with hits. One got disarmed quickly, the other tried to strike a blow from above, but his wrist got grabbed, twisted and he got a hard kick into his stomach and fell to the floor. The three bobbed up and ran away.
"Thanks, Sue...", the ISO coughed.
"Nevermind", she said and helped him up. "The attacks get worse... I can't understand it."
"Neither do I. What do they have against us?"
"They're afraid of you..."
He frowned.
"You're strange to them. They think, you're unpredictable, that you... I dunno... would derezz programs without any reason or something. Nonsense..."
The ISO sighed. "I hope they're able to find solutions for closing the Gap between ISOs and basics at the meeting today."
"I hope so too, Sikon." She looked him over once more and adjusted his clothes, so that one could barely see the luminous ISO mark on his neck. "Sikon, maybe you shouldn't show it so openly here in the city. At least as long as we found a solution, yes?"
He smiled. "Alright, Susan. And thanks again. I don't understand why you're not system administrator!"
"You kidding me? I'm not, 'cause I don't want to, lovely!", she laughed.
"You'd be better than CLU..."
"Hey!" She made him look at her by flicking and gave him a strict look. "CLU is my friend and he is an awesome System administrator, OK?" She calmed down quickly. "He just... seems to be quite stressed, since Flynn isn't here. I'm sure, he will do something against the problem between basics and ISOs soon." She looked down at her light batton. "I have to go now. Do you need something, Sikon? Do you want me to bring you to your ISO Tower?"
"No, it's okay."
She nodded and activated her light cycle again.

"It was good to see you again.", Ophelia smilingly said.
Since her emergence in the Sea of Simulation as first ISO, she had become the highest representative of her people. Both the ISOs and basics treated her with respect, since she had become a very dignified and gentle person. In some ISO-friendly circles one quietly wished that she would be promoted to be system administrator or at least co-administrator. Susan took no stocks in these statements. Ophelia was a good friend, though Susan knew that CLU did a good job. After all, he was written to create the perfect system.
"Good to see you too!" Susan patted her arm, while marveling at her robe, that was white and highly adorned.
After a nice conversation with her, Ophelia left.
"You make friends with everyone on the Grid, right?" Tron had his arms folded and slowly walked over to her.
"Well, there's no program that could resist my charm.", she answered pretendedly arrogant. "Wanna go?"
Tron nodded and just wanted to go to e exit of e building, when CLU behind them called for Susan and beckoned her over to him.
Tron left with a wary look on CLU. Since the discovery of the ISOs, he had developed a certain scepticism towards him, since his trust in Tron had decreased
because of the quickly spreading Grid bugs, especially in the ISO Towers. Wrongfully of course, since Tron has always been able to prevent programs from harm and the problem has never been too much for him.
Susan strolled over to CLU. "So, what's the matter?"
He sighed. "What do you think about the ISO's receiveables?"
She thought about it for a moment. "I'm... not sure. They seem to make sense. For example, that ISOs should be trained to sentries too. This would integrate them more and maybe clarify that the ISOs aren't as cruel as some security programs think. They have some weird conceptions about them..."
CLU looked away. "Anything else?"
"Yeah... I... um... I actually wanted to float a suggestion too, but then I didn't have the courage to...", she said with a shy smile.
"Tell me!"
"Well... I have the feeling that the naming, basics and ISOs, extends the gap between them. I know, we're called like this for over 250 cycles, but I still hear basics complain about it. It makes them feel downgraded, not as important as an ISO, just because of their name."
"You mean, we should get an other name than 'Basic'?"
"What I mean, is that we all, ISOs included, should be called program. After all, that's what we all are, that's what connects us... But I guess, that's a bad idea..."
"No, no, the thought is very interesting and would put the basics in a happier mood probably."
"And the ISOs?"
He looked away again and stooped over a virtual model of an ISO Tower.
"I don't know." He looked at her. "What else did you hear from the basics in relation to the ISOs?"
Susan hissed disparagingly. "Most of them think they're dangerous..."
"... because they're unpredictable...", CLU murmured while looking at the model.
"Discontinuity. That's also the reason why the bugs in their towers are worse than everywhere else. They are a danger for the system... or at least can cause it..."
Susan gave him an appalled look. "ISOs are no danger, CLU, they are a miracle!"
His head snapped up. "Sorry, I meant... deviations."
She shook her head. "They are wonderful programs. Independed, determined and pure."
"But exactly this independence could become dangerous.", he tried to persuade her.
"No, CLU, they are not dangerous!" Slowly Susan became angry. Sometimes CLU seemed quite ignorant.
"They are not perfect though!"
"Neither are we!"
"Without them the system could become perfect! I could take it to itsmaximal potential! IF THEY JUST WEREN'T EXISTING!"
Susan backed off. She didn't know him like that. "Woh, relax, dude...", she whispered.
For a short moment, he looked as if he wanted to shout at her again, but then his facial expression changed and he looked soft and innocent again.
"I'm sorry, Sue... I didn't want to..." He sighed. "That's all so hard. And those meetings don't help..." He stooped over the model again, but this time he tiredly closed his eyes.
Susan noticed, that his circuitry colour looked a bit dim. "You urgently need energy!" She came to him, put her arm around his shoulder and a hand on the other. "You should rest..."
He rubbed his eyes. "I can't. Not now."
"You have to think of yourself too, buddy, not about others." She gave him a little peck on the cheek. "Go to sleep..."
He looked at her and she smiled. Then he hugged her and whispered: "Thanks for your support, Sue."
Then he pushed her a little bit away from him in order to look into her eyes again and to put her face into his hands. He smiled tenderly. "Did actally anyone ever tell you, how beautiful you are?" He stroke over her brown hair.
There the situation became extremely unpleasant for her. She softly pushed him away from her and stopped smiling. "CLU, what... uh... what are you doing?"
A bit shamefaced he looked away and let up on her. "Nothing... Sorry."
For a short while both kept quiet. CLU thoughtfully looked to the ground and Susan eyed him up sceptically. He had changed. She had noticed it a long time ago, though, it had never expressed oneself as distinctly as now. She even knew since when he changed: Since the discovery of the ISOs.
"Susan?" He still didn't look at her. "Would... would you actually always support me? Be by my side?"
"Depends on what you're doing. I will always support those who are of pure conscience, in my opinion."
"The ISOs then...", he icily said.
The atmosphere had changed promptly. At a single blow, CLU looked threatening.
He closer his eyes. "Thank you for staying. You can go now."
Once more Susan looked him over and left.