A/N: Updated Chapter 4 is up! There are some pretty significant changes to this chapter in comparison to the original version.
Even at full speed on a lightcycle, the westward journey back across the Outlands took the better part of a full day rotation. When at last Tron could see the lights of the main highway in the distance, he put on the brakes and slowed his approach, before coming to a full stop about fifty yards from the road and deactivating the lightcycle. He couldn't risk going any further in a vehicle, not this close to the main thoroughfare where there was high visibility and traffic was monitored by guard towers. He looked at the glowing lights of Tron City on the horizon, and started making his way on foot. He needed to do some reconnaissance from a higher vantage point.
Tron took a moment to edit the circuitry pattern settings of his armor in order to conceal the easily recognizable T-symbol on his chest. Aside from wanting to avoid becoming the target of every Clu loyalist in the system should someone recognize and report him, Tron felt he had committed far too many crimes to warrant bearing that symbol which had, at one time, been a symbol of hope, justice, and a free system.
He climbed up the side of a hill and crouched down while he surveyed the area surrounding Tron City. The most obvious obstacles to his ingress were the Recognizers constantly patrolling the skies above, as well as the tanks roaming up and down the main highway. On top of that, he thought he could see a full platoon of Red Guards guarding the entrance. It seemed that, in the wake of the explosion that had shaken the entire Grid, security had been tightened around the city limits, as well as within the city itself. He had hoped he would be able to find an opportunity to slip into the city unnoticed, but with this level of security, It was going to be nigh on impossible.
A young woman's delicate voice startled him out of his thoughts. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. It's pretty bad, isn't it. Looks like something put Clu's forces on high alert."
Tron reacted immediately, activating his helmet and whirling around to face the speaker. He shifted into a battle-ready crouch, his disc in his right hand, the blade edge humming. The fingers of his other hand twitched as he resisted the instinct to split his disc in two and dual wield as he was accustomed to do. He could feel Rinzler squirming around in his head, aroused by the heightened tension, his rising bloodlust clouding Tron's thoughts with a desire to kill. Tron angrily forced those feelings down until Rinzler's presence felt like nothing more than an irritating whisper.
He was faced with a lone program, a slender female with long black hair pulled back into a high braid. He hadn't heard her approach, she had not made even a whisper of sound. How had she done that? No one had ever been able to take Tron by surprise before.
"Hold on there, friend, I swear I'm not your enemy," the girl said, immediately raising her hands up in surrender. "You can put your disc away."
"Whether you're a friend or foe remains to be seen." He observed her carefully, taking note of her brightly glowing yellow circuitry. "What kind of program are you? What is your function?"
"Does it really matter? Like me, you're clearly not eager to be caught by those patrols, and anybody hiding from the regime is a fugitive, regardless of what kind of program they are. I think you and I want the same thing. Maybe we could help each other. A little give and take."
"Not interested." Regardless, Tron allowed himself to relax slightly, leaving his battle stance and lowering his disc. The girl appeared to be alone, and the terrain was too open for it to be an ambush. "What are you doing out here?" he asked.
The girl folded her arms and shifted her weight onto her left foot. "I could ask youthe same thing. It's way past curfew. Any program caught outside after curfew gets sent to the games. Everyone knows that. And with how tight security is now, there's no way you're getting inside without getting caught."
He tilted his head to one side inquiringly.
She must have understood his silent question, because she responded with a confident smile, "I don't have to worry. I don't get caught."
"…"
"So, where are you coming from? One of the outer cities? Gallium? Argon?" the girl asked him. When several moments passed and he didn't respond, her lip curled down into a displeased pout. "The silent treatment, I see."
"Tell me," he said, slightly irritated, "If it's so impossible to get in or out of Tron City after curfew, then how are you going to manage it?"
"Ohhh, I have my ways. But if you're not interested in my offer, then…"
She was baiting him and it irked him more than it should have, but he didn't really care enough to figure out why. Closing the distance between them in two strides, he gripped her shoulder tightly with his left hand while lifting his disc warningly with the other, and spoke in a tone that demanded a straight answer. "Tell me how to do it. Now. Before I decide you don't need this arm anymore. No more games."
She flinched under his firm grip. "All right, all right, I'll tell you!...But I warn you, you must never share to anyone what I'm about to say. If you break your word, I have friends who will guarantee you don't live very long." Her tone was completely serious, lacking the playfulness it had held before.
"That's fair." Tron had already assumed she was part of some sort of criminal organization or gang, so he wasn't particularly surprised or fazed by her warning.
There was a slight catch in her breath when she spoke again. "…Could you…let go of me? Please. You're hurting me."
Glancing down, Tron realized that he was practically crushing her shoulder in his grip, and he snatched his hand away as if he'd been burned. What iswrongwith me? I didn't even realize… If Rinzler was able to influence his behavior without his noticing, that was worrisome. "I'm, uh…I'm sorry," he muttered.
"Just keep your hands to yourself and we'll be fine," she said coolly, rubbing her shoulder with a pained look on her face. "Now, as I was going to say, the only way to get in or out of the city undetected is to use the tunnels."
"Tunnels? What are you talking about? There are no tunnels that run under Tron City."
"Exactly what everyone is supposed to think," the girl responded. "They're a sophisticated network of passageways thatwere built during the Purge by programs who were sympathetic to the ISOs and tried to smuggle them out."
"You're saying these tunnels were never discovered by Clu?" Tron found that hard to believe.
"Oh, no, he found out. He tried to use the tunnels to his advantage by sending in Red Guards to hunt down fleeing ISOs, but it's a veritable maze down there, and it is impossible to navigate through the passageways unless you know exactly where you're going. Clu stopped sending patrols in when none of them came back, and instead sealed up all the entrances he could find. But there were still many more access points he never discovered. If you come with me, I can take you to one of those entrances and guide you safely through to the city."
"And how exactly did youfind out about these tunnels and how to navigate them?"
"I don't remember that information being part of the deal," she answered stiffly. "You wanted to know how to get into the city, and I've told you the way."
"Why should I trust you? How do I know that you aren't planning to lead me into a trap? Or leave me there?"
"You don't. But right now, I think you have no other option," She leaned forward, eyes glittering. "You need me. Which means…you can't afford to hurt me. So how about we start talking about what you can do for me?"
Clenching his jaw, he gritted out, "What do you want?"
"For now, let's just say you'll owe me a favor once we're on the other side."
Tron stepped forward so that he towered over her menacingly, the black faceplate of his helmet only inches away from her face, as he said in a harsh growl, "How's this for a favor? I promise I won't kill you once we're inside the city."
She stuck out her chin defiantly, visibly shaken but uncowed. "I think if you had any other options besides agreeing to my offer, you wouldn't be trying to intimidate me with threats right now. I know you can't risk actually harming me, not if you want me to be in any shape to take you where you want to go. And trust me when I say that killing me would be a very bad idea. I've stated my terms, take it or leave it. Do we have a deal?"
Tron wanted to refuse, but had to admit she had called his bluff. His chances of survival were much higher if he were to go with her, instead of attempting to somehow sneak past the army that lay between him and where he needed to go. In the highly likely event he was detected, he would have no chance, not alone against hordes of repurposed programs. He might be able to hold his own for a while, but eventually he would be overwhelmed by their sheer numbers. After all, it had happened before.
He really had no choice.
"We have a deal," he gritted out.
"Good. Now come with me."