And now we're back to Arjia...where Quorra gets a special assignment. But first, she's got to get out of Tron City with her mute Monitor friend!

Chapter 9

Arjia

Quorra and Anon shot off the side of the building right as a piece of it slammed into the ground right where they had been. Quorra screeched to a halt, breathing hard as her hands shook, and stood upright, derezzing the bike underneath her back into its baton form. Anon poked her in the back with the one she gave him, making her jump like she had been shocked.

Anon's helmeted head ducked apologetically and Quorra waved him off.

"You're fine," she told him, taking back the baton, "But don't you want to keep it?"

Anon shot her a 'really?' look, his helmeted visage conveying just as much emotion as his true face. He patted his hip, showing off on fifth generation bike baton.

"Ah…I forgot…Tron trained you too," Quorra apologized before turning back to the wreckage that was once the club.

The Child ISO shook her head in disbelief.

"He knew," she whispered, "He knew that was a haven for ISOs…this is what he wants!"

She turned to Anon, whose thin breaths had the hint of a growl in them.

"Clu's declared war on the ISOs!" she concluded and Anon gave a nod of affirmation and then pointed upwards at the warship hovering over the wreckage, "I see…and I don't like. With a weapon like that…Who will help us?"

If they tried…Clu'd blast the bits out of them…and their city!

There was a faint clattering sound…probably some rubble or at least that's what Quorra thought…

Until Anon shoved her out of the way right as an explosion seared her vision. Quorra shook her head and got up, looking at the mute Monitor who got to his feet.

"You ok?" she asked, getting a nod as an answer.

She looked around, trying to find their attacker…and her code froze as she saw who it was.

"THAT'S ONE OF THE GUARDS THAT KILLED TRON!" she yelled, pointing at the Black Guard who whirled away.

Anon gave a horrible, rasping snarl as his Disk flickered out and he started forwards, vengeance clear in his stance.

"Meet me at the docks!" Quorra called as she staggered to her feet, "Go!"

Anon looked at her, worry radiating from him.

"GO!" Quorra yelled, turning away and running through the alley as a Recognizer came down.

She heard the sound of fighting and of Programs being derezzed. She dearly hoped that Anon wasn't one of them.

01000001 01110010 01101010 01101001 01100001

Quorra, after dodging Guards and hiding from Clu's forces, finally made it to the docks. She didn't know if Clu remembered what she was…and she didn't want to know if he did or not, hence the caution. The young ISO leaned against a support beam, catching her breath. It was so glitching hard to think around here with all the explosions going on!

Wait…explosions?!

Quorra looked up, her icy-blue gaze scanning over the crowd…just to see Anon racing forwards, full tilt towards the Solar Sailer. Well…she did tell him to meet her at the docks.

Anon suddenly screeched to a halt as an orange force-field flickered up, separating him from Quorra and the other spectators.

The young Monitor gave an ungodly screech, something that should not have come from his ruined vocalizer, right as the Black Guard leaped agilely from the sign, a fistful of grenades ready for Anon.

Anon was just as ready, his Disk out and glowing with lethal intent. Quorra watched in growing terror and fascination as Anon seemed to dance around his opponent, his Disk flickering out and biting deep into the Guard's armor, knocking it backwards as a minor explosion flared from the Disk. The Guard climbed up on top of the sign and leaped off it, spreading the wings of its chute and raining down grenades as it went.

The young Monitor dodged them with ease until finally he tackled the Black Guard, driving his Disk through its chest and watching as it crumbled into thousands upon thousands of scarlet cubes.

The force-field fizzled and guttered out, letting Quorra run to her friend.

"Wow, you are good," Quorra noted as Anon stood and looked at her.

He didn't need to say anything for Quorra to get what he was thinking.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, we know, you're amazing," Quorra teased, poking him, "C'mon, let's get going,"

She raced onto the Sailer controls and used the knowledge downloaded by Zuse to hack into the controls and set them for Arjia. Anon gave an approving nod right as the Sailer began to move towards the city.

01000001 01110010 01101010 01101001 01100001

Quorra wandered up to the top deck to see how far they were from Arjia…when she saw Anon leaning on the railing with his Disk in his hands and his helmet off.

"Anon! What are you doing!?" Quorra gasped, running forwards and grabbing his shoulder, "You could bleed out and…"

Anon turned towards her, his piercing sky-colored gaze questioning as he revealed that he had put a patch over the nasty wound.

The look he gave her as she gaped at the very well done medical patch…it screamed 'What? You think I'm completely useless at this kinda thing?'

"Sorry," Quorra apologized, "It's just, I didn't remember Tron ever telling you how to do that,"

Anon shook his blond waves and tapped his chest.

"You taught yourself?" she asked incredulously, "I didn't know that Basics could go against their programming,"

Anon rolled his eyes and turned back to his Disk, pulling up a memory file. Quorra saw Flynn in the picture, helping a newly rezzed Anon to stand, a proud smile on his face as he turned to those behind him. Clu and Tron if Quorra was seeing things right.

Anon suddenly shut off the memory, his hands gripping the rim of the Disk so hard Quorra was afraid that he'd snap it in two. She looked up at the young Monitor's face…which had turned into a pained grimace as tears streamed down his pale cheeks.

"…It wasn't your fault, you know," Quorra told him, putting a hand on his shoulder, "You did what you were supposed to do. You survived,"

Anon jerked his shoulder away from her touch, violently shaking his head, denying either the words, or the implication. Quorra bit her lip, and looked out across the Grid again.

What could she say that would ease his pain? Anon hadn't just lost one family member like she had…he'd lost everything. His 'father' and mentor were both dead, his brother betrayed him and stole his voice…and the other brother, Flynn's real son…he was a world away and likely never even knew about his digital brothers.

And that's when she saw them.

Quorra pointed at the dark above them, blue eyes wide with wonder.

"Look!"

Anon looked up, immediately on guard…and then he relaxed, his sky-colored gaze wide with awe as brilliantly colored banners of geometric lines waved lazily in the stillness.

No one really knew what the function of these lights was intended to be, but no one needed to know the proper label to tag them as "beautiful" in their memory files.

Anon tilted his head at Quorra, and pointed at the lights with clear question as to what their function was. Quorra shrugged, and grinned at him to indicate she didn't know, and didn't mind that she didn't, either.

Quorra's smile remained as she watched the Grid's version of an aurora borealis dance, and weave in harmony with their surroundings. Her fingers were less tense, now, and her expression was lit with shifting colors; from blue, to violets, to an array of greens, and back again.

Anon closed his eyes as a faint smile painted his tired features…right as a pale, white light lit up the deck. The young Monitor's eyes flashed open as he pointed off the deck.

Quorra's eyes slid from the lights down to the tall, reaching spires of...

"Arjia city," she beamed, "Isn't it spectacular? Build right on the nexus of every stream of code in the entire system,"

She turned to look at Anon.

"Radia can tell everyone what we saw from here. The tallest one is the Hub," Quorra explained, "That's where we'll find her,"

The Sailer slowed to a stop and Anon put up his helmet again, his features hidden underneath the ebon glass once again.

"C'mon," Quorra motioned as the Sailer came to a stop, "Let's get moving!"

She leaped off the Sailer and she thought she heard Anon give a frustrated 'not again!' sigh as he followed. Quorra threw him a bright smile and raced forwards into Arjia. The ISOs saw her and most of them gave reverent nods…which Quorra ignored.

For there was something else that caught her eye…

It was Anon's picture…on a wanted poster.

Quorra turned around to face her friend right as Anon came to a stop.

"Seems they're expecting you," Quorra joked, making Anon give a frustrated growl, "Time for a new course for you,"

Anon cocked his head warily.

"Find a service tunnel," she told him, walking towards one that she and Jalen had used many, many times before to sneak out of Arjia, "You'll be able to move through the city's subsystem undetected,"

"Except by my mother…but only if she's looking for you," Quorra thought with a slight amount of irritancy.

"I'll head topside and meet you at the Hub," she finished, putting a hand on his shoulder, "Be careful,"

Anon threw his head back and gave that awful, half-choked sound that was his laughter. Quorra remembered him always telling her what he thought of danger.

"Danger? Ha! I laugh in the face of danger. Hahahaha!"

"Just…don't get yourself derezzed," Quorra deadpanned as she sensed Anon's smirk.

The young Monitor leaped up into the service tunnel and Quorra turned towards the elevator.

01000001 01110010 01101010 01101001 01100001

Quorra walked into the Hub…and nearly ran into Clu himself! The young ISO dashed around the corner, hiding in a small alcove as the dictator walked by, his golden circuits flashing brightly. As the last of his entourage passed, Quorra let out a small breath of relief. They hadn't seen her…so that was good.

She heard footsteps once again and peeked out…just to see Anon carefully making his way towards the Code Nexus.

"Hey! Over here!" Quorra called quietly.

Thankfully, Anon's hearing was still as sharp as ever and he jogged over to her hiding space.

"Clu's here," she told him, getting a soft, angry, strangled growl from him, "Knock it off, Anon! Anyway, I just managed to slip by him…I think he means to see Radia just like we want to. There's a small alcove right above the Code Nexus…right this way. Follow me…and be quiet,"

Anon shot her a 'really?' look, gesturing at his throat and then making a zipping motion over the portion of his helmet where his mouth would be. Quorra gave him a slight whack on the shoulder and then snuck away as he gave his choked laughter.

The two crouched down, watching as Clu approached the shining, brilliantly glowing figure of Radia in the Nexus.

"I can't do this without you, Radia," Clu stated, playing innocent very well, "With Tron and Flynn going down to that virus…"

He bowed his head and Anon stiffened, growling darkly. His growl kept skipping out, like he was trying to mutter some unflattering things about his older brother. Quorra held the Monitor's arm, keeping him from rushing out into the open and derezzing Clu.

"It's up to us to keep Flynn's dream of unity alive," Clu continued, "But none of that will matter if this virus isn't stopped,"

"We will do what we must to preserve the Grid, Clu," Radia said gently, "But we have questions surrounding the demise of Flynn…how did it happen?"

Clu's face turned sad…and Quorra had to admit he was a pretty good actor.

"A System Monitor, gone rogue from infection. He attacked them," Clu started and Anon lunged…only for Quorra to catch him, "I was too late,"

"Enough!" Quorra hissed quietly.

"A tragedy, truly," Radia murmured, "How may we assist you?"

A smile played around Clu's face.

"Thank you," he nodded, "We have to stop the spread of the Abraxas virus before it grows even stronger. Contact the other faction leaders. Have the gather every ISO within their sectors. It will make the eradication of this…blight…much easier,"

"Of course," Radia stated, "Consider it done,"

"I knew I could count on you," Clu smiled, "Well, now I should go…there's...much to do,"

He turned to go and his guards followed.

"Goodbye, Radia," he called, "Together we'll get through this difficult time. I promise,"

The doors shut and Quorra let out the breath she had been holding.

"You can come out now, Quorra," Radia called, making Quorra and Anon jump.

[How'd you know I was there?] Quorra pinged.

[I'm your mother. I know things] Radia deadpanned as Quorra and Anon both came up to the dais where Radia stood.

Radia's eyes widened slightly as Anon came out of Quorra's shoulder.

"The System Monitor?" Radia breathed, "You're the one Clu's looking for? The one responsible for this tragedy!?"

Anon shook his head violently as the Nexus rumbled with Radia's pain and anger.

"Clu's lying Radia!" Quorra protested, coming to her friend's aid, "Anon didn't kill Flynn and Tron, Clu did! We witnessed it!"

Radia blinked in surprise. Quorra didn't associate with liars and murderers…there had to be some merit to her words…

"Did you?" Radia murmured, "Then let me see as well,"

The Alpha-Class ISO shut her eyes, the streams of code burning and whipping around her, blinding Quorra and Anon both…

Clu's helmet sliding over his face.

Tron and Flynn looking at the Admin in shock.

A Black Guard stalking from the corner.

Anon screaming and then being silenced as Clu raised his Disk again.

Flynn running as Tron fell.

A Bostrumite, Gibson, looking up under his hood.

Anon and Quorra leaping off the building as it exploded behind them.

Gibson talking with Flynn and Flynn nodding, pulling up the hood of his cloak as they walked into the Outlands.

"It is…as you say," Radia breathed, "Mostly,"

Quorra's head shot up.

"Mostly?!" she demanded.

"Flynn…lives," Radia said, walking out onto the floor, her bare feet making no noise as she walked, "Tron sacrificed himself to ensure that it was so,"

She looked at her daughter, her honey colored eyes soft and pleading.

"Quorra, inform the other ISO factions of what you have seen," she asked, "The truth must be known!"

"Of course, right away," Quorra nodded, turning to go…

"Be vigilant," Radia added, making Quorra stop, "Clu's focus is unwavering and lethal. Avoid him at all costs,"

The room faded out and Radia saw some…different…images.

Quorra standing with a young, blond male with Flynn's eyes and blinding white circuits.

Her daughter standing in the sunlight holding the hand of a small child who had her icy blue eyes and the male's blond hair.

A Half-ISO/Half-User.

The boy looked right at her…he knew…the light-lines on his hands and arms proved what he was.

Her grandchild…

Radia came back to the present, a soft smile painting her face.

"More than you can imagine, Quorra," Radia continued, looking at her daughter with love and pride, "Our future rests with you,"

Quorra looked at her mother strangely…this was a new level of odd…even for her mother.

But she shook it off. There wasn't time to wonder, there was only time to act…

And she didn't have much of that either.

Next I'm debating on whether to do a scene where Quorra sees the Purge first hand and then moving on to a sad part or going straight to the sad part...either way, something sad's gonna happen. OH! And I almost forgot. I'm thinking about putting a companion fic to this one, basically Evolution through Anon's eyes. It'd go from his first breaths to his death and then to his re-rezzing. What do you guys think?

Anyway, hope you liked it. If you did, please R&R! :)

Qui vállë tóquetë, ván tecë (If no review comes from y'all; no story comes from me)

Máriessë ar mára tecië

Farewell and fair writing

Elhini Prime signing off.