Chapter Five: Escape
The user sniffled, resting her cheek on Rinzler's shoulder. He moved his hand in soothing circles on her back as she let out a wavering breath. This was something Rinzler had never done. And something he had never received. Never once, had he been hugged. Nor had he been offered comfort. Everyone was afraid of him. Sometimes even his own creator. Something churned in the pit of his stomach. Or what qualified as a stomach in the grid. Clu wasn't his original programmer. That was something he knew. But who was? And why had they abandoned him there?
His thoughts were disrupted as the user shifted in his lap. The sound of another shaky breath filled the room. In the half hour she had been there, she had just gotten fed up with everything – Her lack of memories, the fact she was in a computer and the fact she may never get back out. Everything just seemed to pile up. Rinzler sat there patiently the whole time, letting her tremble in his arms.
With a heavy breath, she sat up and pressed her forehead to his helmet. He blinked slowly, watching her cautiously.
"M'sorry." She mumbled, hugging him again. "Thank you." She gave a grin that didn't quite reach her eyes, before scanning the room thoughtfully. Now that was even more of a surprise. No one had ever thanked him either. It gave him a foreign feeling of happiness and he smiled under his helmet for the first time in cycles.
The user's gaze reached the electronic lock on the door and a subtle, but evil smile crept onto her face. Rinzler was too preoccupied with looking at her hair that he didn't notice. Only Sirens had that particular colour hair and it was a lot softer than program hair, so it fascinated him. His hand touched it gently and he jumped when the user leant back against the window, removing herself from his lap. His arms fell back to his sides and he sat next to her tiredly.
A buzz cut through the silence and Clu stood there once again. His face was expressionless as he gestured for Rinzler to come. He stood up quickly and walked towards his master. With a brief bow that felt more demeaning than usual, he walked out quietly. Clu locked the door behind him, grinning sadistically at the user.
"We've located your friends. And they won't be as fortunate as you." He spoke just as the door shut. A scowl covered her face and he glanced at the portal. There was limited –if any- time left. With one last withering glare at the door, she frowned at what she was about to do.
"Jarvis!" She bellowed through the locked door. There was some scurrying and hurried footsteps outside the door. Poising herself, she stood beside it, raising her disc high in the air. It was aimed for his neck. The door opened quietly with that mechanical buzz and she placed her disc at his neck. He froze and stood there as she walked around him, disc still humming at the base of his neck. "Now you won't tell Clu about this, hmmm?" He whispered patronizingly into his ear. He shook his head shortly so he wouldn't be decapitated. "And will you get me a light jet?" She asked again, a smirk growing across her face. He nodded curtly, shuddering as the disc got closer. "Go." She pushed him forward and down the hallway. He walked into the other room and pulled a baton from out of the cupboard. Still shuddering, he gave it to her. "Now leave, and remember; don't speak a word of this to Clu." She growled, pushing him to the floor. Jarvis flinched and took off running in the direction of Clu's office.
The user ripped the Lightjet baton from her leg and dove out the window. She pressed the button on the side and felt a slight comfort as the jet spawned around her legs, back and hands. It took a moment to register that she was still plummeting to the grid floor. With a scream, she pulled the hand grips until the jet swooped back into the air again. Good Christ she was going to end up killing herself.
Short I know, but it's needed for the next chapter. I guess anyway.