Defiance Arc II

Hints to the User

"Clu-"

"I'm aware, Dyson,"

"Shall I head back to Tron City to investigate?"

"No, I will. You stay here and keep watch over Argon with Pavel. I think our dear User is something I'd like to look into personally…" the masked, cloaked Program informed sickly, his voice taking on pleasure as he uttered the last half of his statement.

"As you wish," Dyson bowed respectfully before exiting the throne room on-board Clu's command ship. Returning to his own vessel on one of the many Recognizers, he could see a group of Programs waiting for him in the hanger. As the ship set down, he saw the Programs clearly and groaned internally at the sight of them. Pavel and his squad of Black Guards. The former system monitor always felt his anger flare towards Clu for having kept the greasy little Program around when Paige had been the obvious candidate for General. But for whatever reason, Clu picked Pavel as Tesler's replacement, which meant as long as they were in Argon, Dyson and the General would be working together.

Controlling his anger with a deep breath, Dyson redirected his anger toward the annoying man himself. When the lower deck of the Recognizer set down on the ground, he started his brisk walk over to the General of Argon, moving past him forcing him to follow.

"Yes, Pavel?" Dyson asked not attempting to hide his snide tone, though apparently having no affect on the Program's mood.

"We're nearly done rounding up those mongrels in Purgos. Where is our next area to clean?" Pavel informed with a simply disgusting glee that Clu had, only now it annoyed Dyson to hear it from such a worthless excuse of a General.

"You will be extracting more Programs from the manufacturing district. Those Programs have little to no friends besides each other. There won't be a hassle," Dyson issued coolly.

"And what will you be doing?" Pavel inquired curiously, having expected them to work together again.

"Clu is returning to Tron City to investigate a... important matter. I'll be in charge until he returns," Dyson said with strict authority. In his blind side, Pavel looked at him questioningly before breaking out into a twisted grin. Without Clu he felt he would be able to have more freedom over his style of apprehending the citizens.

"Oh, and Pavel," Dyson said as he entered the elevator that would lead to his personal command room. "I will derezz you if anyone is killed without my permission. Understand?" He asked with a calm and level tone, but his body language and facial expression seemed to glow with a deadly aura, one even Pavel knew to not take lighty.

"O-of course, Sir!" Pavel responded in terror.

Tron looked up from the footage in front of him to the alert of a high priority incident. Side swiping the videos of Programs being moved into Recognizers, his eyes slowly saw the image of Clu being decrypted and a message appearing below his portrait after it had completely cleared up his face.

It appeared that Clu was heading back to Tron City. But why was he heading back alone? What could be so important that Clu himself had to see to it personally? Surely he didn't think Dyson could take Tron back on his own?

The aged Program squinted his eyes as he glared at the image of his once trusted and close ally.

What's more important than me, Clu?

Then another thought dawned on him.

Who is more important than me?

Tron only hoped he was wrong with his assumption. Sadly, most of the time they turned out right.

Swiveling his body slowly, he peered at the doorway to the main hall where he could hear the distant voices of his Defiance talking to one another. He started his walk toward them in an automatic motion as he was deep in thought. Most of musing returned to one question. One question he wasn't sure of the answer when he needed to be.

Were they ready to stand against Clu without him?

He passed the through the doorway, and saw the two small groups of renegades watching from the observation deck conversing with each other about the fighting proceeding below them. He didn't know any of them personally, only by name and capability. They were too focused on their friends to notice Tron watching them from the other side of the room and how serious his expression was.

None of them were slackers. He tried to think of anyone of the Programs he felt didn't try to meet some sort of goal or expectation, and found all of his members were true to heart about their fight for freedom. While Beck was weary in the beginning because he was only one Program, the Programs in front of him were all individuals who worked together for the same desire.

And with that last thought he connected two separate things he never thought he could. ISO's and Basics.
He visibly flinched at the thought of Basics. Over time he felt that it made less and less sense. He was a basic, tasked with the protection of the Grid, yet protocol had been overruled, and he had been scarred and damaged severely because of it. Saving a User certainly seemed to be best for the Grid, but at that moment so long ago, that wasn't what he had thought. In the brief instant of understanding, he had felt fear. Not for his life, not for the Grid, but for a friend.

Thinking back to the ISO connection, he remembered the first time seeing them. Coming from the Outlands they were... Peaceful. Something about them gave off an aura of tranquility and understanding. Unified together but with no purpose, they stayed united as Flynn found them places to stay and formed their colonies.

Unification.

That was one blaring difference between the ISOs and Basics. Most Programs weren't designed to work with others, while others may have had the same protocol or designation, it didn't ask for partnership and thus, Programs were solitary. Even back in the Old System, it wasn't until Flynn showed up that he had started working with Ram to escape the Light Cycle Arena.

Now, he had willingly taught another Program how to fight. Taking him in and trusting him as Flynn did so many xilas ago. Working with him to help secure his own future and freeing the Grid. While he hadn't learned to trust entirely, especially after Clu, he had learned how to work with others.

Everything changed with Beck. He started to care about someone again, more than just what his protocols asked for. He began to trust, actually trust in someone. He had made a friend, instead of being forced into it. And lastly, he saw hope, the last time he had seen it had been that moment he met Flynn.

Looking back at the Programs cheering out a name, he quickly realized it was Mara they were shouting. Staying silent, he moved close enough to see Mara dueling against three other opponents, with two others already tagged out. She was smirking while looking quite worked, pushing herself to the limit. Looking to the her three enemies she recognized them as Link, Perl, and Bartik, all of them with the same expression and physical strain as Mara.

Feeling a soft smile tug at his lips, he saw his answer before him. They weren't ready to stand alone against Clu, but together, they were stronger than anything the corrupted Program could ever use against them.

Slowly, he backed away from the window and started his retreat to the observation room to prepare for his departure back the city named after him.

"Mara, may I speak with you?" Tron asked as he approached the group sitting around a table relaxing after their training.

"Sure," she answered happily, bounding after him when he made it clear that he wanted a private chat.

"What's up?" She asked a little bit more seriously when they had returned back to his room.

"I'll be leaving Argon for a period of time," he said, preparing for her expectant reaction.

"Now? You can't leave with Clu here!" Mara exclaimed with worry.

"Clu isn't here. He's on his way to Tron City, as we speak. I'm going to find out why he left and what his plan are," his answer seemed to calm Mara a good amount as she relaxed herself.

"Who's going to lead the Defiance?"

"You are," Tron answered with a smirk, awaiting her reaction.

"Me?!" Mara nearly yelled as her eyes shot open and her mouth was left slightly open.

"Gavistan will be able to help you with any strategy or planning, and you have your friends to support you," Tron explained.

"But Tron, don't you remember what happened last time? When it was Moog, Rasket, and me?" She asked in desperation.

"What happened then wasn't your fault. It was their fault for not following orders," stepping closer, he clasped his hand on her shoulder and gave her a hardened gaze. "I know you won't let that happen again,"

Mara stood stiff for a while as she gazed into his steel blue eyes, until finally relaxing under the realization that certain things had changed. No longer was she some star struck girl looking up to an idol, but was working with him. It occurred to her at the moment that instead of acting like the hopeless tag along, she had been reforged in the hearth of Tron's presence and training. The same intense heat that bolstered Beck's own prowess.

"What should I do?" Mara asked after finally letting the leadership sink in. The question and acceptance made a grin form on the older Programs lips.

"Keep doing recon, that much you know. What you need to try to do is stop Dyson from imprisoning more Programs. That's one of the facts I hope to figure out when I go to Tron City," he said in a low dark tone as he stepped away from the mechanic.

"I'll talk to Gav about a plan. Anything else?" The young Program asked, fully engaged with the topic and her responsibilities.

"Recruits. We've been focused on attacks that we haven't made time to find others. When you save those Programs, ask if they're willing to join," Tron said.

"But what if they just run back to Dyson? How do we know if we can trust them?" Mara asked dubiously.

"I trust you're judgement in that matter,"

Mara nodded slowly as she felt her lack of confidence start to creep up on her again. Tron didn't seem to notice as he continued to pack a small backpack of necessities: energy capsules, a Recoder, something he had been learning how to use from Zed, an emergency Baton Jet in the event he lost the two on his leg, a third Light Bike, and lastly, Able's Encom 786.

Having left the Defiance in the hands of Mara, Tron was now flying toward the Sea of Simulation. The weather had been quiet for the past few mylas, but of course the cycle Tron decided to travel was the one the weather turned back to it's usual form. Unseen to anyone, he was hurtling through the blizzard traveling through the Outlands that had started as a storm off the sea. The white square centimeter sized snow blobs were visible only about a meter in front of him before they either collided with his mask or faded in the dark gray abyss of the storm to further fall down toward the ground. He was essentially blind and the only thing keeping him on the right path was his keen sense of direction.

Thank you, Alan-1

He hadn't thought about his User in the a long time. Most of the time he remembered him he was riddled with guilt. He had all the time in the Grid to think of his User and thank him for everything he had done, but since his isolation he hadn't communicated with Alan. It was shameful as a Basic. Even more so for Tron.

Lost in his thoughts, he hadn't realized the storm had started to thin, and the temperature was rising slightly. Breaking through the edge of the storm, he was met with open dark blue and gray hues. Below him was the Sea of Simulation, dark, mysterious, and deadly. The waves never cusping and crashing into themselves but moving up and down in elevation, causing a hypnotic scene of motion. Above and in front was the bland empty skies of the Grid. Simple and clean, it almost seemed like a void, listless and oddly soothing. There wasn't anything to be seen for kilometers as he headed north.

"Alright everyone, listen up!" Gav called as they started the meeting in the holo room. The Programs settled down and looked toward Gavistan and Mara at the front expectantly. With the attention obtained, Gav looked to Mara who nodded curtly before activating the holo screen.

"As you know, Tron has left me in charge while he's away," she stated firmly, trying to appear in charge. Her eyes roamed the faces of her friends and allies, scanning for their reaction to her position. Sadly, only a few of the mechanics seemed pleased that Mara was the temporary leader of the Defiance while the rest seemed weary and slightly uncomfortable at best.

"I'm sure you'd rather have someone else, but Tron left me in charge for a reason," pointing her thumb at her chest from her fist, she puffed out her chest and shoulders as confidence started to flow through her. Straightening her posture one last time, she harden her eyes to their rare authoritative state. The same expression she would give Programs who weren't doing their job back at the garage. One look Zed was all too familiar with.

"We're in this together," she looked to Zed and then Gav, their expressions helping reassure her. "We're here to fight against Clu and bring freedom to the Grid. I know we can't do it alone, but if we work together, we can come out on top!" She nearly shouted in her excitement to the others. With her speech the others were appeared more content and even energized, having watched and received the courage and determination from her.

It wouldn't be soon that the others would come to trust her as they did Tron, but over time, with the success of assaults on their foes, and help from her friends, she would become their leader.

The station was filled with a surprising amount of Programs. Packs of Black Guards crossed through the platforms, disappearing and reappearing as they passed the supporting pillars and headed on their routine path line. Sentries stood on watch near the entrances and exits to both the trains and the station itself, having little else to do but to glower at the busy Programs, that mainly shied away.

Tron slid from the freight train he had smuggled himself on when the guards turned away and all other patrols were blind to his presence. With fleet feet, he merged with the crowds unnoticed and proceeded to the upper floors where he would exit to street level.

The streets were much like the other roadways of Grid cities, unlike in the User world where different locations would have other building materials and styles mostly depending on the climate. The only differences would depend on what section of the city a Program would find themselves.

Industrial was grittier and the walls were lighter as the material was stronger than typical Grid stone. The spacing of buildings and roads were the largest of any other civilian accessed area. Only military outpost having large space.

Business was as any major city. Tightly congested, buzzing with activity, and mostly vertical tall buildings in the area, giving the impression of a maze with the suffocating lack of freedom.

Residential areas were less crowded, nicely spaced, and more relaxing than the hard edged and stiff business districts. Often incorporating abstract building designs and uniqueness, the large apartment buildings held thousands of Programs with an 'efficient' amount of space for each individual.

The docks, if the city had one, was usually found next to the Industrial areas, and had large roads as well. Only these roads were usually busy with large semi's and other massive transport vehicles.

The train stations were also filled with people, but it held a certain flow, one could only find there. With easy directions and corridors to use, the station was a smooth flowing machine of efficiency. People exiting never interfered with those entering, and the paced pillars of the station allowed for an invisible path to be followed and the current of Programs to move freely.

Quickly, and as discreetly as possible, Tron had exited out of the station as was soon on his way to the edge of the city.

No doubt Clu was already in the capital surrounded by an army of soldiers itching for a fight. As much as he wanted to go out for surveillance he wasn't entirely sure what he was up against. This Rinzler character was something Tron hated, an unknown. In the cycles that Tron and Flynn's malfunctioning copy worked together, he learned that he was not like his original in many ways. While Flynn was trusting, naïvely so, Clu was analytical and found little tolerance in others. He made for an efficient and hard leader but that's what was needed for the perfect system.

Which is exactly why a completely unknown Program is so unexpected to be at Clu's side. Only a Program made from a genius User could satisfy Clu. As far as Tron knew, that was only Flynn and Tron. Unless Flynn or Alan had made another Program, who could it be? And if Alan had managed to import a new Program, why hadn't the portal to the User world been opened? There was only one other Program Flynn had made but Tron knew him to be derezzed.

The amount of questions swarming around one Program did not suite Tron's body and made him slightly queazy. This was not how he wanted to start his search for his old colleague.

Snapping himself from his downtrodden thoughts, he focused on Flynn. If there was someone who knew how to beat Clu, it'd be the User of the Grid.

The streets were deserted. Dim blue and white circuit lights along the buildings gave a late night ambience as Tron walked out from alleyway. He glanced both ways on the street and saw no one. Farther down the road, it was lit up and the occasional Program on a Light Bike drove on a perpendicular road toward the heart of the city Tron was heading away from.

Out on the edge of the city was where he had started his search. Programs in the outer rim of the city were more likely to speak openly about matters concerning sensitive or shunned topics by Clu. Looking to the street that started on the opposite side of the alley he had just exited, he kept a controlled but confident pace as he moved. If anyone were to spot him, he'd blend in by looking to be familiar with where he was going. The road he was on was smaller than the normal city one, giving him the impression it was another back alley but was frequently used as a path taken by bikers. There weren't any buildings in the distance that would have cut off the road's path and the sides of the mountains in the Outlands could be seen. It was an confusing feeling of being relatively deep in the city, yet having the sight of the Outlands. Tossing the feelings aside and focusing on more important thoughts, Tron eyed the small bar that clearly didn't look up to Clu's standard.

After pectros of exploring and interrogating the under city scum and low-lives, he had made his way out to this section of the city.

While nothing could be outright said about it, the walls were poorly maintained and showed damaging scars of unruly patrons and customers. The circuit lights around the building also seemed off in a trashy type of way, almost as if there was a blockage of energy and the lights appeared lower in brightness compared to others. And as Tron walked up to the door, he realized it wasn't automatic like so many others were on the Grid. Taking a grip on the handle, that was supposed to be shiny and metallic, clear from the one on the other door, that hadn't been used for some mysterious reason, he pulled the door opened and entered as discreetly as he could.
The insides didn't appear to fair any better than the outside, sharing similar and even more worn and damaged marks and patterns on the walls and floor. The lighting was similar, and unlike outside there were a few circuit lights that were luminated to their proper amount, making a striking and unpleasant difference to the ones that weren't.

Nice place... He thought as he noted on the four Programs in the room and the fifth who was tending the bar. Two were at the single pool table off in the back left of the bar and looked away as soon as they figured the new comer wasn't important. A completely masked and skinny Program sat alone at a small table that was positioned near the front, where Tron had entered, and was only a few paces from the door. The last customer was at the bar with a dull looking shot of energy, no doubt it was alcoholic. The man was bulky, his expression was hard and thinking of something he was clearly trying to forget with the drink, hunched over and eyes locked onto the table, but Tron had a feeling he was looking far past it. The bartender herself wasn't anything out of the ordinary looking, stripped with white as all the others, she had yellow secondary circuit lines and her face didn't strike Tron with any special characteristics besides a nose piercing. She caught eyes with the old security Program through his visor and nodded towards the little guy sitting at the table, as if reading his mind that he wanted information. For some reason, the bartender gave his senses a warning, an odd sensation at the back of his mind he couldn't quite place.

Turning toward the Program, he found a visor looking up at his and fingers tapping almost impatiently on the table. He pulled the chair out with more resistance than he was accustomed to, no doubt the ware on the unkept floors and the chairs together made for a large amount of \mu. No sound was made as placed himself on the chair and glowered at the Program before him. The tapping had stopped but it seemed the two were still in the midst of sizing each other up. It wasn't until the sound of a filled glass hitting the table next to Tron's had did the two look away from each other.

"Geam, how about you ask what he wants?" The bartender said as she looked over to Tron with a smirk. "He's the silent brooding type," she paused a moment in thought. "And I have a feeling that you are too. Most of you types are," Her phrasing caught his attention.

"Us types?" Tron asked back, his voice returned to its distorted form.

"Looking for information, but you have a brain under that hard head of yours. The other type are the ones without the brain, and usually run in with discs out," she took a second and smiled to herself while propping herself into a confident pose. "Brooders, and Bruisers. That's what I call them," she announced with stride.

A couple grunts and a laughing scoff issued from the other attendants of the bar, clearly she spoke her mind to those around her. Tron thought of a dozen different holes in her naming but kept his opinions to himself, as per usual. He kept his gaze aimed at her as she seemed to glow, oblivious to his desire that she leave them in private. When she kept off her high cloud, she met his visor with a stern look, again, as if she could read his thoughts, she was answering with a defiant no.

With her expression, something clicked either Tron. The girl looked like Yori. Her rounder cheeks, soft eyes, her nose, lips, all the same. The only difference was that she had rich brown hair, unlike Yori's blonde.

"I ain't leaving. This is my place, my rules, bud," she spoke vehemently, misunderstanding the long silence and staring as him requesting her leave.

By the Users, even her voice... Tron thought one last notion, before snapping back into focus. He put a palm up signally he understood before turning to the Program Geam.

"I'm looking for someone," he opened.

"Lot of people are looking for someone. Gotta be more specific, mate," Geam said back, his voice low, cool, and smooth with smugness. Tron gritted his teeth but refrained from putting the pompous ass in his place. He needed a lead.

"I'm not exactly the most trusting Program," he whipped out his disc and calmly put it on the table. "Or the most patient. So, these next few questions stay between the three of us," he growled with the malice of death lining his words.

The two at the pool table took immediate notice and pulled out their discs, lighting them and appeared itching for a fight. Geam and the bartender raised a hand at the same time, signaling for them to cool it.

"Depends. I don't exactly see eye to eye with Clu. Hope your friend isn't part of his organization," Geam spoke softer and leaned slightly forward, seeming to ignore Tron's disc.

"Friend. Funny you should say that. Person I'm looking for is my only friend,"

"Don't have many friends either, get on with it, Brooder," the young woman spoke harshly.

"His name is Flynn..."

The two frozen immediately. There was a brief moment where Tron could feel the sweet on his cheek sliding down his face, and he wasn't sure if he misjudged the two and their loyalty. In that instant, he felt the horror of facing the bartender in combat, and having to derez her.

"Flynn never had friends. He was a User, betrayed by Clu," Geam spoke up finally, his accent hardly noticeable with the whisper of his voice.

"What about Tron?" the old Program offered, knowing what he was basically informing them of.

"Clu killed him when he betrayed Flynn," the other Program spat hotly.

"Do you know where Flynn is or not?" Tron asked roughly, getting back to the point.

"Depends. You really who I think you are?" Geam shot back, leaning forward over the table, anger rippling off his body in an invisible but sensed aura.

"If I was him why would I tell you? I'm just a Program looking for a User,"

"You act like that's common, mate," Geam pointed out.

"No, and it's certainly not approved of by the state. Regardless, I'm still here, and I still need information,"

"We can show you," the bartender spoke up finally, her voice mild and fragile sounding. Tron glanced back at her and waited expectantly.

"We don't know where he is exactly, but we can show you the general spot he's hiding out," she spoke a little more confidently, the faith she was putting in him was growing for some reason.

"Gale! How do we know-"

"We can," she cut off her companion with gentle coaxing. She turned her head away from him and met Tron's helmet with a sweet smile. A smile that caused him to black out for a fraction of a micro. In that instance, he was in a different world, a different time, with a different woman. But as soon as he tried to enjoy the memory, before he could relive the purity of her skin, the lushness of her warm, soft lips, and her brilliant blue eyes that opposed his cold steel ones, it was gone. He blinked at the woman before him and saw those same features, with new additions. Her hair wasn't in the same style, it looked slightly unkept but attractive. The piercing, of course, was not on his old love's nose, but it seemed to suit her. Lastly, her eyes weren't alive with the same radiant fire that was in Yori's, but they still held a deep inferno, only mixed with a calming swirl of cold understanding and sagacity. She had both their eyes.

"Who are you?" Tron asked lightly, unaware of the two's bewildered reaction.

"Name's Gale, been livin' here for a Xila. Took this place over when the old man disappeared,"

"Old man?"

"Kobol," she responded with bitterness, as if the name made her mouth sour. It took a moment, but Tron snapped to attention once he recognized the name.

"Does he have red secondary circuits?" Tron inquired rapidly.

"Yeah, you seen him?" Geam asked in a low growl.

"I saw him get derezzed," the eldest of the group responded, before leaning back and imagining the coincidences happening. The other two looked as if the Users had restored them, appearing to have eased a great amount.

"What!? Where?" Geam immediately launched.

"Argon," Tron answered simply.

Geam looked like he wanted to ask more, hear the whole story, but a hand on his shoulder made his jaw stop from fully completing the first words. A quick glance at Gale and he snapped his jaw closed again. The content of knowing the man was gone seemed to be more than enough satisfaction. The other two were quiet as they waited for her.

"Thank you," Yori's look-alike spoke gently. The small silence resumed for another moment.

"Much as I love good news, think it's time we get back on topic," the skinny man articulated. His words seemed to snap Gale back to reality and focused on Tron once more.

"We don't know where he is, but he gave us a location to go to if we needed to find him," looking back at the other occupants who had settled down a little, she spoke softly. "We can't do it now. After we close, we can show you,"

Having left the bar soon after being told their closing time, Tron had road around the area analyzing the Occupation's hold and watch over the sector. It appeared that only a couple of squads had been stationed out in the dead sector.

His patrol gave him a chance to review the past pectro. His search had paid off. He was incredibly grateful he had a hint to his old colleague. But his mind swiftly left that joy and dove straight into the enigma of the bartender, which, he'd never admit, was more pressing than news of Flynn.

Her answer to his question did not satisfy his growing hunger to know about her. What was her story? Did Yori's User create another Program? Was it a 'kid' of the User, as Flynn had described the basic world of Users and 'humans' much to Tron's disinterest at the time?

Frustratingly, the more he thought of Gale and the past, the more questions seemed to formulate around her, rather than be answered.

At some point, he had stopped his lazy ride around the buildings and stared out to the distant cold light that was the gate to the User's world. He stayed in his mind for long micros, straying from one topic to the next, but to him time was nonexistent. It was when he returned to thoughts of his lost love did he become aware of himself. He revved the engine of the 4th generation Light Bike, and started back down the road toward the bar.

Yori... What would you do? You always had a better plan than me. You were always smarter... And you weren't even programmed for it...

...Alan is one lucky User to have yours to love.

I should know.

Slowing to a stop in front of the bar, he was met with two Programs at the double doors. Gale and Geam both wore helmets and appeared to be wearing extra armor around vital areas of their body.

"Ready?" Tron asked with his voice distorted once more. Geam broken his baton and climbed on with Gale soon following.

Setting off, Tron glanced at the leading bike and focused on the driver's helmet, and he wondered what this Geam looked like and what his story was.

AN: I'm late. Sorry. I was hoping that the beginning of the new Arc would have some more spice but this chapter just didn't sit well with me. I'm not a fan of rewriting certain things without a clearly fleshed out idea, so I was stuck trying to make what I had work.

I like Mara as a leader but I almost can't fathom how she does it. She fierce and powerful... But I find that any threats she could use against someone who was trying to go against her would be worthless, maybe because I'm like Zed and would know how to escape her wrath. Also, you've seen Mara rally others in the TV series so I skipped her doing it for the most part.

Gale and Geam were never planned out, they just happened. If you're thinking that it's odd Tron found a lead so fast, it would make sense that Tron's connection to the Grid would lead him in the right direction, kind of like the Force, that and he has a natural instinct.

Also, time uses such as micros, xilas, etc, will be correctly used. Arc I times will still be incorrect until I fix them.

Next few chapters will be FAR more interesting, trust me. Things move along, and the lovely Doctor is there.

I hope you enjoyed!

-Rose's Requiem