Hey everybody! Things are finally starting to get interesting! I hope you enjoy the latest installment, and please review. Reviews make writers happy and keep them writing after all. Enjoy! ~Moore12~

Three

1992

I

He looked out over the system—his system, he reminded himself—and laughed. What was it that Ram had spat when he dragged him to his new home—a cell? That perfection couldn't possibly be realized? It could be attained, he knew that all along. And he had it in his very grasp. Ever since he had ordered the destruction of the ISOs—and Rinzler, his loyal servant, had carried it out—his system's future was looking brighter…and more perfect.

Still, he knew as well as any of his followers that there were still ISOs out there, hiding in the outlands or with sympathetic programs who naively believed they were doing the right thing. Threats to the perfection I was charged to create, he thought as he glanced over at Rinzler who gave him a short nod.

"Rinzler," he ordered, not even having to really think, "I want you to organize a patrol. If you find any ISOs, you know what to do with them."

Growling at the mention of the ISOs, Rinzler nodded again and then strode off, leaving him alone with his thoughts. What would Flynn say if he knew what Tron had become? he wondered to himself, chuckling at the reaction he pictured. He'd probably run away…oh, wait, he already has!

Aside from a handful of random attacks every now and again—mainly aimed at trying to save ISOs—Flynn had rarely been seen in the system he had so "lovingly" created. He knew that the "creator"—as he liked to be called, so naïve and power hungry, he knew—would soon go into hiding forever. It was a matter of time before he just gave up and accepted the rule of the program he had created.

When that happened, then everything would be perfect…Wouldn't it?

II

She ran because it was the only thing she could do. She had no idea what had given her away when she was always so careful not to attract attention to herself. Maybe she just looked suspicious; maybe one of the Clu's lackeys chasing her had a thing for her. She didn't know. But she knew as well as anyone what would happen if they caught her.

She wasn't going to let that happen. But she knew she couldn't run forever. She had to find somewhere to hide, had to lose them somehow.

When she opened a slight lead on them, she turned a corner and, instead of following the road, veered into a back alleyway without knowing where it led. With a pang, she realized it led to nowhere—a worthless dead end.

Panic coursing through her, she sunk into the shadows and waited, hoping they would just follow the road and not even bother to check the alleyway. She unhooked the identity disc from her back—she wasn't going down without a fight if it came to that—and waited, listening to the sound of voices coming towards her. And then they faded into the distance—they had gone straight; her ruse had actually worked.

That was when she heard the low rumble of a familiar growl, and she knew it was over. She was alone, in a dead end alleyway, with Rinzler. Still, she had a chance; she, after all, had the element of surprise on her hands. Slowly, she moved through the shadows—careful not to make a sound—to get a better angle on Rinzler. Or could she possibly slip out unnoticed?

It was too late to run; when she took a step, her damn shoe squeaked, and Rinzler started. He knew she was there; he knew. She would have to fight and hope she got out alive. Not that anybody did, she thought bleakly. Nobody's ever gotten away from Rinzler. So many disappearances, so many deresolutions…all because of him.

She wouldn't be added to that list, she told herself.

She was about to spring at Rinzler, but he beat her to it. Tackling her with ease to the ground—his growling roaring in her ears—he brought one of his identity discs to her throat. So much for putting up a fight, she thought to herself bitterly as she stared deresolution in the face. He's too strong.

With a pang, she realized that Rinzler wasn't going to just de-rezz her and be done with it. No, he was going to see to it that she suffered before she de-rezzed—he was planning on torturing her. And he did. She had never been in so much pain in her life.

And, as everything slowly began to fade to black, she felt a hand. A hand that wasn't Rinzler's, a hand that made her feel safe…gave her hope.

She didn't feel alone…

2009

I

Ram knew he would have to move fast if he was going to get both of them out of there alive. He knew as well as any conscript trying to escape was futile—he had tried once long ago only to be surrounded by a group of guards led by Rinzler—but part of him knew this time could be different. He had the advantage, the element of surprise, in the form of the User he was fighting.

Slowly, he circled the User, trying to make it appear for the crowd and for Clu that he was just mocking his opponent before de-rezzing him. "Listen to me," he whispered, keeping his voice as low as possible. "I'm going to help you get outta here."

"And I'm supposed to believe that!" the User yelled, backing away from him on his hands and knees. "After you almost killed me!"

Ram had no choice; he lunged at the User with all his might and pinned him to the ground, attaching his identity disc to his back once more. The User struggled, and it was surprisingly difficult to keep him under control. "Would you shut up and listen to me?" he seethed in a whisper. "I'm trying to help you! I'm gonna get you outta here! Stop struggling!"

Knowing that it was going to be near impossible to reason with the panicked User—who, he knew, probably wanted to de-rezz him—he knew he had to resort to plan B. If I can't get him to follow me, he thought to himself, a smirk forming on his face, I'll make him.

With his free hand, he struck the easily breakable floor with his identity disc, causing it to shatter underneath their combined weight. "What the hell are you doing, man?" the User screamed as the floor gave way.

As they plummeted through the air—which was both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time for Ram—the User managed to gain the advantage. Spinning in midair, he ended up on top Ram, and, to add insult to injury, pinned the program's arms behind him which caused him to drop his identity disc. "Not so much fun is it, man?" the User laughed, grinning at him in a way that was vaguely familiar. "Now, I'll just use you to break my fall…"

Why in the name of the Users will nobody listen to me? Ram seethed as they continued their free fall. I'll just have to try again and hope this doesn't de-rezz me…

"Look," he yelled to be heard over the roaring wind and the now raucous crowd. "I know what you are! I'm trying to help you! Don't do this!"

"You know what I am?" the User stared at him with awe, and Ram knew then he had made a breakthrough. For some reason, he couldn't help but smile; despite everything he had been through because of some damn know-it-all User, it still felt right to help one.

"Yeah," he yelled forcefully—they were about to hit one of the other compartments—hoping to get his point across in time. "You're a User! Now let me go so I can help you!"

To his surprise, the User actually let go of him just in time. Flipping himself over—so he wouldn't land on his head—he could only wait for impact which, based on the height they had fallen from, he calculated would de-rezz him.

That's what you get for helping a User, he thought bitterly right before slamming into the compartment with such force the ceiling—which was supposed to be unbreakable—shattered.

II

Sam hit the ground inside the compartment with a thud. For a moment, he just lay there, wondering how he had managed to live through that and how the floor had held up. I just can't lie here forever, he told himself. Get up, Sam.

Groaning with pain, he pulled himself to his feat and looked around. The program who he had been fighting—who was the reason for their free fall, even if he did keep claiming he was trying to help—lay a few feet away on his stomach, completely still. Is he dead? Sam wondered as he took two shaky steps towards the small program, stopping only to retrieve the program's identity disc that had, fortunately, fallen in the compartment as well. For a moment, he contemplated just leaving him there—he was, after all, definitely close to death—but then he saw the program stir. "Hey, man, are you alright?" he asked as he crouched down at the program's side.

"Wha…wha' happened?" the little program asked as he sat up. Sam still couldn't see his face behind that damn mask—which unsettled him—but the program seemed to have remembered everything that had happened because he exclaimed "We gotta get outta here…now!" as he pushed himself to his feet and grabbed his identity disc.

It was only then Sam noticed the sound of the alarm pulsing through the arena, only then he heard the voice of the announcer ordering them to stop. "Come on!" the little program yelled, breaking Sam from his trance.

"Release Rinzler!"

The words boomed through the stadium, and the crowd cheered wildly. The small program stopped dead in his tracks at the order—which had come from a strangely familiar voice, Sam thought—and growled, his voice unusually shaky, "Whatever you do, stay behind me."

III

Sometimes Quorra couldn't believe Flynn. "Are you serious?" she asked, her voice nearly a yell. "You want us to stay here and not check it out?"

"Quorra, sometimes patience is best," Flynn murmured as he settled back down on his yoga mat. "Sometimes, you shouldn't rush into things, especially if you don't know what's going to happen."

Quorra couldn't believe what she was hearing. The portal was open, and Flynn didn't even want her to see what was happening? Who was this man? Flynn had saved her life—mainly because of his willingness to dive head first into the unknown—and he wanted to play it safe when the portal was open?

"Are you out of your mind?" she yelled, her rage finally starting to get to her. "The portal is open! We need to check it out!"

"You're really starting to mess with my Zen thing, Q," Flynn muttered grumpily without even turning around to look at her. He can't even look at me, Quorra thought bitterly, trying to think of an appropriate response that would make him see the error of his ways. What's he hiding from? Does he not want to leave or something?

That was when it hit her; that was when she knew what to say to get him to allow her to go see what was happening. "What if it's your son?" she asked innocently, trying to hide her smile. "The portal has to be opened from the outside, right? So what if it's Sam? What if he's in trouble?"

"That can't be," Flynn whispered, and Quorra knew right then she had him just where she wanted him. "Why would he come here?"

"Let me go see what's happening," Quorra said gently, taking advantage of Flynn's confusion and fear. "I promise I won't be seen…unless I have to be."

"Go ahead, Q," Flynn said vacantly, as if he was lost in thought and truly not thinking about what he was saying. "Just be careful."

Careful? For some reason she already knew she would have to throw that order out the window…