"...Yea, he was just standing there in the middle of the street wearing these bizarre, brightly colored clothes. He must be a User. He clearly isn't from around here… At least I've never seen someone who looks like that before…"
"No lines on his body, either. He didn't even glow!"
Trowa listened to the frantic, excited conversations going on around him. He shoved his hands in the pockets of his black motor jacket while he rounded the corner and continued to walk down the dimly lit sidewalk. Emerald green eyes scanned the area and darted from face to face as he passed other programs. His lithe body, clad in tight black pants with glowing blue lines that went down the sides and matched the intricate design on his jacket, wove elegantly through the crowd.
"…he was so handsome! Long brown hair tied back in a braid and a grin to die for! If he really is a User, I wonder if they all look like that?"
A User was on the loose in the city, at least that was the current gossip floating around. Not many programs could remember the last time a User had shown up on The Grid. The occurrence was so rare that hardly any programs could claim to have met one. Many thought that they were simply urban legend or part of mythical lore. They were often described as being godlike creatures and according to old stories Users hailed from a world that programs couldn't even begin to fathom. They were the creators, the controllers, the ones who decided the fate of all who resided in their digital universe. At least that was what groups like BEING preached, and what older programs who still functioned in quiet corners of the cities often lamented.
Trowa knew otherwise. He had seen one. The only time Trowa had witnessed a living, breathing User was many years ago when he had seen Kevin Flynn, the creator of the entire Tron System, and only from afar. He knew that they were real, but their function and origin remained a mystery to him.
If it was true and a User was in fact wandering around Tron City Trowa had to find him fast before the Security Programs did. Judging by the buzz of excitement all around him the User had to be somewhere nearby.
Trowa had never transported a User to the Gate before, but he had helped to traffic many programs out of The Grid. If there was a User here, the likelihood of which was low, he/she would need to leave as soon as possible before they were apprehended by D-FILE, or worse collected by BEING.
D-FILE had become a strong, oppressive force against the programs since the resolution of The Purge. Trowa couldn't recall much about The Purge, but he knew that the fighting had been intense and that Clu's Black Guard forces had all but annihilated the entire race of Isomorphic Algorithms, or ISOs. Clu strove to create and maintain a perfect system, and the ISOs, who were spontaneously created from the The Grid itself, were considered forces of chaos. They threatened the perfection of his system and therefore had to be removed. D-FILE was created shortly after The Purge to maintain Clu's vision and to keep The Grid safe from the recurrence of ISOs and any other non-conforming programs. It also served as subunit of the basic Tron System Security Program Division. They were known to remove anything that could destabilize The Grid, and would derez anyone who opposed their directive.
D-FILE was the official negative governing force, but Trowa was used to dealing with them. They were generally predictable, and they followed their directive. BEING, on the other hand, was a factor that Trowa tried to avoid.
For years the extremist group BEING had been preaching in the streets of the city to anyone who walked past that Users were real and about the 'God Code', a supposed single line of code that was what made Users superior to regular programs in The Grid. Supposedly a User could regain and regenerate energy faster than the average program, transfer that energy to other programs and objects, and could withstand more damage. BEING desired that code. They believed that once they obtain the code they can install it into any program to make them as powerful as a User.
Trowa had heard plenty of their preaching in his time stalking the streets of Tron City and could recall a specific program who told stories of the prophetic return of a User who would "seal our doom." He didn't buy into any of their crazy, but he knew that if BEING's followers caught wind of the User they would be actively seeking him/her out. His function was to protect and to bring those who needed protection to the Gate. It was what Elios would want him to do.
"So what's you're name, huh? Wait, lemme guess, are you a personal assistant program? Because I am in desperate need of assistance."
The loud, sharp crack of a hand slap echoed off of the nearby alley walls as an androgynous white-clad program stomped angrily from around a corner. It pushed past Trowa, fuming, and retreated down the sidewalk.
A peculiar figure stumbled from around the corner with his hand on his cheek and a sheepish grin plastered across his handsome face. "Whew, I guess I deserved that one. That was a pretty shitty line," he muttered.
Duo was in heaven. Despite some of the rough treatment he had received from a few programs he was on cloud nine. He knew that, like people from his own world, programs varied in personality and ability. They were created by people like himself to perform specific jobs on The Grid. So far he had encountered quite a few programs, though he had yet to find any amicable ones.
He still couldn't believe that he was finally there, and after asking around he found out that this was Tron City, the heart of the Tron System, AKA The Grid. He was lost, dressed in nothing but his swim trunks and absolutely aimless but he was loving every minute of it.
As he approached his large, violet-colored eyes locked onto a good-looking program with tight black pants and a calculating expression. He dropped his hand from his face and propped both of them on his hips with a grin.
"Hey, pal, do you know where I can get a drink around here?" He couldn't be sure how long he had been in this digital universe but not once had he seen a food vendor or a bar since his arrival.
"A drink is the least of your needs." Trowa said sharply, looking the half naked human over and wondering where the hell the rest of his clothes were. There was no doubt in his mind that this was the User. The guy was too animated and expressive to be constructed by the typical type of coding most programs were. He had a strange way of speaking, and a curious hint of an accent he couldn't define. He stood out like a sore thumb and needed to be dressed appropriately right away.
Trowa slid his jacket off, exposing the well-defined body that hid under a white v-neck tee, and held it out to the User. "Put this on." He'd have to get the other out of here before he caused a scene and drew more unwanted attention. He reached to the side of his pants and grasped his baton, unlatching it from his belt.
"Step aside." Trowa waited until the confused User was standing against the alleyway wall before breaking into a jog. With a running leap he pulled the baton in two and gracefully mounted the light cycle that manifested under his form. Trowa steered the illuminated bike back around and pulled up beside the now shocked but extremely excited-looking User. "Get on."
Duo's eyes widened and his jaw completely unhinged as he saw what looked like a short stick transform into a wide, shining light cycle. He had read about the vehicles in many of Flynn's notes and books, but to actually see one stunned him. He shrugged on the program's jacket, zipped up the front and approached the enormous black and blue pulsating machine.
"Uh… " he saw the program raise an eyebrow at him as he scooted forward on the seat a fraction to make room for him to sit. "Where are we goin'?"
He didn't have a clue who this crazy-hot guy was and at first he wasn't too keen on accepting his help or being told what to do, but the appearance of the bike quickly changed his mind. He scrambled awkwardly up behind the no-name program and squeezed into the back of the seat. He tried to be polite and tip his hips backward away from him, but because of how the rider was required to tilt forward he found himself continuing to slide down into him. Eventually he just gave up and let his crotch plant firmly into the tight ass of this mystery man. You only live once, right? He grabbed the hips in front of him with both hands and yelped as the bike shot off like a rocket.
"Oh fuck!" His arms wrapped tightly around the hard, lithe body in front of him as they raced forward. "W-where are you takin' me? Who the hell are you?!"
"You wanted a drink, right?" Trowa guided the bike as they sped down the busy street, weaving masterfully in between traffic like it was second nature. He headed in the direction of the marketplace where one of his connections could help outfit the User. "Call me Trowa."
This Trowa guy was clearly a talented light cycle rider. Duo involuntarily flinched as they came ridiculously close to other light cycles as they careened down the luminescent highways and between the dark, towering skyscrapers.
"I'm Duo," he shouted over the loud hum of the bike. He decided he'd need more than one drink, if they made it there alive. While it was thrilling to be going so fast Duo felt obligated to have at least an inkling of self-preservation. He clutched tighter to the body in front of him as Trowa banked the bike suddenly to the right, nearly throwing him off balance. "Ugh… my first chance at gettin' to actually ride one of these damn things and I end up riding bitch," he grumbled.
Eventually Trowa pulled the light cycle up in front of a massive, dark tunnel that passed beneath a particularly large, looming obsidian tower. He could see the faint mixture of rainbow neon colors glowing deep within the opening. He could also hear the low, indiscernible concert of voices coming from inside. "So, Trowa, you're a program, right?" That was a dumb question. Of course he was. "Why're ya helpin' me out?" Up until now most programs had for the most part ignored him, though a few had been following him around curiously.
"You're in danger here." Trowa waited for Duo to dismount before gripping the bike's handlebars and pushing them together. The motion caused the light cycle to flicker and fade as it quickly transformed back into the baton. Trowa stood up straight, securing it back against his side. He cast a wary glance to their surroundings and saw a few nearby programs watching them with interest. He knew that the longer that they stayed there, the more likely the User's rumor would spread. He couldn't let BEING or D-FILE catch wind of his presence. "We should get you properly outfitted. You need clothes and a disc." He was straightforward with his responses, purposely not going into detail about why he was helping Duo out. "This way…"
The taller program led them into the tunnel and down a dark passageway that would eventually take them to the back of the marketplace, to an area where illicit business was conducted. "Keep quiet and try not to draw any attention to yourself," Trowa warned as they neared their destination.
After geeking out about the light cycle and watching the program casually put it away Duo eyed the baton enviously as he fell into step behind the program called Trowa. He shoved his hands into the pockets of the jacket he had given him and frowned at his back as he led him into the darkness of the tunnel.
"I dunno what the big deal is," he muttered as he followed at his heel. The guy was acting like they were being hunted or something.
"Hey, did you hear that a User was seen downtown?"
"User? No way, those don't exist anymore. Sam Flynn was the last User," a young program replied as he took up the five green, glowing dice from a white, floating platform table and slid them into a velvety black cup. He began to shake it vigorously as his partner waited impatiently for him to throw them from the opposite side of the table.
"What the hell are they talking about, then? Someone said it digitized right in the middle of the street, no clothes, all crazy-like and almost caused a cycle wreck."
"I told you, Users don't exist. I personally think Sam Flynn was a hologram."
"Shut up, you megabyte moron."
"If it was a User then those BEING micros were right! They're always ranting about the 'third arrival' or whatever."
"Don't tell me you're buying into BEING now…"
"No, of course not. I'm just saying that IF it is a User, they'll be looking for it. They'll tear it apart."
The clattering sound of the dice as it skittered across the table mixed with more banter and insults from the dice players as they discussed the latest Tron City gossip. Heero leaned against the wall behind them as they played and crossed his bare, glowing cyan-lined arms over the front of his black tank top clad chest and let his dark blue eyes scan the crowded back-alley market. He had been hunting for a particular program for nearly a month and with no success. Now with the new rumors of a User being on The Grid he hoped that his target would show himself.
He ran a hand through his perpetually messy hair and pushed off of the wall irritably. He was weary of this mission. Every day it was the same thing. He came groggily out of hibernation and aimlessly wandered Tron City for any sign of what the underground informants were calling 'the runner.'
The person that he sought was responsible for transporting programs who wanted to leave The Grid to the Gate; a portal that supposedly led to the mythical outside world of the Users.
Heero had been created for this singular purpose and had been compiled only a month before with an explicit directive from his controllers, D-FILE, to find The Gate and destroy it at all costs. The existence of a portal to the outside world posed not only a security threat to The Grid, but also threatened to cause chaos and disorder among the programs who resided there. He couldn't allow that to happen. He had to follow his directive. He had to obey D-FILE.
He wove through the heavy crowd of programs aimlessly, his eyes and ears open for any hint or clue that could lead him to 'the runner.'
"Hold up! You're sayin' I gotta get naked first?" An incredulous voice broke out over the din of the crowded black market. Heero paused and narrowed his eyes in the direction of the sound.
"What do you mean I'm a stray? What the hell is a stray?!"
The voice's source was coming from within a closed, glossy black and neon green tented booth a few yards away. Heero slunk carefully through a group of programs until he was just outside of it, leaned against one of its external support beams and crossed his arms in an attempt to appear as casual as possible while he listened in on the conversation coming from inside.
Duo stared down at the scuffed, antique white and blue spiral identity disc a female program in a glossy white, vinyl corset held in front of his face.
"Now strip," she instructed again, her expression reflected her annoyance with his constant questioning. "What's the big deal? You're practically naked already," she added as she gestured to his ridiculous purple swim shorts.
Duo scoffed. "I'm not naked, these are my baggies. You know, swim trunks? Swimming? Don't you guys swim around here?" He sighed loudly, and cast a glance at his new pal Trowa who was standing by the flap-like door of the booth with his back turned to him while he studied the passing crowd of the black market.
"Swim?" the female program frowned. He rolled his eyes. He was beginning to realize that life on The Grid was nothing like the island paradise he left behind. He had been so obsessed with getting TO this place that he hadn't really considered what life on The Grid was actually LIKE. So far he had experienced nothing but rude, apathetic programs who lived in a relatively stagnant, cold and dark world. The only warmth he had felt since his arrival had been a vaguely tepid heat that had emanated through Trowa's clothes when he had held onto him for their light cycle ride. Other than that he had felt nothing but an empty, hollow chill from everything he touched in this digital world.
He had only been in the system for a short time now but already he longed for the warmth of the sun and for fresh, salty breezes from the ocean.
"Sheesh, fine. Ya better step back. You're gonna be in for a BIG surprise, miss," he teased as he yanked his shorts down with a dramatic flourish and kicked them to the side. He propped his hands on his hips and smiled proudly at the pretty program.
She looked down, blinked and then shrugged a shoulder, unimpressed.
"Huh? Seriously? What, are all you programs hung like moose or somethin'?!" Duo grumbled as he watched the female program grab a long, curved rectangular black panel from a nearby table. She approached him from behind and pressed it to his back. As soon as it came in contact with the space in-between his shoulder blades a peculiar tingling sensation spread across his back and chest. He looked down just in time to see a swarm of black pixels race across his skin to coat him with a smooth, leathery body suit. Once it had finished materializing he felt the female click the identity disc to his back. As she did a network of bright white light illuminated his suit and accented his arms, legs and torso.
"There, now everything you do will be recorded again," she explained. "Strange that this stray friend of yours doesn't have luminous lines on his skin, huh," she mentioned over her shoulder to Trowa while Duo inspected his new suit.
"Man, this shit is tight," the braided User complained as he tried to tug the snug fabric away from his crotch. "Good thing it isn't hot here like it is back on the beach, otherwise I'd have the worst crotch sweat while wearin' this damn thing…"
"Sweat?" the female program asked. She hadn't heard of 'sweat' before. She sighed and approached Trowa from behind. "You're always bringing me the strangest programs," she said with a smile. She looped an arm through the tall, handsome program's arm and forced him to turn around to face her. "So, how are you going to pay me this time? Even though that was a first generation disc, those things still don't run cheap."
"I have credits. Unless you want something else?" Trowa's defined left eyebrow rose as he gave Celeste a curious look. She was running her delicate fingers up and down his bicep, a suggestive expression on her soft features. "No. Not that." He knew exactly what she was hinting at. Celeste did this almost every time he asked her for a favor.
"Okay fine. I get it. You must have a really gorgeous program waiting for you back at home." She reluctantly let go of his arm and put her hands on her hips while she awaited payment.
Trowa reached behind his back and grasped his disc. He handled it carefully, making certain not to apply any unnecessary pressure to the hairline crack that traced down the center. He brought it to the front of his body and flipped it on its side so that a blue web of data could project into the air above. He used his fingers to move the data around and access his credit account. "Is this enough?"
"More than enough!" Celeste looked down at the figure that was currently transferring into her account. "Trowa! You don't have to give me that much."
"Consider it a bonus for all the help you've given me." Trowa let the transfer finish before exiting out of his account and returning the disc to his back. "Thank you."
"Anytime," Celeste replied. She cast her gaze to Trowa's new friend who was still squirming and pulling at his new light suit. He's going to have his hands full with that one, she thought with a smirk.
Heero chewed his lower lip as he eavesdropped on the conversation happening only a few feet away within the tent. The idea of someone paying someone else for 'favors' here in the dark underbelly of the city wasn't anything too terribly nefarious. It certainly wasn't a direct clue to the location of his target but the exchange within the tent continued to draw his attention. He felt a strange, foreign sensation metastasize in the center of his chest. It felt as if a dense ball of lead had formed there. He dropped his arms from his chest and rubbed at the shallow indentation above his sternum through his black shirt. He suddenly felt uncomfortable and anxious. He had never felt this way before, and he had no idea what prompted it.
"Well, it was nice meetin' you miss," the cheery voice said from inside the tent.
"Yes, take care of yourselves," the female voice replied. "I heard that the Security Programs are amping up their forces all over the city. They've started blocking off all of the bridges out to Argon and Arjia City," she added.
Heero tensed. He heard the shifting of fabric as the flap at the front of the tented booth opened. He waited a few seconds before he leaned forward to peer around the corner. He spotted two figures as they moved away from the tent and began to mix into the crowd. A short, light suit-clad program with an antique identity disc and a long coil of braided hair loped casually beside a taller, slim black-clad figure. They were retreating quickly through the mass of black market shoppers in the direction of the entertainment district. He peeled away from his hiding spot beside the tent to follow them.
Trowa's initial plan was to get Duo out of the city as soon as possible. The longer they stayed the more danger the User was in, and he couldn't let the Security Programs or BEING find him. After making their way through the busy marketplace it became obvious that Trowa would have to modify their plan, much to his chagrin. Apparently security was stationed at all exits of the city, monitoring incoming and outgoing traffic, in search of any suspicious activity or solid proof that there was a User on the grid.
Duo was persistent about getting a drink and wasn't acting like he was in any sort of danger. Trowa eventually gave in and agreed to take him to one of the bars if the other promised to stay quiet and stay out of trouble.
"Holy shit, this is really it? The End Of Line Club," Duo read the name from the front marquee aloud as they neared. "I can't believe it."
To say that he was nerding out was an understatement. If Duo had a bucket list of places he wanted to visit in The Grid the End Of Line Club was definitely the top of the list. He had read that it was the epicenter of Tron City entertainment and one of Kevin Flynn's favorite hangouts. As they entered the bar he took in the clean, modern lines of the rectangular room in awe. The glowing white floors illuminated the white and black outfits of the bar's patrons as they mingled, laughed and drank multicolored cocktails from elaborate, geometric glasses.
"This shit is amazing," Duo muttered as he spun around a few times to survey the entire room. He rushed up to the bar and wedged himself happily between two older programs who gave him curious looks. One tilted his head back to eye Duo's old disc.
"Hey, what does a guy gotta do to get a drink around here," he said loudly to get the attention of the program behind the bar. He smiled to the two programs on either side of him as he waited.
"What are you having?" An impatient female voice asked from the opposite side of the gleaming bar. Duo found himself staring into the face of a scowling, seemingly irritated female program.
"What's good?" Duo asked with a grin. He watched as the pretty program scrunched her nose at him and sighed.
"Everything's good," she said plainly. "You going to order something or what?"
"I… uh... " he said, blinked and tore his eyes away for a moment to check for his new friend Trowa. He peered around the program to his right and saw that the tall, calm program has taken a seat on one of the low, black built-in couches that flanked the dance floor near the center of the bar. The guy already had a drink in his hand. Why didn't HE have a drink yet? He turned back around and faced the bartender program once more. "Something strong and sweet, just like you…"
The program scowled, rolled her annoyed, glowing eyes and wandered off. Duo deflated slightly as she left. The male program to his right chuckled. "You're not so great at the game, are you?"
Duo rubbed the back of his head and shrugged. "You programs are confusin' as hell."
"What do you mean by 'you programs'?" the program seated to his right echoed his words and gave him a hard stare.
"Urm, what I meant to say was, 'lady programs'. They're a mystery to me," Duo recovered, awkwardly. Man he couldn't wait for that drink. Eventually the female returned and slid him a tall, twisted flute filled with a flickering pale blue opaque liquid. He took it quickly in hand and tried to hop up from the barstool but was stopped by a chilled, hard hand against his wrist.
"Wait a second. You're not dipping out. Are you going to pay or what?" the female program asked in a rough, accusatory voice.
Duo winced and tilted his head in the direction of his friend on the couch. "I'm with him."
The bartender looked past Duo to his companion and locked eyes with Trowa. Instantly she released his wrist and quickly walked away.
"Okay. That was weird as fuck," he mumbled as he picked his way over to Trowa and flopped down onto the couch beside him. "You know that chick or somethin'?"
He was beginning to realize that this guy was someone important somehow. He seemed to have connections all over the city, and the reaction from the female program just now was a little disconcerting. He tipped his drink into his mouth. Once the blue liquid came in contact with his tongue he felt a peculiar tingling sensation fill his mouth and gradually slide down his throat. He coughed and bit down on his now electrified tongue with his molars.
"What the heck?" he raised his glass to the level of his eyes and peered into the liquid. He could see small, faint arcs of electricity zapping around inside. "Is this liquid energy? Like a plasma or something?" He felt suddenly rejuvenated, as if he had taken a shot of adrenaline mixed with four shots of espresso. "Holy shit."
"You could say that." Outward signs of amusement started to show on Trowa's facial features as he watched Duo bring the glass up to his lips for a second, much more cautious sip. "And no, I don't know 'that chick' personally. Although I've seen her around." He draped his arm over the top of the couch and shifted his position so he could face the User. The index finger on his other hand tapped ideally on the top of his thigh while he studied Duo closely. "You look and act nothing like Flynn." Trowa stated dryly.
"Huh? Really?" Duo was surprised at Trowa's sudden statement. "Why do you say that?" Duo idolized both Kevin and his son Sam Flynn and he considered the comparison a compliment.
"The physical differences are obvious." Years ago when Trowa had viewed Flynn from afar, the User looked much older than Duo appeared to be now. "You are louder, not as smart, and have failed every attempt at flirting with a program." These were the observations Trowa had made during his short friendship with Duo. "But you are more attractive than Flynn was…" He shrugged at the last statement.
Duo choked on his drink as Trowa outlined his observations of him. After a short coughing fit he rubbed the back of his neck and shook his head. "Heh… thanks, I think…" he smiled broadly and chugged the rest of his drink. He felt a shockwave of rejuvenating electricity jolt through his body. He shuddered and reveled in the sensation of being fully energized.
"So, where are ya from, Trowa?" Duo asked as he eyed the crowd for someone who could hook him up with another one of those sweet, magic elixirs. "You seem kinda out of place here, too. You're the only guy who has tried to help me since I got here."
"I'm from another city. Not terribly close to here." Trowa answered vaguely, unwilling to go into detail while in a public space. You never knew who was listening. He wanted to explain that the reason he was the only program trying to help Duo out was because he was one of the few who knew how to leave the grid. He removed his arm from the back of the couch and leaned forward so he was closer to Duo's face. "You do realize that Users don't visit the system very often. Have you thought about why you being here might be considered dangerous?"
"Well, no actually. I haven't," Duo admitted with a frown. He hadn't thought of any of those things. Trowa's words made him feel uncomfortable and for the first time he became painfully aware of all of the eyes in the room studying him. He bit his lip and shifted in his seat before he started to bounce a knee anxiously. "I mean, I know you guys have been kinda cut off. Where I'm from they don't believe this place is even real. I guess I never thought that because of that there haven't been any people here. Ur, I mean 'Users' like me. So like, what do you mean exactly? You think someone's gonna try to kill me? Can I even die in here?"
"If you're not careful, you could end up in the wrong hands." Trowa crossed his arms over his chest while he spoke softly so only Duo could hear. He looked out at the crowd of patrons paying a visit to the bar. The music was getting louder, attempting to drown out the growing chatter as the place filled with programs looking to unwind after a long workweek. "There are groups here who'd love to get their hands on a User. And they won't be gentle. Which is why we need to get you out as soon as we can… I know how to return you to the reality from which you came."
"Woah, really?" Duo hadn't considered leaving yet, he had only just arrived. However, at the mention of his life being in danger - violently in danger - he felt a sudden urgency to get out of there. "Wait a minute. I mean, I'm grateful that you're helpin' me and all, but how do I know you aren't the one tryin' to… ya know, delete me or whatever you guys call it." Deframe? Debunk? Defrag? What was that phrase again?
"Derez." Trowa finished the other's sentence, his voice smooth like velvet. His eyes returned to the User, studying him once again. Duo was asking a legitimate question. Why should he trust the mysterious program that suddenly showed up and offered to help? If his motive had been to derez Duo, it would have been done by now, and he wouldn't be taking the other out for drinks. "What other options do you have?" Green eyes narrowed seriously as the question slipped through his cool lips.
Duo blinked. He didn't know what to say. "I mean, yeah. I guess you're right. I dunno, though. You don't look like the 'take ya into a back alley and murder you' kind of guy, but then again the real crazy maniacs don't, right?" he rambled. Trowa's apathetic expression silenced him. A long, awkward silence passed between them before Duo broke it with a question, "so where is this place you're takin' me? When are we leavin'?"
Heero lifted his drink from the bar and took a long sip from its glimmering, neon green contents as he watched the slender program and his unusual companion speaking on the couch across the crowded room. The lights in the club began to shift and dim with the music as the dance floor started to fill with bar patrons. There was no way in this environment that he was going to be able to overhear anything being said between them even if he did manage to get closer.
He gulped down the remainder of his drink and set the glass back on the bar for the bartender to take it. She narrowed her eyes at him and then glanced at the two on the couch before abruptly turning her back to him and walking away. Heero sighed and tore his eyes away from the unusual pair, worried that the bartender had noticed he was studying them.
Shit , he thought with a scowl. I need to figure out who that guy is…
He turned his head slightly and tried to watch them through his peripheral vision. There was something familiar about the taller program. The way he lifted his drink to his mouth, and the occasional shift of an eyebrow and downward curve of his mouth were borderline captivating.
"What the hell is wrong with me… " he grumbled as he waved the bartender down for another drink. It felt as if the energy shots did little to nothing for him anymore, and he was starting to wonder whether he was developing a resistance to their rejuvenating effects. He ran a hand through his hair and gave a tired sigh.
The rumor is that there is a User on The Grid. If that program with the braid is actually the User, then that program with him may be 'the runner,' he reasoned. I just have to find a way to verify who he is before I can act.
"I can't tell you exactly where we are going. The location is protected. But you should know it's far outside this city and will take several days to reach." The hairs at the back of Trowa's neck suddenly stood at attention as the sensation of being watched washed over him. He jerked his eyes away from Duo and started to scan the room for the source of his apprehension. "We can't leave until security opens up the cities exits. Until then, we have to lay low…"
Trowa's gaze eventually landed on the bar area where a good-looking, dark haired program was currently sitting. Their eyes locked and Trowa froze for a few seconds, feeling foreign jolts of electricity course through his body. It took all his strength to look away, biting the inside of his lip anxiously as he did so. How long had that guy been watching? What did he want, and what the hell was this strange feeling overtaking his senses? Trowa shook his head and looked down at his lap. "We should head out soon."
Trowa's vision of the dark haired program was suddenly blocked by hips clad in a tight, black mini skirt.
"I see empty glasses, which means you two handsome fellas need some topping off!" Their empty glasses were snatched quickly out of their hands to be replaced by new, full ones. Duo followed the lines of the fit body in front of him upward until he found himself staring into the face of a gorgeous female program with short, dark hair and bright green eyes.
"Hey, thanks," he said easily as he took in the lovely figure in front of him. All of his previous worry about death and escape was replaced by wonder and interest. "Miss?"
"Hilde. You can call me Hilde," she said with a grin as she balanced a tray of empty glasses on an upturned hand.
"Hilde, huh?" Duo was grinning from ear to ear. Finally a program who wasn't snappy or short with him. "I'm Duo, and this is…"
"Trowa," Hilde finished for him. She gave Trowa a wink. "I know him. He comes in here quite a bit on the weekends. Cute friend you've got here," she gestured to Duo with her tray and laughed.
"He is cute, isn't he?" Trowa teased flatly while he took the offered drink from Hilde. He brought the florescent purple concoction to his lips and took a long gulp, still able to feel eyes on him. Trowa mentally cursed the endearing girl standing in his way, blocking the view of the bar. With another long gulp the drink was gone and Trowa handed the empty glass back to Hilde. "Thank you…"
"You must not be from around here. I haven't seen you before." Hilde balanced the empty glass on her tray and gave Duo her full attention. The new program had the loveliest pair of violet-blue eyes and she found the flush of his cheeks charming.
"Yeah, well, I'm from out of town," Duo said casually. He had forgotten about the drink in his hand, too distracted by the pretty program in front of him. He handed his second untouched drink off to Trowa, roughly shoving it into his hands before he stood up from the couch with a smile. "Here, let me help you with that, Hilde," he said as he took the full tray from her.
"Well, this is a first," she admitted with a chuckle. Duo had worked in plenty of pizza joints back on the island and he was pretty decent at tray balancing. He propped it up on a hand and held his arm out to her with a smile. "Show me where to carry this heavy thing, huh?"
Heero watched as the strange program stood up and hooked arms with the server. They were headed his way. He turned his attention down to his drink as they passed.
"It must be fun workin' in a place like this, right?" the unusual braided program asked as he passed. He couldn't make out what the server said in reply. He waited until they had passed and rounded the corner of the bar before sitting up in his stool again. He carefully looked over his shoulder to check and see if the taller program was still on the couch and as he did he found himself staring back into a pair of intense emerald green eyes. Heero tensed and for a long moment held the other program's gaze. He had been caught, and there was nothing left to do but approach and try to verify. He grabbed his drink from the bar, slid off of the stool and made his way to the couch, his eyes never leaving the other's as he did.
"This seat taken?" he asked as he gestured to the empty space where the strange unit had been sitting.
"Not currently." Trowa pulled his gaze away from the attractive stranger long enough to set Duo's discarded drink on the table in front of the couch. "Why have you been staring at me all night?" He asked bluntly, but not unfriendly.
Heero hadn't expected the other program to confront him. He sat down, cradled his drink in both hands and stared at him through widened, prussian blue eyes for a suspended moment while his thoughts attempted to process and catch up. He felt overloaded and exhausted. He blinked slowly before replying, "you're captivating." Which was the only response he could think to say, and one which was entirely true. "Do… do….. I make you uncomfortable?"
He flinched at his own laggy response and silently cursed before forcing more of his drink down his throat. His delayed response and stutter was beginning to worsen over time. He needed to reset. A typical program reset their memory during their hibernation period, but ever since Heero's compilation he had yet to experience a true reset. He hadn't noticed his memory banks were becoming overloaded until a week before when he began to involuntarily stutter. He had reported his anomaly to D-FILE, who had yet to give him a solution. In the meantime he had to live with its effects and hope that it wouldn't keep him from accomplishing his directive.
"No." Trowa peeked through his hair and caught the other program's eyes again. "I'm not captivating. I'm just an ordinary program. No need to stare." He was used to being hit on at the bar, used to deflecting the comments that came his way. But there was something about this program's voice that did indescribable things to his body. Trowa felt his digital pulse quicken, felt a tingling sensation crawl along his limbs. He had to look away again. The other's presence was familiar yet alien at the same time. He furrowed his brows and folded his arms across his chest, posture stiff and on guard.
Heero could feel the other program's tension and see through his body language that he was indeed uncomfortable. The denial about being the alluring creation that he was was a surprise, but Heero wasn't one to argue the point. It wasn't why he had approached him, anyway.
"To be honest, I have been wanting to talk to you," he said slowly, his eyes narrowing as he studied the side of the other program's face. "I wonder if you can help… help… help me with something."
The lag in the stranger's voice did not go unnoticed, and for the briefest second Trowa felt concerned. The other needed to reset. He turned to face him again. "What makes you think I can help you? Or that I'd even want to?" The other had been meaning to talk to him. So was he following him? And where did Duo go? Trowa didn't want him wandering off very far...
"I've been lost," Heero said plainly, though his eyes were suddenly intense. He tried to gather his thoughts and straighten them out before he spoke again. He knew that this was the moment he would need to win over this stranger if he was in fact 'the runner' he had heard about. He would need to get this right.
"I need to report to Elios," Heero said firmly. "I …. I'm a guard of Aether."
Trowa frowned as that sacred name was vocalized. How did this program know about Elios and the Aether Guards? "I don't know what you are talking about." He lied, still suspicious of the other. "I'm sorry. I'm the wrong guy." He unfolded his arms and started to get up from the couch. Aether was one of Trowa's guarded secrets, along with the true identity of its leader, the Gatekeeper Elios. Trowa was a member of Aether, the elite guard to the Gatekeeper, and had sworn an oath to protect its leader and the lives of his fellow guards. He wasn't willing to give up any information about Aether so easily.
Heero stiffened as the other program moved to stand. He knew that if he didn't stop him from leaving he would never know for sure if this was his target or not. He decided to just go out on a limb and pull out all of the stops. The worse that could happen at this point was he would get punched in the face and the guy would run off.
He willed his body to move as fast as it could and despite his laggy reflexes he managed to make contact with the other program. His hand shot out to grab the retreating program's wrist and held firm. As his palm came in contact with his wrist he felt a pulsating in his hand and suddenly what could only be described as a ball of energy shot through his hand and up his arm. As it did the cyan blue lines on his arms that had formerly been dull and barely visible flickered and brightened and for a split second Heero had a moment of shocking clarity.
"Please don't," he said in clear, quick voice. The sensation dissipated and soon his previous fog settled over his mind. "That program… he is a User, right?" He made no move to release the other program's wrist, and found himself staring deeply into the other program's surprised eyes.
Trowa also felt the quick burst of energy upon contact. The remnants still swam through his system, giving it an extra boost. He straightened his back, looking down at the other with pure shock and confusion. "…He's not. Users don't exist."
He was unable to pull his wrist away, unable to look anywhere else but at those prussian blue eyes. They were hypnotizing him, drawing him deeper into their depths. "Who are you?" The question spilt from his mouth and hung in the air between them.
"My name is Heero," he replied softly, his voice barely audible over the throb of the music. His blink was slow and his face expressed his confusion at what had just transpired. He forced his eyes to break their locked gaze and turned them down to study his hand clasped tightly on the other program's wrist. "I'm sorry. I just need to get back to the guard. I've been wandering for years," he lied. "I heard that you could help me to get back. I've been looking for someone they call 'the runner.'"
Heero was feeling confident that this program was who he had been seeking for nearly a month. He had noticed his defensive behavior, as well as his expression at the mention of the keeper of The Gate, Elios. He knew he was onto something here, but he was confused about the strange reactions he was having while interacting with him. Heero had never felt anything like what had just shot through his arm happen to him before in his short existence. He hesitated before releasing the tall program's slender wrist and gave him an apologetic look.
"I'm … " Heero's mind stuttered and lagged. He grit his teeth and forced himself through it. "I'm sorry. You must be… right… and I have m-mistaken you for someone else." He let his eyes drift up the black, leather-clad body to meet the program's eyes again and held his gaze while attempting to look as sincere as possible.
Heero was not mistaken. Trowa was 'the runner', but he didn't trust the mysterious program, at least not yet. "If you were a guard then you'd know how to get back. Why are you lost?" He was familiar with most of the Aether Guards and Heero's face wasn't registering. It was the perfect balance of soft and hard features. The program had a determined jaw, a serious mouth with delicate lips, a thin straight nose, and long lashes that framed reflective, turbulent eyes. Trowa would definitely recognize that face had he seen it before.
The longer he studied Heero's face, memorizing every line and detail, the more the tight knot in his stomach grew. Anxiety nagged at his mind, telling him something wasn't right with this situation. Trowa decided to stay put, unable to walk away from the pleading expression that stared hopelessly up at him. "What has happened to you? Why haven't you reset yourself?"
D-FILE had provided him with an entire cover-up story, but Heero knew that in this situation he was going to have to improvise. The fact the other program had stopped and was questioning him was a good indicator that had found his target.
"I was taken by the enemy during The Purge," he recited his provided backstory confidently. "I was damaged in the fight. I… I….I lost some of my memories from the damage. I was deactivated for a while until an Outlander scrapper found me and revived me. I have been trying… t-trying to find a way back ever since. I tried going back to Arjian City to find them. I had no idea that the city was destroyed." He ran his hand through his hair and tried to appear as calm and collected as he could. He was surprised at how difficult that was under the analytical gaze of his target program. Heero hadn't expected to have such a strong reaction to him, and it bothered him. He would have to include his physical reactions in his report when he checked in.
The question about his reset surprised him. He didn't have a real answer for it, and when he had last reported his situation to D-FILE they had no answers to give him. Normal programs reset automatically when they went into their daily hibernation period. Heero was aware of this fact, it was common knowledge. The fact that he couldn't reset was problematic. Useless information that should have been wiped clean every hibernation was collecting in his memory and forcing him to become laggy and slow to respond. Not only was it frustrating it was also embarrassing, and he often worried that it would impede him from fulfilling his directive.
"I am in-incapable of resetting myself," he explained honestly. "I don't know why." He shifted uncomfortably at the question and nervously wiped the corner of his lower lip with a thumb. He looked down at the floor and avoided the other program's gaze, feeling suddenly self-conscious, and silently cursed himself for it.
If Heero was taken by the enemy then there was no telling what they'd done to him. That coupled with the fact that Trowa hadn't seen this 'guard' before made him extremely wary. He didn't trust Heero, but knew that if he left the program here, unable to reset on his own, Heero would eventually glitch so bad that he'd burn out. And then it was game over. Trowa knew deep down that Elios would want to help this lost program, regardless of the uncertainty.
Trowa was still reluctant to confirm or give any information to Heero. "I know the Runner. I'll see if he can help you. But he doesn't live in Tron City." They needed to leave this area soon.
Heero raised an eyebrow at the mention of The Runner and set his glass down on the table in front of him. "Thank you. I will try not be a… a burden."
A raucous laugh burst through the throbbing music and the strange, braided program emerged from the darkened back of the bar. He was staggering and grinning widely through the crowd in their direction.
"YO! Trowa!" he yelled loudly, "there you are!" He flopped down onto the couch beside Heero and grabbed the drink he had left behind and began to chug it. He shuddered as the energy from the cocktail invigorated him. "Man, you programs are somethin' else." He tried to smooth his bangs with his free hand. Static electricity had gathered in his hair, which made the dark strands float around his face. "Looks like you've been busy too, huh?" he said as he gestured to Heero.
Heero frowned at him. Now that he could get a closer look at what was supposedly a former stray program he could see that there was something unusually vivacious about him. "It's n… no… not like that…" he tried to say. The unusual program smirked and chuckled.
"What's wrong with you, huh? Got a stutter or somethin'? Heh, maybe you need a defrag," Duo said as he put his now empty glass on the table. "Whew, I tell you what, you guys may just be programs but you give regular girls a run for their money, man."
Heero narrowed his eyes at him. He is a User, he confirmed.
Great. So much for staying under the radar. Trowa frowned, wondering how many programs heard the lewd comment that spewed from the User's mouth. "Lower your voice." He clenched his teeth and resisted the urge to step on Duo's foot in hopes of shutting him up. That cat was out of the bag. Trowa knew Heero was already suspicious of Duo and now his suspicion was confirmed.
"We need to head out. I think you've had enough drinks." Trowa was now escorting two bodies to Elios, one of which was still a shady character in his mind. Usually he only needed to escort one wayward program at a time, so this new assignment was going to be a challenge. Not that he minded. Trowa always rose to the challenge. "Get up, let's go."
"What? Ugh," Duo grumbled incoherently as he pushed himself up to a stand. He noticed the program's annoyance with him. He had been so excited he had forgotten he was supposed to be hiding out. He eyed the second, stuttery program as he stood up as well. "Wait a min, who is this guy? He's comin' too?"
"Yes," Heero replied coldly in response. Duo blinked and fell into step behind Trowa who was working his way through the crowd in the direction of the exit.
They were only a couple of yards away from the front of the bar when a sharp, frantic yell sounded through the music. The flood of programs on the dance floor shifted and began to swell in their direction as terrified faces rushed away from the source of the loud, crackling sound of electricity. Trowa stopped short and Duo bumped into his back before backpedaling into Heero, who stood firm despite the User's body slamming hard into him.
"What the-" Duo didn't get a chance to finish his statement. A glowing purple light sword materialized in Trowa's hand and the glitchy guy behind him sidestepped from behind him with his brightly illuminated blue and black identity disc in hand.
"Move, User," Heero said slowly. He didn't have to repeat himself, the quirky User ducked out of the way and gawked at them.
"Hand him over, and MAYBE we won't derez you pieces of bit," a harsh, nasal voice called from the entrance. Five male figures in black and luminous green light suits strode into the bar side-by-side. Three had identity discs clutched menacingly in their hands while the other two held long, glowing baton staffs aloft and ready to attack.
Heero stepped forward and twisted his body to the right so that his radiant disc was held in front of his face by his right hand and pointed at the closest opponent with a staff. His right foot was extended forward and his rear leg flexed, the center of his gravity tilted back onto his left leg, prepared to spring forward. "I… I've got the baton staffs," he said in a low, cool voice to the program to his left.
It was no surprise BEING had caught up with Duo, although Trowa had hoped it would take them a little more time to find the User. He quickly sized up the punks in the green light suits, deciding they probably weren't much of a threat. He gave Heero a curt nod and took a step to the side, swirling the hilt of his baton sword between his long fingers. Trowa eyed the punk with the mohawk and sunglasses on, deciding he looked like the leader of the small group. "Let's see what you've got."
The leader snarled and raised his ID disc as he charged across the club, closing the distance between them. When he was about 10 feet away, he flicked his wrist and sent the weapon flying through the air, aimed right for Trowa's head. The purple beam emitting from Trowa's baton made contact with it as he swung his sword, easily blocking the attack. The disc flew towards the glass walls of the club before quickly boomeranging back to the leaders grasp.
Heero sprung off of his left leg and ran at the baton wielders. Despite his lagging he was still relatively nimble. As he neared them he didn't bother to slow down. Instead, he threw his body forward with his right leg still extended and dropped down to slide like a runner stealing a base against the ground between the two of the programs armed with staffs. The were standing in readied stances, prepared to attack. They appeared stunned as he vanished beneath them. He gouged the one to his right across his knees as he passed through. The BEING program screamed as he became separated from his calves and fell to the ground on his hands, writhing in agony as he kicked around his now pixelated stumps.
The second staff-armed BEING member spun around and tracked Heero as he glided past. Heero hopped quickly to his feet and blocked a vertical attack from his opponent with the bladed edge of his ID disc. It hummed as it became caught against the bright, green shimmering cylinder of energy. He swung his body around to plant a kick to his opponent's chest. The BEING program stumbled backward, regained his balance and lunged at him again with his staff aimed at Heero's abdomen. Heero moved to block the attack with his disc but his movement became staggered. His arm twitched and shook for half a second before resuming its sweep at the incoming blow. The lost fraction of a second was just long enough to cause his block to miss. He took the staff blow to the gut and was thrown off of his feet. He landed hard on his back but luckily he hadn't lost his grip on his disc.
The BEING member ran at him and swung his staff for a strike at his head. Heero rolled out of the way and tried to stand up, but instead glitched and fell to his knees.
Duo stared in awe from the sidelines as his new companions battled these weird, cyberpunk looking dickheads. He saw Trowa effortlessly dancing among his attackers, swiping and stabbing at them with a warrior's grace while the weird, short guy made a daring low attack but was soon getting his ass handed to him. He frowned. He couldn't just STAND there. He groped around on his back for his antique blue and white disc. He hefted it in his hand for a moment, scowled and ran at the guy with the staff pummeling the glitchy program who seemed to have been rendered helpless on his knees.
Trowa brought his sword down on the leader's shoulder when the other neglected to parry his move, slicing through him in one quick motion. The program screamed in pain before his body burst into pixelated pieces, which loosened and fell haphazardly to the ground. Trowa didn't get any time to recover from the match, his attention immediately drawn to the braided human who had attached himself to the back of one of the BEING members, ramming the vintage disc against the program's head. Trowa rushed over and ran his sword through the program's side, derezzing him within seconds. He watched Duo fall to the ground with an ungraceful thud.
"Are you ok?" Trowa directed the question towards Heero, noticing the glitchy program was kneeling on the ground in pain. He reached out and offered his hand, completely ignoring the groaning User to his left.
The remaining two disc wielders were livid. They were short their leader and two comrades, the loss of which spurred them to action. Heero blinked and forced himself to look up at his target program, who he had learned was named 'Trowa' by the careless User, and saw the extended hand. The sound of the two incoming enemies caught his attention. He didn't think twice before he grabbed the offered right hand with his own, jumped to his feet and used his companion program's arm for support. He wound his arm back and with a grunt he threw it as hard as he could at the foremost of the two incoming enemies. The BEING program deflected it with his own disc and sent Heero's flying back at them.
Heero felt Trowa's hand clench against his own and, as if the gesture were a signal, he released the taller program's hand and ducked. Trowa's arm swung past his head to strike the incoming disc with his sword. A spark of purple energy arced off of Heero's disc as Trowa sent it flying back at the incoming BEING program who had deflected it. Heero bolted and ran after his flying disc. The BEING program, surprised at Heero's sudden advance, hesitated. He was struck in the neck and derezzed into a rain of black pixels. Heero caught his disc as it bounced off of the far wall and ran at the remaining BEING enemy.
The black and green program swung his disc at Heero, who caught it with his own and deflected it. Irate and fueled by the loss of his friends, the final enemy slammed and swung his own disc at Heero with loud, angry screams.
"You null-units! Don't you understand? The User has the key! You can transcend! Don't you want to be something more?!" The BEING program locked discs with Heero, who snarled at him and tried to push him off but glitched. Before the enemy could take advantage of his moment of weakness a purple blade shot out from the center of the BEING program's chest and with a strangled, startled cry he vanished. Heero found himself staring into the beautiful, stoic face of his target program.
"What the actual fuck," Duo mumbled as he watched the last bad guy vanish. He couldn't believe what he had just seen. Trowa and the glitchy guy were standing face to face, just staring at each other. Neither one of them moved. "Uh… guys? Maybe we should get the fuck out of here, huh?" he said as he got up and fumbled with his disc, trying to reattach it to his back.
Trowa nodded but continued to hold Heero's gaze for a few more moments. How had they managed to perfectly sync their moves? It all felt so natural. And why was Heero giving him that look? Dammit, what is it about him? His lips parted as if to speak, but nothing came out, so Trowa continued to stare in awe. He flicked the purple saber off and reattached the baton to his belt.
"Guys!" Duo was getting impatient. Patrons in the club were starting to crowd around again now that the fight was over. The noise level in the room rose as people speculated about what had just transpired.
Trowa finally snapped out of his trance. "Yes, let's go." He made sure Heero was able to function himself before leading their group towards the club exit.
Heero clutched his whirring identity disc tightly in hand and found himself feeling relieved that the other program broke their locked, intense mutual stare first. He couldn't even begin to explain the tension that had manifested between them in that final moment, but it made him uncomfortable. He watched his target quickly make his way out of the bar, followed closely by the User, who cast a confused look at Heero before vanishing out the door. He frowned, deactivated his disc, slung it against is back and followed them. This is going to be more difficult than I had anticipated, he thought.