The Abandoned ISO Colony
"Hey CLU!"
CLU looked up at his name and turned to see Beck run towards him, Dyson standing by the elevator. He barely spares the older program a glance before turning his attention to the younger program.
"Guess what?"
He rolled his eyes and began to turn back to his work, "I despise guessing games."
"I'll be a Monitor someday."
"Good for you." This sentence is devoid of any actual sincerity, but the younger program either doesn't notice or doesn't care.
"My dad just showed me the whole city. And someday, I'll be in charge of it all!"
"Yes, well you'll have to forgive me for not leaping with joy." He hoped to leave it at that, and returned to his work.
"Hey CLU." Yet the boy continued. "When I'm a Monitor, where will you be?"
"Here, like always."
"That's weird."
"If you say so."
CLU stood and gestured for Beck to follow him to the window overlooking the city.
"So your father showed you everything, did he?"
"Everything."
"He didn't show you what's beyond the darkness, did he?"
Beck's grin fell at that and he looked down, "Well no…he said I can't go there."
"And he's absolutely right! It's far too dangerous; only the bravest programs go there." CLU said the last part as he turned and began to return to his seat.
Beck's eyes looked back up to CLU's retreating form and he followed. "Well, I'm brave. What's out there_"
"I'm afraid I can't tell you Beck."
"Why not?"
"I'm only looking out for your wellbeing."
"I can take care of myself!"
CLU smirked and shook his head, "All the more reason to be protective. An abandoned ISO colony is no place for a program like yourself." CLU realized what he said, and his eyes widened, "Oops!"
"A what?" Beck's eyes widened too, but for a different reason, "Wow!"
CLU covered his eyes with his hand, "Oh, how careless of me!" He knelt next to Beck, "Beck, do promise you'll never ever go there? You must promise me."
Beck glanced to CLU, then smirked, "No problem."
CLU got back to his feet, "Good. Now why don't you run along?"
Beck nodded and began to leave.
"And remember." Beck stopped and looked back as CLU put a finger to his lips, "It's our little secret."
Beck nodded and ran off. As the doors closed, CLU looked up to Dyson and smirked, and the soldier returned the gesture.
Beck pushed open the doors of the hospital, slipping past injured programs and past the reception counter. No one spared him a second glance as he searched the hallways.
She had to be here somewhere….
He stopped, seeing a smaller flash of medic green. He turned and saw her, her back to him. Smirking, he approached, his steps not making a sound. When he was within touching distance, he grabbed her shoulders.
"Gotcha!"
The program gasped and jumped, turning on him. When she realized who it was, she elbowed him in the chest.
"You scared me!"
He grinned, "Exactly!"
"It's not funny!"
"Of course it was. It's always funny when I scare you!"
She smirked, "You don't seem to think its funny when I kick your butt at the disc games."
Beck's grin dropped into a deadpan that made her giggle.
"Because it's not, Paige."
"Yes it is." She rolled her eyes and returned to what she was working on, "Now what are you doing here?"
Beck glanced around, "I just found this cool place. We should go."
"Now? But I'm working, Beck!"
"Please? I promise you'll love it?"
"So where is this really cool place?" Beck jumped and turned to see two women standing in the doorway, one most obviously being his mother.
"Oh…around the tool shop."
"The tool shop?!" Paige protested, "What's so cool about the tool shop?"
"I'll show you when we get there." Beck muttered through his teeth and she took this answer and looked up to the other woman.
"Can I go?"
The woman smirked and exchanged a glance with Yori, "I don't know…what do you think, Yori?"
Yori leaned against the wall and searched them both with a look, "Well…"
"Please?" Came the plea from both Beck and Paige.
"It's alright with me." Yori decided.
"Yeah!" Beck grabbed Paige's wrist and began to drag her along until Yori's next words stopped him.
"As long as Anon goes with you."
Beck groaned.
"Hurry up, you two. I don't know what you find so interesting about a tool shop, but the sooner we get there, the sooner we can leave."
Anon walked ahead of the two.
"So what exactly is this cool place near the tool shop?"
"It's not exactly near the tool shop…"
"What is it?"
He glanced around before whispering, "An abandoned ISO colony."
"WOW!" Beck quickly shushed her, "Sorry. So how are we going to lose…?" She pointed to Anon, who hadn't noticed their discussion and was going on about something or another.
"I…I hadn't thought about that."
She rolled her eyes, "That's easy." She whispered her plan into his ear and after a moment, he nodded.
He took her hand, glanced side-to-side, then snuck in behind a group of programs chatting. He looked around again, and ran through the crowd. He glanced back as they rounded the corner to see that Anon had finally realized with horror that they were gone. He continued running until they were at the edge of the city.
"It worked!" He let go of her hand to celebrate.
"We lost him!" Paige piped up.
"I," He climbed up a large hill, "am a genius."
"Hey 'genius', it was my idea." Paige pointed out, crawling after him.
"Yeah, but I pulled it off."
"With me!"
"Oh yeah?" He lunged at her quickly, knocking her off her feet. However, she rolled again before slamming him against the ground. He tried to move, but she pressed her knee against his chest.
"Pinned you."
"Let me up." Beck cried in annoyance. Paige got off him and he sat up, glaring at her. After a moment, he lunged again and his force knocked them down the hill they had been on. Paige was giggling as Beck tried to seem furious but failed. He began to giggle as well…until once again, Paige grabbed his shoulders and slammed him into the ground, resting her knee on his chest.
"Pinned you again."
A crackling sound caught both their attention. Paige looked up, then got off Beck so he could see, too.
"Whoa…."
The ISO colony was definitely empty, and was crumbling.
"It's really creepy…" Paige noted.
"Yeah…isn't it great?"
"We could get in so much trouble…" This was not stated with disappointment and Beck grinned.
"I know."
She tilted her head in thought, "I wonder if any ISOs actually live there anymore."
"Only one way to find out. Come on, let's check it out." Beck started forward but jumped back as a figure landed in front of them.
"The only checking out you two will be doing is checking out of here." Anon retoreted, grabbing a shoulder from both programs, who groaned.
"We are way outside of the city."
"You scared?" Beck teased, but winced when Anon squeezed his shoulder.
"Stop it, Beck! Right now we are in very real danger!"
"Danger?" Beck broke out of Anon's grip and started back towards the ISO colony. "I live on the wild side. I laugh in the face of danger!" He proceeded to laugh boldly.
However, when more laughter joined in, he ran back to Anon, who took him in. The Monitor looked up to see a group of unmarked programs stalk towards the trio.
Rogues.
"Beck, Paige, get behind me." Anon muttered, and the two were quick to obey. Anon took out his disc and began to back up slowly, keeping his eyes on the rogues as they followed.
"Okay…" Anon breathed, "When I give the word, run back to the city, okay?"
Both nodded.
Anon watched quietly and the rogues froze for a moment, staring down the trio.
Then one rogue lunged.
"GO!"
The two obeyed and Beck grabbed Paige's arm as they ran. No one followed them when they got to the edge of the hill.
"I think we lost them." Beck panted, and then he realized, "Where's Anon?"
"He's making sure the rogues don't' come after us. Come on Beck…"
He let go of her hand, "No! Anon's still back there!"
He tore back to the scene and Paige followed. Beck slowed to see the rogues were on top of Anon, beating and smacking his limp body. Beck pick up a piece of rubble and threw it and it hit its mark: a rogue's head.
"HEY! LEAVE HIM ALONE!"
"YEAH!" Paige joined in.
Good news: the rogues left Anon alone.
Bad news: They now had the rogues' attention.
With a growl, the group raced towards them. Beck grabbed Paige's wrist again. As one rogue grew close, they ducked in between their legs and ran. The rogues skittered to turn around and chased after the two programs. Beck let go of her hand as they entered the colony. He ran up a set of stairs and could see a railroad crossing ahead. Grunting, he bent his knees and sprang out, managing to grab the edge and scramble up the other side. He began to run again.
"BECK!"
Paige's cry made him turn back around to see she didn't make it across and had landed roughly. She managed to get to her feet but the rogues had jumped in after her. She wouldn't make it.
He ran back to the edge as she tried to reach up. As a rogue neared, he pulled out his disc and thrust. The glass in the rogue's mask broke, temporarily stunning him. Beck took the opportunity to pull Paige up and pull her away from the crossing.
They took off towards the endless network of buildings, becoming lost among them, the rogues on their heels. Perhaps there was a way out of here, and back home…
However, that thought disintegrated when the two skid to a stop, facing a dead end. Beck turned with a gasp as he heard their growls, pushing Paige behind him. He pulled out his disc and assumed a position he had seen many security programs take. Laughter chorused from the group of rogues as they didn't stop their advance. Beck's hand shook and his breathing grew faster as he gripped his disc tight. This was his fault; because of him, they were going to die….
The laughter halted suddenly and was replaced by screams. Beck looked up as a figure descended from above, landing right in between the young programs and the rogues. Tron swung out with his staff, knocking one of the rogues off their feet. Anon appeared too, going to stand in front of the two programs. Tron picked one up by his throat and slammed him into the wall.
"Don't you ever touch my son again." He growled.
Grunting, he threw the rogue down. The rogue scrambled to his feet and the group fled. Panting, Anon got to his feet, but hesitated as Tron turned and his glare burned into the other Monitor.
Beck glanced down, then stepped forward, daring to look up, "Dad, I…."
"You deliberately disobeyed me!" Tron's gaze flicked to his son.
Beck shrunk, "D-dad…I'm sorry…"
"Let's go home." Is the last thing Tron said before walking away. Beck and Paige exchanged a shameful glance before following, Anon in tow.