Chapter 18
As Sage was shoved out onto the open stage of the assembly grounds, he refused to let the guards have their satisfaction with even a grunt. Since he had sent Aaron away, the guards had recaptured him out of the city and brought him back within its confines as a prisoner. The Defender put up just enough of a fight to discourage their ideas of venturing out any further. Sage had directed Aaron to the only safe haven in mind, but had no clue if he made it. Sage himself had been oblivious to Grid entirely. For the past two milicycles, he was locked away in a holding facility; similar to what he had experienced back in the real world. He wasn't tortured or even questioned; but he was isolated from any other program. The whereabouts however of the Defenders, was a different story. Having disbanded, they were scattered all around Tron City. Orad, Tyree and Bril had continued instigating revolution on the programs. One by one, they were seized after little success. Dep however, had become a ghost. He was abroad operating in ways to slow down the guards but there was no success in bringing him in or even tracing his actions. On the stage, Sage observed the situation. The programs again had been gathered for another of the guards' demonstrations. Nexor, First Chief of the Disciples' forces loomed before the innocents, delivering his sinister message.
"Two milicycles! You have failed to produce the User and he has failed to produce himself. For this incompliance, your peers will be punished." Sage looked around in terror at the other four programs, broken in both body and spirit. What little glow of circuitry they had was fading and in a slow flash. Nexor turned and pointed with a clawed finger at one of these programs. Sage watched as two guards converged on the program, now shrieking in horror. The program was held down in front of Nexor. "Show yourself user, your count is now twenty-seven of these programs, spare yourself any further shame." Eyes all around the stage darted around in search of a response. None came. Nexor hesitated no further, grabbing the program's hair, lifting him to eye level and lopping off his head. The program's cries shattered away along with his derezzed head and body. Sage gritted his teeth in disgust. The guard behind him tensed. Nexor turned menacingly again pointing now directly at Sage. The two guards converged on him, dragging him to the front of the stage along with Nexor. "Perhaps one of your own then," Nexor hissed. "Your compliance will save this program." Nexor kicked Sage down to the stage. Sage dropped to the floor with a slam. The Defender was dazed then panicked as Nexor's boot came down on his throat. Nexor's disc blazed in a fiery orange. As Nexor counted downed, he lifted his disc over his head. "What a shame," he hissed again. Suddenly, a blur of bright white streaked through the air over the stage, slicing with precision, Nexor's disc clean in half. The shock of the blow caused the First Chief to stumble. The bright white disc banked into a curve, mercilessly slicing into three guards in staggered formations, before curving straight back up above the center of the stage. All around the programs gasped in shock at the display. Suddenly, a figure clad in black robes over sleek black plating with white circuitry dropped from out of nowhere. While in midair, the figure caught the disc and heaved it, slamming the stage. The disc dug into the center, sending out a wave of power and energy. All programs on the stage were knocked down by the sheer force. As the haze of confusion lifted, the figure slowly lifted his head. His face was covered with a black reflective mask, overshadowed by a black hood. He stood tall, shining brilliantly amongst the dilapidation of Tron City. As the guards regained their focus, they all extracted discs and batons. The figure spoke with a distorted voice.
"Drop your weapons or I'll finish you all," he said. Sage recognized the voice. Dep had finally come out in the open. The Defender's power was unmatched. With a single slam of his disc, he could clear the stage. Nexor stood broad, emitting his evil orange glow.
"Who do you think you are?" he growled.
"You want me." Sage grew confused, it was obviously Dep, yet it wasn't. "Well here I am." The figure said. He stepped up, now addressing both Nexor and the crowd. "These programs are free to act as they desire, to live without fear of tyrants!" Quiet murmurs flowed over the body of the crowd. "And it is by their hands, their will that the Disciples' tyranny will fall." The crowd watched the mysterious figure in awe but lacked acceptance. These were old words, dead words to be laid down on broken spirits.
"You? You're the user?" Nexor scoffed. He cackled menacingly, his orange eyes burning into the visor of the mysterious figure. "You've made quite a mess. Because of your cowardice, you've allowed the derezzolution of many," he spoke now turning to the crowd, projecting to both the figure and the hundreds of programs. The figure looked out over them all. He saw the greater impact that Nexor's piercing words had on them. His head stooped ever so slightly. The visor then snapped to focus again on Nexor. He stared down on the evil program. Suddenly from under the hood, the black faceplate collapsed back into the collar of the figure's armor. Aaron pulled back the hood from his blonde hair to reveal his young, hard face. His piercing blue eyes delved into Nexor's evil glow.
"I'm here now," he said in his own clear voice. "Allow these programs to live and I will turn myself in." Aaron Flynn raised his disc high over his head. "If you don't, I will demonstrate my power and destroy you all."
"That's quite a bluff."
"You willing to take that chance?" Aaron challenged. Nexor's gaze narrowed on the face of his target.
"Fine," he growled finally. "They will live, for now." Aaron stood strong for another full moment before lowering his disc. With a motion of his hand, Nexor commanded the guards to converge on the user. All the time, Aaron never blinked, never broke eye contact with Nexor. Sage who had been watching in awe, without ability to speak, watched as Aaron was stripped of his disc and baton then escorted into a waiting Recognizer. Aaron was different; stronger, calmer, determined. He had changed, changed into the very user the Defender's all wanted him to be. This was it, their opportunity for inspiration. Aaron had just become the symbol the programs all desperately needed.