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The arena itself was not far away from the armory dome, but there was some distance between it and the energy spring. Tron hated the fact that they were restricted to simply run on foot. Tron half wished he could take out one of the Recognizers. The three of them could possibly fly to it. He also wished he had access to a light jet or a tank or runner.
“How are you holding up?” Tron asked when they neared the outer wall.
“I move pretty well for a dead woman,” Janelle said. “That energy liquid was quite a boost.”
“Energy heals programs. It keeps us healthy and strong. It works on Users, even the ones who are no longer alive it seems.”
“Works on Legion,” Legion said.
“Tastes refreshing and it doesn’t do a number on your stomach,” Janelle said. “Better than Red Bull or Amp, then again my stomach is non functioning.” She rubbed her abdomen. “At least I think it is.”
“We will talk about that later,” Tron said. They could enter through the front entrance but those were not for players of the game. Those were for the audience and if they did get through the guards will keep them from searching for Alan. He wanted to call out the program in charge so he can speak with him.
“What’s the plan?” Janelle asked.
“We climb the wall.” Tron turned to Legion. “We need for you to stay here.”
“Legion wants to help,” the mass of Bits said.
“You can give us a boost,” Janelle said. “Or Tron a boost. I can just float up.” She frowned. “Why didn’t I think of that in the first place?” She smacked the side of her head. “All this time I could have just floated up through the system, out of the machine and into the real world. I am so stupid.”
“No you are not,” Tron told her. “You are out of your element and you have been through a series of traumatic experiences.”
“Tron is right,” Legion said. “Janelle is not stupid. Janelle thought she was in bad place.”
“I did and there was the fact that I did receive a few nasty jolts. It has been proven that a certain amount of electric shocks, those that are not fatal of course can alter brain function. It had been used on psychiatric patients in the pas and I remember in some classes that it is used on those with severe depression because the shocks cause the neurotransmissions of dopamine and endorphins .” She shook her head. “Less medical and more physical and action. I do wonder if I will be microscopic. I can just grow once I’m out. I have altered my appearance before.” She looked up. After a few seconds she raised her arms, then flapped them, then she jumped and flapped her arms.
“You are going to attract unwanted attention,” Tron told her. He had no idea what she was trying to do.
“It’s not working.” She stood on her toes. “I’m not floating or flying. I can’t fly.”
“We’ll figure out what is wrong with you later.”
“What is wrong with me?” Janelle asked in a shocked and saddened tone. “Everything is wrong.”
Great that was just great. Tron didn’t mean to insult her. Was that a sign that Rinzler was resurfacing?
“Tron made Janelle sad,” Legion said and despite the limitations on his facial feature he managed to scowl at Tron. “Legion thinks nothing is wrong with Janelle.”
“Thank you, Legion,” Janelle said as she placed her hand on Legion’s hand. “I don’t think he really meant those words. He’s just stressed. He’s worried about Alan as much as I am.”
“Exactly,” Tron said. That was a believable excuse. Time was running out for Alan. “Legion, I could use that boost.”
For once Legion didn’t say anything has he held his hands together.
Tron placed a foot in it and allowed the mass to hoist him up. It was a good hoist, sending him rising a couple of feet before he grabbed onto the wall. Once he felt a good grip on the walls he reached down and held out his hand.
“Be gentle, please,” Janelle said as she was given a similar boost. She grabbed onto the wall and nearly slipped.
Tron grabbed her and helped steady her until she was able to scale up the side. He climbed up after her. He watched to make sure she wouldn’t slip and would catch her if she fell. Neither she nor he had any trouble climbing up to the top.
“These games are dangerous,” Tron reminded her as they stood up and looked down into the arena. It was similar to the one from Flynn’s Grid and that meant that what was once for fun had been turned into something brutal. He closed his eyes as he remembered battling against other program’s as Rinzler.
“I understand and I can hold my own,” Janelle said. “I’m pretty damn good with a disk or Frisbee. It was the reason why I always got to be Sailor Moon when my friends and I would dress up and pretend to be Sailor Soldiers. That and because I’m pretty damn short.” She waved her hand over her head.
Tron nodded. He was not familiar with these Sailor Soldiers and he never commented on her height. She was almost a foot shorter than him.
“So how do we get their attention?” Janelle asked as the sound of footsteps was heard on their sides. “I guess we don’t need to.”
Tron felt his helmet form over his head as he turned to face the nearest guards. His first instinct was to go for his disks but he held back.
“Program, identify yourself,” one of the guards demanded.
“Don’t you butt faces ever say anything new?” Janelle asked.
“Where is Regor?” Tron asked.
“Tell him the one he is looking for has arrived,” Janelle said. “And her name is Janelle.”
One of the guards turned to the others and spoke with them silently before he turned back to them. The other solders ran off.
“He will be informed.”
Only a few nanoseconds had passed before a Recognizer flew towards them. The platform lowered towards where they stood. There were several more guards, along with Regor and another program in armor that had the same blue lights as Tron had, even the fingers on his gloves, the only difference was the symbol under his collar. No, this wasn’t another program. He looked like Tron, but older and aged like Flynn had.
“Alan-One,” Tron whispered.
“Mr. Bradley,” Janelle said. “Let him go.”
“Do you I look like a fool?” Regor asked.
“No,” Janelle said. “You look like an asshole.”
Regor smirked. “What a nice mouth you have. You and your program friend have both agreed to play in this game. Step aboard.”
Tron could not stop staring at Alan as he stepped aboard the Recognizer. That was his User, his creator. He had dreamed about meeting him for many cycles. Tron sighed, not now and not ever. He did not deserve to meet his creator, not after what he had had done.
“My master is very interested in you,” Regor said to Janelle. “Not so much about your friend, even if he is a bit of a legend here.”
“Your master was created by Ed Dillinger Junior,” Janelle accused and turned to Alan. “He’s the one who caused the whole viral infection. Junior created it along with some other guy who uploaded it from the outside.”
Alan shook his head. “I thought he was different. I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” He even sounded like Tron.
“Your User conversation bores me,” Regor said. “What we have done is set right what once went wrong. We are restoring a form of order. You two were not able to prevent this, not at all but when we-“
“Ess Tee Eff You,” Janelle’s voice took on a growl. Regor had pushed her to spout out letters, some form of code that Tron did not recognize. “Four little letters, STFU.”
The guards understood the letters as did Regor who looked shocked that she would dare to utter them to him, Even Alan seemed to understand what she was saying, but that made sense. Alan was a User who wrote programs.
“You will learn to mind your tongue,” Regor said as he waved a finger in her face. “When the master arrives.”
The Recognizer flew them over to the middle of the arena and lowered itself while the center of the stage rose. Regor kept staring up while Tron stared at Alan and Alan stared at Janelle.
“How,” Alan said after a few seconds. “How is it possible that you are here, Janelle? Are you a program?”
“I can assure you that I’m not, Mr. Bradley.” She held out her hand to him. When Alan grabbed it the tears returned to her eyes and she wrapped her arms around him.
“My what a touching moment,” Regor said in a mocking.
Tron turned to him and growled, causing the minion to gulp. He stared at the raised part of the stage and wondered why they hadn’t lowered to it.
“Ah,” Regor said after a couple of nanoseconds. He was staring at the sky again “Here he comes.”
An aircraft flew into the sky, highlighted by golden yellow light. It did not land, but merely hovered over the stage.
“We can proceed,” Regor said as the platform lowered. He turned to Tron. “What was your name again?”
“Tron.”
“Tron?” Alan repeated. “My Tron?”
“He does look like a younger version of you,” Janelle said.
They stepped off the platform and onto the raised stage which lowered. Tron looked up around him. Everything was coming back and that was what frightened him. Flynn, where are you?
“Everything in place,” Regor instructed as he, two guards and Alan stepped back to a different part of the stage. Guards took Janelle to another part of the stage. The lights changed dividing the center into two separate stages with another area in front that rose several feet.
Five warriors clad in black with bluish white circuitry rose from the stage below and surrounded Tron. He noticed that where Janelle stood that five female game players rose from the floor and surrounded her.
“Greetings Programs,” Regor said. “We have a two for one tonight. Not only will you get the see the men perform, but also the ladies, and if that is not enough then our lord and master, Osiris is watching from above.”
The crowd broke out in applause until Regor held up his hand again.
“Thank you, thank you. We have two new men and three new women.” He pointed to where the ladies stood. “In spot number three we have Falee, in number four, Aria, and in number one we have Janelle.” He waited for the applause to die down again and pointed to the men’s area. “In the number five spot we have Cipher and in the number three spot we have someone who isn’t quite new to the games. He has been here before. I am pleased to reintroduce Tron.”
Gasps surrounded the stage followed by a loud roar of applause. Several others were shouting.
“Somebody is a fan favorite,” Regor said. “Now remember the rules.”
“What are the rules?” Janelle asked.
“Very simple,” Regor answered. “Survive. Now begin.”
Tron removed the disk from his back and divided it into two. He threw them at the other players, aiming to take out their disks and try not to derezz them. He didn’t want to cause them any harm. They were innocents, taken offline and used for the game. He was able to dodge with perfect grace and able to destroy one disk.
He felt himself at ease as he got into the game. When he was first created and made to play in on the game grid he had to fight for his life. His abilities has a highly developed security program had made him a natural and with every win his skills had grown sharper. When Flynn brought him over to the new system, Tron still played the games, but they were for fun and he enjoyed it. They were nothing but a form of friendly competition until Clu took over.
One of the other player’s disk’s grazed his shoulder. He growled out in pain, a pain that he knew all too well. He glared at the one who threw it at him.
The man glared back as he caught his disk, ready to throw it at him again. The circuitry of his armor blazed brighter with blue light. He was the enemy; light blue was his enemy.
Tron threw a disk at the one that attacked him with such speed that his opponent did not have time to duck.
The roar of the crowd grew louder. Were they cheering him on? They had to be, they always did. He was their fan favorite. Everybody loved him; everybody loved Rinzler. He stared at those who opposed him. There were three others. He will take them out for the crowd. Clu will be pleased with him. He dodged another attack and killed another while a second program took out a third now it was just down to two.
The other player was fierce and fast. He had great reflexes but he was no match for Rinzler. Rinzler blocked the opponent’s disk and pounced on him. With both disks in his hand he slashed down, cutting through his chest, causing him to derezz.
The crowd was cheering him, shouting his name. No, the were saying a different name. They were calling him Tron and shouting it over and over again.
“I am Tron,” Tron said as he stared down at himself. Orangish red lights flickered back to blue-white. “Not again.” He dropped his disks as his helmet disappeared. He grabbed his head.
“What are you waiting for?” Regor shouted. “Finish the game.”
“I already have,” Janelle said as she stood over the other remaining game player. “It’s over.”
“Kill her.”
“No.” She placed her disk on her back. “I refuse to play like that. It’s insane, it’s barbaric.”
“It’s how you win,” Regor said.
“Then I forfeit,” Janelle said and turned to help the other player up who smiled in gratitude at her. “I may have my poltergeist moments but I never did hurt anyone.”
Regor stormed from his section of the stage and marched right up to the females. He smacked the remaining program way from Janelle and removed his disk. He slashed down across the program’s throat, causing her to derezz.
“That is how it is done.”
“What the hell?” Janelle asked. “Why did you do that? Why?”
“That is the way the game is run. Only one survivor.”
“Well you screwed up. There are no survivors.”
“There is you and that is all that matters.” He reached for her.
Janelle smacked his hand away. “You’re disgusting.” She punched him in the chest and would have punched again if the guards hadn’t surrounded her and held her back.
The helmet reappeared on Tron as he grabbed his disks and ran towards them. He stood in between Janelle and Regor. He did not notice as the several guards had approached him, or Alan who also ran up to them.
“Let them go,” a mysterious voice said. A Program strode up to them dressed in a black suit and wore a long coat trimmed in glowing gold. He had dark hair and piercing blue eyes.
“Edward Dillinger Junior,” Alan said through clenched teeth.
“That is the name of my User,” the program said. “I am Osiris.”
“You should bow before the Master,” Regor said.
“Now, now,” Osiris said as he waved a finger. “Where are our manners? These three our newcomers, or at least two of them are.”
Tron only stared at Osiris for a few seconds before he looked around the Arena. He found the entrance way from the rest of the area. They had to escape through there. He had to get the Users out of here. He looked back at both Osiris and Regor. They both had batons strapped to their belts as did several of the other guards.
“We might send the two Users back,” Osiris said as he paced in front of them. “I am pleased and disappointed with your performance my dear.” He stopped in front of Janelle. “I can admire your strategy, but I was hoping for more.”
“You wanted me to kill?” Janelle asked. “I refuse to kill.”
Osiris pursed his lips. “I may change your mind about that. I have plans for you, big plans. You and Tron here will be my champions.” He reached out to stroke her hair.
Janelle slapped his hand away. “Don’t you dare touch me.”
“I will do more than that,” Osiris said and reached out for her again.
Tron sliced his disks through the two guards closest to him and managed to grab their batons before they fully derezzed. “Alan-one, Janelle,” he tossed them both to the Users and swiped another from a third guard. “Follow me.” He ran and leaped. The baton in his hands split and a lightcycle formed around it.
“Stop them,” Osiris shouted as the sound of two more light cycles being formed were heard.
“Follow me,” Tron ordered as he drove his cycle to the entrance. “Janelle get Alan out of here.”
“I’ll try,” Janelle said as she continued to ride. “How are you holding, up Mr. Bradley?”
“I can handle this just fine,” Alan said. “Don’t know how I will be able to handle anything more that regular riding.”
“Keep going,” Tron urged. He veered his bike to the right and turned around. He saw several more guards driving towards him. “Lets see how a few old fashioned skills hold up.” He rode back to the guards and veered right at the last second. He heard a crash. He circled around.
Two more guards were driving towards him. At the last second the one on the right turned creating a jet stream in front of Tron.
Tron leaped at the last second, and jumped over the stream allowing his bike to hit the water like wall. His light cycle derezzed, leaving the baton to fly through the air. Tron caught it and rerezzed his bike before hitting the ground.
One of the other two guards had caught up with him and rode along side him.
“Come on bit brain,” Tron muttered. “Try and follow me.” He drove around in a wide circle and looped around. He rode up to the nearest stream and changed angles. Once he heard the familiar crash he smiled. There was only one to go.
The other rider was persistent and skilled. He kept dodging when Tron did. It was almost impossible to lose him.
“I’m going to have to fight dirty,” Tron grumbled as he lead the guard to the nearest jet stream. He increased his speed and at the right moment and distance he mad his bike jump. As they sailed over the wall he removed his disk from his back and looked over his shoulder.
The sentry had jumped. His bike didn’t make it but he had and he had grabbed the baton as he made his descent.
“Not this time.” Tron threw his disk and watched as it sliced through the rider before it returned to him. A part of him hated having to do that. The other rider was skilled. If things were different and the games were just for fun then he would have been a worthy opponent, someone Tron would have respected and even formed a friendship with.
Now was not a time to dwell on that. He deleted the thought from his mind and rode through the entranceway. His number one priority was to make sure the Users were safe.
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