(no subject)

[fightsfor]

No. This isn't a game -- I can't just leave Argon. The uprising is still depending on Beck becoming Tron, and he's not ready. Not yet.

I won't stop until Clu's control over the Grid is broken. Come back then.

Comments

[notglitching]

[Don't mind the rumbling. Or the headtilt. Or the faint, quiet impression that someone, somewhere, is silently laughing at you.

Rinzler thought he'd seen enough glitched copies, but this? Is new.]

[fightsfor]

[ ...the suit is familiar, but the rumbling grind of code conflict is new. Don't mind Tron if he just... reaches for his disc, here. You're not right. ]

You're one of Clu's.

asfdklajs THIS IS A TREND. XD;;

[notglitching]

[The suit's somewhat familiar. Though the circuits are glitched. All the same, you look a lot like his murderbuddy. So that reach of yours, Tron? Gets one in return. Eager, quick, noise ticking out with an edge of satisfaction as the orange disk comes free of dock.

Rinzler takes a step closer, slow and predatory as the mask dips in a nod.]

OUR CHARACTERS: DOOMED TO ALWAYS FIGHT IT OUT

[fightsfor]

[ Tron narrows his eyes, but doesn't activate his disc -- yet. ]

You don't even remember what you are, do you?

[ Don't think he didn't notice the T-tetromino on that suit. ]

APPARENTLY.

[notglitching]

[But Tron, how do you narrow them more? They're already tiny squinty lines.

Rinzler stills at the question. It's not consideration, though. Or any kind of error. It's sheer, absurd disbelief that a copy this glitched is going to ask that of him.

His disk lights, though no move yet to split or use it. Sorry, mirror. He knows what he is. And what he's made for. How about you?]

[ja307020]

[All the staring and rumbling and what even.]

Who?

[Really, why in the world would any of him be training an imposter of him?]

[fightsfor]

[ This is your more, uh... Disney, self, Tron. He's still kind of an asshole, though, so enjoy. ]

Beck. From Argon.

[ja307020]

[Clearly this requires more side-eye. Not sure if glitching or serious. Because this? This he doesn't remember, and while Tron knows very well his memory is shot through with holes and glitches, a failed rebellion is exactly the sort of thing he knows Clu would leave him. If only to be able to twist the knife. That and, uh, reference still not found.]

Unknown filepath. Alternate system.

[Screw you too, multiverse.]

[fightsfor]

[...right. Flynn must have copied him over to a new system. Alternate system. ]

There's no Argon in your system?

[ja307020]

[Tron just shakes his head.]

Raising an army?

[Hey since this is established as an alternate system, Tron can dream, right?]

[fightsfor]

Building a rebellion. The programs want a revolution; this is just the start.

[ja307020]

[Waaaaaaaaait.]

So... army?

[You do realize Clu has an army, right glitchy mirror? As badass as they both naturally are, things start to get dicey when you're calculating taking on more than a dozen programs at a time.]

[tanks4thememory]

[Hey there Tron. Have a familiar face. But there're some minor details that are different from the program he last remembers wearing that face that suggest it might not be the same guy you remember.]

Muns really do have the worst timing sometimes, don't they?

[fightsfor]

[ No drawn disc, but all the suspicion. You look a bit too young to be Clu, though, even if the color matches. ]

...she's a User. They're not known for their sense of timing.

[ And a just a hint of bitterness, there. ]

[tanks4thememory]

[Suspicion, he can deal with. He's clearly used to such, given the undertones of resigned exasperation in his manner. Long as nobody breaks out the weapons, he can deal.]

Tell me about it. Mine pulled me straight from the moment of my deresolution. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm grateful to be back up and running again, but she couldn't have pulled me out of there before I got hauled in front of Mr. High-and-Mighty Master Control?

[Sighs and shakes his head, leaning back against a convenient wall and crossing his arms loosely over his chest.]

[fightsfor]

[ Wait, what? The MCP was a long time ago, kiddo. ]

...you're Flynn's hacker program. The original.

[tanks4thememory]

[Nods, smiling slightly at being recognized, and relaxing a little.]

Yeah, that's me. Got derezzed before Flynn ever made it into the system, and rerezzed onto the Free Grid some 1500 cycles or more later. And discovered that my runtime had gotten a whole lot more complicated in my absence, for reasons that you can probably guess.

[Gestures at his appearance.]

[p41937urner]

You sure that's a topic you want to be discussing out in the world?

Don't worry about your friend. I'll take care of him.

[fightsfor]

[ Casually shifting his stance, just in case. Beck might have a crush be willing to save you, Paige, but Tron's not so forgiving. ]

This is hardly the Grid; the data won't do anyone any good out here. And I wouldn't underestimate him, if I were you.

[evolving_unaware]

[Cue one horrified erstwhile fanboy ISO]

No. Oh, no.

What are you doing? He thinks he knows what he's doing but he doesn't have a glitching clue, can't you see that? You can't keep encouraging him the way you encouraged me!

Don't you know what Clu will do to him once he gets his hands on him?

Ouch, Jalen. Tell us how you *really* feel.

[fightsfor]

[ There's a moment of disbelief, as though Tron seen a ghost virus -- which, in a way, he has. But then his brow furrows, mouth set in a grim line. ]

As opposed to letting him get derezzed the moment he pulled his first stunt? I'm giving him a fighting chance, which is better than he'll ever get if he's hauled off to the Games.

Well, this could get awkward really fast...

[lifes_short_pop]

"Rule number one of the digital world; it's not safe. Not in the slightest. Seems everything's trying to get you killed...er...de-rezzed. The best chance you have is just to survive long enough to escape."

He shakes his head. "I...I wish there was some way to help change things. It shouldn't have to be like that."

[fightsfor]

[ He doesn't need a lecture on safety, son. He's security. ]

It didn't used to be like that. And with Clu in power, no one will escape.

Not even Flynn.

[lifes_short_pop]

Not a lecture, just a very hard-won observation. The damn place still gives him nightmares. Not to mention all those things his godfather left out of the bedtime stories and the Digital Frontier book. Frost it off with the terrifying implications of what it all means and how humanity is woefully inadequate for that kind of responsibility...

((And from a certain, crazy point of view, it's "little brother" - you've just got more of a resemblance to your mutual father...))

"I never knew it to be anything else. Fighting off Thorne's virus, Intrusion Countermeasures, Seekers, Datawraiths...surviving nine rounds on a lightcycle. Outrunning a reformat and escaping two servers that were literally crashing down around my ears. Not to mention all the places I almost fell to my -"

He quits in mid-rant and looks at Tron warily. "Wait a minute..." Suddenly, he seems very, very nervous. "You mentioned Flynn?"

[namesram]

[..geez, how is it even possible for you to get even taller]

[a few hesitant steps forward -- he's met a lot of you out here, but never from this period. if he'd known you were alive all that time....]

...Tron?

[fightsfor]

[ He's making up for Legacy, really.

It's been hundreds of cycles over two separate systems, but Tron could never forget that face. ]

Ram?

[namesram]

[..okay, valid excuse. XD

..same here. stops a pace or so away, not going for a tacklehug or anything because it's hard to tell how Tron's doing right now -- but does reach out to pat his arm, with a glad, welcoming smile.]

Yeah. It's good to see you. [always is.~]