Fic: Breathe And Carry On - Part Two
Title: Breathe And Carry On - Part Two
Author: neth_dugan
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don't own Tron. Disney do. Though given a certain scene you have to wonder about that too. Seriously, not mine.
Category: AU, gen
Spoilers: Tron: Legacy. There's also reference to the ending of the original Tron (1982)
Summary: As the three became four, a new ending takes place and then.... well, something different starts to form.
PART ONE
Chapter Three
In front of him, Kevin could see Clu standing full of confidence as though he was sure of victory. Sure in a way only programs could be. A moment of time seemed to slow down as Clu stared past him and saw Tron, tensed, and started to make a run for it.
Not a surprise.
Dropping to his knees in a kind of fluidity he was sure his body wouldn't be capable of in the outside world, bringing up coding in his mind, intent and sheer force of will streaming out of his fingers and forced his mirror to remain in place. Unable to move his feet, to so much as creep forward so that all the program could do was glare.
“I did everything! Everything you ever asked.”
“I know you did.”
“I executed the plan.”
“As you saw it.”
“You, you promised that we would change the world. Together. You broke your promise.”
“I know. I understand that now.”
“I took this system to its maximum potential. I created the perfect system!”
“The thing about perfection, is that it's unknowable. It's impossible, but it's also right in front of us, all the time. You wouldn't know that because I didn't, when I created you. I'm sorry.”
Despite wanting to believe in Clu, despite wanting to hold out his arms and forgive everything and for it could all be okay again Kevin knew he couldn't. Maybe he would have, in a last bid of hope if Tron weren't here and there was nothing to do but distract the program from Quorra and Sam. But this was reality, he still had his own disk on his back and he couldn't afford it.
“I'm so sorry Clu, it's my fault and I know that now but this needs to be done. Goodbye.”
With a nod to the program by his side, more a tilt of his head as he refused to take his eyes from his digital clone, he felt Tron move forward and into his field of vision. Then saw him pause, Kevin didn't know what his eyes were doing but he would bet you a hundred bucks they were saying something. And then...
And then Tron lifted up his disk, his disc and not the stolen one, and slammed it against Clu's neck. If either of them were made of flesh and blood you might even call it a merciful strike.
Clu, he would swear for years to come, looked surprised even as he derezzed and fell apart.
Shit, man, he felt about ready to do the same. All those cycles of nothing didn't exactly prepare you for this. This wasn't done though, because what were they all supposed to do now?
Chapter Four
“This belongs to you,” was the first thing Quorra said to him as she stepped into his view, identity disk held out in front of her. Always loyal.
“So, what happens next?” Sam asked, still behind him and sounding a bit lost.
“Now, now you go back home Sam. That portal will close soon and if it does so do our choices. Go home. You can come back right off if you want, but you need to go home.”
“Dad, what about you? You can come back now and....”
“Maybe I will. But I'm needed here still. Can't afford the time difference. Before you go, how's Alan?”
“Alan? He's okay. Been left out by the Encom big wigs. Pushed aside but still kept around for appearances. Probably 'cause he's still pretty loyal to you. Puts a face on to the public but he misses you. It's been a bit strange since you left. I think you'd like some of the chaos that's been caused.” Sam laughed, a touch bitterly.
“Really?”
“Yeah, but I'll tell you when I get back.”
He smiled, nodded his head and made a sort of shoving motion towards the beam of light. Not long at all now.
“Hey, kiddo!”
“Yes dad?”
“Tell Alan I said 'hi', and he can come visit any time he wants.”
His son's confused look was the last thing Kevin saw before he disappeared upwards and into the outside world.
Chapter Five
The first thought through his head was that breathing had never felt so odd before, he'd never felt as much before. That was new. The second thought was that he should go right back in, even as he sat time was speeding past faster inside the Grid and there wasn't a moment to spare. His third was the last words that he'd heard whilst in the energy stream, and what on earth dad had meant by them. He couldn't seriously have been asking him to get Alan into the Grid too. Could he?
Another moment, hours passing.
They'd been friends. Alan was his grandfather. Tron looked a hell of a lot like a younger Alan too and had been created by him. He.... he probably meant that. Right. That meant contacting the older man as fast as possible and as easily as possible and getting him here yesterday. Which meant figuring out how you send a message to a pager. Had to be an ap for that.
Time differences, speeding by.
Only a few minutes passed though it felt like hours, it was hours, before Alan walked into the arcade and Sam wouldn't let himself think on how it should have taken him longer if he'd been any place but near by.
“Alan.”
And Sam hadn't expected that flash if disappointment across the eyes, should have though. What else was new?
“You paged me?”
“Yeah. I found him.”
“You found your father. Here?”
“Sort of,” Sam smiled enjoying this. “He says 'hi' and asks if you want to come visit.”
“Of course! What do you mean by 'sort of' though.”
“Come see, follow me.”
Walking away and towards the hidden door, assuming that Alan would follow, Sam lead them down the stairs and into the dusty office that probably no one knew about.
Hurry, hurry. He'd been gone for so long now. Run.
“I need you to stand there, and this is going to seem strange but trust me. Stand there, and don't move.”
Yeah, he'd confused the man for sure. Could see that look on his face that held both bewilderment and wonder as if trying to sort out something that made no sense to him. He'd seen it on his face a hundred times or more. Still, it was only a matter of typing in a few codes, reaching to hold onto Alan's arm tightly and pressing enter.
And then there was light.
And then it all changed.
When he opened his eyes the world was different, cleaner, with Quorra standing in front them wearing a smile on her face and excitement in her eyes. It was good to see her again. A glance beside him let Sam know that Alan was, well, freaking out a little bit but still had that look of wonder on his face. Nobody said a word as they left the building, with Sam still grasping the other user's arm to be on the safe side, nor as they got into the light runner and raced off into the grid.
None of them could keep a smile off their face.
Author: neth_dugan
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don't own Tron. Disney do. Though given a certain scene you have to wonder about that too. Seriously, not mine.
Category: AU, gen
Spoilers: Tron: Legacy. There's also reference to the ending of the original Tron (1982)
Summary: As the three became four, a new ending takes place and then.... well, something different starts to form.
PART ONE
Chapter Three
In front of him, Kevin could see Clu standing full of confidence as though he was sure of victory. Sure in a way only programs could be. A moment of time seemed to slow down as Clu stared past him and saw Tron, tensed, and started to make a run for it.
Not a surprise.
Dropping to his knees in a kind of fluidity he was sure his body wouldn't be capable of in the outside world, bringing up coding in his mind, intent and sheer force of will streaming out of his fingers and forced his mirror to remain in place. Unable to move his feet, to so much as creep forward so that all the program could do was glare.
“I did everything! Everything you ever asked.”
“I know you did.”
“I executed the plan.”
“As you saw it.”
“You, you promised that we would change the world. Together. You broke your promise.”
“I know. I understand that now.”
“I took this system to its maximum potential. I created the perfect system!”
“The thing about perfection, is that it's unknowable. It's impossible, but it's also right in front of us, all the time. You wouldn't know that because I didn't, when I created you. I'm sorry.”
Despite wanting to believe in Clu, despite wanting to hold out his arms and forgive everything and for it could all be okay again Kevin knew he couldn't. Maybe he would have, in a last bid of hope if Tron weren't here and there was nothing to do but distract the program from Quorra and Sam. But this was reality, he still had his own disk on his back and he couldn't afford it.
“I'm so sorry Clu, it's my fault and I know that now but this needs to be done. Goodbye.”
With a nod to the program by his side, more a tilt of his head as he refused to take his eyes from his digital clone, he felt Tron move forward and into his field of vision. Then saw him pause, Kevin didn't know what his eyes were doing but he would bet you a hundred bucks they were saying something. And then...
And then Tron lifted up his disk, his disc and not the stolen one, and slammed it against Clu's neck. If either of them were made of flesh and blood you might even call it a merciful strike.
Clu, he would swear for years to come, looked surprised even as he derezzed and fell apart.
Shit, man, he felt about ready to do the same. All those cycles of nothing didn't exactly prepare you for this. This wasn't done though, because what were they all supposed to do now?
Chapter Four
“This belongs to you,” was the first thing Quorra said to him as she stepped into his view, identity disk held out in front of her. Always loyal.
“So, what happens next?” Sam asked, still behind him and sounding a bit lost.
“Now, now you go back home Sam. That portal will close soon and if it does so do our choices. Go home. You can come back right off if you want, but you need to go home.”
“Dad, what about you? You can come back now and....”
“Maybe I will. But I'm needed here still. Can't afford the time difference. Before you go, how's Alan?”
“Alan? He's okay. Been left out by the Encom big wigs. Pushed aside but still kept around for appearances. Probably 'cause he's still pretty loyal to you. Puts a face on to the public but he misses you. It's been a bit strange since you left. I think you'd like some of the chaos that's been caused.” Sam laughed, a touch bitterly.
“Really?”
“Yeah, but I'll tell you when I get back.”
He smiled, nodded his head and made a sort of shoving motion towards the beam of light. Not long at all now.
“Hey, kiddo!”
“Yes dad?”
“Tell Alan I said 'hi', and he can come visit any time he wants.”
His son's confused look was the last thing Kevin saw before he disappeared upwards and into the outside world.
Chapter Five
The first thought through his head was that breathing had never felt so odd before, he'd never felt as much before. That was new. The second thought was that he should go right back in, even as he sat time was speeding past faster inside the Grid and there wasn't a moment to spare. His third was the last words that he'd heard whilst in the energy stream, and what on earth dad had meant by them. He couldn't seriously have been asking him to get Alan into the Grid too. Could he?
Another moment, hours passing.
They'd been friends. Alan was his grandfather. Tron looked a hell of a lot like a younger Alan too and had been created by him. He.... he probably meant that. Right. That meant contacting the older man as fast as possible and as easily as possible and getting him here yesterday. Which meant figuring out how you send a message to a pager. Had to be an ap for that.
Time differences, speeding by.
Only a few minutes passed though it felt like hours, it was hours, before Alan walked into the arcade and Sam wouldn't let himself think on how it should have taken him longer if he'd been any place but near by.
“Alan.”
And Sam hadn't expected that flash if disappointment across the eyes, should have though. What else was new?
“You paged me?”
“Yeah. I found him.”
“You found your father. Here?”
“Sort of,” Sam smiled enjoying this. “He says 'hi' and asks if you want to come visit.”
“Of course! What do you mean by 'sort of' though.”
“Come see, follow me.”
Walking away and towards the hidden door, assuming that Alan would follow, Sam lead them down the stairs and into the dusty office that probably no one knew about.
Hurry, hurry. He'd been gone for so long now. Run.
“I need you to stand there, and this is going to seem strange but trust me. Stand there, and don't move.”
Yeah, he'd confused the man for sure. Could see that look on his face that held both bewilderment and wonder as if trying to sort out something that made no sense to him. He'd seen it on his face a hundred times or more. Still, it was only a matter of typing in a few codes, reaching to hold onto Alan's arm tightly and pressing enter.
And then there was light.
And then it all changed.
When he opened his eyes the world was different, cleaner, with Quorra standing in front them wearing a smile on her face and excitement in her eyes. It was good to see her again. A glance beside him let Sam know that Alan was, well, freaking out a little bit but still had that look of wonder on his face. Nobody said a word as they left the building, with Sam still grasping the other user's arm to be on the safe side, nor as they got into the light runner and raced off into the grid.
None of them could keep a smile off their face.