(Untitled)

[arcade_god]

Who: Kevin Flynn and Alan Bradley
What: Flynn tracks down his old friend.
When: Morning, May 9th
Where: Alan's room
Rating: PG

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[is0latedthinker]

It's been a few days, and Alan still has yet to find his pager - it must really be his loss, as earlier theorized by Maya and Courage. But despite the fact that he'd slept with the thing for twenty years and had now lost it, what has really bothered him is the insanity of everything that's happening - the residents of the castle, who range from talking ponies to dark little boys floating through walls and floors; the castle's ability to take things and grant wishes; the new knowledge of the Grid and its oddly human-like programs. Nothing makes sense here anymore

[arcade_god]

Though Sam had prepared him to meet an aged Alan Bradley, looking his old friend in the face is something else entirely. It's a frightening reminder of just how much time, in the end, Flynn had spent stuck in the system.

He steps back to give Alan some room, then clears his throat and pulls a hand back out to rub at the side of his neck when he catches himself staring.

"Yeah. It's me. Long time no see, right?"

[is0latedthinker]

"You have no idea." He smiles, reassured - CLU wouldn't react like this; this is surely his friend. "Twenty years, Flynn," he says. Even if it's only been a few days since he's seen Flynn's face, it's not the same as seeing Flynn himself. He's overly aware of the age difference between them now - Flynn still looks like he did back then.

He pulls his friend into a brotherly hug. "I'm glad it's you," he adds, not explaining his encounter with Flynn's program just yet. Then he clears his throat, a bit embarrassed, and steps back away from the door. "Come on in."

[arcade_god]

Flynn is more than okay with hugs. Maybe he doesn't have the same kind of perspective Alan does, but the guy's a sight for sore eyes anyway, wrinkles or not.

"Why not. Let's see what you've done with the place, huh?"

He slaps his buddy on the back as they turn to move inside, allowing himself what's become a rare grin these days.

[is0latedthinker]

The furniture of Alan's room is modern and graceful, much like his office at ENCOM Tower; there are a few strategically placed chairs, as well as a desk and a bed. It does still lack a few things, but nothing one would notice until he needed it. He points out a chair to Flynn and settles in one across from it.

He's not quite sure what to say now that he's finally face-to-face with his friend. He chuckles to himself. "I have to say this is not how I pictured finding you again."

"I spoke with Quorra, Clu, and Sam." He pauses, rubbing at his neck before adding, "I learned about the Grid. Where you were for those twenty years."

[arcade_god]

The room's certainly a lot classier than Flynn's, which not only defies traditional aesthetics but also tends to look like some kind of horrible nest these days, with all the papers he has strewn around in there. He should probably consider a more practical organizational system if he's ever going to make anything of all this research he's been doing.

Dropping down into the offered chair, Flynn makes himself cozy.

"I could say the same thing, man. It's...uh. It's been a wild ride." He supposes he shouldn't be surprised Alan's already made the rounds by now, but it's strange to hear he won't need to start from the beginning as far as explanations go. "Yeah, that couldn't have been an easy story to swallow. I'm sorry you couldn't hear it from me first."

[is0latedthinker]

He shakes his head. "It certainly came from left field, but it was easier to accept than it would have been, considering the circumstances." He understands Kevin's apology - he too would rather have heard it from Flynn rather than Clu, especially after what happened with the program and Sam's later explanation. But that was not the fault of his friend.

"It does tell me where you were always slipping off to, though." He smiles wryly, remembering those good old days. "Not just playing space cowboy in some back room."

"I heard that you and Clu have been looking for a way back home. But, Flynn - Sam told me about what Clu did. Are you sure that's a good idea?" He's very concerned; he doesn't want to lose his best buddy again.

[arcade_god]

"Yeah, if only," he says with a fleeting grin as he sits up a bit straighter in the chair. "You have any idea how much trouble it would have saved me if I'd just been screwing around in the back of the arcade those last couple of years?"

Flynn's glad Sam evidently had a chance to fill Alan in on the CLU situation. He doesn't need another unwitting pawn on the board at this point in the game.

"Well, your information's a little outdated. CLU and I have had some irreconcilable differences."

[is0latedthinker]

Outdated, already? That was almost good to hear - he didn't want Flynn getting tricked by Clu, just as he had been. The program was very good, he had to admit. He knew Flynn wasn't one for disagreements, though - he got along with just about everybody, so long as there was hope or he hadn't been crossed too many times (like with Dillinger). Alan viewed Kevin as rather forgiving, so for him to have 'irreconcilable differences' was a big deal.

He leaned forward in his chair, pulling his glasses from his face to focus. "Mind bringing me up to date?"

[arcade_god]

"I guess it's not a state secret that most of our posse here at Paradisa has a few years on me," he began, indicating Alan himself with a lift of his chin. How long would it take to get used to seeing his friend like this? It was bizarre. "Basically, all these fine programs--and even Sam--kept me in the dark about the identity of CLU's right hand man. I had Tron operating on the Grid, Alan, and when CLU took over, I thought he'd been destroyed. I was wrong; he's here, and that son of a bitch has him reprogrammed. Brainwashed."

Flynn averts his gaze for a second, then looks back at Alan with a shake of his head.

"I can't work with somebody who thinks it's okay to enslave a free mind, human or not."

[is0latedthinker]

More than a few years, in Alan's case. Twenty. Flynn was trying to be nice, but it was all too evident to Alan, staring at a youthful Kevin. He frowned to hear that Sam had deliberately kept information from his father, but he knew that the boy had meant well.

He knew Tron had been operating on the Grid - Clu had told him so, had promised that eventually Alan could meet his self-monitoring security program. But Sam had told him about Clu's antics on the Grid, and so he'd thought that that was why Clu wouldn't bring him to Tron just yet. Because Tron would never have tolerated the totalitarian program.

But...his program was brainwashed? Enslaved? Clu's right hand man? "No..." he said, eyes wide as he straightened in his chair. It couldn't be true, could it? "Is there any way to fix him?"

[arcade_god]

The best thing about Alan Bradley has always been his love for justice. Tron was no different, before CLU made scrambled eggs of his code. So, Flynn knew before he'd even uttered a word what his pal's reaction would be.

"I'd like to think I could put him back together, if I can get close enough. But there's no chance CLU's gonna let that happen." He utters a ragged sigh, letting his shoulders sink back against the chair. "You can bet he's already got the poor sap under lock and key."

[is0latedthinker]

He frowned at the potential problem posed to them; this wasn't going to be easy. But Alan was nothing if not a problem-solver - wasn't that the point of being a programmer?

"Maybe I could go," Alan suggested. "Clu must still think I'm on good terms with him, especially if I don't tell him that I've spoken with you or Sam. And I know Tron's code." He'd written it, after all, so he should be able to fix it. Although Kevin's a programming genius, he had the advantage of familiarity, as well as surprise if Clu wasn't too suspicious.

[arcade_god]

Okay, it's not a bad plan, he'll admit that much. But some things outweigh logic, and keeping his friends and family out of harm's way is one of them.

"I don't know, man. The guy's dangerous. Last thing I want is to get you into trouble with him."

[is0latedthinker]

He knows that Flynn's looking out for him, but he doesn't want to do nothing. He waited for a long time before starting the Flynn Lives movement, and that period of waiting just didn't cut it. It was taking action that helped, in the end. But he does take into account Kevin's concern - the best plans have always been a result of bouncing ideas off of each other.

He brings two fingers to his lower lip, worrying it as he thinks. "What if I drew him out?" he asked. "These journals have filters. We could separate them, then act."

[arcade_god]

Now he's appealing to the side of Kevin Flynn that's always made it impossible for him to stay out of trouble. He meets Alan's gaze, and there's a hint of that same righteous fire in his eyes that had spurred him on the night they'd hacked ENCOM.

"Do you have any idea how tempting that sounds?" Flynn threw his hands up into the air. "I mean, what if it is that easy? All I need is five, ten minutes alone with Tron."