Tron: A User's Rise

I sped through the city, going as fast as my bike would let me, dodging vehicles and programs as I made my way to the garage. This wasn't good. I didn't think the guards would be back so quickly. I'd at least thought they'd wait a day or two.

When I arrived at the garage, I saw the guards had already finished loading most of the programs onto a light rail. Riding past them, I look around before spotting Able watching from the garage entrance. Immediately riding up to him, I hastily questioned him.

"Where are Zed and Mara?!"

Meeting my gaze, he silently shook his head, causing me to click my tongue in annoyance. Able's silence told me what I needed to know. Revving my bike, I skidded off to chase the light rail. Navigating my way through Argon, I tracked the light rail until I found myself on a raised highway, glass guardrails blocking me from getting to it.

"Ok. Here we go, here we go!" Taking a deep breath, I hyped myself up and rammed my bike through the guardrail.

Flying through the air, I turned my bike into a baton as I reached for the light rail, barely making it on as I rolled to a halt.

"Well, that wasn't terrifying at all." Muttering sarcastically as I stood up.

As soon as I got up, I was suddenly socked in the face. I stumbled back in surprise from the sudden attack before looking up and seeing who sucker-punched me. It was one of the black guards.

'How'd he get up here so fast?' I thought as I glared at him.

It doesn't matter. Rescuing people wouldn't be easy if there was no one to guard the prisoners. Though I'm certain I could deal with this guy, my fighting skills were still sluggish. Although my strength, durability, and speed should be enough to pick up some of the slack.

My suit began morphing back into its original appearance, though without its cape and hood. I still haven't figured out how it's doing that, but right now I don't have time to ponder it. Snorting, I get into a fighting stance as I prepare to face the black guard.

Activating his disc, the black guard rushed toward me. I watched as he leaped into the air, trying to dropkick me, only for me to sidestep and retaliate with a roundhouse kick. As he landed, he ducked under the kick before using his disc to throw a series of slashes at me.

Dodging the slashes, I stopped his arm holding the disc before I sparta kicked him away. As he staggered, I pressed my advantage, dashing at him before I spin-kicked him in the face. Rolling on the ground, he handsprings up and stumbles before catching himself and readying his disc.

Smirking under my helmet, I finally take off my disc before mirroring his stance. Staring at one another, we wait a few moments before dashing toward the other. Our blades meet in the middle as our discs interlock before we push off one another. We began trading blows, strikes, and kicks while blocking each other's attacks.

As we fought, my movements began to feel more like my own. My body finally felt like what it was in my memories, more fluid and natural. I still wasn't too comfortable using more strength, though I still needed to learn how much of it to use. Other than that, my movements were now mine and mine alone. Of course, I would still need training to be a more capable fighter.

My abilities would obviously go along with that training so I could better use them to their full potential. I may be more comfortable fighting now, but I was now wasting precious time by fighting the black guard. I needed to end this quickly so I could rescue Zed and Mara. Dodging a strike that would have led me to my beheading, I caught the black guard's arm.

Squinting at him, I held him in place, quickly putting away my disc before I began landing a sequence of strikes to his stomach. I knew those blows took a toll on him because even without me using my full strength, I could see him struggling to stand.

After one more gut punch, I kick him away, watching as he slides against the roof of the light rail before coming to a halt. Though I had to give him credit, he was persistent because he slowly began standing again. Unfortunately for him, so was I. Running at me, he threw a flurry of desperate slashes, though they were easy to read because of how much he slowed down.

Catching one of his wrists, he tries punching me with his other fist, only for me to grab that one as well. Before he could react, I slammed my head into his. My mask was fine. His was not. Sent stumbling to the ground, he was left with a shattered helmet as he began groaning. Looking at his dazed form, I pondered whether I should end him or not.

'I've already wasted too much time on him. I could… but I wouldn't really gain anything from it.' A bit lost in thought, I glance past him, only to see another light rail approaching us.

The light rail we were on then started to turn upside down as both transport vehicles came closer to each other. I could only watch as the flipping railcars approached closer until the final one flipped from under us. As we fell, I used my claws to grip the side of the light rail, unable to climb back up until each light rail passed the other. To my surprise, the black guard managed to also grasp ahold before falling to his death.

Struggling to hold on, the guard looked like he was about to fall before the light rail finally flipped back upright. Once we were upright, the black guard threw a light grenade at me, which then stuck to the roof of the light rail a foot away from me.

"You gotta be kidding me."

Running toward the guard, I tackle him as the grenade goes off behind me. As we fell between the train cars, I stood above the guard and took my disc off before ramming it toward him as he lifted his arms to defend himself. Despite what I had previously thought, he wasn't what I was aiming for. Cutting through the coupler, I sever the railcar from the rest of the light rail.

"I don't understand. Why would you spare me? Why?!" The guard shouted while holding his side as he and the light rail moved further away.

Turning to face the rail car doors, I use my disc to cut between them before pushing the doors open. Inside were only crates and supplies. Smashing my fist into the railcar in frustration, I dented the wall before activating my bike's baton and re-chasing the light rail.

"Now approaching the Colosseum."

Hearing the robotic-sounding voice from the light rail, I sped up on my light cycle. I needed to get ahead of the light rail and find a way to stop it. When I was a little ways ahead of the light rail, I got off my light cycle and glanced around for anything I could do to stop it. Getting an idea, I took off my disc before throwing it at the light line. My disc passed through it, causing it to fizzle out as I smiled at how easy it was.

That thought was immediately thrown out as it immediately reconstructed itself. Running out of time with the now fast-approaching light rail, I ran to a support beam and began trying to sever it. The light rail came closer and closer, but luckily I was a second away from cutting through.

Finally getting through, the support beam collapsed, and the train came crashing down, skidding across the ground. Dodging out of the way of the light rail, I crouched down once it had stopped as the guards and the black guards began patrolling the area.

'I just can't catch a break.' Grumbling, I started sneaking around car after car searching for Zed and Mara.

Each railcar I checked turned up empty. I was starting to get upset now as another car I checked was once again empty. About to turn around, I heard the hum of a disc behind me.

"Trust me, you don't want to do this right now." I gruffly said.

"I know where they are."

"What?" Turning to face the person, I see a blackguard lowering his disc before revealing his face. It was the guy I was fighting a little bit ago.

"The programs. I know where they're being held. Front car. Hurry, we don't have much time before the others return." He said, moving away and motioning me to follow.

Going to the front railcar, I open the doors to see all the programs taken, including Zed and Mara.

"Programs, you're free! Go, now!" I shouted as they all began running out of the railcar.

As we ran, the blackguard and I guided them toward the wall so we could cut it to escape quickly. I noticed Mara staring pretty heavily at me. Weird. Once we finished the hole in the wall, the programs bolted, leaving me standing with the blackguard.

"Thanks."

"No thank you. It was the least I could do. after all you did spare m-" I didn't let him finish as I quickly pulled out my disc before smacking away a disc flying toward him.

"You know it's rude to interrupt a conversation." I said, turning to the person who flung the disc.

And wouldn't you know it, it was General Tesler, and boy was he ugly.

"Go." I told the black guard.

"No, I can help you take him on. I've already betrayed the army, so what more is this?" He said.

"Thanks, but I got this. Meet me near the club. I'll be there soon." I said in a monotone voice, staring as Tesler approached.

"Be careful. General Tesler is stronger than you think." With that last word of advice, he left.

I watched as Tesler approached me before he began to speak.

"You're not the one Paige told me about. Who are you?" He questioned, putting away his disc before activating an energy arm weapon that looked like a pair of gauntlets.

"And why do you think I'd tell you? I think you've taken one too many hits in that chrome dome head of yours, buddy."

Yeah, he didn't like that insult.

Snarling, he rushed at me, swinging his fists wildly as I dodged.

"Wow~, such brutish movements." I taunted as I flipped over him.

That was a mistake because he immediately turned to hit me. I blocked it, but I didn't see the other one coming. However, I did notice something right before being hit. The weapon looked like it was amped with a lot more energy. This was going to hurt. Clenching my teeth for the inevitable pain, Tesler slams his fist into me, sending my body into a railcar and forming a dent in it.

'Ok, that hurts, but hurts way less than I expected it to. Enhanced durability for the win.'

I didn't have time to celebrate not having any broken bones, because he was right on me again. Rolling out of the way of him smashing the ground where my head was, I handspring away before throwing my disc at him. To my shock, he used his gauntlet to slap it away.

"Aw, how is that fair?" I groaned, backflipping onto a railcar as my disc returned to my hand.

"Who do you think you are? You're nothing!" He yelled before charging his arms and extending them like a certain anime character.

Dodging his attack, I blocked another punch before getting grabbed and pushed out of the building and into a construction site.

"Ok, really not fair." I groan as I get up.

Seeing his arm extending toward me, I dodge being grabbed again before looking at him fly toward me using said extended arm. Jumping through scaffolding, I dodge and flip away from being grabbed.

"Come on! You can do better than that, can't you!" I shout as I run.

"Shut up!" He yells, failing at his attempts to grab me.

Making it to the top of the construction site, I ran to the edge as Tesler walked toward me.

"You think you're helping? You're only making things worse for them."

"Yeah, said every dictator ever."

"Look out there. I've got plenty of cars heading to round up more programs."

"Uh huh." I answer as a light chopper begins to hover behind me.

"Ya can't save 'em all!" He yelled before charging me.

"Like you can do anything about it." I sneer, flipping over him whilst kicking my foot out.

Kicking him in the back while I flipped, I forced him over the edge. Landing, I attempted to run only for two pairs of hands to grab me and drag me over the edge as well.

"You're not getting away from me!" Tesler growls, bear-hugging me as we fall.

"Watch me." Head-butting him, I flip around before kicking off of him like a springboard.

'Please let this work!' Thinking of a pair of wings, my cape reappears before morphing into a pair of cyber-looking bird wings.

"Haha~! I can't believe that worked! Sayonara, sucker!" I shout, leaving as I see Tesler fall in a light line, getting carried away by it as the light chopper follows after him.

__________________

[Paige's Pov]

We followed the General, who was taken away by the light line, and I have to say, he looked a whole lot angrier than usual once we finally got to him.

"I thought you said you killed the Renegade." He grunted as I helped him into the light chopper.

"I did. There was no way he had the time to heal with how wounded and exhausted he was." I stated.

"Then whoever this other person is, he is a far bigger threat to us than he was. I want him found. Now!" He snapped.

"Yes, sir." I said, watching him walk into the cockpit.

'This is getting more complicated than I imagined it'd be.' I thought as I looked to where the mystery program flew off to.