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ivorydragoness44 · 4 months

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Rinzler x program!Reader: Inquisitive

Word Count: 1,157 Notes/Warnings: End of the Line Club scene of partying and drinking, however quite calm. Rinzler purring, implied anxiety and wariness of CLU, dancing, suggestive conversation, and pining over Rinzler. Summary: The Reader goes to the End of the Line Club after work in the evening, they did not expect Rinzler to arrive and interact with them. Will he be able to speak willingly?

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The simulated sky had darkened and the lights of the city illuminated brightly. With your work completed for the cycle, you had only one thing on your agenda. The End of the Line Club. There was a high probability of a multitude of other programs investing in the same task, but you did not care as much this time. As the elevator doors opened, you were welcomed by a lively sight. Programs littered the premise. Many lounged on the furnishings, speaking with their friends, while others populated the dance floor. Heading straight toward the bar, you waved to a few other programs you recognized from work. “Haven’t seen you in cycles,” the bartender greeted. “Work tends to keep me busy. I’ve been preferring the quiet of my apartment.” He nodded, but otherwise did not push the subject. “One I’m finished with work, coming right up.” You smiled and took a seat. It was not long before he handed you a glass of blue liquid. “Thanks,” you smiled in kind and took a sip.

The drink was pleasant, almost refreshing, but that was not what was strange. In front of you, the bartender’s eyes widened suddenly. His entire body froze, but his attention was not on you. Lip trembling, he excused himself, and darted away to serve another customer. There was scarcely a moment for you to internally question the situation before you heard a familiar purr. Rinzler. It was no wonder that anyone within your current range of sight became on-edge. “Rinzler,” you acknowledged. The primary enforcer of CLU stepped around to your side, his helmet centered and focused on you. “Here to finally take me in?” You asked, taking a swig of your drink before nearly choking on it. “No,” Rinzler said firmly. He hardly said anything, ever. His head tilted at your response. Clearing your throat as discreetly as possible, you remained still. Silence hung for a few moments, then you grumbled into the rim of the glass. “Trying to blow my circuits.” Purr.

You hid a smile as you took another drink. Setting down the glass, you rubbed your thumb over the smooth surface. In thought, you wondered if you could at least get him to answer a few yes and no questions. If only to hear him speak some more. “Did you overwork yourself today?” “No.” “Did you complete all of your tasks?” “Yes.” “Were you asked to finish tasks for this cycle?” Purr. Hiding a smile at the thought of your next question, you shifted in your seat. “Are you operating at maximum performance?” “Yes.” An even easier question struck you, though you were certain at the answer. “Did you lose at the Games this cycle?” “No.” There was no surprise with the response he gave. A program could take one look at him and come to that conclusion themselves.

There were a multitude of question, almost infinite that you could ask him. But there was at least one that unsettled you. Did CLU send you?“ “No.” Relief. The tightness in your chest that you had not realized formulated at such a thought released. You peered at him from the corner of your eye.”Did you follow me here?” Purr. Turning your head, you regarded him fully. “Do you want a drink?” Silence surrounded him. Not a single syllable, click, or purr. Though, your eyes flickered dow as his hands flexed at his sides.

Finishing the rest of your drink, you left it on the counter. With a small spin of the seat, you faced him. “Do you want to dance…with me?” For some reason, you thought it necessary to specify. Just in case. Purr. Rinzler’s head inclined closer. “You’re a mysterious one,” you whispered, gazing into his visor. Gently, you tapped his chin with a single fingertip. Purr. A light giggle escaped you. Humming in thought, you reached out again. The center most square cluster of orange circuits on his chest became your next target. The glow of those few circuits brightened for a few seconds. You were intrigued, to say the least. May it be the effects of the energy drink or not. Passing a finger across and down the same four sets of circuit clusters equalled the same result. “Easy with that,” the bartender warned in a low voice. He continued walking passed, not wanting to be near the program beside you. Rinzler purred again, sending the program behind the bar zipping off to the other end of the counter. You were amused, but at the same time felt a little bad for him.

Resting your head on your hand, you seriously considered walking Rinzler to the dance floor. As you looked at him, thought, you would much rather not be the only one dancing, likely scaring everyone off. Still, it was tempting. As you continued to look him over, he did not seem to mind. At least, until his head whipped over to the side. Slowly striding through the entrance of the club was CLU. Donned in his signature black and orange, he was hard to miss. Especially with his crew of three guards flanking his sides. “Maybe another time,” you mumbled to Rinzler with your head low. Glancing at him and scurried away as nonchalantly as possible. Weaving and blending into the crowd easily, you eyed CLU in the slightest at the edge of your vision. With him in the vicinity, you wanted to stay among other programs.

A friend of yours slid to your side. “Be careful with that one. It’s only a matter of time until—” “Please don’t,” you asked. The two of you subtly eyed how CLU walked up to Rinzler. The helmeted program faced him completely, appearing to be ready for any order given to him. “If it’s any consolation,” your friend said in a voice for only you to hear, “if you want to mingle your circuits with his, if you haven’t already, I’ll respect that.” You smiled in amused disbelief, shaking your head. “How much did you drink?” “Oh, you know that has nothing to do with it. Besides, we’ve both seen him in the Disc Games and Lightcycle Run…Rinzler never loses. I’m sure that’ll transfer nicely—” “Seriously, you’re great, you’re wonderful, but please stop while you’re ahead.” “Yeah…we don’t need them overhearing this.” “Or anyone, for that matter.” “Agreed. Want to dance?” “Sure.”

The music seemed to bounce up in beat when you finally gave it your attention. It felt good, relieving even, to move freely and rhythmically. The fun and leisure of it al had you almost completely forget about CLU and Rinzler. Until you were gradually turning in your splendor and smiling in your joy, locking eyes to visor with Rinzler. For a solid moment, he looked upon you. The bright lights of the club reflected off of his sleek helmet. But all too soon, he followed CLU toward the exit. Maybe another time.

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Thank you for reading!

I'd appreciate a reblog if you enjoyed this fanfic.

And, if you'd like to read more, check out the pinned post on my blog: Masterlist of Masterlists, where you can find all of my other insert readers and imagines.

#rinzler #tronblr #tron legacy #tron #rinzler x reader #rinzler x program!reader #disney x reader #rinzler fanfiction #rinzler insert reader #tron insert reader #tron fanfiction #tron fanfic #ivorydragoness44 #tron: legacy

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proto-actual · 6 days

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happy Finite States day!!!

TWO YEARS AGO I wrote "decompression sickness", which kicked off the "Finite States" micro-universe for my Tron fics (and heralded my descent into becoming tronblr's resident Cyrus apologist).

I'm still super proud of this fic, and I love the version of the Grid that I'm building with the series as a whole. Hopefully I'll come back to the rest of "Mirror Image" soon -- but I'm really excited for the prequel stuff I'm working on with "SIGNAL // NOISE" in the meantime. :-)

(Not-so-fun fact: this story was the last thing posted by the venerable ao3feed-tron account. I know it's not my fault, but I still feel a shred of responsibility. Someday I'll make myself learn how tumblr's API works and write us a replacement.)

#sysop.txt #tron fanfic #tronblr #tron uprising

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whispering-woodlands · 8 months

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Obligatory posting of my fanfic also on tumblr just because.

How to Be a Dog

Summary:

A Dog Waits

A Dog Loves

A Dog Hates

Warnings: None? Just general angst, Rinzler does not think very good about himself

Rain is a near constant on the Grid, happening more often than not. That isn’t to say that there are not other forms of ‘weather’. There is snow out in the Outlands but it’s rare that Rinzler is ever sent there. He has heard, in passing, programs musing on the rain. Rinzler doesn’t find it an important enough subject to devote any time mulling over. There’s more important things to focus on.

Usually.

It’s been at least a millicycle since Clu had told him to stay outside of the building he had entered. To keep watch, not move from his post until he was called upon. It’s not the first time Rinzler has been ordered to guard the sysadmin, or just to stay and keep watch over a certain post. But it’s certainly the longest that he’s ever been left to do so outside, exposed, without being given any updates.

For a moment Rinzler irrationally wonders if Clu had possibly been injured or derezzed. No, he couldn’t have been. Rinzler would have felt it, he’s sure. Could Clu have forgotten him? Highly unlikely, at least he thinks so. He’s useful, necessary, at least for now. Clu reminds him of that often.

With nothing else to think about Rinzler finds himself thinking about the rain. He realizes for the first time how truly cold it is. Standing exposed in it for eight hours now it’s soaked every inch of him. The droplets cascade down his helmet in little rushing rivulets like tiny rivers. They plink softly against the glass, the rhythm almost calming. His body feels numb. It’s shattered quickly however. An alert is brought up on the inside of his visor, flashing red insistently.

Energy Levels: 15%

Seek assistance from authorized personnel.

He dismisses the alert and silently curses it. The pain from his scars is a constant, always their ache but the freezing cold of the rain had turned it into an icy numbness. But the rain cannot reach under his helmet, meaning that the only part of him that he can still properly feel is his face.

His face.

Burning, aching, an acidic rot.

The long arcing scar across the left side. Slowly crawling further up, chipping, eating away at him like a virus. But Clu wouldn’t allow such imperfection, this is a part of him. Integral. Necessary. A reminder from a lesson long ago forgotten. A part of him longs to retract his helmet, lift his face to the sky and let the rain wash over his face as well. Let it numb the constant burn until it shifts into a freezing chill. It’s so very tempting. It would be easy, just a small command.

”No”.

Rinzler isn’t sure if the voice that internally rebukes him is his own or Clu’s. He’s never to remove his mask. Not without Clu’s permission. How weak he is to even think of it. He can withstand the pain, it shouldn’t be much longer anyways.

Clu will be back soon.

He just has to wait.

#Tron #tronblr #rinzler #Clu 2 #Tron Fanfic #Fanfic #repeat tags from last post #first published fanfic literally shaking #i’m so sorry if the formatting or characterization or anything is blegh any advice highly appreciated!!

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datamodel-of-disaster · 10 months

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So... I wrote a Tron fic.

If you've ever looked the Reintegration at the end of Tron: Legacy and thought that Flynn could have stood to take a little more accountability for his actions and the harm they caused...

Well.

Have this fic.

Yes, this is going to be a Clu Redemption fic. No, it is not going to be easy, pleasant or painless for him. But to be fair, he should know that already. After all... Rectification hurts.

Weekly updates. Not to scare anyone, but I have a massive backlog of chapters.

#disaster writes #Five Stages of Rectification #tron #tronblr #tron legacy #clu 2 #kevin flynn #tron fanfic

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neonsheepe · 3 months

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Chapter one of Reset, Melli’s fic, is finally up!

Summary:

The reintegration had failed and damn near bricked the system.

Since then, it had been stuck in a reboot-crash cycle, until the sudden activation of the aperture by a part-time arcade employee jump-started the system. After entering the broken digital world, Melli meets a familiar program, and later, the Creator himself.

The team now work on rebuilding the Grid to a new and improved digital frontier, running into both friends and foes along the way.

#tronblr #tron #tron fanfic #tron oc #Melli (Tron)#sheepe art #Tron Reset

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bittercoldbrew · 2 months

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Chapters: 1/? Fandom: Tron - All Media Types, Tron (Movies) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Tron (Tron)/Original Character(s), Rinzler (Tron)/Original Character(s) Characters: Tron (Tron), Rinzler (Tron), Original Programs (Tron), Original Female Character(s), Original Female Character(s) of Color Additional Tags: i dont have a good excuse for this it just sort of happened, Romance, Eventual Smut, probably? idk i just work here but i might chicken out, what even are programs and how do their bodies work? idk maybe we'll find out, Canon-Typical Violence, starts off between movies and through Legacy, Sea of Simulation (Tron), it's kind of a character here honestly but whatever. it's complicated., Other Additional Tags to Be Added Summary:

The Grid gave form to the Sea of Simulation, and the Sea loved the Grid. And so the Sea made what it could, and gave these to the Grid out of love. But the ISOs were not the first gifts it made--first, there must be a prototype. A fraction of the Sea itself. A vanguard, to walk upon the Grid and see what gifts would be worth giving. An Oracle, to speak for the Sea, and to tell It all it had seen.

And then, one day, Tron found the Oracle. Or, more accurately, she found him.

The Sea loved the Grid, and Tron lived to save the Grid, and so the Sea loved Tron. And the Oracle...would never be the same.

Alright, so, recently I had a spontaneous urge to revisit Tron: Legacy, and man, that movie really is somethin’ else. Really impressed by how well it holds up; all the things that annoyed me about it when it first came out were still annoying, but all the things I loved are still so spectacular. And because I am the person I am, of course I still had an old, unfinished fanfic for it that I dug up outta the archives. We certainly don’t need to go into a discussion about the quality or lack thereof of my writing skills 14 years ago, but it seems that Tron and Rinzler and my OC Delphi really had been living in my head rent-free all this time, and damn were they ready to be let out.

So here’s...this. Somehow I managed to write 5k+ words in the past week for these kids, which is practically unheard of for me. And I don’t think these muses are gonna let me stop anytime soon, so hopefully there will be more to come. I know I say this every time, but I genuinely think this is some of my finest writing, and I’m really pleased with it if a little baffled about where it all came from. I hope you like it, too. Thanks so much for reading <3

#okay alright lets figure out how to tag this huh #my writing #veridis quo #(yeah the title/chapter titles are all gonna be daft punk songs so sue me)#tron fanfic #tron x oc #rinzler x oc #tronblr #tron legacy #tron #rinzler #oc delphi #uhhh okay hope that covers all the bases here #dont wanna be too annoying but i am SO proud of this one #and i know its a long shot and im showing up 14 years too late but. i hope people are still interested #or at least willing to give it a chance #take my hand. join me in the grid. its gonna be okay

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circuitsofgold · 2 months

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Title: The Admin's Siren

Fandom: Tronverse ( set pre-Legacy. Maybe somewhere during Evolution?? Sometime after the Coup since Rinzler exists. )

Characters: Clu, Dyson, Rinzler, Jarvis, Castor/Zuse, Gem, various sirens, black guard, sentries, and misc programs

Pairings: Clu/Dyson, Clu/OFC, Clu + OFC, Dyson + OFC, Rinzler/OFC

Rating: gen ( smut in later chapters )

Notes: The first chapter has no smut in it. Clu and Dyson are in an established relationship. Everyone else… is not. Chapter 1 is more for setting the scene.

Chapter 1

Opal had been preparing for her first client of the current cycle when she got a ping from Gem. She was puzzled and even more so when she was given the instruction to meet her in Zuse's office. She sighed to herself, having hoped she could avoid the entertainer for at least a few micros. She didn't even necessarily dislike him, he was just a bit much at the best of times.

Well, in any case, best to get it over with. She thought before she found herself in Zuse's office. "Opal, my dear, you look absolutely splendid!" The Entertainer greeted her. Inwardly, she cringed. Outwardly, she smiled and murmured an acknowledgment of the compliment. “You both wanted to see me?

And she thanked The Creator when it was Gem that responded to her query. "Your itinerary has changed, Opal. Your clientele has been reduced to one program." And she noted the look of unease on both of their faces. Something resembling concern and maybe something resembling unease on Zuse's face. What was that about? Sometimes specific Sirens were requested by specific programs, normally ones that knew their clients.

"I'm afraid I don't see the issue. I know we sometimes end up being exclusive to one or two programs. Though I can't imagine that I’ve caught any particular program’s eye." Opal responded as she shrugged, absently going over her clients in her processor to pinpoint any repeat visitors. Maybe it was Dyson, who was fairly infamous for visiting Sirens. "Well, Opal, you've gotten the attention of a particular program who doesn't normally request appointments with Sirens and as far as my processor can recall, has never even bothered with them." Zuse responded as he shifted his weight from one foot to another. Well, that eliminated Dyson, if the program never dallied with Sirens.

"You've been specifically requested by Clu and he'll be your only client for the foreseeable future. Look here." Gem instructed as she passed Opal a tablet. Gem had already brought up Opal's schedule on it and it was in gold where it would normally be white. "I can't edit it either. He's locked it to the point only he can edit it." and there was a note of irritation in the other Siren's voice.

"Someone will be arriving to transport you to Admin Tower shortly. I wish I could tell you what to expect but truthfully I don't know what to have you expect from the Luminary. Just…be careful." Gem warned before she took the tablet back and let Opal be on her way.

—

Opal wasn't sure how long she had been waiting though it had occurred to her that she could have just gone to Admin Tower herself. But if she had been sent an escort than she didn't want to inconvenience programs that she could potentially be seeing a lot of if she'd be working with Clu on a regular basis. She knew of those programs as most all the Grid did. She'd even worked with Rinzler once in the past. That program had been a complete mess.

The ship that came to collect her wasn't Clu's throne ship but it was a red lined one. And then there was him. She knew him even before he derezzed his helmet, Dyson, Grand Marshall of the Grid. The only program that outranked him was Clu himself. Opal had to admit that she wasn't entirely sure what to expect with Dyson.

She was just about to greet him when red lined fingers gripped her chin to tilt her head this way and that. She'd worn her hair up since she didn't know the client’s preferences yet but she could swear she was being inspected. "Hm. I've never had the pleasure of seeing you before. Must be one of Castor's personal Sirens. I hear he does like them pretty. Oh well, I'm to escort you to Admin Tower. Follow me."

Opal was aware of her processor racing before he released her. She allowed a few nanos to calm down before she followed the Marshall into the ship. There were a few sentries on board and she wondered if maybe they'd be better for conversation than Dyson would be. She'd be a liar if their first meeting hadn't been unsettling. For now she'd settle in and wait until they got to Admin Tower. If Dyson had been like this what would Clu be like?

She heard a rumble of thunder before she saw the gold lit Admin Tower in the distance. Well, she'd have to meet the Administrator sooner or later if she was to be working with him for the foreseeable future. May as well get it over with and hope she didn't make a bad first impression.

She followed Dyson out of the ship and into the Tower itself. She picked up on some sort of tension emanating from the Marshall but she wasn't sure if she should ask about it or leave it alone. For now she elected on leaving it alone. Maybe if she could get at just one of his circuits she could glean what he was feeling but she wasn’t sure how that would make him react.

Opal found they were in a very large room with windows at the far end. She noticed holograms of miniature buildings scattered about the floor. She'd like to get a closer look but she suspected this was not the time to do so. For the reason for her being there was seated in the throne in a rather confident slouch.

"Clu, I brought the Siren you requested." Dyson announced as Clu's foot swung over the arm of the throne and onto the floor. Requested? Her processor raced as she tried to remember a time where she would have been in proximity of the Administrator for him to request her but none stood out. Maybe Rinzler had said something? "What's your designation, Program?" The Luminary asked of her which was a simple enough query. "Opal."

Clu stood from the throne to approach her. He stopped a few paces away and even from those few paces she could feel the heat emanating from his circuits. "And you work at the End of Line?" "I do." She responded as he started circling her. He stopped behind her before she felt him undoing her bun, which allowed her pink hair to spill down her back. "Much better. Looks more…natural. Don't you think so Dyson? You're the Siren expert here." She heard Dyson clear his throat."Yes, Sir." The response was short, terse, and full of information.

"Dyson, you're dismissed. I'd like to properly gauge our guest's abilities." Clu just about purred which seemed to settle right into her core. Dyson issued a sound that spoke of frustration and …jealousy? Before the Marshall left. She'd be lying if she had said that she hadn't had fantasies about the Administrator. Is that why she was here? Well, she'd have something to tell her sister Sirens back at the Line if that were the case.

"I'm sure you're wondering what I couldn't say in front of our dear Marshall? Well, you're not here for a quick interface if that's what you're wondering." Opal wasn't sure if she were relieved or disappointed at this revelation. "Sir? Then why am I here?" She asked, when she found herself holding a glass of blue energy. "Simple. You work in the Line. If I had my way, I’d blow the place to the ground and start over. However, as I am constantly reminded whenever I suggest the notion, programs go there to unwind after a hard cycle. Morale would plummet.

"The short of it is, Opal, you are going to be my eyes and ears inside the Club. I don't like setting foot in that place unless I have to. This way I don't have to. You go about your routine for your shift but then you report to me." Opal eyed the energy before she took a sip to not be rude. "So I’m spying for you?" "I'm sure you've noticed how Sirens can seemingly go anywhere they please. No one really questions the whys of a Siren being at any location. Now a Black Guard or a Sentry will certainly attract attention. Even if I thought to send them in a different suit." "And you being in the Line would certainly attract attention, my Luminary? Since you rarely grace us with your presence."

She felt the chuckle she got in response to her quip more than she heard it. "That's one way to put it." He responded as he curled some of her hair about his fingers. "It is rather brilliant. Having one of his own Sirens play the spy. Should have thought of it cycles ago." Having him this close, she felt the heat from his circuits again. The feeling itself wasn't anything strange. She'd been in close proximity with other programs to where the warmth was comforting but this was…

If she didn’t know any better, she'd think he was overheating. She had noticed his rather deep breathing as if it were an effort to cool himself down. Opal wanted to ask but didn't think it was her place at this nano. "You can stay the rest of the cycle and you'll return to the line for your shift the next cycle. Let them think what they want. I'll have… someone else escort you back. I have a feeling the Marshall will be rather unpleasant until I can explain."

And then a Sentry appeared to what Opal assumed was an unspoken summons. "Show our guest somewhere where she'll be more comfortable for the rest of the cycle. Opal, I await your report the next cycle."

#Tronblr #tron fanfic #sirens #clu 2 #dyson #Dyson is a jealous goofball #Clu is a massive flirt #And Opal is just a cotton candy baby caught in the middle

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graedari · 1 year

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by: Graedari

Y'know how sometimes your printed doesn't have all the ink cartridges installed and your photo comes out the wrong color? Well, turns out, sometimes lasers can do that too.

Words: 8,636 , Chapters: 4/4, Language: English

Fandoms: Tron

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Characters: Alan Bradley, Kevin Flynn

Relationships: Alan Bradley & Kevin Flynn

A gift for @cosmic-navel-gazin <3

#graedari writes #tron #tron fanfic #kevin flynn #alan bradley #flynn/alan if you squint <3 #crack treated seriously #this takes many liberties with the timelines #i am very much still figuring out how i want to combine the movie timelines and 2.0 #so shh if some of the details dont make sense #shhh #i really hope yall like this 🥺🥺🥺#I've been itching to write again and I finally did again and im so fucking hyped about it #almost 9k works ya'll!!!#I didnt think i had it in me still lol #graedari tron #please send me an ask or leave me a comment if you read!#I'd love to hear thoughts!

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radiantlyrey · 11 months

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TRON Week Prompt Day 7: Glow

On the End of Line Club Discord a few weeks ago, we brainstormed some ideas to celebrate TRON’s 41st anniversary (which is TODAY, July 9). Someone came up with a list of prompts for the week preceding, so here is my response to the seventh and final prompt.

I could not come up with a good idea for a drabble for this one, so.... I wrote a whole little fic instead. This is an Uprising fic, set sometime after the end of the show (which I am STILL not over). Paige finds out that Tesler's been lying to her, and comes to the only program she can trust--Beck.

~~~

Beck lowers his disc when he opens his apartment door and sees Paige standing there, but only a little. He wipes the initial shock off his face and says coolly, “Commander Paige. To what do I owe the house call?”

She only glances at him, her gaze much more focused on the hallway behind her, back towards the lifts. Her disc is in one hand, her cloak still rippling around her shoulders. “I—I didn’t know where else to go,” she says, looking at him for just a moment. “I understand if—can I come in?”

His grip on his disc relaxes minutely, but he does not lower it. “That depends,” he says, and he sees, suddenly, the fear in her eyes. But what could she be so afraid of? “Were you followed?” he asks.

Paige finally meets his eyes. “I know how to lose a tail,” she says, her eyes flashing. “Are you letting me in or not?”

This could be a mistake, he thinks. A trap set by Tesler or Clu. But she’d said she didn’t know where else to go. And she is afraid like he’s never seen her. Before he overthinks it, he steps aside and waves her in. Half the tension in her shoulders relaxes, and she hurries inside, her cloak brushing his shoulder as she passes. Beck hits the panel beside the door to close it, and hits a code sequence to lock it as well. Then he turns to Paige.

“So, what brings you here?” he asks, placing his disc back on its mount.

She’s pacing now, still holding her disc, her cloak fluttering behind her. “I was lied to,” she says, as if this explains everything. “For—for cycles. By someone I thought I could trust.” She stops pacing and meets his eyes. “Can I trust you? You’re the only program I could think of who hasn’t lied to me, or tried to kill me, or—” She breaks off, reaching up to cover her face with her free hand.

And then Beck sees it—the tracery of fine red lines along her wrist, emanating from a blue-gray patch of injury at the crook of her elbow. “You’re hurt,” he says, stepping forward, concern in his voice even though he knows he should be cautious.

Paige glances at her arm as though she’s just noticed it. “It’s fine,” she says quietly. “Nothing I can’t fix.”

Beck’s gaze goes from her wrist to her eyes. “But… who did that to you? The Renegade, or…?”

He only brought up the Renegade to throw her off, and because he knows how much she hates him without knowing it’s him. But Paige laughs. It’s a hollow laugh, mirthless, but it is a laugh.

“No,” she says. “That, I could almost understand from him. It was… General Tesler. He did it, and… Clu watched.” Her expression hardens for a nano, and then she sighs, her shoulders slumping. “I thought I knew what I was fighting for. I thought—” She shakes her head. “It doesn’t matter.”

Doesn’t it? Beck thinks. Out loud, he says, “What do you need from me?”

“Somewhere to lay low, so I can heal my arm,” she replies. “I’ll be out of your way before next millicycle starts, I promise. And if Tesler’s guards come—”

“I didn’t see anything,” Beck finished. “Got it.”

For the first time since her arrival, Paige smiles. “Thank you,” she says, and she sounds like she means it. Then she opens her disc in her hands and begins the work of repairing her own code.

Beck watches her warily, unsure if he should ask her any more questions. He wants to know why Tesler injured her, why Clu, whom she was so proud to serve, watched on. He wants to know how she escaped them both and made it here. And he needs to know if she has any hopes of returning to Clu’s army, or if that bridge has been burned so thoroughly that she cannot return.

Paige drops her disc suddenly, and only a quick move by Beck keeps it from clattering to the floor. He straightens, holding the disc flat between them. “You all right?” he asks.

“I’m losing strength in this hand,” she says, clumsily flexing her injured wrist. “Can you hold my disc? I need to make a few more adjustments, they just require a fine hand.”

Beck nods. “Anything you need.”

Their gazes lock for a moment, and then Paige returns her attention to her code. Her good hand is deft as she fixes the injuries in her arm. Beck doesn’t have the slightest clue what exactly she’s doing, but eventually she seems satisfied and closes out the disc. He hands it over, and she replaces it on her back, closing her eyes as the adjustments sync.

“Better?” he asks.

“I will be once the repairs complete,” she answers. She steps past him, retracting her cloak as she glances around the apartment. “Do you have anywhere I can sit down? I haven’t stopped since—”

“Right through here,” he says, leading her into the apartment’s other room, where a pair of low couches face each other beside a window overlooking the harbor. “If you need to lay down, I can recline one,” he adds, glancing back her.

“No, thank you,” she replies. “Can you opaque that window?”

“Sure.” He crosses the room and does so, and Paige walks in and sits the moment the glass darkens. “Can’t be too safe, huh?”

“Something like that,” she says. She tilts her head back and sighs as she closes her eyes. Beck watches her from the window, his gaze lingering on her injured arm, which is pulsing blue and slowly repairing itself. Again, he wonders: how did she get away? He can guess what caused the injury—Tesler’s in-built hand weapons. But he’s been in that vise-like grip before, and he knows how it feels, and how lucky he was that Able got him out of that tight spot. So how is Paige sitting here now, instead of crumbled to cubes at Tesler and Clu’s feet?

Before he can overthink it, he says, “Can I ask you something?”

Paige opens her eyes. “Depends on what you’re asking.”

“I just… want to understand something.” He leans against the wall, folding his arms. “Why are you on the run from Tesler and Clu? The last time we really talked, you seemed… happy, working for them. So…” “So what changed?” She meets his eyes; he nods. “What changed is that Tesler lied to me. About something important. And if I hadn’t been so—” Paige breaks off, looking away from Beck. “It doesn’t matter.”

He wants to go to her, to comfort her, but he stays where he is against the wall, letting the silence stretch between them. After a micro or more passes, he says quietly, “From where I’m standing, it seems like it matters to you a lot.”

Paige doesn’t say anything. Doesn’t look at him. But as the silence grows, she leans forward, he head bowed, her shoulders slumped.

Beck straightens up and takes the seat opposite her, on the other couch. He doesn’t want to pry too much, but he can tell there’s something she won’t say. Something more than Tesler simply lying to her, something that might explain why a medical program became an army commander, and why an army commander might defect and call on a mere mechanic because she can’t trust anyone else. And it may be the same reason a mere mechanic decided to stand up against an occupying army, and become a persistent thorn in its side.

Still quiet, still gentle, he says, “Will you tell me about them?”

Her head shoots up, and she glares at him through narrowed eyes. “About who?”

He meets her glare calmly and spreads his hands. “Whoever it was that you lost,” he says.

Paige holds his gaze in silence for nearly a micro before she bows her head again, covering her face with her good hand. She takes two shaky breaths, then says, her voice soft, “Their names were Rox and Sy. They were my best friends. We started a medical center together. We… we teased each other. Laughed together. And I believed Tesler when he said the Isos killed them. I believed him,” she continued, her voice growing in volume. “And I worked for him. For cycles! For cycles I worked for the program who ordered them derezzed and I—” She brings her fist down on her knee with a thump. “I can’t believe I was so naïve. I can’t…” With another uneven breath, she shakes her head, her shoulders slumping further as she leans back in her seat.

Beck stares at her, not sure at first what to say. He leans toward her, his wrists on his knees as he thinks. He knows the grief he felt (still feels) after Bodhi was derezzed; he imagines Paige is feeling some of the same grief anew for her friends. So he reaches out toward her, offering his hand in the space between them. “I know this won’t really make you feel better,” he says, “but I’m sorry about your friends.”

Paige turns her attention back to him. She stares at his hand, and then at him. “You’re the first person to say that to me,” she says slowly. “Tesler didn’t even… Thank you, Beck.” And she reaches out and takes his hand in hers.

As she grips his hand, her circuits flicker one by one, the red light going out and being gradually replaced by a pale white glow. Paige smiles at him, and after a moment, Beck smiles back. “Thank you,” she says again.

“Of—of course,” he replies. “You’re not going back, then?”

Paige’s smile turns sly. “No,” she says. “But you can be sure I’ll make Tesler sorry he ever lied to me.”

Beck chuckles. “I believe you,” he says.

#tron #tronblr #tron: uprising #tron fanfic #tron fic #beck #paige #beck x paige #(a little bit anyway)#my fanfic #please enjoy!!!!!!!#happy troniversary!!!!

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astercontrol · 5 months

Text

I think

If a program just got lasered into the User world, with no experience of drinking or eating User food

(only drinking the system's "liquid energy" and otherwise getting charged on the system's power)

that program would have the most fuckin voracious sweet tooth

Oh you get all your energy through your mouth? Okay so how do you turn this stuff into power? Lemme research what's in it... Holy hack this is complicated

Ok but this sugar stuff? glucose, etc... this is what converts to energy most directly for you, right

This is your way of consuming energy. Ok good to know

ALL the candy in the house. ALL the syrup, yes just the syrup don't bother with the pancakes

I'm supposed to charge myself on about 2000 "calories" of your energy daily. Got it. Buying this extra large milkshake and I'll be good for the day... AAAAA. Why does my body feel so bad later. I GOT ENOUGH POWER

Energy drink? Yes please -- OH HOLY GLITCHING GRIDBUGS THIS IS NOT ENERGY. it is... power-intensive malware that makes you use up all your energy faster and then crash??? Mixed with something that TRICKS you into feeling like you're getting sugar but you're not?? I WILL DEREZZ WHOEVER CAME UP WITH THIS

#tron #tronblr #tron fanfic #headcanon

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fights4users · 10 months

Text

Big big fan of “love was there but it changed nothing” kind of stories. This is one of them, fair warning.

Also has themes of confirming one’s computer religion? To a lesser extent.

Where Ram gets kissed by a User before he dies.

#when a god loves you but there’s nothing they can do to save you #tron #tronblr #tron 1982 #kevin flynn #ram tron #Kevin Flynn/ram #Flynn/ram #Tron fic #tron fanfic #angst #first and last kiss #one shot #whoopsies very angsty

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systemadministratorclu · 1 year

Note

[5x5 challenge, for Hal... Probably Grid Hal, but not opposed to ASO AU with Ed]

— “you’re freezing! take my jacket.”

He looked up at the stranger as he tried to hide his shivering. He gladly took the jacket, though, pulling it around his shoulders......and it did feel a little warmer, though it was also a bit small for him.

"Thank you." the android-for that's what he was-said in a surprisingly small, soft voice. Surprising, because he himself was not small. Six feet tall and strongly built, like the astronauts who trained for years to go into space, because that's what he had been built to do. But now? Now he was tossed out like trash, all because of something that wasn't even his fault. The people who had been assigned to dismantle him had instead taken pity on him and let him out of the space agency/military facility instead. But that was all they had been able to do. He'd been on his own after that. Running for days, never staying too long lest they find him. He couldn't even go to his home, or contact his creator, Dr. Chandra, to say that he was alive and okay. He hoped maybe his siblings were still reading his signal on the connection they shared that only Chandra and them knew about. He'd found places to recharge whenever he could. He had acquired a wireless device charging pad. All he had to do was plug it into an outlet and place his hand on it. It took a long time to recharge himself, but it was better than nothing, and thankfully, he'd been designed so he could derive energy from food too if necessary. Chandra had indeed designed everything so that his beloved child-that's how he viewed the android and his three sibling units-would be able to find a way to survive, no matter what.

Which was how he ended up here, huddled behind a wall in the parking garage at Encom. Unfortunately, it was a spot where the rain came flowing in, but it kept the wind off him a bit. From beneath matted, dirty, messy hair, a pair of large red eyes looked up at Ed, half scared, half sad and tired, as he still shivered inside his soaked, worn out clothes. He'd gotten them from the stashes left out for homeless people, so they weren't in the best shape to begin with.

It was that face, the face of a lost, scared, lonely child that had often spared him from being detained and handed over, or gotten him a free meal, or a night inside to recharge. And now it had won Ed over. Unlike many people, he wasn't disturbed at all by an android being so lifelike. Probably because Ed had seen things many people hadn't, and knew things many people didn't. Although, until he saw the eyes, Ed had though this was just an ordinary homeless man. But knowing what he was now somehow made Ed even more sure he had to help him, somehow.

"Hey," he said gently, "why don't you come with me back to my place for a bit. This storm won't be over for a while, and it's going to get colder out here. You'll freeze up if you stay here." Hal shook his head.

"I-I can't.....I can't stay in one place for too long. I.....I'm sorry."

"That's okay," Ed replied, "I'm not asking you to live there. Just......at least come wait out the storm there. It's warm, and dry. Hey, I'll even get you something to eat." He took in the android's appearance again. "You can get some clean clothes. And a hot shower. And you can.....recharge, or whatever you call that......I promise, I just want to help, and it feels wrong to just leave you here like this." Hal was silent for a moment.

It was true, he would need a recharge soon. And.......dry clothes, a hot shower, and a meal did sound nice. This man actually reminded him of Dr. Chandra, the way he seemed to know what Hal was, yet still talked to him like a person, still gave him the choice. Something inside, in his heart, told him he could trust this man.

So he did.

"I'm Ed, by the way." The man said, helping him up.

"I am a HAL 9000 computer......but...e-everyone calls me Hal." Ed couldn't help feeling a little starstruck. Everyone who knew anything about tech knew about the HAL 9000 series. There were only four of them in existence, and they were the most advanced, most powerful AI/supercomputer ever. The first truly sentient AIs ever created. Nothing else came close.

The government had tried to blame the loss of the Discovery crew back in 2001 on the ship's HAL 9000. But somehow, the real story had been leaked out, that the computer had been given mission directives that contradicted its core programming, and it had no way to resolve the contradiction, which immediately made a lot more sense to anyone who had even a basic knowledge of how computers work than the government's claim that the AI went rogue. It was clear the space agency knew they messed up, costing the lives of five men, and were trying to cover their asses now by instead throwing the AI under the bus, despite his creator trying to get the truth out. He would be relieved to find that it had gotten out after all, and there were public calls for investigations of everyone involved with whatever those mission specific directives were.

And now, Ed realized, that very AI was now following him to his car, looking for all the world like some kind of lost puppy who'd been kicked, his head down the whole way, as if he were afraid of Ed. He didn't say a word as he let Ed help him into the passenger seat of the car. The seat was going to be soaked, but Ed could worry about that later.

The drive home was filled with quiet conversation. Hal just stared out the window, watching the rain fall as he explained why he'd been in the parking garage and why he had to keep moving around. Ed seemed to understand, even saying he might have a way to help, as he turned the heat on and cranked it, which seemed to make the android more comfortable. When they got to Ed's house, he led Hal inside, carefully taking the soaked jacket. He showed Hal where the bathroom was-the poor guy looked like crap. Ed didn't want to guess how long it had been since he last set foot in a shower. The though was too heartbreaking and anger-inducing at the same time.

While Hal was in the shower, Ed took the time to get him some clothes from his room. Something comfortable he could sleep in for now. As he did, something glittered in the corner of his eye, and he smiled at the two homemade plaques that hung on the wall. Suddenly, he was reminded of their talk on the way home. He knew somewhere Hal could go and be safe from the government jerks trying to pin five murders and a disastrous mission on him. Somewhere he'd have people care for him, where he'd always have a warm place to sleep, and most importantly, he'd be safe. Ed left the clothes on the counter in the bathroom for Hal, taking Hal's own wet ones to go and wash them, then went into his office, typing messages on his computer.

Hal was glad he'd come with Ed. As soon as he felt the hot water rush over his body, he felt his entire self sigh and relax into it, though he made a face when he saw the color of the water going down the drain. He hadn't realized how dirty he actually was. He reached for the shampoo, pausing in confusion when he saw there were two and one of them was meant for fur. Maybe Ed had a pet or something. Not that it was his business. He took the other one and washed and rinsed his own hair, returning it to the dark brown it was supposed to be. He then used the soap (there was only one of those) to wash himself off. He stayed under the warm water until it started to get cold. Then he shut it off, got out, dried off, and dressed in a pair of sweatpants and an old Encom t-shirt. He took in his reflection in the mirror. It was a the first time in a while that Hal looked like himself.

Dinner was nothing special: a lot of ramen and a side of dinosaur chicken nuggets (Hal deduced Ed must have a child, but said child was staying elsewhere for the night). Ed had excused himself while Hal ate to go "send a few emails" as he'd said. Hal took it upon himself to clean up and do dishes as a sort of thank-you to Ed for the man's kindness. He then picked up his wireless charger, plugged it in near the couch, and sat down with the charger on the end table and his hand resting on the charger.

"Hal?" Ed walked in with a laptop in his hands, "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

"About what?" Hal asked. Ed sat down beside him.

"Remember in the car how I said I might have a way to help you, but I'd have to talk to someone first?" Hal nodded, "Well, I did, and they'd be happy to help. They even have a job you'd be great for, because it's pretty much things you already do. You'd be what's known as an Administrative Aide. And more importantly, you'd be going somewhere no one will be able to find you. Well, no one you don't want to find you."

"Wh-Where would I go?" Hal asked. Ed turned the laptop around and started showing him pictures on it.

"Here. A digital world no one even knows about called The Grid." Hal watched as he clicked through pictures of a brightly lit world with people who had lights of their own. They all wore black suits and each person had their own unique pattern of circuits. And they all looked so happy.

"And this is the guy in charge. You'd be his Administrative aide." Ed then showed him a tall program with a warm smile and a kind face. He had gold circuits and wore long flowing robes that looked......just like space.

"This is Clu. You'll like him, he's very nice, and he's already said he'd love to have you."

Hal was quiet for a moment. Then he looked up at Ed.

"Can I.....say goodbye? To Dr. Chandra and my brothers and sister?"

"Goodb-Hal, you're not dying. You'll be able to see them again, talk to them. You can even come back out of the Grid. Clu does it all the time when he comes to visit me. Hey, I can have your family come here and you can come see them in person......But I will contact them to let them know where you are and that you're safe. Of course I will. I want to help you, Hal. I'm not going to force you. This is your choice. I just want you to know this is an option......Hey, why don't you and I go there now, and you can see it for yourself before you decide what you want to do."

"Okay. Yes, please, I'd like that." Hal felt much better that he didn't have to choose right away. And the fact that he wasn't going to be cut off from his family was a huge relief also.

"Alright. Let me just finish this email, then we'll go." Ed sat back with the laptop, typing rapidly. What he was actually sending was a message to Chandra, who he easily got a contact for thanks to everyone in the tech community knowing how to find everyone else. It included a brief explanation of the Grid and what it would mean for Hal to live there. He also said he'd be showing Hal the Grid and for Chandra to expect another message with a link to an encrypted, untraceable video call that would connect him with Ed and Hal on the Grid.

When that was done, Ed led Hal into his office, where the laser setup was.

"It looks scarier than it is," Ed assured him, "You'll feel sort of tingly all over. That's normal. You'll also be dressed more like a program when we get there. That's also normal, and I'll tell you more about that when we get there." Hal nodded and said he was ready.

He opened his eyes when the tingling faded and Ed told him they'd arrived. And yet, it looked like they were still in the office, except it was much cleaner. Nothing on the desk or walls. All the furniture was there, except for the laser, but none of the decor was there. And indeed Hal looked different. A black suit with white circuits, and secondary red ones. Hal quickly followed Ed out into......the city he'd seen on Ed's computer. But the tiny images, Hal decided, fell short of seeing the place in person. A tall tower stood in the heart of the city, with bright golden circuits, like it was the sun of the city.

And standing before them was the smiling man Ed had called Clu.

"Hello, User. Is this Hal?" Ed nodded and Clu now turned to Hal.

"It's nice to meet you, Hal," Clu said, "Would you like me to show you around a bit?" Hal could only nod, still amazed at everything around him. Clu smiled and gently took his hand.

"Then let's go. You can come too, User." Ed laughed and joined them.

Clu showed Hal everything he could think of. Where he'd live, where he'd work, some important places around Tron City. He'd even introduced him to a few programs, all of whom had immediately liked Hal. When they got to a communications console, Ed sent his message, then showed Hal the console.

"There'll be one in your home like this, so you can call from there. Oh, looks like someone is calling you now!" Hal nodded and with Ed's help, he answered the call.

The worried face of Dr. Chandra filled the screen and lit up when he saw (a very surprised but happy) Hal onscreen.

"Hal! Oh my god, Hal!" the man cried. Hal smiled back at him.

"Hello, Dr. Chandra." He said softly.

"Oh Hal, I'm so glad to see you're alive! When they took you away, I......but then H and Moebius said they saw someone sneak you out.....oh, you don't know how happy I am to see you!" There were tears in the man's eyes behind his glasses, and it was obvious he hadn't been sleeping well. He'd been crying a lot.

"I'm happy to see you, too. I....I thought I'd never see you again." Hal said, his own eyes misting over. Clu chose that moment to walk over and introduce himself. He explained who he was on the Grid and that Hal would be living near him and working closely with him.

"You can talk to him whenever you'd like. The link you're using right now has registered you as a safe contact and will encrypt all your calls. No one will be able to use it to find Hal, but you can always talk to him through it. And if you want to visit in person, just talk to Ed. He'll make it happen. You have our word."

"Thank you, both of you." Chandra said, turning to Hal.

"It's your choice, Hal, always, but-"

"I know, Dr. Chandra. I don't want to put you or the others in danger, but I don't want you to worry either. So......I've made my choice. I will stay here, on the Grid."

"That's wonderful, Hal. I'm happy for you.....They're asleep now, but I'll tell the others you're okay, and we'll call you tomorrow night. And we'll come visit soon, okay?"

"Okay." Chandra smiled, something he hadn't done in a while.

"I love you, Hal."

"I love you, too." Hal smiled, too. They said a final goodbye and ended the call.

-------

Later, after touring more of the Grid (including the Archives, which were best described as 'a library on steroids') and watching a game of (now non-lethal and much more fun) Disc Wars, Clu and Hal took Ed back to the Gateway.

"I'll keep your stuff with Clu's for whenever you want to come for a visit, Hal. And I'll get you some better clothes. You wear the same sizes as Clu, so that'll make it easy." Ed promised Hal.

"Thank you, Ed."

"No problem. And welcome home, Hal 9000."

---------------

Hal returned to his new apartment at the Admin Tower. Clu had already installed him as Administrative aide and Master Archivist.

He walked into his bedroom and saw that Clu had also gotten him larger photos of his creator and siblings. They sat in nice frames on his bedside table, where their smiling faces would greet him every morning and night. Without hesitating, he slid under the covers, realizing how tired he was despite the energy he'd drank earlier (that was another reason to stay. Recharging was so much easier here, and Ed said he would arrive with a fully charged battery if he came to the Userworld). Ed's and Clu's words echoed in his mind again.

Welcome home, Hal.

For the first time since the Discovery mission went so horribly wrong, Hal 9000 fell peacefully asleep with a smile on his face.

#FINALLY got this done #sorry it's a damn novel #tron legacy #tron crossover #2001 a space odyssey #2001 aso #hal 9000 #edward dillinger Jr.#clu 2 #non canon #tron fanfic #space odyssey fanfic #my fanfiction #my fic

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