Tron: Deliverance

<BOSS FIGHT BEGINNING>

The debate on who should go to Purgos took longer than Beck would have liked. Most of that time was spent with the Users trying to convince Alan-One to stay in Argon or go to the portal to leave the Grid.

The eldest User was immovable as a wall. He wanted to go to Purgos. And if they got in trouble he was the only one who could use the firewall software in a combat situation.

Beck had to agree with his logic. He had very vague and fragmented memories of what was going on in Purgos. But he had a core-deep certainty that they would need the User if they wanted to survive.

Also, the young mechanic had argued with Tron enough times to know when he was going to dig his heels in and insist on a course of action. And for better or worse Alan-One and Tron were perfect mirrors of each other. Sure the older User seemed more deliberate, measured. But Beck knew from the way he set his jaw and the spark of anger in his eyes that he wasn't going to budge on this.

When the arguing had gotten ridiculous, the young mechanic broke through the clamor.

"Look, I don't know exactly what's going on in Purgos. Those memories are....scattered or something. I can't retrieve them right" he pulled his shoulders back as the room of Users, ISOs and programs focused their attention on him.

"But what I do know is that, Tesler and....someone else are there" he closed his eyes, trying to dig back into his memory files, but found it like plunging his arms into scalding liquid. Every part of him wanted to flinch away from the sharp and enraged consciousness that had perceived those memories. Looking back, just BEING Ronin had been painful. Every nano of it.

"They were testing the pathogenic code on the population. There's hundreds, maybe thousands of infected programs in the city" he managed to spit out, random flashes of common programs with glowing orange eyes confirming his statement. He took a long intake, then let the files recede back into his banks.

"See! You guys need me there" Alan-One harrumphed. This prompted a wave of refusals.

Beck crossed his arms and leaned out of the fray. He already knew the outcome of this situation. Alan-One would get what he wanted.

He could just tell, neither the Creator or his program ever lost an argument.

Beck felt a nudge on his shoulder. He smiled slightly as Paige pinged him for his attention. He turned to see her hanging back. She had said her piece early on in the discussion.

She was going to Purgos. No one could stop her. She didn't particularly care who went with her as long as they could leave as soon as possible.

Tesler's reckoning was overdue and she meant to provide it.

Paige gestured for him to follow her. They moved out of the command bridge, into the hallway. Till the voices in the bridge were a faint murmur.

"Did you need something?" He asked.

She sighed, "Yeah". Then she knocked nearly all the air out of him with a sudden embrace.

She buried her face in his chest and her intakes slowed. He could feel her systems even out when they were this close. He smiled and pressed his face into her hair.

This felt right. Everything about her felt right.

It was the exact opposite sensation as digging into his memories from his time as Ronin.

But he couldn't miss how she trembled slightly, she was troubled.

His brow furrowed.

"What's your plan? Your real plan when we get to Purgos?"