[Jay's Pov]
After winning our match, we were taken to our cells, where we waited, once again for someone to come and throw us in another death match. It didn't take long for that person to come, and let me just say the vibe I got from him made me want to punch him instantly.
"Greetings gentlemen. My name is Commander Pavel. I'm here to take you to your next match." He said smiling at us as he ordered some guards to take us out of our cells.
Leading us through a long pathway, he led us to a platform similar to the one we were first on when we got here.
"General Tesler was very impressed by your performances. We rarely ever get to see such delicious competition."
'Yeah, I definitely want to punch him. He just sounds gross.' I thought, side-eyeing him.
"And to thank you, General Tesler has arranged a very savory reward." He said, grinning to himself.
As the platform we were on began rising, it was a painfully slow wait as I tapped my foot impatiently until we finally stopped in the middle of the arena.
"Greetings, programs! Today is a momentous occasion!" Pavel shouted as the crowd of programs erupted in cheers.
'Why do I have a bad feeling about this? Well, as bad as what I've already been feeling.' I thought as I stared at Pavel giving his speech.
"Not only are you privileged to see two highly skilled fighters fight for their survival, but now you get to watch as the merciful General Tesler allows them to compete for the greatest prize of all… freedom." The crowd's cheers get louder upon hearing those words.
"The winner of this round will be released!" He grinned.
"And who is it we'll be fighting exactly?" I couldn't help but ask.
"Why, each other, of course… and to the death." He said, his grin growing a lot wider as he backed up off the platform.
'Yeah, I think I might do more than punch him.' I could only groan as I watched his ugly mug walk away as the platform began to rise.
"Final round commencing. Classification: Disc Battle. Opponents: Player one vs. Player four. Prize category: Freedom. Match duration: To the death."
"They can't really expect us to derez each other." I said, crossing my arms.
"Derez each other. That crowd isn't going to be satisfied until one of us is in pieces." Cutler added.
"Hm, well, not like I wanna kill you, and they can't make us do anything, so let's just wait." Cutler nodded in agreement as the crowd began to boo us.
We waited a few moments until a wall of light rose up from the platform before slowly inching toward us.
"When there's a winner, the walls will stop. If there is no winner, you die. Fight or be crushed." I heard Tesler say over the speakers.
'Well, this isn't going as planned.' I thought before I called you to Cutler.
"Oi, Cutler, we're going to have to fight!" I shout as I pull out my disc.
"What do you mean?" He turns to me as he watches me approach him.
"One of us has to survive, and it might as well be me." I say finally reaching where he was and standing in front of him.
"Are you crazy? That's exactly what they are hoping for!" He yells.
"Then let's give them what they want." I said right before kicking him in the chest just hard enough to send him to the ground.
Looking up at me, he scowls, glaring at me before he slowly stands up.
"I'm not going to fight you."
"Alright, it doesn't bother me. If that's what you want, then you'll die a coward!" Throwing my disc toward him, he dodges out of the way before taking off his own.
"Don't do this, Jay!"
"I have to. After all, one of us has to survive." Sprinting at him, he tries to punch me, only for me to duck and tackle him to the ground.
Rolling, he uses our momentum to kick me off him before throwing his disc at me. Dodging his disc, I throw my own as we go back and forth between disc throws and dodges before I run at him and kick him square in the face. Spinning around, he fell to the ground stunned, watching as I jumped on top of him with my disc raised.
"Sorry, but it was you or me." Thrusting my disc forward, he shuts his eyes as I slam my disc next to his head.
"What?" He looks up at me in shock.
"I forfeit!" I shout as I look up toward Tesler as he stood in an open room above the stands.
"What are you doing?! If we want to stop Clu, it should have been you being set free, not me. Why would you do this?" Cutler questioned as he struggled to stand.
"Don't worry about me. I have people on the outside who can get me out of here. Isn't it like you said? Tron lives." Cutler looked at me wide-eyed, almost in disbelief.
"Meet me at the docks by the end of this cycle. Don't worry. Someone will be there to meet you once you get there." I told him as he nodded in affirmation.
Looking back toward Telser, I stare at him as he watches us from above.
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[Paige's Pov]
Walking into the room, I see General Tesler mumbling to himself as Pavel backs away.
"No forfeit!" I heard him yell.
Once he said that, I heard the announcement that they'd both be derezzed on the speakers. As soon as that announcement was made, the programs in the crowd began chanting to let one of the two go free. Seeing this, I immediately went up to the general.
"Sir, do you really think that it is wise to have them both perish?" I asked him.
"If they wish to be derezzed, I have no problem granting it."
"That may be, but you did promise the crowd that one of them may go free."
"So?"
"So, you have your image to uphold. Imagine it. The benevolent leader that keeps to his word. One should go free, don't you think?"
I can see the gears turning in Tesler's head. I was going to mention that one of them should be derezzed, but unfortunately the one who I thought would win didn't. I honestly think he'd make a fine addition to Clu's army. I just have to… push him in the right direction. With that thought in mind, I listen as the general makes his announcement.
"Programs of Argon, both of these people deserve to perish. But we are not monsters. I made a promise, and I intend to uphold it. Player four, you will be rewarded with your freedom."
I watch as player number four looks up in shock at his announcement. Funny, I thought he'd be happy to be free.
"As for you, number one, by the end of this cycle you will meet your end in the middle of Argon Square. Where you will be derezzed. Bit by excruciating bit."
My eyes widen slightly upon hearing this.
"No program can make a mockery of the games and live!" Turning around, the general begins to leave as I follow him.
"Sir, I implore you to reconsider that program's deresolution. His skills exceed most, and his potential only comes every so often." I said asking for him to have a change of mind.
"Enough! He will die at Argon Square, and if you have a problem with that, then you can take his place."
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I sigh as I walk toward the prison. Tesler doesn't see the future potential in people like I do. It's a shame, but it seems I don't really have a choice in the matter. Entering the prison, I walk until I reach Player One's cell.
"So, mind telling me your name before you're derezzed?" He looked up at me silently as he sat in the corner. It was honestly sort of unnerving.
I couldn't see his face because of his helmet, but it felt as if he could crush me instantly if he wanted to, and he probably could from what I've witnessed so far.
"It's Jay." He said in a monotone voice.
"Well, Jay, if it makes you feel better, I did make an attempt to get General Tesler to spare you and join his army." I told him.
"Wow, thanks. That really means a lot." His voice was laced with sarcasm.
"I don't get it. Why would you decline my invitation to save you? You could have been free and a prominent member in the military. So why?" I questioned.
I watched as he stood up, walking up to me as he stood in front of the cell's force field.
"I don't trust Tesler. Never have, never will. And from what I've seen, ever since Clu came, everything has gone to shit." he hissed.
"You're wrong. Clu is making the Grid better. He-" He cut me off before I could continue.
"Oh yeah? Does sending innocent programs to be killed sound like making the Grid better?"
"I—"
"You're all so brainwashed that you can't even see what's happening right in front of you. Or maybe… you're choosing not to." He said, pointing towards me.
"Tell me, do you have any friends?"
"...No."
"Good, if you did, they'd probably be derezzed, just so you won't have any attachments."
"You—" I started but was interrupted again.
"Oh? Did I hit a soft spot? Good. That's just the type of person Tesler seems to be, doing anything to gain power for himself. How much longer can you ignore it until it comes back to bite you in the butt?" He chuckled to himself.
Not saying anything else, he turns his back to me. I stared at him for a bit, growling in frustration before turning around.
"Whatever, you're not going to be alive for much longer, so what does it matter to you?" As I began to walk away, I heard him say one more thing, causing me to stop.
"You'll see. They don't care about you. And when that time comes, you'll come to understand."
"..." I left the prison. I needed some time to think to myself.
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[Jay's Pov]
I watched as Paige left. I could tell I hit a sore spot when mentioning if she had any friends. That could be something brought up later in the future. Whatever, for now, though, I'll just wait until they take me out of the colosseum to escape.
After a few long, boring hours, the guards come to collect me. I let them grab me out of my cells as they began to escort me out of the prison and to a recognizer. Pushing me into a cell on the ship, they locked my hands and feet down as we began to take off.
"So, I guess this is it, huh?" I asked the guards in front of me.
They ignored me…
"Are we there yet?" I asked as a few minutes passed.
I kept annoying the guards until one finally got annoyed enough to turn around and come close to the cell.
"Remain silent for the rest of the transport duration, or you will be dealt with accordingly." The guard said.
"Sure, I'll be quiet." I smirked.
Turning around, the guard went back to the control console of the ship, leaving me to myself again.
'Well, I guess it's time.' Flexing my muscles, I use my strength to break the cuffs on me.
Now that the cuffs were off me, I just had to figure out a way to get out of this cell. Like the one back at the prison, it was made up of a force field that would electrocute me if I touched it. Sighing, I thought of an idea that could work, though probably only for a few seconds.
Turning my fingers into claws, I close my eyes and focus for a few moments. Opening my eyes, I stab my hands forward into the force field, and to my surprise, I got my desired result. My claws pierced through the forcefield, allowing me to pry open a small exit for me to step through. Stretching my limbs, I morph into my Tron suit. Walking up from behind the guards, I wrapped my arms around their shoulders.
"So… are we there yet now?" By the time they reacted to me, their faces were already meeting in the middle as I smashed them together.
Moving their bodies to the side, I take control of the ship before flying it toward the docks. As I do this, I feel the ship jerk violently.
"Well, that isn't good." I couldn't dodge properly with how big and slow the recognizer was, and being shot at doesn't help at all.
Another violent jerk shakes the entire ship, and I see that it began to descend toward the ground.
"Damn, what do I—" Oh yeah, I can fly. Now I feel like an idiot. How could I forget that?
Taking out my disc, I punch it toward the windshield, breaking it before jumping through. Materializing my cape, it turns into wings as I glide to the ground. It was better for me to travel by ground instead of flying so that it'd be harder to spot me. Running through crowds of programs, I ran until I ended up in what looked like an abandoned area.
I kept running, trying to navigate my way to the docks before I felt a force crash into me from behind, pushing me to the ground. Turning around, I see Paige on top of me.
"You again? I thought I derezzed you."
"You did, and I'm not so easy to kill." And I sure as hell don't plan on dying anytime soon.
"Tough guy huh? Well see how long that lasts" She snorted.
"You seem to be in a bad mood. Someone hurt your feelings?" I taunt.
She said nothing as she raised her disc she and stabbed towards my chest. Catching her by the arm I stop her attack before promptly bucking her off me. Jumping to my feet, I dodged Paige's disc that was thrown at me before turning to her right as she kicked me. Blocking, I caught her disc that was making its way back to her before planting it into the ground. She throws a kick toward my head, only for me to catch her leg and hold it there.
"Wait a minute, I recognize you." She says as she stares at me, her eyes glaring daggers.
"Sure hope so. It'd be hard to forget getting your ass kicked." I laughed, causing her to jump up as I was still holding her leg and kicking me in the face, forcing me to let go.
"As I've said once before, feisty." She growled as she dashed towards me.
'This is taking too long.' Tackling her, we roll, and right as we stop, I pick her up and throw her as far as I could before booking it.
'Why is escaping so difficult?'