Tron: Deliverance

PREPARING DISC BATTLE

The Grid sirens stiffly marched up to the competitors. Three  of whom were normal programs plucked from the streets of Argon. Her primary focus was the User and music program on either side of her.

"Programs, for your safety you are being equipped with battle armor. Do not attempt to remove your armor" the Grid said.

Paige felt the restrictive mod settle over her shoulders. Heavier than it should be. Although that weight might have been her worry about the others she had to protect.

She looked over to see Jet experimentally poking at his new shoulder armor, his eyes wide with wonder and a bit of glee. Although his eyes flashed quickly to the Siren in front of Paige. Only just managing not to stare

Hilda looked considerably more worried about her current predicament.

At least one of them had some sense.

Gem, the Grid Siren assigned to Paige leaned in slightly.

"I ensured you will be able to handle the match ups" she muttered. Her face blank, except for her eyes, which burned with focus. She finished adding the armor mods and marched backwards in tandem with the other sirens. Paige gave her the barest grateful nod. She had been quite impressed with the white-haired ISO. She blended in perfectly with the other Grid sirens. Even managing to infiltrate the Coliseum itself in less than a cycle.

The platform they stood on began to rise and Paige's light cuffs and the inhibitor arrays on her feet deactivated. At least they would let her fight normally.

"Help is on the way. We just have to last as long as we can" Jet said in a low voice. Paige whipped her head around to the User, brow drawn down in surprise. She had no doubt that the other Users would try to rescue their own, but his certainty struck her oddly. He smiled brightly to her.

"Your friend is OK by the way. They got him to the machine in time. I would have told you sooner but I figured they have surveillance on the jail cells"

Now Paige's jaw dropped and relief shot through her processes . She was a nano away from grabbing the User by the shoulders and asking him how he knew this. She didn't get the chance to. The roar of the coliseum grew deafening as their platform rose through from the sub levels into the open air.

Their platform continued to rise until they were level with a couple other round and disc-like platforms. On the surface a few meters ahead of them, a squad of black guards stood ready. The guards on the flanks did handsprings and flips to get into their positions.

"All combatants prepare for team battle. Difficulty level...Extreme" the Grid intoned. Paige grit her teeth and edged ahead of the other programs. She drew her disc grimly.

"If we weren't in so much danger this would be sooooooo cool" Jet said in a slightly squeaky voice. Paige shot him an annoyed look over her shoulder. He was somewhere between elated and terrified. She turned over the other side to see that Hilda already had her disc drawn, but her posture was stiff and her face creased with worry. She was a music program after all, and while she had learned some skills from Beck and later Paige, she simply wasn't much of a fighter.

"I'm surprised Dyson isn't here to see this" Hilda commented darkly, nodding up towards the viewing platform. It was conspicuously empty.

Paige didn't have time to ponder this though, she turned back forward to assess the black guards. They were still getting into position. At a glance these guards weren't top tier. Their light lines a darker reddish orange indicating their lower rank. Normally a violent dissident like herself would have to fight opponents of a much higher caliber. That must be what Gem might by ensuring she could handle the match ups.