"Greetings, User Flynn."
The computerized though still somehow feminine voice echoed all around them as Flynn placed his Identity Disc into a circular alcove at a console on the smooth, glassy wall. Mia felt behind her back. She had one, too. Just like Tron.
A screen lit up on the wall, showing a picture of Flynn's face along with what appeared to be Grid stats, including win/loss records, total play time, how many games he'd played, and other such things. Flynn removed his disc from the wall and returned it to his back.
"Your turn," he said. "Just take your ID disc and set it in one of the alcoves. It'll register you into the system."
Mia fumbled awkwardly with her disc before placing it in the console as Flynn had done.
"Greetings, User Miandra." Mia's face appeared alongside a line of zeros for her stats.
"Great," said Mia somewhat sarcastically, "Now the computer knows who I am." She removed her disc and, with help from Flynn, returned it to her back. "So, now I'm in the system, right? What do we play?"
"Just a sec."
Flynn touched her name on the screen. The name Miandra, disappeared and a keyboard display appeared above the name space. Flynn typed in three letters: M-I-A, and pressed enter. Now she was listed as Mia.
"Like I said, it's all customizable. I figured you'd prefer it this way. Either that or I can change it to Dream Girl." Grinning, Flynn turned away from the profile board.
"Uh, Dream Girl?" Mia followed him to the center of the gridscape, uncertain whether his alternate name for her was a reference to her relation to The Dreamfinder or it if implied something else entirely. Her feminine ego rather hoped that perhaps it was the latter, but she swiftly admonished herself for this line of thinking.
You're becoming positively daffy, Mia. Just because you're in a fairytale world, you're expecting a fairytale romance to fall into your lap. This is reality. Reality isn't like that.
"As for the games," said Flynn, "There's a few we can choose from. There's Disc Wars, which is kind of like Frisbee if you hated everyone you're playing with; Light Cycles, where you use a light ribbon on the back of your bike to try to cut off your opponent's maneuverability; and lastly, the ring game, which I don't think I have a real name for yet."
Mia had a vague recollection of these games from the Tron movies, though there was something rather bothersome she suddenly remembered.
"Uh, wait a minute... If I get hit with something, am I gonna shatter into tiny shards of glass, or is that just another film-only thing?' she asked nervously.
"You mean like deresolution? Derezzing? Nah. That's only for in-game AI. We're users, Mia. Flesh and blood. Heart and soul. We won't derezz. Hell, even Tron won't derezz when he's in here. He's an outside program, not bound to the limits of this system. I have safety protocols to ensure that won't happen."
"Well, that's a relief," said Mia, although she felt a little stupid for asking now. Of course, Flynn wouldn't allow them to be derezzed.
"Oh, that reminds me. With the games, we can either play against each other one-on-one, or we can play as a team against AIs. What do you wanna do? You're the new player, so you pick."
"I think it'd like to be on a team with you," she mumbled bashfully. "At least to start. Though I'm afraid I might be a bit of a handicap for you."
"Nah, it's your first time on the Grid. I can scale back the difficulty of the AIs too, ya' know. But if it'd make you feel better to do teamplay to start, okay. The best team games are either Disc Wars or Light Cycles. If you really wanna start simple, then I guess Disc Wars is a good place to start. Whattya' say? Two-on-two Disc Wars, then?"
Mia nodded. She was in no position to argue. He knew these games better than she did. Flynn returned to the main console to start the game, loading up the enemy AIs and setting the parameters for the match.
"Some things I should warn you about – sometimes the arena will change shape and even rotate, forcing you to hurry your way to the ceiling. You can either dodge disc shots or block 'em with your own discs. Make use of the obstacles that come up. Get on top of them or hide behind 'em. Oh, and discs can ricochet; another good thing to keep in mind. That all make sense?"
"Doesn't sound like a game for the athletically challenged. And to think I could barely handle dodgeball in gym class," said Mia with a sigh. "Well, all right. I'll give it a go, I guess."
"Hey, trust me, I'm not the most athletically gifted guy in the world, but I manage okay. Plus, it really gets your blood pumping, man. Adrenaline is a wonderful thing."
Once Flynn finished setting up the game parameters, the computerized voice returned.
"Welcome to... Disc Wars. Users, to your starting positions." Two squares on the grid lit up, awaiting them.
"I'll watch your back. Don't worry." Flynn took the disc off his back, activating it for game mode. The rim lit up and gave off a buzzing hum. Mia stood in the square beside him, following suit. The playing field rose up, forming a glass box around them.
"Trapped like rats," muttered Mia. "Really inspires confidence."
A second later, their opponents appeared in front of them – two programs, each sporting red circuits on their gear. Mia gulped nervously.
"Do they have to look so intimidating?"
Helmets with visors materialized over the heads of all four players and the countdown began.
Three... two... one...
A disembodied voice above them announced, "GAME... START!"
Panicking, Mia threw her disc right off the bat. "YAAAH!!!"
The disc buzzed through the air towards their opponents, who both leapt out of the way, avoiding a hit. The disc repelled off the wall with a sound like a digitized bullet ricochet and sailed back towards its user. Mia caught her returning disc, but the force of it sent her skidding backwards a bit.
Their opponents were already on the move. One made a mad dash for Flynn, letting his disc fly. Flynn used his own disc to deflect it. "Interesting way to start the game, kiddo."
Flynn let his disc fly, not toward the AI who'd attacked him, but at the other, who was coming for Mia.
"Heads up, sweetheart!"
The AI dodged just in time, causing Flynn's disc to ricochet once, then twice, and Flynn had to run to his left to retrieve it. Flynn caught his disc and made a swipe at his opponent. The AI leapt aside and was on the run, putting more space between them to make Flynn's job a little harder.
Mia's next throw of the disc was more poised and controlled, but the second AI raised his disc, effectively deflecting hers. This sent it ricocheting up towards the ceiling.
"Damn it," Mia cursed as she watched her disc's trajectory, waiting for it to return to her outstretched hand. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see her opponent's disc hurtling towards her.
Hurry up, hurry up, she willed her disc, hoping it would return it time.
An alarm blared throughout the arena and a section of the floor rose to form a pillar. It shot up just in front of Mia, fortuitously blocking the enemy's disc from hitting her. Mia caught her disc and took shelter behind the pillar. Her good fortune was not shared, however. Flynn's disc had been zooming right for his opponent when the pillar rose, blocking his attack.
"No fair! I had 'im! Lucky stiff."
More pillars and walls formed inside the arena, changing the shape of their already confined environment. Mia decided to use the new terrain to her advantage. She moved stealthily between the pillars, hoping to sneak up on her opponent. Mia's enemy had spotted Flynn through an opening between pillars and had just thrown his disc at him when Mia came up behind him. Unarmed and defenseless, the AI was now at her mercy. Her disc sheered through his midsection and he shattered into what looked like hundreds of tiny shards of glass. She had just scored her first derezz.
"CPU 1... Deresolution."
"YES! I GOT HIM!" Mia cried excitedly. "Hey, Flynn! Did you see—"
Flynn glanced in Mia's direction and spotted her opponent's disc flying at him. He dropped to the ground just in time. The disc hit a wall and derezzed on impact. Flynn rolled across the ground, but the remaining AI got the jump on him. It pounced on Flynn, pinning him to the grid floor and attempted to drive his disc down into Flynn's head. Flynn caught his enemy's forearm and held it, struggling to keep him at bay.
For a brief moment, Mia forgot that she and Flynn could not be derezzed in the same way as their opponents. "FLYNN!" she screamed and ran towards him, throwing her disc at his attacker.
The AI rolled off of Flynn, landing on his back beside him. Mia's disc bounced off one of the raised pillars and returned to her hand. The distraction gave Flynn the opportunity to reverse their positions. He rolled atop his opponent and plunged his disc into its chest. The AI let out a digitally garbled cry and shattered into red pixels.
"CPU 2... Deresolution. Winners: User Flynn, User Mia."
"YES!" shouted Mia, leaping up and down and punching her fist into the air. "WE WON!" She hurried over to Flynn and offered him a hand up. "We won! We won! Did you see me derez that guy earlier? That was super fun! Let's do it again!"
"You wanna play another one? You know, you're pretty cute when you're excited."
Mia blushed fiercely, glad it wasn't visible in this new environment.
The disembodied computer voice spoke overhead. "Proceed to... Round 2? Or... Start New Game?"
Flynn turned to Mia with an arched eyebrow. "How about it, hot stuff? You pick."
Mia certainly felt hot at those words, hot and weak-kneed with a stomach full of butterflies. But she tried not to let on as she laughed off his comment as best she could. "Laying it on kinda thick, aren't you?"
"Laying what on thick? What are you talking about?"
Mia rolled her eyes. "Anyway... I think I'd at least like to do a second round. Then maybe we can try a new game." But she wondered, with Flynn's comments hanging in the air, if she'd even be able to concentrate on the games.
"Right on. Still getting used to the game. I gotcha. Let's do it." He tilted his head to the expansive dark sky and called out, "Proceed!"
"Proceed... to Round 2. Users, to your starting points."
Two brand new opponents materialized across from them.
"You ready, Dream Girl?" said Flynn with a playful smirk just before his visor lowered.
Mia rolled her eyes for a second time as her visor lowered. The game began its countdown. This time, Mia didn't react in a panic. Rather than making the first haphazard throw, she played defense early and gradually played more offense as the game went on. In the end, the outcome of the second game was the same, with Mia and Flynn the victors.
"Whew!" said Mia, stretching as her visor came back up, revealing her face. "That was great! I honestly can't remember the last time I had so much fun!"
"Really? I mean, I get you probably had nothing like this back on Earth, but surely it can't be so long since you've had any real fun."
Mia shook her head.
"Don't you have any friends back home?"
"I used to, but we all sort of parted ways after high school. These days I'm a bit of a loner, and I've always been pretty introverted, actually."
Flynn lifted an eyebrow. "Really? I seriously would've never guessed."
"I get that a lot. I'm actually an INFJ, so I'm easily mistaken for an extrovert."
"What are you even talking about?"
"You know, like in the Myers-Briggs personality types?"
Flynn shook his head, still looking bewildered.
"Oh, right. Dizgaia probably doesn't have Myers-Briggs. Never mind."
"Well, either way, I'm glad you're having fun. Grid Games are great. I almost feel a little bad for that CPU guy who got smashed between a rising platform and a lowering platform. Tough luck there, huh?"
"At least he's only a program, right?" Though she wondered if she'd feel the same way if the program it question was, say, Tron. Tron was so versatile, it was hard to think of him as a mere program. She shuddered to think of any similar fate befalling him.
The computer voice returned. "Proceed to Round 3? Or... Start New Game?"
"New Game!" called Flynn to the voice belonging to what Mia had internally dubbed as the invisible sky lady.
The Grid returned to its default open space.
"What do you say we play a different one?" he asked. "Maybe try The Ring Game? You wanna play one on one? Teams? Four player free-for-all?"
"I don't know..." said Mia. "A free-for-all sounds kinda scary to me. And if we play one-on-one, you'll mop the floor with me. Can we just stick with teams for now, at least until I get the hang of everything?"
"You just can't get enough of me, can you?" he asked, grinning somewhat arrogantly. "Want me all to yourself, Dream Girl?"
"Oh brother," Mia groaned. "Just start the game already, you weirdo."
Grinning, Flynn loaded up the game, a two-on-two single platform – the Ring Game. A brief virtual tutorial was given via the menu screen, showing illustrations of Flynn and Mia in their starting position, each armed with scoop-like tools, trying to catch a glowing ball which bounced back and forth between their platform and their opponents' platform.
Mia was glad the Grid offered them a demonstration before each game because it was this game in particular she was having difficulty recollecting from the movie. It had been an awfully long time since she last watched the original Tron, and even then, it was more her dad's movie than hers.
The Grid transformed once more. Everything around them vanished, with the exception of the game control station several yards away. Now Flynn and Mia stood on a large circular platform made up of a center piece and six layers of rings. They reminded Mia of the rings of Saturn.
Another series of rings appeared across from them, leaving a sizeable gap between the two platforms. This one belonged to their opponents – two red, glowing CPU characters. A grid-patterned ceiling materialized above them, completing the playing field. Two scoop-like sticks appeared in their hands, which reminded Mia a little of lacrosse sticks, though Flynn informed her they were called cestas.
"GAME... START!"
A glowing energy ball dropped from a tube above, and Flynn caught it in his cesta.
"User Flynn. First serve."
"Looks like we go first." Flynn bounced his ball in his cesta a couple times before whipping the ball underhanded towards the ceiling. It repelled off the grid and shot towards the AIs. One of them leapt forward and caught it in his cesta before sending it up to the ceiling. This time, when the ball repelled, it came hurtling back towards Flynn's and Mia's platform.
So as not to lose face or be outdone, Mia ran for it with her cesta outstretched. "I got it, I got it..." She extended her arm and caught the glowing ball, though her foot was on the outermost ring and her other raised in the air behind her in an awkward penche sort of position.
This game isn't so hard after all, she thought, until she glanced down and saw just how precariously perched she was. She felt herself beginning to pitch forward off the platform when Flynn quickly grabbed a hold of her and yanked her back.
"Whoo! Careful now," he said. "I was almost down a teammate."
"Thanks for that," said Mia, breathing a sigh of relief. "So, uh, what exactly does happen to us if the rings disappear and we, you know, fall?"
Flynn shrugged nonchalantly. "Yeah. You drop, sweetheart. Now, really whip it," he said, nodding to the glowing ball in her cesta. "Let's start taking out those rings."
Mia wished he'd stop with the pet names – not because she didn't like them, but because they made her silly in the head, and she knew there was probably no deeper meaning to them. It was just Flynn being Flynn. She reared back her arm and whipped the glowing ball hard towards the ceiling. The ball bounced off the grid and was again caught by one of the opposing AIs.
"Damn," said Mia. "Anyway, yeah, I get that we drop. But, like, I mean... where do we end up?"
"Where do we end up? Uh..."
Flynn got no further than that in answering her question, for the AI gave a spin and lobbed the ball with a particularly fierce momentum, bouncing it up and sending it down towards them with a nasty curve. Flynn flung himself forward and caught it just in time.
"Nice arm on that one. Let's see how he likes this." Flynn backed up and gave the ball a hard toss. The ball bounced. This time their opponents missed it. The ball hit ring 5, causing it to vanish. "Ha! Take that! That's one for us!"
"Nice!" said Mia. "Not that you need the compliment, of course. You're obviously a pro at this by now."
"I could always use more compliments. Helps the ol' ego out."
"I don't think you need any help with that one."
This time it was the CPUs' serve.
"Get ready, Mia," Flynn warned.
The AI gave the ball a vicious whip and it came careening toward the middle of their platform. To lose the center ring this early in the game would surely be devastating, so Mia ran for it, ducking low to scoop it. Flynn went after it at the same time, going high. In so doing, Flynn tripped over Mia and fell flat onto the platform. His foot clipped Mia's shoulder on the way down, sending her tumbling sideways. Mia landed on her back. The ball struck the middle of the platform, taking out the center ring and leaving a gaping hole in the middle.
Mia gathered herself into a sitting position and gave her head a little shake. "Ngh... Sorry, Flynn."
"It's all right," said Flynn, rising to his feet. "I'm just glad I never instituted that instant win Bullseye protocol. We'd be really screwed if I had."
The AIs across from them began to laugh. It was a sort of digital buzzing sound which made Mia wince.
"Ugh... Do they have to laugh like that? They sound so... malevolent."
"I've never had them laugh at me before," said Flynn, frowning. "I mostly programmed that in to tease my pal, Ram."
"Testing the limits of their programming?" said Mia, raising an eyebrow. "Sounds risky, Flynn."
Another energy ball dropped from the tube and Flynn caught it. He rolled it into Mia's cesta.
"You serve," he said. "Shut those guys up."
"Why do I get the feeling I'm just gonna make them laugh even harder?"
Mia took a moment to study the layout of the ceiling and their opponents' rings, visualizing the trajectory of the ball. She faked a throw at a close section of the ceiling, but then swiftly changed direction and threw it further. It hit the ceiling above with a zap and went hurtling towards the back of their opponents' platform.
This time it paid off. The glowing ball sailed over their opponents' heads and nailed their sixth ring. This left an even wider gap between ring seven and four. There would be no sense in hopping back to ring 7, as it would be a risky maneuver. The CPUs' playing platform was getting smaller.
"I got one!" Mia exclaimed excitedly. "They're losing ground!"
"Yeah! There ya go! That shut 'em up!"
Unfortunately for Mia and Flynn, the same was soon true for them. The AI served the ball and it came in hot. Flynn tried for it but missed. The ball nailed the line separating rings 4 and 5, causing both rings to blink out of existence. Flynn flailed his arms, trying to keep his balance. He was left standing on 6 and 7, while Mia was alone on 2 and 3, a sizeable gap between them.
"Oh no! Now what?" Mia called from across the gap. "I've hardly got any room to move! And you never told me what happens when we fall!"
"C'mon, now's no time to panic. We can still get this."
Buzzing laughter came from the other platform and Flynn shot a glare at the CPUs.
"Ah, shaddup!"
The energy ball dropped from above, landing in Mia's cesta.
"You're in a better position to serve," Flynn called to her. "Let 'em have it!"
"I'm really starting to think I'm not good at this game, Flynn."
"You'll get good! It's only your first time!"
Trying her best to balance on the two narrow rings, Mia tossed the ball up towards the ceiling. It hit its mark, but came down directly into one of the AIs cestas .
"Damn it!"
The AI quickly tossed it back at Mia. She stretched out her arm for it, but she didn't have the room she needed to maneuver. The ball took out one of the two rings on which she stood and she slipped.
"Ahhh!"
Mia caught the edge of the remaining ring, hugging it tightly to keep from falling, but her legs were dangling. She screamed again, kicking helplessly. Mia wasn't afraid of heights, but she was super afraid of falling into the dark abyss below her.
"Oh my God, oh my God! I don't wanna fall! Flynn, help!"
A new ball fell into Flynn's cesta, but that was the least of his concerns. "Hold on! I gotchya... I think." He didn't have much room to maneuver either, but Mia was seriously tweaking out. He needed to get to her. Flynn backed up to the edge of ring 7. "I'm gonna jump for it!"
Flynn dropped the ball into the abyss between the platforms, and the ball came out on the AIs' side. He launched himself from the edge of ring 6 and lunged for ring 2, but as he sailed through the air, he already knew he wasn't going to land it. Flynn caught the edge of the ring, now dangling precariously on the ledge beside Mia. They could hear the buzzing laughter of their opponents.
"Shit," he grunted. "That was stupid."
Mia closed her eyes tightly, her arms trembling from the strain of the effort. "I'm s-scared, Flynn. I'm r-really scared of f-falling. I don't want to fall. Please don't let me fall!"
"It's okay, honey. Just hang on. Here, can you inch over to me? Yeah, that's it. Nice and easy."
Little by little, inch by inch, Mia slid her hands, one after the other, across the ledge until she was hanging right up against Flynn.
"Good girl," he said with a reassuring smile. "Now, just hang tight and I'll try to help you back up."
Hanging now by one arm, Flynn wrapped his other arm around Mia's waist and tried to hoist her back up onto the ring. More buzzing laughter echoed from across the way, and when Flynn glanced up, he soon saw why. The ball was sailing towards their platform, and neither he nor Mia were in any position to stop it. The glowing ball hit ring 2. Flynn's eyes went wide.
"Aw, shit."
The ring disappeared and Mia let out a scream. Flynn wrapped his arms around her as they fell, plummeting into the abyss. Their descent did not last long. Their bodies turned over in mid-air, seemingly of their own accord, and they reappeared in the Game Control area. Mia landed softly on her back with Flynn on top of her. Their helmets and cestas dematerialized.
"User Flynn... elimination. User Mia... elimination. You lose. Game over."
Although Mia's screams had stopped, her eyes were still shut tight and she had a death grip on the material of Flynn's suit. Smiling, Flynn brushed a few strands of burgundy hair out of her face.
"Hey, hey... We're okay. We're fine."
Mia slowly opened her eyes to find Kevin Flynn's smiling face hovering over her.
"See? Not even a scratch. Even after that embarrassing defeat, you look as good coming out as you did going in."
Gulping, Mia averted her gaze. "I-I was hardly concerned about my looks," she said, feigning indignation.
Flynn chuckled. The more time he spent with Mia, the cuter he realized she was. And judging by the way she behaved around him, he was getting the idea that perhaps Mia didn't have much experience around guys. Now there was something her ever-knowledgeable father didn't have a chance to teach her about. Flynn leaned in a bit closer and spoke softly to her.
"So... ready for something more exciting?"
Mia gulped. "S-Something... m-more exciting?"
Flynn could practically feel her heart pounding against his chest. He'd yet to climb off of her, but he couldn't resist teasing her just a little. She was just too damn cute.
"Yeah," he said. "It's time to straddle something that'll really make you excited."
Despite the gray coloring of their skin, this line made her blush so deeply that it somehow bypassed the monochrome and showed up light pink on her cheeks. Flynn couldn't keep up the charade. The poor girl couldn't handle it.
"Yeah. It's time for Light Cycles, man!"
Flynn rolled off and got to his feet, offering Mia his hand. Mia did her best to regain composure as he pulled her to her feet.
"That is, if you want to," he said. "I do recall when we rolled into the ImageWorks on my light cycle you said you never wanted to do it again. Should we just skip that one?"
"To be fair," said Mia, finally regaining her breath, "I wasn't exactly prepared for it. We'd just zoomed down a spiraling tunnel of rainbow light, fleeing from hell-spawned goblins. I'm not opposed to riding a light cycle under less... dire... circumstances."
"I see," said Flynn with a teasing grin. "In that case, I'll set us up for something good." He queued up the Light Cycle game for two-on-two team play.
"Preparing... Light Cycle arena. Users, to your starting points."
Two squares on the grid lit up for them. A pair of AIs appeared far on the other side of the arena. Mia stared across at their red, glowing opponents. No matter what Flynn said, they still made her nervous.
"You ready for this?" asked Flynn. "Just avoid them. Use your light ribbon to cut them off."
"You make it sound so simple."
As they took up their position on the lit-up squares, their visors returned and two glowing batons rose from the glassy grid floor to meet them; a blue baton for Flynn to match the circuits of his suit, and a white one for Mia. When they took ahold of the batons, Mia and Flynn were pulled forward as though by some invisible force and two sleek, white light cycles formed around them. Two red cycles materialized around the AIs at the other side of The Grid.
"Light Cycles. GAME START!"
With that, Flynn tore off across The Grid.
"W-Wait!" cried Mia. "H-How do I start it?" She flexed her right hand over the handlebar and suddenly the cycle took off. "WOOOAAAH!!!"
The bike was fast... too fast. It felt wobbly beneath her. Mia wasn't sure she had a good handle on it, but gradually the cycle seemed to almost lock into the grid floor and felt sturdier. Still, it was moving so fast and Mia felt somewhat out of control.
Flynn's voice came to her through her helmet. "You okay? You steady?"
It seemed in team play the light cycles came equipped with a sort of com-link to allow teammates to speak to one another.
"The bike should lock onto the grid," he said. "It should steady your driving, but they're fast. This isn't so much about steering; this is more about thinking fast. On the Grid, a light cycle is more responsive to your mind than to steering. It's what makes instant 90 degree turns possible. So, eyes sharp and think fast! Got it?"
"W-Wait. You mean I'm not supposed to steer? Woah!" She narrowly avoided the ribbon trail of an enemy light cycle. "And 90 degree turns? How the hell- AHH!" The enemy was coming at her again, and she veered off at a 90-degree angle, answering her own question and showing exactly how this was to be accomplished. "Yikes! Talk about whiplash! I'm feeling a little dizzy here, Flynn."
Flynn veered to the left, avoiding a red ribbon left by one enemy bike as he did his best to outrun the other. Using his own light ribbon, Flynn tried to box his enemy in, but the AI gave him the slip and changed direction, headed for Mia. The second enemy bike zoomed past her. Mia was too late. She cried out as she slammed headfirst into the ribbon trail. Her cycle derezzed and she went flying and tumbling to the ground where she rolled a few feet before coming to a stop.
"User Mia... Elimination!"
"Mia! Damn!"
Flynn didn't have time to stop. Now he was down a teammate and had both enemies to deal with. It was now two on one. He clenched his teeth and proceeded on, determined to finish the game victorious.
As Mia tried to regain her bearings, she was surrounded by white pixels and teleported back to the Game Control Area, swaying unsteadily. She had to sit down to giver her equilibrium a chance to return as she watched Flynn use some tricky moves to out-maneuver his opponents.
"CPU 2... Deresolution!"
Mia studied Flynn's moves, trying to memorize his techniques for future reference. She wanted another shot at this game. It was embarrassing how swiftly she'd been eliminated. She had to save face with Flynn or he'd think her a clumsy oaf. She watched Flynn race the remaining AI, tensing every time it looked like he was about to run into the enemy's ribbon trail. But Flynn had mad skills and outmaneuvered his opponent every time.
Flynn drove parallel to one of the arena walls before darting down the middle of the Grid, creating a long wall of his own with his light ribbon. He and the AI turned sharply around, heading back up towards the arena wall, Flynn running parallel to his own light ribbon. The AI drove alongside him, attempting to herd Flynn straight into the arena wall. Just when it seemed that the red bike was going to outrun him and accomplish this, Flynn plunged forward and cut sharply to the right avoiding the collision. Another 90-degree turn to the right and he trapped the AI's bike, which slammed into Flynn's light ribbon.
"So long, sucker!"
"CPU 1... Deresolution!"
Flynn's cycle slowed to a stop as he rolled up to the control area.
"User Flynn... Victory! Game over!"
The light cycle dissipated and Flynn stood on his feet once more, heading back to Mia with a smug grin on his face. Mia rose to her feet, but rather than congratulate him, she said, "Okay. Again. I think I've got it this time. Let's go again. Just once more."
"Are you sure? You really want to have another go? I mean, you wiped out pretty early the first time. You think you can do better this time?"
"Ugh! I know, I know. I totally sucked! But I can't go out like that. I've gotta give it another go." She looked at him with an adorable pout on her face. "Besides, I can't have you thinking I'm that uncoordinated."
Flynn smiled. Not only did his opinion matter to Mia, but she was really enjoying grid games. This only served to enhance his good mood.
Mia tilted her head back, as though addressing an invisible entity high above them. "Start up round two of the Light Cycle game, computer lady!"
At her command, two AIs appeared once more and they were summoned to their starting positions. Soon, they were off, Mia having much better control of the Light Cycle this time.
"Alright, Mia. Remember what I told you. It's not about steering. It's about thinking, and thinking fast."
Mia didn't reply. She was already concentrating and working on a strategy to trap her opponents. Replicating a few of Flynn's moves from Round One, she defeated her opponent in much the same way he had previously.
"CPU 1... Deresolution!" Mia proclaimed in tandem to the computerized voice overhead. Now it was two against once, with game point to Mia.
"YEAH! That's the way, Dream Girl! Now let's take it to this last goon and win this game!" Soon, Flynn was racing alongside her, eyeing up their enemy. "Mia, you got anything in mind for this guy?"
She glanced at Flynn with a wide grin. "How about a sandwich?"
"Sounds tasty!" Flynn shot ahead, matching pace with the enemy AI. "Flank him, Mia!"
Mia pulled up alongside their opponent so that he was trapped between her and Flynn. The three raced across the grid. At one point, their CPU adversary began to pull ahead, but Mia and Flynn swiftly caught up with him once more. At the last moment, with an exchanged glance and a shout of "Now!" from Flynn, they closed the gap between them. With a garbled, digital cry, the red Light Cycle smashed into their light ribbons.
"CPU 2... Deresolution. Winners... User Flynn... User Mia."
Mia grinned triumphantly. Her idea, which she had admittedly stolen from the original Tron movie, worked fantastically. Flynn didn't seem to mind, or perhaps he didn't even realize. The light cycles came to a stop and disappeared around them. Mia was really getting into the games now. She threw her arms around Flynn in her excitement, hugging him as she bounced up and down.
"WE DID IT! WE WON! WE WON! YES!"
Flynn lifted her off her feet and spun her around. "Yes! Now you're getting into it!"
Mia blushed as he returned her to her feet.
"So, what do you think of the Game Grid? Pretty wild stuff, huh?"
Bashfully, Mia tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "Y-Yeah. Real wild. Like I said, I don't remember the last time I had such a good time."
"Well, I tell you what, Mia. Any time you wanna come in and play on the Game Grid, it's yours. If you're in the mood, you can mosey on in and play."
"Really? You mean it? Like, you're absolutely sure?"
Flynn nodded.
"Wow! Thanks, Flynn! That's awesome! Though..." She averted her gaze shyly. "I think I'd like to play specifically with you. I don't know if it'd be as much fun by myself."
"I've got no objections there, sweetheart."
Mia blushed for what felt like the hundredth time. She wanted to hug Flynn, but she resisted the temptation.
"In fact, if you don't have anywhere else to be, what do you say we give one-on-one action a try?" he suggested.
"One on one? You mean me versus you?"
"Yeah. I mean, I know you're still getting the hang of playing these games, but it could be pretty fun to try your hand against an actual person, don't you think? Besides, think of how much you'll improve when you've got me to practice against."
"I guess I can't argue with you there."
Flynn's smile became positively mischievous. "And what do you say we make it interesting?"