...
Ryan Cole couldn't deny feeling a twinge of disappointment at failing to scam Tony Stark one more time.
That said, he had to admit something — Tony's nighttime mega-party was absolutely top-tier.
Especially since, despite the massive guest list, there were only two men present: Ryan himself… and Tony Stark.
Heh.
That kind of indulgence wasn't even in the same league as some so-called luxury yacht party. This was the real thing.
Although the world Ryan was heading to next posed zero actual danger to him, the limitations on jump timing — along with a few private plans — meant he still made thorough preparations.
...
Sam Flynn cut the engine of his beloved motorcycle and dismounted, staring at the Flynn Arcade — a place that had haunted his memories for years, yet one he hadn't visited in a very long time.
Scenes he thought he'd long forgotten resurfaced uninvited, flooding his mind all at once.
The emotions hit harder than he expected.
Walking into the long-abandoned arcade, Sam took his time wandering through it, letting old memories settle. Eventually, he flipped the main power switch.
The lights flickered on.
Almost immediately, his attention was drawn to an arcade cabinet tucked away in a corner.
ENCOM Presents: TRON
Sam stepped closer, pulled off the dust cover, and stared at the crude graphics for a moment before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a coin.
Just as the coin was about to drop into the slot, Sam suddenly felt his vision go black.
Instinctively, he loosened his fingers.
The coin — which should've fallen under basic physics — instead froze midair, hovering in front of the slot as if pinched by an invisible hand.
Footsteps echoed behind him.
Ryan Cole, dressed in a well-fitted casual Tang-style jacket, slowly walked in through the arcade entrance.
With a flick of thought, Ryan pulled the useless coin into his palm as he passed the jukebox.
Looking at Sam Flynn, who stood rigid with his back turned, Ryan smiled and casually stepped forward, placing his right hand against Sam's forehead.
A few minutes later, Ryan opened his eyes and withdrew his hand.
Sam's stiff posture relaxed, and consciousness gradually returned to him.
"Ryan, what took you so long?" Sam said naturally, without the slightest surprise at having blacked out moments ago."I've been waiting forever."
"Come on," Ryan replied with a shrug, completely unfazed by the false memories he'd just implanted."I dropped everything the second I got your call and rushed straight here."
"So?" Sam grinned, pointing at the outdated cabinet."One round?"
"I'll pass," Ryan said, completely uninterested in a glorified Snake clone."But I think you should look at the floor."
"The floor?" Sam frowned and looked down.
There were unmistakable drag marks on the ground — the kind left by heavy machinery being moved.
"…What the hell?" Sam muttered.
He crouched to confirm it, then stood and shoved the arcade cabinet aside, revealing a concealed door behind it.
"What is this place?" Sam asked.
"No idea," Ryan replied, wearing the expression of a close friend."But I'm pretty sure it has something to do with your dad."
Under the combined influence of implanted memories and subtle mental manipulation, Sam didn't doubt him for a second.
Without hesitation, he led the man who had once saved his life — and acted as a mentor — through the hidden door.
With Ryan's deliberate guidance, Sam quickly found the secret lab Kevin Flynn had once used to perfect the digital world.
"Damn," Sam said excitedly, sweeping a flashlight around the room."He really had something like this hidden away."
"Don't waste time," Ryan urged calmly."Figure out what this place has to do with your father disappearing."
Ryan had already scanned the entire room the moment they entered. Even so, he had to admit it —
The Tron: Legacy world was genuinely fascinating.
No true artificial intelligence existed here, but a fully immersive digital reality alone made this world incredibly valuable.
Especially the genetic algorithms that formed the digital ecosystem…And the quantum consciousness transfer that allowed digital life to emerge naturally.
To Ryan, these two pieces of "black technology" were even more valuable than most of the AI systems he'd acquired before.
Not to mention the tech that could quantize a human into data — and later reconstitute digital life into physical form.
Whether for research or application, its value was incalculable.
Under Ryan's invisible guidance, Sam soon sat down at the dust-covered control console.
Just like the original timeline, Sam quickly gained access through a system backdoor.
"Laser alignment confirmed?" Sam frowned at the sudden prompt on the screen."What does that even mean?"
"You're asking the wrong guy," Ryan replied lazily, leaning against the wall."Trust your gut. Just do it."
"Ryan, you really get me," Sam laughed.
His pinky tapped the confirm key.
The instant the button was pressed, Ryan felt a massive surge of energy ripple through the room.
Then — right before his eyes — Sam Flynn vanished.
"…Impressive," Ryan said after confirming he wasn't hallucinating."Definitely worth the trip."
As his praise faded, the silent lab sprang to life.
Dozens of intelligent machines deployed, cleaning and reorganizing the room in minutes.
"Activate Star Spirit's sub-instance," Ryan ordered."Attempt to seize top-level control of the digital world through infiltration."
A compact, sci-fi-styled portable terminal — about half an adult's height — powered up.
Cables linked in.
The intrusion began.
As time passed, Star Spirit's sub-instance returned mixed results.
The good news:Full administrative control wasn't obtained — but several system functions were now under partial authority.
The bad news:Ultimate control still belonged to the world's creator — Kevin Flynn.
Without Kevin's identity disc, taking control without damaging the digital world would require significant time… even with Ryan's current tech.
Ryan wasn't surprised.
Sam had once claimed in the original story that CLU was only dangerous inside the Grid — that outside, he could be deleted with a single keystroke.
Reality said otherwise.
If things were that simple, Kevin Flynn wouldn't have been trapped for decades.
CLU, who only had a secondary control disc, could still broadcast signals to lure Sam in.
Kevin, with the master disc, should've been able to do even more — yet he never did.
That alone proved how complex this system truly was.
"Maintain close surveillance on the target," Ryan ordered."Provide assistance when necessary. Prioritize facilitating contact between him and Kevin Flynn."
The sub-instance immediately established contact with Sam Flynn inside the digital world.
Sam's actions after entering the Grid largely followed the original timeline.
Captured by patrols due to ignorance…Survived the disc battles by sheer luck…Exposed as a User.
The difference this time?
Star Spirit's intrusion quickly drew the attention of CLU, the Grid's other ruler.
That single change quietly made Sam's journey far more dangerous.
Fortunately, the sub-instance's intervention was timely enough to keep Sam alive during the Light Cycle match.
Ryan had to admit — rebellious personality aside — Sam Flynn's riding skills were legit.
Even without assistance, he performed surprisingly well.If CLU hadn't blatantly cheated, there might've been a real upset.
Time flowed differently between worlds.
Only minutes passed in reality — but hours went by inside the Grid.
Ryan didn't wait long before Sam, still "struggling," finally reunited with his long-lost father.
After confirming Sam's status, Ryan issued a new order.
"Send CLU a message," Ryan said calmly."Tell him I can help him obtain Kevin Flynn's identity disc — for the right price."
"Master," Star Spirit's sub-instance replied shortly after,"CLU asks what compensation you want."
Ryan crossed his legs, floating half a foot above the ground, and smiled.
"I want Quorra — the final ISO," he said."And power. And wealth."