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Post by NOMA on Feb 19, 2011 22:51:37 GMT -6
Noma caught her disc as it was deflected and took a few steps back, surveying the situation. Tram was distracted completely by the strange program neither of them had been able to land a blow on, and for a moment, she considered just running. She'd let him deal with it all, that's what security programs were for after all, right? As the thought of which ran through her mind, she watched Sark manage to get Tram's blade wedged into the wall, leaving Tram defenseless should the other program try anything drastic.
Noting how quick Tram had been to protect her was the only reason Noma was glued to the spot, holding her disc tightly. She let out a bit of a gasp when Tram attempted to tackle Sark, and seeing there was no place for her to jump in, again she considered running. Looking back to the end of the alleyway then to the dueling programs, she bit her lip in confusion.
What do I do?ooc: severely sorry for such a short post...I just don't see much Noma can do at the moment. And we all are kind of trying to figure out what to do anything, so...
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Post by SEER on Feb 20, 2011 4:00:14 GMT -6
Due to the nature of his programming, Seer often ventured into places that most would consider as "crazy" like the alleyways. Yet, the program had something of a natural ability to fend off various problems and for some reason if there were viruses they tended to leave him alone. Yet, not always was this the case as he could recall a few times he had been attacked. It helped that he wore armor underneath the cloak he typically wore, as did the fact his circuitry color was a medium-gray. It wouldn't as easily catch the attention of various viruses that looked for specific types of programs. Mainly, if he was attacked, he had Tram to thank for his victories. The two often sparred in the arenas, working on keeping each other ready for such instances.
How little he knew though, as the battle that was occuring between the security program he had befriended and two others only a bit further ahead. Seer's first indication was a sound he was familiar with, an identity disk was bouncing many times, probably off the walls of the alley ahead. Although his first instinct should've been to stay away, he found himself running towards the sounds of fighting. Blame his need for information, and too much time spent around security.
He pulled his identity disk from his back, the medium gray rim springing to life. He tended to not be as sneaky in his presence, and he was also aware that his running did create echos. As he got to where the other three programs were, he slowed, fixating first on who he almost imediately identified as Tram. The circuitry was too unique. Next was an unknown program, one that had white armor and red circuitry. How rare it was nowadays to see red on a program. Lastly, was a third program to the side. It seemed she had a part in this as well. However, he hadn't seen anything up until Tram's attempt at tackling the offending program.
He gave Noma a curt nod, and then got himself ready to throw his disk. "I believe you could use some help, Tram," he said outloud. Mainly as it may throw the white and red program off guard enough for his friend to gain an advantage. He was ready to help in any way that he could. The rest was that he didn't realize just how deep in trouble they all were yet.
((OOC: Sorry if this cuts in too much.))
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Post by SARK on Feb 21, 2011 10:41:26 GMT -6
Sark reached eagerly behind him, stretching out his arm as far as he could. The speed of his disc seemed to rise along with his fighting spirit, he was truly enjoying every second of this. The weapon soon returned to him and he wrapped his fingers around it tightly, the rim of disc flaring up in response to his will. A wicked smile appeared on his face, another expression that the group of programs were lucky that they couldn't see.
With almost mechanical precision Sark whipped his body around and punched with his disc, right towards Tram's head, or at least where it had been. It was the kind of thing Tram would look at later and say, I'm so lucky that didn't hit me, and indeed he was. When the weapon connected with the wall there was a sound, an almost indescribable sound. A user would've said that it was like thunder, but not the kind that you hear far off - the rumble -, but like when the lighting would strikes nearby. The kind of thunder that is so awesome that it stops you in your tracks and reverberates through your house, violently shaking everything with its power.
Portions of the wall went flying off in every direction, eventually losing form and derezzing into thousands of pieces of "grid glass" which swirled around Tram and Sark, obscuring them from view. The impact zone was something of a large crater in the face of the wall. Sark's previous elation had died down and now he looked like quite solemn, when he spoke he did not have his previous digitized voice but instead sounded normal and like a strong, proud general. He looked down at Tram who had attempted to bring him down with a tackle, but it was a failed attempt. Sark kicked him off as he derezzed his energy blade and replaced his disk.
"Program, you're nothing special, you're just another monitor. Do not think you've won this day. I've simply been called elsewhere. Until we meet again. Congratulations, you've made an enemy." Sark spun around and ran back into the ally, a spring on his step. He launched himself into a cartwheel, opening his baton in mid-air, the frame of a lightcycle forming around him. The back "tire" of the cycle scratched the alley wall before the vehicle settled gracefully into the alley, there was enough room to maneuver around it. He didn't turn on the jet wall/light ribbon of the cycle. Sark revved the cycle a few times before speeding down the alley, past Tram and then past Seer and Noma.
As he passed his shot Noma a quick glance, a moment that seemed to pass slowly, as if time had slowed itself for that one instant. "I'll get you next time, when you're alone. Don't think anyone here can protect you and don't expect Castor to even bother." Things resumed as Sark pulled out of the alleyway, he swung his lightcycle to one side and the back wheel slid across the road in a drift. He put it on full speed and shot out of the drift and down the road. Sark had been called to Dillinger for some unknown purpose, he wasn't angry, it was his duty after all... And besides, he'd see those three programs again soon.
[EXIT]
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Post by NOMA on Feb 21, 2011 12:06:04 GMT -6
It almost surprised Noma to the point where it showed on her face when Sark began to retreat. She'd yet to learn this enemy's name, and it did her a bit of good to know the enemies she made, given her disposition and the habits she carried on with. Keeping her disc at the ready just in case, Noma stood her ground, further away from the two male programs, Tram and this newcomer, and then Sark, as he materialized his lightcycle.
"I'll get you next time, when you're alone. Don't think anyone here can protect you and don't expect Castor to even bother."
His words rattled her to the core, though the program fought hard not to show it as the strange warrior exited the alleyway, speeding off on his lightcycle. He was definitely a threat, someone she would have to look out for, a reason to constantly look over her shoulder. Noma didn't like this one bit. Up until this point she'd barely had anyone to be worried about, and those that did cause her strife she was able to deal with on her own. But this program...he was a different story.
The fact he knew about how close she was with Castor unnerved her as well. She knew well enough that she didn't have anyone who would be willing to protect her, unless she could con this security program into being her bodyguard of sorts. Maybe if she...yes. Yes! That would work perfectly. Play all the angles, put on a show, stay safe. If Tram got hurt along the way, well...it was him, not her.
"...what..." She took in a breath, her disc deactivating as she put it back into place. "...just happened..."
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Post by TRAM on Feb 21, 2011 22:22:29 GMT -6
Tram heard the angry whir of Sark's disk as it sliced through the space his head had occupied not a moment before. And that wasn't even truly the frightening part; the resulting noise as it hit the wall sent out a shockwave that he could feel at his very core. The wall literally came apart, dissolving into a shower of bits and pixels as it could no longer retain its form. For a moment, Tram was blinded by the swirl around them, but he did manage to see Sark's leg come flying through the mask of Grid Glass just before it landed a rather nice kick around his middle.
Blown back by the impact, he at least managed to recover gracefully, twisting his lithe runner's physique so that he landed at a crouch. He frowned heavily st Sark's words, reaching up with one hand to retrieve his disk, which had just then come back to him. At the same time, Sark had already engaged his Lightcycle. With an annoyed growl, Tram clipped his disk back into place and took off at a sprint to retrieve his baton from where it had been embedded in the wall.
He grunted at the effort of trying to pull it out--he was strong, certainly, but boy was it stuck in there! With a ferocious tug it came loose, but by then, Sark had already disappeared from the alleyway. His grip tightened on his baton as he contemplated chasing after the Rogue Program, but... he couldn't just leave Noma. And Seer had shown up, too. When had he come onto the scene? Well, his mind was made up. He'd have to make sure both of them were safe before he could play bounty hunter. Not to mention he'd need to alert Tron of this existence of this strange Program.
Tram winced at the thought. Having to go to Tron and essentially detail how he'd let Sark get away was not something he was especially looking forward to. But the sooner Tron knew of the threat, the sooner word would be spread among the Monitor ranks and they could work more efficiently towards Sark's capture. He sighed, as he clipped the baton back to his thigh.
"An enemy, huh?" he murmured to himself, rubbing his abdomen absently. The kick hadn't really hurt all that much, but it had surprised him. "And I certainly wouldn't say that I've won, but I'll take this over a loss any cycle."
Shaking his head, he jogged over to where Noma and Seer were standing, his expression serious; there was no room for friendly exchanged here. He nodded his hello to Seer, raising one hand slightly in greeting before frowning at what Noma said, his gaze traveling down the alleyway to once again take in the destruction, before looking back to her.
"Your guess is as good as mine, I'm afraid. I've... never encountered a Program like that before," Tram admitted. "But what matters right now is that you're alright. And we need to keep it that way. Is there anywhere you can go where you'll be safe? If not, I will be taking you into protective custody until we can get a handle on that Rogue Program. Either way, I will be escorting you from the alley to ensure your safety."
He tossed Seer a look that said they would talk in detail very soon, but for the moment, he still had a job to do. That Program was out there somewhere and he wasn't going to rest until he'd been stopped.
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Post by SEER on Feb 22, 2011 0:24:52 GMT -6
To say Seer was angry was an understatement. He had made a mistake, he should've gone on the offensive first thing - he was certainly primed to. Truth be told, if he hadn't thought that Tram could get hit from his attack, he would've done so. As his friend greeted him, the predictor nodded and placed his disk back in its place. Hearing the security program speak to the one he had seen, he raised an eyebrow. "That program was after her?" He mumbled, already pulling up memory files in his digital mind. "But why would such a strong program want a normal program like her?"
He then looked at Noma. "If you were being targeted specifically, it would be best to go with him and do as he says." He looked at the rubble that was left by Sark. "If...this wasn't a random attack..." Seer didn't even continue voicing his thought. He wanted more information before saying anything else. He caught the look Tram gave him and he nodded. There was much he wanted to talk to the security program about.
The only things that seemed positive at this time were that they were safe, and that the program that was dressed in red and white was now gone. However, even that was shakey at best. They were safe for now but for how long? Also, if the program that attacked Tram and the female program had something else to do...what exactly was it? It left him feeling uneasy.
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Post by NOMA on Feb 22, 2011 14:07:08 GMT -6
Noma was still wrapping her head around what had happened when Tram walked over to her. She looked down for a few moments, keeping her mouth shut and thinking about what Seer decided to say after Tram.
"But why would such a strong program want a normal program like her?"
The brunette program could have scoffed loudly, had her hand still been clutching her disc her grip would have tightened, but instead she furrowed her brows, shaking her head in response to both questions, one from Tram about having anywhere safe to go (End of Line was hardly safe) and Seer about her being normal.
"No, Tram. I honestly have no where to go, and...I don't know." She said, looking over to Seer with a questionable expression. "I feel now would be an appropriate time to ask you just who you are." She nearly snapped, not liking his comment toward her. Then again, she didn't want anyone really knowing how she was, so while she was mildly insulted, she should have been proud of how successfully she disguised herself.
Normal. I'll show you normal.
"I'll do whatever Tram thinks is best." Honestly, she wasn't going to deny his protection in a time like this. Noma was shaken, scared--she would never admit it, she tried her best not to show it. "He's the expert in protection.." She said, leaning against the alleyway wall and crossing her arms.
"That program had some kind of ridiculous agenda," She stated coldly. "I'll be damned if he'll ever catch me off guard..."
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Post by TRAM on Feb 27, 2011 22:03:55 GMT -6
Tram raised his eyebrows, looking quickly back and forth between the two Programs before raising his hands in a peaceable manner.
"Whoa, whoa, alright enough now," he said evenly, his fluttering hands coaxing cooperation between all of them. "Noma, this is Seer, he's a good friend of mine. Seer, this is Noma, she's... ah, well, actually we've just met, but I believe you get the gist of our association."
He blew out a harsh breath, running at his chin with one hand while the other balanced on his hip. The whole situation still had his mind reeling. What did this encounter mean for The Grid? With Users frequenting the area, the thought of that Program roaming around made him ill at ease. The idea of someone like Sam or Ben finding themselves face to face with Sark was frightening enough, but a typical User who had no combatative experience what-so-ever? Not to mention the discovery of what had happened to his fellow Monitors. He knew he had been lucky in this confrontation and if he hoped to be as lucky next time--and there would be a next time--some serious preparation would be necessary.
"We can do a 'get-to-know-you' as we walk, but I really would like for us to get a move-on. Remaining stationary is not advisable at this point in time," Tram announced, ushering them towards the alley's exit even as he himself began walking. "I really can't begin to imagine what he might have wanted with you, Noma. The sooner we can get you somewhere safe, the sooner I can begin my investigation into the matter. You can feel safe with Seer here, too; he's not a Security Program, but you'd never guess it by the way he acts sometimes."
Sark wasn't the end of his troubles, either. Now that the impromptu battle was over, he had time to reflect on things. For instance, the fact that Noma seemed to be a completely different Program from the one he had first run across. It seemed that the more he analyzed the whole situation, the more problems he came up with.
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Post by SEER on Mar 5, 2011 1:32:11 GMT -6
Seer thought he caught a tinge of anger in Noma's voice when he heard her inquire about his name. Ah, it seemed he had struck a chord in the female program. An angry one, or perhaps just irritated, he couldn't tell. Yet, he couldn't just assume anything 100% just yet. But, he couldn't quite get rid of the notion that there was something odd about the whole situation. Just who was that other program anyways? He smiled a bit at Noma, perhaps to quell her fury - if there was any out there to start with. "A bit defensive, aren't we? You could volunteer information that would prove me wrong, you know. If that unknown program was after you specifically, it would help to know what you do that he could possibly be targeting."
He smirked a bit when he heard her last comment. While he hadn't been there to see the start of all of this, most likely that guy had taken her off guard already. It was amusing to see her act tough when he was fairly sure she was scared out of her wits. That was when he heard Tram's talk, chiding really, about behaving, then the quick introduction.
"Noma," he repeated, briefly making a note to check for any files he had stored away for information regarding her. He barely had time to think further while stationery as the friendly security program started to direct them out of the alley. Seer reached behind his back, and pulled out his disk, leaving it otherwise inactive as Tram spoke to Noma. He didn't interrupt while his friend was talking, but a slight smirky smile made its way onto his face with Tram's comment about him.
"Indeed, I tend to not mind 'playing Monitor'," he added with a chuckle. Time sparring with Tram had made his own abilities better. It also helped that viruses tended to shy away from him, which made sense to him. It would be redundant for a virus to try to infect another, trojan or not. He looked back at Tram. "I'll stay ahead and you watch the rear, if you feel it's necessary?"
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Post by NOMA on Mar 6, 2011 21:54:58 GMT -6
The word 'investigation' made Noma nervous, though it normally wouldn't. Perhaps she was still shaken from the encounter (though she was sure Tram was too), but she didn't like the unrest that settled in the pit of her processors. Investigation meant questions, and she couldn't handle questions at the moment. Therefore, she fell silent, merely following Tram's lead out of the alleyway, glancing around as they walked, her eyes unconsciously narrowed and her stance very obviously still on guard. She wouldn't be her normal laid back self for at least a couple of days.
"A bit defensive, aren't we? You could volunteer information that would prove me wrong, you know. If that unknown program was after you specifically, it would help to know what you do that he could possibly be targeting."
"I'm no more defensive than anyone else would be in this position. Because the unidentified program was after me it will lead both of you to assumptions that aren't true, I'm sure." She nearly hissed, but keeping her cool, she moved quickly with Tram, wondering just where he was going to take her for safety.
That worried her, too.
"Don't mind me asking, Tram, but where exactly will you take me?" She asked, her voice wasn't soft but it wasn't hard either, it was somewhere in between, somewhere near nervousness and fear, but more nervousness than fear. She would never let fear show. "Are you so sure this mysterious program can't get there?"
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Post by TRAM on Mar 9, 2011 1:16:20 GMT -6
Tram sighed softly, running a hand through his hair as he listened to the exchange between Seer and Noma. Oh, he really didn't want anyone fighting! Especially not now. Okay, so they weren't fighting exactly, but the tension in the air was palpable and not something he especially cared for. He knew Seer meant well by his inquiries and when it came right down to it, perhaps Tram was the one who could use a slight adjustment. Was Noma really that different from when he'd first bumped into her? Was this just a reaction to stress, fear and the feeling of being scrutinized? He couldn't really tell.
It was something that continued to bother him. He wanted to be like Tron in so many ways, but his all-too trusting nature made that difficult. He wasn't really a bad monitor, it was just that he saw the good in Programs that most others might overlook and sometimes he was so intent on bringing out that good that he was blinded to the outlying faults. Having Seer by his side was really quite good for counter-acting that particular aspect of his personality. He nodded to answer his longtime friend's question; he would take up the back. It would give him a good vantage point for making sure they were all safe.
He cocked his head to the side at Noma's question.
"Where? Oh, well to my private quarters, of course," Tram exclaimed with a dutiful nod. "For the moment, it's the most secure location that I can get you to on such short notice. After I've made sure you're safe there, I'll speak to Tron about this attack and we'll see about getting you into someplace more private."
For the time being Noma would be safe. After all, what safer place could there be than a Security Program's domicile? He offered her a bright, reassuring smile.
"Seer's just trying to look out for The Grid as best he can, it's nothing personal I assure you," Tram said gently. "So there's really no reason for you to be anxious about the situation. I promise I'll protect you."
His eyes darted to Seer. He was glad his friend was there, really. He knew that no matter what, even when the chips were down, he could rely on the other Program to get his back. And, though he hadn't mentioned it, he was sort of glad that Seer had showed up. It meant Tram knew where he was so he wouldn't have to worry about Sark going after Seer, too.
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Post by SEER on Mar 12, 2011 0:52:50 GMT -6
Seer silently listened to Noma, choosing to not bother getting much further into an argument. "I did not say that whatever you did was on purpose or illegal, although not much can be ruled out at this point, logically as we know nothing about you. For all we know, you could've simply stumbled across something you shouldn't have seen," he attempted to smooth over. That part of his programming disliked having another program angry at him for long, even if he did find her highly suspicious. Hearing Tram answer Noma's question about where they were going, made him more sure of the direction he was going. Having confirmation as well as to their formation, the predictor made sure to keep an eye on where they were going.
"If we can figure out why he attacked you, it may even give leads on where to look next for him, thus giving us a chance to eliminate such a threat. Wouldn't you rather be able to continue on without worrying about it?" He chanced a glance back at Noma before continuing his semi-fast walk.
This was just perplexing. He didn't feel that sorry for her, even though he had at least tried. There were simply too many holes that were forming around her, and yet...other holes concerning the Grid were maybe closing... He wondered if Tram had any information he didn't, never guessing that the other two knew the rogue program's name.
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Post by NOMA on Mar 21, 2011 21:29:23 GMT -6
Noma sighed slightly. His quarters? She was almost a little worried about staying so close to authority figures, not that there was much they could pull up on her. She was pretty good about covering her tracks. Right? So far, so good. So why was she starting to worry? She cut her eyes to the side as she walked alongside Tram, keeping an eye out for any other possible threats to them as they made their way to Tram's quarters in the city.
"I apologize if I lashed out, Seer." She said, knowing he heard her. "There is honestly nothing I can tell either of you that would help you link me to this attacker. I wish I could." She was eerily calm, and even Noma knew she was too calm to be answering that question. She was falling back into her usual attitude, little by little.
Her eyes darted back and forth again, before she let out another sigh, almost a defeated one. "I hate to put you out, Tram," Now she was acting again. "Do you really think he'd come back so soon? Not...you know...bide his time a bit?"
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