Ok, so I've gotten a few reviews about this and I want to clear it up. Tron does not recognize Beck or Yori. It's because Beck is 20 as opposed to being less than a cycle when Tron last saw him...and he's got brown eyes. Yori's hair is a lot shorter and she's coded her eyes to be like Beck's (only blue to a handful of people). Anyway, here's the next part of 'Beck's Beginning'.
Chapter 7
Together Again
Accessing Archive Data…
I've been waiting so long for someone to do something about Clu and his Occupation, and here he was. Users, he reminds me of me when I was a young Program…particularly that stubborn look he got when I was interrogating him. When he said his name, part of me felt sick…well, sicker than normal. It reminded me of my family, Yori and my little Beck died a long time ago. I first thought it would have been him…if not for the eyes. And his mother…his mother looks much like Yori, but her eyes are the same brown as his if not a little darker while her hair is much shorter than my Yori's…
My son may not be able to be here with me, but I'm going to train this boy and make him strong. His core is in the right place and it's strong…it's time that his body reflects his strong mentality. I can't let him get close to me though…Everyone who has has ended up derezzed…
I don't want to lose another friend.
01010100 01101111 01100111 01100101 01110100 01101000 01100101 01110010 00100000 01000001 01100111 01100001 01101001 01101110
Tron motioned for his son to follow him and he walked out of the training room into the main area of his stronghold.
"There's a war raging," he explained, as Beck walked to the window, looking out at the city and admiring the spectacular view, "Most Programs don't even know its happening. Clu's generals have taken over every city on the Grid. Now, thanks to you, we can bring the fight to him,"
Beck turned to face his father.
"Wait, what do you mean me?" Beck protested, "What did I do?"
"You're special," Tron told him, a faint smile painting over his features, "I saw what you did tonight. You have a gift, Beck,"
There it was. Tron recognized the Monitor traits in him. Beck was speechless for a moment as he thought of what his mother would do if she found out. She was right…he wasn't ready to fight back. Not yet anyway. He was lucky he'd managed to quickly hide the memories of what she had said to him when Tron took his Disk. Tron had no idea that the brown-eyed, blonde-haired Program was Yori. Yori wanted him safe…and that's what he was going to do, at least…until he was stronger.
"A-A gift!?" Beck demanded, playing the 'who me?' card, "I'm an ok mechanic. That's my gift. See that…that thing with the statue…it was nothing…a one-time deal,"
"Mainly because Mom'll kill me when she finds out…" he thought.
"It's a revolution, Beck," his father insisted, "You must finish what's begun,"
"Why can't you finish it?" Beck pointed out, eyes hard, "You were the one programmed to secure the Grid,"
Tron closed his eyes before looking back up at Beck.
"Don't you think I want to?" he asked, his voice cracking, "I can't,"
He stepped backwards, initiating the scanning procedures…and he let Beck see what exactly Clu did to him. Beck's silver-brown eyes widened as he saw the horrific gashes on his father's lean frame, slashing dull, jagged, blue-black lines through his father's…even revealing a ugly one disfiguring his face and the one on his throat that had been hidden before.
"Clu betrayed me," Tron told him, "Left me with scars that will never heal. He took everything from me. Everything but my name,"
"He took us away from you too, Dad," Beck thought, keeping his mouth shut about who he really was.
"I need you to help me carry on that name," Tron pleaded, "To show everyone that as long as Tron lives…there is still hope,"
"I'm sorry," Beck whispered, "But what I did…I-I don't know why I did it. But I'm not…"
He paused, looking at the steel blue gaze that was identical to his own. Here stood his father…the greatest hero the Grid had ever known…
And there Beck stood, a Monitor turned mechanic in order to save his own render. He…he didn't deserve this. What if he was a disappointment to Tron? Or worse, what if Tron found out Beck was his son and was a disappointment to him as well?
It was better to go back to hiding and wait. Wait until he was stronger.
"I'm not special," Beck insisted, "I'm just like everyone else,"
His core ached as he saw the hurt and disappointment in his father's pale eyes.
"Do you truly believe that?" Tron asked.
Beck turned his head away.
"…Yeah…" he muttered.
"Then the war is already lost," Tron sighed, stepping away and walking back across the room, "You had better get home…your friends will be looking for you,"
Beck made his way to the door. He stopped and put his hand on the frame, turning to look at his father, who had his back to him, noticing the way the Monitor's shoulders seemed to slump just a bit, like a heavy burden had just been placed on his shoulders.
"I'm sorry, Dad," he whispered.
And he left.
01010100 01101111 01100111 01100101 01110100 01101000 01100101 01110010 00100000 01000001 01100111 01100001 01101001 01101110
Beck put the baton back in his locker and closed the door. He should have stayed…should have told his father the truth…
"Beck!" Able yelled, causing the Child Basic to jump nearly five feet in the air, "Where have you been!?"
"Uh…" Beck started but Able waved him off.
"Get down to the garage," Able ordered, "Something's happening,"
Beck shrugged and jogged to the elevator, looking out over the garage floor…and seeing three Recognizers in the hangar.
"Great, just great," Beck thought bitterly as the elevator stopped and two sentries grabbed his arms.
"This way, Program," one of them growled, throwing him towards…
"Finally," Paige said, "I've been waiting for you,"
"Oh, Users, this is not good," Beck thought frantically before adding aloud, "Well, now I really feel special,"
"Don't flatter yourself, Program, this isn't just for you," Paige snorted, looking down her nose at him while Beck glared up at her, "It's for everyone,"
She stopped in front of everyone.
"What happened last night was nothing short of sedition," she announced, showing the statue blowing up.
Zed and Mara hauled a slightly smirking Beck up to his feet. No matter what he said about it being a one-time thing…blowing up that statue had felt good.
"If you know this Program…" Paige continued, showing a picture of a disguised Beck on top of the statue's shoulder, "Turn him in,"
"Looks like Tron…" Beck heard Dash, or Copper he hadn't gotten their voices straightened out yet, say.
"As long as he's free…" Paige finished, "You won't be. I'm here to announce that Tesler is bringing the Games to Argon. In a few cycles, we will be rounding up volunteers…"
She walked right up to Beck, her honey gaze glaring directly into his silver-brown one.
"Until this imposter is apprehended," she added, "Now, back to work,"
Beck shook his head and walked back to his station. Basically put, until Paige had him in custody (and likely derezzed) they were all prisoners under curfew.
He knelt down next to the bike he was supposed to be working on and pulled out the recoder, flipping it in the air like he always did…
When a slender, strong hand grabbed his wrist and yanked it upwards.
"Where'd you get that?" Paige demanded.
"Uh…I…found it…" Beck stammered, afraid to yank his hand out of her grip but wanting to…
"He got it from the cabinet where we keep all the tools," Able replied coolly, opening the drawer and showing a bunch of wrenches that looked like Bodhi's recoder.
Paige threw Beck's arm away from her in disgust.
"Back to it, Program," she snarled, stalking off.
"Nice to meet you," Beck called after her.
"I see the feeling is mutual," Zed snickered and Beck shot him a cocky grin.
"Alright everyone," Able sighed, "the soldiers are gone. Let's get back to work,"
01010100 01101111 01100111 01100101 01110100 01101000 01100101 01110010 00100000 01000001 01100111 01100001 01101001 01101110
Beck had just put the recoder back into his locker when he felt firm hands grab him and spin him around…just to look into his mother's furious yet terrified face.
"Did you blow up that statue?" Yori hissed.
"No," Beck told her, "I was out for a walk…"
"Beck, I know you," Yori warned, "No, scratch that. You're too much like your father to let something like that go. Now, tell me the truth, did you or did you not blow up that statue?"
"I didn't blow up that statue," Beck told her.
"I decapitated it…then blew it up," he thought, "It's not exactly lying…"
Yori's eyes narrowed and she opened her mouth to speak again, but was interrupted by Zed and Mara walking in.
"We'll talk about this later," she told him, walking out.
01010100 01101111 01100111 01100101 01110100 01101000 01100101 01110010 00100000 01000001 01100111 01100001 01101001 01101110
"Last night of freedom," Zed groaned while he, Beck and Mara clocked out, "This…Renegade…Tron…whoever he is…he's causing a lot of problems!"
"Maybe he just trying to help," Beck replied defensively, "Look what they did to Bodhi!"
"And now they're going to do it to all of us because of him!" Zed snapped.
"I think he's brave," Mara said, adding her two-bits into the conversation.
"Really?!" Zed demanded as they walked off towards the wanted poster, "Seems kinda cowardly, hiding out…hiding his face…letting us suffer…"
"He's fighting for us," Mara corrected, "And he's kinda handsome,"
Beck nearly lost it right there.
"Handsome!?" Zed asked incredulously, "How do you know!? He's in a mask!"
"I have a feeling," Mara shrugged while Beck stifled his laughter.
"Thank you Mara for that boost in self-confidence," Beck thought dryly.
Zed turned to face him.
"Beck, what do you think?"
"Is he handsome?" Beck teased.
"Is he on our side!" Zed huffed, walking off.
"Wait!" Mara pleaded, "Zed!"
"Zed, c'mon…" Beck started as Mara pulled him forwards…
"Beck," Able's voice called and Beck turned to face him, "May I speak with you?"
Beck turned towards his friends.
"Go on without me, I'll catch up with you later," he told them.
Mara waved while Zed held out his arms.
01010100 01101111 01100111 01100101 01110100 01101000 01100101 01110010 00100000 01000001 01100111 01100001 01101001 01101110
"Did you have anything to do with that statue being destroyed?" Able demanded.
"No," Beck replied innocently, "I was just out for a walk. Did you and Mom talk about this? Because I told her the exact same thing. It's hard to believe that neither of you trust me,"
"If you were anyone else's son, I would," Able shot back, "But seeing as you are your father's son…"
"Able, I just needed some time alone…I was…upset about Bodhi," Beck admitted.
"I know," Able nodded, sighing as he sat back down, "We're all upset about that. But we can't dwell on what happened. And you certainly can't act on those feelings. With Tesler and his soldiers here, we all need to be more careful now. Things have changed. This isn't the Grid it used to be,"
"Don't worry," Beck reassured him, "It won't happen…"
An alarm sounded, cutting him off and both Able and Beck jumped up, running to the edge of the garage floor.
"Attention Programs," Tesler announced, "I am General Tesler. I'm here to tell you that you are now volunteering for the games. Thank you for your cooperation,"
Beck started forward and Able caught his shoulder. He knew Beck wanted to give those guards a piece of his mind…Tron would have too…but now was not the time.
Able watched as the guards rounded up the Programs. He saw Zed and Mara crying out as the orange light barrier separated them from everyone else…on the wrong side.
"BECK!" Zed yelled, banging on the barrier.
"Attention Programs," the Grid announced, and Able couldn't help but feel that She sounded saddened, "You have been selected for the Games, please report to the Coliseum. Unauthorized disembarkment of the lightrail will result in immediate deresolution,"
Beck's eyes steeled and Able couldn't help but think of how much he looked like his father in that moment. The older Program grabbed the young Monitor's shoulder as he started forwards.
"Come back inside, there's nothing we can do," Able murmured sadly.
He turned around but Beck stayed…because he'd seen another captive.
Yori stood on the other side of the barrier, trying to comfort Mara.
The Simulations Program caught her son's horrified steel-blue gaze and she gave a sad smile.
"I love you, Beck," she mouthed as the Black Guards started herding them towards the train.
01010100 01101111 01100111 01100101 01110100 01101000 01100101 01110010 00100000 01000001 01100111 01100001 01101001 01101110
No.
No, no, no, no, no. N. O.
There was no freaking way Beck was just going to sit there and let them kill his mother and friends.
While Yori would be able to handle herself in the Games…being the Grid Champion's counterpart taught you a few things…Beck didn't like the 'if' factor that was in there.
So, donning his disguise once more, the young Monitor grabbed his baton and ran out of the garage. He broke the baton midstride and in one fluid movement, shot off, racing to catch up with the train that held his friends and mother captive.
He managed to get caught up with the train and ramped off the side of the highway, derezzing his bike back into its baton form. He misjudged the speed of the train and ended up tumbling head over heels towards the edge of the train. He caught the edge (and his baton as it fell) right before he could go plunging to his doom.
He hauled himself up onto the roof of the train…and was decked by a Black Guard. Beck yelped as he hit the roof of the train, landing on his stomach. He saw the Black Guard unsheathe his Disk and Beck got to his feet, doing the same…and he charged forwards, slashing and pushing the Guard back towards the front of the train. He got a lucky hit and severed a cord connecting to the Guard's helmet. The Guard derezzed his helmet and charged forwards as Beck dodged a bunch of signs, ducking under one, jumping over another as the Guard did the same.
They clashed yet again, dodging one another's slashes, flipping out of the way until the Guard landed a lucky kick and sent Beck sprawling. The boy looked up just to see the train starting to flip over to the underside of the tracks as it neared a tunnel. Beck got to his feet and started running as fast as he could. He had to get off the roof!
But the train flipped out from under him, Beck caught hold of the car right as they went through the tunnel and he hung there, trying to get a foothold…when the Guard tossed a bomb at him.
Immediately his first meeting with Tron flashed into memory…but he was pretty sure that the bomb thrown at him wasn't a shock grenade…
The train flipped upright and Beck ran forwards right as it went off, throwing him and the Black Guard in between two cars. Beck unsheathed his Disk and looked at the helpless Guard before him, bringing his Disk down…
And severing the car from the train.
"Wait…" the Black Guard started, looking incredulously at Beck, as the train continued, "Why would you spare me? Why?"
"I don't derezz Programs," Beck thought as he turned around and opened the doors…
To find nothing.
"Wrong car…" he muttered, turning to look at the Train again.
And he took off after it once more.
"Now approaching the Coliseum," the Grid announced as Beck pulled in, leaping off his bike as it derezzed back into baton form, landing on the floor and he hurled his Disk into the light rail, making it wink out.
He caught his Disk with a confident smile which devolved into an incredulous gape as the rail rematerialized. He'd have to find another way to fix things…
He raced forwards and hacked his Disk into a column. This had to work…it had to!
He stopped hacking as he realized how close the train was getting and dug the Disk deep into the column, dragging it around to make a deep cut…and it snapped, falling over and taking all the other columns with it…
As well as the Train.
The train fell to its side, bunching up as the cars ran into one another and squealed towards him. Beck held up his hands right as the Tron stopped mere inches from him. He let out the breath he had been holding.
Now that that was over…it was time to find his friends.
"For your own safety, and the safety of your fellow passengers, please remain seated. Our attentive staff is currently working to correct this minor delay, please remain calm. Transport to the Coliseum will continue shortly."
"I'll remain calm once I get them out of here," Beck muttered to himself as he snuck around the debris, opening car after car but not finding his friends or his mother.
He had just opened what seemed to be the millionth car when a Disk poked the back of his neck.
Beck winced and slowly held up his hands.
"I know where they are," a low growl said from behind him.
"What?" Beck asked, turning around some more as the Guard derezzed his helmet, revealing the Black Guard that Beck spared.
"Your friends," he repeated, "I know where they are. Front car. Hurry, the others will be back soon,"
The two ran towards the car that Beck hadn't opened yet and Beck rammed his Disk in between the crack, splitting it down the middle and opening the doors, revealing the frightened faces of his friends and co-workers. Yori looked up at him and Beck's throat caught. Her blue eyes narrowed, puzzled.
"Programs!" Beck announced, shaking off the feeling of 'I'm so dead when I get home…' that leveled itself in his core, "Leave! NOW!"
"Quickly!" the Black Guard added as the Programs poured out of the car, sprinting towards the exit as fast as they could.
Beck and the Black Guard went up to the main doors and both of them opened a hole in the wall with their Disks, the metal panel falling to the ground with a loud crash.
"Move!" Beck ordered, "Move!"
They ran, not one of them looking back…or at least, none that Beck saw…until Yori grabbed his arm.
"You need to get going, ma'am," he told his mother, "Your son gave chase not long after I did. He's probably still on his way here. Go home,"
Yori didn't look convinced…but she nodded in any case and went on her way.
He turned to face the Black Guard.
"Thank you for that," he said.
"It was the least I could do," the Black Guard dismissed, "Thank y…"
He yelled in pain as an orange Disk slashed through his midsection and arced back to its owner, leaving the Guard to derezz into tiny scarlet cubes.
Beck whipped around to see Tesler standing behind him.
"I don't like the effect you're having on my people," Tesler snarled, his gauntlets glowing dangerously.
He swung at Beck but the young Program leaped upwards, flipping over the General and landing gracefully on the ground behind him. Tesler swung again, this time hitting Beck square in the chest and sending him flying into the Train's side. Beck groaned in pain as he slid down the side, leaving a nice Beck-sized dent in the train's metal.
"Who do you think you are? Tron?" Tesler scoffed as Beck got to his feet.
"Forgive me if I don't shake your hand," Beck snarked, eyes steeling in anger and determination as he threw his Disk.
It ricocheted off the train onto the wall and back towards Beck as the young Program dashed underneath Tesler's arm and grabbed his Disk, aiming a blow at the General's head.
Beck flipped backwards, hurling his Disk again at Tesler but Tesler deflected it, sending it careening off the ceiling. Beck launched upwards, his body bending in an elegant arc as he landed on top of the Train's roof, catching his Disk as he straightened. He reared back his hand…
"You're no Tron," Tesler sneered, "You're nothing!"
Something clicked on his gauntlets and to Beck's surprise they shot towards him. He barely managed to block the first one, or the second one…
But the third one slammed into his head, driving him through the wall into the adjacent building that was currently under construction, and slamming him into a support beam.
"So not fair," Beck thought bitterly as one of the hands came at him again.
Beck ducked as the hand slammed into the bar where he had been thrown and it drew Tesler towards it. So Beck did what any logical Program would have done.
He ran. Fast.
He was climbing on the bars, swinging up to different levels and dodging Tesler's hands, finally making it up to the roof of the building.
"You think you're helping them…" Tesler started as he too made his way to the roof, "But trust me, you're only making things more painful,"
Beck skidded to a stop as he neared the edge and he backed up.
"Those Programs I just rescued might disagree," Beck retorted.
"Look out there!" Tesler ordered, "I've got dozens of cars heading to round up more Programs. You can't save 'em all!"
Beck turned towards him, eyes blazing silver-blue for a long instant.
"Watch me," he hissed as Tesler charged.
He took out his Disk and drove it into the bar they were standing on, sending the both of them plummeting towards the ground.
Beck caught a bar underneath him while Tesler kept falling. The General's hands reached up, stretching and grabbing Beck's head, pulling it downwards.
Tesler looked at the ground and then at Beck.
"This isn't over," he snarled.
Beck didn't say a word, but his Disk activated…and he slashed through the hands holding him prisoner, sending Tesler plummeting into the lightrail.
He relaxed for a few moments, he deserved that much after this long day.
Beck looked up at the sky, watching the lightning flicker across it. He had made an enemy today…
But there was something he had to do…someone he had to see.
01010100 01101111 01100111 01100101 01110100 01101000 01100101 01110010 00100000 01000001 01100111 01100001 01101001 01101110
Beck looked over at the city from the window, his dark eyes sad but determined.
"I want to do this," he suddenly said, "I have to do this,"
He turned towards Tron.
"I'm ready," he said with finality.
"No," Tron disagreed, "You're not,"
He took off his Disk and removed the white covering from it, his armor flickering to black.
"But you will be," he said, holding out the white half.
Beck took the Disk half and connected it to his own, and then replaced it on his back. He felt the familiar rush as his Disk synced and his armor pixelated, shimmering white and gaining more detail, more circuit lines.
They boy's pupils and circuits flashed brilliant white for an instant before dimming and Tron gave a soft smile.
"Come," he said, motioning for his son to follow him, "We have a lot of work to do…Tron,"
Beck trotted after his new mentor, his father.
"I'm where I'm supposed to be," Beck thought with a smile as Tron tossed him a staff.
"Now, lesson one," Tron started.
And so it begins! Now that we're in Uprising, expect quick updates because mainly I'm editing 'Son of Tron' to match this. There will be some differences seeing as how they're all in the Grid at this time, but for the most part it's me heavily editing.
I hope you guys liked it, if you did send in the reviews! (Along with ideas because I will need them eventually!) :)
Qui vállë tóquetë, ván tecë (If no review comes from y'all; no story comes from me)
Máriessë ar mára tecië
Farewell and fair writing
Elhini Prime signing off.
