Chapter 7: Outlands

Beck spared Paige a quick sideways glance, before focussing his attention back to Tron.

"She knows that I…" Beck paused, stopping himself before he ended up voicing important information so openly, "either way, taking her to the hideout is the best option right now."

"No. It's what you believe is the best option – there's a difference." Tron had a hard tone that suggested the idea of derezzing Paige hadn't been that far from his mind.

Beck swallowed hard.

"Look, I know I messed up-"

Tron was shaking his head.

"It's in the past, Beck. You can't change it. I'm letting you handle this now because you must to be responsible for your own mistakes. If you can't do that... If anything goes wrong…"

Beck had already finished the thought in his mind.

The uprising is over.

"We'll continue this conversation later."

Tron turned, vanishing into the darkness of the alley. Without hesitation, Beck led Paige out of light and they followed.

As they walked, Beck wondered what had made Paige so compliant all of a sudden. But then again, Tron tended to have that effect on Programs. Even if Paige believed in Clu, she was nonetheless curious about the Program currently leading them to the City outskirts.

Eventually they came to the edge of Argon.

"Beck, remove the cuffs."

He followed Tron's order without hesitation.

"And if you're thinking of trying anything, know that you'll have both me and Beck to deal with."

"I'm well aware of that." Paige was curt, if nothing else.

Tron pulled out his baton, and turned to address Beck.

"She's riding with you."

Nodding as his light cycle rezzed, Beck seated himself and waited for Paige to follow suit.

She hesitated, feeling Tron's gaze intensify with suspicion. He was still gripping his baton, and his stance indicated that his attention was focussed entirely on her - should she make the slightest suggestion of bolting.

Settling herself behind Beck, she briefly recalled the last time she had been in the same position. In the Argon City tunnels, racing ahead of a deadly explosion, she had taken it as an opportunity to finally finish off the Renegade. Only at the last micro had her sensibility returned to her, and she stopped her attacks, realizing her own life was at stake as well.

Beck was right. He had saved her life that cycle. She remembered facing him after being thrown off the ride, unable to say anything, watching him speed away.

As she made her way back to General Tesler, any strange feeling of gratitude towards him had completely turned into bitter regret that he was still alive. And then she had placed the incident behind her, as if nothing had changed. The Renegade was still out there, terrorizing the City. She was still obligated to capture him - a task that was becoming much more difficult than she originally thought.

And now she had him, her arms wound tightly around his midsection. Well, she didn't want to get thrown off his light cycle again, and the Outlands were rugged terrain. She pressed herself tightly against him, if only to be more streamlined. The winds of the Outlands were brutal. Tron was following behind them, and she knew he kept her within his sights the entire ride.

As time passed, Paige couldn't help the dread that was gradually growing within her. Thinking back, she almost wished that she had never discovered Beck's identity as the Renegade. Maybe things would have been easier in the long run if she never knew.

"Paige?"

Beck's question shook her from her thoughts, pulling her back into reality. He had only spoken her name, but the undertones had been obvious. She could sense his inquisitiveness in the lilt, and his concern for her in the soft tone of the question.

She wanted to assure him that she was alright, but the truth was she was far from it. She had gone from hating the Renegade to…something else entirely. And finding out that Tron was still alive…

Instead of the "I'm okay" she had wanted to give him, the only thing that escaped her lips was, "I'm here."

There was no reply, but for a single moment Paige sensed one, resting on the tip of his tongue. Then she felt him withdraw again, leaving her with her own thoughts.