Chapter 6- Adagio

Hello.

It's me.

Okay, enough quoting of Adele for now. I'm sorry I've been away a while. I had marching band competition, jazz band auditions, and a theatre show I participated in. So, I thought I'd make a large chapter for today. Though you may not like me by the end. Whether you do or not, please let me know what you think.


The sudden exposure of bright light made her cringe, biting back a groan. She instantly glanced to either side of her as she heard groans, to see Zed's gaunt face and Mara's alert eyes. All three were hanging, wrists tied, feet dangling just beyond reach. Breathing through clenched teeth, she looked into the light, trying to track where exactly it began_

She looked back down at the echo of footsteps and a figure molded from the darkness.

"So. You are the three minds behind these….raids."

None of them answered to this, but the program was burned into by three glares. He didn't seem to care, though, as he continued in his gravel-like voice.

But Paige had stopped listening. She glanced to either side of her.

I will find a way out of this. All six of us will_

Wait.

Her entire form tensed and her processor near froze in fear.

Where are the other three?

"Where are they?"

The program stopped speaking, looking to her in her outburst. is head gave a slight tilt and she imagine them forming their next words carefully.

"…Who?"

"You know exactly who I'm talking about." She said testily, fists clenched, cuffs biting into her wrists. "Where are the three other programs that had been with us?"

They said nothing and her eyes narrowed.

"If you so much as hurt them, I will personally ri_"

"You will what?" The familiar female voice echoed and the trio came from the shadows. Damian wouldn't meet the gazes of any of the others. Jude's fists were clenched at his sides, and Shawna had her arms crossed, glaring directly at Paige.

"Well?" The demand made Paige refocus to narrow her eyes.

"Well what?"

"When were you going to tell us? We thought you were on our side, all of you!"

"I_"

"We_"

"It's not like that_"

"SHUT UP!" Shawna roared, making Paige, Mara, and Zed's protests go silent. She was panting, holding back tears.

"You've lied to us. We thought you were here to help us, but you lied! You're not one of us at all. Not one of you."

Her eyes lost the glassiness of tears and turned cold in rage. "And since we have the formula_" Paige's eyes widened as she remembered that they had latched it onto Shawna's back.

"_then we don't have to rely on you for anything anymore!"

She pulled off her disc, and the program stiffened behind them, but otherwise didn't move.

"You can't do this!" Mara cried breathlessly, "You won't get out of here alive!"

Shawna didn't react at first, gripping her disc.

Then…her eye gave the tiniest wink.

Oh….

"We'll manage." She pulled her disc back to throw. "NOW!"

Damian and Jude lunged at the program as the disc left Shawna's hand and cut through the three ropes. Paige landed in a crouch, hands still cuffed together, and looked to Zed and Mara on either side of her. They barely met gaze before she and Mara surged forward, Zed falling behind them. Damian and Jude are knocked back by the program, but they only turned to barely miss Paige's combined fists. She swings again but they knock hers away. He ducks and Zed's thrown off balance as had swung out too far. The program crouched low and swung out, taking Zed's feet out from under him. He grunted as he fell with a THUD.

The program easily forgot about him and turned to face the others. They pulled off their disc and began forward when something clamped around their ankle and pulled them down. They turned to see Zed had grabbed their ankle and on instinct, they kicked out and scrambled away from Zed as he reeled back. They had barely gotten to their knees when the chain pulled them back by the neck. A choked cry came out and they scuttled back into the wall, slamming the former commander hard into the wall. She let out a gasp and her grip loosened and they slipped out. They turned to a crouch, still gripping their disc tight and facing every program. They panted hard; they had not this much to go against since_

Wait.

Where was Mara?

They figured out the answer to this question too late as a force came down on their back and the weight forced them to be pinned down to the floor. The disc clattered out of their grip and out of reach as they were turned over, a disc at their neck. They looked up to the six programs above them, Mara holding the disc to their neck.

"I'm only going to ask once." Paige started, seething, "How do we get out of here?"

They didn't answer, especially not when Paige nodded to Mara, who then pushed the disc closer to their neck.

"I will not be patient." She continued, eyes narrowing.

"Oh I don't doubt it." They finally said, "And I must say what just happened was impressive. Slower than I expected but still, impressive."

"Cut the flattery." She pressed as the others exchanged looks.

They tilted their head, "Of course. After all, you have the formula, as I hear. And I know we both are desperate for this formula, and for the same reason. For…Beck."

She stopped, features unwillingly softening at the name. Mara stopped too, and Zed's eyes squinted in confusion.

"Uh…who?" Jude remarked, but it went ignored as the three that knew exchanged a long look.

"…Are you…" Mara started.

The program nodded and Mara backed away enough for them to get to their feet. The glass mask came off and the hard blue eyes cut into each of them in a mysterious fashion.

"Tron…" Zed murmured. The young trio's eyes widened in awe.

"Yes." Tron nodded. "I've been looking for you three."

"I see that." Paige said, obviously not thrilled to see him, "But was all that necessary?"

"I had a hunch the raids on the Occupation ships were being done by the three of you, but it wouldn't have been wise to talk about these matters in Argon."

"So we've got the formula, now what?" She crossed her arms, "We've got to find him, wherever he is. If he's still alive."

Tron looked up to the ceiling as the darkness disappeared and they were left in a bright room as a soft noise got his attention.

"He's still alive." He said finally, eyes flicking to Paige as she slightly relaxed, but turned away from her, "We can go see him."

He had started towards the exit when Mara called to him.

"How is he?"

Tron didn't look back, "Wait and see." Before he led them out and down the corridor.


He led them farther and farther down the corridor until he came to a large doorway where a light pushed through into the dark hall. He said nothing as he entered, and after an exchanged glance, the six followed.

Within the center of the room was a large…chamber. It was filled with a liquid transparent enough to see a shape within, one who seemed to be moving if only slightly….

When Tron came to a stop in front of the chamber, he watched it for a short moment. When the moment passed, he reached forward with both arms. They went within the chamber and the six watched from behind as his hands grasped around the figure and pulled them out. He held the figure close, and gently set their feet on the ground. However, the great warrior went down to his knees as the program's legs crumpled, their pale fingers digging into his shoulders. He didn't seem to mind, but rather held the program close, whispering soft words into their ear and rocked slightly. He did so until the trembling of the program ceased and their grip lessened. The program hid their face in the System Warrior's shoulder.

"We've got company." Tron whispered softly but audibly into the program's ear. "Can you stand?"

The program nodded and after a few minutes, Tron gripped the program and stood, making sure they were stable. Russet eyes peaked over Tron's shoulder and Paige's core skipped a beat, causing her circuits to flicker once.

As Tron turned to face the group, Beck's hand instantly latched onto his mentor's in what seemed to be a death-grip. Tron didn't seem to mind, but spoke gently.

"They aren't going to hurt you. I promise."

His fearful eyes flicked to Tron once uncertainly but then looked back to them.

"Everyone, this is Beck. Beck, can you say hi?"

Beck opened his mouth, but changed his mind quickly. He audibly swallowed as his eyes flicked between each of them, and his friends were disappointed that they did not stray longer than a moment on either of them, not showing even a glint of recognition. He then settled for a cautious nod.

"…Hello." Paige said finally, causing Beck's gaze to turn to her in a flash of fear, before settling into wariness. The whole sight caused her shoulders to slump, but she quickly amended the mistake by straightening out again.

When Tron realized the air was growing awkwardly bitter, he turned to Beck again.

"Why don't you show them your room?"

When after a moment, Beck nodded, he squeezed his mentor's hand and Tron led the way.

A little ways down was a small, plain door. Tron easily opened it, and within was a small bed, a table with an odd sort of chair, and a shelf in the corner. So empty and devoid of anything personal for the amnesiac program….Paige looked away from the scene and crossed her arms, biting the inside of her cheek as pressure built behind her eyes.

Beck, however, had already completely forgotten about them. He let go of Tron's hand and headed towards the shelf. There, he reached up on the tips of his toes and managed to bring down a small box. He turned to Tron, who nodded at the sight.

"You want to use it?"

Beck looked at the box once before nodding.

"Alright. May I see it?"

He wordlessly handed it over and Tron easily opened it onto the small table near the chair.

"There you go."

Beck grinned, a soft, childish grin, before he sat down on the small and comfy chair and began to rift through the pieces.

"Tron." The warrior looked up to Paige's crossed arms but fragile gaze.

"May I…be alone with him?"

Tron looked to her before quietly nodding and gesturing for the others to follow him out. She pretended not to hear the young trio begin their onslaught of endless questions about him and Beck and everything else before the door quietly shut. Closing her eyes, she took a stuttering breath in. Exhaling, she opened her eyes again, and quietly started towards the table.

Beck looked up at the sound of footsteps, and stopped in the middle of his game to look up at her with wide eyes of fear and yet…curiosity.

"Mind if I…join you?"

He stared blankly up at her for a moment more before nodding and returning to his game. She got her knees across from him at the table.

"What are you playing?"

He barely glanced up to her, eyes glancing down to the game before returning to it again.

"Mind if I help?"

He didn't look up this time, but nodded. She glanced over the entire set, before joining him.

She hadn't played this in a while. She was a medic the last time she had put together a puzzle. She picked up a piece and laid it carefully in one spot, before Beck picked it up and wordlessly moved it to another spot, where it fit. Perhaps this was something he did often, played with the puzzle, as he had little trouble fitting pieces. Picking up another, she set to helping him.

After some time, she noticed he had withdrawn some time before, and she looked up to see he had turned away, and his circuits gave a steady flicker as his form rose and fell.

By this point, she had finished the puzzle to the best of her abilities. It seemed a piece was missing, right in the middle of the piece. But it was forgotten now, as Beck shifted in his rest to show his peaceful face. She abandoned the game and went around the table to sit in front of him. He didn't stir, and still didn't when she gently traced the shape of his cheek with her thumb.

Her Beck. Her Beck, brought to this condition. Because he was too much of a threat. A renegade who had gotten too reckless.

It's his fault.

She withdrew her hand for a moment.

He started this fight.

She looked down.

It's Tron's fault! He let this happen. He let Beck keep going even when it became too dangerous.

She reached out to him again, but stopped herself as every memory she had ever had of him flooded back in. His smile, his sincerity, his passion, and in the last cycles of remembrance, pain.

And…and it's my fault.

Her hand went to her eye as a tear slipped out past her guard and down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away but her thoughts echoed on.

It's my fault.

I couldn't stop the Occupation from hurting him.

I couldn't save him while he was here with us.

Sniffing, she pushed away more tears as they continued to fall, her hand beginning to tremble.

A hand on her shoulder made her look up to the face of Tron, unusually gentle.

"Why don't you rest? It's been a long cycle…for all of us."

Nodding, she looked down, wiping away final tears before getting to her feet. She didn't meet Tron's gaze as she passed him. She was in the doorway and turned back to see him put the puzzle pieces in the box and the shelf before his arms wrapped around Beck. He picked up his apprentice, carrying him across the room. He pushed back the sheets on the bed and set Beck down. She watched as he gripped the edges of the sheets and brought them up to Beck's chest. He gently ran a hand through Beck's hair and his façade fell into weariness as the young program didn't stir.

He looked up as he heard footsteps, and turned to see no one. And that was true. For Paige had already started down the hallway, biting hard at the inside of her cheek and walking fast, hoping to escape this sad dream if she went fast enough into the darkness.


I'm sorry. Please let me know what you think.

-Kris