Since ISOlated is a more Paige-based episode, I decided to write what was happening somewhere else during Paige's memories. But, that doesn't mean that they're totally out of the story...in this one, we have a new cast member come into play...

Chapter 12

ISOlated

Accessing Archive Data…

It's official. My father is crazy.

He wants me, in my blaringly obvious white armor…to storm Tesler's base and steal a data cube…without getting caught!

Mom always told me that Dad got a little crazy and didn't think things through when he was focused on a long-term goal for a good long while…

I should have listened to her.


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Accessing Archive Data…

I don't see what his problem is. If Beck is as good as he thinks he is…which he really is, I've made sure of it…then this mission will be easy. It's also teaching him that stealth is of more importance…especially if you're garbed in white in a black world. He's ranting at me and I'm ignoring it.

He'll get over it.


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Just a few nanos before the Archives

"So what's the mission this time?" Beck asked his father as he came up beside him.

"Tesler's base, a heavily guarded impenetrable fortress of death…"

"Aren't you the cheery one," Beck snarked.

Tron shot him a look.

"There are over 20,000 soldiers on constant patrol," he continued, "Who will not hesitate to derezz you if they see you,"

He turned back to his son and jabbed at his chest.

"So make sure they don't see you,"

"Guess that near-Stray incident made you over protective," Beck hummed while Tron closed an eye, "Ok, ok, I'm shutting up,"

He turned to Tron after lowering his hands.

"Stealth…now that I can do,"

"You'll need to be quick," Tron instructed, "That data cube we're after will give us critical advantage over the Occupation,"

"Don't worry, they won't even know I'm there…"

"You're to be wearing the Disk, Beck," Tron stated.

The Child Basic blinked, once…twice…

"Here it comes…" Tron thought, right as Beck blew up.

"YOU WANT ME TO SNEAK INTO A BASE CRAWLING WITH BLACK GUARDS WEARING USER GLITCHED WHITE ARMOR!?" Beck shrieked, "ARE YOU GLITCHED IN THE HEAD!?"

Tron pointed a finger at Beck.

"Watch your language," he warned, "You are the next System Monitor, when this war is over, Programs will look up to you. You cannot swear in front of them, got it? And yes, you are going into that base crawling with Black Guards in white armor. Now go get suited up,"

"But…!" Beck started only for his father to fix him with a cold, steely-blue glare that made Beck shift uncomfortably, "Fine,"


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Yori hummed softly as she walked up the stairs to her and Beck's room. She'd chewed Beck out the night before because he'd stayed out after the curfew. He didn't get caught, thank the Users, but it was still nerve-wracking whenever he did. If they caught him and scanned his Disk…they'd kill him or worse take him to Clu, who'd torture him and kill him or worse still, torture and Repurpose him.

The Simulations Program shuddered, holding her arms close as she touched the panel on the wall…just to get grabbed from behind.

"Don't scream," a female voice, low and slightly raspy hissed.

Yori reacted how any other Program would in her situation…

She stomped hard on the other Program's foot, rammed her head into their chin and took out her Disk in a swift move as her attacker stumbled back, her hood slipping down off her head…and revealing stunning ice-blue eyes and short black hair.

"Users, Aunt Yori," Quorra groaned, holding her nose as it dripped blue code, "That hurt!"

"Quorra!" Yori gasped, grabbing her 'niece's shoulders and leading her into the quarters, "Into the room, quickly!"

She looked around hastily before shutting the door and locking it behind them. She then turned towards Quorra and embraced the young ISO.

"You're alive," she whispered, nearly crying.

"And other than a broken nose, well," Quorra replied dryly as Yori released her.

"Sorry," the older Program apologized, "Times are tough, can't be too careful,"

"I bet," Quorra mumbled as she took off her Disk and worked on healing her nose.

"Here, let me do that," Yori suggested, taking the Disk.

"You were always better at that than me," Quorra said with a faint laugh.

"How have you been doing?" Yori asked as she messed with the code, "I see you haven't been caught…are you…"

Quorra closed her eyes and nodded sadly.

"I'm the last, Yori…everyone else is dead,"


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Beck crawled through the ventilation shaft, the crimson light turning his armor a pale, pearly red while his circuits still surged white.

He looked around…Tron said that the panel behind the cube chamber would have a grating of sort…aha!

Beck hooked his fingers in the holes before carefully lifting it away, revealing the data cube. The Child Basic snatched the cube and started out…right as an alarm blared.

"Great!" Beck growled, crawling out of the duct as fast as he could.

He kicked out a grate and hit the floor, rolling to his feet and racing towards the exit, feeling like he was flying. He looked up and saw the exit starting to close on him.

"Not gonna happen!" he thought.

He ran faster, taking out his baton and breaking it, leaping upwards as the Lightjet sketched itself into the air underneath him, solidifying and shooting upwards. He shot through the rapidly closing door right as it slammed shut behind him.

"Haha! Take that!" Beck crowed, soaring up through the Grid-sky.

"Behind you! Danger!"

Beck turned around, seeing Paige behind him in a…

"A lightchopper?" Beck snorted, "You'll never catch me me in that!"

He heard the distinct roar of a jet engine and he cringed.

"Lightjets on the other hand…" he muttered, wrenching the jet to the side as Paige started shooting at him.

He shot upwards, looking for all the world that he was trying to stall his engine…but he arced back at the last moment, coming up behind his targets.

He readied his weapons system…when Paige started shooting at him in her chopper. He banked to the left, nearly clipping Paige's chopper as he flew by.

"Users, will you ever give up?" he demanded, not that she could hear him, but it was good to get that out.

They flew towards and island, Paige shooting at him as they flew, trying to avoid the rock walls that loomed up around them.

Beck looked behind him, seeing Paige's irritated face behind him.

"Well, she's not going to like what I'm about to do…" he thought as the ribbon flashed to life, streaming behind him.

He arced around her, trying to trap her with a wall of silver-white light…when she shot out his engine. He started falling, and Beck desperately punched the return switch with his thumb.

"C'mon, c'mon!" he begged, as the jet's form flickered, turning insubstantial and then reverting to its solid form, "Now would be a good time to turn back into a baton!"

The ground came closer and closer at an alarming rate and Beck, panicking, bailed out right as the jet smashed into the island. He landed hard on the ground, stumbling to a halt as he hid behind a rock.

"Great, that's two batons I've broke," Beck muttered as he watched the sky.

The Occupation jets arced across the sky…and left.

"Good," Beck thought as he sank down with his back to the wall, "Maybe…when they…leave…I can…find…"

His eyes fluttered shut and he fell into shutdown.


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After Quorra's startling revelation, the ISO burst into tears, letting Yori hug her and rub her back like she did when Jalen was killed.

"There, there," Yori soothed, "You can tell me what happened when you're ready,"

"M-Mom sent me out to the other enclaves after Anon and I made it to Arjia," Quorra stammered, "I made it to Thallium not long after it was destroyed. Risa made me promise to take her daughter Ada with me and I did. We made it to Gallium and she got hurt and then the Purge came there and she was killed…"

Quorra shook her head.

"Anon went to Bostrum with Gibson…but Gibson…" she started crying again, "Gibson got infected, Anon had to put him down…"

Yori hugged Quorra again. Gibson had been one of her closest ISO friends, the Bostrumite had a loud mouth, didn't know when to keep his mouth shut, had an uncanny ability to tell what Tron and Anon were thinking when their helmets were up…and Quorra was his best friend.

"W-We made it back to Arjia," Quorra stammered, "Clu was there…he was threatening my mother, trying to get her to be his counterpart, but she slapped him, refusing him…and then…and then…"

She burst out crying again.

"T-The V-V-Virus…" she choked, "Y-Y-Yori…it was him!"

"The Virus was there?" Yori asked.

Quorra nodded, but then shook her head.

"Yori…the Virus was a Repurposed ISO," she whispered, "Only one went missing…"

Yori's eyes widened in shock.

"No!" she breathed and Quorra nodded.

"Abraxas was Jalen…my father…Repurposed. Clu kidnapped him and turned him into that thing! And then…and then…" she buried her head in her hands before looking up again, "Clu made him kill my mother,"


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Beck's eyes flashed open, banging his head against the rock. It wasn't a dream after all then…

He got up, slowly and painfully, his arm especially. He ignored it though and picked up a piece of wreckage, trying to figure out how to fix it…and failing miserably.

"Flynn himself couldn't fix this mess," he muttered, throwing away the wing piece in disgust.

He heard a cracking, crumbling noise and he whirled around just to see a piece of the island derezzing and falling into the Sea.

"Whoa…" he breathed, racing up on top of a ridge and watching as more and more of the island fell away.

This was not good.

He heard someone yelling and he whipped around, rezzing the mask over his features.

"Hey!" he yelled as the figure straightened up…revealing Paige's slender form.

"Aw, great," Beck thought miserably, "Stuck here on an island with her!?"

"Huh," she started, her Disk humming as she ran towards him, derezzment clearly her intent, "You're a hard Program to derezz. But you know what? I like a challenge!"

She hurled her Disk and Beck leaped over it, letting the deadly orange edge slash where his feet had been.

"We've got a problem!" Beck tried as he landed and got back up…

Just in time for Paige to land a kick at his face, forcing him to fall to the ground.

"No, you've got a problem!" Paige snarled, catching her Disk as Beck scrambled to get up.

She tried to hit him but Beck blocked her effortlessly as she kept sending hits at him.

"Hold on!" Beck pleaded, "I've gotta show you something!"

"You think I'm that gullible!?" Paige demanded, throwing a punch at him again but he blocked her.

She launched herself into a powerful roundhouse kick, slamming into the side of Beck's neck and sending him flying.

Beck groaned as he hit the ground, the data cube flying out of his hand. Paige's honey colored eyes lit up and she ran for the cube. Beck saw where she was going and tried to get to get to it first…but Paige snatched it up right as Beck's hand clipped it.

She danced out of the way as Beck stood up.

"You probably thought I forgot about this?" she sneered.

And the island shook, making the both of them stumble. Paige's high heeled boots weren't suited very well for earthquakes on stone…and she started to fall of the bridge. Beck lunged forwards as Paige caught the side. He leaned over and offered his hand.

"Now will you listen?" he asked, jumping back as Paige tried to take off his hand, "Will you just stop!?"

He pointed at a derezzing part of the island.

"Look what's happening!" he ordered.

"It's disintegrating," Paige breathed.

"The shock from my crash destabilized the code of the island," he explained, "It's derezzing and there's no way to stop it. Pretty soon, the whole island is going to fall apart,"

He reached out his hand.

"Still want to keep fighting?" he asked.

"Absolutely," Paige growled.

Beck shot her a 'really' look, even though she wouldn't be able to see it.

But, she gave a sigh, "But I guess it'll have to wait,"

She took his hand and he hauled her up. He looked behind her at the crashed chopper.

"No way that'll ever fly again," he stated.

"It doesn't have to fly," Paige corrected, "Just float,"

"Look around," Beck told her, "There's no armies out here, no soldiers, just us. If we wanna live, we have to work together,"

"I am the army," Paige replied stubbornly, "And I'm getting off this rock alone!"

And she ran off towards the wreckage.

"If there was an award for stubbornness, she'd win it," Beck growled to himself, watching as she took a piece of the chopper and shoved it towards the water, jumping on and paddling towards Argon.

Beck shook his head. It didn't take a mechanic to know that it wasn't going to work.

He started towards the beach, watching as Paige's makeshift life-raft sank and the commander swam back towards the island, coughing up the viral code from the Sea. He had to try really hard to not slip in an 'I told you so'.

The beach's code shattered underneath her and Paige yelped, throwing herself to stable sand. Beck stood in front of her, crossing his arms.

"Still don't think you need my help?" he asked.

She got up, shoving past him and going over to a ledge, sitting down and sulking. She knew he was right…but she didn't want to admit it.

"The water's going to get even rougher as more of the island breaks up," Beck told her, "I might be able to attach the propulsion unit from your chopper to my lifeboat. Modify it to work in water,"

"Don't you need to be an engineer or mechanic to do something like that?" Paige asked suspiciously.

Beck cringed under the mask. That was an idiotic mistake. He could almost hear Tron reprimanding him about it.

"How hard could it be?" he finally said.

"It could be…impossible,"

"Luckily for you, you have a mechanic here," Beck thought with a sly smile, "Don't think like that, Paige…where's that stubborn Program who wanted me in custody so badly she wrecked her lightchopper to do it?"

"Look," he said aloud, "I can't do this alone, and neither can you. And if we don't work fast…we'll drown,"

"At least I'll have the satisfaction of seeing the end of the Renegade," Paige retorted.

"Do you really want to die here?" Beck demanded as Paige looked at another piece of the island that was derezzing, "We can do this, trust me,"

She turned towards him, her honey gaze zeroing in on his throbbing arm.

"You're injured," she stated.

Beck looked down at the wound, his code shifted inside. He hated seeing someone's open code…it always unnerved him and seeing his own made him feel slightly dizzy. It was gaping, glowing a glaring white.

"It's nothing," he said with faux nonchalance.

Paige closed an eye and got up, pulling out a scanner and scanning Beck's arm, showing signs of viral infection.

"Without treatment you could lose the arm," Paige told him, "I'll need to access your Disk,"

Beck pulled away, closing an eye in suspicion as she grabbed at his Disk. He snatched her wrist, keeping her from going any farther, a low rumbling warning built up in his throat. She jerked her hand back.

"I'm only doing this because I need your help," she growled.

"So…are we agreeing to a truce?" Beck started slowly, his wounded arm's hand starting to shake.

"A temporary truce," Paige corrected.

She held out her hand for his Disk and Beck warily detached it, holding onto it and jerking it out of the way when Paige latched onto it.

"You're not gonna try to derezz me again?" Beck started, "I have your word as a soldier?

"You have my word," Paige reassured him as Beck released and she pulled up his holographic portrait.

"Where did you learn how to do that?" Beck asked.

"All soldiers learn how to treat battle injuries," she explained, "It's part of our training,"

Beck tensed as she worked on the injury, all she would have to do is have her fingers slip and she could see who he was, see his memories, see Tron…

She could even derezz him.

But true to her word, Paige sealed up the wound, and the biting pain was gone. He put a hand to the smooth armor.

"Huh," he started, "Feels good as new,"

She held out his Disk and he reached for it…Paige playfully jerked it back and Beck narrowed his eyes…


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"Jalen…" Yori whispered, shaking her head, "But why would Clu…"

"I don't know," Quorra admitted, "But after that, Anon and I separated for a while. I got captured by Clu and Anon came to save me…"

She bowed her head, tears streaming.

"He sacrificed himself for me," she whispered, "He gave me…everything…"

She stood up and Yori noticed the faint blue-white tinge in her circuit light, she rezzed her helmet that bore a striking resemblance to Anon's before retracting it.

"All his combat training, his memories," Quorra continued, "I carry them in me. I transferred everything,"

She grabbed her arm.

"I wandered through the Outlands, losing power," she said softly, "Finally, I just lay down and waited for the end to come. But just when everything was going dark…standing above me…"

She gave a sad smile.

"Was Flynn,"

Yori gave a soft cry as her hands shot to her mouth.

"Flynn…" she whispered, "He's…alive…?!"

"And well," Quorra nodded, "He took me in…I'm just being his eyes for right now,"

"Clu will kill him if he sets foot on the Grid," Yori stated, "But why did you come here?"

"One, I wanted to see you and Beck…" Quorra started, "I bet he looks like his father more than ever,"

"He does," Yori nodded, smiling, "Even has the temperament to match,"

"Oh boy," Quorra winced, "Bet he was a handful for a couple of cycles…"

"He still is," Yori replied dryly, "Any other reasons you came to see us?"

Quorra nodded.

"Flynn wanted me to see if the rumors were true,"

"What rumors?"

"That the Renegade is Tron,"


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Paige woke up with Disk activated as she shot to her feet, making Beck jump. He looked up from his work, shaking off the fragmented memory that came with him nearly falling into the water.

"Not bad, if I say so myself," he said, indicating the boat as he stood.

"Assuming it works," Paige snorted, deactivating her Disk and reattaching it to her back.

"My power pack is drained…" Beck apologized, "It's the only one I had,"

"My chopper has a full power pack," Paige offered, "We can use it,"

They both started towards the chopper and Paige showed him where it was. Beck used his Disk to cut the pack out of the damaged chopper and they shoved it out of the chopper. The Child Basic opened the box and started messing with the pack.

"Suppose we make it back to Argon," he started, "Then what?"

"You either give yourself up, or I derezz you. Your choice,"

"Wow, straightforward that one,"

"Hmm, some choice," Beck replied dryly, "Hand me that tail flap, we can use it as a rudder,"

"What, do I work for you now?" Paige teased.

"Danger! Run! Quick!"

The ground started shaking. And Beck saw the rock underneath Paige starting to break apart.

"PAIGE LOOK OUT!" Beck yelled getting up.

The ground shattered and sent Paige screaming off the edge.

"Paige!" Beck called, running to the edge to see Paige holding onto a ledge, her honey colored eyes wild with fear, "Paige…hang on!"


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"I don't know who the Renegade is, but he's not Tron," Yori told her friend, "Who else would know better than me?"

"So he really is dead then," Quorra sighed.

"Yes," Yori nodded sadly, "I know, I wish it was him too…but we can't change the past, we can only shape the future,"

Quorra gave a sad smile as she picked up Yori's Monome and started pecking on the keys, letting a soft, sweet, gentle melody play forth.

"Where did you learn to play?" Yori asked, "Last time you had that thing all you got out of it were squawks,"

"I picked it up from a medic that helped me and Ada when Ada got hurt in Gallium," Quorra said, "I taught her how to use someone's momentum against them and taken 'em down in one move,"

"Tron's training paid off then," Yori teased, making Quorra grin.

"She loved her music," Quorra continued, "She went against her Programming just for it. I wish I could see her again, just to tell her I'm sorry for all the pain Ada and I put her through,"


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"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Paige shrieked as Beck started back to the raft, "COME BACK!"

"Hold on, just hold on…" he begged mentally as he made it to the raft, setting the power pack in place.

"Hang, on Paige," he breathed, powering up the craft…and it failed on him, "WHAT!? C'mon!"

He slammed his fist against the controls again.

"C'MON!"

The engine started and Beck gave a cry of joy as he shoved the raft into the water, hopping on and racing towards where Paige was hanging on. Right as he reached it, the ledge derezzed, sending the commander screaming into the water.

Beck forced the boat to stop and he dived into the water, he saw Paige's dimly glowing red form sinking into the Sea, he nearly reached her when a claw came from above and latched around her, pulling her up.

The Child Basic swam upwards, making sure that it carried her all way way and not dropping her. He reached up and touched her hand, reassuring her that help had found her, even though he was pretty sure that she couldn't feel it.

And he surfaced, swimming towards his raft as the chopper carrying Paige took her back to Argon.

"I hope someday you realize…I'm one of the good guys," he murmured.


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"…And after all that…" Beck started, "I didn't even make it back with the data cube,"

"We'll have other chances to get our hands on Tesler's plans," Tron reassured his son, "But I'm impressed that you risked your life to try to save an enemy,"

Beck turned a sheepish smile towards his father and Tron couldn't help but feel the pride in his son overflow.

"I thought she was starting to trust me," he admitted, "Besides, I gave her my word,"

"You did the right thing, Beck," Tron smiled, putting a hand on Beck's shoulder.


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The door opened, making both Quorra and Yori look towards the now closing portal…just to see a tall, slender figure freeze, slight tremors running up and down his frame.

"Mom…" Beck started, "What's going on? I feel…is someone here?"

"Yes, Beck, we've got a guest," Yori told him, "An old, old friend,"

Beck walked into the light, making Quorra gasp as she saw how much he looked like his father. Beck's steel-blue eyes widened, blinking rapidly.

"Aunt…Aunt Quorra?" he asked softly.

Quorra got up and hugged her 'nephew'.

"You've gotten so big!" she whispered, "Users, you look almost exactly like him!"

"You're alive…" he blinked before turning towards his mother, "I told you the ISOs were still alive!"

"She's the last one, Beck," Yori explained, "The Purge killed them all. All but Quorra. She's been staying with Flynn this whole time,"

Beck froze.

"Flynn…he…he's alive?" he asked, smiling, "Then that means that Dad could be too! Maybe the Renegade is…"

"He's not your father, Beck," Yori told him, "I'd know if it was,"

Beck mentally congratulated himself on his acting abilities, and continued to go with the conversation.

"Oh…right…" he murmured before looking back at Quorra, "How long are you here for?"

"Not long," she told him, "I have to get back to Flynn…make sure he doesn't do anything stupid,"

"It's Flynn, he's always going to do something crazy," Yori deadpanned.

Quorra laughed.

"That's the truth!" she smiled, "Now, tell me about what's been going on since we left you two here in Argon…"

Quorra will be going back to Flynn after this one, but next up is the chapter where I get to write Power-Crazy Beck...I had a lot of fun doing that in the original story, this one will be fun too, but in my opinion it doesn't have the same impact as the other did. Well, guess we'll see!

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.