Facing it all

Beck stirred as he heard the covers be pushed back. His eyes opened to see Paige sitting on the side of the bed, back to him.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his voice still riddled with sleepiness. He pushed up and sat up, coming next to her.

"Beck…." She finally looked up to him, and he could see the desperation, sadness, and pain. "There's one thing that I've been thinking about, that I need to know."

"…Okay."

"If you've been alive this whole time…why didn't you ever come back?"

"Well…I just…I just needed to get out on my own. Live my own life." He leaned back, falling onto the bed. "And I did, and it's great…" He broke off, frowning slightly.

"We've really needed you at home." She said quietly, her hand brushing past his.

"Nobody needs me." He looked down, pulling his hand away.

"Yes, we do! You're a Monitor!"

"Paige we've been over this before." He sat up, shaking his head. "I'm not a Monitor. Anon is! Isn't he still alive? As long as he is still doing what he was programmed to do, he's in charge."

"Beck…" She turned to him, "Anon's in prison."

"What?" He looked to her.

"CLU took his voice, and threw him into prison. We've been on our own. There's no more energy in the city, and everyone is dying. Beck, if you don't do something soon, we'll all derezz!"

"I can't go back." He looked away from her, and got to his feet.

"Why?" She turned to him.

"You wouldn't understand."

"What wouldn't I understand?!" She got to her feet, going after him.

"Just…look." He turned to her, then started past her, "Sometimes bad things happen…"

"Beck!"

"And there's nothing you can do about it. So why worry?"

"Because it's your responsibility!" She called after his retreating back.

He stopped, then turned on her, "Well what about you? You left!"

"I left to find help!" Her face soured at her next words, "And I found you."

"Don't you understand?" She continued, "We need you."

"Sorry."

"What's gotten into you?" She lowered her voice, "You're not the Beck I remember."

"You're right, I'm not. Now are you satisfied?"

"No. Just disappointed."

"You know, you're starting to sound like my father." He tossed back as he walked away from her.

"Good." She muttered, "At least one of us does."

He stopped, then rounded on her, stalking towards her. She didn't back away, but tensed at the dark look in his eyes.

"Listen, you think you can come in here and tell me how to live my life?" He tore into her with his words, "You don't even know what I've been through!"

"I would if you would just tell me!"

"FORGET IT!" He stalked away from her.

"FINE!"

The door slammed behind him, echoing as he stormed down. Mechanics looked to him, having heard the argument through the floors and the walls. He didn't look to any of them as he stormed past, and out the entrance. As he heard voices call after him, he pulled out his baton and took off through the city.

He skidded to a stop in the Outlands. He kicked his bike in anger then started away from it, pacing.

She's wrong. I can't go back. What would it take prove anyway? You can't change the past...

He stopped, hands tangled in his hair as he breathed heavily.

You can't.

"YOU SAID YOU WOULD ALWAYS BE THERE FOR ME!" He screamed at the sky, hands clenching into fists at his side.

The sky didn't reply, and Beck gave a shaky breath, his fists crumbling into open palms.

"And it's because of me." He sat down, pulling his knees to his chest. Tears streamed down his face and he hid his face against his legs, clutching his body close to him.

"It's my fault." His voice cracked and he broke.

He couldn't hear the footsteps through the snow, and he thought he was alone.

He gasped when he felt a hand touch him. He scrambled back, pulling out his disc and aiming it at the intruder.

Two programs stood over him. One was a female with piercing eyes, and the other an elder man, eyes with a burden he couldn't know of.

"Why are you crying?"

"Who are you?" Beck asked instead of answering the man. He seemed familiar and something was...off about the woman. Something different.

"I think you know who we are." The man replied, "Judging by your expression."

"No, I don't." Beck insisted, getting to his feet, docking his disc. He cast a glance to the woman, keeping his distance from the both of them.

"And yet your actions tell another story. Are you nervous? Afraid?"

"I would have every reason to be cautious around a User and an ISO." Beck said, not thinking. He stopped and the two saw his eyes widen as he realized what he said.

"How did I know that?" He whispered, turning his head.

"It's part of your programming, Monitor. You've always been good at that."

"Oh and you would know?" Beck retorted, "How do I know you're not delusional?"

"Because I know something most programs don't."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. You're Tron's son."

Beck froze and turned back to see Flynn and the ISO already a distance away.

"Hey wait!" He chased after them.

Flynn and the ISO stopped as Beck caught up to them.

"Y-you're Flynn. You knew my father."

"Correction: I know your father." Flynn said, not looking to Beck but to the sky.

Beck looked down, "I hate to tell you, but he's dead. Has been for a long time now."

"No." He laughed and put a hand on Beck's shoulder.

"Wait...are you serious?"

"I am. Follow me! I'll take you to him!"

Flynn started off quicker than what was ever expected of the old man. Beck quickly followed, and the ISO brought up the rear.

Flynn came to the entrance of a cave and entered, not looking back. Beck stopped, looking back as the ISO slipped by.

"You coming?" He looked up and back to see the ISO was waiting for him.

He nodded, and ran in after her.

The cave was dark, and though he could hear the ISO struggling, he made his way through with ease.

"Are you there?" She called.

"Right behind you." He replied.

"Okay good." She felt her way using the cave wall, "I had met your father once, and Anon."

"You have?"

She nodded in the dark.

"Then you've heard what happened to them?"

"Yes. I am sorry for Anon, and for Tron. And for you."

"Why me?"

She was about to answer when Flynn stopped both of them.

He shushed both of them. He stood aside to show the glow, "Come here, Beck."

Beck warily glanced to the ISO, then walked past her. He approached the glow and knelt down next to it, waiting, hoping...

It was only a well of energy, and all he saw was his own reflection.

He sighed, "You're wrong. That's not my father. Just my own reflection."

"No." Flynn put a hand on his shoulder and pointed, "Look harder."

His finger touched the energy and it rippled.

"All things and beings on the Grid are made of code. You are created from the same code that created your mother and father..."

When the ripple lessened, Beck squinted as the image cleared.

He found himself staring at a firm gaze, one that he knew so well. The T on his chest was apparent.

"You see...he lives in you."

He didn't reply as a new feeling took him. It directed him to the sky, and he looked up through the hole in the cave. The sky was turning stormy, but there was something...more.

He left the two and ran outside the cave. He watched the stormy sky. He sees...is that...?

A form comes from the sky, ghostly and faint. The wind picks up as the figure lands on the ground. The figure raised their head and Beck felt his core skip a beat.

"Beck..."

"Father..." He reached out, but Tron shook his head.

"Beck, you have forgotten me."

"No..." Beck shook his head, "How could I? I...I..."

"You have forgotten who you are, and so have forgotten me."

Beck looked down and away. "I-I'm sorry."

Tron touched his chin and made him look up. For a ghost, the feeling was so...solid.

"Look inside yourself, Beck. You are more than what have you become. You must take your place as Monitor of this Grid."

"How can I go back?" He tried to grip Tron's arm, but his hand went through. "I'm not who I used to be."

The wind, which had calmed, picked up. Tron's essence flickered, but he didn't disappear.

"Remember who you are. You are my son, and the next Monitor for this system. Protect them well."

Beck didn't reply, bowing his head as he felt Tron's touch.

"Remember..." Tron whispered.

Beck looked up to see Tron slowly fade, being pulled away by the wind.

"Remember..." He rumbled and let go of his son as he began to disappear, barely an outline now.

"No!" He chased after the wind and the storm, "Please! Don't leave me!"

But the wind would not listen. Tron fully disappeared with the wind.

"Remember..." Came the word one final time before the ghost of the warrior was gone.

Beck stopped, watching the sky numbly.

"What happened?" The ISO caught up to him.

"Yes," Beck glanced to Flynn at his voice, to see his smile, "how about that weather? How strange."

"Yeah." He looked back to the sky.

"So," Flynn looked to him, "The weather tell you anything?"

"...I have to go back." He looked down from the sky. "But..."

"But what?"

"I've been running away from my past for so long. If I go back..."

"Beck." Flynn set a hand on his shoulder, "All of us have a past to confront. It's never easy. But with age, I've learned you can either run from your past...or learn from it."

Beck didn't answer.

"Make sense?"

He took off running.

"Wait!" Flynn called, "Where are you going?"

"Tron city!" He called, "I'm going home!"

"GO THEN!" Flynn called, "And take this!"

Beck managed to catch the baton thrown at him and took off again. The bike formed underneath him and he sped off into the Outlands, towards the city he could only imagine on the horizon.