Ok, so I decided to split it into two parts like it is in the show...simply because it would have ended up a huge 8000 word chapter again and I think it's better this way. I got started on it this morning and just finished it in time to kick off the summer (our last day of school was today and it was my last day of high school, kinda bittersweet but still exciting!) So I made the new chapter for you guys :) Oh and do you guys remember that chapter waaaay back when where Beck had the nightmare about the Coup? Well...let's just say that it isn't the last time he sees an old memory of his father's.
Key:
"adfasdfa" -Grid announcement
"asdfadfa"- Monitor's Sensing (Grid's voice to Her Monitors)
"adfasdfas" - thoughts/announcements
I do not own any of the Tron franchise, much as I want to.
Chapter 21
The Renegade (Part One)
"Expect your training to be a long and difficult road, Beck," Tron warned, tossing his son a baton as they walked out of the stronghold and across the snow, "Before victory, there will be setbacks,"
He ran forwards and broke the baton, shooting off into the Outlands on his lightcycle.
"Wait! Where are you going?" Beck demanded.
"Follow!" Tron yelled back.
Beck shook his head and followed, weaving through the rock formations that dotted the landscape, he saw a faint glimmer of white to his left side and he turned his head towards it.
"Tron!" Beck called, "When does the training start?"
The veteran suddenly ramped over his son and landed on the other side.
"Now," Tron stated, giving a roguish smirk, "So try and keep up,"
They raced against each other, Beck tried to get Tron to stay behind him but the Monitor wasn't going to have any of it.
"Don't rely on your lightwall," Tron instructed, "Learn to control me without it!"
Immediately, the young Program deactivated the ribbon, shooting forwards.
"Dominate with momentum!" Tron added, "Anticipate!"
Beck swerved in front of Tron, keeping him under control until Tron shot forwards again.
"You mean like that?" Beck asked, feeling pretty good about himself.
"Eyes forward," Tron instructed.
The two shot out of the canyon and Tron rammed into his son as Beck performed a fancy move that would have gotten him killed if he was in a real chase.
"This isn't a game, Beck!" he snapped, shooting forwards as Beck gave a short growl of annoyance.
Tron looked ahead, noticing the canyon that was before him and he gave a grim smile, remembering an event that had happened eighteen years prior.
"Jump," he ordered.
"Jump!?" Beck demanded, racing forwards but pulling back as he saw the canyon, "We can't make that!"
Tron shook his head and accelerated, racing faster and faster towards the rift, he heard Beck reaccelerating behind him right as he spotted what he was looking for. A curved rock near the edge of the rift.
The Monitor veered towards the rock and ramped off it over the trench. The bike nearly flipped over mid-air but righted itself as the Monitor hit safely on the other side with a grunt as the air rushed out.
Beck gunned it and tried ramping over the trench by just driving off it…he made it about halfway before he had to abandon ship and jump. His hands scrabbled for handholds as his lightcycle tumbled into the gorge, transforming into its baton form halfway down. He managed to get his other arm across the edge when the rock crumbled under his fingers.
He almost joined his baton at the bottom of the canyon when he felt a strong hand grab his wrist.
"You know what you did wrong, Beck?" Tron asked, gripping his son's wrist.
"Yeah, I followed you!" Beck snarked, making Tron roll his eyes behind his mask.
"You hesitated," Tron stated, derezzing his helmet as he pulled his son up to safety, "I didn't,"
Beck sighed and walked over to a rock, sitting on it as Tron leaned on his own bike.
"How can I be the next Tron if I can't even keep up with the real one?" Beck demanded, "No one's going to believe I'm you. To them, I'm just a Renegade Program,"
"But you're so much more to me," Tron thought.
"You need to have faith in yourself," Tron told him.
"Easy for you to say," Beck retorted, "You were programmed to protect the Grid, I was programmed to tune up engines,"
"You're more than just a mechanic, Beck," Tron growled as Beck turned his head stubbornly, "You surpassed your programming, you stood up for what you believed in all on your own. The Uprising needs a hero like you,"
"What Uprising? It's just you and me out here!" Beck snapped, turning around.
"Aren't you the one who said others will follow?" Tron pointed out, "That the revolution will spread if we ignite the spark?"
"What, you're listening to me now!?" Beck snarled, eyes flicking blue and shocking Tron quite a bit, "I almost plunged into the bottom of a canyon…"
He cleared his throat.
"I don't think I'm cut out to inspire anyone," he finished, his eyes fading back to brown, "Sorry,"
"Beck!" Tron called.
"WHAT!?" Beck snarled, whipping around.
Tron hesitated, maybe it would be best if Beck stayed away…it would keep him safer at least. He wouldn't have his son derezzed because of his own mission.
"Your baton," he stated, shoving his sadness away, "You should probably get that,"
Beck gave a heavy sigh as he turned back towards the canyon.
"Right," he muttered and started climbing down.
Tron watched for a few moments before mounting his own lightcycle and looking mournfully at the rift where his son had just climbed down.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, "I just don't want you to get hurt. Stay safe my son,"
And he was gone.
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Beck shot towards Argon, his core strangely cold and sad after he had seen that Tron had disappeared. But, for the Monitor, it was rumored that he always slipped away like that, quietly and unnoticed.
But it didn't feel right to Beck, leaving Tron and his Uprising. Beck gripped the handlebars tightly, so tight that his knuckles turned white.
He couldn't lead a revolution. Sure the hand to hand combat training that the Monitor had given him…well, just a little bit of it…would come in handy, one of these cycles…and the tips on how to handle the lightcycle, Lightjet, and chute were neat…But Tron was wrong. He did the right thing in leaving…
"Then why do you feel so horrible about it?" came that little voice.
He shook it off right as a bright light flashed down on top of him.
"Halt, Program!" a sentry's growling voice ordered, "You're in violation of curfew!"
"This just gets better and better," Beck growled bitterly as he surged forwards, racing towards a barricade.
"Identify!" a sentry at the entry point ordered, but Beck ignored him, derezzing his bike and rolling to his feet, taking off, "Hostile Program detected,"
"Who me?" Beck thought sarcastically, as he dodged in between two crates, "I'm harmless,"
He snuck around, being careful not to be seen. Why did something like this always have to happen to him? He derezzed his helmet and continued on, dodging the gazes of the sentries as they passed.
Beck walked into the 12th sector and stopped to catch his breath when a light started sweeping his way. He panicked, looking behind him and grabbing the doors to the crate, forcing them open, and slipping inside. Shutting them right as a sentry walked by. Beck leaned on the door, panting as he listened.
Hearing the purring click-growl of the sentries, Beck turned around, deciding to stay in there for a little while…
And he froze at what he saw.
Programs, at least a dozen of them.
"Please tell me you're hiding too?" Beck pleaded right as the crate tilted alarmingly, making Beck almost lose his balance.
A dark skinned, dark eyed Program stood up and walked towards Beck, his hands cuffed in front of him.
"Congratulations, Program," he started, "You just made yourself a prisoner,"
"This is wrong…" another Program piped up, panicking slightly…alright, a lot, "I shouldn't be here! I didn't do anything! This is all because of that Renegade!"
The dark skinned Program shot him a look.
"The Renegade?" Beck whispered softly.
"Cool it, Rilo," the first Program ordered.
"Have you forgotten where they're taking us?" the second Program, Rilo, demanded, "Each one of us is going to end up derezzed! Have you ever seen anyone derezzed? It's disgusting!"
Beck winced. He had seen not only one, but two Programs derezzed…unless you count the two Black Guards that he took out with his lightcycle, then four.
"What's he talking about," Beck asked, getting off the subject, "Where're we going?"
The dark skinned Program walked to the slit in the container.
"There," he stated and Beck walked over, looking out…
And seeing the Coliseum.
He was going to the Games.
The Recognizer started its decent and it landed in front of the southern armory. The container lowered into the armory and the doors opened. The sentries forced them out of the container, shoving them into a line and the cuffs materialized over their feet to prevent them from running away.
"Congratulations, Programs," the Grid stated, "You have been selected for the Games,"
"If I don't survive that Renegade is to to blame," Rilo started.
"Rilo, I told you…" the dark skinned Program warned.
"That it's not his fault?" Rilo sneered, "The only reason we're here is because that Renegade remodeled Clu's statue!"
"A pretty good remodel if I do say so myself," Beck thought smugly.
"The next thing I know, they're picking me up for breaking curfew! I lost track of time! I shouldn't have to die for it!"
"We'll survive this," Beck reassured him, eyes flicking blue, "You're not going to die,"
The Sirens walked out in their clipped synonymous steps. Beck's eyes watched the one as she stepped in front of him, her blank, ice-blue gaze lighting on him.
"For your safety, you are being equipped with battle armor," the Grid announced and the Siren touched Beck on the chest, "Do not attempt to remove your armor,"
His circuits surged brightly and the Siren's eyes widened in surprised as she stepped back, Beck's armor flicking into a more armored form. Unlike the others around him, Beck's armor wasn't colored and transparent, instead, the lighter armor on his body seemed to thicken, the circuits lining his frame becoming thinner…and then a light blue, insubstantial armor flicked over his shoulders, making him look similar to his fellows.
Beck didn't notice, he was reeling from the light shudders running from the ground under his feet through his body.
"Pain. Hurts. Wrong, so wrong!"
"What hurts?" Beck wondered, "What's so wrong? What's going on?"
"Games, not harmless. Traitor. Hurt me, hurt his Creator, hurt my children, hurt my Soldier! Hurt his little one. Monitor, sorry, so sorry…"
He was so caught up in his listening that he didn't notice the Sirens moving away and the platform beginning to rise until it jolted. Beck turned his face towards the light, hearing the crowd's chanting…
A strange, almost joyous ache flickered in his chest…like he wanted to compete. Wanted to hear them chant his name…
He shook his head, he didn't belong here. He wasn't programmed to fight…
"Wrong," came the whispered, "You are a fighter, it's in your code, you can do it. You will do it,"
No, no, no!
"Not going to fight, I refuse," Beck repeated to himself, "I don't derezz Programs…"
"But they will have no problem derezzing you,"
They rose to the arena floor and the wild, feral excitement rose in his chest again as the Black Guards appeared on their own separate platform, flipping and performing complex moves.
"All combatants prepare for team battle."
"Unnecessary," he thought, remembering the graceful moves of his old mentor that were precise and quick.
He thought about the shattering of orange and red voxels under his Disk…but he shut it down. Where was he getting these ideas!?
"Difficulty level: Extreme."
"So you still think we're gonna survive?" Rilo asked, turning his gaze to Beck.
Beck's eyes flashed, narrowing into dark steely blue and iron brown slits.
"In the name of our great leader, Clu," Tesler's voice boomed, "Let the Games begin!"
"Here they come," Beck started, his feet unconsciously settling into a ready position, drawing his Disk as the Black Guards did the same.
"We're dead…" Rilo whispered.
"Stick with me, Rilo," Beck said gently, watching carefully as the crowd's cheering roared in his ears.
"Disk War! De-rezz!" they shrieked…and the world melted into a blur, the arena changing into something older, a single opponent standing before him instead of a team.
And the crowd was screaming.
"Rin-zler! Rin-zler! De-rezz!"
Beck froze and the world sped back up, the arena shifted to normal, one opponent became five.
Rinzler? But…wasn't that Clu's Enforcer that died long ago? The Enforcer was dead…
Wasn't he?
"Resist!" a Program yelled, making Beck snap out of it as two Black Guards landed on his and Rilo's platform.
"Player Six: Deleted," the Grid announced as a shudder ran up Beck's form.
The Child Basic whirled around, dodging the Black Guard's Disk as it slashed at him. He leaped upwards, body twisting so that he landed on the platform easily before pushing off again and slamming the side of his foot into the back of the Black Guard's neck.
"Hey! That was good!" Rilo commented as Beck landed back on the platform.
"We're going to make it," Beck said with a faint smile…right as two more Guards jumped onto their platform.
"More?!" Rilo groaned, "Do they ever end?"
Beck ignored him, Disk blazing as he charged forwards, eyes flashing brilliant steel blue threaded with a deadly amber.
He noticed dimly as Rilo dodged his opponent and derezzed him with a fearful yet deadly jab, making another shudder shake the young Program to the core.
"Black Guard: Deleted. Advantage: Challenger."
Beck ignored it, the crowd's roar had built up in his ears and a low, thrumming purr started up in his throat but he didn't notice.
The Black Guard, hearing stories of the feared Enforcer and hearing of who exactly that Enforcer was…did notice. And what frightened him the most was the diamond hard, steel blue eyes that flashed angrily in his opponent's face.
It was the last thing he saw that cycle as Beck decked him in the face.
Beck turned around just in time to see Rilo striding confidently towards him…and a Black Guard leaping cat-like up to their level, Disk activated and slashing down…
"RILO!" Beck yelled, moving forwards…
Right as the Disk slashed through Rilo's shoulder, causing the poor Program to burst into thousands of sapphire pixels.
"Player Eleven: Deleted."
"NO!" Beck screamed as the very Grid seemed to shake in front of him.
He didn't even see the Black Guard's Disk slashing through the air towards him…
"Get down!" the dark-skinned Program yelled, pushing Beck out of the way of the Disk.
Beck looked up as the Black Guard caught his Disk.
"I couldn't save Rilo," Beck apologized, "He's gone,"
"But we're not," the dark skinned Program told him, ducking as the Black Guard hurled his Disk at them again, "And neither are they,"
"Then let's level the playing field," Beck growled as he and his newfound friend rushed the Guards.
Beck rushed towards the edge of the platform, his legs coiling and pushing upwards, launching him towards the upper platform as he slashed at his opponent. The platform started to tilt, any normal Program would have fallen as it tilted but if they could hold on until it turned completely upside down they would have been fine…
Unless the Program was a Monitor or had a Monitor's coding in them.
And Beck was handling himself better than any normal Program.
The Black Guard was having a hard time keeping up with the quick strikes and slashes, he didn't even feel it as Beck hooked his leg around the Black Guards and knocked it out from under him before twisting around and kicking him to the lower level to where the dark skinned Program and his opponent dueled. Beck launched himself off the platform and descended like some avenging, steely-eyed angel, slamming his feet down onto the remaining Black Guard's…pixels.
Beck shot the dark-skinned Program a look.
"I had him you know," he stated.
"Sure you did," the other Program chuckled.
"Advantage: Challenger."
Beck settled into ready position as he scouted for new victims…and the bell sounded. A bittersweet sensation swept through him, part of him saddened that his adrenaline rush was being taken away, part of him glad because he was going to get out of this place.
"Due to technical difficulties, this round will conclude early," an oily voice that Beck did not like announced.
The Black Guards deactivated their Disks and grabbed Beck and the second Program by the arms, frog marching them to a prison cell.
They locked the two's Disks to their Backs and left them there without a word.
"You did pretty good out there," the other Program nodded, "Name's Cutler,"
"I'm Beck," Beck said, shaking his fellow prisoner's hand.
"These are your accommodations, Programs," a sentry stated, shoving two new Programs into a cell.
"We have new teammates to break in," Cutler sighed sadly.
"You mean more Programs to get derezzed," Beck replied miserably, still upset about Rilo.
"Don't tell me you've given up!" Cutler demanded, "We could use you out there, you're not a bad fighter,"
"Yeah, tell that to Rilo," Beck snapped bitterly, "I wasn't Programmed for this…I'm just a mechanic,"
"So it's like that huh? No hope?" Cutler asked, "I felt that way once, after we lost the ISO war…"
"You fought in the ISO war?" Beck asked.
"That's right," Cutler nodded, tapping his arm band and the hexagon on it elongated to show the male ISO symbol…
Beck had seen that mark before, but the memory was fractured, like a lot of his were before he met Able. Icy, mischievous blue eyes were the image that he snatched at but ultimately lost.
"Most of my friends fell fighting Clu and his forces," Cutler added, "I started to despair…until the Renegade showed up,"
"The Renegade?" Beck asked, hiding his surprise, "Isn't all this all his fault?"
"I don't think so," Cutler said, sitting on the other side of the cell, "If he's willing to risk his life to fight back, then I wanna be right there fighting beside him. That's why I came to Argon…to join him. But there's more…I know who the Renegade really is…"
Beck watched Cutler's face carefully, but the Program didn't show any hint of his emotions.
"Who?" Beck asked.
"We both know," Cutler replied, looking right at Beck, causing the Child Basic's code to freeze, "He's the one Program who can save us all. Whose name alone inspires hope…"
Cutler held up his hand, pointing his index, middle, and ring fingers of one hand and the index of his other hand at Beck, his right hand on top of the other…forming an abstract tetramino.
"He's Tron,"
Beck sat back against the cell.
"Tron," he whispered.
The old Monitor had been right and Beck had been wrong…so very WRONG! He wasn't alone out there…there were others trying to join…they just needed that little glimmer of hope…
"Why didn't I listen to him?" Beck thought in despair.
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Later, Cutler, Beck, and a few other prisoners were making their way towards the Coliseum once again. Beck shuddered at the thought. The wild joy and feral instinct inside that Arena had terrified him and he didn't want to feel that again.
He looked around…he had to get himself and Cutler out of here…
The sudden movement of a crane lifting the pipes to continue building the unfinished Coliseum caught his eye…and a wild, insanely crazy idea formed. He leaned over to Cutler's ear.
"Tell the Program in front of you that Tron lives," he hissed.
"What?" Cutler hissed back.
"Just do it," Beck ordered.
Cutler gave a small shake of his head, but did it in any case.
The whispered message traveled all the way up to the front of the line until…
"Tron lives? Who told you that?" the lead Program asked.
The Sentry whipped around, pointing the end of his staff under the Program's chin.
"What was that?" he demanded, "Did you say 'Tron lives'? Talk like that is sedition! Who said it!?"
The other two sentries made their way towards the front of the line and Beck nudged Cutler's shoulder.
"Now's our chance," he whispered.
And they bolted.
The two ducked behind a control panel and Beck turned around, plugging the recoder into the metal, tapping on the transparent code and ordering the lift to move the last stack of pipes before taking out the recoder.
"Let's go," he ordered, running towards the pipes and jumping upwards, latching onto the metal as Cutler did the same beside him.
They hauled themselves to the top of the pile, looking for a good place to jump off at. Cutler was the first to spot it, he pointed at a ledge and they both jumped for it, hitting the floor with minimal noise. They made sure the other was ok before running on, coming to the unfinished section and swinging down from bar to bar like a pair of trapeze artists before landing lightly on the ground. Beck saw the exit and gave a slight smile as he and Cutler both got up.
"Almost free!" Beck grinned, "Oh, wait until Tron sees this!"
And that's when a bunch of Black Guards surrounded them. Along with…
"Oh, not you again," Beck growled under his breath as Paige derezzed her helmet.
"Why am I not surprised?" she asked, walking forwards as two Guards pressed their Disks into the two Programs' necks, "So…You two want to be a team?"
There was a clanking sound and Beck looked down to see Cutler's wrist shackled to his own.
"Then be a team," she finished, stepping away.
"I've got a bad feeling about this…" Beck thought to himself.
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Beck and Cutler both grunted as they were thrown to the floor of the Arena.
"I suppose it could be worse…" Cutler started…
Right as three lightcycles zipped by them.
"It's worse," Beck confirmed as the both of them stood up.
"Initiate: Lightcycle Challenge."
"Three of them, two of us…those odds aren't so bad…" Beck said hopefully.
"But they got bikes," Cutler pointed out as said bikes shot towards them.
Both Programs tried to dodge, but were hampered by their shackles. Cutler pulled Beck one way, but Beck yanked Cutler towards him just as the lightcycles zipped past.
Beck grabbed his Disk, the smooth circle humming dangerously in his hand. He tried to cut his wrist free but Cutler yanked him backwards, hurling his own Disk at the Guard rushing towards them. The Disk ricocheted off the bike and zipped back towards them. Beck was spun around and nearly got decapitated by Cutler's Disk. He ducked as the Disk flew into Cutler's hand.
"Watch it!" Beck yelped, straightening.
Cutler shrugged.
"Sorry,"
The bikes splintered off of their formation, one of them racing towards the bound Programs…and Beck had an idea.
"Do you trust me?" he asked.
"Do I have a choice?!" Cutler demanded.
"When I give the word…pull as hard as you can," Beck ordered.
He waited for a few more nanos, allowing the bike to get too close to turn away…
"NOW!" Beck yelled, yanking his end of the chain towards him as Cutler did the same.
The bike rammed into their line and yanked them off their feet, dragging them with it. The two managed to right themselves and yanked the Guard off his bike, forcing the bike to return to its baton form.
"Rider Two: Down."
"C'mon!" Beck called, running forwards, watching the second bike zip up the ramp.
The bike shot upwards, its light ribbon blazing brightly behind it, and Beck and Cutler slid to the ground, bringing their chain right under the light ribbon…and severing their bond.
The two stood, freed, and grinned at each other.
Cutler pulled out his Disk and hurled it at the rider once again, but it deflected off the bike, like the first time. Beck didn't pay much attention after Cutler lassoed the rider and arced up into the air, grabbing his Disk and landing on the bike. He was too focused on reaching the fallen baton that had once belonged to the first rider.
He scooped it up and rezzed the bike right as the final rider nearly crushed him, shooting off and circling around.
"Now this is more like it," he grinned, felling a more right joy as he shot towards the rider.
It wasn't wild…more reserved and…pure. Not at all like the joy he felt in the Disk Wars.
"Rider One: Deleted. Advantage: Challenger."
Ah, so Cutler did his job…now it was Beck's turn. The Child Basic came up alongside his opponent. The Black Guard struck at him, but Beck didn't fall. Beck kicked him away, giving the Guard just a little of a lead. The younger Program pulled out the recoder, sidling up to the Black Guard again.
"I bet you didn't know I'm a mechanic," Beck started, plugging in the recoder and messing with the bike's code, "A pretty good one too,"
He gave a smirk as he pulled away…letting the Guard's bike derezz underneath him and sending tumbling to the ground.
Beck stopped next to Cutler and they both lifted their formerly shackled hands.
"Challengers: Victorious."
"They like us," Beck stated.
"They like us because we won," Cutler reminded him.
"True,"
01010100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01010010 01100101 01101110 01100101 01100111 01100001 01100100 01100101
"General Tesler was quite impressed with your performance," a commander that Beck now knew to be Pavel, and the owner of that horrible oily voice that he couldn't stand, started, "We rarely get to see such delicious competition,"
Beck's eyes narrowed. Yeah…he didn't like Pavel.
At all.
"To thank you," Pavel added, "General Tesler's arranged a…reward,"
"He can keep his stupid reward," Beck thought angrily as the platform stopped, "I just want out,"
"Greetings Programs!" Pavel announced to the crowd, "Behold this momentous occasion! For not only do you get to share the privilege of seeing two highly skilled combatants battle for survival…but now you can watch as merciful General Tesler allows them to compete for the greatest prize of all…freedom,"
Beck's core leaped at the word. He could get back to Tron and to his friends…and take Cutler with him if they won!
"The winner of the next round will be released!" Pavel finished.
Both Beck and Cutler took of their Disks almost eagerly. Both of them could taste the freedom that was within their grasp.
"Who are we fighting?" Beck asked.
Pavel turned around, his cold, dead, watery grey eyes lit with malice.
"Why…each other of course!" he smirked, bowing out, "And to the death!"
So next up will be The Renegade Part Two and who knows...maybe just a little glimpse of what's going on back 'Home'?
Anyway, I hope you liked it, if you did, please let me know!
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.