Paige has picked a terrible time to join the uprising.
She could have derezzed Tesler at any point during the occupation of Argon, but instead she's waited until Clu, Dyson and Rinzler are just down the hall. Beck can't complain too much, though; Tesler was going to drive a disc through his chest before Paige intervened.
He makes a whirring sound as she slings his arm over her shoulders hoists him to his feet. Beck is damaged and overheating, he can't process straight, and Paige is trembling a little but wow she's strong. He grits his teeth against a wave of pain as they take a step forward.
"Why?" He asks. It's not the kind of question a program who wants to stay rezzed should ask his captor-turned-benefactor, but that doesn't stop him.
"Try to walk," Paige instructs. "We can't stay here."
We. There's a we now. Could there be a worse time for there to be a we?
"Paige-"
"Save your energy."
Beck complies. He goes silent, continues to take halting steps, and tries to think of someplace they could run. The entire city is occupied now- more than it ever was before. Clu's brought an armada to Argon; there are soldiers on every street. Besides, if they run for the garage, they'll lead the occupation there. That's not an option. And the outlands used to be safe-
Beck's vision flickers.
They've stopped moving. Paige is frozen. Something in front of them is wrong.
There's a window overlooking Argon, with a clear view of the city burning beneath them. Everything is consumed by blue fire. It isn't so different from the city's usual glow; just a little more intense. The ship is so high up that the scene below them is silent. Beck can't tell if there are programs in the streets or if they're empty. For some reason he's struck by the thought that there must be occupation soldiers down there too. Did Clu even bother to pull his own programs out of the city before destroying it? Or is everyone dispensable?
"No."
Beck thinks that Paige said that, but he isn't sure. He thinks he might be in shock.
He slips from her grasp, and his position is too awkward for her to correct. She can only soften their impact as they slide to the ground.
They lean against the wall beneath the window, lean against each other. Try to breathe.
None of this is real. This can't be happening.
Paige is laughing.
Folded in on herself, digging her palms into her eyes. She's shaking with the least happy sound Beck has ever heard. She sobers a little when she meets his eyes, but still wears a sardonic smile.
"All I ever wanted was to change the Grid for the better," she says. "When I was younger- my friends were murdered. Senselessly. I never wanted innocent programs to die like that again."
She closes her eyes, but she can still see the flames. She can still feel Beck beside her, trying not to derez.
"Look what I helped them do."