Cypher sighed as he realized someone stole his light grenades. The others didn't notice, or seem to care. He was glad they wouldn't blame him…yet. General Tesler wouldn't be happy to know one of CLU's own Black Guards slipped up on his watch.
"Come on, we need to check that out. Could be the Renegade," Tela stated.
Pref led the group of them through the doors of the light rail. He held his staff ready. Cypher held his baton hilt for his light sword, but didn't activate it yet. The programs aboard the light rail would panic if they saw a glowing red blade swaying through the aisles.
Cypher watched the programs cower as they marched through the center aisle. They were terrified. He felt bad for them. They were already worried at the sound of the explosion.
"I bet it's the Renegade," Pref spat.
"Don't get your hopes up," Tela laughed.
"General Tesler would be pleased if we stopped him."
Cypher didn't say anything. He kept his eyes focused on the end of each section they entered in the light rail. Soon the four reached the back of the light rail. The back end was completely gone. The data was cracked and bits were crumbling from the gaping hole.
"He must be on the top of light rail!" Pref shouted to the others.
Instinctively, all four of them grabbed onto the top of the cart through the open hole. Cypher scrambled up as the data started to crumble faster with their collective grips. Cypher rolled onto the roof. He braced himself. The light rail was moving swiftly through the grid.
"There!" Tela yelled. In the distance, Cypher saw a figure already heading towards the front of the light rail.
"Is it him?!" Pref shouted.
Cypher couldn't tell. They hadn't ever seen the Renegade, but he or she was described as a program in a white suit. The figure was too far ahead to see.
"We need to go after him!"
Pref was convinced the Renegade was a male program. He burst into a sprint after the figure. The other three followed. Cypher was falling behind the others.
"Keep up, Cypher!" Pref shouted back.
Cypher just sighed under his breath. He withdrew his baton and let the energy blade come out. The red blade lit up the area around him as he sprinted to catch up to Pref. Cypher and Pref were now leading the four of them. He was determined to be the first to the criminal.
He eventually pressed ahead of the other three. He was getting tired of Pref's condescending attitude. He was as good of a Black Guard as any of the others. It wasn't long before Cypher could see the criminal. It was a program in white.
Cypher held his light sword ready. If it truly was the Renegade, he had to reach him first. He wasn't quite sure what he was going to do when he reached the program.
Suddenly, Cypher saw an identity disc coming towards him. He quickly rolled in the air to the side. The disc whizzed by his body and came back to the program's hand.
"Looking for me?" the program said.
Cypher got a better look at the program. It was the Renegade. The Tron symbol light up on his chest. His circuitry glowed bright white.
"You stole my light grenades," Cypher replied.
The Renegade threw his disc once more, but it passed Cypher. Cypher looked back and noticed it cut the ties to the other carts on the light rail.
"Cypher!" he heard Pref yell. The distance between the rails was already too long to jump or glide.
Cypher looked back at the Renegade. "You were more eager to reach me, why?"
"I…I actually don't know," Cypher replied honestly.
"You are a Black Guard right? Thought you'd be more difficult than this."
Cypher tightened his grip on his baton. "I just want all this to end."
The Renegade hesitated. He lowered his identity disc. "A Black Guard renegade?"
"I've done nothing to title myself that. Why are you attacking this light rail?"
"I saw some of CLU's men on board. Figured I'd stop you from reaching Argon…at least temporarily. You should watch your belongings more closely."
Cypher didn't reply.
"So you were forced to do CLU's bidding, as most of the Sentries and Black Guards were. You follow his orders to avoid being derezzed."
Cypher nodded. Most were willing to comply; some were not but only did it to save their own lives. Cypher didn't want to be derezzed, but also didn't want to follow CLU. The Grid had become more complicated after the events of CLU taking over. Flynn's disappearance was the worst thing that could happen. First Flynn, then Tron.
"Are you Tron?" Cypher asked.
The Renegade just chuckled. "We have to put on a show, for your friends over there. Or they'll derez you themselves."
Cypher looked back. He could still see them. Their carts were still traveling the light rail, but not as fast. He turned back to see the Renegade's disc flying at his face. Cypher tried to lean back to avoid it, but the disc caught his visor. He stood back up straight.
"You do have faces then," the Renegade chuckled as he saw part of Cypher's.
Cypher felt strange. His face had always been hidden from other programs. Black Guards never took off their helmets. The feeling wore off as he saw the Renegade running at him with his disc. Cypher swung his sword at the oncoming attack. The Renegade easily dodged it and almost landed his disc into Cypher.
"I hope you see the things I do as good," he told Cypher.
Cypher looked into the helmet the Renegade wore. "I'll always believe in Tron," Cypher muttered back. The Grid needed order restored that wasn't under CLU. The Renegade nodded quickly and suddenly jumped off the light rail. Cypher hadn't even realized they had made it to Argon City.
"Remember that feeling, Black Guard," the Renegade shouted as he disappeared among the many programs scrambling to get off the light rail.
"It's Cypher!" he shouted back. He wasn't sure he'd ever see the Renegade again, but he felt it was good that it was him who found the Renegade. The disconnecting light rail carts caught up. Cypher didn't see the others, so he assumed they were back on board. He could already feel Pref's voice yelling at him. Even worse, General Tesler's for letting the Renegade escape.
Cypher wasn't sure how he felt after hearing the Renegade's words. He had never said his feelings out loud. He didn't want to imagine what would come if a program heard a Black Guard say it.
With a quick sigh, Cypher looked to his light sword. For a brief second, the circuitry color on Cypher's light sword was white.
