Tron returned to the Outlands. His hybrid cycle turned into the traditional light bike upon returning to the cave's formatted ground. He attached the baton to his leg and proceeded to the elevator.

How could this have happened...

He pressed the buttons on the elevator when he was inside. He felt himself grow heavier for a brief second as the elevator started to go upward. His head was hung in defeat. Not even the great Tron could stand tall with this loss.

As the elevator reached its only other destination, Tron hesitated in the small compartment. What would he tell the others? What could he tell the others? How would it affect their motivation? They followed him not Tron.

His friends should at least know... They deserve that much...

Tron entered the main room that looked over Argon. Everyone was still asleep in the Training room. Tron sighed as he figured now would probably be the best time.

He walked around the make shift beds with expert silence. His training was second nature to him and he didn't have to try to stay silent. More times than not he would unintentionally sneak up on someone and startle them.

He found Zed and Mara's beds next to each other. He gently pushed Mara so that she would wake.

"Not now, just a few more minutes," her tone implied that this statement was more of a automatic response.

"Mara I need you to wake up," Tron asked with his voice disruptor active. Mara's eyes shot up in immediate recognition. She saw Tron's daunting mask but before she could scream in fear he put a hand over her mouth. He put a finger up to his lips to signal for her to be silent.

"Wake your friend up, I have some rather... unfortunate news," Mara's expression softened to a more concern look after hearing Tron's reason for waking her up.

Mara followed Tron's directions and proceeded to wake Zed up.

"Zed... Zed wake up. We need to talk," Zed seemed to follow in Mara's example and brushed off the first attempt being woken up.

"Later..."

"Program, we need to talk," Tron said on his other side. Again, his voice seemed to have gotten through to the resting program.

"Yes sir," Zed said a little louder than to the dark program's liking. Mara seemed to catch on and did her best to keep him quiet before he woke up the other programs.

The trio looked around to see a couple of the program stirring but none seemed to officially wake. The three proceeded into the main overlook room. Tron walked over to the window and peered over the city he has come to call his own. He let out a sigh as he felt the pain and burden of Beck's death come to his mind.

"Sir?" Zed's enthusiasm was long gone, now replaced with a partial yawn. Mara, still with energy, elbowed him in the side.

"I'm sorry, it's... just I wish he was here to tell you himself,"

"Tell us what, sir?"

"Your friend Beck, he's the Renegade," there was a small pause before the two sleep fogged minds figured out what Tron was saying.

"What?!" They both exclaimed.

"Where is he?" They both said, this time with different tones. Zed was clearly angry while Mara seemed the opposite.

"He's... Gone,"

"Gone?"

Tron proceeded to tell them of the events of last cycle. It wasn't the first time Tron had to tell another Program about the death of a close Program, nor would it be the last. He'd become used it, willingly accepting that he'd no longer see Programs he became close to.

Mara fell to her knees when she realized that the Commander had Beck's disc, while Zed froze during the whole telling of the tale.

"I'm... I'm sorry for all of this, it's my fault, I should have known he wasn't ready to face Clu's army," Tron's voice was weak but still strong enough to be heard over his voice disruptor.

"This wasn't your fault, it was her fault!" Mara growled, her anger fighting to gain control.

"Paige didn't know it was Beck,"

"But it was still her who killed him! And it was Tesler's commands under Clu's orders! I'll kill them all!" Mara let her anger win the control for domination.

"Mara!" Zed exclaimed.

"What Zed!"

"Do you think Beck would have wanted this? He never killed any Programs! He wanted to save them!"

"Yeah? What about those Programs he killed a few cycles ago!"

"Mara, Zed, I haven't told you everything about my Renegades," both Zed and Mara looked up at Tron in bewilderment.

"You have more than one?"

"No... Beck is the one true Renegade but that doesn't mean he's the first one to take on the identity of Tron,"

"Who was your first?" Zed asked as he comforted Mara's rage.

"A Program named Cyrus," both young Programs held an expression of horror.

"So he murdered those Programs?" Mara anger was once again kindled.

"Beck would never derezz a Program... He's stopped me more than once from executing one Program that was very close to Clu,"

"When did he start? Or I guess when did you recruit him?" Zed continued on.

"I believe it was the same cycle that your friend Bodhi was killed,"

"So HE blew that statue up?" Mara's anger was finally receding.

The two took Tron's silence as a yes.

"Well that explains where he goes and why he's rarely at work,"

"He trusted the two of you, but he didn't trust the Occupation, he would have wanted you to know that too,"

"What do you mean?" Mara asked.

"That was his reasoning for not telling you," the group of Programs stayed silent for a while. All processing the emotions.

"Who are you then?"

"I'm..." Tron collapsed his helmet to reveal his face. "The real Tron," he took his disc and flipped it so the light side was on top and placed it back on his dock. His suit changed back to its white form and his symbolic tetra shaped T formed.

"I knew you were alive!"

"Yes, I'm still alive but you can't let the others know, Beck trusted you and I trusted Beck so I'm telling you, but no one else is to know, understood?"

"Yes, sir!" The Programs responded with enthusiasm.

"Now, I think we still have a few millicycles before anyone wakes up, we should all get some rest, we have a long cycle ahead of us," Tron said with a defeated tone.

The cycle was only just beginning and Paige was curled up in a ball in her apartment. She covered herself in her long drape and covered her face with her helmet hoping no one would bother her. She had slowly found her way back to her government issued apartment in Argon. It wasn't anything special but it was a step up from a typical Program's price range. In her dark and clouded state the ex-commander didn't noticed or could have cared less about the attendants beyond the counter eyeing her suspiciously. She mindlessly refilled herself on a few glass full of energy before finding her way to her couch and curling up in her cloak. The lights of the city were dimly lit behind her through her pulled curtains causing the curtains to have a battle of blue and orange glow against it. Again, she let her mind glaze over as she ceased to think.

She woke to the large jet thrusters of Recognizers flying by. Looking at the clock that hung on the wall nearby to see that it was already late into the cycle, curfew would be starting soon. Forcing herself up, the ex-commander stumbled her way into her kitchen and began refilling her energy automatically. She looked back onto the couch and stared at Beck's disc wondering what his life was before the Occupation came to Argon.

The Occupation… Paige reveled to herself before realizing something. She looked down at herself to see that she was still using the orange circuits of a soldier. Without second thought, she took her disc from her back and proceeded to put her regular circuits on. Her orange lines faded and were replaced with white lines that followed a very similar pattern to her soldier's uniform. But it wasn't enough.

I still feel like a soldier…

Another idea sprung to her mind. Once again she fiddled with her disc until her white circuits disappeared and a bold green encased her body. On each of her shoulders were two short horizontal lines that were under one single long vertical one, the insignia of a medic. Paige let out a sigh as she felt a burden she didn't realize she had disappear. Her red personal circuits were gone as well, which she was glad to have hidden, she used to think it went well with the orange of her soldier uniform, made her closer to 'perfection'.

She felt reinvigorated to have her old code running through her circuits. No longer a soldier of "perfection" but a soldier of healing. The green illuminated the couch she was sitting on and changing the colors of the circuits on the sofa from orange to green. Slowly purifying the room, Paige's medic green claimed control over the orange disease. Paige looked around her apartment to see green hues and shades filling every corner of the room. She felt secure, safe against the Occupation's lies and corruption.

Paige ignited her disc to see it's green fiery spinning madly around the edge of her disc, power surged through out her body and her core at the sight. She looked out to see Recognizers flying around with a video playing between their enormous legs. She instantly turn her attention away from it and looked towards her disc, fascinated by it, empowering herself with its color and strength.

After getting lost in the green of her disc, the medic laid down on her couch and put her disc back on her dock. She lifted Beck disc up and ignited it, staring in the white spinning blades.

All of his life is stored in here… the green clad Program thought mindlessly, turning the off the disc and lying it on her stomach.

What do I do now…

More Recognizers were flying over, causing the skyscraper to rattle. Paige got up from her sofa and looked out to see what the commotion was about. The mass of Recognizers and ships in the sky tinted Argon with their corrupted orange glow. Below, Programs could be seen walking towards the Argon Square. Trying to figure out what was going on, the doctor focused on the banners and floating Recognizer.

'Perfect has arrived! All hail Clu!' was what the messages read out.

Not wanting to see any more propaganda, Paige fell to her couch once more, allowing a irritated sigh leave her lungs.

Corruption has arrived. All hail Lies. Paige thought bitterly. She placed Beck's disc on the table and opened up his appearance panel. She starred at the hologram of Beck's face as it was projected from his disc. With the last image and thought being of Beck, her puffy eyes drifted close and sleep washed over Paige.

Beck…

The overview of Argon from the mountains looked beautiful. The blue and orange glow of city and Occupation lights clashing with other seemed so comforting to Tron. The blue and orange war. The blue was peaceful and calming, simply working and enjoying life. But the orange invaded and started consuming the blue, turning it, poisoning it. What the orange didn't have control over was destroyed and the blue was eliminated, never to be seen again.

Tron squeezed his fist tighter, as if he was trying to join his fingers with his palm.

Clu… Tron seethed. His mind swirling with hatred of his former ally.

This was all your fault!

While from a distance Argon appears to be purely blue, the city housed Programs of all different colors. Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, Pink, White, and even Orange, a rare circuit line to have. Argon had its faults, nothing is perfect. There was crime, discrimination, fights, gangs, theft… murder, a sad but unstoppable event.

Would it be any different if Clu hadn't shown up? Would Beck still be dead?

Tron looked down to his fists and relaxed them to open, allowing his anger to subside.

No, i'm the one who caused this. I should have known that this was a fight for me alone. Maybe I can't even do this… I needed a User's help last time, how is this any different?

Tron let out a large sigh and returned to staring blankly at Argon. The door at the other side of the room opened letting a still heart torn Mara walk into the room. Her careful footsteps alerted Tron that she was on her way to him. His head shook slightly knowing he was in no mood to talk while he sulked.

"Tron…"

"Mara, what are you doing here?" the savior of the Grid asked weakly, lowering his helmet in the process.

"I- I wanted to see if you wanted to talk. Zed is… well he's taking it as how I'd expect him to take things, the same way he did with Bodhi," Mara explained. Tron looked to her.

"He's not angry?" Tron continued to talk in a voice that seemed impossible for legendary Program.

"No. I think deep down he knew the Renegade was right and he liked him too," Mara scoffed lightly at the end of her statement.

"That's… good," Tron went back to starring out at Argon.

"Tron, I know you've been through a lot, but if you want to talk I'm here you know," Mara gently offered, her voice soothing his nerves slightly.

"Thanks, Mara, but I don't do-"

"Talking? Being open? You're acting like him after we lost Bodhi," Mara avoided Beck's name, figuring it would be best for the both of them.

"I've seen hundreds of Programs derezzed, some of them being my best friends, one I almost came to love, but I never talked to anyone about them," Tron's voice was gritty as he talked simply of his past.

"Not even Flynn?"

"Flynn had his own loses to deal with…"

"User's can lose people?"

"You'd be surprised how close Users and Programs are, Mara,"

"Who'd he lose?"

"His wife,"

"What's that?"

"Not what, who. I had trouble understanding it at first but after a while I figured it out for myself,"

Mara stayed silent as she waited for Tron to continue.

"A wife and husband are two Users who decide to devote their lives and loves to each other and live the rest of their cycles together," Tron softly stated, as if the statement itself needed to be said with care for it not to be broken.

"That sounds very romantic and sweet!" Mara exclaimed with joy.

"Flynn wasn't much for talk either, he would rather immerse himself in his work than talk about his problems,"

"Still you're… you know it's not your fault right?" Mara blurted out. Tron looked back to Mara with wide eyes. She took a moment to gather her thoughts before speaking again.

"I blamed myself for Bodhi's death, I think we all did. So I know you're probably doing the same. And I know how hard it feels, how painful it is to tell yourself it's your fault but it's not!" Mara took two easily steps and wrapped her arms around the unsuspecting Tron.

"I know you've been through a lot, a lot more than any of us but you don't have to be alone this time," Mara said softly, her voice once again comforting Tron with tender rapture. Tron wrapped his right arm around Mara and brought her slightly closer, returning her embrace.

"Thank you Mara," Tron murmured softly.

"Programs! I have some bad news to tell you all," Tron announced to the Programs in the training room.

Efficiently, all the Programs stopped what they were doing and circled Tron.

Link was doing exercises and was letting off some steam. Ever since he stood up with the others against Pavel and his guards he felt strong, on the inside. He felt his new found courage should be accompanied with a body that could do his courage justice. As painful as it was for the past couple of cycles, he would use the hologram room to make weights and walls for him to practice on.

Bartik was still Hopper's best and probably only friend and still hadn't branched out to the other Programs of Able's garage. He and Hopper still stuck to themselves but they weren't hostile towards the other mechanics, just unsure. When Tron called them all, the duo were watching Dash getting his bits kicked as Mara and a few others played a card game.

"Programs… I feel it's time I tell you that we've lost someone crucial to the Uprising," Tron started, his voice indistinguishable through the voice modifier.

"The same Program who started the Uprising, the same Program who saved you from Tesler's grasp, the same Program who fought for freedom and against this notion of 'Perfection'," Tron paused for a moment as the mechanics started to understand who he was talking about.

"The Renegade has been derezzed," Zed wrapped an arm around Mara and turned her toward the elevator to escape the news they already knew. The mechanics started to shout, protest in disbelief, and cry out in shock as the loss of their leader was announced.

"How can he be derezzed? We haven't even gotten to bring the fight to Tesler yet!"

"How! He's the Renegade!"

"He can't be dead! He saved me from The Games!"

"SILENCE!" Tron commanded over the crowd. The mechanics complied instantly.

"The Renegade may be gone, but his dream isn't and neither are we! Look around you! We have each other still! We are not alone!" The Uprising looked to it's fellow programs.

"The Renegade was alone most of the time he was out there. He didn't have a friend to call when he was in trouble or when he was out of his depth. I was too injured for the time you knew him for me too come and help him. Now, you are the Renegade and you are not alone! I am here! You have your friends!" Murmuring was stirring in the audience.

"Don't let the Renegade's death deter you, let it motivate you! The loss of his friend is what motivated him to defy Clu and the Occupation!" A couple of Programs yelled in approval.

"Out there is our home! Out there is our freedom! We can't let Clu stop us from living our lives. Our Defiance is going to tell him that we are a threat to be reckoned with!" More Programs started to cheer in agreement.

"The Renegade may have started the Uprising, but I,you, all of us are starting the Defiance! This is our stand!" Most of the Programs were pumping their fists if not shouting in approval.

"We are Defiance!" Tron shouted once more for effect. The Programs cheered as loud as they could causing the glass of the observation deck to rattle.

"We fight for the Users! For the Programs! For Freedom!" Once more the mechanics shouted their agreement.

Tron let the crowd cheer and roar as he waited for them to quiet down.

"What do we do first?" Bartik asked, his face and body clearly excited from the shouting and motivation speech.

"First, we train, as much as we need to act now, without the Renegade we don't have the forces to take action against Clu," Tron answered. That statement seemed to deter some of the Programs.

"I'll go first," a voice from the back called. The crowd separated and turned toward the source.

The blue hair mechanic stood tall and proud against her peers. Tron starred Mara down.

"Are you sure? If anything, you were the closest to the Renegade, don't you need time to grieve?" Tron asked figuring that Mara and Zed knowing who the Renegade was would have been more than enough for the two to need time to grieve.

"No! Like you said, we shouldn't sit back and grieve for our losses but fight and live for those who have passed!" Mara shot back. As seen before, Mara's forwardness to take things head on and lead sucked others to follow in her footsteps. She was a natural leader.

"Then let's get started," Tron said pulling out his disc as the room around them shifted and changed into the square in Argon.

AN: Everything afterwards is basically unwritten (typed). So it'll be random when I continue this story. I won't go on hiatus or leave for a year, maybe a month at the most to get what I want down. Hope everyone is enjoying the story (besides the previous chapter…) you don't have to review or anything I just want people to read this, get the crazy idea I have distracting me at all times of the day out for the world to see.

-Rose's Requiem