AN: This chapter was in my head and really wanted to get out, but I doubt the next updates will come so quickly. This is the first time I'm writing in a foreign language and it's not easy, I hope you'll be patient!

I know there's an established system regarding time in the Grid, but I feel that more often than not, having to make the conversion diverts attention from the story. Hence why I'm going to use our good old minutes and hours. Days will be cycles.

Last remark, the horizontal lines show a change of POV. We're good to go, have a nice read!

When the mechanics ignited their disks, Pavel and his goons started to walk backwards... then turned their backs on the rebels and ran to their recognizer, which promptly took off. Mara, Zed and their colleagues faced the Renegade.

Beck was proud of his friends and a little annoyed at the same time. Did they think he couldn't take Pavel and six heavy sentries? They were no Black guards, he could have handled them! Probably. There was however no point in wondering about that now. He jumped from the wreck and landed in front of the mechanics.

"Welcome to the Uprising, programs."

Smooth, Beck. He suppressed a smile under his helmet. Tron was probably about to take back his suit and his rightful place as the Renegade. Trying to impersonate him seemed like a good idea.

"When Tesler hear about this, the Occupation will be back. In great numbers. Whether you want to join me or not, you cannot stay here. Take your important belongings and meet me on the northern side of Argon square in twenty minutes. Don't go there together. I'll help you leave the city... and explain to those who want to keep fighting how they might do that. Move, programs!"

At first, they looked too stunned to follow his instructions. Then Bartik and Hopper rushed back to the garage, followed by Dash, Copper, Zed and the rest. Only Mara remained before him. She had a grave look on her face.

"Renegade... my friends believe you didn't kill Able. Did you?"

Beck shook his head and didn't try to hide the sadness from his voice. The bitter accusation from the blue-haired program, when he found them on the dock, still hurt him. Because somehow, she was right. He didn't kill Able but the old mechanic had died to a trap that wasn't meant for him. The Renegade should have been derezzed in his place when the damned crane blew up.

"I didn't. Able was a... friend. He accepted to help me but we were tricked and I couldn't save him. I can tell you more later. For now, we must leave."

Mara nodded and ran toward the garage, but Beck knew the discussion wasn't over. She temporarily accepted this short explanation. It didn't mean she wouldn't ask for the full story later. And Tron might be the one to have to tell it to her once he got his suit back. They would talk about that later, the present priority was to make sure the mechanics weren't captured by the Occupation. Beck followed them inside the garage and rummaged through the shelves, looking for batons. He had lost his during the crash and Tron needed one too. Or maybe two... the old security program would probably feel more comfortable if he had a spare vehicle. Maybe a lightjet too? After a few minutes, Beck had gathered enough batons on his belt and thighs for a whole squad of Black guards, and headed back to the wreck... just in time to spot ten orange wingchutes.

How can they be here already? Pavel cannot have returned to the flagship more than five minutes ago, no lightchopper is that fast... unless...

Black guards. They had to be Black guards on lightjets. The Renegade bit back a swear word and started running. If Tron hadn't freed himself from the debris yet... he apparently had, however. The characteristic sounds of an ongoing fight emerged from a place quite far away from the one where he was trapped. Beck accelerated. By the time he arrived, several piles of orange voxels were scattered over the ground. His mentor just cut through the arm of the last remaining Occupation soldier and was about to deal the fatal blow. But the young mechanic recognized the face of the fallen foe...

" TRON! DON'T!"

He hadn't realized that the desperate cry came from his mouth, but since Tron was now looking at him, he guessed it had.

"Please don't.

- She's one of them."

Don't I know that, I've been trying to turn her since I met her!

"But she's not like them.

- Yet she didn't join you when you gave her the chance.

- She was going to, eventually! But now, thanks to your mad ex apprentice, she thinks I blow innocent programs up for fun. And you just derezzed a whole squad... that's not what we do, what's wrong with you?

- What's wrong with me? Look at the sea, will you?"

Beck wasn't quite sure to get the connection but turned round anyway... and nearly fell back. The sky above the Sea of Simulation was glowing orange.

"That's what's wrong with me. Clu's here and he brought a few friends. We're no longer fighting a small Occupation force led by an incompetent. I don't like it either, but the game has changed. Good intentions won't cut it, not anymore. We have to do what needs to be done. Remember the Coliseum? Derezz or be derezzed.

- I didn't... I want to help programs, that's not what I signed for.

- You think the countless programs who were hunted down during the Purge, derezzed in the Games or repurposed to serve in Clu's army signed for anything? We're fighting for them. For those who'll join them if we don't stop the Traitor. For your friends. For the Grid. For Flynn! I need to know if you're still with me, Beck. I might be healed but I can't do this alone."

The Renegade didn't reply immediately. He wanted to argue, to defend his principles... but Tron was right and deep down, he knew it. They were at war. Programs were going to get derezzed, one way or another... he might as well make sure that they were Occupation soldiers and not innocent civilians. For Mara. For Zed. For Paige. She wasn't exactly and innocent civilian, but that was beside the point.

"Ok, I... I understand. It doesn't mean I'll let you derezz her..."

Tron still had his helmet up, but Beck could have sworn he was rolling his eyes.

"But I understand. Tell me what to do."

The old monitor put his hand on his apprentice's shoulder.

"Thank you. I can be the Renegade from now on. But Able's gone and your friends aren't exactly anonymous anymore... I'm going to need you as Beck. Here's what you're going to do..."

The room was way too bright. She had to close her eyes. What the... who changed... where amI ? Then she remembered. The black, menacing program. His disk coming closer, and closer, and closer... and then nothing. Paige opened her eyes again and looked around her. She immediately knew where she was, even if she'd never been here before. Long ago, she used to work in rooms like this one. She was in Argon's hospital.

A female program sporting the green bands of a medic was standing beside her bunk, smiling at her.

"Welcome back. Don't worry, in a few moments you'll be good as new. It was close, but we managed to contain and restore the damaged code. Your arm is already rerezzing."

Paige glanced at her right arm, or what was left of it, and suppressed a wince. Voxels were slowly assembling themselves into a new limb. Well... looks like my arm did actually save me. But why didn't he finish me off ? She was not about to forget the way he derezzed the unconscious Black guard.

"How... did I end up here? Who brought me?

- A civilian. He didn't say his name. You're lucky he found you before the damaged code could spread. Ten minutes more and it could have been another story!

- What did he look like ?

- Blue and white lights, spiky black hair..."

She immediately thought of Beck, but it didn't make any sense. If he had been working in the garage when Pavel was overthrown, Paige was willing to bet he was among the rebels and long gone with the other mechanics by the time she arrived. And if he wasn't working, he had absolutely no reason to be there. I'll look into it later. For now, I must report back to Tesler. She stood up and brushed off the concerned protest of the medic.

"I'll be fine. Thank you for your care."

Paige hurriedly got out of the building and checked her belt. She had lost her lightjet baton but luckily, her lightcycle was still here. As soon as the voxels finished to form into her hand, she rezzed the vehicle and headed straight for the Occupation's flagship. As she approached the ramp to the hangar, she noticed that the sky above the city was starting to gleam orange. Clu's armada was approaching... but it wasn't quite there yet and she was glad not to have to report her failure to him. Tesler wasn't very understanding by any mean but he didn't frighten her. The Liberator, on the other hand...

She ran through the corridors to the throne room and absentmindedly nodded to the sentries guarding the doors but one of them caught her attention.

"Commander, the general is busy.

- I'll wait inside."

She didn't wait for his answer and slipped into the room. Tesler was busy indeed, talking to an unexpected visitor. A civilian program, standing in front of the dais, head down. Paige caught the general mid sentence.

"... the right decision, program. Too bad some of your friends weren't as wise. With the arrival of so many reinforcements, we'll need this garage to be fully operational. I want you to take charge as the new manager."

Congratulations, Pavel, I think you just set a new record for the shortest career ever. But her smile was short-lived. Tesler had noticed her arrival and motioned her to come forward.

"Glad to see you back on your feet, Paige. I do hope you have a good explanation as to how you almost got derezzed... by the way, I think you know your savior, don't you?"

The civilian program turned a neutral face to her and she couldn't hide her surprise. It was Beck!

Thank you for reading ! Once again, do not hesitate to signal any mistake and/or strange wording.