AN: This chapter was difficult to write. Not in the sense that I didn't know what to write, only because we know what happens at the end. Unless you haven't seen the second last episode, than I won't spoil anything. Thanks to 2theSky and PrincessKai733 for your reviews! They're always appreciated!
Chapter Thirty Two
She was able to catch up with Beck before he got much further. He was headed for the city, away from the Outlands and the trouble Cyrus had caused. The problem with Cyrus was, that was just what he wanted. Angering Beck was part of the program's plan, as far as Mira could tell.
Beck looked over his shoulder to see that Mira was following him at a steady pace. Her eyes were focused on the road ahead as she thought of what would happen next.
"You shouldn't have followed me," he snapped when she pulled in beside him.
"And you shouldn't have quit," Mira retorted. "This is just what Cyrus wants."
Beck looked at her in surprise before rolling his eyes and speeding ahead. Mira glared at him before following. She was far from finished - Beck needed to understand what kind of danger he was in. She had seen the crazed look in Cyrus's eyes when he had looked at her. He wanted to destroy everything in the Grid, but there was more to his mission. Mira wanted to find out what that mission was, especially now that Beck was involved.
"Look, I just can't trust him after what happened," Beck said after they reached the city.
"I can't trust him either, but I'm still living with the guy." Mira pulled on the breaks as soon as Beck turned his light cycle back into a baton. "I know that he has his reasons for keeping secrets... heck, even you keep secrets."
Beck flinched when she pointed that out. She didn't point out the fact that she knew that Quorra was an ISO. Beck didn't need to know about that, and it felt like she would betray Quorra if she told anyone other than Tron.
"That's different." He was trying to reassure himself, and Mira resisted the urge to roll her eyes in annoyance.
"Yeah, of course it's different," she muttered under her breath.
Mira finally rolled her eyes when Beck headed for the garage. Cyrus had put him on the edge, and that made life dangerous. Mira's fists clenched in anger as she imagined how amused Cyrus would feel if he saw how panicked they looked now.
She followed Beck until they reached the entrance of the garage. Link was working outside, cleaning up scraps of codes. Mira smirked when jumped after Beck approached him.
"Link, have you seen Mara and Zed anywhere?" he asked warily.
"They were headed to the club," the shaky program replied.
He went back to cleaning up the craps of code left behind by careless coworkers. Mira gave him a quick glance before running after Beck. Programs jumped out of the way as they pushed their way through the crowded streets.
Mira could hear music blasting when they reached the club. She held her breath as she followed Beck into the club, unsure of what they would find inside.
She blinked in surprise when she spotted Mara and Zed. Both programs were waiting near the entrance of the club, and Mira was certain she could see someone sitting nearby watching them.
"Beck, over here!" Beck sighed in relief when he spotted his friends.
"Let's go somewhere else, I need to clear my head," he muttered when her reached them.
"Then it's true," Mara whispered. Mira raised an eyebrow while Beck stared at Mara in surprise. "I'm sorry, but your secret is out." Mira stared at her in disbelief while Zed approached them. Her heart nearly skipped a beat when she recognized Cyrus.
"Beck, so this is where you've been sneaking off to," Zed exclaimed when he reached them. Mira folded his arms and glared at Cyrus as he eyed them coolly. "I'd quit too if it meant hanging out with this guy more often!"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Beck muttered as he followed them to a booth. Mira rolled her eyes as she joined them.
Cyrus seemed perfectly at home as he sat beside Zed. Mara and Beck sat beside each other while Mira stood nearby, keeping a close eye on them. She knew that Cyrus would look for any signs of weakness. He was biding his time, and any wrong move would give him the chance to announce where Beck was really off to on his breaks.
The music was too loud for Mira to understand what they were saying. But Beck kept shooting her anxious looks, and every now and than Cyrus would give her a cold glare. She glared back each time he glared. She wasn't about to let Cyrus intimidate her.
It seemed like cycles had passed before Mara finally pulled Zed out to dance with her. Another song was playing at the time, one that became familiar to Mira. Once the two were far enough away she joined Beck and sat beside him, eager to find out what had happened.
"You're friends are really something." Cyrus was acting as though nothing had happened. Mira raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I'll tell you something, that Zed rubs me the wrong way, but Mara... I'm beginning to like her... a lot."
"You leave them out of this," Beck snapped. "Now give me back my disk!"
Cyrus smirked when he reached out for the disk that Tron had given Beck. Mira bit her lip when he placed it on the table.
"Wait, I'm not finished with it." Cyrus suddenly grabbed the disk just as Beck reached for it.
"You're using the disk for the wrong reasons, Cy," Mira muttered when they started a bout of tug-a-war.
"Am I now?" Cyrus slammed the disk into the table. "What's the matter, renegade? Why don't you punch me?" Beck glared at Cyrus as he taunted him.
I'm seriously considering it now, Mira thought when Cyrus goaded Beck on.
"Oh, how stupid of me," Cyrus finally said as he leaned back. "You won't attack me, not with everyone watching." Mira glared at Cyrus coldly as he looked at Beck calmly. "That's your problem, you don't derezz programs. But I'm going to fix that for you."
Mira stiffened at the thought of derezzing any program. She had already seen too many programs get derezzed, because of Clu's army.
"What do you mean?" Beck was glaring at Cyrus now, trying to hold back his anger and frustration.
"I've got it from a good source that the new renegade's next target's to be delivered to Able's garage. Get there in time, and you can stop it." Mira felt a shiver run down her spine at the mention of the 'new renegade'. She knew that Cyrus meant what he said.
"You forget, I've been to your little prison." Mira rolled her eyes and wondered just how stupid Beck really was.
"Beck, from one comrade to the other, sometimes a bomb is just a bomb."
Mira exchanged a startled look with Beck before slipping out of the booth. There was no time to waste - if what she thought was true than Cyrus was right. As much as she hated admitting it, he had a good point. They needed to warn everyone at the garage before the bomb detonated.
She followed Beck out of the club and rezzed her light cycle. She could imagine the cruel smirk on Cyrus's face as they left the club. This was exactly what he wanted. And now he had put the lives of countless programs in danger.
They reached the garage in no time, riding on in silence as they avoided the traffic like always. Beck jumped off of his light cycle without turning it back into a baton, while Mira wasted no time in turning hers back into a baton. The programs inside the garage looked up in surprise when Beck ran over to Able.
"Get everyone out of here, there's a bomb inside!" Beck shouted when he got everyone's attention.
"A bomb? Beck, are you sure?" Able stared at Beck in disbelief. Mira wasn't focusing on them. She looked back at Beck's light cycle and realized that something was wrong. A beeping noise had started, and she recognized the sound anywhere.
"Get down!" she cried when the bomb reached critical. She jumped down just as the bomb exploded, causing the floor where the light cycle lay to cave in. Mira whirled around to see that the light cycle was destroyed, along with half of the floor. Remains of the bomb could be made out nearby, and she scowled when she realized that Cyrus had used them.
We delivered the bomb for him, she thought disdainfully.
Able made a quick recovery and grabbed the fragments of bomb. He looked up at Beck and Mira before shaking his head doubtfully.
"My office, now," he ordered in a stern voice.
Mira looked at Beck in confusion. He simply shrugged and followed Able as programs began cleaning up the mess the bomb had left. Able wasted no time in studying the bomb fragments, eyes narrowed in concern when he found what he was looking for. Beck sat on the desk while Mira leaned against the wall, unsure of what to do next.
"You wanna explain to me how this happened?" Able demanded when he was finished.
"I ran into an old friend of Tron's," Beck explained. "Turns out he was bent on destroying the Grid, and everyone on it."
"Cyrus is a creature of habit," Able said after realizing who Beck was referring to. "If we dig deep enough, we'll find that most of the material he uses is from scraps of codes. You know you should've told me about him sooner."
"I didn't want you getting involved." Mira stared down at the floor as she wondered if Beck knew that he sounded just like Tron. It was something that Tron would've done to keep them safe. Even if it meant keeping them from the truth.
"Just like Tron didn't tell you about Cyrus." Beck looked away in annoyance. "He was trying to protect you!"
"Yeah, well, it seemed different at the time," Beck muttered. "Which is why I quit."
"Quit? You can't quit, not when you're in it this deep." Mira looked at Able in surprise. This was coming from the same program that had tried keeping Beck from training with Tron a few cycles ago.
"He lied to me, and put our lives in danger," Beck snapped.
"Cyrus could've sent you anywhere. He barely had to lift a finger, he let you deliver the bomb for him."
Mira's eyes widened when she realized what that meant. Horror crawled down her spine when she thought of the disk Beck had given Tron. A disk that had a virus contained within.
"The counterfeit disk!" Beck must have read her thoughts. He jumped down and stared at Able in shock.
Mira followed Beck out of the garage as he grabbed another baton, ignoring Able's questions of what that meant. Now Mira understood what Cyrus was really after. Her heart was beating rapidly as she sped off towards the Outlands, aware that Beck and Able were following.
Once she crossed the bridge she wasted no time in reaching the safehouse. Two thoughts had crossed her mind when she thought of Cyrus and his plans. One was that Tron was in danger, and another was that Rinzler would likely have been derezzed as well.
It's important that we get to Tron first, she reminded herself when they reached the garage.
An eerie feeling had suddenly taken over when Mira led the way to the room Tron was usually in. The room was dark. The counterfeit disk must have cut off any power in the safehouse. Mira glanced around warily until she found the disk that had caused all of this trouble. Beck and Able followed her as a static noise erupted from the eerie silence.
"I knew you'd come, renegade." The crackled voice was coming from the disk. Mira's eyes narrowed when she realized that Cyrus had used a holographic recording. "So, let the games begin." An image of Cyrus's face appeared on the hologram, and Mira's fists clenched as she glared at it.
"We don't have to play your games," Beck snapped when he stood beside her. Able stood on her other side, watching the hologram curiously.
"No, it's the only game you can play," Cyrus corrected himself. "How sad, that even my holographic recording knows what you're about to say. Our beloved mentor, Tron, believes in a free system. But there's just one problem. We're programs, programs. We were meant to follow rules and directives. But I am about to change that." Mira glared at the screen as she wondered what Cyrus meant by that. "I'm giving you the chance to choose which lives are more important to you: Renegade, or mechanic."
Mira stared at the screen in horror when an image of Tron, Mara and Zed tied up appeared. "On one end of the city, Tron, is strapped to a bomb. On the other end, your friends are being kept in a crane by the docks. This key will free them, but there is only one." Mira's fists clenched as she thought of what they could do to stop Cyrus's plan. "Either way, someone is going to die."
His last words sent chills down Mira's spine. Beck grabbed the key and tossed it to Able.
"Go and free Mara and Zed, I'll help Tron," he ordered. "And you stay here."
Mira folded her arms and glared at Beck. "Not in your life," she snapped. Beck rolled his eyes when he realized the truth in her words.
"Fine, just stay safe," he muttered before following Able out of the safehouse. Mira smirked when she followed them. If it came to a fight she would be more than happy to punch some circuits out of Cyrus. Maybe even knock some sense back into his programming.
Able headed off towards the docks, while Mira followed Beck towards the other side of the city. They were moving at an impossible speed, but time was against them. Programs jumped out of the way as they sped through the streets, until they reached their destination.
Why does this feel like a trap? Mira wondered when she spotted Tron. Bombs were strapped around him, and as usual he was struggling to free himself.
"Hold on." Beck approached the bombs warily. Mira held her breath as she waited for the explosions that would likely follow.
"Beck, get this off of me, and we may still have time to save your friends," Tron said as soon as Beck reached for the tool Bodhi had designed.
"Don't worry, they're being taken care of," Mira reassured him when she joined them.
Tron looked like he was ready to argue, and Mira glared at him defiantly. She knew that he was only trying to get her away from the crossfire. Cyrus would likely threaten her life, but after what he did to Tron and Beck's friends, she wasn't about to let the program get away with it.
Within nanocycles Beck had the bomb disengaged. Mira let out a sigh of relief when Tron dropped the scraps and stood up.
"Thanks," he muttered after shaking it off.
"Don't thank me. I couldn't have done this without Bodhi," Beck replied. "Now let's go." He glanced around nervously before Mira followed them.
"Going somewhere?" Mira stiffened when she heard the familiar voice. She whirled around to see Cyrus standing on the other side of the alley. "How predictable. You'd choose him over your friends."
"If you've done anything to hurt them-" Beck tried fighting back when Cyrus punched him across the street. Mira caught him just before he fell on his back.
"Finally, some fire! You killed them when you chose to save Tron!" Cyrus looked at the bomb, and his eyes widened in disbelief. "Where's the key?" Mira raised an eyebrow when Beck recovered and glared. "Oh, how brilliant. You sent someone else with the key, didn't you?"
"Admit it Cyrus, you've failed!" Tron snapped.
"No, you have no idea what you've done." Beck tried fighting back by throwing in a few punches, but Cyrus easily dodged them and tossed him aside carelessly. "Look at how panicked he is! All because he's failed you!"
"No, you're my greatest failure." Tron's words sent chills down Mira's spine.
Okay, I'm done here. Mira grabbed her light staff and swung it across Cyrus's chest, causing the program to stagger back in surprise. His eyes narrowed into tiny slits when he glared at her. She managed to throw in a few kicks before he grabbed her by the foot and threw her into Beck.
"A User doesn't belong here!" he crowed when Tron helped them up. "They only cause trouble where ever they go!"
Mira glared at Cyrus when Tron finally joined in the fight. Tron pinned Cyrus to the ground and suddenly looked up at Beck and Mira.
"Go! Help Able!" he shouted when Cyrus began struggling.
Mira was about to argue when Beck grabbed her by the wrist. She let out a yelp of surprise before rezzing her light cycle. Within nanocycles she had changed her suit to match her renegade attire. Beck had already gone ahead, but she easily caught up.
"Isn't there a faster way to the docks?" she asked when she fell in beside him.
"This is the fastest way," Beck replied.
She glared at the path ahead when she realized that he was right. Any other way would have gotten them stuck in traffic. Anxiety churned through Mira as she thought of Able, Mara and Zed. All three of them were in danger, and it was Cyrus's fault. No, as much as she hated to admit it, it was Tron's fault.
He's the one who trained Cyrus, and look where it's gotten him. She tried not to think about it when they reached the docks. Programs were scattered around the area. Mira watched them carefully just as an explosion shook the city.
"No!" Mira held her breath when she saw the crane that Mara and Zed were being held in fall. Beck had jumped off of his light cycle just in time to watch it crash into the water below. Her hands were still trembling when she stood beside him.
She let out a sigh of relief when she spotted Zed helping Mara out of the sea. Both programs were drenched, and Mara was struggling for breath when Beck ran towards them.
"You're safe," he whispered.
"He killed Able." Mira's heart nearly skipped a beat when she heard those haunting words. "He killed Able!"
"No, it can't be true." Mira bit her lip when Beck took a step back in shock.
"There he is! The renegade did this!" The program that Cyrus had attacked was glaring at Beck. Programs were beginning to gather around to see if Mara and Zed were alright. Mira turned to glare at them.
"Get out of here, we don't need you!" one program shouted.
"Yeah, you've been nothing but trouble!" another added.
Mira simply stared back in shock when she spotted Beck running for his light cycle. She let out a sigh of frustration as she followed. The programs were still glaring at them when they turned away from the docks.
Pain clenched at her heart when Mira followed Beck towards the safehouse. Able, the one program that had seen right through her, was gone. Maybe what Cyrus said about Users was true. Where ever she went, trouble always seemed to follow.
Bodhi was derezzed because I went to the garage. The city was taken over because I decided to get my light cycle checked. And now Able's gone because I fought back.
She couldn't fight back the tears that were beginning to fall. She was thankful she had a mask on. She wasn't sure what Beck would think if he saw her now.
Tron was waiting for them at the entrance of the safehouse. Mira blinked in surprise when she saw Rinzler sitting beside him. The kitten looked unharmed after everything that had happened. At least he was smart enough to stay away from the fight.
Rinzler bounded up to greet her when Mira turned her light cycle back into a baton. He purred and rubbed against her leg. Mira couldn't help but smile, despite the loss that she felt. Rinzler looked up at her with his bright red eyes and let out a tiny mewling sound.
"Able's gone. Your friends are against you. And it's only going to get worse." Mira stared at Tron in disbelief. His voice was so... cold. Yet she could see how badly wounded he was after the fight against Cyrus, and learning about Able's death.
"I know." Beck stood up, mask receded as he met Tron's determined gaze. His mask suddenly came back on, and Mira knew that he too was hiding the pain that he felt over Able's loss. "And I'm ready."
AN: Yep, that was definitely hard to write. And foreshadowing for the next book, Rogue ;) In case you don't check for updates on my site (there are major spoilers on it). Anyways, don't forget to leave a review, and let me know what you thought!
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