AN: It's official, I have the crappiest computer ever. Shuts down when it goes into sleep mode when it's not supposed to, and it freezes on the most random times. Yep, time to get the thing scrapped. Anyways, this is the last chapter, finally! I've been waiting for this final moment for such a long time, it's kind of ridiculous XD Thanks to CMR Rosa, Briannajs-22, 2theSky, PrincessKai317 and Liza Cobbler for reviewing! They're greatly appreciated!

Chapter Thirty Four

"Do you really think running is going to make a difference?" Mira glared at Cyrus as he towered over her. Once again he had her cornered against a building, disk in hand and ready for the final blow. "You're nothing but a coward."

He scoffed the last word, and Mira straightened up as she continued glaring.

"You're a coward if you think destroying the Grid is going to fix things," she snapped.

Cyrus's grin faded, and Mira smirked when she hit a sore spot. This time she wasn't going to let him overwhelm her, not when she was ready for him. The program leaned forward, eyes narrowed as he raised his disk for the final blow.

Mira closed her eyes and prepared for the final strike. She blinked in surprise when she felt something sharp prod her arm. Her eyes snapped open when she spotted Rinzler at the edge of her vision. He was on the floor she slept on, poking her with a claw.

"You are such a trouble maker," she cooed as she picked him up.

Nightmares were about the only dreams she'd been having lately. Mira felt a shiver run down her back as she pictured the look of glee in Cyrus's eyes as he haunted her. There was no escaping that mad look, or the fear that he might still be alive.

Rinzler let out a mewl of frustration as he tried batting at her fingers with his paws. Mira laughed at his reaction when she placed him down. This cycle was the mark of her new journey. She reached for her disk and pulled sifted through the files within. A new journey meant a new look was in need.

It took her a few nanocycles to find a look that suited her. A black suit with very few white circuits, similar to Tron's black guard suit. The only difference was that the circuits were on her shoulders and legs. Something that wouldn't stick out when she was hiding from the soldiers. Once she was finished she placed the disk on her back and watched as the suit changed.

Rinzler tilted his head to one side when he saw how different she looked. Mira smirked when she stood up and grabbed her batons.

If I'm lucky the soldiers won't be there anymore, she thought as she walked out of the door.

She rezzed her light cycle and wasted no time reaching the highway. Rinzler held on as she swerved in and out of the traffic, avoiding any light cycles or trucks that were in the way. She wasn't about to get caught in any accidents, not when she was so close to her goal.

Tron City was at least a cycle away, but if she kept up at this pace she would reach the city in no time. She surged forward using the thrusters Zed had upgraded. She was thankful that she had gotten her light cycle upgraded. Other cities rolled by as she swept through them. All of them were occupied by Clu's generals or soldiers.

In no time Mira had reached the edge of Tron City. Castor's club was the highlight of the city. It towered above the city, and was one of the most popular stops. The coliseum was also one of the more popular stops. Mira felt a shudder run down her spine as she reminded herself that Rinzler wouldn't be too far. The real Rinzler, and not her friendly companion.

Mira pulled to a stop and turned her light cycle back into a baton. She gazed up at the End Of Line club and took in a deep breath. Explaining what had happened wasn't going to be easy, and she doubted any of the programs inside would welcome her with open arms.

With a sigh she set off at a brisk pace towards the tower. Rinzler jumped off of her shoulder and bounded after her, easily keeping up. When she reached the elevator shaft programs shuffled inside, forcing Rinzler to jump back onto her shoulder.

"What is that thing?" one program asked when he noticed the kitten eying him curiously.

"A friend." Mira's reply was quick and to the point. Her face was hidden with a mask as she waited impatiently for the elevator to reach the top.

It felt like cycles had passed as an awkward silence filled the elevator. Mira felt her shoulders sag in relief when it finally reached the top. Music blared as soon as the doors swung open. Mira blinked against the bright lights as they danced along with the music.

Castor stood out like the renegade in a crowd of black suits. Mira smirked when she spotted a group of programs speaking urgently. In a small room above were music programs, nodding their heads to the beat of the music. In the center of the club was a round bar, with stools wrapped around it.

A few soldiers were in the club, either drinking or mingling with other programs. Mira raised an eyebrow in surprise as she watched them. These soldiers weren't tense like the ones from Tesler's army. Perhaps being under Clu's control had given them more courage.

Mira glanced at Rinzler as he crouched on her shoulder. She rubbed under his chin before approaching the group of programs that were gathered around Castor.

"You know more about Zuse than any other program," a skinny program with white and yellow circuits said.

"And as I have said before, Zuse's time is precious," Castor replied with a slight grin. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have more important matters to attend to."

He was looking directly at her. Mira stiffened under his piercing gaze and looked away, unsure of what to say as the program that had spoken glared.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" she asked when they left.

"A few cycles have passed, yes." Castor frowned when Rinzler's tail whipped from side to side. "After all of those cycles, why return now?"

"Things happened," Mira replied with a shrug. She restrained a glare when he noticed her scars for the first time.

"This is a conversation best had behind closed doors." Castor suddenly turned towards the set of stairs. Mira glanced over her shoulder and noticed how the soldiers were watching them. Her fists clenched as she wondered how much they had heard.

Memories coursed through Mira as she reached the room they first met in. She suddenly thought of Tron and Beck, and wondered what they had done since she left. By now Tron would have found out that she had left the city.

"So what exactly did happen after you left the city?" Castor watched her curiously as her helmet receded.

Mira let out a sigh as she went on to explain how she had been captured by Rinzler, and later freed from the games. She didn't go into detail about who had rescued her. Eventually she got to where she had found Argon City as her last home, until it was taken over by the occupation.

"I left as soon as General Tesler came in and took over," she finished.

"Argon City as at the corner of the Grid, quite a ride from here," Castor murmured after taking it all in. "And you survived fighting Rinzler for so many cycles, not something most programs can brag about. What exactly do you plan to do now?"

"I was... hoping I could get a job here," she explained sheepishly. "At least until things settle down."

I'm not sure if I'd ever go back to Argon City, she thought guiltily. She wasn't sure how Beck would react if he saw her again. Not after the way she had left him.

"And exactly what kind of work are you looking for?" Castor studied the staff that was leaning against a sofa. Mira tilted her head to one side as she thought of it.

Music was something that had always interested her. It wasn't difficult to learn how to play, especially when she could practice a few times.

"I could work part time as a D.J.," she said after realizing that was her best offer. She took a deep breath as she waited for his answer.

"I suppose I could pull a few codes," Castor finally replied after a few nanocycles had passed. "And if you work hard enough, an apartment will be included."

Mira stared at Castor in disbelief. It sounded too good to be true. But Castor had never lied to her before. Eventually she nodded in agreement after deciding it was better to trust than to turn down such an offer.

"We have a deal," she replied with a grin. She nearly jumped when Rinzler bumped her foot with his nose. The kitten was staring at her longingly before he jumped onto her shoulder.

Castor raised an eyebrow in surprise when he noticed the kitten once more. Mira couldn't help but laugh when Rinzler swatted a paw at his cane.

"Do I even want to know what this is?" he asked as he watched Rinzler curiously.

"I sort of created him," she explained after Rinzler sat down with his tail wrapped around his paws. "I gathered bits and pieces of codes and managed to form them into him."

"Impressive." Castor eyed Rinzler warily before standing up once more. "Now, before we get started with your schedule, an apartment will be needed. I'm sure you will need the rest after such a journey."

She hadn't even noticed how exhausted she was until he mentioned something. Mira forced back a yawn as she stood up. Rinzler jumped onto her shoulder once more as she followed him down the stairs. Programs were gathered around the bar when they reached the lower level. Mira spotted Gem speaking to a couple of masked programs nearby.

Once they were down below from the long elevator ride Castor led her to a group of buildings nearby. The programs that were nearby looked up in surprise when a door swung open. Mira blinked in surprise when she was led to a spacious room on the second floor.

"Your job starts on the next cycle," Castor told her after she stepped inside. "Get some rest, you're going to need it."

With that, he left her alone to get her bearings. Mira waited until she was alone to take in the room. A small bed with no blankets sat on the side of the room. There was only one window that led to a fire escape. The walls were a bare white, but she was used to that after spending so much time in the safehouse. A desk was placed near the door, along with a small chair in front of it.

Mira let out a sigh of relief as she fell onto the bed. Rinzler jumped onto the chair and began licking a paw.

For once in her life, she felt as though she had done something right. Castor trusted her enough to give her a job, and a place to stay. And maybe she could finally make her mark on the Grid as a true User would.

AN: And thus ends the story. Wow, it's been such a ride, and a fun story to write. Thanks everyone for sticking to it, and for those inspirational reviews! Rogue should be started by tomorrow or the day after, depending on whether my computer lives that long. Otherwise I'm not sure what I'm going to do /=

End of Line

And another great song for Uprising:

I see this life
Like a swinging vine
Swing my heart across the line
In my faces flashing suns
Seek it out and ye shall find
Old, but I'm not that old
Young, but I'm not that bold
And I don't think the world is sold
I'm just doing what we're told

I feel something so right
At doing the wrong thing
I feel something so wrong
At doing the right thing
I could lie, could lie, could lie
Everything that kills me makes me feel alive

Counting Stars by One Republic