#cyrus pavel

[lady-of-the-puddle]

Welcome Back

Today I will be rating Beck's

Potential Partners?

The question mark is because some of them were definitely his partners, others will not admit it, and some came to...circumstances preventing a declaration of their love...anyway.

1. Bodhi

Literally on screen for 30 seconds max

We all clocked that shit instantly

Never brought him up again (thx to retroactive backstory oops)

Beck was actually visibly sad about him tho to the point his boss/dad had to ask if he was ok

Absolute cute couple though

8/10 I knew him for five seconds and now I have to kill everyone in this room and then myself

2. Paige

Y'all already know. Everyone knows. The whole grid knows.

The sexual tension is palpable

Which brings me to some difficult questions about the nature of programs and what physical functions they may or may not have.

Ugh I'm a sucker for the rivals to lovers thing tho

12/10 top ten hottest bi power couple if they don't kill each other first

3. Tron

I went over this in my tron's exes list but I must reiterate cause reasons

Can you imagine meeting your hero, your icon, your savior and he's....a bit of a bitch??

But you learn and get to know him and he opens up to you and comes to trust you with his life UGH my heart

9/10 I rated this 7/10 before but I'm not scared anymore they're GOOD

4. Cyrus

Look, he gets in with his bffs and the first thing they say to Beck is "you didn't tell us you had a new bf!" (Totally NOT paraphrasing that).

The fucked up stalker/victim pairing is SUCH good tea

And then he tries to kill him later? Delicious.

7/10 this one's for the toxicity 😏

5. Lux (I had to look up her name)

okay this one loses points because they WANTED me to ship this when we already knew Paige existed

I don't like to be told what to do

I mean, it's ok Beck has two hands(more like eight at this point) I can work with it

loved her jaded perspective turning into hope before she was fridged for male pai- I mean derezzed for reasons relevant to the plot 👀 that was definitely neat

Consider: she is pretty though

4/10 they're both a ten but I'm a bitter bitch so sue me

6. Mara

tbh she's such a cutie and deserves way better than whatever incel shit Zed has going on

no wonder she's in love with Tron/the Renegade (I mean, same) I would beg a superhero to save me from him too

she and Beck have such a good dynamic

would be such a cute friends to lovers pair

can you imagine if she found out her bestie was the renegade she's been visibly/audibly thirsting after? Queen shit.

8/10 This one is actually the least toxic here

7. The rebellion leader whose name escapes me (it's Bartik)

so this guy appears in legacy as the rebel leader at Castor's before getting derezzed five minutes later (shocker there)

this one just kinda leaped into my brain when I binged the show directly after watching Legacy

can you imagine inspiring someone to change sides completely and then become the leader of the very fire you sparked long after you're probably gone? Endlessly romantic.

6/10 I have yet to have a really bad ship tbh

8. Pavel

I hate it, you hate it, we all hate it

But it's still pretty hot

8/10 bitch on bitch violence

9. Zed

Ahaha I hate it

he's way too comfortable with the evil bad guy shit happening around him.

honestly I have no idea why Beck is even friends with him

HOWEVER

jock/loser pairing

Beck CAN AND WILL fix him

3/10 I don't think we can save this one boys

BONUS ROUND:

10. Tesler

LMAO I just thought of this

Why do I love it tho

Something about the Darkseid omega beam hands that make me think weird thoughts

Now I wish I had put this on my tron list

1/10 or 9/10 depending on the day

I really do love that Beck is just the most specialest boy, he's the grid's next top model, he's batman, he's everything. Istg this is a harem anime in disguise and I ship him with everyone.

I can think of at least two programs off the top of my head that I didn't include because I forgot until now, so tell me about your rare pairs, etc. I was thinking about rating Clu's crushes that he handles in a completely normal way next but that might be too much. This is what happens when we have no new content for 10 years.

[evecolourshock]

Excerpt from the logs of System Monitor TRON-JA-307020, Cycle 746.89 on Grid Designate Tron:System :

I will preface this log by saying that I do not regret my actions.

Acting System Monitor Beck was grievously injured during a raid on Occupation facilities, suffering multiple deep wounds from disc strikes and the loss of his right arm from the shoulder. As the only compatible Program in close enough range, pieces of my code were copied over to facilitate recovery.

I was informed by Senior Mechanic Able that if I had not done so, Acting System Monitor Beck would have derezzed by the conclusion of the millicycle.

That would be suboptimal. Acting System Monitor Beck is an exemplary protector, and more than that he is my friend.

Beck is a good friend. I don't have many of those left.

Aside from some changes to circuit placement, quickly established as the result of mature code meeting his still-developing beta frame, there appeared to have been no immediate side effects or changes to personality - a relief, as I do not think I would survive another Cyrus.

My healing chamber was used to accelerate repairs.

This appeared to be a catalyst for more noticeable side effects - while not detrimental as such, they are... unusual.

The first visible change was to his hairstyle - it lengthened, and took on a wilder form, closer to what I believe Flynn would call shaggy in appearance. An uncommon occurence, but also a known possibility when using a healing chamber - I regret to admit I wrote it off as such, instead of undertaking further investigation.

Upon exiting the healing chamber, his teeth had altered from standard to a layout and structure more to similar to the User creature Canis Lupus Lupus, or European grey wolf.

Other noted changes include keener hearing and sense of smell, and a desire to identify and claim a territory. He is not opposed to sharing it with others, but merely wishes to find an area and call it his own. I have offered him the Spire and surrounding Outlands for this, and he seems to be amenable.

I suspect these changes were brought about by my donated code meeting lingering corruption from the Occupation disc-based strength enhancer, Object Ninety-Four, though I do not know for sure and cannot fathom why they would manifest in this manner. Perhaps there is an as-yet-unknown factor at play - Beck's code is unusually flexible for a Program originating on this Grid, although he is not an ISO.

There is the... I hesitate to say problem... of heightened aggression consistent with that caused by the strength enhancer, although it is now tempered by a desire to protect those he sees as friends and allies. He does not seem to be too concerned about it, stating that he can protect those in his trusted unit - he used the term pack - to a greater extent if needed. However-

BECK STOP BITING YOUR OPPONENTS. YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY'VE BEEN.

*unintelligible*

YOU KNOW I'M NOT LETTING YOU OUT IN THE SUIT AGAIN UNTIL YOU CAN CURB THAT INSTINCT. BITING IS A LAST RESORT, NOT A FIRST ONE.

*unintelligible*

THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEY FOLLOW YOUR HYGIENE REGIME- WHAT DO YOU MEAN PAVEL TASTES LIKE SOUR GRAPES. NO ONE ON THIS GRID EVEN KNOWS FOR CERTAIN WHAT A GRAPE IS-

*unintelligible*

...Alan One, if I was ever this bad, I apologise- BECK SPIT OUT THE VOXELS DAMNIT-

*end log*

[radiantlyrey]

Thoughts on Uprising Ep19 “Terminal”

- i’m not ready guys

- cold open: so Mara seems really dead set on blaming the Renegade for Able’s death. and she’s not like…. wrong. but she doesn’t have the full picture, as it were. and it’s interesting how she and Zed have basically swapped positions on the Renegade; like Zed here isn’t fully convinced that the guy he was calling a “menace” fourteen episodes ago or whatever did kill Able. also Beck tries to agree with Zed and Mara (rightfully) calls him out on never being there anymore. so Beck takes his frustrations out on holo-Tron, and then—Tron freaking falls over and Does Not Look Good.

- Beck tries to save Tron, but he won’t heal for some reason…. and that reason turns out to be Cyrus, whose fight with Tron compromised Tron’s healing abilities. that fucking virus Dyson implanted is ravaging Tron, and he’s got maybe a couplefew days/cycles before it’s all over. dire stuff. also Tron wanting to pass the mantle of his name to Beck when he just flat-out REFUSED to give it to Cyrus is…… making me a little verklempt. shit.

- also the scene with Beck trying to empty Able’s locker about had me in TEARS. oh my god. those kiddos and their boss/dad. fuck. Zed is being a good friend here, too……… like. was legit about to bust out crying at this SCENE. FUCK

- and then Beck gets surprised by a random program who turns out to be Cutler from the second story of the show!!! what!!!! good to see you again, guy!!!!!!!

- EXCEPT NOT BECAUSE THE FUCKER’S BEEN REPURPOSED. FUCK. FUCK EVERYTHING. a very cool lightjet dogfight ensues, and Beck manages to mostly outrun Clu’s giant-ass Recognizer and escape to Tron with vital information: that giant-ass Recognizer? has a chamber for repurposing programs (or maybe just repurposing Tron), that would, in all likelihood, heal Tron of the virus Dyson infected him with. and so. they….. hatch a crazy plan to get Tron healed, but stop the repurposing process before it completes, which would put Tron back on the top of his game and spell the worst for Clu.

- we had a semi-B-plot in this episode!! Zed trying to convince Mara that the Renegade did not kill Able, and she admits that… her theory doesn’t make sense. and Zed (rightfully) points out that the Renegade cannot be everywhere at once. and then: Asshole of the Month Pavel shows up to make Able’s garage state property, which is always…. he’s just the Worst, okay. The. Worst. I hate him. (not as much as I hate others, but… a lot.)

- ngl I was COMPLETELY CONVINCED that Beck’s plan would not work, that Beck would not get there in time, that Tron would be repurposed and we’d have a Rinzler situation going on……… like. shit. it was very tense there for a moment. I finished the episode 15 mins ago and I STILL feel the intensity of that countdown, holy shit.

- BUT IT WORKED. Tron gives Beck a scare for a moment, then proceeds to utterly beat the crap out of a shitton of Black Guard, while Cutler goes after Beck. and Beck is about to have his head taken off and then decides to SHOW HIMSELF TO CUTLER and try to break through his repurposing and it ALMOST FUCKING WORKS—it does! and when Cutler falls off the edge, Beck tries to save him, he does, and then……. it doesn’t work. Cutler is gone. and Beck has to let him go and watch him die. and this the first program that Beck has allowed to die since he became the Renegade, I’m pretty sure???? (I’d have to rewatch Price of Power to see whether he did there, but I don’t think so??) so that’s gotta be tearing up the poor kid. ugh.

- the Giant-Ass Recognizer crashes right in front of Able’s garage, and Tron’s stuck under a strut, so Beck takes the disguise disc and leads the searching guards on a merry chase—only for Pavel to spot him, and send his guards after the Renegade and then—

- and THEN: Mara comes to a decision. she’s not gonna let this happen. and Zed stands with her. and Link. and that female program from “Grounded”!! and pretty much the entire crew of mechanics! put their feet down and take out their discs and say NO. WE LOOK OUT FOR EACH OTHER NOW. AND WE WILL NOT LET THIS HAPPEN. (and I bet Zed really enjoyed turning Pavel’s “House of Pain” line against him.)

- Beck and Tron observe this from afar, and…. it’s all all right, mostly? it’s fine?

- except Tesler doesn’t know about the Giant-Ass Recognizer. and he is…. Upset About It. to say the least. and then Paige gets a notice from the scanners at the docks………….

- Clu is coming.

- with Dyson.

- and a shitton of Recognizers and what looks like a giant shooty ship thing and

- and

- and

- cut to black

- and

- and

- credits roll

- “WHAT?!?!?!?!”

- and now I have to live with this cliffhanger, this horrible happening for………… the rest of my life, I guess?????????

- i'm not fucking okay guys

- slightly more okay than yesterday with “No Bounds”

- but still not okay. fuck.

[redrumrose]

do you have a playlist for your oc's? Or maybe a song that reminds you of them?

I do actually! Here's some songs that remind me of my ocs:

Dmitri - Старое кино (Staroe Kino) by Peremotka and Jailhouse Rock by Elvis

Sunny - Heat Above by Greta Van Fleet and California Dreamin' by The Mamas and The Papas

Miss Em - Beautiful Stranger by Madonna and Say So by Doja Cat

Chayne - Kalahari Down by Orville Peck and Dreams by Fleetwood Mac

and other ones I have off the top of my head:

Pavel - Mein Herz Brennt by Rammstein and Introduction (Titles) from Edward Scissorhand Soundtrack

Anara - Lure of the Maw from Little Nightmares Soundtrack

Ulyana and Vitya - Science/Visions by Chvrches

aaand from my other story:

Anton - What's On Your Mind? (Pure Energy) by Information Society and Dirty Laundry by Don Henly

Aubrey - Heavy Metal Lover by Lady Gaga and Night Crawling by Miley Cyrus

[kai-ni]

Any tronblr wanna RP with me. (Discord, I'll make a private server)

(Adults only pls I don't rp with minors)

I can play with ease:

- Abraxas (see @abraxasvirus ), Clu, Tron, Rinzler in any flavor, my OC, Beck

If you held a gun to my head:

- Dyson, Pavel, Cyrus, Kevin Flynn, Sam Flynn, Able, Alan. Tesler.

Can't play at all:

- Castor, Paige, Mara, Zed, Yori. Quorra bc there is a Q and it ain't me. Basically anyone not listed lmao. Gem.

Topics I'm cool with: literally everything except anything illegal (no underage or incest :v I shouldn't have to say that buuut) but I'm chill with NSFW once discussed, torture, angst, death and destruction I really don't care, I've probably written it before.

Swear to God if Tumblr support would answer me, I wanna get back into my Abby account.

Hit me up on discord, Kaini#1210 :) nice 2 see some tron Fandom still around... who wants 2 vibe...

[mishmashofmuses]

What's a song that makes you think of them? (For all of them)

NGL, that's a hard one.

So far, only Stas and Pavel (who's currently not on here, cuz he's getting a rewrite) have "official" songs. Stas's is We Are Ignited by Natewantstobattle, Pavel's is Bones by Natewantstobattle.

Cyrus would most likely be either Impossible or My Own Little Corner, because he took heavy influences from the Brandy version of Cinderella.

As for the others, I'd have to give it some thought.

[ulkaralakbarova]

To Your Last Death

In order to save her siblings, a young woman takes on her father and the powerful entity known as Gamemaster, who ensnares humans into diabolical plots while her species gambles on the outcome. Credits: TheMovieDb. Film Cast: Gamemaster (voice): Morena Baccarin The Overseer (voice): William Shatner Cyrus DeKalb (voice): Ray Wise Pavel (voice): Bill Moseley Kelsy DeKalb (voice): Florence…

[saratogaroadwrites]

Tron: Liberation (13/15)

Tron: Liberation | saratogaroad rating: T total wordcount: 106,965 characters: Tron, Beck, Mara, Zed, Paige, Pavel, Tesler, Clu 2, Dyson, Yori, Quorra, Original Siren Character relationships: Tron & Beck, Beck & Mara & Zed, Tron/Yori other tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon Continuation, For Want of A Nail warnings: none

The Game has changed. The Revolution has begun. With Tron healed and once more in the fight for the Grid, the war has begun. But Clu will not give up so easily, and this is a war that will be fought in the streets. But it is a war that Beck and Tron intend to win, so long as they can do one thing first:

Survive.

[AU: Fanmade Season 2]

=

“Don’t try to be gentle about this, Eniac,” Tron said, sitting on the medical table in the Undercity’s small medical station. Yori sat at his side, holding his hand as Beck kept watch, leaning against the wall by the door. Programs ran about just outside, scrambling to deconstruct the entire base in the short time they had left before the Occupation came down on them. Beck had known Tron long enough to see through his almost easy posture, to see his free hand clutching at his knee, the lines around his eyes, and knew that he wasn’t the only one in the room worried about this. “Did any Viral get into my code?”

“No. Your firewall was clearly well coded,” Eniac said in her quiet voice, scrolling through Tron’s source code with a practiced hand. Beck watched, core in his throat, as Eniac continued: “I’m not seeing a hint of Viral code having gotten through it.” She handed Tron back his disk, though rather than dock it he held it in one hand. Her eyes softened. “Thank your User, I suppose, because we’re going to need you to get through this intact.”

“Yes, we are.” Yori sighed as Eniac left the room, long dark braid swinging behind her, to aid in clearing the space. “But there is one thing I need to know.” She leaned back enough to look Tron in the eyes and asked, “How sure are we that Cyrus is gone?” Tron and Beck exchanged a glance for a moment, but before either could speak both looked up as Paige entered the room, Zed and Mara at her heels.

“Unless he could survive a blast that made a three meter wide crater?” Zed sighed, “He’s gone. Long gone.”

“Like we should be,” Paige grumbled as she came to stand beside Beck, arms crossed over her chest. She gave him a sideways look and then turned to Yori, “If we don’t move up that timetable, we’re going to get caught down here. I can’t tell you how many programs will derezz if Ion gets his hands on them.”

“Is he that bad?” Mara asked softly, tugging on her fingers. Like Beck, she hadn’t been hurt by Cyrus or his blast. Like Beck, she was also still more than a little rattled by the milli’s events. Zed put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in close.

“Worse,” Paige and Yori said in unison. The pair shared a look, before Yori shook her head. A distant look came into her eyes as she stared at the floor. Tron squeezed her hand, but it seemed to Beck no one could find the words and actually give the order. The room went silent for nearly half a micro, the only sounds their breathing and the rush in the halls outside. For a moment, if he ignored that, Beck could pretend they hadn’t almost been blown to bits and bytes. If he tried, he could convince himself that the distance coming into Tron’s eyes was that of remembering better times, not of a near-Viral scare that had made him pull away from Beck and Mara so quickly he’d almost fallen right over again.

“Then,” Mara’s voice broke into Beck’s thoughts, pulling him back to the present moment, “Paige is right,” She said firmly as all eyes came to rest on her, “We may not be entirely ready, but when are we going to get a better chance?” She pulled away from Zed, walking towards Tron and Yori. Beck could see the tense line of her shoulders, her fists clenched at her sides, and the concern in the frown on Yori’s face as she continued, “We have to take the shot.”

Yori looked at Mara for a handful of nanos, then looked to Tron. For a handful of nanos, neither said a word. They looked at each other with ancient eyes, saying things he’d never begin to understand in just that one glance, before Yori nodded. Tron’s shoulders slumped as she hopped off the table.

“We leave within the next sixteenth.” Yori said. She squeezed Tron’s hand again, then strode away from her partner. She headed to the door into the rush, shoulders straight and head held high. “Mara, Paige, with me. Zed, head to the garage and cobble together whatever you can with Avery; I want every program with a baton by the end of the sixteenth.”

Zed hissed through his teeth but turned on his heel, muttering about how there wasn’t enough code in the building for that kind of task even as he headed out the door a pace ahead of Yori. Paige squeezed Beck’s arm, then headed out with Mara at Yori’s heels. The door whooshed quietly shut behind them, leaving Beck alone with Tron still seated on the medical table, staring at his disk resting on his lap. Beck shifted his weight.

“You okay?” He asked, then grimaced to himself. That was a stupid question; they both knew what Virals meant to Tron. Beck was honestly a little surprised he was still actively functional. Or, at least, appeared to be so. Tron was silent for a few nanos longer before he took in a deep breath and finally docked his disk.

“Fine,” He said in a voice that was not fine at all. “But we need to talk about that stunt you pulled up there.”

Stunt? Beck frowned, confused.

“What are you talking about?” He asked as Tron looked up, “That thing with the truck?”

“Yes, that thing with the truck,” Tron hissed. Beck stiffened. “The next time I tell you to go, you go.” Tron’s eyes were hard as he continued, “This isn’t Argon anymore, Beck. You can’t expect to disobey orders and get away intact.”

“And leave you without back-up?” Beck raised an eyebrow, trying not to back down in the face of that stern look, “In case you missed it, Cyrus almost had your head back there. And don’t—” He raised a hand, “Say you would have been fine. You were on the ground. If we didn’t get involved, you’d have been derezzed.”

“That’s a risk I’m willing to take,” Tron replied. Beck’s core lurched hard.

“Well it’s one that I’m not.” He shot back, startling Tron into silence. Beck took a deep breath, trying to ignore how it shuddered. Tron could handle himself. He knew that. They both knew that. But even with the triples behind them, Beck couldn’t quite shake off the image of Tron’s collapsing form in the Spire, and to see him at Cyrus’ mercy…the image stuck in his processor, Beck shook his head. “Besides, I’m not some helpless Beta fresh off his rez.” Beck frowned, “I can usually handle myself.”

“Dyson.”

“Usually,” Beck stressed with a narrow-eyed look. He swallowed a comment about how Tron hadn’t fared so well against Dyson, either, and instead lowered his hands to his sides. “You trained me to handle things like this, to take down soldiers, to protect others.” He pushed off from the wall, taking a step closer, “And that hasn’t changed. Even with all of this—” He waved a hand towards the doorway, where the rush of programs had become a white noise hum beyond the closed door, “We’re still a team. I’m not going to abandon you, even if you tell me to.”

“And if ends up with you derezzed?” Tron asked in a small voice. Beck drew up short, a realization shocking his core. They were the same. Tron wasn’t angry, he was afraid. Afraid of losing Beck the same way he must have lost nearly everyone else, the same way he could still lose Yori. Beck had lost Bodhi and Able, not to mention Argon, but Tron had lost all his old friends, his old team, a large chunk of his runtime to his unhealing injuries…Beck couldn’t blame him for being afraid, even if the thought of Tron so very scared made him want to quake in his boots right then and there.

But he couldn’t. Taking a deep breath, Beck closed the gap between them.

“Hey,” Beck hopped up onto the medical table, nudging Tron’s arm with his elbow, “Whatever happens, I chose to come back and fight, remember? However this ends, it’s still my choice.” He smiled, just a little, as Tron looked sideways at him. “Seriously, it’s not like you dragged me kicking and screaming.”

Tron snorted, hands clutching at his knees.

“I should have let Able drag you kicking and screaming away from all of this.” He shook his head, staring distantly at something for a moment before turning back to look Beck in the eye. “You might regret that choice, you know. I can’t see this ending well.”

A hundred programs against Clu and his army? Beck couldn’t either. Even so…

“Still my choice,” He said firmly as the pair of them hopped off the table. He reached up to clasp Tron’s shoulder for a moment, pinging a [calm] down his arm before letting go. “Come on. Before Yori comes back and asks what the hold up is about.”

“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of her.”

“She’s scarier than you are!”

Tron just laughed, through the sound was tired. Still Beck smiled to himself as they stepped out into the hall, but then there was no time to talk and barely any time to think. Programs had no choice but to flee the Undercity in droves, head into the Outlands and the Capitol beyond. Screens were shattered, terminals destroyed so no data could be recovered from them. The makeshift Garage was emptied of all vehicles, and the Resistance, with Yori and Quorra at its head, left Lithium for the Outlands before the sixteenth was over. Red bled into the Dark Side on their heels, the Occupation forces having finally reached their mark, but no one was around to be found. By then they were already riding hard over dark stone and through storms so fierce the wind nearly blew them off their bikes. For a hard triple they rode, crossing kilometers and barely stopping for sips from a communal energy canister to keep riding. Some programs, too exhausted to continue, had to ride double and enter sleep mode on the back of a trusted partner.

Beck couldn’t blame them; even the ride to Gallium had never been this long, this tiring, this stressful. But then, nothing so important had ever hinged on a ride to Gallium. If they failed here, if they were derezzed, then the Grid would never be free.

They had to make it, somehow.

Tron City appearing over the horizon late in the downcycle roused everyone’s mood, the Resistance coming to a halt in a deep canyon not too far from the city’s western entrance. Other cells were already there, the milling crowd of black-suited renegades and rebels pockmarked with the gleaming white suits of their guiding Sirens. Yori slipped into the crowd like she belonged there, Quorra at her side, while Tron remained on the edge with Beck. He stared over the crowd; there must have been over a thousand there already, with more appearing over the hills and rises from every direction across the Outlands.

“Mara! Zed! Beck!” A familiar voice suddenly shouted. Crouched by her bike, Mara shot to her feet and turned on her heel.

“Ray!” Mara shouted. She took off at a run up a nearby hill, then laughed as their old friend tossed herself forward, the two of them meeting in a tangle of limbs and breathless joy. Beck watched for a moment, then looked up to see the rest of his former coworkers all piling over the hill. It was hard to count at first, the mass of helmeted heads blending together, but a micro or two later Beck heaved a heavy sigh of relief.

They’d all made it here in one piece. They were all still functional.

He looked up as Zed shouted, nearly knocked right over as Bartik and Hopper went at him with gusto, and had to swallow a laugh. He looked over the crowd a micro longer before tilting his head as he noticed a small detail he hadn’t seen while counting them before.

Every single one of them were in their blacks, but each and every one of them bore Tron’s mark on their chests. Their assignment accents were the same as ever, but the emblem was repeated nearly sixty times over. Tron was stiff beside Beck, staring at each of them in turn. He looked as Beck shifted his weight, boot scuffing against the stone as he gestured to the milling crowd in the distance.

“Think they’re all wearing that?”

Tron snapped his head to look over the larger crowd in the canyon, shoulders tense. It was impossible to read his face through his darkened visor, but his voice was thready, unsteady.

“I hope not…” He almost whispered, then seemed to shake himself, “They’ll get noticed in a nano if they keep it.”

“It does have that effect on programs,” Beck snarked, earning himself a wry snort from Tron. Calling it a win he turned around to stare at the city for a long moment. The lights of the Capitol, the city that shared Tron’s name, gleamed in the dark of the downcycle, just waiting for them to finally make a move. Beck shifted his weight.

“What’s it feel like?” He asked, “Coming home after so long away?”

“To be honest?” Tron said quietly, “I’d rather be anywhere but here. This feels like a trap.”

Beck sat up straight. So, Tron had that same feeling? He looked back out over the city, took in what he could see of its mazelike streets and sharp corners. If they got turned around down there they’d get lost, be easy pickings for any Occupation forces. Oddly enough, though, the city wasn’t red like most others he’d seen. Other than the yellow edged tower in the center of the city, there was no sign of the Occupation around.

In short, it felt very much like a trap. Beck shook his head.

“Not the first one we’ve dealt with.” He rolled his shoulders back, trying to work out the tension there. “We’ll manage somehow. Then you’ll be in charge and everything will be fine.”

Grid, he hoped so.

"You're taking this idea remarkably well," Tron said quietly, arms over his chest. Beck snorted in amusement.

"What, the idea of you being System Admin?" He smirked. "I don’t see how it’s going to change much. You'll still be telling me what to do, and I'll still choose to go about doing things my way."

"And needing someone to fish your disk out of trouble because of that," Tron groused, lightly shoving Becks head with the palm of one hand. Beck just laughed, easily catching his balance.

"That, too," he said before sobering. He reached up, clasping Trons shoulder. "But seriously, you'll be fine. Being at the top of command doesn't make you Clu."

Tron looked at him sharply. Beck shrugged, and the old program groaned softly.

"When did you get so good at reading me?"

"Lucky guess."

“And he’s been around you long enough,” Yori said from behind them. They both turned to see her walking up, Quorra and Paige trailing in her wake. She smiled at her partner, but her eyes were cold as she looked over the city. It had been their home once, Beck knew; to see it and know that it wasn’t home anymore…he wondered how they were taking that. “You’re not as hard to read as you think.”

Tron was silent, doubtlessly rolling his eyes beneath his helmet. Rather than justify that with a reply he instead asked, “How many are going in?”

“Just the five of us,” Yori said, hands on her hips. “Even if we go in in squads or groups, there’s too many programs entering at once. We’d get noticed by the border guards in a nano.”

“Which throws off the entire plan of lying in wait,” Paige said before Beck could open his mouth. “But why just the five of us?”

“Because a pair of partnered units being escorted in would be almost normal,” Quorra said with a sidelong look at Beck and Paige. They shared a look with one another, then looked back at her.

“He’s not—”

“She isn’t—”

Tron failed to swallow all of his laughter, prompting Beck to turn and give him a hard look even as Quorra broke out into giggles. The old program didn’t even seem phased, looking instead to Yori as she smiled and cracked open her baton. Why did everyone think they were a partnered unit?! Beck liked her, yes, but—

“The rest will all wait here.” Yori rezzed her helmet with a few quiet clicks, bending over her bike’s controls. “I’ll send a signal when we’re ready for them to come in.”

She shot forward in a blaze of light. A pace behind her, Quorra’s bike roared down the hill. Tron looked back at Beck with amusement dancing in his pale eyes before he too was gone, and then it was just them. Paige looked at Beck for a moment before her lips curved upwards.

“Come on,” She said with a knowing look on her face, “We don’t want to be late for the show…Partner.”

She was gone before Beck could reply, leaving him sputtering on the hill overlooking the city. Slowly, he shook his head.

Partners. Somehow that didn’t sound so bad.

--

Storms stretched out for kilometers ahead of what was left of the Convoy Clu had taken to Argon. What had been hundreds of ships was now less than a single hundred, his contingent cut in half and limping home like the loss of Argon was the loss of a limb.

Dyson was lucky Clu had him out tracking their rogue asset, Clu thought, or he’d have been the one chained up in a hold somewhere. Thunder rumbled outside as Clu rolled his shoulders, trying to keep his breathing even. The storms were getting stronger as more and more of the Grid began to fail and collapse around them, the signs unseen by most programs. They’d have to move some of the outlying cities population inward again. Of all the times to be dealing with a rebellion!

The door behind him swung open quietly. Without a word or fanfare, one of Clu’s remaining Honor Guard stepped into the room. A tablet glowed blue under his arm as he came to a halt several paces behind Clu.

“Word from General Dyson, sir,” his guard said. Clu gestured for him to continue and he said, “The rogue sentry has been derezzed. Tron and the beta are moving on the capitol, assisted by Yori and a force a hundred strong and should be there just ahead of you.”

Yori. Clu almost shuddered. Of all the luck that he’d found her in this disaster…

“Is that all?” He asked instead. His guard was silent for a nano, doubtlessly checking the tablet.

“Yes sir.” A shift in movement and then: “Should I send word to Jarvis?”

“That won’t be necessary,” Clu sighed, staring out at the storm clouds. “Send word to Castor instead. Have him prepare to meet our…guests. And—” He continued, “Send a message to Dyson: If he wants a chance at Tron, he has until we arrive to do it.”

“Yes sir,” Said his guard once more. Clu watched his reflection in the window as he turned on his heel and marched out to do his bidding. It was only when the door closed that Clu sighed more heavily, bending at the waist and putting his hands on his knees. He’d hoped, almost beyond all logic and reason, that the reformat of Argon City would have taken Tron out somehow. But it hadn’t, and both Tron and Beck were still functional. Worse still, they’d managed to find Yori and her makeshift army.

Tron and Yori had been legendary in the Old System, the tales he’d heard from older programs and Flynn both had said, instrumental in the destruction of the MCP of their old home. They were a bundle, not offshoots or part of the same code, but complimentary. Where one would step the other would follow with ease and grace. For the two of them to be together again, and headed for the Capitol…Clu had half a processor to stay in the air and never land again. At least then he’d see them coming!

He was breathing too quickly. Forcing himself to take a deep breath to cool his intakes, Clu stood up straight. He raked a hand through his hair, staring out into the storm. So what if Tron and Yori had reunited? So what if Beck had managed to stay functional. They were three programs with the help of maybe a hundred, and he knew where they were headed. Dyson would catch them and that would be the end of it.

Wouldn’t it?

Lightning struck a rock formation outside the ship. The Grid buzzed beneath his heels, as angry as always. He took another deep breath and pushed it out of his processor.

It wouldn’t be long now. Soon, Tron would be under his control.

Soon, all of this would be over.

--

The Capitol hadn’t changed in the past five hundred cycles. Tall buildings still reached up into the storm clouds, programs dressed in rain gear or holding transparent umbrellas filled the streets, heedless of the storm spitting rain down on their heads. Though their little group of five earned some odd looks, no one bothered to try and speak to them or slow them down as Quorra, helmet rezzed to hide her face, led them through the mazelike streets of the Capitol. Yori walked at his side, their hands brushing with every step. A step behind, Beck and Paige walked with their heads practically on swivels, small-town programs seemingly overwhelmed by the big city.

He knew better, of course. They were impressed, sure, but there was a solidity to their gazes that spoke more of watching the perimeter than being lost or out of place. It made a bit of proud warmth uncurl in his core, to know how very far Beck had come in so short a time. He could only hope to guide the young program a little bit further.

“Here—” Quorra said suddenly, coming to a halt in front of a non-descript building. Overhead, neon buzzed through a large sign that cast the entire street in blue light. She pushed open a set of double doors, revealing a repurposed cargo lift on a track. “Zuse runs the club and bar on the top floor. If anyone knows how to get to the Admin Tower, it’ll be him.”

Beneath his helmet, Tron frowned. Beck leaned back and almost fell with how far he had to go to read the sign blazing over their heads. He caught his footing and said,

“End of Line Club?” He looked to Tron, “Do you know the place?”

“I did, once,” He replied, stepping in and shutting the door to the lift behind them. It rose with a core lurching jolt. He looked to Quorra as she derezzed her helmet. “Wasn’t this further uptown before?”

“It was,” Yori said, derezzing her helmet and raking a hand through her hair, “Before Clu blew it up as payback for Zuse being an Iso sympathizer.” She turned to Quorra. “How did he survive that?”

The young Iso shrugged her shoulders up to her ears, hands laced behind her back. Paige turned to watch her instead of at the rapidly disappearing landscape out the dark glass that went from street to penthouse.

“I’m not sure,” Quorra said finally, “I guess if you survive as long as Zuse has, you learn a few tricks.”

Tron turned in time to catch Beck’s eyes. Slowly, Beck shook his head. So, he thought this was a trap, too. Tron frowned beneath his helmet as the lift began to slow, the pulsing beat of music beginning to shake the elevator. The late system time did nothing to deter programs desperate for a good time, and as the lift stopped the doors opened to the club packed full. Programs with all manner of designations and assignments bobbed and weaved, dances Tron didn’t quite recognize or could rightly call dances taking up every bit and byte of their attention. Paige made a disgusted noise behind him, but when he turned enough to look at her her helmet was still up, clean surface reflecting the flickering lights within the club.

With ease borne from many a trip through a crowd like this, Quorra stepped into the club and began to beat a path towards the bar. Yori was a pace behind her, holding onto the Iso’s elbow as they walked, Tron just behind her and Beck at the rear. The clang of the lift doors closing behind them was lost to a heavy bass note, one that made Tron’s entire frame vibrate and audio inputs ring. How anyone could stand this long enough to have fun, he just didn’t know. There were enough programs half-drunk on energy at the bar he really did have to wonder about the stability of their code, but as he watched the white-suited, pale-haired bartender turn around and freeze as he caught sight of Quorra, maybe that was the point.

Maybe no one around here wanted to be stable enough to think.

“Well—” The bartender said in a too-tight voice, “What strikes your fancy, hmm? Bit of High Rise?” He asked, never taking his eyes off of Quorra’s stern face, “Or maybe a little of Five Milli Fire? You look like the type who needs a bit of relaxation—”

“Cut the act, Zuse,” Quorra hissed, barely audible over the thumping music and laughing programs, “I know you.”

“Zuse, hmm?” The program almost whimpered, drawing the attention of a Siren nearby, “No, no, can’t say I know the name. My name is Castor, my dear, and I—”

“Very funny,” Quorra said flatly, “but I think I’d recognize my old friend a kilometer away.”

Silence. Then he sighed. “…Yes,” the Program said with an oddly tight smile across his face, “I suppose you would, my dear. Ah, well,” He sighed again, and his smile became a hint more genuine. “It is quite good to see you in one piece, my dear Quorra—after the Purge, I assumed you derezzed in Arjia City.”

Quorra grimaced. “Not quite,” She said, “but it was close. I had help, and now I need yours.” She gestured with one hand at Yori, and at Tron standing behind her with every circuit on his suit turned off. Zuse blinked, before his eyes went wide.

“Goodness,” Zuse said, looking the two of them over, “I never thought that you’d find—” He put a finger to his own lips, stopping himself from saying another word. He smiled beneath his finger, then cleared his throat. “Well, this is certainly a momentous occasion! Come, come—” He moved to step out, gesturing to the Siren with a single hand. She watched them with pale eyes even as Zuse said, "Gem, my dear," He gestured to Quorra with his chin, "Watch the place for a bit? Something calls my attention."

"Of course," Gem replied with a look at Tron and Yori. She raised a hand and the music changed, the heavy notes and synth covering Zuse's footsteps as he came out from behind the bar to slip an arm around Quorra's shoulders.

"This way, my dear," He said with a tight smile that set Tron's shoulders to tense, "best to have this conversation in private."

He led Quorra away from the bar with that guiding arm. Yori glared at Zuse’s back, quickly falling into step behind him. Tron turned over his shoulder for just long enough to gesture for Beck and Paige to fall in, the pair somehow already used to moving together. He smiled, unseen, beneath his visor. They could say whatever they wanted, but he’d know a partner-bundle when he saw one. If they survived all of this, they’d be good for one another.

Though that was still a very big if. Tron stepped through the door to Zuse’s office and looked around as Beck and Paige stepped inside, the door closing behind them. There was a small bar across the room, glowing canisters and carafes of energy just waiting to be consumed. The music was muffled here, quieted by the couches and curtains. A sleep-bunk was carved into the back wall, no doubt Zuse’s or perhaps meant for two, but it saw no use as Zuse let go of Quorra, turned on his heel and once again stared at Yori and Tron.

“I’d heard the rumors,” He said, “we all had, but to think…Tron and Yori, both alive and functional?” He shook his head, render desaturating as he rested his hands on the head of his cane. “Clu must be roiling like a storm right about now.”

“I’ll count us all lucky if he is,” Yori said firmly, “But we’re not here to talk, Zuse. The Admin Building.” She watched as he lowered himself to sit in an overstuffed, over-designed chair. “We need access. Quorra says you can get us in there.”

“I most certainly can,” Zuse replied, leaning back in his chair, “But what would be in it for me? If you fail, Clu will know I helped you and then…” He spread his fingers in a mimicry of an explosion, “Once again I must crawl my way back to the top.” He cocked his head to the side. “What do I gain from this little arrangement, hrm?”

“A free Grid doesn’t count for enough?” Beck said, arms crossed over his chest, “You’ve obviously managed to rebuild before.”

“Not with any measure of joy, my young friend,” Zuse sighed, buffing his nails on the front of his coat. He pondered them a moment, then closed his eyes and heaved a heavy sigh. “But I see your point. I certainly would rather enjoy not having Clu breathing down my neck all the time.”

“So you’ll help us?” Paige asked. Zuse looked to her, at his reflection in her helmet, before he rose to his feet.

“I’ll do better than that, my dear program,” He said with a grin, holding his cane tight in one hand, “I’ll take you to the top of the building myself.” He gestured with two fingers for the five of them to follow before heading to the back wall. Without a word he reached up to a light fixture bolted just above his bunk, turned it counter clockwise, and then stepped back as a wall panel slid upwards to reveal a smaller lift. Beck whistled softly as the lights clicked on. Zuse grinned.

“Straight into the tunnels for us.” He turned to glance back at them, “I do hope none of you are afraid of tight spaces.”

“We’ll manage,” Tron said flatly, the last to step onto the lift. Zuse used his cane to shift between Quorra and Paige’s arms to press a button near the doorway, sending them down at speed. There was no way to monitor their depth, but Tron’s internal clock told him this descent took longer than the ascent to the club from the street. It made sense: the tunnels beneath the Capitol were deeper than the ones beneath Argon, having never been used for drainage or races. Flynn had built the ones here much like the ones in Lithium: for storage and extra living space if it had been needed. In the past programs had used them, but now…Tron frowned as they stepped off the lift and into the dimly lit tunnels.

Now, no one seemed to use them. Yori frowned, rezzing her helmet as they passed through stale air.

“When’s the last time anyone was down here,” She asked softly. Zuse shrugged.

“Before the Purge, I’d say,” He said as he began to guide them down the long stretch of tunnel, “Now there’s quite a bit more space up in the city, so programs see no need to come and stay here.”

Quorra flinched back away from him. Yori put an arm around her shoulders, her spine straight as a staff as she stared at the back of Zuse’s head, doubtlessly glaring at him for his unkind commentary. Tron brushed a hand across her shoulder as they walked, transmitting a gentle [calm] through to her. She sighed, looking at him, but didn’t release Quorra. From his other side, Beck shook his head.

“Not even Clu’s soldiers have been down here?”

“Oh, they don’t quite see the need,” Zuse waved a hand in the air, “And they’ve been ever so busy squashing rebellions and resistances since word of Tron’s continuing survival got out, you see.” He swung his cane as they walked, back and forth like a pendulum. Tron frowned. “All those little rebellions have certainly been giving Clu some real trouble. Nearly a million programs all up in arms against him? It’s really a surprise we haven’t had more reformats yet!”

Beck made an oddly pained noise in the back of his throat. Paige took his hand as they walked, but remained silent. Barely a micro later, Zuse stopped them at a doorway. It was locked with a keypad, but four presses and quiet chimes later, it swung open. Still unseen, Tron’s frown deepened. How had Zuse known the access code to the Admin Tower? Another of his tricks of survival? Or perhaps something more.

There was no time to think on it. Zuse led the little group into the maintenance hatches of the Tower, straight down the corridor and one right turn into the elevator. There, another code sent it up at such a pace the ground seemed to lurch beneath them. Tron caught his balance, looking out as glass reappeared. They were headed up, up, up, high into the airspace around the Capitol. Higher than most Lightjets dared to fly, the only ships up here would be Clu’s convoy. He looked around for the yellow-lined command ship, set to arrive within the milli, but it was hidden from sight at this angle. It must have been on the other side of the building.

“Why do you have the access keys for this building?” Beck piped up from behind Tron. Zuse blinked, then turned that same smile back over his shoulder. Everyone stared at him, the edge to his smile tighter now, before he turned away.

“When you survive as long as I have, you learn a few…tricks,” Zuse said as the elevator dinged their arrival. He stepped out as the doors opened, his white-suited back quickly darting off down the golden lit hall before Quorra could grab him. Tron looked at Yori, who looked back at him with pursed lips and a furrowed brow. It was obvious now that this was a trap, but what choice was there? They had to strike now. If they didn’t, if Clu had a chance to mount a proper defense of the tower or offense against the Resistance, what chance would they ever have again?

The thought caught in his processor, Tron stepped off the elevator and after Zuse. This high up they were above the storm clouds, and he could make out the other towers through breaks in the clouds. He could also see that Zuse had come to a halt in the center of the half-lit room, looking out at the storm brewing around them, and at Clu’s convoy just now visible over the Outlands on its way home. Frowning, Tron held out an arm to keep Quorra from walking over to him. Zuse took a breath, nodded once to himself, and then began to speak.

“You see,” Zuse clasped the head of his cane in both hands, “The reason Clu was breathing down my neck most recently? I knew where you were, my dear,” He strode backwards past Quorra, who’d gone stiff as she finally realized what they walked into. “And hadn’t told him a word. But,” Zuse smiled, “My dear Gem passed word to his command staff the micro you came with me.” Everyone turned. Paige snarled and reached for her disk. “So, I suspect you’ll see Clu quite soon indeed.” Zuse stepped back through the doorway. “I am rather sorry it’s come to this, my dear Quorra, but…such is the way the disk has fallen.”

“Zuse, you—” Quorra screamed, charging for him with circuits overload bright. The white-suited program gave a jaunty little wave as the door closed and locked with a harsh click. Alongside Quorra Paige threw herself at the doorway but it wouldn’t budge. Beck grabbed the bypasser wrench off his hip and slammed it to the wall, watching the code stream past.

“It’s locked,” He said after a nano, emitter glowing a soft blue-green as he tried to work, “It’ll take a sixteenth to get through all this encryption!”

Tron opened his mouth, then stopped. Footsteps echoed through the room. He reached back for his disk.

“We don’t have that kind of time,” He said. Everyone turned around, watching as, from the shadows, strode a red-lined program. There was a sneering smile on that old familiar face, hands clasped at the small of his spine.

“Well,” Dyson said in a falsely warm voice, “this is certainly a surprise.” He looked over the little group with knowing eyes, gaze lingering on Beck before Tron stepped in front of him. “Tron, Beck, our former Commander Paige, and—oh my.” He paused, eyes going wide as he finally saw Yori standing beside Tron. Her circuits were flaring overload bright, shoulders rising and falling in a forcibly steady rhythm. She glared at Dyson as he continued, “Yori. What a pleasant surprise! And look—” He turned his gaze on Quorra, her disk still in hand. “You brought us an Iso.” His eyes narrowed and all trace of amusement dropped from his tone. “The last Iso.”

Quorra drew in a sharp breath. Her render went pale; she stepped back behind Yori as Dyson’s eyes narrowed with unhidden hatred.

“Clu will be very pleased to see you again, I’m sure,” He finally sneered, taking a step forward towards them. Tron shifted his weight, hearing two disks kick on behind him as Beck and Paige took their stances. Paige then gasped softly in alarm, before Beck hissed something that Tron just couldn’t make out. He didn’t dare take his eyes off of Dyson but then Beck stepped up beside him and took his stance despite a fine tremble to his frame. Dyson just cocked his head. Then he opened his mouth--

“Quorra!” Tron shouted, “Get out of here! Go!”

“But—” She started to protest, only for Paige to shoot forward, grab her by the wrist and forcibly pull her along. She stumbled, reaching out for them, “Tron!”

“Go!” He and Yori shouted in unison, Beck’s voice echoing a nano later. Dyson shifted his weight, made to charge after the two female-designates, only to have to leap back as Yori’s disk nearly carved his head off his shoulders. He landed with a snarl, glaring at the her. With a breathy sob Quorra turned away; she and Paige took a running leap out the window, glass shattering and batons cracking open. Two light-jets flew out of the city, blue-white and green trails bright in the darkening sky. Dyson sneered as he rose to his feet.

“That won’t protect them, you know,” He said, pacing a wide circle around the three of them, “Clu will be here any micro. He’ll find the Iso and finally be done with the threat to the Grid.”

“The only threat around here is you,” Yori hissed, staff extending from her baton, “And we’re going to be done with you!”

Dyson smirked.

“I’d like to see you try,” He said with a huff of laughter, reaching back to grab his disk, “But then…you never were very good at fighting, Yori.”

“We’ll see about that.”

And then they moved. Tron and Yori charged forward in the same nano, side by side, while Beck went around to flank Dyson. Dyson pivoted on his heel, moved to throw his disk at Beck, only to find Tron there to clash with instead. Beck went low as Yori went high, the two of them aiming for Dyson’s port as if they’d trained together for cycles. Dyson snarled, forced to drop the clash and drop to his knees, spinning out a whirling kick to force the three of them to jump back or lose their footing. He popped back to his feet and charged at Tron again, only to have to jump back as Yori swung her staff wide. He almost slipped as the Tower rattled. Tron looked up, snarling as he saw the yellow-lined command ship of Clu’s convoy docking at the top. Clu had arrived, and they were still here dealing with Dyson? There wasn’t time for this! He stepped sideways, towards the steps that would lead up to the highest level of the Tower.

“Where do you think you’re going?!” Dyson shouted, taking a run at Tron again. Tron braced his stance, brought his disk up—but then Yori was there, staff in hand. Dyson leapt back rather than be skewered, a frown creasing his brow as he landed and stared them down.

“You two go,” Yori said firmly, holding Dyson back at the end of her staff, “I’ll deal with him.” She turned her head enough to meet Tron’s gaze, “Stop Clu.”

“Yori—” He reached out, but she reached back with one hand and shoved him back. He stumbled, eyes wide as she turned to face down Dyson. He couldn’t leave her to fight him! Five hundred cycles of skill or otherwise he’d derezz her! He reached out to her, “Yori, no!”

“Go!” She shouted. Dyson’s frown became a sneering little smirk. He looked at Tron over Yori’s shoulder, eyes gleaming with malice. There was a promise in there, too, Tron knew: Dyson intended to derezz Yori, and then come for him. He needed to stay, to end this threat once and for all, but—

“Tron,” Beck shouted from the stairs at the other end of the room, “Come on! We have to go now!”

For a nano, Tron hesitated. He looked from Yori to Dyson, then to Beck halfway bent over the rail of the stairs. Core lurching in his chest, he turned away.

“We’ll come back!” He shouted to Yori as he hit the stairs. Ahead of him, Beck was taking them two at a time. Tron looked down for only a nano, then forced himself to turn his eyes forward.

They had to stop Clu. That was all that mattered.

Soon, one way or another, this would all be over.

[radiantlyrey]

Thoughts on Uprising ep14 “Tagged”

- note: we are now in Unknown Territory, for me! I have not watched any episodes past this point! all I know is what I’ve seen chatter about; that’s it!! SO LET’S GET STARTED.

- cold open: I see we have a team of feral dogs libertarian street artists making trouble in Argon! good thing they got away from the cops, at least?? (in re: feral dogs: Night Vale references? anyone? anyone?)

- “my fanclub strikes again” “you mean my fanclub” Tron are you being SASSY??? I agree with Beck, this is an improvement!!

- I get the sense from this conversation that Beck is still a little testy about his encounter with Cyrus, hence his insistence on bringing the street artists into the fold. Tron is advising caution, but I think Beck is feeling a little stretched thin by all this Renegade stuff and wants some, y’know, help. can’t say I blame the kid.

- then we cut to Paige dealing with a bomb threat on a train and it is lowkey kind of hilarious how she shoves the bomb squad aside and fucking opens the bomb herself—like girl!!!!! we have the bomb squad for a reason!!!!!!! STOP. thank god it’s just a paint bomb, cause she would’ve been derezzed instantly if it wasn’t.

- then Beck catches up with the artists three and basically does to them what Tron did to him; poses as a Black Guard and questions them and then reveals himself to be “Tron” aka the Renegade. also the subtitles totally gave away Mara’s role in the Jolly Tricksters, which… boo. but I love Beck’s obvious shock when he sees her; he was not counting on that! also Mara kind of flirting with “Tron” makes me (and Beck) uncomfortable…..

- meanwhile back at Tron’s, Beck tries to feel out why Tron chose him and also tries to suss out what, if anything, Tron will tell him about the Stranger/Cyrus. (again, not sure Cyrus actually introduced himself in the previous episode; I think I was too busy cussing to actually remember….) anyway, Beck wants Tron to tell him about Cyrus, but Tron is apparently pretending that chapter of his life DID NOT HAPPEN. (also Beck’s weird wrist circuits are still freaking me out………. hope they don’t prove significant in the future……)

- back in the main plot (though I’m surprised that this episode is ALL A-plot! no charming sideplot required, apparently!): Beck gets the Jolly Tricksters to do a distraction so he can sneak in and get some intel from Tesler’s ship. he’s in and out with no trouble, but then: trouble arrives!! in the form of Moog and Rasket who want to put a tag on Tesler’s whole ass ship. Mara is the only one of them with any sense, and she insists on going with the Renegade to get them back.

- so Moog and Rasket (Raskay~~ whatever your name is Rasket) do their big tag, and get fucking caught by Pavel. and taken to a torture chamber, essentially. Pavel’s doing that thing where he swings between silly and deadly serious and it’s a little terrifying. the torture device is horrifying and very much Do Not Want from me, like……… holy shit. and they don’t even shy away from showing it onscreen!!!! WHAT THE FUCK, SHOW. it’s like the creators realized Disney wasn’t gonna do shit to promote their show and just decided to do whatever!!!!!!!! jesus.

- Mara and Beck-as-Renegade save them tho!!! hooray!! and then Beck gives them all an assignment—keep the gate open—that Moog and Rasket immediately give up on and Mara, I can’t believe you thought you could control these two!! my god!!! but she manages to buy time for the Renegade as Beck is fighting Paige (there were some good shots in that fight btw) and they all just barely escape and ooOOF.

- less great that Moog and Rasket are out, and that Beck, as much as he needs Mara, can’t afford to put his friend in danger and essentially pushes her away. sigh.

- and then Beck and Tron have a conversation in PUBLIC ABOUT THIS???? AND TRON DON’T EVEN HAVE HIS FACE COVERED???????? the FUCK are you doing Tron???? GODDDDD.

- that said the coda of Mara doing another tag is glorious, and I hope we see more of her efforts towards revolution in the future. Beck is absolutely right: she really truly believes in the cause, and if (who she thinks is) Tron telling her he doesn’t need her doesn’t make her give up, then nothing will.

- all in all: fun little romp of an episode, and a very nice breather after the sheer fuck-inducing intensity of the previous episode.

[dumbtronaus]

AU where everyone plays the following band instruments:

Tron plays the French horn. They require a strong ear and strong breath, and sound super heroic.

Yori plays the flute. Though usually underestimated, they require tons of air power.

Flynn is a saxophonist. Loyal but a bit overbearing and obnoxious sometimes.

Alan plays the bassoon. Between his long fingers, strong ear, and mile long stubbornness, he'd be a perfect fit.

Lora is second chair clarinet but is catching up with principal fast.

Clu1 plays percussion. Idk, I think he would like it.

Clu2 is an oboe player. Nearly every oboe player I have ever met is an extreme perfectionist, which is kinda required to keep the instrument from sounding like a goose.

Ram would have fun on the trombone.

Sark plays the euphonium, thinking he was big and bad but has nothing on the tuba.

Dillinger seems like a flute player to me, but like...a toxic one.

Gibbs is principal clarinet. He takes Lora under his wing, even if ge can be a little overbearing.

Dumont would be a tuba played because he is powerful.

Sam Flynn would probably like the trumpet or percussion.

Quorra would definitely like percussion.

Beck started off on Saxophone, but decided to change and is now taking French horn lessons from Tron.

Zed is a clarinet player, but not one of the top chairs. He tries, though.

Mara is the bass trombone player. She's one of a kind and has the strength to get out those low notes.

Able is the principal percussionist, and keeps the rag tag team of percussionists under control.

Paige is that one musical prodigy. Every band has at least one. She grew up playing the piano and violin, but she loves playing the trumpet.

Pavel is also a trumpet player (derogatory).

Tesler plays the tuba.

Dyson plays the Saxophone. He's the sneaky little snitch.

Cyrus got kicked out of band for harassing other students.

[tronuprisingheadcanons]

what do you think each characters instagram/social media would be like?

Beck’s would probably be a lot of revolutionary talk and pictures with his friends. Dedication posts for Bodhi at least once a week. Mara would have a lot of aesthetic and Girl Power. She also shares, likes, and whatever else she can do whenever Beck and Zed tag her in pictures. Zed would post pictures of the light cycles and machines he’s worked on with lots of pictures of him, Mara, and Beck. Tron doesn’t post a lot and usually only responds to things that he’s been sent, or has been tagged in. Paige has a lot of posts mainly featuring music, quite a lot about proper fighting techniques. Pavel’s profile almost looks like a snuff film. All of the posts are morbid or unsettling in some way. Tesler sees no point in social media because he is “a very busy man, and cannot see the point of wasting time with such useless things.”Cyrus runs a punk/grunge account, and you can pry that away from my cold, dead hands.

[3-inch-sam]

Tron Uprising as John Mulaney quotes (1/?)

Beck:

Tron:

Paige:

Mara:

Zed:

Pavel:

Able:

Tesler: (to dyson probably)

Dyson:

Cyrus:

[evecolourshock]

"Yes and no, and I'm aware that's unhelpful." Eve ran a scan over Rinzler - more rudimentary than she wanted to, but enough to find out if the malware they were infected with triggered any alerts. It didn't yet, but things could change.

"I found out about a beta he was... training, mentoring, attempting to keep out of trouble, was never particularly clear from his attempt at justifying his choices. Didn't know until I met Beck said beta was... well. Beck. If I had known back then... I'd've kicked Tron's back end up one side of the Grid and back down the other, or at least attempted it."

"In between the two... I heard about Cyrus." Eve jerked a thumb over her shoulder. "Didn't know about what he'd become, thought he was the beta in question because at the time I didn't know he was fully developed. Also didn't know Tron had been stupid enough to try the same thing twice - got lucky Beck's so sweet and not... well. You get the idea?"

Two Programs stood at the base of the ridge, visible as pinpricks of light. "The tall one is Midas, he's neutral towards the Occupation but only because they trashed his clinic twice. He's the medic. Looks like he's brought his trainee Clef along, they're a good kid but can't talk after a run-in with Pavel and him deciding they were too mouthy."

From @evecolourshock

"Calm down, alright? I know you're hurting, and I know things are confusing, but getting angry with me is not the answer, okay?" Eve asked softly, crouching down and keeping her hands well away from her disc. "Those gashes look painful - rough run-in with those extremists, huh? I have a few patches with me, can I give them to you?" It hurt to see what was left of Tron like this, but... she wouldn't push Rinzler. "I can get you some energy too, if you like."

Rinzler’s body language radiates distrust and pain. Hunched over and head tilted. His face may be covered by a blank helmet but there’s no doubt he’s glaring daggers.

They don’t like accepting help, it shows weakness, imperfection. Especially accepting it from an unfamiliar program.

But… going back to Clu with visibly bad injuries after letting extremists get the jump on him is much worse than a hit to their pride.

“Just the patches…” Rinzler replies sharply.

[mauricedelafalaise]

https://www.instagram.com/delafalaisephotodiary/

[incorrecttronuprisingquotes]

I'm as happy as a clam that wants to kill people.

Cyrus

[radiantlyrey]

Thoughts on Uprising Ep 7 The Price of Power

- (apparently there’s no “the” in the title???? why?????)

- cold open shows Shaw the scientist, who comes off as the typical misguided evil scientist type. possibly trying out his invention on himself, given his reaction when Beck tries to save him?? He’s an interesting one-scene character, if a little one-note.

- speaking of Beck: kiddo seems pretty upset that he couldn’t save Shaw. Beck’s humanity towards even his enemies has been pretty well established at this point, but I like that he does fail sometimes to save and or spare people (see also the Black Guard from ep1)

- meanwhile in the B plot: Bartik and Hopper are harassing Zed again, with Mara not taking their guff. Also Zed’s crush is showing again, poor guy. Pulling from later in the episode, I am still fucking BOGGLED that Bartik here and Bartik in Legacy are the same fucking guy!!! How do you go from collaborating with the fascist regime to……. leading an uprising faction against it???? Like HOLY SHIT. Forget Beck; I wanna know what the arc of Bartik’s story is!!!!!!!

- back at Tron’s place: infodump about what the disc add on does, Beck works at a place with a thing that can destroy it, etc. that said: “when are you ever not serious?” OOH BURN NICELY DONE BECK. Also it’s fucking true; Tron is The Grid’s Biggest Grump. Still love him tho…..

- and then, because Beck has a Saving People Thing, he falls right in the middle of Paige’s trap and has to use the weapon to get out and this is why I don’t like this episode!!! I do not like amped up, cocky Beck one fucking bit. I had an epiphany later in the episode, this ep is basically the Spider-Man 3 plot condensed into 22 mins and Beck is basically Symbiote Peter here and I Do Not Like It. I get it, I do, but I really don’t enjoy it at all.

- back at the B plot, it’s nice to see Beck actually like. Interacting with his friends for once. Less nice that it’s under these circumstances (with the shitty personality nonsense), but yeah.

- And then Beck, who is not a great decision maker in the best of times, decides to go and make EVEN WORSE DECISIONS. WHY DID YOU THINK THROWING DOWN WITH TESLER WAS A GOOD IDEA, HON?????????? UGHHHHHHHH

- nice to see Beck snap out of it when Able gets hurt, at least. Kiddo does still have his principles, if nothing else. Also Able recognizing Beck as Tron is interesting as fuck and I hope it is explored more. And then later Zed’s comment about the Renegade: “he’s a menace!!” Which made me think of J. Jonah Jameson and make that Spider-man connection up there and I kinda want a meme or something of that Idk

- back at Tron’s place: THE GIRLS ARE FIGHTINGGGGGGGGGG

- Tron alluding to Beck’s mental as well as physical strength interests me, given the details I have seen about Cyrus (no spoilers here plz, I only watched up to Cyrus’ intro episode 10 years ago, soooo….). And for all that he is a Certified Grump, Tron does seem to care about Beck’s well-being in a prickly, distant parent kind of way, so it’s nice for him to express that belief that Beck will do the right thing.

- meanwhile the ongoing pissing contest between Pavel and Paige continues!! Those two guys, I swear. And then Pavel gets hold of the weapon and is even more insufferable than usual with it, because of course he is. The fight between him and Beck has great music at least, I’ll give it that. Also love that Beck gets it and destroys it instead of keeping it for himself; good strength of character stuff.

- meanwhile: EYYYY ZED DID A GOOD WITH MARA BUT SHE WAS UNCONSCIOUS BUT BECK DID ZED A SOLID (AND OPE BECK DON’T BLOW YOUR FRICKIN COVER MY DUDE)

- and then the coda: the weapon is self-repairing!!! EEK FUCK DAMN. That ain’t fucking good, given that Pavel has it. (And given that Beck has the other half…….) also my theory when I first watched this episode 10 years ago is that that weapon was incorporated into Tron when Clu turns him into Rinzler?? Just because of the harsh gravelly effect it has on the program’s voice, and the enhanced strength and agility it gives. No idea if it’s what actually happens, but. It is a theory.

May or may not watch the next episode tonight; it’s 9:30 and I’m tired and wide awake at the same time so Who Knows!!!!