Chapter One

"But as you get older a lot of weight on your shoulders is getting heavy, Then you look back and you start to regret things You only get one life, And every time you lookin' at yours You feel like everything you have is a waste..." - Wake Up, NF

Darkness. It seems like darkness is the only thing that one can find throughout the Grid. An eternal cold blanket of darkness that wraps around you until there is nothing left. Sometimes, it feels like there's no chance of fighting back, no escaping it's grasp. Until you realize that you are not alone in this cold, cruel world. When that moment arrives, you understand that there are others worth fighting for. That no matter how impossible it may seem, someone cares for you.

…

A program was running through the streets of Argon City, trying to avoid getting caught by the ominous Recognizers sweeping the area for strays or programs out after curfew. With so many Recognizers sweeping the area now, programs couldn't take the luxury of resting. Running was the only way they would slip out of the soldiers' grasp. So, she didn't stop until reaching the side of a building, gasping for breath as a Recognizer got too close for comfort.

Lately, there had been more Recognizers sweeping the city. The Renegade had been making a name for himself, striking fear into the Occupation and building hope for programs like her. She started running again when another Recognizers search light reached her.

This time, there was nowhere for her to hide. She skidded to a halt as the black guard began sweeping down from the Recognizers, disks activated. Instinct quickly kicked in, and she reached for her own disk. The black guard were fast, though, and easily took advantage of her as she was overwhelmed by sheer numbers.

But, just as quickly as they had apprehended her, they were stopped just as quickly. The program blinked in amazement as the black guards were knocked out with ease. It didn't take a genius to realize that the Renegade had come to her rescue.

"Go, now, before more show up!" he told her after knocking out the last black guard, making sure they didn't get the chance to follow her.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed.

The program he just rescued sounded more than grateful that she lived to see another cycle. Without another word, she made a run for it, leaving the Renegade behind.

Once she was gone, the Renegade let out a sigh and observed the guards that were knocked out. Programs like her were the reason he worked tirelessly to ensure they were always free. It was an exhausting job, and a thankless one, at that. Programs who were rescued might be thankful at the heat of the moment, but later on, they would blame him for being caught in the first place.

Well, I'd rather be the one freeing them than oppressing them, he reminded himself as he headed back to the usual meeting place.

He had been the Renegade for at least two xilacycles, now. On the first cycle of his new role, he hadn't had much confidence. Now, it was like he could do this with his eyes closed. Those two xilacycles had taught him valuable fighting skills that came in handy while he was out working. The only difference was, he now worked alone.

At one time, there had been two Renegades. Tesler was always fumbling around with new ways to catch them. But, the Renegades were always one step ahead of him. It wasn't until an insane program known as Cyrus had changed things between their partnership. His partner, the other Renegade, had left after Cyrus attacked a couple of mechanics and he left them for the blame. Cyrus' attack had been a painful blow on everyone who worked at Able's garage. The Renegade himself especially felt that blow; he had been close to Able, and to the other Renegade who took the blame for what had happened.

Shaking his head at the thought, he tried to push it away. Thinking of her only brought back painful memories. She had left without warning, and when she had left, she said he would forget about her, like all programs did. Truthfully, he couldn't bring himself to forget her. She was different from any other program he had met. She fought back with a fiery prowess that could leave Clu shaking in his boots. When they first met, she had taken him by surprise with her fierce determination and lack of trust in programs. There weren't many programs like her who were willing to put up with whatever the Grid threw at them.

To his relief, he didn't have to think of her for long. The building where he was supposed to meet his mentor was just a few feet away. It was an abandoned building that lay on the edge of Argon City, where the Recognizers didn't sweep as often. They would often meet at that location because it wasn't checked as often by the guard. It made rendezvousing much easier. Climbing to the top wasn't the challenging part. Seeing whatever his mentor was up to, now that was the real challenge.

"You're late," came a grated voice that always seemed to intimidate whoever he spoke to.

The Renegade only rolled his eyes as his helmet collapsed, revealing the face of a young looking program with spiky brown hair.

"Sorry, I got held up," he replied with a shrug. The taller program, whose suit was all black with a few white circuits, turned to face him. "So, what was so important that it couldn't wait until I got to the safehouse?"

"I've received word that Clu is on his way to Argon City," Tron explained, ignoring the look of surprise flashing in the young program's eyes. "I suspected he would return, especially when Dyson found out I was still alive."

"How are we supposed to fight back if Clu's around?" the program asked warily.

He knew he wasn't ready to face Clu, at least not alone. The tyrant who ruled the Grid was ruthless, and he was known for taking down programs without raising much of a finger. If Clu was returning to Argon City, nothing good would come out of his visit. They had been preparing for the moment when Clu would return. The problem was, there was only so much the two of them could do. They would need an entire team to the problem if they wanted to survive the outcome.

"Beck, you need to lay low, for now," Tron told him, eyes dark as he studied the young mechanic's reaction. "Clu won't hesitate to repurpose you, or derezz you, if you're captured."

Beck only crossed his arms and glared back. He didn't like the fact that Tron was aware of his incapability of taking down Clu by himself. But, he understood Tron's concerns. Being the Renegade put him under a vulnerable position, especially if he was suddenly captured. The last thing either of them wanted was for himself to get captured by the tyrant. If Clu got his hands on him or Tron himself, there was no telling what would happen to the rest of the Grid. For now, it was best to play it safe until Clu left the city.

"Alright, that sounds fair enough," he sighed after giving in. "What are you going to do?"

Lately, Tron had been searching the cities across the Grid for signs of the other Renegade, who seemed to have vanished. Beck knew she had her reasons for staying away. Clu had done terrible things to her, and probably far worse than she would ever admit. She only shared bits and pieces of what Clu really did to her when she was being held captive. There were times when Beck wished he had pried more information out of her, but he realized that wouldn't have gotten them anywhere.

Tron blamed himself for what had happened to her. Beck often overheard him muttering to himself about how he hadn't even known she was on the Grid in the first place. How she managed to avoid the prying eyes of a security monitor was beyond his understanding. Even when he did finally realize that she was a User, he was still unable to read the contents of her disk, or see her through Beck's disk. Her ability to disappear had always been a mystery that had fascinated and worried Beck. There weren't many programs with the same capabilities, and he wondered if all Users had similar abilities.

"I'm going to keep an eye on the city," Tron replied when a few nanocycles of awkward silence went by. "Spend some time with your friends; I'm sure they could use the company, now more than ever."

Beck simply nodded in response, realizing that this was his chance to finally get a break from all his work as the Renegade. With Tron's injuries fully healed, he could take on the role as the Renegade for a while. He had been acting as the second Renegade every now and then if Beck really needed the backup. Though, he only went out if it was a true emergency. Tron had allowed Beck to handle almost every mission on his own since Mira left, and he'd grown quite confident with himself because of that. Though he did miss having a partner in crime every now and then.

With that thought in mind, Beck took the chance to leave before Tron changed his mind. He did want to see his friends again. Thanks to chipping in and making sure that everyone had a place to sleep, the mechanics who once worked at Able's garage had found an apartment to stay in. The quarters weren't all that appealing, but at least it was a place they could call home. And they all had each other to rely on if things got really dicey.

Pavel had fired all the mechanics at the garage when they stood up for the Renegade. Had they known it was Tron they were standing up for, Beck had a feeling they wouldn't hesitate to join the Uprising. But, he didn't want them putting their lives in danger. That was his job, not theirs. He'd worked hard to gain their trust and prove to them that the Renegade wanted to fight for them rather than against them. He wasn't in any hurry to prove them otherwise, or to give Tesler a chance to prove he had been right all this time.

He only shook his head at the thought, knowing full well that when they were ready, he would tell them. He would tell them everything about his role in the Uprising, and how they needed to start standing up to Tesler and the Occupation. Maybe, he wouldn't need to keep going at it alone. That thought alone was enough to send a thrill of hope through him. He had always hated lying to them. While it had been for their own protection, he knew that Tron was right about putting their lives in danger until they were ready to face those consequences.

Or they would turn you in the nano they had the chance, a small voice reminded him silently. Beck frowned at the thought, realizing just how much his own conscience was starting to sound like Mira's. She would have said the same thing. She would not be afraid to admit that programs were willing to turn her in, without even thinking of the consequences. He couldn't help but shake his head when he tried pushing those thoughts aside. Mira hadn't always been right about trusting programs. But he couldn't blame her for not wanting to trust them after everything that happened to her.

When he reached the apartment, Mara and Zed were already in the living space. They shared a living space together, and had separate sleeping quarters. That made slipping in and out much easier for Beck, especially since his, conveniently enough, came with a fire escape. He'd chosen that location mostly to slip in and out whenever the Renegade was needed. Tron had stopped by occasionally when he found out where they were staying, but only to convey news on how the city was coping with Able's loss.

"Beck, where have you been?" Mara asked, narrowing her eyes upon his arrival. "You know what, don't bother answering that. All you ever seem to do lately is lie," she added under her breath.

Zed only gaped at Mara as she dismissed Beck with a small wave of her hand. Beck frowned as he realized that this was Mara's way of hiding her grief, and frustration. She hadn't taken Able's death well. No one had. But his death hit her particularly hard, and she seemed to take it out on Beck the most. By now, he had gotten used to the way Mara and everyone else at the garage treated him. Considering what he was fighting for and what he stood for, he knew it was pointless to try and defend himself against their accusations.

"Look, I just needed to get some air," he explained with a shrug. It was partly true. When he slipped away unnoticed, he did just need some air to clear his head. "I didn't realize how late it was until heading back."

"You're lucky you weren't caught by the black guard," Zed told him after recovering from Mara's behavior. "Though, something tells me they wouldn't be able to catch you, even if they tried."

That much was true. Beck would not let himself get caught unless the situation called for it. He had learned more than one way to evade the black guard. There was one commander though, who always seemed to catch him by surprise. On more than one occasion, she'd almost caught him. Surprisingly though, he'd managed to wriggle out of her grasp each time. Their escapades usually turned into a game of chase or tag. And most of the time, Beck was able to escape her. Though it was clear Paige had been getting more determined than ever to capture the Renegade and anyone who stood up for him.

"So, any luck in finding new jobs?" he asked as he sat on the single chair.

Mara and Zed usually took the sofa, since the two were closer than ever. Beck didn't mind sitting alone, especially since he knew he was already on loose terms with Mara. Most of the time, Mara simply chose to ignore his presence entirely. He was thankful for those rare moments. His fellow mechanic would often snap at the slightest things, and her behavior had only gotten worse since Able's death.

"No, of course not," Mara scoffed, throwing her arms up in frustration. "Each potential employer we went to turned us down. It's as if they're afraid to hire us!"

"Well, it wouldn't be this way if we hadn't stood up for the Renegade," Zed muttered.

Beck found himself flinching at the accusing tone in Zed's voice. Mara was the one who rallied everyone to stand up for the Renegade when the Super Recognizer crashed. Pavel and a group of soldiers had them cornered, but all of the mechanics had stood in their way. Had things gone any differently, Beck was sure that he would be stuck in a prison somewhere, or worse.

"Look, I'm sure things will pick up soon enough," he tried reassuring them with a smile. "We've gone through worse situations, right?"

Mara and Zed looked at him doubtfully, but he could see a small flicker of hope in Mara's eyes. Despite her recent change in attitude, Mara still tried to remain optimistic during their living situation. She like everyone else wanted to get decent jobs and a place to stay instead of having to share a shabby apartment. Though it wasn't the best situations to find themselves in, at least it was better than living out on the streets or the Outlands. Beck knew that their fate could have been worse had Pavel decided to arrest everyone that fateful cycle.

"Beck's right," she sighed. "We need to stop being so hard on ourselves, and on each other. It's time we started standing up for ourselves."

Zed nodded in agreement, all too quick to join Mara in anything she suggested. It was obvious he had a crush on her, but he was unwilling to admit his feelings. Beck almost wished he would get it done and over with. It would at least save everyone from the tension between them.

"Alright, enough with the depressing stuff," Zed said, clasping his hands together as he looked at Beck mischievously. "You know; you never did tell us where that friend of yours went."

Once again, Beck found himself flinching at the mention of Mira.

She was brought up every now and then, and usually by Zed. He was curious to know what had happened to her, or if she had just been a hologram this whole time. It had become an inside joke between them, because she rarely spoke to either mechanics unless Beck was with her. Truthfully, Beck didn't like talking about her. It only brought up painful memories of the way she'd left him standing there, confused and hurt by what she had said.

He tried to ignore the guilt that stabbed him in the chest when he thought of Mira. There were times when he wondered if she left because of him. She'd chosen to leave at such a terrible time, and yet Beck couldn't bring himself to blame her for wanting to leave after what Cyrus did to them. She had suffered from so much more than anyone else he'd met. And he suspected that she had been hiding all of the guilt and loss weighing down on her own shoulders at the time.

"Zed," Mara began, narrowing her eyes when she noticed how Beck had tensed up.

"No, it's okay," he reassured her. "It's just been so many cycles since I've seen her… she had to go back to Tron City. Something came up," he explained with a shrug. "We still keep in touch with each other, though."

"Oh, so do you like her?" Zed asked, and Beck couldn't help but grimace at the thought.

One punch in the arm from Mara was enough for Zed to silence himself. He blinked in surprise after realizing he'd hit a sore spot. Mentioning Mira was one thing, but asking whether or not Beck had feelings for her was an entirely different story. Something told them both that there was more to this girl than Beck was letting on.

…

Few programs knew of the User that had found herself lost on the Grid so many xilacycles ago. Fewer still spoke of the harsh treatment she was given while running from city to city. Clu made sure of that, by derezzing the few programs who did know of her existence.

Clu found himself standing in the observation deck of the flagship that was headed for Argon City, looking thoughtful as he prepared for what would happen during his stay. There were rumors flying around that a User was living in Argon City. The very same User that he'd captured all those xilacycles ago. He had planned to capture her. He knew that if Tron was alive, she would likely be with him. It was quite literally killing two birds with one stone. He just needed to figure out a way of flushing them both out into the open to make his capture secure.

"Sir, we're entering Argon now," came the voice of Dyson as he arrived in the observation deck.

"Good," Clu replied once his second in command told him the news. "I want Tesler's army prepped and ready for a meeting the nano we arrive."

"Sir?" Dyson looked at Clu warily, fully aware that something important was going on.

"There needs to be changes made to Tesler's… lack of leadership," Clu explained. "He's incompetent, and unable to control his temper when it comes to the Renegade. I want the Renegade captured, alive. Along with Tron, wherever he's hiding."

Not to mention, he would want his hands on the User as well. He had unfinished business with her. Xilacycles of working on her during her time in the coliseum only made him more determined to recapture the little User that had caused so much trouble. Not only had she made a valuable asset to his quarry, but all that work wasn't going to go to waste. Clu had planned on using whatever methods he could to flush her out into the open once he determined where she was.

"Sir, there's something I should have told you, sooner," Dyson sighed after brushing a hand through his hair.

He knew Clu wasn't going to like this bit of news, especially since they had worked so hard on building the Super Recognizer. He quickly explained how the Super Recognizer had crashed, and how Tron was able to escape without getting repurposed in the process. It was only thanks to the Renegade and a few mechanics that they managed to escape in the first place, overwhelming Tesler's army through sheer numbers and willpower.

"What?" Clu scowled at the realization they had lost their best weapon. "And how long were you going to wait to share this information with me?"

"Sir, we only just received word about its loss," Dyson replied, wincing at the anger in Clu's voice. He had been dreading the moment he would have to explain how the Super Recognizer was destroyed. The only consolation he had was that this had been mostly Tesler's fault. "The Renegade was the one who crashed it."

"So, not only do we have the Renegade to worry about, but we also have a fully healed Tron to worry about as well," Clu sighed in frustration.

This did not bode well for him. If Tron was fully healed, then it meant Tron would likely fight back with equal force. He wasn't going to take Clu's hostile takeover sitting down. Especially when there was also a User on the loose. They did not have as much time as Clu had hoped, and the sooner he took care of his unfinished business, the better off everyone was.

AN: So, this is the beginning of the rewrite to Rogue. And, I must say, it is very different from the original. A couple aspects will remain the same, but for the most part, everything else will be different. I'm really looking forward to seeing how readers react to this one, so reviews would be greatly appreciated. Also, I just want to warn everyone that this one will be darker than the first one... I thought of switching the rating to M, but it's really not violent enough for that, thankfully.