Work Text:
"Go!" Quorra looked at Beck. "Argon's had enough problems. You can just join the revolution with the other programs — it's safer than showing up as the Renegade after all that."
"I was the one who started that!" Beck reminded her.
"And look what happened!" Quorra gestured toward Argon City, far off in the distance. From where they stood, it looked like a tiny point of light.
"Apparently Tron gave the Renegade one job, and it was the revolution!" The ISO folded her arms. "You've already done more than his commands asked for. We don't want to drag another program into this now…"
"What??" Beck stared at her, caught off guard. "Who's we??"
"Me and Tron and…"
"And??"
"And probably every other poor program who wants you by their side!" Quorra immediately saved the topic of leaking Kevin Flynn's appearance by creating words that she know Beck wouldn't be suspicious at it. She had to leave now, she was this close to create her biggest mistake in grid after CLU's existence. "Just go home…" She sighed. "I don't have time to stand here and do this anymore."
She walked past him — basically an end of discussion move, which was deeply unsatisfying to the Renegade.
He watched her walk away. There was no way he was backing down because of her words. She was acting like Beck wasn't part of this anymore, like Beck wasn't the one who willingly destroyed a giant statue in Bhodi's honor and caused even more trouble. Like it wasn't Tron himself who found him alone, tested him, fought him until he realized Beck was the one. He had to tell her. Someone had to tell her — Tron definitely didn't say this.
"First of all, I never did any of this because Tron asked me. I started all of it. He just… happened to find me and help me…"
"You don't understand—"
"…and second of all, since when did I become useless for this?" Beck wasn't hearing her at all.
"Beck!"
"Since when??"
"Since CLU showed up in your city!! That's why!!" Quorra shouted at him. She didn't want to, but it genuinely hurt her to spit the words at him. "He has a code without morals. He'll derezz everyone in a blink, and there won't ever be a reason behind his actions. I don't want to see you end up like… my friends. Do you want to watch all your friends get derezzed????"
So this was why she pushed Beck away from it. She knew what Beck was capable of for his city. She'd heard about him from the others — his famous nickname, "The Renegade." She knew this little program in Tron's suit was the security program's own sole soldier. She wasn't pushing him away because she thought he was an obstacle. She wanted him to stay safe. She didn't want him to take the risk.
A silence came alive between them, and one of them had to cut it out and kill it. Beck looked over his shoulder at Argon City again. It was like a tiny pixel from here. Funny — how this little pixel was in critical danger, and he was standing here arguing over the only Grid's miracle survivor.
"Look, I'm sorry. This thing is too complicated. I shouldn't have said that." It sounded like Quorra had read his mind. "I watched my kind get derezzed one by one, and… I don't want the same thing to happen to you too." Her voice cracked a little. It was harsh to say the words so easily like that — you'd never believe how hard it was to experience, so it's easy to say from someone else's perspective. But for Quorra? It sounded like she was back there again, in her city, watching Radia get derezzed — and it brought her right back to the moment she was the last ISO, alongside Ada in Arjia. And she never wanted this to happen to basic programs like Beck, who were on the good side.
"I'm sorry too. But I don't want to leave this alone for you and Tron to handle," Beck stepped toward her. "No matter how much you insist, I will always show up."
Quorra nodded. "I knew you'd say that…"
"Trust me — you can ask Tron. He really tried to get rid of me!"
"That's not a flex!" Quorra laughed against her will, then tilted her head and thought for a second. "Come on." She nudged him and led him to her motorcycle.
"Where to?"
"To Tron's."