Beck is hijacking a recognizer carrying off some prisoners. He succeeds, but when he removes his masks, one of the cuffed guards recognizes him and taunts him about Bodhi's death. An angered Beck gets distracted and the other guard derezzes him. It's all revealed to be a simulation at Tron's safehouse, but the older program reminds Beck why it's important that he keeps his mask on on missions. A blackout hits, causing them to investigate, then Beck storms off to work. At Able's garage, he is refused time off by Able because he's been slacking off work too much lately. All the same, he asks Zed to cover his shift but is worried when Hopper and Bartik approach and look like they'll get Zed into trouble. Zed brags about getting into the Argon light cycle race at Bartik and Hopper's insistence, and having constructed a super-fast light cycle for himself. He informs Beck that the race is taking place at some tunnels under the Outlands, outside the city. Then another blackout hits and Beck rushes off, leaving Zed to cover for him.
The two with Tron are observing the Occupation operating a drill under Paige's command. Tesler arrives to oversee and replaces her with Pavel who unlike her is unconcerned with casualties. Tron observes that eventually the drill will hit an underground energy pool and obliterate the city. He therefore tasks Beck with blowing up the drill, but Beck objects that collateral damage will destroy the nearby tunnels, which are the sames ones in which the race is taking place.
Beck reaches the drill through the tunnels and plants the bomb, then hirries off to warn Zed and the others since the race is starting right at this moment. Meanwhile, Hopper and Bartik gang up on other participants so they can win the race, eventually trying to do the same with Zed, but he escapes. Paige finds an unconscious Black Guard in the tunnels and goes in pursuit of The Renegade. She overhears him warning Zed, Hopper and Bartik about the bomb and sets off to disarm it. Beck steals Zed's customized bike and follows Paige. The two reach the drill exactly as the bomb goes off, then have to run for their lives. Beck notices Paige's standard light cycle isn't fast enough and yanks her off to his own, barely escaping the fire. Paige isn't grateful at all, but he ditches her at a safe location and vanishes.
In the aftermath, Paige returns to her base, causing a surprised reaction from Pavel. Zed is bitter about his stolen light cycle and is building a new one. Beck calms him down, alleging that he would have won, then Hopper, Bartik and Paige approach him with an offer to work for the Occupation. Tesler holds a grand speech blaming the blackout on the Renegade and promises to grant them safety by dealing with him. As the crowd cheers, Tron tries to reassure a disheartened Beck that they'll understand in time.
Tropes featured in this episode:
- Belligerent Sexual Tension:Beck: Your bike's not fast enough. Get on!Paige: In your dreams!
- Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!: Pavel when the bomb goes off.Computer Voice: Warning. Energy core unstable.Pavel: Get back to work. If it were dangerous, there would have been a...Computer Voice: Core meltdown in fifteen... fourteen...Pavel: ... Countdown.
- Hero Stole My Bike: Zed is really unhappy about that.
- Irony: Pavel holds a grand speech in front of his soldiers about how unlike Paige, he won't tolerate their incompetence... just as Beck is sneaking behind them and plants the bomb.
- Nitro Boost: The overdrive Zed added to his bike. It makes it 30% faster than anything else on the Grid.
- Noble Demon: Deconstructed. Paige's tendencies of this trope show up here, but her unwillingness to continue work if it'll endanger civilians gets her replaced by the more ruthless Pavel.
- Not Quite the Right Thing: Beck is trying to prevent a city-devouring explosion... by blowing up the drill... in an explosion that engulfs the nearby tunnels and would obliterate any of the bike contestants within. And then the city itself.
- Outrun the Fireball: Beck and Paige barely do this. It takes Zed's special light cycle as well as Beck collapsing the tunnel behind them to block it, or destroying debris in front of them.
- Pit Girls: Sirens are seen serving as those for the race, with the camera set between one's legs when it's launched.
- Reports of My Death Were Greatly Exaggerated.Paige: (walks in on Pavel reporting her apparent deresolution) Interesting. Don't feel derezzed.
- Spiked Wheels: Bartik and Hopper hijack or outright derez the bikes of other players in order to win.
- Ungrateful Bitch: Paige won't stop trying to kill The Renegade, even as he's carrying her to safety on his (stolen) bike. Granted, where she's concerned, it was him that caused the mess. She also puts together a team at the end to hunt him down.Beck: Saved your life. Again!Paige: Thanks! (proceeds to bash him over the head)
