"Well?" She asks, waiting patiently for an answer. Her blue eyes stay locked on him waiting for a response.
"Is that even a question, here i thought he had passed this whole time!" Blake says, his voice fills with gratitude, relief and determination. Emotions mix together only emboldening him further at the news.
"Good, I'll keep you informed on any developments." Azure says her eyes eventually drift back to her holo-screens that are keeping track of a variety of patients.
"Try to make some developments yourself as well, i can't do all the work." She says, doing a final once over on Blake. Making sure theirs no lingering injuries to worry about.
"I would say you left your arm here, but you've already made yourself another one" She comments, pointing out the prosthetic in the corner.
"Thanks for holding onto it, I like to keep previous iterations." Blake says, slinging the old blood stained prosthetic over his shoulder.
"Good luck kid. You need to pass this if you want to go far in this world." Azure warns drilling the importance of this final chance into him.
Making his way out of the ward his thoughts run rampant destroying any semblance of order in his mind. The lingering effects of his possession loom over him, alert and waiting for when the next time will be. Exiting the hospital finally, the doors open and begin to spray him down with disinfectant thoroughly .
A frizz of orange presses against the walls of the entrance. A nervous fidget vibrates across the wall. Her shoe tapping against the wall like the revving of an engine.
"Blake, thank goodness you're okay." Kiara calls out, her panic coming to a close as elation fills her voice.
"I wasn't expecting you to participate in the retakes after that, I must say you're a masochist for pain." She says, trying to silence a forming giggle.
"Just Imagine my shock seeing your mangled bloody body up there winning. I have to say it was quite the show. I didn't expect that final clash, you nailed him square in the chin!" She giggles, recounting her experience with a tone deaf sense of humor.
"You have a lovely way of putting it, but yeah I'm just as shocked as you that I passed. I was very close to blacking out there." Blake says, laughing as he rubs the back of his neck struggling with the pride of his achievement.
"It's good to see you again Kiara. Raven told me i have you to thank for saving me." He says, gratitude blooms, realizing she was there in one of his darkest moments. Suddenly he brings her into a warm embrace.
"Thank you friend, I promise to return the favor in any way I can." He says sincerely, a determined look forming on his face.
"It's what friends are for right? We look out for each other." She reassures through an innocent smile, beaming through her frizzy orange hair. Her attention gets caught, noticing the differences in Blakes gear from before.
"You've got some new gear, you're gonna need to catch me up on what's happened so far Blake." She remarks, a grin forms brimming with curiosity.
"Sure, I need a cigarette after that exam anyway." He says, stress poking and prodding at him urging him fulfill his craving. The two of them start to walk, leaving the hospital. A clear blue sky fills brings a sense of calm with it.
*Click* The cigarette holder opens.
*Zap* An arc forms in the palm of the prosthetic, drawing smoke into his lungs as the coils cool down.
"That's better." Blake smirks through an exhale of smoke as his stress escapes with the smoke.
Walking down the regencrete streets. The skyscrapers reach high, blocking out clouds along with the blue sky. The noise of hover traffic is drowned out by their conversation.
"On my end of things, i found an old base my dad owned." Blake recounts. Trust growing stronger in the friendship that has formed between them.
"I was able to create some new gear there." He says, flashes of the recent events replay throughout his mind.
"Thankfully it worked out, it even helped me pass in the end." He says, his eyes shifting towards his gear with a sense of pride and achievement.
"But the SAND! It's everywhere, i hate deserts the cleanup process is going to be hell." Blake groans, his pet peeve aggressively assaulting his OCD.
"Great, why am I not surprised. Of course sand would find its way in there as well." He frowns, smacking his prosthetic to his forehead irritation bubbling as a cloud of sand falls out of the cracks and seams.
"You really are vigilant with your creations aren't you." Kiara giggles watching the scene play out.
"I have to be. Otherwise who else will maintain them." Blake says rubbing his fingers down the forearm of his prosthetic, flashes of previous iterations falling apart coming to mind.
"I was going to say I could show you the place at some point after the retakes. Could even make you an item of your choosing." Blake offers, with a curious smile.
"I think it's only fair. You did save my life after all." Blake says, sincerity filling his voice along with a brimming with creativity over what item she may want.
"REALLY!? You'll actually make me something? I didn't want to ask, i thought it would be rude, but yes thank you!" She says, accepting Blakes offer through a giddy joy in her voice.
"I've never had an item of my own." She says, feeling a little bit of guilt at such an offer.
"Normally military grade equipment is usually far too expensive compared to progressing your own power." Kiara explains, her index finger rubbing at the side of her cheek imagining the price.
"It's what friends are for right?" Blake says, a warm smile spreading across his face.
"Thank you Blake!" She yells out with exuberant joy, shaking with excitement like a bursting soda bottle, jumping up and down.
"So what have you been up to Kiara?" Blakes asks, curiosity filling his green eyes.
"Oh. My dad decided to increase my training after saving you. He noticed my drawback and how much i struggled to handle it. He said i need to build a tolerance or it will come to bite me later." She explains, recounting the stern look from her father and the seriousness in his advice.
"If you want I can ask my dad if you can join my training at some point." Kiara asks, already imagining going head to head with Blake.
"It might help you close some of the gaps a power usually would." She persuades, pointing out the obvious.
"That's if you can keep up though." She teases with a giggle. Cant have your boots either for it, would defeat the exercise". She teases, sticking out her tongue.
Bright blue slime starts oozes out the top of a manhole. Muck mixing together with the blue slime, crawling out of the hole clinging to every surface. A silhouette hovers in the slime. Appearing before the pair. A dull grey man steps into view covered head to toe in protruding spikes.
"Looks like we found a good harvest huh Spine?" The slime itself starts to form a mouth in its puddle-like state.
"I can't wait to skewer them up Cricket." The grey man cackles madness leaking out of his voice.