Arrival

--Sky's Perspective--

"DAD!" Faith screamed out in pain once more as the mace head tightened on her body.

The various gazes and slashes we traded had finally come to a close.

[0:05]

Five seconds left...

I stared at Cole as my eye twitched.

[0:04]

"You are worthless." He said.

[0:02]

[0:01]

[0:00]

[AWAKENING: ENGAGED]

[AN A.I. IS ATTEMPTING A TAKEOVER. PROCEED?]

[YES NO]

A.I... Avie...?

Is that you?

[A.I. TAKEOVER ENGAGED]

Before I knew it, I was back in the Black Lake once more. I was fully clothed, and I could move my left arm.

...

...

...

"I'm sorry I was gone for so long." A girl said.

I couldn't see in all of the fog, but in one swift movement, she swiped her hand to the left and cleared all of the fog blocking my vision.

With light blue hair that touched her shoulders, a smile that resembled mine, and a fortified gaze that seemed to mimic me as well... a girl stood in front of me.

She had crazy eyes, filled with light-blue and white coloring within.

"Are you... Avie...?" I asked her.

"I am Avie. And, you are my Master. Correct?" She asked me.

She was very polite... and she rose her hand up to shake mine.

"I'm sorry, I depended on you so much... and I stole all of your stamina... is there anything I can do to make it up to you?" I asked Avie.

"Make it up to me...? Master, you've already made it up to me. I told you, I would help you through all of your plans no matter what. I will serve you until my last moments, not because I'm forced to, but because I respect you too much, Master." She told me.

"You don't have to call me that. Sky works just fine." I clarified, putting my hands up to clear the misunderstanding.

"Okay, Sky..." She said. Avie seemed to be practicing my name...

"Do you think we can win... against Cole?" I asked her, fearing her answer.

"Are you giving me permission to use your body to its full extent?" Avie asked me again. I was confused, and she clarified for me.

"Your body cannot handle my powers, to put it simply, but if I can use your strands to heal and all of your abilities at once, I'm more than certain Cole will not exist anymore. But, I won't use anything you tell me not to." Avie said.

Such a polite girl...

"This entire time, we've been together, haven't we? You were there with me when I woke up on the Isle... you were the voice behind my System this entire time... weren't you?" I asked.

"Yes." She answered.

"Then, you know what I would do to win a fight to save lives. You and I have coexisted for far too long to ask permission. Avie, I give you the full reigns to do whatever you need to... just please... save Faith." I begged her.

"Time won't pass as long as we're in here... Faith is okay, for the time being. I have to warn you when I fight, I'm not like this. This entire time... and I apologize for this, but I have been the Wrath that drove you. Orion's fight, his treatment... how Providence stole your parents from you... all of those dead people... that wasn't you losing control, that was me. This entire time, I have been so mad watching from behind the scenes that I've been itching at the bit to fight somebody... to kill them... to enact that pain that they forced us to feel..." Avie said. Her personality had completely changed...

"So, you telling me that I have free reigns... makes me so happy..." Avie said with a slight smile.

"Only you can know the pain I've felt, and I'm glad I can finally talk with you. Thank you, for everything you've done. Replenishing my stamina, helping me deflect the Isle... just being there for me. Knowing you were there with me... helped me. Knowing I had that backup just in case... put my mind at ease. Sorry for keeping you here for so long. I'll give you my body... does that mean I die?" I asked her.

"Huh? No, it just means that you have to watch me use your body to fight Cole. I promise I'll make it entertaining for you." Avie said. I could feel her smile, even though she wasn't looking at me.

…

…

…

My body began to glow a blue color as I completely lost control and observed from another perspective... like I was watching outside of my body...

Avie started to smile as she rose her left hand up in my body... and grabbed ahold of the mace head.

"Hey... Cole..." She asked.

In my body, the voice she held was girlish with a hint of distortion within it.

My hair started to turn into a light-blue color, mixed with the brown of my original coloring.

"It seems you've caused a ton of trouble... I'm not too pleased with you right now..." Avie said to him.

"Who the hell are you? Why did your voice change? Is this the inner girl within Sky all along? I knew you were afraid." Cole said with a smirk.

"Isn't that cute, Master? This mortal thinks that he's in the position to talk shit to us." Avie told me.

With blue strands appearing out of nowhere, she grabbed ahold of his arms and constricted him so he couldn't move.

"Do they have Tag up in space? Do you know how to play? Let's play Tag." Avie insisted.

"The only rules are, if I touch you, then you die. Are you ready?" Avie asked him.

"I can't die, unfortunately. We've been through this." Cole said. He smiled, waiting to take the hit.

"I love how ignorant you are... all of you are... even Zeka and Austin standing in the background. At least you have Zeka's Incarnation to replenish your body after I destroy you." Avie walked over to Cole with a slight bounce, and his eyes widened.

"Wait... who are you...?" He asked.

"Me? You don't know me? Oh... how unfortunate..." Avie said. She stopped her bouncing and got close to his face.

"I am Avie Asterio, and I am Sky's Wrath." She said.

I couldn't even perceive what had happened next...

Avie had kicked so fast that the sound barrier shattered around us, the windows broke in all buildings near her position, the ground cracked, the clouds had a hole shot through them, and some of the tops of buildings near us were blown away, to nothing but rebar and chunks of cement.

And all that was left of Cole was a body without a head.