Azure

[You weren't just expecting your crush to fall for you now you look better?]

Levi scoffed. "No," he replied, dragging out the word. "And I don't crush on anyone anymore," he added. "I just don't want her to look at me with pity." He was lying flat on his back. The room was royalty, with a king-sized bed and luxurious interior decorations.

Levi had gotten himself some cookies and milk for dinner, took a warm bath, and dressed in perfectly-sized pyjamas. He was staring at the white ceiling, playing with a yo-yo, hoping to get some sleep.

[Is that all? I saw the way you looked at her when-]

"Hello?! I don't get it. Why do you say I can't tell anyone about you and the abilities you can give me?" Levi asked, deliberately cutting off the construct from its words. "I'm sure Jamie and everyone else would look at me differently if they knew I'm powerful." 

The system took a while before replying.

[Firstly, you are not powerful yet. You and I know that you're talking with your emotions right now. I will explain everything to you, time will tell]

"Yeah, right," Levi said ironically, flinging the yo-yo across the room. "I'm quite confused. What are my abilities? Perception or you?" 

There was no reply.

Levi continued, "Speaking of you, why don't I give you a name, eh?"

[I guess that would be nice]

Levi arranged his head on the pillow and crossed his fingers on top of his belly. "So what name would you like?"

[I don't know, what name would you like for me?]

"I'll definitely go with a feminine name. I can't name you a masculine name when you have this kind of voice."

[Okay. Your choice]

"Ava?"

[No]

"Hanna?"

[No]

Levi furrowed his brows. "I thought you just said it's my choice?"

[Those names are dorky, Levi. I'm not dorky]

"What kind of name do you want then?" Levi asked, sitting up like though the construct was beside him.

[I want a name that goes well with yours, we are one after all]

"You gotta be kidding me."

[What? I can provide way more pleasure to you than the Jamie girl can ever]

"What?! Stop that!" Levi had a scruffy face. "I didn't know you could communicate this way." He rested his head back on the pillow. "How about Lexi?"

[It doesn't go with Levi]

"Does it have to? It has the same formation, take it that way....Lexi." 

The construct replied after a pause.

[Alright]

Levi adjusted his position on the bed. "Good. Now you'll know when I'm speaking to you and when I'm not, especially when we're around people," he sighed. "I wonder how long we will stay and survive there." 

[You can't just go into The Cavern while at Core 2]

"Why not? You'll help me, won't you?" Levi replied, looking up at the dimly lit ceiling in the dark. 

[You are a very poor listener, Levi]

[We can only merge for 5 minutes, then you'll start panting like chihuahua]

[And definitely, you will be fighting for more than 3 hours constantly. Plus, you're staying there for a while]

Levi sighed. "Well, what do you want me to do?" He asked, raising his arms into the air. "I increased our chances of survival by getting Brody to come along with us, what have you done?" 

[Nothing]

"Good. Nothing. Now you're stickin' with my flow." He rolled over to his side. "It's just a day from now, there's no time to train to increase my core. Unless you can help."

[Now, I could help. You just have to do something]

---

"You are crazy, Lexi?!" Levi whispered as he walked barefoot in the golden hallways.

[Just keep going]

"There are cameras everywhere, don't you see?"

[I'll disable them]

"You'll disable them? How?" He had taken the elevator downwards, finding himself outside the building. He was just a few metres away from the hotel, about to make a turn.

[I can speak without a mouth, sense vibrations from afar without an ear. Hacking into cameras and displaying a loop won't be a problem] 

[Keep going, we head to that electricity source]

Levi sheepishly obeyed, dodging whenever it said to, hiding from the security in the open area, and turning wherever it asked. He reached a metallic door that was locked with a code. The door seemed to be the entrance to a huge igloo-like building. It read P.S. with a lightning bolt sign next to the letters. 

[I'll handle it]

The door unlocked, clearly showing it wasn't through the usual means. Levi was afraid one of the troopers could catch him and blast him with a raeger. 

Levi stepped inside. The room revealed a dark area with little lights emanating from the thick, glowing blue wires scattered throughout. The wires connected themselves in an organized pattern, with a blue plasma-like substance being transferred to and fro the wires, eventually connecting into smaller ones. 

"Wow," Levi exclaimed as he wandered around. "What's this?" 

[The Academy runs on electricity provided by Meetegen. It's an element, now rare, by the way]

"I have heard of it lots of times. It's the most recent element found, isn't it?" He came closer to one pipe of a wire. "We were taught in school it originated right after the raid, along with...the syndrome."

[I'm glad you know about it. But right now, it's showtime, before someone finds you]

[Get closer to that large box with the thickest of wires]

Levi did as it said. "Are you going to tell me what we're doing here, Lexi? I'm already a problem for the Director, I don't wan-"

[Stretch forth your arms and hands, Levi]

Levi sighed but obeyed.

[Now merge with me]

"What?"

[Just do it]

Levi closed his eyes as he took in a deep breath and let it out. "Alright." Once again, the black and the blue etched his body and his face, veined. 

Suddenly, the room started to glow a homogenous blue with Levi as the energy waa being sucked in through his hands. "What's happening?" He asked.

Levi looked behind him. From under the door, he could see the lights of The Academy blinking. The box and a lot of electrical equipment in the room started sparking.

"Aagh!" Levi couldn't stand the bright blue light. It was everywhere. He felt a surge of power move through his arms and to the rest of his body. The pain was dominant in his neck region, his spine and limbs. He kept on screaming.

He started to hear an alarm and a lot of distant male voices. 

Levi suddenly withdrew his arms, he dropped to the ground and the light stopped. He felt weak and drained.

[You should be the opposite of that]

[I'll take you to your room]

Levi felt the numbness again throughout his body as he quickly dashed to his room. The whole place was dark and there was a light out. Was it because of that?He thought. As he moved swiftly without feeling a thing in his body, he could see the troopers arriving at the igloo house. That must've been a generator.

Lexi handed control back to Levi once they had returned to his room, leaping through the high window. Levi regained his senses as he sat on the bed, rubbing his eyes to adjust to the darkness.

[You can create your own light now, Levi]

Levi slowly raised his right arm as if every piece of information on what to do was stored in his brain. With little concentration, Levi conjured a ball of blue flame a few inches above his hand. 

He stood up, his eyes wide with disbelief. The flame illuminated the room surprisingly brightly. His hand trembled as if he feared dropping it. 

He turned to the huge 180-inch mirror, looking at his reflection. He felt powerful; that's what it told him. Blue veins glowed right above his forearm, extending to his hand, giving the idea that the power was surging through it.

He couldn't say a word, but his system did.

[Good job Levi]

[Azure unlocked]

:[Core 8 out of 300. Interrelationship 2%]:

"What the fuc'?" Abby's voice sprang up from behind.