17 Azure

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

Levi scoffed. "No," he replied, dragging the word. "I just don't want her to look at me with pity." He was lying down flat on his back. The room was royalty, a master sized bed with interior decorations.

Levi had gotten himself some cookies and milk for dinner, took a warm bath and dressed in a perfect 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-]

"I don't get it! Why can't I 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 would look at me differently if she knows 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 huh?"

[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 be of more pleasure to you than the Jamie girl]

"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 positioning on the bed. "Good. Now you 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 whilst at Core 2]

"Why not? You'll help me won't you" Levi replied, looking up at the 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 raised his arms into the air, "I increased our chances of survival by getting Brody to come with us, what have you done?" 

[Nothing]

"Good. Nothing. Now you're sticking 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 barefooted 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 so, hiding from the securities 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 get him and blast him with a raeger.

Levi stepped inside. The room revealed a dark area with the little lights coming from the thick glowing blue wires all around the room. The wires connected themselves in an organized pattern, there was a blue plasma-like substance being transferred to and fro the wires 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 sucked in through his hands. "What's happening?" He asked.

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

"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 over control back to Levi once they had returned to his room, sprinting high into his room window. Levi could feel himself again as he sat on the bed, rubbing his eyes to get adjusted to the darkness.

[You can create your own light now, Levi]

Levi slowly raised his right arm, like though every information on what to do was stored in his brain. With no much concentration, Levi litted a ball of blue flame a few inches above his hand.

He stood up, eyes wide with disbelief. The flame made the room surprisingly bright. His hand trembled as if he feared to drop it. 

He turned to the huge 180 inch mirror, looking at his reflection. He was powerful, that's what it entailed to him. Blue veins glowing right above his forearm to his hand giving the idea the power was sourcing 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 fuck?" Abby's voice sprang up from behind.