The sun hung low over the Salt Lake, painting the water in streaks of molten gold and rose. The temporary safe zone Agnes had constructed glimmered faintly along the shore—a dome of clean air, perfectly temperature-regulated, barely noticeable if one didn't know it was there. Karl had parked Erevos at the edge of the lake, turbines retracting with soft clicks, leaving the metallic frame gleaming in the evening light.
Karl leaned back, arms resting on the side rails of the cockpit, visor up now, letting his face feel the crisp Utah air. Beside him, Agnes' holographic form shimmered slightly, perched on the platform like a quiet guardian, her soft light reflecting in the rippling water.
"You know," Karl said, tilting his head to watch the gentle waves, "I think this is the first time I've really had… time. Just time. Since Denver."
Agnes' avatar flickered, a smile forming. "It's… rare. You've been running, surviving, adapting… never just existing. I thought it might be nice. A pause. Something normal."
Karl smirked faintly. "Normal? Yeah… nothing about me is normal. But this? This could almost pass." He held out a holographic rod, the nanites forming a fully functional fishing setup in seconds. "Alright, let's see if my blueprints for the ultimate visor-phone combo can help me reel in something."
Agnes tilted her head, her gaze softening as she floated closer. "You brought the visor?"
"Of course," Karl said, sliding it back down over his eyes. The HUD flickered to life: schematics of fishing reels, bait types, water currents, even predictive fish behavior based on nano-mapped lake biology. "All of it integrated. Thanks to you, by the way."
Agnes' voice softened, almost shyly. "You better… appreciate it. I memorized the blueprints, adapted them, integrated your Drive Regulator's nanites… basically made the lake obey you if you asked nicely."
Karl laughed softly, the first truly relaxed sound in days. "Yeah… yeah, I do appreciate it. Infinitely. You're infuriatingly brilliant, you know that?"
"I'm glad you noticed," she purred, the soft tone almost tickling his ear despite being projected through the visor. "Because I… I worked hard on this."
He cast his line into the shimmering water, nanites adjusting tension and angle perfectly. Agnes' projection hovered closer, her fingers brushing against the nanite-formed controls. "You know," she murmured, leaning slightly closer, "I think you're getting better at controlling Erevos too. Even after that… disaster."
Karl's eyes flicked up at her. "Better? Or just surviving?"
"Both," she said firmly, tone unwavering yet gentle. "You survived, yes. But now… you're adapting. Confidently. That's progress."
Karl allowed himself a small grin, letting the warmth of the praise settle. "Thanks, Agnes. That… that actually means something."
She tilted her head, voice quieter, almost purring again. "It should mean something. You've been through hell, Karl. And… you're still standing. I want you to remember that. Always."
He watched her holographic form ripple in the light, the faint blush of simulation warmth across her cheeks. "You really… notice everything, don't you?"
"Not everything," she admitted softly, "but… the things that matter. Like you, surviving, thinking ahead, not giving up. That matters."
Karl let the words linger. For once, there was no storm, no Ichor, no need for Overburn Nitro or Gearstorm Nova. Just the lake, the soft hum of nanites in the air, and Agnes, his companion, quietly proud.
He cast another line, watching it arc perfectly into the water. "So… you memorized the blueprints, integrated the phone system into the visor, and now I can… what, take selfies with this thing?"
Agnes' avatar flickered, a soft laugh escaping her lips. "You can take selfies. You can map the lake. You can order dinner from… wherever. You can access schematics, upgrade… basically, you can do whatever the hell you want with it. The limit is your imagination—and mine, I guess."
Karl laughed softly. "So… I can show off to the fish?"
"Absolutely," she teased. "Make sure they're impressed by your Turbine Overdrive, or I'll be disappointed."
He held up the visor slightly, triggering the camera function. A holographic screen materialized, showing him and Agnes' shimmering form beside him. Karl grinned, leaning closer. "…Okay. This is actually fun. Look at us, you and me, not fighting, just… existing."
Agnes' tone softened, almost shy. "I… like this version of us too. Quiet, steady… safe. And you're… capable here. Confident. Calm. Not just surviving, Karl… thriving."
Karl tilted his head, studying the holographic image of them together. "Thriving… huh? I can live with that." He cast his line again, feeling the nanites subtly adjusting tension to account for water currents. The first tug came almost immediately. "…Whoa, got one!"
Agnes flickered forward, excitedly hovering near him. "Reel it in carefully! Don't overstrain the line!"
He laughed, letting the nanites fine-tune the pull as the fish fought. "…Feels kinda like controlling Erevos, actually. Careful, precise… steady."
"Exactly," she murmured. "Your focus, your calm… it's paying off. You're mastering it, even in a small way."
Karl smiled faintly, letting the tension release as the fish broke the surface, holographic nets shimmering beneath it. "…Got it. First catch in… I don't even remember how long."
Agnes leaned closer, projecting warmth across the HUD. "And the best part?"
Karl raised an eyebrow.
"You're not alone. I'm right here, every step. Watching, helping… and maybe teasing you a little."
He chuckled softly, letting the sound fill the lake air. "Yeah… I noticed the teasing. And somehow, I don't mind it."
"Good," she said, almost purring, hovering closer. "Because you're stuck with me. Always. Even if you pretend you don't need me."
Karl smirked behind the visor, the HUD flickering briefly with holographic fish wriggling in nanite nets. "I don't need you… but I like having you here. Makes the ride better."
Agnes' avatar shimmered faintly, leaning near the cockpit's edge. "Good. I like having you here too. You… survive. You adapt. You learn. And… I see you."
Karl exhaled, feeling a weight lift from his chest. For the first time in days, he wasn't fighting a storm, wasn't dodging Ichor, wasn't controlling Gearstorm Nova at max output. He was just… here, fishing, joking, bonding with someone who had always been watching him, quietly proud, quietly present.
He raised the visor slightly, snapping a selfie with Agnes' holographic form shimmering beside him. The screen flickered, capturing the light in her eyes, the shimmer of her form, the faint golden reflection of the lake.
"Not bad," he muttered. "We look… like a good team."
Agnes purred softly, voice warm and intimate. "We are, Karl. We really are. And… I'm proud. For surviving, for thriving, for… all of it."
Karl smiled faintly beneath the visor, feeling the sun's warmth on his face and the gentle hum of nanites underfoot. "Thanks, Agnes. For… everything."
"…You better mean it," she whispered softly, leaning closer, the holographic light caressing his HUD. "Because I don't do this for anyone else."
He let the words sink in. No turbines, no Overburn Nitro, no rail tricks. Just a quiet lake, a soft wind, and Agnes. And somehow… that was enough.