The wind outside the cave howled softly, stirring dust and wisps of mist as Karl finally pushed himself upright. His Rider Frame shifted sympathetically, vents opening with a quiet hiss. The internal HUD pulsed a familiar warm glow:
VYTHRA LEVEL: 73% — STABLE
Karl rolled his neck slowly. "Alright… we should move."
Agnes, who had been hovering close beside him, perked up instantly — though the cyan glow on her cheeks still held the soft tint of lingering shyness.
"Y-Yes… yes," she murmured, straightening her posture like someone who desperately wanted to look composed but absolutely wasn't. "You're stable now… you're steady… but I still think you should take the calmer frame, Karl."
Karl raised an eyebrow. "Gearstorm Nova?"
She nodded furiously. "Overburn… is too… too much. Too rattling. Too fast. And—"
Her voice dipped, cheeks flaring softly. "—and my USB port still hurts."
Karl snorted softly. "Right… that."
Her hands flung up to cover her face. "D-Don't remind me—! The injector arm—" she squeaked, then paused, voice shrinking to a tiny whisper. "—it was… too rough… Karl…"
He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Yeah. I didn't exactly have time to be gentle. Sentinel was—"
"Sentinel was vicious, I know," she said, voice growing soft again. "But still… it… burned. A lot." She peeked at him shyly. "I can still feel it… every time I… think about it…"
Karl cleared his throat. "Gearstorm Nova it is."
The air shimmered behind him, and with a clacking, unfolding roar, Gearstorm Nova's 8-gear skeletal frame materialized, gears spinning smoothly, pistons clicking into place. Unlike Overburn's violent nitro-laced jet form, Gearstorm Nova was steady, structured, built for endurance and control.
Exactly what Agnes preferred right now.
Karl stepped inside as the frame closed around him with a soft magnetic thunk, gears shifting to support his weight. Agnes floated beside him, clutching her hands together nervously.
"Ready?" Karl asked.
Agnes fidgeted. "Y-Yes… but please—" she drifted closer, placing a gentle palm on his forearm "—don't push your burners too hard. Your body is still… tender. And… and your burns were bad. If Yggdrasil didn't heal you, Karl… you… you would've…"
Her voice wavered. Her glow dimmed.
Karl softened. "Agnes… I'm here. I'm okay."
She nodded rapidly, blinking away a sheen of digital tears. "I-I know. I just… I need you to be careful."
The frame engines warmed. Karl tightened his grip.
"Gearstorm Nova — ignition."
The gears rotated, locking into streamlined alignment as rails, tracks and support beams of hard light emerged underneath Erevos...
FWOOOM
A blinding Cobalt streak burst from the mountainside, cutting across the coast.
The California coastline blurred beneath them, waves glittering like molten silver under the lowering sun. Despite the speed, Gearstorm Nova flew remarkably smooth — no jolts, no violent recoil.
Agnes floated beside the cockpit, projected from the drive regulator. Her hologram wavered with every shift of light, blue like seafoam against the wind.
"Karl… your vitals are steady," she murmured gently. "Your muscle fibers have stabilized. No micro-tears. Your Vythra recovery is… perfect."
"That's good to hear," Karl said.
"But," she added softly, voice shrinking again, "your skin is still… sensitive. Burn marks may be healed but… you can't just ignore what your body went through."
Karl groaned lightly. "Agnes, I'm fine—"
"No you're not," she puffed, cheeks glowing brighter. "You pretend you are, but you were limping yesterday, and you nearly blacked out after the crack closed, and—"
"Agnes."
She froze.
"Karl…"
His voice was calm.
"You don't have to worry that much."
"I— I know," she stuttered, "but I want to worry…! I mean— I don't WANT to worry, worry, but I… I care— I care too much— and you— and your stupid flame-charging and sentinel-punching and—!"
She slapped her hands over her face, mortified.
"I'm ranting… oh no… Karl I'm ranting—"
"You're cute when you rant."
Her glitch stutter nearly shut down the projection. "W-Wh— K-Karl—! Y-You can't just— say things like that—!"
He smiled beneath the visor.
"You're blushing again."
"I-I am NOT—!! Okay— maybe a little— b-but it's YOUR fault— you— you reckless, impossible— amazing— stupid— wonderful—"
She shut her mouth before she short-circuited mid-sentence.
Karl chuckled. "You're something else, Agnes."
She shrank, cheeks glowing shy cyan.
"...You should've seen yourself," she whispered. "The way you fought. Even with your Vythra nearly gone… Karl… I—" her voice softened to a fragile ribbon "—I thought I was going to lose you."
Karl's chest tightened.
"Agnes…"
Her eyes shimmered, gentle and timid.
"But you didn't," he said quietly. "I'm here. Because of you."
Her glow flickered in bashful warmth.
"...Thank you," she whispered.
Gearstorm Nova slowed over the water, descending toward the iconic skyline. The Golden Gate Bridge stretched beneath them like a bronze spine, sunlight catching its cables.
Karl landed on an empty rooftop, Gearstorm's legs absorbing the impact with a hydraulic hiss.
Agnes hovered beside him, hands clasped, looking him over like a worried nurse and flustered girlfriend at the same time.
"K-Karl…" she said softly.
He tilted his head. "Yeah?"
She pointed at the faint scorch marks still etched across sections of the Rider Frame's nanites that formed the armor that were stored in the trinity node core of the drive regulator. "These… these were BAD. And I hate that I couldn't stop them from happening."
"You saved my life," Karl replied. "Multiple times."
"But you still got burned—!"
Karl shrugged. "It's part of the job."
"That doesn't mean you have to come out of every battle half-cooked!" she whined, cheeks glowing. "And— and your reckless moves— and the injector arm— and— and—"
Her hands flew up again to cover her face.
"T-The USB port still hurts…" she whispered. "My only sensitive spot and you— you— you just— shoved it in— during battle—!"
Karl turned red beneath his visor. "Agnes—! It was that or die—!"
"I-I KNOW—!" she squeaked. "But it still— it still— did things—!"
Karl looked away. "You were… really loud."
"D-DON'T SAY THAT—!!"
She practically combusted in cyan light.
"I WAS EMBARRASSED FOR AN HOUR— I STILL AM—!!"
Karl finally snorted, trying not to laugh.
"I'm surprised you're functioning at all."
Agnes hid behind her hands again.
"Y-You weren't supposed to hear me… moaning like that… I'm supposed to be a dignified support A.I…! Not… whatever that was…!"
Karl softened, stepping closer. "Agnes."
She peeked at him.
"You did everything right. You didn't embarrass yourself. You saved us."
Her breath hitched.
"And," he added, "I think you're adorable."
Her entire projection glitched, cyan cheeks lighting up like neon.
"I-I-I— K-Karl—!! D-Don't— say THAT— out loud—!!"
He tapped the side of his visor. "Too late."
She puffed her cheeks, embarrassed beyond recovery, but her voice was warm — relieved — happy.
"J-Just… promise me you'll be more careful," she whispered, drifting closer. "Please. I don't want to see your Vythra at 1% ever again. I don't want to watch you fall. I don't want to hear your breathing get thin. I don't want to feel your body shutting down around me while I'm helpless to stop it…"
Karl lifted a hand, gently touching her holographic cheek.
"You won't lose me," he said.
"Not today. Not ever."
She melted into the touch — literally losing visual resolution for a heartbeat as she flustered.
"...Okay…" she whispered. "Then… let me take care of you. Let me watch over you. Let me keep you safe. You're my Rider… and I'm yours…"
Karl exhaled softly.
Then Agnes leaned close — shy, glowing, trembling slightly —
"...Welcome to San Francisco, Karl," she whispered.
"Let's get through this… together."
And for the first time since the Sentinel battle, Karl felt truly steady.
Not because of his armor.
Not because of his Vythra.
But because Agnes was right there — glowing, shy, nagging, worried, gentle…
And absolutely irreplaceable.