Like an improvised cradle, Haywire slept in the white boat, docked on the ebony-coloured pebbles of the shore by the lake. The cascading water from the waterfall sang a soft lullaby.

Sky battled against exhaustion and drowsiness as he cured Haywire's wounds with the antiseptic and the first aid kit which Hazel had brought. With all the care in the world, he cleaned his dirty skin and straightened his bent feathers one by one, as well. He also applied some Dream Cream on all his body, just to be on the safe side.

He's got several burns all over his body, but the worst wound by far is this nasty, deep cut which goes from his neck to right below his right ear. I've used most of the antiseptic on it, but... now what?

He read the label of the Dream Cream once more with a deep frown. Then, he scratched his head in frustration.

How am I supposed to cure this? This won't work on an open wound. His right ear is hanging weirdly down. The other is up, as usual. I guess a nerve is damaged. Or is it a tendon? I've got no idea. I'm no doctor.

I'm not a surgeon either. Logic tells me that I should use a needle and thread to close it, but this first aid kit hasn't got one. I heard of staples being used in some emergency cases, but I haven't got those either. What if I bandage it tightly? Would that be enough? Would the ear get cured on its own?

Well, his bent tail got cured pretty fast. A day, was it?

Haywire woke up with drowsy and tired eyes. A rusty whistle escaped from his beak.

"Hey, big fella," Sky whispered with love. "Sorry. I'm not a doctor. I'm doing what I can. Did I wake you?"

His winged friend made a huge effort to lift his head. He approached Sky's face and leaned his beak on his cheek to lick it, making Sky laugh softly.

"Dude, even worn out like this, and you make me laugh." He chuckled. "I'll be done in a minute. Promise. Go back to sleep."

Haywire leaned his head onto Sky's lap, his warm breath brushing against Sky's legs. The latter felt a deep connection, an unspoken warm bond, as if a current of energy flowed between them.

As Sky ran his fingers through Haywire's feathers, a sense of peace washed over him. That was something special, something beyond words that connected their souls. At that moment, Haywire's blind trust and companionship filled Sky's heart with a warmth that would forever be cherished.

But the poor beast still needed medical assistance. Sky did what he thought was best and bandaged the wound as tightly as he could. When he was done, he exhaled.

Haywire fell asleep, and Sky covered him with a large blanket.

The blanket doesn't cover him completely, but it'll do. It's not that cold at the moment, anyway.

Sky sat beside Haywire and enjoyed the sweet taste of a homemade muffin with an adorable blush on his cheeks.

I need to come up with something to return her favour. She was really nice. His cheeks burned up with a sudden and revealing blush. That kiss... It was such a sweet and unexpected gesture! The touch of her lips lingers. I can't help but replay the moment in my mind over and over again.

As the sun danced in the sky, both enjoyed a few hours of well-deserved rest.

Sky nuzzled against Haywire's chest. After such a long and hectic night, he surrendered to the world of dreams.

Hours went by, and by the time the classes in the Elite Academy were over, Sky woke up to a notification ping from a text on his phone. With drowsy eyes, he grabbed it and read the message.

Hazel: Hey there! How's Haywire doing? Coming over in 30 min. Need anything? 😉

Sky turned to Haywire and checked on him. The wound between his neck and right ear worried him the most. He took a sneak peek beneath the bandage for a moment.

Damn. Not cured. Just a little less swollen and red, but that's it.

Sky: Still asleep. He looks peaceful. 😊 Bring some luck for the wound beneath his ear, if you have some to spare.
And more muffins.

Hazel: Do you like them? First time I made some. 😂

Sky took a moment to think, smiling like a fool.

Sky: It's the second-best thing I like about you.

Was that too forward? Will she take it badly? Damn, I'm nervous. He blushed and ran a hand through his hair.

Hazel: That was smooth. I didn't know this side of you!

Sky: I hate that we've spent these last few months ever since high school ended ignoring each other.

Hazel: It was worse than that... and I hate it too.

Sky: Come back soon and we can start fixing that... today. 😊

"So, let me see if I got this right," Hazel said after her last bite at a muffin she had just brought to the clearing. "Your plan is to go to the Control Tower. Knock on their door and tell the guards: 'Hey, I'm the Hovering Hive's superstar wonder boy! Let me take a peek at your computers here. I know some coding that needs to be added here and there,'" she added with a funny voice. "And you're hoping this will be enough to make them swoon and kiss your feet. Is that it?"

They sat side by side that afternoon, leaning their backs on the white boat while eating muffins as Haywire still slept.

Hazel's apple cinnamon muffins were a tantalising delight for the taste buds. The aroma of freshly baked apples and warm cinnamon wafted through the air.

"If you put it like that, it makes me sound like an idiot," he said with an awkward smirk.

"Because you are―no offence."

"None taken. My plan sucks, I know." He shook his head and sighed.

"Well, at least you know how to hack the transmission. That's something, right?"

"Yeah," he whispered with a disheartened attitude.

While he took a muffin from the box and bit it, she said, "How about a distraction? I pretend like I'm hurt or something. While they focus on me, you sneak by and do your techy magic."

He chuckled. "This would only work if we lived in a cartoon show."

"If you go there unprepared, they'll see through you," she replied as she grabbed another muffin. "You might even end up in Mrs Evergreen's office and forced to tell the truth about Kane Kovak."

"I can't let that happen. I've got one chance before anybody suspects anything, including Mrs Evergreen."

"One chance? If only! You can't even hope to break in during the night. The place is teeming with guards 24/7!" She took a bite of her muffin.

He sighed.

"I won't be able to do it, will I?" he whispered.

"You can't walk away now. Haywire would end up paying the consequences. He's a phoenix. Either Endurance or Mrs Evergreen will eventually claim the lives of all phoenixes, free or not―maybe even die trying. This is war, Sky. Things will get ugly."

"I was thinking I could... build a control tower of my own." Is this another harebrained idea, as my mother would say?

"Sure, under the constant scrutiny of Mrs Evergreen," she added with sarcasm. "Her drones would catch up on anything you do... on any signal, especially a powerful one like the one you need, of any device you ever make. She would confiscate it, interrogate you about it, and use it for her own benefit."

"To weaponise all phoenixes against Endurance?"

"You'd be giving her the masterstroke to win this war."

He grimaced. "Damn, you're right." He huffed as he left the muffin in the box for a moment and leaned his face in his palms and sank his fingers into his hair. "I'm doomed to fail once more."

"Hey... Sky, don't say that," she whispered as she put a hand on his shoulder.

He raised his head to look at her.

As they sat in the clearing, basking in the golden glow of the afternoon sun, a profound sense of closeness enveloped them despite how uncertain the future looked. The weight of the world seemed to fade away as they shared an unspoken understanding, finding solace in each other's presence.

With a gentle touch, Hazel's hand reached out, offering comfort and reassurance. He blushed as their fingers intertwined.

In times like this, Naomi always knows what to do. He sighed. Remember what she told me. Failure doesn't kill dreams. Self-doubt does.

"We've got no choice," he whispered with determination. "We have to tell Naomi."

"But Kane Kovak said–"

"He can say whatever he wants!" he complained. "I'm the one risking everything, Hazel! If we tell Naomi everything we've been through with Haywire, she will understand. I know her."

"Are you sure?"

Haywire whined in his dreams, making both teenagers raise an eyebrow with worry for a moment. A moment later, he went on sleeping peacefully.

"Yes. She and Kane Kovak were close," he whispered. "I have a feeling she will trust us if she knows this idea came from him."

As Sky shared his thoughts with conviction, Hazel's gaze fixed upon him with a newfound sense of belief. Her eyes sparkled with understanding.

"The safety of the Hovering Hive is at stake," he added. "The chain of command would be severed and the phoenixes would be free. It would look good, even marketing-wise, both on TV and social media. According to the latest news, I screwed up. But Naomi's still got some influence over some Elite soldiers and higher-ups despite being demoted, so they'll believe her if she's the one talking to them."

"I hope you're right, Sky. If this plan doesn't work, you won't be able to free the phoenixes," she added with a frown, "and Kane Kovak will be royally pissed."

"And if I succeed, I'll definitely call Mrs Evergreen's attention once more. I need to be ready." His lips tightened in a silent admission that he wasn't looking forward to a second meeting with that power-hungry corporate titan.

"You'll need to lie through your teeth. Better than you've ever lied before."

"Or... I don't know..." he said, hesitating. "I could jump on Haywire's back and flee?"

"Sky!" She chuckled. "The poor thing's still unconscious and wounded. You can't escape from this," she chided him with sweetness, and then she offered, "Do you want me to come with you?"

"To the harassment party that Mrs Evergreen's gonna throw for me after I hack the signal? No, I don't think it'd be wise." He looked at a distant point over the tallest treetops. "If I need any help, it's better if she doesn't know you're involved."

"Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"I'll be with Aunt Naomi. It'll be okay." He looked back at her, deep into her eyes. "I trust her blindly. What could go wrong?"

"This is impossible!" Naomi told Sky as she let her butt fall on a wooden bench on the Elite Academy's patio a few hours later.

Sky had called her to meet there, knowing for sure nobody else would be there at such an hour. He sat down beside her.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, the fading light cast a golden hue across the Elite Academy's patio. Shadows danced and stretched, enveloping the once vibrant space in a serene ambience, as Naomi took in the news blast. The sky painted itself in hues of orange and pink, bidding farewell to a day she would remember for as long as she would live.

"Kane, he..." She exhaled with her eyes lost over Sky's head. "He's been looking for a way to stop this all these years?! He wasn't involved as rumours said?!"

"Apparently, not. At least, that's what he said," Sky explained. "He wants this war to end, Endurance to fail, and Mrs Evergreen to stop the Lifebringer project. Both are evil. They have to be stopped."

Naomi's eyes widened in awe, her mouth slightly agape.

"What you've told me is... a lot to take in." She chuckled. Her wide-eyed gaze fixed on his for a moment, and she said with a raised eyebrow, "All this time you've been friends with the golden Sonic Echo Ranger? It's mind-blowing!"

Her smile, full of awe, was contagious.

"You learnt from... him. That's why you became so good, isn't it?" Her voice was tinted with the conviction of a detective.

"Yeah," he whispered with a shy smile.

"I still find it hard to believe that phoenixes aren't evil." Naomi's body language radiated sheer amazement and shock as she spoke, her limbs animatedly gesticulating with each word. "Endurance being a rogue AI who weaponised them against their will. This revolutionary drug that would make people immortal. All these are hard to believe."

"Only those who will be able to afford it, yes."

"I knew Mrs Evergreen lusted for power, but this..." She sighed deeply as she massaged her temples. "Where have I been all these years? What have I done? Nothing. I've been... blinded by the news and Anti-Ageing Inc." Her face flushed in shame.

"Don't beat yourself up," he whispered with understanding.

"He needed me," she whispered, her shoulders slumping in defeat. Her arms crossed tightly over her chest. "I could've helped. I wonder why he never got in contact with me."

I wonder about that too.

"Are you sure that you can hack this connection between Endurance and the swarm?" she asked.

"Yes, if I can access the Control Tower, which is the only building with enough broadcasting power in the city." He slightly leaned his head a bit forward to her. "Do you think you could open those doors for me?"

"Yes, no problem." She smiled in awe. "I want to see my nephew making checkmate on Endurance. But what about Mrs Evergreen? She knows everything that happens in the Hovering Hive. This hack won't go unnoticed."

Her brows furrowed, creating gentle creases on her forehead. She nervously clasped her hands together on Sky's, fingers intertwining and squeezing tightly as if seeking reassurance.

"What will you do then?" she asked. "How will you stop her?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there," he whispered as his voice cracked by the end with uncertainty.

Naomi sighed. "When she realises what you've done, she'll order you to meet her in her office. She won't go easy on you when she realises you haven't done this for her―that, in fact, you're hoping to dethrone her. I'll come with."

She stood up with firmness in her pose.

"Are you sure?" he asked, as he stood right beside her. "Aren't you worried?"

"About what?"

"She might blackmail you. She might want to withhold your medication if you don't do as she says."

"I don't fear her threats." She sighed as she put a hand over his shoulder. "Don't worry, Sky. I'm a soldier. I know what I need to do. After doing nothing actually productive all these years, I crave some action." She winked at him and smiled. "I'll prove that bloody idiot I'm worth trusting."

Hello, my sugar cubes!

Do you think Haywire will recover soon? What do you think Naomi can do?

Stay tuned!

XOXO

Mar