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"Pffff..." the sound of someone sighing, as if annoyed, rang in Ava's ear waking her up. She hadn't remembered falling asleep, nor anything about the night before. She chose not to open her eyes instead bringing her hands up to her head and resting them on the... floor?... beneath her head. "Pffffffffffff..." the person got louder, and drew out their frivolous sigh.
"Ugh, SHUT UP!" Ava yelled moving her hands to cover her ears. It was childish, but she was annoyed. "I feel like shit... I'm sorry, please go get Oscar." She said returning her hands to rest her head on. She still hadn't opened her eyes, each lid felt to be a thousand pounds.
"No." the voice called. She could tell now that whoever it was, they were right next to her leaning over being a nuisance. She waited for a further response and when she got nothing she conjured up all her energy to open her eyes.
"Okay lis-" she started on what was going to be a rant about manners and not being an ass but stopped herself when she realized she wasn't at the Hedsworth mansion. She turned around on the cold stone and sat up. "Fuck." She whispered to herself as her eyes rolled back into the depths of her skull.
"Nice of you to finally wake up." She heard from behind her now. She didn't stand up, instead she brought her knees to her chest and and rested her head on them. She waited before talking or looking behind her, and when moments passed with no further response she let out an exasperated sigh.
"Finally?" She stated realizing cryptic messages were all she was going to get. "What do you mean finally? How long have I been here?" Ava said lifting her head up to see the Outsider squatting right in front of her looking her over as if a specimen to dissect. His dark eyes probed her very soul when they finally met hers.
"So many questions!" The Outsider said standing up and putting out a hand to help Ava up. She took his hand and once she was up he continued. "First, a question of my own Ms. Ava Hedsworth."
"Ok, sure." Ava said, adjusting her clothes. "Ask away."
"How have we not crossed paths yet?" He paused and looked at her for a brief second before continuing to pace. "Perhaps the better question is, for someone who has devoted their life to studying the Void and it's magic, why are you so unenthused by me?" He smiled wickedly as if the thought was so ridiculous it was funny.
"Well you know what they say." Ava gave a sly smile avoiding the question. "You should never meet your heroes."
"Ah, hero, that's not what I hear." He said vanishing from sight only to turn up on a nearby ledge.
"Yeah well..." she trailed off as she let out a single laugh. Why was she laughing, she wondered, his dark black eyes and looming presence had an energy and power she couldn't deny. It must have been nerves. "Im almost certain the void existed long before you did." She stated as she folded her arms and watched his every move and reaction. She managed to stealthily rebound from her nervous laugh and gracefully fall into her cool confidence once again.
"And how would you know that?" The Outsider stated, as he reappear just inches from her face. Ava didn't blink.
"How does anyone know anything." She smirked. "Why did you bring me here? I know how it works, you find someone interesting... or better yet, I should say, find that they have the potential to create pure chaos or absolute peace for a short while and bestow upon them the power to take their life into their hands and choose a path." She waited.
"You're very clever, Ms. Hedsworth." The Outsider stated cooly, unmoving from his positions half a foot in front of her. "But I did not bring you here." He frowned.
"Then why am I here?" She put her hands at her sides feeling her whole body go cold. Her face contorted along with her confusion. For the first time she noticed the smell. Overpowering, coppery, with a hint of sweetness. She felt the cool air of the void prick at her skin and heard distorted noises. It was all too much, too fast, and though she didn't show it on her face fear struck through her body.
"You handle this place a lot better than most, even if you are holding it together by a mere thread." The Outsider chuckled appearing next to her. He smiled a toothy grin that looked out of place on someone that looked so inherently malicious.
Ava took a deep breath and calmed herself. "Why am I here?" She whispered finally, through gritted teeth growing annoyed with his dodgy answers.
"Hmm. You really don't remember do you?" He asked pacing just in front of her.
"Obviously not." Ava groaned, the Outsider put his hand in the air and rolled his head as if to say 'I'll tell you'
"Someone tried to kill you." He stated theatrically as he clasped his hands together. Ava looked as though she were about to speak. "No! You don't know the best part!" He said wagging his finger. "They tried to kill you using the same dagger that created me." He smiled though he hated the idea. Humans, so ridiculously intrepid; he thought to himself.
"Whoa whoa whoa, hold up there skipper." Ava began, crossing her arms and moving from her position for the first time. "Why would someone try to kill me... never mind, there's plenty of reasons..." she whispered the last part looking down for the ground. "Better, why with an old dagger?" She said with gusto pointing at him as if interrogating.
"Why, Mrs Hedsworth." The Outsider stated walking toward her. "For me to know any of that, would be for me to know much of you at all. And frankly your not that interesting." He smiled before disappearing to a far off corner of the Void.
He was lying of course. Not only did he know who tried to end her life but he also knew the dagger was a sort of ironic twist. And he was lying when he said he hadn't followed her life. She was incredibly interesting, but, he knew she would never accept his mark. She was truly one of a kind, she was for lack of a better term, good through and through. With power from the void, she could do great things, greater than anything her future already held.
"Seriously?" Ava shouted from behind him. She had followed him.
The Outsider turned around with devilish grin. Ava took two large steps toward him and punched him right in the jaw.
"Huh, perhaps you're more interesting than I give you credit for." He smiled as he held his face in his hand.
"Am I dead." Ava asked as she huffed and tried to calm down. Her right hand was still clenched into a fist.
"No, Overseer Fredericks barely punctured your heart. But," he paused and took a step toward her grabbing her shoulders as if to brace her for this next part. "barely is the operative word." Her eyes met hers, had she understood? He couldn't read her, she'd put up a wall that was making things incredibly difficult.
"Hmm." She mumbled closing her eyes to think. What was going on, even with her eyelids tightly shut she could feel the outsiders powerful gaze upon her face. 'Uninteresting' she couldn't help but think to herself before his words had registered. '...punctured your heart...' she felt years prick her eyes, an unwelcome reaction. She opened her eyes back up to look at the strange being grasping her shoulders, dissecting her actions with his gaze.
"Would you like to sit?" He asked, still holding her shoulders.
"I'm fine." She sort of snorted at the concern behind his question. "Really, I'm ok." She put her hands on his shoulders as if to remind him he still had her in his grip, as her palms touched the leather of his jacked he retracted his hands taking a step back. She squinted. "You feel like a person..." she trailed off grabbing one of his hands before he had the chance to react. His solid form caught her off guard and had her mind asking so many questions. "... just like a fully alive... person..." she whispered to herself. "Holy shit." She said meeting his gaze as she held his hand in both of hers.
"Yes. What did you expect?" He snorted giving a slight laugh. He cocked an eyebrow at her before she returned to his hand.
"A limp, cold, hard corpse?" She state matter of factly. "Do you have a heartbeat?" She asked, but before he could answer she closed in on him and placed two fingers to his neck.
"Having fun?" He said, unmoving.
"Shh!" She scolded, "And don't squirm." The Outsider rolled his eyes but obliged. She stayed like that counting for 2 minutes. "Unbelievable" she muttered as she placed her ear to his chest. When she was done she faced him with a child like grin on her face.
"And, what are your 'findings'" he said using air quotes.
"You are incredible." She said with excitement. If she weren't so well versed in the true history of the void he'd laugh, but her current status made her a possible threat.
"So I've heard." He smiled at her, weary. "You are interesting." He said, lowering his voice a bit, turning away. "But you know that, as a matter of fact you know more than any other human I've encountered. Both in person and just observing." He spoke up and walked over toward the edge of slab they were situated on. "Do you have even the slightest understanding of what that dagger could have done. What it still can do?" He said placing his hands behind his back staring off into the void.
"Well if it was able to rebirth you as a god in the process of sacrificing your mortal self, the power seems interminable." Ava said as she paced toward him. "And by my ability to..." she snapped her fingers taking her brain. "What's it called..."
"Traverse." The Outsider interjected.
"Yes, if I'm able to traverse across the void I'm assuming some of that power runs through me as well." She took her stare away from him and looked out into the endless abyss. Greys and purples mingling as islands of marble slab floated aimlessly around. There was a strange beauty to this chaotic and inhospitable plane of existence.
Ava had gotten so caught up in the view that she hadn't noticed the Outsider had turned to face her. "So Ms. Hedsworth, how do you feel? I can only assume that when you wake up you will still have the ability to draw from the void but only time shall tell." He smiled, warm and reassuring. "You're in good hands, somebody found you and is taking care of you."
"Ava." She stated. "Just call me Ava." She rolled her eyes and let out a laugh. "Ernest makes his waitstaff call his 9 year old daughter Ms. Hedsworth. And I feel fine, bruised and cold, but in general fine. Do you have any other questions?" She asked never looking away from the eternal expanse beyond her.
"Ava." He corrected him self. He took a short pause chewing his next sentence carefully. "So, Ava, what say you? Friend, or foe?" He asked openly, if she were to have raw power of the void, there could be no ruse or lies between them.
"Friend. The last thing I want to do is have this beautiful shit show end because some half witted overseer recruit couldn't have the decency to kill me properly." She laughed making light of the situation. She knew how serious it was but she'd hoped he may appreciate the humor. "This is it huh?" She looked him in the eye for the first time since she followed him across the void. "The first day of the rest of my life?" She smirked.
"Something like that." The Outsider said cooly back at her. "One more thing, M-, ah, Ava," he began stumbling on the informality of her name. "Do I have a heartbeat?" He smirked himsellf.
"Something like that." She said as the void around her faded into darkness.
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