AN: Hello!

Welcome to the second season of Out of Cryo! If you have no idea what this is, I highly recommend you read the previous works in this series first! Otherwise, I'm thrilled you're here (it's here!) and I can't wait to get this started.
Few things:
- Cover art by the talented DRON261095
- Not sure on update schedule yet. I will let you know but I'm zerodawnkitewalker on tumblr, which is where I usually post about that.
- I got 2 hours of sleep last night so I shall respond to comments ASAP!
- I don't own HZD - Guerrilla Games is amazing and without them I wouldn't be doing this. :D
- This is rated M - violence, swearing, and sex are what you can expect.

Thank you and enjoy!

Dodge. I threw my body, rolling left onto the metal platform and narrowly missing the blade that passed over my head. I gritted my teeth as my skin pressed against the metal grate under me. Coming back up on my feet, I shook off the water that had dripped down to my face from my damp hair – the rain coming down so hard that I could barely see her in front of me.

But she was still there. Still angry. The floodlights behind her only emphasized the redness of her hair, flames atop the silhouette that stood before me. I could barely make out her face – the hazel eyes that I'd come to love so much with all the emotion they contained now glared at me – the hate in them for me more than apparent. The left side of my face ached where she'd punched me earlier, and I had no doubt it would be black and blue in a day, assuming I even got out of there alive. We were far too high up for me to make a quick exit - unless falling to my death was an option.

"Enough of this, Becks!" she yelled over the clap of thunder that sounded. "You don't have to do this. Think of your parents! Your brother! They wouldn't want you to go through with this, either."

I shook my head. Fuck this. "I did think of them…and that's exactly why I have to do it." I gripped my spear in my right hand while my left hovered over the soaked pouch that hung from my belt.

Her brow furrowed as she glanced at the pouch before focusing on me again. "Then you know why I can't let you live."

Of course. "I know that you're a liar and that you didn't mean a goddamned word you said the other night," I said. "All that talk…it's bullshit."

"I won't be called a liar by someone who's so…so blind," she growled, rainwater running down her face and over the cluster of freckles under her eyes. She readied her weapon.

I'd had enough. "I'd rather be blind than a mistake." I smirked. "A miscalculation."

That did it. She let out a roar and charged at me. Her spear went down – I stopped it with my arm, the impact vibrating up and through the implants and sending a numbness up to my shoulder. I used my left side to push her back, separating us once more as she stumbled a bit before quickly regaining her balance.

"Nice try. You won't shatter this spear, though. It's been modified," she explained in the calmest and most arrogant tone I'd heard her use yet.

I rushed forward and swung, aiming for her head. She blocked me, her expression showing no signs of exhaustion or giving up. We moved with dizzying speed across the platform, each of us an equal match for the other, the both of us getting more frustrated as the fight wore on.

I wanted to look around, see if the others had made it, but I knew one pause and I'd be dead. One fuck up and that was it.

A yell amidst the chaos. She paused. What?

Didn't fucking matter. I took the opportunity to lunge at her, hoping to disarm her, but she deftly moved aside and slammed the bladeless end of the spear into my stomach. I gasped as the air was knocked from my lungs and barely had enough time to shout when the weapon came down again on my right knee. Pain exploded in my kneecap and I dropped, hitting the platform with an unforgiving thud. I tried to lift my spear but she kicked it from my hand before I could do anything. I whimpered and watched helplessly as it tumbled off the platform.

Other ways. Have to be. I rolled onto my back, groaning in agony as my injured knee kept me grounded. A flash of lightning illuminated the blade that she pressed against my throat. One twist…that's all it would take for it to be over. For all of this to have been for nothing.

"No more, Becks. It's time."

Has to be another way.

Two months earlier, one year after GAIA restoration

"So…now what?"

I glared at her. "Really? I just sang the best fucking rendition of 'Happy Birthday' the 31st century has ever seen and you're not even a little impressed?!"

Aloy gave me an awkward, apologetic look as she seemed to be considering whether it was in her best interest to be honest with me or not as she sat at the table – my very sad attempt at a berry pie…thing topped with a candle in front of her – while I stood next to her.

She decided to be honest.

"Well, Becks…" She shifted and looked down, obviously uncomfortable as she refused to meet my gaze. "That was probably one of the most frightening things I've ever experienced. And I've fought corrupted Stormbirds." She pointed at the pathetic pie. "And what is this thing?"

I crossed my arms. "Well, fuck you, too. That…is a birthday cake."

She looked up at me again. "Um…why is there a candle on it? Is this some kind of Metal World ritual?"

I laughed and pushed a few strands of wavy brown hair out of my face. "Kind of? You're supposed to make a wish and blow it out."

"Why?"

"Because it's your birthday, Aloy. It's what you do. Now stop arguing and make a wish."

"I wish I could understand this."

I shook my head. "No! You can't say it out loud."

Aloy raised an eyebrow, causing me to laugh harder. "But I-then what's the point?"

"If I know what the wish is, then it won't come true."

She huffed. "That…is the strangest thing I've ever heard of, Becks. And why is this important, anyway?"

I couldn't decide if I was frustrated at her for not playing along or having more fun than I'd had in a while because of how stubborn she was being about the entire thing. "Because today is the anniversary of your birth. And you're still alive. And that's a good thing. So…we celebrate it!"

"I was alive yesterday. And the day before. We couldn't celebrate then?" she asked.

This is getting fucking ridiculous. "Blow out the damn candle, Aloy."

She dutifully complied and let out a small puff of air, extinguishing the flame before it could burn through the candle.

I clapped my hands. "All right! Now we um…" I looked at the "dessert" and winced a bit. "Erm…you don't have to eat that."

Aloy actually protested. "But you made it for me."

"It's fine – I don't want you to get sick or something," I said and took her hand before pulling her away from the table. "Come on, I want to give you your gift."

She smiled and squeezed my hand. "I get a gift?"

"Yeah. Here." I fished into one of my pockets and procured the small, triangular device that once powered the world. And maybe someday will again.

She cast a suspicious look at me as she took the Focus from my hand. "You're…giving me back my Focus. The one you took from me this morning without any apology?"

I nodded. "Yes. Turn it on."

She kept a watchful eye on me as she returned the Focus to just above her ear and activated it. The entry interface must have popped up with my message because she grinned ear to ear and put her free hand around my waist.

"The music from your Focus that I liked. You put them on mine?"

I shrugged. "It wasn't that hard and you said you wanted to try having some light background noise when you hunt. I figured maybe we could listen to the same tracks when we go together."

Her smile didn't falter. "This is perfect. Thank you." Her expression shifted to worry. "Wait. Do I need to get you something?"

"No, no…this is your day. You can get me something on my birthday. It's not until fall, though."

Aloy seemed puzzled. "Wait…that means we didn't celebrate your last birthday, Becks. You didn't tell me!"

I gave her a quick kiss. "It's fine. To be honest, I stopped looking at the date on my Focus for a while."

But she wouldn't let it go. She gave me a sly smile before letting go of my hand and pulling me close to her until our foreheads were touching. "I can think of a few other ways we can celebrate then, even if today isn't your day."

My cheeks immediately felt hot. Of course she fucking understands the concept now. I laughed quietly and shook my head in dismay. "Smooth. Real smooth."

But Aloy said nothing – she simply took my hands in hers again and began leading me to the other side of the cabin - no doubt where we'd be occupied for some time - the sad little pie on the table forgotten.

More AN: That was fun. I'd love feedback! I've been super excited about posting this so I really hope you like it and would love to hear from you!