[A/N: This was supposed to be uploaded Wednesday night, but I messed up. Oh well, you rats win today.]
[Abandoned Warehouse]
After the werewolf's failed attempt to rip his head off with a bite, and with his freshly awakened Armament Haki covering parts of his body, Daniel can only feel a new and not undeserved confidence fill him.
"I'm gonna fuck you up!!"
With that sudden surge of energy, still pinned under the monster, he kicks with both legs hard enough to throw it off. The momentum helps him get back up in a clumsy but fast motion, and without missing a beat, he charges straight in. He doesn't even bother to think. No strategy. No defense. All the caution he had before vanishes in an instant.
In a second, he's already in front of the creature, smashing its face with a powerful punch. The impact lands with a dry crack.
The monster doesn't stay still. Its claws go straight for Daniel's chest, and the blow sends him stumbling back a few steps. Instinctively, he reaches for his torso, but when he checks, he only sees shredded clothes. The previous wound is still there, but this new attack? Barely a few superficial marks. Not even bleeding.
That gets a crooked grin out of him.
"That all you got?"
He launches again. One, two, three, four punches in a row, straight to the beast's face. He doesn't give it a moment to breathe. Each hit pushes it back a little more, off balance, forcing the werewolf to step back.
The creature roars and retaliates with a frenzy of claws, desperate to stop the assault. But it's useless. All it manages to do is rip apart what little's left of Daniel's clothes. Every hit he takes, instead of slowing him down, seems to fuel him even more. The glow in his hair intensifies, signaling his power is rising.
In a desperate move, the beast tries to bite again, this time going for his side. The fangs sink in—or try to. They don't even pierce the skin.
Daniel looks down at it with that wicked smile on his lips, while the monster keeps trying to bite him, failing over and over.
"You done yet?"
He takes advantage of the angle and brings both arms down together, slamming the monster's head with full force. The sound is dry, wet, brutal. Blood splashes sideways as the creature crashes to the ground on its back. For the first time, its regeneration starts to fail. The wounds don't close. The skin doesn't mend. Something broke.
Daniel notices.
The monster tries to crawl away, wheezing for breath. But he doesn't let it. He wipes his face with his forearm, stained with both the creature's blood and his own.
Just remembering the wound it gave him on his face pisses him off.
Watching it try to run lights a fire in his chest.
"What's wrong? Realizing your attacks don't do shit is messing with you?" He steps forward, fists clenched. "Did it hurt when I hit you?"
The monster doesn't answer. It just pants and drags itself away clumsily.
"Let's see how you handle this."
He lunges again, this time with everything he's got. A direct punch to the face knocks the beast flat on its back. Daniel crashes down on top of it with a thud and keeps hitting, switching arms, faster and faster.
"You wanted to die like this?"
Another hit. And another. One after the other.
"Fine... what's 17 more gachas?"
He smiles, letting out a laugh—almost amused—as he keeps striking.
"I can start over."
His fists keep coming down without pause, blow after blow, splattering blood in every direction. The sound of flesh giving way mixes with his own ragged breaths.
Then he stops for a second. He raises both arms and channels all his strength into one final hit—one that carries every memory of pain, every wound that monster left him with.
"Remember, you made me do this."
He screams.
"AHH!"
He roars in fury. The punch comes down with all his weight. And just as it lands, his ability—Burn: Energy Release—finally answers. His hands unleash a massive burst of energy, a shockwave that shakes the ground beneath them.
He strikes the creature's back with everything he has left. This time, it's not just brute strength—he finally releases that power he hadn't been able to tap into until now. A wave of energy surges from his fists, explosive and devastating.
The concrete beneath them cracks, a fracture spidering out in all directions. The werewolf's back folds unnaturally on itself.
And it stops moving.
-/-
Seeing the creature motionless, crushed against the ground, Daniel stops hitting it. Even then, he can't help but give it one last kick—just to be sure.
"You better be fucking dead."
He growls as he turns around without waiting for a response, starting to walk toward GLaDOS and Aegis, who have been silent witnesses to the whole fight. But he only manages a few steps before GLaDOS's voice cuts through the tension.
"You know… if I didn't have these tapes around me, I could've deployed my weapons and helped you."
He doesn't respond right away—just narrows his eyes.
"Just saying."
He doesn't reply. Instead, he walks over to her, a bit tired, and without a word, he pulls off the tapes that had been stopping her from fully activating. She emits a small click as her side compartments open.
"Ah, much better." Her weapons deploy instantly with a sharp metallic snap. She checks them a couple times, folding and unfolding them to make sure nothing's broken. "So much better~~"
But she's not done yet.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" she asks in a pompous voice, like she's expecting an apology.
Daniel stays silent, trying to ignore her, but she pushes.
"What are you waiting for? Say it."
He sighs, annoyed, but knowing exactly what she wants. "I should've listened to you. Happy?"
"No." The answer is dry, blunt. "You can do better than that."
Daniel frowns but gives up.
"Fine! It was my mistake. I should've listened to you. It was a stupid idea and next time I'll check with you before I act. Happy now?" He throws his arms out, full of sarcasm.
"Yes. A little."
She nods, half-satisfied.
"In my defense," he mutters, "the most dangerous thing the gacha had given me so far was a monkey with a gun. It's not like I could've guessed that thing was gonna come out."
As he speaks, he starts to feel the adrenaline drop, and the pain from his wounds finally hits him. The burn in his arm, the pressure in his chest, the scratches on his face… it all rushes in at once.
"Where's my bag…?" he mutters, glancing around while feeling his side with a grimace.
Then he hears Aegis's voice.
"Congratulations!" He says in a mocking tone. "You're not dead. Looks like my time training you wasn't a complete waste."
He pauses, eyeing him more carefully. His face is covered in marks, his chest torn up, one arm still bleeding from a bite.
"Though… you clearly still need to learn how to dodge. Don't worry, nothing time and training won't fix."
Daniel nods in thanks, still searching for his juice. But Aegis isn't done.
"And I also need to teach you how to tell when something's actually dead."
That makes him freeze. He just found the bottle and is about to drink, but stops, slowly lowers it, and turns to look back at the creature he left crushed.
It's still there. Twisted in an unnatural position… but breathing.
A low chuckle drifts from its direction. Barely a whisper, but clear.
"Hehehe…"
Daniel blinks. No way.
"You son of a bitch… how are you still alive?!"
He shouts, dropping the bottle and grabbing a rusted metal pipe from the rubble.
"You know what? I don't even care," he mutters, shaking the pipe, testing its weight. "Just hold still… this won't take long."
But his words fade as he watches the creature's body begin to move—or rather, transform. Its massive figure starts to shrink, contracting in unnatural ways. The body compresses, loses bulk, until it takes on a more human shape… though still twisted, its spine broken and body half-buried in the shattered ground.
[Image]
What emerges is the form of a young girl with a slim frame. Long, wild black hair, light skin, clothes torn to shreds. She has wolf ears and a tail, and if it weren't for the sharp fangs and those glowing beast-like eyes, she could easily pass for just another faun girl.
"Ahh~~" she moans in pain as her body begins to regenerate. The wounds close, but much slower than before.
Daniel narrows his eyes, staring at her in disbelief. She meets his gaze, noticing his expression.
"Ah~ y'know, it's way easier to heal when my body's small," she says with a crooked smile. "Less to fix, hehe."
"It's just simple—less meat, less work." She grins as she talks, her voice lighter, almost playful, like she hadn't been on death's door seconds ago.
There's a weird pause—a strange moment of silence that doesn't last long.
"That's actually kinda awesome!" Daniel blurts, snapping out of his shock. "But now don't move while I finish this."
He raises the pipe over his head, ready to smash her without a second thought.
But then, a voice interrupts him.
"Wait!"
It's GLaDOS.
"What—?" Daniel barely turns, clearly annoyed by the interruption… and that second is all the girl needs.
She snaps her back into place, twists on the ground, and leaps at him in less than a heartbeat.
"Shit—!" Daniel growls.
His haki had already faded when he relaxed earlier, and now he's not entirely sure how to turn it back on. No time to think. He decides the best defense is a good offense—
But he doesn't get the chance.
She crashes into him, wrapping her legs around his waist and locking her arms tightly around his torso with shocking strength. Their eyes meet right as she starts rubbing up against him in a very, very indecent way.
"Make me a baby, right now!"
The silence that follows is painfully awkward.
"…What?"
Daniel barely manages to get the word out before she leans in even closer, her crazed eyes glowing.
"From the moment you unleashed yourself… I knew you were strong…"
Her arms now wrap around his neck. Her face is way too close, and her eyes burn with unhinged intensity.
"My name is Rosella. I'm a Tasmanian Werewolf and proud member of The Werewolf Family." Her smile turns wicked. "Your new lover and future wife."
Her laugh is excited—almost euphoric.
Daniel stares at her for a few seconds in silence. Then he nods seriously.
"Mhmm… no."
He grabs her firmly, peels her off with one hand, and hurls her to the ground with force, making her squeal, "Kyaa!"
"Alright then, wolf girl. When you get to the seventh circle of hell, tell Virgil Daniel says hi."
Without hesitation, he raises the metal pipe again, ready to end this once and for all—
But he's stopped. Again.
"I told you to stop!"
GLaDOS's voice cuts through the air, firm and sharp. Daniel freezes, frustrated.
"What?! Can't you see I'm busy?!"
He points at the girl lying on the ground. Her body is almost completely regenerated, though she clearly doesn't have the strength left to stand. Still, she smiles at him, wagging her tail like it's all just a fun little game.
"She could be useful," GLaDOS says flatly. "Don't kill her."
Daniel stares at her in disbelief. He stammers.
"What—?! No! No… I'm ending this."
He turns his back on GLaDOS, ready to ignore her, but her voice cuts in again, sharp and cold.
"You didn't listen when I told you not to activate your ability… and look how that turned out."
He reflexively lowers his gaze. The wounds still sting—more so now that the adrenaline's worn off. Bite marks, cuts, a bruised and beaten body.
"You're not gonna listen now, either?"
Daniel hesitates. He looks at Rosella. She can't move, but she's still smiling way too charmingly. His grip on the pipe loosens as his shoulders tense up.
"…Fine. Convince me."
-/-
GLaDOS has to admit it, even if she doesn't like doing so: this fight has been an excellent source of data. Daniel's strength, his speed, his reflexes, his limits… everything has become much clearer. She can finally get a decent estimate of his actual combat performance.
But she'll never tell him that.
"I don't want to encourage him to start making decisions on his own. That would be irresponsible."
Admitting that his idea wasn't completely useless would only inflate his ego and worsen their dynamic in the future. It's better for him to understand that she should be making all the decisions.
Encouraging his independence would be foolish. He already has more than enough motivation. His current level of self-confidence is already plenty insufferable.
Although, she has to admit—his skills are good. Including what she's sure is a newly awakened defensive ability.
But they could be much better. In fact, they could improve exponentially—and with minimal effort.
"Fine… convince me," he says now, visibly annoyed.
GLaDOS watches him for a moment. She doesn't blame him. He's covered in bite marks, open wounds, and still-bleeding cuts. He looks like someone who got hit by a truck… then backed over… twice.
"I don't blame him… No, actually, I do. This is entirely his fault. He knows it."
"That's what he gets for taping me down."
She realizes she's getting distracted. Quickly, she refocuses on what matters: convincing him not to crush the werewolf girl's skull.
Although, to be honest… it doesn't seem that hard.
"Easy," she says simply. "Look at her."
That makes Daniel turn his head toward the wolf girl. She looks surprisingly good, considering everything that just happened. No visible wounds, no signs of pain.
When she notices him watching, she rolls onto her back and exposes her belly—a clear sign of submission.
Once he's done evaluating her, he looks back to GLaDOS.
"Yeah, I looked. Now what?" His tone is puzzled.
"Now look at yourself."
Daniel complies, glancing down at his own body. He's covered in cuts, bite marks, and bruises. And still… he doesn't seem to get it.
GLaDOS can't help but feel a flash of irritation.
"Don't you think her regeneration factor would come in handy?"
She couldn't be more obvious. In fact, she doesn't understand how he hasn't thought of it already.
Daniel opens his mouth like the thought just clicked, but then he shakes his head.
"No. That's not how it works," he says with that frustratingly confident tone—like he thinks he knows more than her. Idiot.
"My ability copies semblances and stats," he explains proudly. "And I'm pretty sure that thing's not from this world. Ergo, that's not a semblance."
He says it with a smug little smile. Like he just won a debate.
"Wrong," GLaDOS shoots back instantly. "You copy traits and a percentage of stats."
Daniel barely opens his mouth to object, but she cuts him off. She's not going to let him talk. She has all the data. A full, detailed record of his abilities, semblances, stats—everything, including how and from whom he acquired each one.
"How did you get your silver eyes?"
Daniel blinks, then answers: "From Summer Rose."
"Exactly," she nods. "But that's not a semblance. Silver eyes are a trait. The semblance you got from Summer Rose is Petal Burst."
And GLaDOS is fairly certain. She's been connected to the Remnant network long enough to know. She's read multiple stories—mostly fairy tales—that mention the power of those silver eyes. She even found records of Ruby Rose, complete with clear images: same gaze, same silver shine.
It's not semblances he copies.
He copies traits… from the women he sleeps with.
Simple logic and a consistent pattern.
"There's a high probability you could acquire her regeneration ability if you mate with her," she adds casually.
Daniel frowns, still doubtful.
Manipulating him isn't hard. He just needs the right push.
"Did you know her regeneration prevents scarring?"
That catches his attention instantly. Almost there.
"You could gain her regeneration trait. She seems very willing."
"Grandpa said I have to bear the strongest offspring!" the werewolf girl suddenly yells with over-the-top enthusiasm.
That makes Daniel glare and point at her.
"Keep talking and I'll fuck you up."
She beams. "Don't threaten me with a good time!"
GLaDOS doesn't stop. She has to seal the deal.
"Or… you could use the berry juice and live the rest of your life with a scarred face."
Silence.
Daniel says nothing, but he immediately turns around and walks straight toward the werewolf girl.
Bingo.
What an easy monkey to manipulate, she thinks, satisfied.
But just as she's enjoying her intellectual superiority, she notices out of the corner of her eye how Aegis—who had been standing right next to her—jumps off the crate in a hurry.
"Huh? Where are you going?" she tries to ask, but the answer becomes painfully clear as the werewolf girl's body suddenly appears right in front of her.
The girl places both hands on the edge of the crate, leaning forward and way too enthusiastically wagging her hips.
"YES, LET'S HAVE A BAAAAABYYYYY!!!" she screams.
GLaDOS, trapped and unable to move, can only do one thing:
"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU—!!!"
-//-
Author's note:
Weren't we supposed to have an 18+ scene here?
Well, I set a goal to write about 3,000 words per update so I don't overwork myself, and if all goes well, publish twice a week.
So… guess I owe you that scene on Sunday.
…
What? That wasn't the deal?
Sue me! ![image]
And in case you're wondering—no, Rosella isn't a character I made up. She exists.
I took her from Adventure Time: The Enchiridion & Marcy's Super Secret Scrapbook.
The story goes like this: Marcy meets a pair of werewolf siblings—Remi and Rosella—with magical tendencies. They help her summon her father, Hunson Abadeer… and when they succeed, he eats both their souls. ![image]
Beautiful story, huh?
Anyway, see you next time!
Kisses and hugs 💋