[Bullhead]
Inside a Bullhead heading toward Atlas Tower, on their way to a meeting with General Ironwood, Daniel was seated next to Weiss. The constant hum of the engines filled the cabin as the two of them went over what had happened at the Schnee mansion.
"Let me see if I've got this straight," Daniel said, feigning surprise. "Your mother slept with the masseur while you were just a few steps away?"
Weiss didn't answer with words. She nodded reluctantly, lips pressed tight.
"And the masseur was a wolf Faunus?"
Another nod, even stiffer this time.
Daniel fell silent for a few seconds, leaning back in his seat as if he were processing the information. Unable to help himself, he let out a small laugh.
"Honestly, what surprises me the most is that your family even hires Faunus as mansion staff," he joked, trying to lighten the mood.
"That's the strangest part!" Weiss shot back immediately, raising her voice in irritation. "We don't! We don't hire Faunus as staff in the mansion!"
She took a deep breath, bringing a hand to her temple, trying to regain her composure.
"Or… at least, we didn't."
Daniel glanced at her sideways. The faint smile on his face was enough for Weiss to know exactly what he was thinking.
"Don't start," she huffed. "Not hiring Faunus at the mansion isn't racist, get that out of your head," she said, crossing her arms and speaking firmly.
"It's a matter of security. We can't have Faunus as employees, not when most of them hate us. It's safer this way."
Daniel's hand moved across the seat until it found Weiss's, squeezing it gently in a calming gesture. "I know."
That was enough for a small, dismissive smile to appear on Weiss's face, and with that, the tension eased. A shared silence settled in, strangely comforting. Weiss leaned back in her seat, staring ahead as she processed everything that had happened, feeling calmer with Daniel by her side.
He stayed quiet, giving her space… or at least, that's what she thought.
In reality, Daniel was far more focused on the screen of his system, which glowed discreetly with new notifications. His lips curled into a satisfied smile as he read them.
[Congratulations, you cheated on your girlfriend!!]
You have cheated on Ruby Rose and Weiss Schnee with Willow Schnee
Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆
Bonus: Some truths take time to grow.
[Copying Willow Schnee's semblance: Glyphs]
[Stats assimilated from Willow Schnee: 25% (MAXIMUM 25%)]
[Duplicate semblance detected. Initiating fusion…]
[Glyphs semblance has been upgraded to Glyphs Advanced]
Everything had gone exactly as he expected.
He couldn't help but feel a small sense of relief when he saw the confirmation. For a moment, he had feared the system wouldn't grant him the reward, especially after he had slightly altered his facial features so Weiss wouldn't recognize him when they were discovered. But with Willow panicking and trying to cover her body, Weiss had barely paid him any attention, and neither of them had noticed the change.
In the end, he had achieved his goal without consequences, something he felt particularly proud of.
Even so, impatience began to grow in his chest. He wanted to test Glyphs Advanced as soon as possible. The semblance's description showed no obvious changes, which only fueled his curiosity further. He couldn't help but wonder what had changed exactly.
Greater ease of use?
Lower aura consumption?
More range?
More power?
The possibilities piled up rapidly in his mind, making him eager to try it out as soon as possible. However, with Weiss sitting beside him, he decided to leave those tests for later.
That didn't stop him from planning.
He was already thinking ahead, about how he could force another evolution of his semblance… and about how Weiss's sister was going to help him achieve that goal.
—/—
[Atlas Tower]
After a relatively short trip from the mansion to Atlas Tower, the two of them walked calmly through the main corridors. Doors slid open automatically in response to their presence, while just a short distance behind them, two Atlesian robots followed closely, carrying a large reinforced crate.
Of course, this did not go unnoticed by Weiss, who turned her head slightly to observe them more closely, faintly furrowing her brow.
"What's in the box?" she asked, curious.
Daniel briefly shifted his gaze to look at the machines, then turned his eyes forward again without breaking stride.
"Oh, that… those are the cores that are going to replace GLaDOS in the management of Atlas and Mantle."
Weiss blinked, surprised, taking a second to process it before looking back at him.
"I thought we were just going to answer a few questions the general wanted to ask us."
Daniel nodded as they continued walking at the same pace. "Yeah, but the cores were already finished, and I don't want to make another trip to the tower later just to bring them."
That, of course, wasn't a lie.
GLaDOS had finished building the cores just a couple of days earlier, so the general's request to meet had arrived at a particularly convenient moment.
And although he had been reserved about the questions he wanted to ask them, questions he had chosen not to handle over a video call, in truth there was very little mystery to them. Not when his secret meetings with the other academy headmasters were being constantly monitored by GLaDOS.
Daniel could only conclude that the general had grown too confident and was underestimating the true extent of GLaDOS's reach over Atlas.
Because of that, Daniel already knew they had connected him to the recovery of the elderly woman he had healed some time ago, who turned out to be more important than he had imagined, even though he still wasn't entirely sure in what way.
On top of that, and perhaps more importantly, he had also learned how what happened in Mantle had been reinterpreted. The massacre and Jacques's death had been attributed to a new, nonexistent species of Grimm, one supposedly capable of camouflaging itself among people.
All of it blamed on someone called Salem.
Based on the little information available, she seemed to be someone with the ability to control Grimm, or at least to directly influence them. It was an incomplete conclusion, but solid enough to cause concern.
Daniel could only let out a tired, silent sigh as they walked.
"Oz. Glynda. Ironwood. Lionheart. And now, a witch…", he repeated the names in his mind, one after another, forming a pattern that was hard to ignore.
With each passing day, the theory that this world was a strange, twisted version of The Wizard of Oz felt less absurd. And along with that came the growing possibility that somewhere out there, a Dorothy existed… and maybe even a dog named Toto, destined to save the world.
But since there was nothing he could do about it for now, he pushed those thoughts aside, leaving them to be a problem for the future.
When they reached the general's office, they waited only a few seconds before the doors opened and they stepped inside, leaving the robots and the crate outside. Just as he expected, Ironwood was there, accompanied by Winter, inside an office that had been completely rebuilt.
"It's good to see you're both doing well," the general said, raising a hand to indicate the seats across from his desk.
Both Daniel and Weiss sat down without wasting time, noticing that Ironwood's tone sounded slightly more serious than usual.
Weiss was the first to speak. "Is there a problem?" she asked, reading the atmosphere with mild concern, but both the general and Winter hurried to deny it almost at the same time.
"There is no problem. And you're not in trouble either," Ironwood replied, leaning slightly forward in his chair.
"But we do need you to answer some questions."
Weiss and Daniel exchanged a brief glance. She didn't fully relax despite the reassurance, while Daniel remained at ease, already knowing where the conversation was headed.
"What exactly did you want to talk about?" Weiss asked, turning her attention back to the general.
Ironwood didn't answer right away. Instead, he pressed a button on the side of his desk, and a holographic screen immediately deployed in front of them, displaying a video with enough clarity to clearly make out the location.
Beacon Tower.
More specifically, the moment when Daniel fell at high speed from it and slammed into the ground, crushing Qrow in the process, all right in front of Headmaster Ozpin and Weiss herself.
The image froze, and for several seconds, no one spoke.
Weiss looked away almost immediately, uncomfortable at having to witness that scene again. Winter kept her eyes fixed on the projection; if she hadn't already seen the video before, her expression would have been far harsher.
Daniel could only slump back in his chair. "Ah…" he sighed, resigned.
"I'll be honest, General. I didn't know you had footage of my little fall."
Ironwood raised an eyebrow, looking at him skeptically. "I wouldn't exactly call it little," he remarked calmly. "Considering we're talking about a five hundred meter drop."
The general removed the video from the screen before continuing.
"We have several questions. The first is this: what possible reason did you have to climb Beacon Tower?"
Daniel scratched the back of his head, confused by the question, taking a few seconds before answering. "Do I need a reason to want to climb a tower?"
Slap.
The sharp sound of a palm hitting a forehead echoed through the office. Daniel didn't need to turn around to know it had been Weiss.
"Unfortunately, I can't give you a deep reason," he continued, shrugging slightly. "I wanted to do it. That's all."
He paused briefly before speaking again.
"Although if you're worried about me climbing your tower, you can rest easy. After that fall, I learned my lesson. I have no plans to climb any more towers in the near future… ah!"
His words were cut short when Weiss drove a sharp elbow straight into his side.
"I stand corrected," he added quickly. "I have no plans to climb towers ever."
Ironwood watched him in silence for a moment, assessing him. "May I then assume the fall was an accident?" he asked, not entirely convinced.
Daniel nodded without hesitation. "Yes. I didn't plan on crashing into the ground. Much less on top of a Huntsman."
The general accepted the answer with a slight nod of his head. "That brings us to the next question."
The screen changed, displaying medical reports and paramedic records from those who treated him in Vale. The data was clear, highlighting a critical physical condition.
"According to these reports," Ironwood explained, "it was already a miracle that you survived a fall from that height."
The graphs showed fractures, internal damage, and a grim prognosis.
"Partial recovery was not expected, at best, for at least eight months."
The projection shifted again, clearing the reports.
"However," the general continued, "against all odds, barely a day later you were boarding a Bullhead alongside Miss Schnee, en route to Atlas. Fully recovered."
At the general's words, both of them remained calm. Weiss, in particular, adopted a more rigid stance, clearly professional, setting aside any trace of her earlier discomfort.
"That information is not something we can share," she replied in a serious, controlled tone.
The response surprised more than one person. Winter looked visibly stunned by her sister's sudden and uncooperative attitude.
"Weiss!" she raised her voice, stepping forward. "Do I need to remind you that you're standing in front of General Ironwood?"
She seemed ready to continue, but stopped when Ironwood himself raised a hand, signaling her to calm down.
"May we know why you can't share that information?" he asked. His tone wasn't annoyed, but clearly curious.
Weiss held his gaze without backing down.
"It is not possible to provide details about the mentioned product or concept," she explained precisely, "as it constitutes confidential information associated with a project intended for commercial purposes."
She didn't hesitate for a second before continuing. "And since it is private information classified as a trade secret, it is not possible to provide additional details."
Ironwood remained silent for a moment, weighing her words. Then he nodded slowly.
"We understand that the requested information may be protected by commercial interests."
Weiss nodded, allowing herself a small, satisfied smile. "I'm glad you understand, General…"
"But," Ironwood interrupted calmly, "the use of such a substance on a member of the military activates mandatory investigation and oversight protocols. Protocols that take precedence over those restrictions."
Weiss's expression shifted slightly, her brow furrowing.
"The product has not been used on members of the military… right?" she asked, turning her head toward Daniel.
Daniel didn't answer immediately. A bead of sweat began to slowly slide down his forehead.
"Right?" Weiss repeated, this time with far less patience in her tone.
Daniel sighed, giving in. "How was I supposed to know that little old lady was a member of the Atlas military?" he finally blurted out.
Weiss brought both hands to her face, clearly frustrated. "When did that happen?" she asked through clenched teeth.
"The same day they managed to get me out of the reactor so I could rest. When you let your guard down, I slipped out through the ventilation ducts," he explained. "I stumbled by chance into the room of an elderly woman who was in really bad shape. I gave her some of the compound, and she kindly pointed me back toward the reactor."
"Why didn't you tell me?!" Weiss complained, clearly holding herself back from making a scene.
"Because I didn't think it was important," Daniel replied, shrugging.
He finally lifted his gaze toward the general. "How's the old lady?"
Ironwood couldn't help but smile faintly. "She's doing well. We appreciate your intervention."
Daniel sighed, putting on a show of resignation.
"I suppose I don't have many options right now," he said before continuing with an explanation he had clearly prepared in advance. "I've been working on the development of a medication designed to accelerate the recovery of injuries in the body."
Winter raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.
"That's a rather vague description," she commented. "Could you be more specific?"
Daniel nodded.
"It's a bioactive compound that induces an accelerated regenerative response," he explained calmly. "It stimulates cellular regeneration, speeds up the healing of damaged tissue, promotes osteogenesis to repair microfractures or damaged bones, and restores aura reserves, returning the user's body to an optimal functional state."
"I hope that's specific enough," he added with a light laugh, a faint smile forming on his lips.
In reality, he didn't understand even half of what he had just said. GLaDOS had forced him to memorize a series of technical phrases in case he ever needed them, and her hard work was finally paying off.
The general was genuinely impressed, especially when he heard the part about restoring aura reserves. His posture stiffened, his attention clearly sharpened.
Winter, on the other hand, didn't look entirely convinced. She took a step forward, lightly crossing her arms.
"I hope you understand that it's difficult to believe you've created the ultimate panacea."
Daniel shrugged, unoffended. "I never said it was the ultimate panacea," he replied calmly. "It has very clear limitations."
He raised one hand, showing the absence of a finger.
"For example, it can't regenerate limbs… trust me," he continued, listing its limitations. "It doesn't cure congenital diseases or stop aging. It can close wounds, yes, but it always leaves scars. It's not perfect."
Even after he finished listing its flaws, Ironwood couldn't hide his reaction of excitement.
"Despite those flaws," he said firmly, "that medicine could be crucial in the fight against the Grimm. It could save hundreds… if not thousands of lives."
"Why keep it secret?" he asked, visibly confused.
Daniel didn't hesitate in his response. "Even though the medication is functional, I can't release anything to the public without completing a series of rigorous trials," he explained. "I need to be absolutely sure it's safe for people."
"You know Atlas would be willing to offer you all its resources to carry out any tests you need," the general interjected, his tone almost enthusiastic.
Daniel nodded slowly.
"I know, General," he replied. "But given the complexity of the medication, it's not something I can allow others to handle."
That was an acceptable excuse, even though the real reason was much simpler: he had no intention of letting anyone else gain access to the berries required to replicate it, and certainly not those filthy capitalists. When the time came, he would personally take care of the production and export of the compound himself.
Winter frowned, visibly offended by the implication that Atlas wasn't capable of handling his work.
"And how long would it take to complete those trials?" she asked, her tone carrying a faint edge of coldness.
Daniel scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Two to three months, more or less."
Winter's eyes widened slightly, impressed. "That fast?"
Daniel laughed with a hint of bitterness. "It's fast if you ignore the other forty years of research and hard work behind it," he replied, his tone barely masking its sharpness.
Daniel was far too deep in his role to allow anyone to belittle the years of effort of his nonexistent father, the figure he had invented and to whom he had attributed an entire lifetime devoted to relentless research and tireless work on those berries.
Ironwood, seeming to grasp the situation, adopted a more understanding attitude. "I assume this isn't just your work."
Daniel nodded without hesitation. "It isn't," he admitted. "It's a family project. I didn't start it, but I'm going to finish it."
He paused briefly. "And if you'll excuse me, it's a subject I'd rather not discuss."
The moment he finished speaking, Weiss's hand gently settled over his. She didn't say anything, but the gesture alone was enough to make it clear that she was there, supporting him, in the same way he had supported her earlier.
The general realized almost immediately that Winter had touched on a sensitive subject and quickly stepped in to keep the situation from escalating.
"I apologize if we've touched on something delicate," he said sincerely. "I think that will be enough questions for now. We appreciate your cooperation, and I hope you know that Atlas is at your disposal if you ever need anything."
Daniel slowly let out the air he'd been holding, relaxing his posture as a faint smile appeared on his face.
"I appreciate your understanding, General," he said, his tone slightly lighter than before. "And now that we're done with this… it's time for me to get my GLaDOS back."
Barely had he spoken those words when the lights in the room flickered briefly. It was only an instant, just enough to catch everyone off guard, but no one seemed to give it much thought, quickly attributing it to a simple electrical malfunction.
"Does that mean you're finished with the replacement core?" the general asked.
Daniel nodded without hesitation. "It's ready. Finished and waiting outside this room to be installed."
The general didn't waste another second. "Then there's no time to lose," Ironwood declared, rising to his feet and heading for the exit, followed by the rest of the group as they moved through the tower's corridors toward the control room.
—/—
[Control Room]
The doors to the control room slid open, revealing a space that, much like the general's office, had been rebuilt, though with one obvious difference: the staff had been drastically reduced, and the entire layout of the room revolved around GLaDOS's core, located at the center of the chamber, heavily protected by security systems and robotic units.
Daniel didn't hesitate for a second. He walked straight toward the center without asking for permission, and as he approached, the robots and defensive systems automatically stepped aside, clearing a path for him until he stood directly in front of GLaDOS's cubic core, now fully exposed.
"Miss me?" he asked, leaning toward GLaDOS with a slightly mocking tone.
If GLaDOS had eyes, she would have rolled them. "Not even a little," she replied flatly.
The conversation couldn't go any further. The rest of the group had already gathered around, clearly expectant about the core replacement. Not wanting to disappoint them, Daniel signaled to the two robots carrying the metal crate, indicating they should set it down in front of him.
When he opened it, three spherical cores sat inside, clearly different from GLaDOS's cubic body.
"Three cores?" Winter pointed out the obvious.
Daniel nodded in confirmation. "That's correct. While a single core would be enough to manage Atlas and Mantle at the same time, I figured it would be better to have redundancy, just to be safe."
"When you disconnect GLaDOS… will the cities go dark?" the general asked, already thinking about the panic a sudden blackout could cause.
Before Daniel could answer, GLaDOS intervened.
"Negative. After my disconnection, the cities and machinery will continue operating normally for approximately five minutes. More than enough time to install the new cores."
No one challenged her, mostly because they had no way to verify whether she was telling the truth, but they trusted her word.
Daniel wasted no more time and activated the cores.
Each one lit up with a different color: orange, purple, and violet. The first to speak was the blue-toned one, its voice firm and martial.
[Image]
"Ready for duty!"
"Yay, work!" cheered the orange one, clearly enthusiastic.
"Yay, work…" muttered the violet one, its tone noticeably more subdued.
"Is it normal for them to behave like that?" the general asked, watching the active cores.
Daniel nodded without hesitation. "It's normal." The answer sounded confident enough that no one noticed he actually had no idea whether it was or not.
Weiss, clearly intrigued, stepped a little closer to the cores, examining them carefully. "Do they have names?" she asked.
"Of course they do," he replied, raising a hand to point at them.
"They're called Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos," he explained, indicating the orange, violet, and blue cores respectively. "Together, they are three sisters whose purpose is to guide the fate of Atlas!"
The silence that followed was awkward.
Daniel waited for a reaction, some comment, maybe the faintest hint of recognition. But he got nothing. When it became clear there would be no applause, his expression tightened as he realized no one seemed to understand the reference. He had chosen those names himself, and apparently, he was the only one who found them meaningful.
Without adding anything else, he moved on to the next step.
He disconnected GLaDOS swiftly and replaced her with the three new cores without wasting any time. The systems responded instantly. There were no alarms, no interruptions, no visible malfunctions. Everything worked exactly as planned.
"Everything is finished, General," Daniel said, looking Ironwood straight in the eye. "The new cores are now at your disposal and under your control. They were designed and programmed to safeguard the well being of Atlas, Mantle, and their people."
The general stepped forward until he stood in front of the main screens. His face remained serious, giving no indication of how excited he truly was. The displays shifted instantly, showing detailed reports, statistics, crime data, and public health status updates.
To an untrained eye, it would have been overwhelming. To him, the information was perfectly organized.
He liked what he saw.
He was just about to thank Daniel when the young man stepped forward, coughing lightly into his hand to draw his attention.
"There's one more detail I'd like to discuss, General," he said. "Something confidential."
"I'd like to talk about the glyphs."
His words reminded the general of the pending request he himself had made, one that, amid so many accumulated matters, he had almost set aside.
"Is there a problem with the glyphs?" he asked, hoping he hadn't asked for too much, though at this point he was ready to withdraw the request entirely if necessary. Daniel had already contributed more than he could reasonably demand from anyone else.
"No," Daniel said, shaking his head. "It's not exactly a problem."
"But to develop them with greater precision, I'd need someone who can actually activate them. Seeing them in use would help me a lot."
Weiss frowned, clearly confused.
"Why didn't you ask me?" she questioned, not seeing the need to involve the general if that was all he needed. She herself could have helped him.
Daniel rejected her offer almost immediately. "I need the help of someone with greater control over the glyph of… summoning."
The phrase had an immediate effect on Weiss. She fell silent, her expression dimming slightly. She knew she still hadn't mastered that glyph, and without her help, there was only one option left.
All eyes turned toward Winter.
"It won't be a problem," she said firmly, stepping forward. "It will be a pleasure to help with the creation of the new glyphs."
Daniel nodded, satisfied. "I have a few prototypes that might be useful," he commented, turning to look for his notebook inside his bag.
[Passive Skill Restless Hands: Random Activation]
But the moment he bent down, whether out of sheer bad luck or perhaps as some kind of divine punishment, it happened.
Winter's hand, open and firm, moved faster than she herself would have thought possible, acting against her own judgment and without giving her time to stop.
SLAP!
The smack echoed loudly throughout the room.
The impact was so brutal it launched Daniel forward, sending him crashing into the floor. The sound was sharp, unmistakable, impossible to ignore. The imprint of her hand remained visible even through his pants, outlined with humiliating precision.
The silence that followed went beyond levels of awkwardness no one had thought possible.
Winter stood frozen, her hand still extended. She slowly raised it in front of her face, staring at it in disbelief, as if she expected to discover it didn't belong to her, that it wasn't connected to her arm. But she couldn't deny it. It was, undeniably, her hand.
Weiss remained rooted to the spot, horror written all over her face.
The general reacted immediately, activating his semblance. Anger, fear, and unease were dulled at once, though they didn't vanish completely. Even so, he couldn't bring himself to speak. He had no idea how to respond to a situation this absurdly specific.
On the floor, Daniel writhed, clutching his ass with one hand and rubbing the exact spot where he'd been struck, letting out a muffled groan.
"That's what they're for, but… you have to wonder…", he groaned between pained sounds, lifting his gaze toward Winter.
"I-I can explain, AH!" she tried to say, waving her hands in panic, but she didn't get to finish before Weiss lunged at her without hesitation.
"How dare you?!" she shouted, grappling with her sister.
"This can't get any worse," Daniel complained from the floor, gritting his teeth.
"Oh, it absolutely can," GLaDOS replied with obvious delight. "I've got the whole thing on video. Hahahahaha."
Daniel clenched his fists tightly.
"FUCK!"
—//—
Author's Note:I wasn't planning to upload any chapter until next Sunday, but here's a new one since I'm in a good mood.
The MC is about to leave Atlas, so if anyone remembers something I might be forgetting that he still needs to do there, now would be a good time to remind me, or if there's something specific you'd like to see.
The next chapter will be R18, and I'll upload it on Tuesday, maybe earlier if you leave a comment, a review, or a power stone…
Anyway, I can't think of anything else to say, so I hope you have a great day. See you!
Hugs and kisses 💕