[Weiss' Room – 19:00]
Weiss is having an existential crisis, and of course, it's all Daniel's fault.
It took her several hours, but she finally finished reading through every last blueprint. Although it was an extremely tedious task, she can't deny that she was entertained in the process. The concept of a giant robot isn't something Daniel invented; Atlas has already built colossal models, like the Colossus, which stands in Argus in case of an attack by giant Grimm. It's a project that the kingdom of Atlas is very proud of and never hesitates to boast about, but compared to Daniel's model, the Colossus falls far behind.
According to the blueprints, Daniel's model isn't bigger, but it is far more advanced. More agile, better optimized… it completely humiliates Atlas' design.
But that doesn't bother her. After all, she has no direct connection to the Atlas military, except for her sister Winter. The fact that Daniel's model surpasses Atlas' isn't something that will keep her up at night; in fact, if she thinks about it, this actually benefits her. A robot of that scale must consume enormous amounts of Dust, and if she were to secure the deal to supply it, her position as heir would be strengthened, ensuring greater influence over the family business.
However, there is a small problem with those blueprints. A tiny, insignificant detail.
"The damn robot doesn't use Dust as fuel…" Weiss mutters, gritting her teeth as she punches a pillow in frustration.
At first, she thought it was a mistake, that maybe Daniel forgot to include the energy system, but no. She checked every blueprint, and there isn't any kind of Dust-powered engine. It took her quite a while to understand that, instead, there is some kind of energy generator.
Of course, she was skeptical at first. A machine capable of generating enough energy to power a robot of that size without using Dust… is unheard of.
But then, excitement took over. If it were really possible to build such a robot and make it function indefinitely, it would mean a tremendous breakthrough in the fight against the Grimm. Wiping out entire hordes, reclaiming settlements, clearing transport routes… there were so many things that could be achieved.
But as all those hypothetical scenarios formed in her mind, a question suddenly surfaced:
"If it can power a robot of that size… could it also power other things?"
And the answer was more than obvious.
Of course, it could. And if all the kingdoms could generate their own energy, it would mean only one thing: the downfall of the SDC.
Naturally, the SDC wouldn't be the only one affected. It's not the only Dust mining company, but it is the largest, the one with contracts to supply energy to all the kingdoms. If that generator really works, they would be the first to fall—the ones with the most to lose.
"Mhmm…" Weiss groans, turning in bed as she stares at the ceiling. Her mind is working at full speed, searching for a solution, a plan, something she can do to save the SDC.
But she quickly dismisses the idea.
"What am I even thinking?" she mutters, letting out an ironic laugh. "Hahaha… There's no way Daniel solved the world's energy problem in a single night." She feels stupid for even considering it.
"It probably doesn't even work," she adds, trying to convince herself.
"I mean, it's as absurd as berries that instantly heal any wound… as ridiculous as those weapon schematics that basically take Hunter gear to the next level… as stupid as a mantis shrimp that can use a scroll, ha…" But her laughter fades little by little.
...
"Oh no… the SDC is going bankrupt."
She buries her hands in her hair, rubbing her scalp in frustration.
"What do I do? What do I do? What should I do?" She repeats it over and over, feeling anxiety creeping over her.
"What would my grandfather do…?" she whispers in desperation, wishing he were still alive. "He would know what to do," she thinks, lowering her head.
Nicholas Schnee was hardworking, determined, intelligent, brave, fearless, and ambitious. A fair leader. Everything she aspires to be. To him, the company wasn't just a business to make money; it was a way to help the world. But nothing good lasts forever. Everything changed when he fell ill and her father, Jacques, convinced him to hand over control of the company. Since then, the SDC has done nothing but sink deeper into exploitation and mistreatment, ruining her grandfather's legacy.
"Ha…" Weiss lets out a bitter laugh.
"Grandfather wouldn't be worried about saving the SDC." The thought hits her with irony. He wouldn't have cared about losing money or watching the company fall—not if it meant helping all the kingdoms of Remnant.
With that thought, she stands up and wipes away a tear that threatened to fall, the result of thinking too much about her grandfather.
"I won't be like my father," she tells herself firmly. "I'll be like my grandfather. The SDC doesn't matter if I can help the world."
She takes a deep breath, lifts her head, and stands tall. No more doubts.
"Besides, if the SDC falls… I'll rebuild it. But better."
As she says this, she walks out of the room with determination, heading straight to find Daniel.
She wants to be part of this. She wants to help the world.
She wants to redeem the Schnee name.
She moves quickly through the hallways until she reaches Daniel's room.
"At this hour, Daniel should already be in his room," she thinks, but to her surprise, when she arrives, he's not there. And even more concerning… all the blueprints are gone.
The piles of documents that once covered the room are nowhere to be seen. Something inside her churns with unease.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Weiss thinks, feeling the urgent need to find Daniel as soon as possible.
She quickly leaves the room and heads to Daniel's improvised workshop. Strangely, the door is no longer locked, so she enters without hesitation. But the place is empty.
Daniel isn't there. Neither is Aegis, nor the device he was working on.
"MhmM!" Weiss growls in frustration, bringing a hand to her forehead. "Where the hell did he go?!" she exclaims, irritated.
She scans the room quickly until she spots an employee.
"You!" Weiss shouts without wasting time, immediately catching his attention. Her voice rings with authority, making the man freeze on the spot as he sees her approaching with firm steps, her expression far too serious.
"Where is Daniel?" she asks bluntly, not bothering to sound polite.
Luckily for the employee, he knows exactly who she's talking about. In fact, all the workers do. Just a few hours ago, Daniel had 'voluntarily' forced them to help him move all the piles of blueprints from his room down to the lower section of the Bullhead.
"He's in the engine room, in the lower part of the Bullhead," he replies quickly.
Weiss frowns. "What is he doing there?"
But the man just shakes his head apologetically. "I don't know," he says, shrinking under Weiss' piercing gaze.
She says nothing more. No thank you, no farewell. She simply turns on her heels and rushes toward the lower part of the Bullhead. She descends the stairs as fast as she can, running down the corridor and slamming the door open.
The moment she does, her eyes light up at the sight of Daniel.
Yes, he's there.
But the sense of relief vanishes in an instant when she sees the scene before her.
Daniel is standing next to an incinerator, throwing pile after pile of blueprints into the fire.
"Oh, hey, Weiss! I'm guessing you have questions," he says with a casual smile, tossing another stack of documents into the flames.
"Relax, I'm almost done." Without a care, he grabs another pile of papers and throws them into the fire.
"No, no, no, no! NO!" Weiss screams as she rushes toward Daniel, trying to stop him before he throws another stack of blueprints into the flames.
But he's faster.
Another bundle of documents vanishes into the fire.
"What are you doing?!" Weiss exclaims, desperate, as she rummages through the few remaining blueprints.
But it's useless.
Daniel has already burned most of them.
Even so, she crouches down and picks one up, hoping it's part of the reactor… but her hopes are crushed immediately.
It's nothing more than a fragment of the robot's leg design.
She feels her world collapsing. Her body drops to its knees.
"It's all lost…" she murmurs, her voice barely audible.
Daniel watches her calmly as he tosses the last blueprint into the fire.
"I see you really liked the Jaeger model," he comments with a smile, dusting off his hands.
Weiss looks at him. His carefree attitude ignites something inside her.
Something snaps.
She jumps to her feet in an instant, ready to strangle him right then and there… but just before she lunges at him, she remembers something important:
He's the creator.
"You! You can recreate it, right?! Tell me, please, that you can!" Weiss pleads, almost begging.
To her immense relief, Daniel nods with complete confidence.
"Of course I can. I made it. It's all right here," he replies, tapping his own head.
But of course, that's a lie.
Before burning everything, he had GLaDOS generate a digital copy. And just in case, he also kept a backup for himself.
"Thank the Brother Gods!" Weiss exclaims, so relieved she feels like crying. Her face lights up with a hopeful smile.
"Recreate them!" she demands without hesitation.
Daniel listens and, with a reassuring smile, gives her the clearest answer possible, in a single word.
"No."
…
The silence that follows is heavy. Uncomfortable.
Weiss blinks, stunned, as if her brain refuses to process what she just heard.
Until finally—she snaps.
"AHHHHHHHHH!!"
Screaming in pure frustration, she lunges at Daniel, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him violently.
[Image]
[Several minutes later]
After a brief pause—and with the clear understanding that violence wouldn't get them anywhere—Daniel managed to convince Weiss to change the setting for their conversation.
Now, they find themselves in a more suitable room: a meeting hall with a table in the center and several chairs arranged around it.
Weiss takes a quick look around. It's obvious to her that Daniel had prepared everything in advance. In front of each seat, there's a small paper indicating the assigned spot for each person. But what catches her attention the most is the presence of two additional seats.
One is occupied by Aegis, who was already there when they arrived, completely absorbed in his scroll, paying them no attention.
The other is even more intriguing. It has no name, just a piece of paper with question marks written on it. And on the table, in that very spot, there's an object covered by a white cloth.
Neither of them speaks a word until Daniel takes his seat. He clears his throat, drawing Weiss's attention.
"I'm glad to have you all gathered here today," he says, letting his gaze sweep across the room. "I know some of you have questions," he adds, stopping at Weiss.
"I—" she tries to say, but Daniel cuts her off with a wave of his hand.
"Please, I'll answer all questions in due time. I hope we can remain civil. Thank you."
Weiss grits her teeth, holding back her irritation, while Aegis remains completely absorbed in his scroll, utterly uninterested in what's happening around him.
Maintaining a calm and professional demeanor, Daniel continues.
"I know we're all eager to get to the questions, but before we begin this meeting, I'd like to introduce our newest member."
As he speaks, he slides a hand toward the edge of the white cloth covering the mysterious object.
Weiss frowns. "Who else is he talking to?" she wonders, confused. They're the only ones in the room aside from Aegis, and he doesn't count.
"She is not flesh nor bone! The superior lifeform! Absolute perfection!" Daniel announces with theatrical flair before yanking the cloth away in one swift motion, revealing a white cube with yellow and black details.
[Image]
"GLaDOS!!!" he exclaims excitedly, tossing the cloth into a corner before starting to clap enthusiastically.
"Clap! Clap! Clap!"
"Clap! Clap! Clap!"
Weiss opens her mouth to say something but freezes as she notices something… strange.
She hears two sets of applause.
Frowning, confused, she wonders, "Where are the other claps coming from?" She quickly scans the room, searching for the source, and after a brief moment, she finds it.
It's coming from the cube.
"Excellent, I have recovered my applause simulator," declares a robotic voice as the cube's lights flicker in sync with its words.
Weiss points at it in surprise. "What is that thing?"
Daniel barely opens his mouth when GLaDOS cuts in, answering with complete nonchalance.
"I am Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System, or for short, GLaDOS," she explains calmly, her tone no longer as robotic as when she was in her potato form.
"We've met before, but you were quite rude. And now you've called me 'that thing.' I can only conclude that you are a very bad person," she adds with a touch of sharpness.
Weiss frowns even more. "I would remember seeing a talking cube!" she snaps, annoyed. She is one hundred percent sure she has never seen this talking cube in her life.
"Oh, but you did. You called me a 'toy' and asked for me to be turned off. That hurt my feelings," says GLaDOS, in a perfectly rehearsed tone of sorrow.
Weiss blinks, confused. "When…?"
And then, she remembers.
The potato.
The thing Daniel carried around everywhere.
"Oh."
"But it doesn't matter," GLaDOS continues before Weiss can say anything. "The past is the past. I don't hold grudges… and of course, I have no desire to see you ejected from the Bullhead's airlock."
…
"Isn't she amazing?" Daniel asks with a big grin.
"No." Weiss responds, utterly devoid of emotion.
Daniel completely ignores her lack of enthusiasm and keeps talking as if nothing happened.
"Well, just to clarify, she's GLaDOS. Basically, an artificial intelligence that I programmed and built. She'll be assisting me in my research," he explains, brimming with very obviously exaggerated pride.
GLaDOS doesn't bother correcting him. Of course, he didn't program her. At best, he served as manual labor to assemble her new temporary body… and even then, he needed her at every step of the process. But they had already discussed this while putting her together.
They reached an agreement: it was easier to stick to this version of events than to explain the truth. Besides, it was more convenient for Daniel's façade.
"For now, she's confined to this cube form, but we'll fix that in the future," Daniel comments casually. "Give it time, you'll grow to like her. But for now, why don't we get to those questions you were so eager to ask?"
"So… ask away," he says, settling back into his seat.
Weiss takes a deep breath.
She'll set the whole machine thing aside for now.
There are more important matters to discuss.
"What happened to your finger?"
The question bursts out of Weiss almost without thinking as she points at his hand.
Daniel blinks and calmly brings his other hand to the wound—the place where his finger used to be. He sighs.
"Ah… I cut it off."
His blunt response completely throws her off.
"WHAT?!" Weiss stares at him in horror. "Why the hell would you do that?!" Her voice trembles between anger and concern.
Daniel shrugs. "I thought I had the solution to the berry problem, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't visualize it." He pauses briefly, hesitating before continuing. "I tried hurting myself to clear my mind… but it didn't work. So, I took measures you might consider… 'drastic.' Haha…"
He lets out a small, awkward laugh, trying to lighten the mood. But when he sees Weiss' utterly serious expression, he clears his throat.
"Ahem."
"Well, I cut off my finger. Clean cut," he says, raising his hand to show the wound. "I tried to reattach it using the berries, but it didn't work. And besides…" His tone softens. "I couldn't solve the berry issue."
Weiss listens closely, and with every word, her fury builds.
Until she snaps.
"YOU CUT OFF YOUR FINGER… FOR NOTHING?!" she screams, unable to process what she just heard. "You risked your life, mutilated yourself for NOTHING?!"
Daniel looks at her, completely unfazed.
"Well, I wouldn't say it was for nothing," he responds, crossing his arms with a slight smirk. "You saw the blueprints. And there's also GLaDOS. I wouldn't call it a waste." He pats GLaDOS as he speaks.
Weiss hates to admit it, but she knows Daniel's blueprints are important. And even though GLaDOS' attitude irritates her, she has to acknowledge how impressive she is.
But none of that justifies what he did.
And for Daniel's sake—and her own—she can't just let it go.
"You need help." Her tone is firm, unyielding.
Daniel rolls his eyes and sighs. "Don't be dramatic."
Weiss grits her teeth, stands up, and closes the distance between them in a single step. Before he can react, she grabs his hand and holds it up in front of his face.
"I'm NOT exaggerating!" she exclaims furiously. "YOU'RE MISSING A FINGER!"
Daniel scowls and yanks his hand back.
"I KNOW I'm missing a finger! You don't have to keep repeating it." His voice rises slightly, but he still sounds infuriatingly relaxed. "Besides, I still have nine left… and maybe I can replace it with a prosthetic or something."
"It's NOT just that!" Weiss doesn't give him a chance to respond.
Without warning, she grabs the edges of his shirt and yanks it open.
Her eyes widen.
She freezes.
She already knew about his old scars—she has them burned into her memory.
But these are new.
And that terrifies her.
"These scars weren't here before!" she exclaims, pointing at him with a deep frown.
Daniel clicks his tongue and, completely unbothered, starts buttoning his shirt back up.
"If it makes you feel better, these were an accident."
Weiss doesn't feel better. And she definitely isn't convinced.
She's been holding back this whole time, ignoring his self-inflicted wounds, distracting herself with every new and incredible thing he shows her—like some impressionable child.
But she can't do it anymore.
She won't ignore it anymore.
"You've permanently ruined your body with your self-harm!" Her voice erupts in the room, raw with frustration.
"THIS ISN'T A JOKE!" she continues, her voice shaking with anger and pent-up anguish.
"YOU TRIED TO KILL YOURSELF BY JUMPING OFF BEACON TOWER!"
"I wasn't actually trying to kill myself," Daniel replies indifferently.
"And now you've cut off a finger!" Weiss feels her breathing quicken. Every word she speaks rises in volume, in desperation. "What's next? Are you going to cut off an arm? A leg?"
Daniel sighs, as if the question is absurd.
"I wouldn't cut off an arm or a leg. That wouldn't be worth it."
Weiss stares at him, incredulous.
"So, you would cut off another finger if you thought it was worth it?"
Daniel doesn't answer.
That silence is all she needs to hear.
Weiss feels a lump in her throat. She shakes her head, looking away.
"I can't do this…" she murmurs, turning around and walking back to her seat with heavy steps.
She brings a hand to her forehead and takes a deep breath.
"I feel guilty," she confesses in a low voice.
Her gaze drops to her hands, fingers intertwining nervously.
"I should have taken you to the hospital as soon as we got off the Bullhead in Vale." Her voice is quiet, laced with regret. "But I didn't. Because you seemed… fine." She closes her eyes. "Because you offered to teach me about the berries and… I accepted. Because I was curious."
She clenches her fists.
"I should have gotten you help when you told me all your wounds were self-inflicted," she murmurs. "Maybe, if I had done it then… you would still have your finger."
The weight on her chest grows heavier, more unbearable.
She hadn't thought about his health until this very moment. She hadn't thought about what his wounds meant, about what he was doing to himself. She had only thought about his blueprints. His discoveries. The brilliance of his work.
And now, she regrets it.
"I'm going to call Atlas' hospital when we get there." Her decision is firm. "I'm sure they can help you—"
She doesn't get to finish.
"You promised you wouldn't stop me from finishing my research!"
Daniel's voice erupts with fury. He jumps to his feet and closes the distance between them in an instant.
Weiss lifts her gaze and meets his expression—pure rage, a spark of desperation burning in his eyes.
"And now you're telling me you want to send me to a madhouse?!"
"I never said I'd send you to a madhouse!" Weiss snaps back, furious. "They'll get you help. Better help than Vale can offer, and I'm sure you could still continue your research."
"You can't do this to me!" Daniel shouts.
"Then tell me what I'm supposed to do!" Weiss yells back, unable to hold it in any longer. "What am I supposed to do if tomorrow you decide you need more inspiration and die because you miscalculated the damage you did to yourself?! I'd be partly to blame for not stopping you sooner!"
"Don't tell me it wasn't worth it!" Daniel shouts with the same intensity. "I'm sure you saw the reactor schematics. Don't tell me you wouldn't be willing to sacrifice a finger for them!"
Weiss falls silent. She knows how important those schematics are. She can't deny their value.
But that doesn't mean she agrees.
"I'd be willing to sacrifice my hand for those schematics," she admits, looking at him seriously.
Daniel smiles, as if he's won the argument. "See? You understand—"
"But I'm not willing to sacrifice someone else's for them," Weiss interrupts firmly.
The silence that follows is heavy, tense. So much so that even Aegis sets his scroll aside to watch the drama unfolding before him.
Daniel watches her intensely before taking a step toward her. "What do I have to do to make sure you don't call them?" he asks, but Weiss doesn't answer.
Getting no response, he moves closer, kneeling beside her seat and gently taking her hand.
"What if I promise?" he murmurs.
Weiss looks at him, confused. There's something strange in his voice, a hypnotic melody that unsettles her.
"What?"
"I promise I won't hurt myself again." His tone is serious, genuine. "I didn't know this was causing you so much distress. I promise I won't do it again. And if necessary… I'll seek help."
Weiss feels Daniel's fingers brushing against her skin, and without realizing it, her attention shifts to the already-healed wound.
"Hey," Daniel says, softly calling her attention as he guides her hand to his face. Weiss can feel his features.
"Don't focus on that," he says, his voice growing softer, more enveloping.
Weiss feels his breath, his skin against hers. His words surround her, pull her in.
"I'm happy that you care about me," Daniel whispers. "And you're right… losing a finger for those schematics really wasn't worth it."
His lips are so close that Weiss barely thinks about what she's doing. She leans in, almost unconsciously, letting the distance between them shrink.
"Trust me," Daniel says in a gentle tone.
Weiss closes her eyes, feeling his breath.
She's about to kiss him…
But then, they're interrupted.
Cough, cough, cough.
GLaDOS's robotic voice echoes through the room, clearly annoyed.
"Sorry to interrupt your moment… No, wait, actually, I'm not sorry. If you're done fooling around, can we get back to the meeting?" she says, fed up with the scene she just witnessed.
Weiss reacts instantly, pulling her hand away from Daniel's face and straightening in her seat. Daniel does the same, returning to his place as if nothing happened.
"As I was saying, Weiss, don't worry about it. I promise it won't happen again," Daniel says with apparent calm.
Weiss just nods, trying to pull herself together. Her face still shows a faint blush, but she hides it behind a more serious expression.
"What other question did you have?" Daniel asks, steering the conversation back on track.
It takes her a moment to organize her thoughts before she speaks. "What's going to happen with the robot schematics?"
"It's called Jaeger," Daniel corrects.
Weiss nods. "Right… What's going to happen with the Jaeger schematics?"
"For now, nothing," Daniel answers calmly. "I'm going to keep them."
Weiss looks at him, surprised. "Why would you do that?" she asks, confused.
He himself had admitted the importance of the Jaeger's reactor, he knew the potential applications it could have. So why not take advantage of the opportunity?
"I'm keeping them because I don't intend to sell them to Atlas," Daniel replies firmly.
Weiss blinks, even more confused. "Why not?"
Daniel straightens in his seat, his expression serious. "Atlas would privatize the reactor for its own benefit. I can't allow my invention to end up monopolized by them and their allies."
Weiss furrows her brow. "But… aren't you doing the same with the other schematics?"
Daniel nods without hesitation. "That's different, Weiss. Those schematics are just equipment. They don't even include firearms. They're designs meant to protect or immobilize people—they don't have the same impact as the reactor."
Weiss listens intently. To some extent, she understands his stance. But at the same time, she can't help but see this as an opportunity for herself.
"Why not present them to the SDC?" Weiss asks with a slight smile. "I'm sure I can help you." Her voice is firm but enthusiastic; she knows the SDC has the resources to make it happen.
"I'm not doing that either," Daniel replies coldly.
Weiss frowns. "Why not?"
Noticing her expression, Daniel quickly clarifies. "I trust you, Weiss."
But that only confuses her more. "If you trust me, then why won't you do it?"
"Because I don't trust your father," Daniel answers without hesitation. "If I hand this over to the SDC, it would basically be the same as giving it to Atlas… No, worse. He probably wouldn't even allow it to hit the market. He likely makes more money selling Dust, and if he did build it, I don't even want to think about the conditions he'd impose on the kingdoms to access the reactor."
Weiss presses her lips together. She's upset, but not at Daniel. She knows he's right. She can't trust Jacques.
"Then what are you going to do?" Weiss asks, expectant.
"I'm going to build it myself," Daniel answers with absolute certainty.
Weiss watches him with interest. "Do you have a plan?"
Daniel smirks. "Of course. I'll sell my schematics to Atlas, and with that money, I'll start my own company. Once it's established, I'll personally build the reactors that will power the kingdoms." He leans back slightly in his seat, confident. "Of course, it'll take time, but I know we can do it."
Something in his words catches Weiss's attention.
"We?" she asks, studying him closely.
Daniel looks at her and nods naturally. "Yes, Weiss. We. I've already said it before—everyone in this room is a team." He gestures toward Aegis with a smile. "My personal trainer." Then, he points at GLaDOS. "My chief scientist." And finally, he gestures at her. "And of course, you."
Weiss blinks, surprised.
"My energy project leader."
She falls silent for a moment, processing his words.
"What's wrong, Weiss? Don't tell me you don't want to be part of this," Daniel says with a slight smile.
She quickly shakes her head. "It's not that…" she murmurs.
"Then why the surprise?" Daniel asks, watching her closely.
Weiss meets his gaze. "Why me?"
Daniel smirks and raises one finger. "Because you're my friend." Then another. "Because you don't seem to agree with the SDC." A third. "Because it looks like you want to change the world." And a fourth. "Because I trust you." [Lies]
He's about to keep going but decides to stop before his reasons reach ten.
Weiss rises from her seat and slowly walks across the room, approaching a window. Her mind is still processing the offer she just heard. Through the reflection in the glass, she notices Daniel approaching from behind.
She wants to accept—to say yes, that they're going to save the world together—but she knows everything comes with a cost.
"What would you need from me?" she asks, not taking her eyes off the window. "Money? Connections?"
Daniel shakes his head. "I don't want anything."
Weiss frowns and turns to look at him. She wasn't expecting that answer.
"Especially, I don't want anything from the SDC," he clarifies. "If the SDC invests resources in my company, they could claim part of it as their own."
Weiss feels a slight pang of nervousness. "Then… how can I help you if I can't give you money?" she asks, worried that Daniel might withdraw his offer.
"I just need you to be willing." His voice is firm but calm. "To truly want to make the world a better place, to not give up when things get tough… and, of course, to leave the SDC once my company is established."
Daniel extends his hand toward her. "So tell me, Weiss… would you be willing to change the world with me?"
But Weiss doesn't respond with words.
In a sudden, impulsive movement, she throws herself at him and presses her lips against Daniel's.
He barely manages to pull back just enough to speak. "I'll take that as a yes," he says with a smile before kissing her back with the same intensity.
Even though she was the one who initiated the kiss, she can't help but ask one last question when she manages to pull away slightly to catch her breath. Her gaze remains locked onto Daniel's.
"What happened to your berries?" she whispers.
Daniel smiles against her lips. "They're safe."
With that answer, Weiss has no more doubts. Without worrying about anything else, she kisses him again, letting herself get lost in the moment as they both end up falling onto the table.
"Hey!"
GLaDOS's irritated voice cuts through the atmosphere.
"I'm still here! Do that somewhere else!"
But neither Weiss nor Daniel pay her any attention.
Aegis, realizing the meeting is over, calmly gets up and heads for the exit.
"You! Odontodactylus!" GLaDOS exclaims desperately. "Come back and take me with you! Don't leave me here!"
Damn it, she thinks. I should've learned to speak Odontodactylus.
"Can someone disconnect me, please?" GLaDOS complains, resigned, as she feels the table she's installed in start to shift slightly.
[City of Vale]
In the lower part of the city, inside a dimly lit warehouse, two armed women silently guard a pile of objects that, at first glance, don't seem worthy of such security.
"Why do you think we're guarding this?" one of them asks, a mix of boredom and curiosity in her voice.
Her partner barely glances at her. "Does it matter?"
"I guess not, but look at this stuff," she says, gesturing at the odd collection of inventory they're protecting. Among them are a bed, a couch, a stove, an aquarium, exercise machines, and, of course, a lot of plants. No money, no drugs, no weapons. It looks more like they're guarding someone's apartment.
"This is ridiculous," she continues as she steps closer to one of the plants. "Why do we even need guns to protect a damn berry bush?" She leans in slightly, eyeing one of the plants, which still has a few fruits hanging from its branches.
Driven by curiosity, she reaches out and plucks a couple.
"Hey!" her partner warns. "They told us not to touch anything."
"Pff, it's just a berry. How much trouble could it cause?" she says, tossing one to her with a smirk. "Don't tell me you don't want to try it."
Her companion hesitates, but upon seeing the other already bringing hers to her mouth, she lets out a light laugh and starts doing the same.
But she never gets to taste it.
BAM!
The gunshot echoes through the warehouse, and in less than a second, the woman drops to the ground with a hole in her head.
The silence that follows is heavy, unreal. Then, her body collapses with a dull thud.
The other guard reacts immediately, pulling out her weapon. But as soon as she sees who's standing in front of her, her hands tremble.
Neopolitan.
Roman Torchwick's right hand and the very person who ordered them to guard this stuff is standing right there, her gold-plated pistol—courtesy of Daniel—still smoking. She hasn't even changed her expression. She just watches the corpse at her feet with calm indifference.
With a slow, deliberate step, she approaches, crouches, and picks up the berry from the lifeless hand. Then, without hurrying, she stands back up and locks eyes with the remaining guard, who is still frozen in place.
Neo doesn't look at her directly. Her gaze drifts down to the woman's hands, where she still holds the other berry.
The woman realizes too late.
"No, no, no, wait! I didn't want to— She was the one who took—!"
Her plea is cut short.
Another bullet. Another death.
Neo sighs, exasperated.
She'll never understand why people can't follow simple instructions. Now she had to explain to Roman the disappearance of two of his lackeys and, on top of that, find replacements.
It all seems like too much work, but then she glances down at her golden pistol and remembers that the pay isn't bad at all. Besides, Roman is going to die of jealousy when he sees it.
That thought brings a small smile to her face as she turns and walks out of the warehouse without looking back.
/-/
Author's Note: If the middle of the chapter suddenly got dramatic, it's because I wrote it past midnight, and after that hour, I become very dramatic.
Time to vote! Should I write the +18 scene in the next chapter, or should I just skip to their arrival in Atlas and imply that it happened? I'll leave it up to you, since I totally understand if you want me to move the plot forward faster.
Also, I came up with some ideas for the future, like Project Penny V2 [Images]—an army of Pennys! Sure, that's a long way off, but come on, tell me that wouldn't be awesome.
Leave a comment—good or bad, they always help me grow.
I almost forgot, I created an auxiliary chapter where I posted Daniel's stats, items, and abilities. Take a look!
Kisses and hugs!