[N/A: This was written at the last minute — let me know if there are any mistakes.]
[Abandoned Warehouse]
Inside the abandoned warehouse, Daniel gets ready to leave, doing some stretches… if you can even call it that. His body twists entirely, each part bending in the wrong direction. His head turns all the way back to look over his back, his legs bend at impossible angles, and each arm twists the opposite way at the joints—not broken, but definitely forced into a posture that would look unnatural on any human. And the strangest thing of all: each of his fingers starts rotating slowly at their own joints, as if they had a life of their own.
"I didn't know you could do that," Rosella says with excitement, wagging her tail from side to side. "No wonder I couldn't snap your neck."
"You're disgusting," GLaDOS says in her robotic voice, watching him twist with a grimace of disgust.
"Shut up," Daniel growls without even looking at her. "I'm starting to understand how the Futterwacken works." As he says it, his body begins to return to normal. The joints shift back with soft cracks, each limb slowly going back to its original position like nothing ever happened.
Rosella steps in front of GLaDOS, making a little fist with one claw. "I like it," she says firmly, defending Daniel.
"See? Rosella likes it," he adds, pointing at her with one hand.
"Yeah, imagine the possibilities," Aegis murmurs, fascinated, as he envisions different ways to control Daniel's body.
"Aegis agrees too. See? Three to one. It's an awesome ability."
"I'm surrounded by idiots," GLaDOS mutters in resignation.
Daniel doesn't even bother replying. He just mentally runs through his to-do list.
The place is secured. Check.
Rosella's food—enough for at least two days, so she doesn't have to go out hunting for 'snacks' on the street. Check.
The gacha items, retrieved with effort, are stored inside a box. Check.
The blueprints and the map… they don't really matter. He could burn them and nothing would change. The only truly valuable things are the gun and the Nimbus.
"Still, I refuse to leave everything lying around… I'll keep them for now," he thinks, carefully closing the box.
"Well… I think that's everything," he mutters, sealing the box firmly. "Rosella!"
She comes running, almost bouncing. "Yes, boss!?"
"Your job is to watch this box. I'll be back in two days, tops."
"Yes, boss!" she replies, standing at attention and raising a hand to her forehead. "I'll guard this box with my life!"
Daniel lets out a small sigh at her attitude, but says nothing.
"Plus, you've got enough food. And this scroll." He hands her the item without ceremony.
"That's my scroll!" Aegis growls, visibly irritated.
"Yeah, it is. But we don't have the money to buy another one right now, so suck it up until we close the deal with Altas and have some cash," he replies bluntly. "And I can't leave her mine because it has all the contacts."
"Why don't you leave GLaDOS?" he asks, already annoyed, knowing she's got a built-in scroll system.
GLaDOS steps forward before Daniel can answer."Because if they ask him something technical about the plans — and they will — and he doesn't know how to respond — and he won't — I'll be the one whispering in his ear what to say."
Aegis snorts, but doesn't argue further. Daniel nods once he sees the resignation settle in. Then, after a quick explanation to Rosella about how to use the scroll, he finishes:
"I'll call you often to check in."
She lets out a soft whine, already upset, assuming he's leaving her behind. She rubs against his torso like a puppy looking for comfort. He reacts in kind, almost on instinct, stroking her head gently for a moment. The second he realizes it, he pulls away abruptly.
"…I think that's enough," he mutters, grabbing GLaDOS and Aegis and walking out of the warehouse without looking back.
On his way out, he goes to look for the rented motorcycle. To his surprise, there it is. Intact.
"Lucky break," he mutters with relief. "I didn't buy theft insurance…" Without wasting another second, he gets on, sets GLaDOS and Aegis in the extra seat, and takes off. Only one thing left now: meet up with Weiss.
-/-
[Bullhead Zone]
Weiss paces back and forth in front of the boarding area, checking her scroll for the fourth time in less than two minutes. The time hasn't changed. Neither has the annoyed expression on her face.
"Where is he…?" she mutters, crossing her arms. She's upset. Really upset. This is the second time Daniel's made her wait, and her patience is wearing thin. She's irritated—irritated because she had to go all the way to the Schnee mansion and talk to her father. Something she would've much rather avoided at all costs.
But she had no choice. She had to make sure Jacques didn't find out about the recent incidents at Beacon—or that he had threatened to cut off the academy's Dust supply. Fortunately, Jacques didn't ask anything. Not a single word.
Didn't even notice that she'd requested a private Bullhead—for only two people.
Maybe he didn't check the account logs. Maybe he did and just didn't care.
Either way, Weiss could only be thankful for his complete lack of parental interest. Even if it wasn't a good sign, in this case, it worked in her favor. Still, she was pissed.
At least Pietro had done his part. He got her a meeting in Atlas even faster than she'd expected. That, she had to admit. Turned out to be a lot more efficient than he looked.
As she's mentally going over all of that, a revving engine catches her attention. She looks up and sees a motorcycle with a sidecar speeding toward the platform. She recognizes it instantly.
It's Daniel—parking with an unnecessarily flashy skid and hopping off like it's nothing. He's carrying GLaDOS in his arms, and Aegis slung over his shoulder like luggage.
"You're late!" she snaps the moment she sees him.
Daniel looks at her like he doesn't get what she's complaining about. He checks his scroll. "There's still five minutes until boarding."
"You were supposed to get here way earlier!" she marches toward him, clearly irritated. But as she gets closer, she wrinkles her nose. Something smells off. And it's not just the city of Mantle, which already doesn't win any awards for air quality.
"Ugh… why do you smell like you slept in a dumpster? Couldn't you take a shower or something?"
"I didn't have anywhere to," he answers defensively.
"What do you mean you didn't? What happened to your hotel shower?"
Daniel averts his gaze. Mumbles something under his breath.
"What was that?" she presses.
"I said I didn't stay in any hotel, okay? Happy now?" He throws his arms up, frustrated. "I ran out of money, alright!?"
Weiss blinks, confused. She clearly remembers seeing him slap a Bullhead employee in Vale with literal stacks of bills. There's no way he doesn't have money.
"What happened to all the money you had? You were slapping people with bundles of cash!"
"Well… money runs out fast when you're slapping people with it. Plus, there were the travel costs to the academy, the fines for the damage at Beacon didn't help either. Oh, and the move."
Weiss looks up, indignant. Her eyes land on the parked motorcycle behind him.
"And you still had enough to buy a motorcycle?!"
"Correction." Daniel lifts a finger. "I rented a motorcycle. Didn't have enough to buy one."
"Idiot! You could've rented a room with that money, at least for a few days!"
She buries her face in both hands, clearly frustrated.
"I'll be honest with you…" Daniel looks at her with resigned eyes. "I'm really bad at managing money. I seriously need a financial advisor."
Weiss exhales hard, not even looking at him. She sighs—long, heavy, exhausted—then gestures toward the Bullhead with one hand.
"Just… get on the damn Bullhead. We'll deal with it inside."
Once Daniel finally manages to clean himself up and get rid of the smell in the Bullhead's bathroom, Weiss watches from the doorway, arms crossed. She tilts her head slightly, a faint frown on her face.
"At least your clothes are clean," she mutters, giving him a quick glance before stepping closer with a small bottle in hand.
Without another word, she spreads it over his body.
"Cough, cough! What is that?" Daniel hacks, grimacing.
"Cologne," she replies flatly.
"I think that's enough," he mutters, trying to push the bottle away. That's enough to make her stop and set it aside.
"Stop complaining. This is your fault."
Still adjusting to the new scent, he asks through a few coughs, "Cough, cough… So how are we doing this?"
Weiss takes a second to realize what he means. Then looks at him, slightly curious.
"You mean the negotiations?"
"Yup."
She can't help but sigh, crossing one leg over the other.
"You don't really need to do anything. We'll probably meet with some representatives from the Atlas Council. Most likely sent directly by the General, since he oversees the military side of things—and your blueprints are all military tech."
Daniel nods, though he's clearly not grasping all the details.
"They'll show us some documents, give us a price, and they'll probably try to add a few extra conditions." He pauses. "I've already reviewed all the blueprints—I have a solid estimate of what they're worth and what you should be getting. So I'll be there to make sure they don't try to shortchange you or tack on anything shady."
She glances sideways at him. Aegis rests on Daniel's shoulder, while GLaDOS stays anchored to the side of his seat.
"You just… don't do anything weird," she adds. "They wouldn't cancel the deal even if you did, but you'd leave a bad impression. And that could hurt us in future agreements."
At that moment, the Bullhead begins to rise, lifting smoothly into the sky. In just a few minutes, they've already reached Atlas airspace. Weiss settles back against her seat, watching Daniel out of the corner of her eye as he stares out the window in awe.
She glances outside too, though the view doesn't really impress her anymore.
The difference between Atlas and Mantle is impossible to ignore. The contrast is stark—the lighting, the infrastructure, the tech level. In Atlas, the climate is carefully regulated; the city maintains a stable enough temperature to support crop zones and even wide, green parks.
Totally different from Mantle, where you're lucky to see anything grow naturally at all.
"It's... really impressive," Daniel murmurs, eyes still glued to the window.
Weiss understands the reaction. The first time anyone sees Atlas, that sense of awe is unavoidable. But for her, that initial wonder wore off a long time ago.
"Don't let it fool you," she murmurs, turning her gaze away, knowing all of it is just a façade of perfection—inequality, corruption, elitism dressed up as greatness.
She doesn't hate Atlas—it's her home, though one she has a complicated relationship with. Part of her still feels proud, but another part resists the facade.
As she thinks about it, she unconsciously reaches out and takes Daniel's hand. His grip is warm, steady—and he holds hers back without question.
The Bullhead continues its flight straight toward the academy, passing over some of the tallest buildings before gently descending into Atlas Tower. As soon as it settles inside the hangar, Weiss straightens up, ready to stand—
But Daniel speaks first.
"Hey… she looks like you," he says, pointing at the window.
Weiss instantly turns, alarmed. She looks through the glass just in time to see—growing more uncomfortable by the second—General James Ironwood waiting for them… and worse, standing next to her sister, Winter.
She quickly ducks out of view, crouching behind the seat's edge.
"What is she doing here?!" she blurts out, mostly to herself.
She knows Winter is a specialist under the General's direct command—but she doesn't understand why she's here, right now, waiting for them.
She turns to Daniel, who doesn't look surprised at all, and asks—clearly annoyed, "Did you know they'd be here?"
Daniel looks at her, confused. "Who? The General?"
"Yes! Did you know?"
He shrugs. "Yeah… didn't I tell you?"
"No! You didn't! You could've mentioned it!"
Her voice rises. Daniel blinks, unsure why she's so agitated.
"What's the big deal?"
Weiss presses her lips into a thin line, visibly irritated.
"I thought we'd be meeting with council lawyers or advisors. Not the General himself."
"Doesn't the General handle this kind of stuff?"
"No! Why would he?"
Daniel doesn't answer, still watching her like he doesn't fully grasp the weight of the situation.
General Ironwood's presence means this meeting is far more serious—but Weiss could live with that. What she's not ready to face is her sister. That's a whole other thing.
She doesn't hate her. She respects her. Maybe even loves her in her own way…
But she really doesn't want to deal with the kind of questions Winter might ask.
Because if there's one thing that sets her sister apart from their father or mother—it's that she asks questions.
Tough ones.
The kind Weiss doesn't want to answer.
-/-
Daniel steps off the Bullhead alongside Weiss. The first thing he sees upon touching solid ground is General Ironwood, , accompanied by a woman he now knows is Weiss's sister: Winter Schnee. But they're not alone. Further ahead, he also spots Pietro and Penny.
The girl bouncing slightly on her feet, barely containing her excitement.
As soon as they're a few steps out of the aircraft, Penny breaks formation without hesitation. In a flash, she's in front of Daniel, and without saying a word, she snatches GLaDOS right out of his hands.
"Friend GLaDOS!" she exclaims, beaming. "I'm so happy to see you again!"
Pietro sighs, pressing two fingers to his forehead like he already knew this was coming. "Ah, Penny… we talked about this."
Penny freezes, as if suddenly remembering something important. She looks at Daniel, then down at GLaDOS, visibly embarrassed. "I'm sorry… I couldn't help myself."
Pietro starts to apologize, but Daniel lifts a hand and shakes his head before he can speak.
"You don't need to say anything. It really doesn't bother me. Besides, GLaDOS likes Penny."
"Oh yes, of course… I'm thrilled." GLaDOS's robotic voice couldn't sound less thrilled.
Daniel lets out a short laugh, but his attention is already shifting to Ironwood and Winter.
The general steps forward and extends his hand.
"Daniel Hawk. Dr. Polendina has told me a lot about you."
"Hopefully good things." Daniel shakes his hand firmly, flashing his best practiced smile.
Then Ironwood turns toward Weiss and gives a courteous nod. "And it's a pleasure to meet your partner as well. Weiss Schnee."
Weiss returns the greeting with practiced formality. "The pleasure is mine, General Ironwood."
The moment their handshake ends, Ironwood continues, "This is Winter. My specialist." He gestures toward Daniel.
Winter steps forward and offers a handshake. Daniel accepts it, but it doesn't take long before she turns her gaze to her sister.
"Weiss… What a surprise to see you here."
Even the general seems caught off guard.
"You didn't know your sister was involved? I assumed you were aware of her presence."
Winter shakes her head, clearly holding back with the precision of a professional.
"No. I didn't know my sister was helping a prodigal negotiate a deal with Atlas. But I understand the confusion—these are the kinds of things one usually communicates. Especially when one of the parties is a specialist working directly under the general brokering the deal."
Daniel notices Weiss keeping her composure… but a bead of sweat slowly trails down her forehead.
"I think we should all take a breath," Ironwood cuts in, voice firm but not harsh. He strikes that perfect balance of authority and control that commands respect without ever needing to shout.
It's enough for Winter to ease back slightly and offer a stiff apology. "My apologies. This is not the time for that discussion."
"Friend GLaDOS," Penny chimes in cheerfully, running a finger across GLaDOS's metal plating. "You are covered in some kind of dry biological residue I do not recognize. Did something happen to you?"
"I don't want to talk about it," GLaDOS replies flatly. "But it would help if you assisted me with a few upgrades."
"Don't worry, friend GLaDOS. Once I finish this tour, I'll be happy to help you."
"Tour?" Weiss cuts in, raising an eyebrow.
The general nods. "That was my idea," Pietro explains, lifting a hand. "As an inventor, I figured you'd be interested in seeing Atlas's facilities."
Weiss looks like she's about to say something, but Daniel jumps in before she can.
"I'd love to see the facilities," he says with enthusiasm. The reaction surprises Weiss, but Daniel doesn't give her a chance to object. "Please, lead the way."
Without wasting time, the group starts walking, chatting as they go. Daniel takes the opportunity to observe the place and give GLaDOS time to start mapping the tower.
As he walks, he can't help but wonder how Rosella is doing. It's only been a few hours, but he still feels the urge to check on her… and more importantly, to make sure his gacha loot is safe.
He shakes his head. Nothing he can do about it right now. He'll message her later.
For now, the best thing he can do is focus on the tour.
-/-
[Somewhere in Mantle]
Inside an old building, deep in one of Mantle's most dangerous zones, chaos erupts.
"Shoot! Shoot her now!" a woman yells with authority as a storm of bullets ricochets off the walls. The lights flicker while a small, agile figure darts between columns and debris, laughing with high-pitched, manic glee.
"HAHAHAHA!"
The crime boss watches helplessly as her men fall one by one. Her expression shifts from tense to outright panic.
"Where the hell are my aura guards?!" she roars, spinning toward a subordinate.
"They're dead, ma'am…" the other answers in a trembling voice. "That thing killed them…"
"How the fuck did she kill three guys with aura?!"
"Well, she—" the woman tries to explain, but doesn't get the chance. A metal rod tears through her torso, hurled with brutal precision.
"HAHAHAHA!" cackles the creature.
"Come out, you coward!" the boss screams, but there's no response. Only more gunshots… which slowly fade… until they stop altogether.
Only then does the figure responsible for the massacre reveal herself.
A girl.
Clearly a wolf faunus. No visible wounds. Even though her aura isn't active, it's obvious—this is a Huntress. Only a Huntress could do this kind of damage alone.
But that's not the worst part.
In her hands, she's holding the freshly severed arm of one of the guards.
And without saying a word, she takes a massive bite out of it, ripping off a chunk of flesh and swallowing it without hesitation.
The boss freezes, horrified by the scene.
"You know," the girl says with a calm smile, "I just realized people with aura taste better than the ones who don't."
"Monster!" the boss yells in fury.
"If they had just given me what I asked for, we could've avoided this whole circus," the girl says as she wipes her mouth.
"You're lying… you would've killed us anyway," the boss spits back, furious.
"I would have," the girl admits with a laugh. "But it would've been less annoying."
That only fuels the woman's rage.
"My name is Vanta Kreel… and I'm not giving you shit!" As she speaks, her aura flares up all at once.
A crime boss doesn't get to her position without knowing how to fight—and she's more than ready to strike.
But she doesn't get a single step forward.
Right then, a small orb hits her square in the face and bursts, releasing a fine cloud of smoke.
"Cough—cough…!" Just one breath and her body starts to lock up. Her legs give out, her vision blurs. Worst of all—her aura begins to shut down.
"Ahhh…" sighs the faunus girl, watching her collapse. "Aura… the most useless thing in the world if you pass out, fall asleep, or don't activate it in time."
Vanta realizes it instantly. "A sedative… You bitch…"
That's the last thing she manages to say before unconsciousness takes her.
The girl strolls forward without a care, casually stomping on Vanta's head as she heads into the office.
She finds the safe, rips the door clean off, and lights up when she sees the stacks of lien inside.
"Boss is gonna be so happy when I bring him all this money!"
She can already imagine how he's going to praise her.
-//-
Author's Note:
Why is this part so short? Honestly, I didn't have time—I wrote it last minute. But I still wanted to publish something.
Also, I just remembered the important thing I needed to ask:
First: How much do you think the schematics would be worth? I've already made up a value, but I'd love to hear other ideas.
Second: I need about four characters to form a full Hunter team—for a future arc… and maybe a not-so-future one. Preferably ones who don't need aura.
Right now, we've got Daniel, Rosella, and GLaDOS (in machine form). I'm missing one more.
It would be very interesting to have a full team made up of people who can't use aura. That alone would make serious noise in Remnant's world—and I like that.
So: suggest anything you want.
A beowolf turned waifu? Works. Aegis, human version? Also works. Pidgey, Briar from LoL, Balrog the fire waifu demon? I'm open to everything.
I'll try to go faster with the next one.
Kisses and hugs 💋