"I thought this would happen sooner or later," Daira began, her voice dripping with sarcasm and a hint of provocation, "but I didn't know it would happen at the most important moment of the battle… Don't you feel guilty for causing so much suffering by deliberately spreading your pheromones around?"
Gregory ignored the taunts, remaining calm. His eyes turned to the backpack Daira was carrying.
"Do you have the cocktails? Help Louise drink one of them, she has an unusual condition and goes into a trance whenever her Estronitus levels are too high…" he ordered, his voice firm but without losing its serenity.
"Yes, Sir," Daira replied, her tone clearly sarcastic. She knelt beside Louise, opening the backpack and removing one of the thermoses. Carefully, she removed Louise's mask, revealing a pale and sweaty face. Louise couldn't resist, her murmurs continuing low and incoherent.
"Resist. Later. Wait. Better. Promise…" The words escaped Louise's lips in a fragile whisper, as if she were trying to convince herself of something.
Daira sighed, feeling a pang of pity for her colleague. While trying to make Louise drink the cocktail, she threw more acidic words at Gregory:
"I thought it was your job to not let us get to this point…"
Gregory didn't flinch. "It is," he replied, as he looked at Rebecca's calm face. "But, as you can see, I'm trapped here. Besides, Louise is not in danger."
He had already tried to free himself from Rebecca's grip several times, but even unconscious, her strength was impressive. Her arms, thick and muscular, held him with a firmness that he couldn't overcome, even using all his strength.
And, even if he wanted to get up to help Louise, Rebecca's size and weight made it impossible. She was a living wall, and he was trapped under her protection—or her possession.
"You seem very calm for someone in this situation," Daira observed, as she held the thermos out to Louise.
Gregory shrugged, smoothing Rebecca's hair with one hand as he spoke:
"I'm used to it. Monique always does this… It's a sign that she's satisfied, while also protecting me."
"I didn't know she could protect you while she's asleep. And since when has she become so attached to you?"
Daira asked, her voice thick with curiosity and doubt, as she struggled to get Louise to drink the cocktail. Louise's resistance was almost desperate, her incoherent mumblings continuing as she tried to pull away from the thermos.
Gregory, sitting on the floor with Rebecca clutching his waist, looked at Daira with a small smile on his face.
"Come over here and try to attack me…" he suggested, his voice calm, but with a hint of challenge.
Daira hesitated for a moment, but seeing that she was not succeeding in getting Louise to drink the cocktail, she decided to follow Gregory's suggestion. She stood up and took about four small steps towards her.
Step. Step.
Just as she was about to take the last step, she saw Rebecca's eyes suddenly open. The Taurinus stood up quickly, her horns pointed directly at Daira, and charged at her with impressive speed.
Daira was about to jump back, instinctively preparing to defend herself, but it was at this moment that Gregory's voice echoed loud and firm:
"Quiet."
In that same instant, Rebecca stopped. Her body froze in place, not moving another inch. Daira stood still, watching as Rebecca's cloudy eyes became clear, her expression changing from solemn to confused and bewildered.
Rebecca looked like someone who had just been woken up in the middle of a classroom by the teacher. She looked around, trying to understand what was happening, her breathing heavy and irregular.
"Calm down. I'm here, don't worry…"
Gregory spoke in a soft and gentle voice, hugging Rebecca and transmitting a sense of peace and tranquility. He patted her on the back a few times, calming her down as if she were a frightened child.
Daira remained silent, watching the scene with a mixture of surprise and admiration. She didn't know what to say. Gregory, after calming Rebecca down, made her sit in a corner of the hiding place, where she waited quietly, still with a confused expression, but calmer.
Then Gregory approached Daira and took the cocktail from her hands. He knelt next to Louise, who was still lying in the fetal position, trembling and mumbling. Gently, he tried to make Louise drink the liquid, but she resisted, turning her face away and closing her mouth.
Gregory didn't give up. To Daira's surprise, he put the cocktail in his own mouth and, with a quick movement, kissed Louise, forcing her to swallow the contents.
After the first sip, Louise began to come out of her trance, but for some reason she continued to drink the liquid from Gregory's mouth with a voracity that resembled that of a frenzied Hound. Her eyes were closed, her hands clutching his face as if she were afraid he would pull away.
Fortunately, this didn't last long. Gregory grabbed Louise's neck and pushed her back, breaking the kiss. Louise sat down, her expression a mixture of sadness, confusion and guilt. Gregory whispered a few words in her ear, and Louise, still shaking, sat in a corner, staying there with a thoughtful and anxious expression.
"Thank you for coming, Daira, it helped a lot. Now I can do my work in peace..."
Gregory returned to Rebecca's side, who immediately lay down next to him and hugged him again, as if she needed that closeness to feel safe.
Daira stood still, watching the scene in silence. Gregory turned his attention back to the equipment screens, giving Vivian and Zara instructions on how to complete the mission. His voice was calm and controlled, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
____________________________
"Vivian, are you listening?"
Gregory's voice echoed in Vivian's ear, breaking her concentration. She was positioned in what she thought would be the ideal spot to execute her most powerful attack. In front of her, a few meters away, the Aligodon lay on the ground, desperately trying to recover after taking hundreds of precise water shots from Zara. Its breathing was heavy and irregular, and blood was dripping from multiple open wounds on its body.
To Vivian's left, Zara prepared for the next burst of gunfire, her movements fluid and precise as water bubbles formed around her. The sound of the previous shots still echoed in the air, a constant reminder of the intensity of the battle. Vivian answered Gregory's call, her voice filled with impatience and adrenaline:
"Listen… I'm ready. When are we going to end this?"
She felt the energy pulsing through her body, her hands itching to release the accumulated tension. The idea of finally delivering the final blow to the creature filled her with an almost uncontrollable excitement.
Gregory, however, seemed less enthusiastic. His voice was filled with sarcasm and a slight tone of challenge:
"Do you already know how you're going to end this? I hope you don't think about using the Flame Tide or your Concentrated Blue Jets."
Vivian frowned, irritated at having her plans unmasked so easily.
"So what? With Daira's Buff, I can fry him from the inside out without any difficulty…"
Gregory didn't let it slide. His rebuke was harsh and direct:
"At what cost? I'm sure that for that to happen, you'll need to spend more than half of your reserves at once. Even with Daira's Buff, that's enough to take you out of combat immediately. Stop being irresponsible and remember the team's main objective, we can't take unnecessary risks."
Gregory's words hit Vivian like a punch in the stomach. She had gotten carried away by her excitement, completely forgetting the main objective of the plan: to eliminate the Aligodon with the greatest efficiency and the least amount of wear and tear possible. The team needed to be as healthy and prepared as possible for the next and most difficult challenge—the Aligodon that was about to reach level 5 in the lake.
"Do you understand, Vivian?" Gregory's voice was firm, almost stern.
"Yes, Sir…" Vivian replied, her voice low and discouraged. The rebuke left her bewildered and a little hurt.
Gregory seemed to realize the impact of his words. He paused briefly before continuing, this time in a softer, more comforting tone:
"… I apologize for the harsh words, but please be aware that this is an important task and should not be carried out carelessly. Can I trust you, Vivian?"
"I don't know if I'm qualified for this." Vivian hesitated, her confidence shaken.
Gregory didn't waver. "Of course you are. In fact, you are more than qualified. You just need the correct instructions, and that is my job. Do you trust me? If so, just listen to what I have to say and complete the task masterfully, do you understand?"
Vivian took a deep breath, feeling some of the weight on her shoulders lift.
"Understood…"