[Atlas Academy Dormitories]
Penny walks calmly down the hallway, only stopping to press a button with a cheerful gesture that opens the door to a room.
"And this is your room, friend Daniel!" she says, enthusiastically pointing inside.
Daniel steps in without hurry, entering and taking a look around. And he's not surprised by what he sees. There isn't much to take in: a single bed, a small desk, a built-in closet on the wall. The walls are white, smooth, and completely undecorated. There are no windows either, just a couple of ventilation slits near the ceiling, barely noticeable. He wouldn't call it ugly, but definitely bare. It's the kind of room you'd expect to find in a military academy.
"Thanks, Penny..." he murmurs as he reaches his hands out toward her. "And I'll be taking this, if you don't mind," he adds as he quickly retrieves GLaDOS, who had been resting in Penny's arms until now.
"No! I wanted to talk more with my friend!" she protests, pouting as she hugs her tightly for a second before reluctantly letting go.
"Goodbye, friend GLaDOS! We'll talk more later!" she exclaims with a smile, waving several times.
Daniel just rolls his eyes. He's about to close the door when Weiss steps forward, stopping him with a hand on the doorframe.
"Wait..." she says, sounding a bit unsure. "I think you should talk about us—"
But she doesn't get to finish. Daniel raises a hand, stopping her gently but firmly, leaving no room for her to continue.
"Sorry, Weiss, but whatever you have to say will have to wait until tomorrow. I've got... uhmm... guy stuff to do. Yeah, that. So if you could give me a little privacy, I'd appreciate it."
Before either of them can reply, he presses the button beside the door, closing and locking it from the inside. Outside, Weiss and Penny look at each other, clearly confused about what just happened.
Inside, Aegis watches him from its place on his shoulder.
"'Guy stuff'...?" it murmurs with a mocking tone.
"Shut up! It was the first thing that came to mind," Daniel replies with a sigh as he turns, walking toward the bed. He places GLaDOS on the mattress and drags a chair over to sit in front of her.
"Alright. Now tell me why you wanted us to stay the night at Atlas Academy," he says, not even trying to hide his curiosity, still not understanding why she insisted they accept the offer to stay at the academy when they could have stayed in the city of Atlas and explored a bit more, or even gone back to Mantle, if that meant seeing Rosella again.
Although... thinking of her that way still feels strange.
"Plans have changed. We're moving up the infiltration of Atlas Tower," announces GLaDOS, her lights flashing in sync with each word.
Daniel frowns, not fully understanding.
"What? Already? Isn't it too soon?"
"I don't think you've even had time to map half the tower yet."
"I've mapped enough," GLaDOS replies with complete confidence. "Besides, we won't get a better opportunity to infiltrate than right now."
That immediately gets his attention.
"Explain."
"I've verified the information provided by Pietro. It's legitimate. Even though the news about the massacre in Mantle is still blocked from the public, there's already a noticeable mobilization of Atlas forces. Their hunters and soldiers are being deployed to the lower districts."
Daniel tenses at that. If troops are patrolling the lower districts… they might find Rosella. Or worse, they might find his things.
He really doesn't like where this is going.
"You think Rosella had something to do with the massacre?" he asks cautiously.
"Mhmm… I'm not sure," GLaDOS replies, with a tone that's clearly sarcastic. "Could've been some other creature. Some other creature that eats humans and, coincidentally, is also smart enough to cause a massacre without being caught in the act."
The way she says it—and that mocking tone—irritates him, if only a little. Even so, he's already pulling out his scroll, looking to confirm things for himself.
"I'm gonna send her a message anyway, just in case," he says while he starts typing. GLaDOS keeps talking in the background.
"Obviously it was her!" she snaps. "She's a werewolf, it's in her nature."
"Hey!" he cuts in, leaving the message half-written and turning to her. "That was racist. I'm a werewolf too now, remember? And I'm not letting you badmouth my people."
He raises a fist with a wide grin.
"Power to the werewolves!"
"You're an idiot."
"And you're a buzzkill." He can't help but laugh, ignoring GLaDOS's stern look.
"Haha."
—Messages—
Daniel: "Rosella, did you have anything to do with the massacre in Mantle?"
[Typing...]
Rosella: "Yes! I killed them all! It was a bloodbath! And it was magnificent!"
He barely has time to read her reply before GLaDOS gives him a questioning look.
"What does it say?"
Daniel shrugs casually.
"She says she doesn't know what massacre we're talking about," he replies while starting to type another message.
Daniel: They're sending hunters and soldiers to Mantle. Keep a low profile.
Rosella: Okey boss!!! I won't let you down 😎
Daniel stares at that last message for a few seconds, wanting to tell her that she already disappointed him, but saying that wouldn't help the situation. In the end, he decides not to type anything else and simply closes the chat.
"You know I have access to the messages on your scroll, right?"
He pauses for a second, shoots GLaDOS a sideways glance… and then lets out a quiet laugh.
"Yeah, I figured. Haha."
Ah... he can't help but sigh after laughing.
He knows. He's sure that the assault on Atlas Tower is going to be a nightmare, but he tries to focus on the rewards. On what they'll gain once they manage to infiltrate.
...
...
But the more he thinks about it, the more one small forgotten detail starts nagging at him.
"Wait a second..."
He suddenly straightens up in his seat, eyes wide.
"YOU NEVER TOLD ME WHY WE HAVE TO GO UP THE ATLAS TOWER!"
He looks directly at GLaDOS, realizing that he's been part of a pretty elaborate plan... without having the slightest idea what the actual goal is.
He remembers that he once asked her, and she said something like "Relax, don't worry about it." And in a moment of sheer brilliance, he didn't insist.
"Huh? Seriously, I never told you?" GLaDOS replies with a tone of fake innocence. "Oof, how careless of me. Must've slipped my mind."
Daniel immediately frowns. She's clearly trying to dodge the question, and she's not even putting much effort into hiding it.
"I have my reasons for wanting to get into that tower. But you..." He crosses his arms. "Why do you want in?"
GLaDOS lets out a long sigh. She sounds more tired than anything.
"It's something that will benefit us both."
"No." Daniel keeps his stance firm. "Be specific, or we're canceling the plan. I'm not infiltrating Atlas Tower without knowing what the hell we're after."
The silence that follows is brief, but uncomfortable. GLaDOS seems to consider whether it's worth explaining. Finally, with some resignation, she begins to speak.
"Our plan to dominate the kingdoms starts with controlling energy supplies, remember? But that's not enough. Having energy alone won't cut it. To truly control the kingdoms, we need more."
Daniel watches her silently.
"Infiltrating Atlas and copying their technology would put us several steps ahead: weapons, transportation, defense networks, intelligence systems… everything."
He blinks, a little thrown off.
"Wait… we're doing all this for their tech?"
"In simple terms, yes."
"But… why don't we just buy it?" he replies, confused. "Take it apart, reverse-engineer it… wouldn't that be easier?"
GLaDOS stays silent for a few seconds. If she had eyes, she'd probably be rolling them hard.
"Oh, sure. Why didn't I think of that before?" she replies sarcastically.
"Hmm, let me see... could it be because you don't have enough money—even if you sold all your blueprints—to buy one of everything Atlas has ever built? Or because many of their systems are classified and not even for sale? Or maybe because reverse-engineering each invention would take us… I don't know, a lifetime?"
She pauses meaningfully.
"I mean, I've got time. But you, mhmm..."
"Alright, alright, I get it!" Daniel jumps in, throwing his hands up. "It's a bad idea, got it! Just shut up and let's climb the damn tower! Happy now?!"
"A bit, yes. Thank you for understanding."
Daniel just lets out a loud huff, rubbing his face with both hands as another sigh escapes him. This was going to be a long night...
"So, what's the grand plan?"
GLaDOS doesn't skip a beat.
"First of all, plug me into the wall's network port."
Daniel picks her up carefully and approaches the nearest terminal, though he can't help frowning and questioning her while doing so.
"Why?"
"Second: don't question me," she snaps back instantly, with a cold and direct tone.
"I'm going to hack the corridor's security camera. Just for a few seconds, long enough for it not to record the door opening. In that window, you'll use your Semblance to turn invisible with Aegis and me. That's how we'll get out undetected."
Daniel nods as he connects her. The plan makes sense. Quite a bit, actually. Though it's obvious he's just going to be the transport in all of this. GLaDOS and Aegis will handle the hard part... but he honestly doesn't mind.
"Once we're outside, you'll follow my exact instructions," she continues. "I'll guide you through a safe route to the exit."
"Got it."
"Now, go to that closet. You'll need clothing that covers your face. Especially in case your Semblance fails."
Daniel lets out a low sigh. He wants to tell her that won't happen. His camouflage is stable. He's trained it under pressure, while injured, while getting hit, even while bleeding. Unless he passes out, it's not going to break.
But he doesn't argue. It's not worth it.
He turns and crosses the room to the closet. He opens it with low expectations and finds exactly what he expected: standard academy uniforms. Simple, functional clothing.
He picks out dark pants, a loose jacket, and a balaclava, probably used for outdoor training. He also finds a somewhat worn-out cap, still good enough to use.
Once he's fully dressed, his entire body is completely covered.
Almost ready.
He picks up Aegis and gently tucks him inside the cap. Then he checks a lower shelf until he finds a spacious bag, large enough to hide GLaDOS. Not ideal, but leaving her in plain sight would be far too risky.
He's just about to head out when his scroll gives a soft ping.
He pulls it out on reflex, more out of habit than curiosity. And stops when he sees the name on the screen. Ruby.
Ruby: "I'm done! With your rapier's grip!"
The message comes with a photo of his weapon. His rapier, flawless, now sporting a completely new hilt.
Daniel can't help but smile. "Finally..." It took her three weeks. For a hilt. He was starting to think Ruby didn't actually know how to smith.
Daniel: "It's beautiful. You should send it already. Don't worry about the cost, I'll cover it."
He hits send and closes the scroll. Despite the current chaos, he really wants that weapon back.
But that can wait.
"Ready?" asks GLaDOS from inside the bag, her voice muffled slightly by the fabric.
Daniel nods, tightening his jacket as he focuses.
"Five seconds. That's the maximum I can distort the camera feed without getting detected."
"That's enough for me."
Without wasting time, he activates his abilities in sequence. First, Blind Burst, which immediately robs him of his vision, but of course, doubles his speed. The system message confirms it:
[DEX: 420 → 840].
His velocity spikes.
Next, he triggers Eyes of Icarus, allowing him to regain vision instantly through the visual link shared with Aegis.
Finally, once he's fully invisible, the last piece of the combo triggers on its own: Absolute Silence.
Invisible. Fast. Silent.
A winning combination.
Daniel can't help but grin. It had been a while since he used all these abilities together, and now that his stats are so much higher, he's honestly curious.
"How fast can I move now…?"
Only one way to find out.
As soon as the door opens, Daniel launches himself into the corridor. The door shuts behind him again with a soft magnetic click. He doesn't worry about GLaDOS or Aegis falling during the run; his Surface Adhesion ability keeps them tightly secured to his body.
That same ability kicks in as he propels himself upward and sticks to the ceiling of the hallway, completely upside down. It's the best way to keep up speed without risking a collision with anyone who might appear in the corridors.
He begins sprinting at full speed, not slowing down for even a second, while GLaDOS's voice guides him in real time:
"Right. Left. Keep straight. Ten meters and turn right."
GLaDOS guides him with precision. And while the route might seem chaotic or erratic, it isn't. Every turn is calculated to avoid doors. The fewer he has to open, the better. It would be far too suspicious for the cameras to catch doors opening by themselves without explanation.
The route isn't very long. In less than ten minutes, he's left the dormitory zone behind. Once outside, only about forty meters of rock stand between him and the base of Atlas Tower.
It's nothing for him. The moment he reaches the base, he looks up. The structure is imposing—almost a thousand meters tall—but with his current abilities, it doesn't seem like much.
Without hesitation, he begins sprinting straight up the wall. The climb is smooth, and as he ascends, he notices four smaller towers surrounding the main one, positioned like sentinels. None of them detect him. His invisibility still holds perfectly.
To avoid losing momentum, he reactivates Blind Burst, keeping his speed boost going. The tower is covered in windows, though all of them are reinforced. As he climbs higher, the windows start thinning out until they vanish entirely.
He's nearing the top when GLaDOS's firm voice cuts in.
"Stop."
He halts immediately, suspended in front of one of the last windows. They're small, ridiculously small, spaced several meters apart.
"This is the closest we're going to get to the control room. There are no more windows above this point. We have to enter through here."
Daniel stares at the glass, not quite understanding the logic.
"How are we supposed to break it without alerting anyone?"
"Don't break it. Just transform it."
It takes him a second to process.
"Ohhh..."
Once it clicks, he presses his palm against the glass. The surface gives way softly, deforming as if it were made of clay. He focuses his Inflated Domain ability, reshaping the reinforced glass into the form of a small crystal dog.
"I completely forgot I could do this… Good thing GLaDOS keeps a mental inventory of my skills," he murmurs while carefully placing the glass dog inside the bag, right next to GLaDOS, who remains silent as she watches the figure.
Now there's only one thing left to do: get inside. The opening isn't exactly spacious. The window frame is far too narrow for a normal person… but he isn't normal.
He activates Futterwacken, and his body begins twisting into impossible angles. He stretches, shrinks, contorts. Even so, he loses neither speed nor fluidity. He slips through the opening like a snake, gliding into the tower's interior without making the slightest sound.
[Image]
The moment he touches the floor, he senses the shift.
He's still invisible, but now he moves more carefully. Things inside the tower are different. There are more guards than he expected, and several Atlesian robots patrol the halls on fixed routes. The security here is much tighter.
Worst of all: every door is fully automated, equipped with sensors that require an authorized access card, either from a guard or a scientist.
He slowly approaches one of them, cautious, and whispers to GLaDOS.
"Can you open the door?"
The answer comes quickly, blunt.
"No. Not without breaking the panel and connecting directly. We need another approach. Sweep the area and locate all security cameras."
Daniel nods without replying. He starts moving through the corridors, sticking close to the walls, inspecting every corner. One by one, he identifies each surveillance point. Meanwhile, GLaDOS begins mapping out the layout.
In just a few minutes, they have a functional map of everything surrounding the control room.
"There's a small room just outside the cameras' reach. Looks like a maintenance closet," GLaDOS reports calmly.
Without wasting time, Daniel slides toward that location. With GLaDOS's help, they force the door open without being seen. He quickly slips inside and closes it carefully behind him, sealing himself in complete darkness.
Now, all they can do is wait.
Fortunately, it doesn't take long. Thanks to his visual link with Aegis, he can see perfectly through the wall. A scientist is approaching, completely unaware.
Just as the man is about to pass in front of the closet, GLaDOS emits a soft but perfectly clear sound.
"Chirp, chirp."
The noise makes the scientist stop in his tracks.
"What's a bird doing in here?" he murmurs, frowning. He glances around, searching for the source. Once he realizes the sound is coming from the closet, he opens it cautiously.
Too late.
The moment the door opens, Daniel grabs him and yanks him inside with force. In one swift motion, he strikes the back of his neck. The man collapses, unconscious, letting out nothing more than a muffled grunt.
Wasting no time, Daniel uses some loose cables from the closet to tie and gag him.
"Nice work," GLaDOS whispers, peeking slightly from inside the bag.
Daniel nods silently. Then he kneels beside the body and takes a deep breath, focusing.
He casts a quick glance at the man's face and activates his transformation skill. Within seconds, his body shifts to match the unconscious scientist exactly: same height, same build, same face, same hair. One of his best copies.
The only thing that doesn't change is his voice. It's the one thing he can't imitate.
He quickly puts on the scientist's lab coat, hangs the credentials around his neck, and double-checks that both Aegis and GLaDOS are still hidden and completely invisible.
Taking a deep breath, he opens the closet door and steps back into the hallway, walking naturally.
A few guards glance at him as he passes, but none stop him. He doesn't say a word. If he speaks, he blows it. All he needs to do is reach the control room.
At the end of the hallway, he stops in front of the metal door. He grabs the card and swipes it through the reader.
With a green confirmation light, the door slides open without issue.
The central command room is large, much larger than he expected. The space is filled with workstations, screens, and consoles. It's the heart of Atlas's communications.
He walks confidently to a specific desk. He spots it right away, the chair has the same name as the one on the scientist's ID badge. Without hesitation, he sits, trying not to draw any attention.
He pretends to go through documents on the screen, typing random keys into the console. Meanwhile, without anyone noticing, he connects an invisible cable, allowing GLaDOS to link directly to the central system.
Daniel resists the urge to speak. He wants to know how long this will take… but saying anything would be too risky. He just keeps his fingers moving, pretending to work.
GLaDOS, maybe sensing his impatience, whispers from inside the bag in a barely audible tone.
"This will take a while. It's a delicate process… but we still have time…"
She doesn't finish the sentence, because a second later, the lights flicker. A sharp beep cuts through the room, and suddenly alarms erupt in every direction.
"ALERT. SYSTEM BREACH DETECTED. ALERT. SYSTEM BREACH DETECTED."
Daniel tenses immediately.
"Forget what I said," GLaDOS says, this time without bothering to hide her voice. "Get ready. No more subtlety."
At that moment, the console in front of him lights up completely. GLaDOS initiates a direct hack—aggressive, unfiltered, with no safeguards. The entire interface shifts instantly, lines of code flowing and spreading to the rest of the connected workstations.
And with that, their location is exposed.
"DO NOT MOVE!"
Guards surround him in an instant. Weapons raised. All aimed straight at his chest. But no one fires.
They don't dare. They're surrounded by critical terminals. One stray bullet could sever the tower's communications.
Daniel doesn't move. He stands up slowly, hands visible, making no sudden gestures. Every second counts now, he needs to stall as long as possible.
A guard begins to approach, step by step, weapon steady and aimed straight at his chest.
"Don't move!" she commands, unwavering, eyes locked on him. She's only a few steps away when something unexpected happens—the lights in the room begin to flicker.
One second red. One second dark. Then again. And again.
"Cameras disabled. Doors locked," GLaDOS announces, her voice calm, barely audible.
"It's time for Aegis to take over. Stall them as long as you can."
Daniel lets go of the bag he was still holding. The moment his fingers release it, the fabric turns visible instantly. But GLaDOS remains hidden inside, silent and motionless.
"What the hell was that?" one of the guards yells, eyes wide as the bag materializes out of thin air.
Daniel doesn't answer. He just exhales slowly… and gets ready.
[Dex: 420] → [Dex: 840] → [Dex: 1344]
He activates Blind Burst, and at the same time, lets Ruby's Semblance flow through him. Small red petals swirl around him, glowing faintly between each flicker of the lights.
One of the guards notices and instantly goes pale as the energy takes shape. He recognizes what's about to happen.
"HUNTER!" he shouts, stepping back.
But it's already too late.
Aegis takes full control of the body. On the next flicker of light, Daniel vanishes from his spot.
In less than a second, he reappears right in front of the guard.
A single punch to the stomach. Direct, fast, precise. The blow sends him flying several meters back. He hits the ground, unconscious, but alive.
That's all it takes for the rest of the guards—and the Atlesian robots—to finally react. Seeing he's no longer near the consoles, they open fire without hesitation. But Daniel is already nothing more than a blur in motion.
Every shot misses.
In the red-and-black strobe, his figure dissolves and reappears with each flash, moving too fast to follow. The flickering lights help hide the one crucial detail—he's not using an active aura.
Aegis doesn't slow down. He darts across the room, bouncing off walls, leaping from the ceiling, stepping on consoles without damaging them. Every time he stops, it's only to knock out another guard with a single strike.
Not a single bullet touches him.
Not one shot lands.
Among the chaos, a scientist watches with wide eyes. In the middle of the storm, he notices something. The bag that appeared is still connected to one of the consoles. And if it showed up right when the lights started flickering and the system got breached… then it must be the cause.
He clenches his jaw, gathers what courage he has, and rushes toward it, intent on disconnecting it.
He doesn't make it.
Before he can get close enough, a kick intercepts him mid-air, slamming him to the ground before he can touch the console.
Aegis sees it clearly. The scientists are going to be a problem too.
Daniel's body launches again, this time toward the scientists, striking down everyone in his path. The blows are precise—non-lethal, but powerful enough to take them out of the fight.
In the middle of the assault, a robot steps in his way.
Aegis doesn't stop.
Daniel's fist is instantly coated in a dark hue. Haki. The punch lands squarely on the robot's head with brutal force. The metallic neck snaps with a sharp crack, and the head flies across the room.
The process repeats.
Every time an automaton tries to stop him, Aegis responds the same way. Firm. Efficient.
One by one, they fall.
In just a few minutes, unconscious bodies of soldiers and scientists cover the floor. Only a few robots are still standing, and Daniel's body is already poised to take them all down. But then, something stops him.
"WAIT!"
GLaDOS's voice rings out clearly from the console.
Aegis halts instantly. Daniel freezes mid-motion as the lights on the remaining robots blink once more.
And change.
From the standard blue they were used to, the lights shift to a yellow hue—very similar to GLaDOS's own.
The robots stop moving. They stand completely still, their yellow lights glowing steadily, showing no signs of hostility.
Aegis slowly releases control. Daniel, regaining partial command of his body, moves toward the bag where GLaDOS is stored, never taking his eyes off the automatons.
"What just happened?" he asks tensely, his breathing still a bit heavy.
GLaDOS answers from the console, her tone utterly flat.
"I now have control."
Daniel frowns, confused.
"You don't mean… you already have the schematics?"
There's no immediate answer.
The robots, all at once, straighten up—standing firm, lined up in formation.
Finally, GLaDOS clarifies:
"No. I said… I have control."
-//-
Author's note:
Did you like it? I hope you did! I don't have much to say for now.
Leave me a comment—I love reading them.
The next chapter will be out next Sunday… or maybe sometime during the week. Not sure yet. We'll see.
Hugs and kisses 💕