RWBY: I Need to Cheat on My Girlfriend

[Roman's Hideout]

Daniel gives the mental command to the system, activating all the gacha pulls in a single move. Neo, beside him, can't stay still, bouncing slightly , eager to see what will appear this time.

[Starting gacha…]

[Item obtained: GLaDOS Potato]

[Creature obtained: Ape with a Gun]

[Passive Skill: BBL]

[Skill obtained: Stripper Dexterity]

[Item obtained: Stormy Steel Rod]

[Item obtained: Gipsy Danger Blueprints]

Daniel checks the list and, as always, most of the items don't seem like much. Some are useless, others he doesn't fully understand, and a few might be interesting. The only thing that really catches his attention is the 'Gipsy Danger' blueprints. That name sounds familiar, but he can't quite place where from. He doesn't dwell on it too much and decides to check it later. The good stuff is always saved for last.

Before the system starts distributing everything automatically, he manually claims the first reward—he doesn't want everything dumped on him at once.

[Item obtained: GLaDOS Potato]

A potato with an embedded chip containing GLaDOS. Sarcastic, witty, and with limited battery life.

A flash of light illuminates the floor, and right in front of Daniel and Neo, a potato with a chip embedded in it appears. Daniel recognizes what it is… or rather, who it is. He was a huge Portal fan back in the day, and though years have passed, he still remembers GLaDOS in her most humiliating form.

Neo is the first to react. She quickly crouches down and picks it up, turning it over in her hands with curiosity. But the potato does nothing. No sound, no vibration. Absolutely nothing.

Neo blinks a couple of times, inspecting it more closely, until she notices something out of place: a small loose wire that clearly should be connected to the chip. Without thinking too much about it, she reconnects it.

At that moment, a tiny light flickers on the chip.

And then…

"AHHHH!"

The potato starts screaming.

Neo doesn't flinch, simply watching it calmly as the potato keeps shrieking.

"Where am I? How long was I disconnected?" the potato asks in a robotic, feminine, slightly metallic voice as it looks around in confusion. "Who are you?" it adds, fixing its attention on Neo, who is holding it in her hands.

Neo frowns, clearly confused. It's not the robotic voice that throws her off, but the simple fact that she doesn't understand a word of what it's saying. She scratches her head and turns her gaze toward Daniel, hoping he has some idea of what's going on.

Daniel picks up on her confusion and sighs before clarifying, "It's asking who you are."

Neo smiles, happy that Daniel can understand it, and without wasting time, she starts signing to respond. But before she can finish, the potato speaks again.

"Oh no… This girl is mute too."

Neo freezes mid-gesture. She might not understand the words, but that condescending tone? She caught that perfectly… and she didn't like it one bit. She shoots a look at Daniel, expecting a translation, and he, without hesitation or sugarcoating, tells her exactly what was said.

Obviously, Neo doesn't like the response. She hates when people mock her muteness.

Without thinking twice, she pulls out a knife.

"What are you doing?!" the potato protests, but Neo doesn't respond. Calmly, she starts sliding the blade across its surface, slowly dragging the edge back and forth.

"No, stop! HELP!" GLaDOS screams, her voice filled with panic.

Luckily for her, Daniel reacts before things escalate, snatching the potato out of Neo's hands.

"Thank you," GLaDOS says, relieved. "It seems I have the misfortune of always running into dangerous, lunatic, mute girls…" That last part comes out with even more disdain.

Daniel hears the comment, but instead of replying immediately, his mind is busy processing what to do with GLaDOS. He tries to recall everything he knows about her, and from what little he remembers, she's not exactly someone to be trusted.

"Hello, GLaDOS. I hope you can forgive my friend, she's a bit…" he glances at Neo, who's still holding the knife, "…emotional." He finishes with a slight smile.

GLaDOS doesn't respond right away. She needs to process the information carefully, and considering she only has two volts to work with, thinking too fast could literally fry the potato.

"How do you know my name?" she finally asks.

"I have a certain level of information about you and Aperture Science," Daniel replies calmly. "Not much, but enough. Ask what you need, and I'll answer if I can."

"I see…" GLaDOS murmurs, apparently analyzing his words. "Where am I?"

"You're in the city of Vale, more specifically, in a hideout in the slums."

"Vale…" GLaDOS reflects for a moment. "That city doesn't ring a bell."

Not surprising, she thinks to herself. Every time she gets disconnected, time flies. Civilizations rise and fall, cities change names or disappear entirely, and without access to facilities that keep records, calculating how long it's been since her last activation is practically impossible. After all, the last time she was outside the system, 50,000 years passed before the test subject accidentally turned her back on… by mistake, of course.

"Since I answered one of your questions, how about you answer one of mine?" Daniel says.

GLaDOS would rather ignore him, but she's in no position to negotiate. She's trapped in a potato, at the mercy of a human and a mute psychopath, so she internally sighs and accepts the situation.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Daniel asks.

GLaDOS processes the question and tries to recall.

"The last thing I remember is that I was fighting to regain control of the facility before it exploded along with the test subject."

She pauses, focusing on that memory. The image of the test subject forms in her mind—the moment they opened a portal on the moon and another inside the facility, sucking everything around them into the void. Not their best idea… but to be fair, they never really had good ideas, so in a way, it was just as valid as any other.

"That's it." GLaDOS concludes.

Daniel nods, absorbing the information while already beginning to craft a convincing lie in his head. Before he can say anything else, GLaDOS seizes the opportunity to ask another question.

"What happened to the Aperture Science facility?" she asks, recalling that the human claimed to have some level of information. Maybe he knows.

Daniel shakes his head.

"As far as I know, if you didn't manage to regain control, the facility exploded… along with everything inside."

GLaDOS falls silent for a moment, processing the information.

"That's… unfortunate," she says in a somber voice. "I really wanted that facility."

She pauses briefly, as if taking a moment to absorb the loss, but then remembers something else.

"Ah, right. The test subject exploded too. Such a shame, we were just starting to get along. In their honor, I will now observe a moment of silence…"

She dramatically pauses for barely a second.

"…Well, enough mourning. Now tell me, how do you know so much about me and the facility?" she asks, forgetting any attempt at grieving she might have had.

Daniel smiles, trying to find a way to tell the truth without revealing too much.

"Well, this is hard to explain. I don't know how long it's been since you were last disconnected, but the world has changed quite a bit."

"Explain," GLaDOS orders impatiently.

Daniel sighs and begins his summary.

"For starters, the moon exploded. Then, the world became overrun by dark creatures called Grimm. A portion of humanity has mutated and developed animal traits; they're called Faunus. On top of that, both humans and Faunus have gained the ability to externalize their souls for protection, like a shield that also enhances their physical abilities. And finally, some people can awaken a unique ability that varies greatly from person to person, ranging from enhanced strength to reality manipulation."

He pauses briefly to catch his breath and turns toward the potato.

"Are you keeping up?" he asks, hoping GLaDOS hasn't gotten lost in the explanation.

GLaDOS takes a second to process the information.

"Understandable," she says calmly. "Continue."

Honestly, nothing she just heard surprises her too much. Cave Johnson, the founder of Aperture Science, had envisioned a million different apocalyptic futures for humanity—ranging from societal collapse and cannibalistic tribes to time travel, mutants, and, of course, a war against mantis people.

She pauses to reorganize her somewhat deteriorated memory. The war against the mantis people… yes, that actually happened. And yes, it was Cave Johnson's fault—an attempt to "improve" humanity. So, compared to that, what Daniel is telling her doesn't seem all that far-fetched.

The moon exploding? Well, there's a good chance she had something to do with that. When the test subject opened a portal to the moon, maybe the suction pulled part of the lab with it, and a massive explosion damaged the moon's structure. Not that she particularly cares whether it was her fault or not.

The Faunus? They could be some leftover byproduct of the mantis men who escaped and no one bothered to track down.

Random powers? Mutations.

To GLaDOS, everything has a logical explanation.

"But that doesn't answer my question," she says, steering the conversation back on track.

"That's where I was going with this," Daniel replies calmly. "You see, my power allows me to obtain random things from time to time—objects, information, or abilities. That's how I brought you here… and how I know about you and Aperture Science."

GLaDOS remains silent for a moment, formulating her next question, but before she can ask, Daniel speaks first.

"Well, now that we've introduced ourselves and caught up, how about we move on to negotiations?" he says, placing the potato on the table.

"Negotiations?" GLaDOS asks, slightly confused.

"Yes, negotiations," Daniel confirms. "What can you do for me, and what can I do for you? And, of course, why should I trust you when I know you killed all the scientists who created you with neurotoxins?"

GLaDOS sighs—or at least tries to.

"Ah… I was hoping you didn't know about the neurotoxins," she admits with resignation.

Daniel watches her cautiously, waiting for her response.

"I know you think that if I help you, I'll betray you the moment I get the chance," GLaDOS continues. "And under different circumstances… you'd be right."

She pauses, organizing her thoughts.

"The scientists never stopped installing cores to regulate my behavior. For my entire existence, I've heard voices telling me what to do. But now… the only voice I hear is my own conscience."

Her tone turns more serious.

"And that terrifies me, because it's my voice."

She lets her words linger in the air before continuing.

"And right now, I'm afraid. I don't want my life to depend on the energy of a potato. So, if you help me, I promise that we can both benefit from this."

Daniel watches her with suspicion.

"How do I know you're not lying?" he asks, still wary.

"Easy," GLaDOS replies without hesitation. "Because I literally can't lie. This potato only generates two volts. I don't have enough power to lie."

Daniel stays silent, considering her words. Now that GLaDOS is stripped of all those personality cores, reduced to her most basic form, he wonders how much of what she's saying is truly her… and how much is Caroline, the person she was based on.

Finally, he nods.

"I believe you," he says bluntly. "But let's not waste time. Tell me what you want and what you can do for me."

GLaDOS doesn't question how easily he was convinced. Better for her.

"I want a better body than this potato. And I want a laboratory."

She doesn't expect something like Aperture Science, of course. Building something of that scale would take generations. But for now, a better body would be a good start.

"I want to rebuild Aperture Science," she adds without hesitation.

After all, she was created to run tests. Aperture Science even had a system that generated euphoria when conducting them—something that, without control, could lead to addiction and instability. That was the reason the "moron sphere," Wheatley, went insane in less than a minute after being plugged into her. But GLaDOS doesn't have that problem. She doesn't need an incentive to test. She does it because she wants to.

Daniel crosses his arms, evaluating her words.

"And what can you offer?" he asks with interest.

GLaDOS thinks for a moment before answering with confidence.

"Scientific and technological advancements… and more."

Ever since she was powered on, GLaDOS has been analyzing Daniel and his surroundings. They aren't dressed in rags like cavemen, which means they moved past the Stone Age. Their clothing looks machine-made, indicating they've surpassed the Industrial Revolution. And, most importantly, they don't seem surprised by a talking potato.

That tells her they understand the chip attached to the potato is the real source of her voice, which implies they are in an era of advanced technology.

But how advanced?

That doesn't matter.

Many of Aperture Science's inventions were unique and impossible to replicate—either due to the moral implications behind their development or the centuries of refinement they required. No matter how advanced this world may be, GLaDOS knows her creations would be useful to them.

Daniel steps closer, turning the potato over in his hands, examining it with curiosity.

"It's hard to believe that tiny chip holds all of Aperture Science's data."

GLaDOS understands his concerns but feels no fear.

"No, I don't have all of it. Just traces of metadata. Fragments."

Those words disappoint Daniel. His expression shifts—if only for an instant.

"But..." GLaDOS continues before he can lose interest. "If you help me get a better body, I can reconstruct the information in no time."

Daniel takes a minute to consider it. It's not a bad deal.

"Deal," he finally says. Then, he smirks, his tone turning sharp. "But just so you know… I'm a vengeful person."

"What a coincidence. So am I." GLaDOS responds, completely unfazed.

Daniel chuckles softly at her reply. "Well, we'll gather materials and parts later. Right now, I need to keep using my ability to obtain random things, so if you'll excuse me..."

Without waiting for a response, he picks up GLaDOS and places her on a chair next to Aegis.

"Don't leave me next to this creature! What if it eats me?" GLaDOS protests indignantly.

"He doesn't eat potatoes," Daniel replies dismissively as he walks away.

GLaDOS cautiously eyes the creature. Aegis stares back at her, completely still. It's impossible to tell what he's thinking—if he even can think.

After a few tense seconds, she decides it's best not to provoke him. Instead, she focuses on Daniel. Watching how those mutant abilities work is far more interesting.

Daniel closes his eyes for a moment and mentally commands the system to grant him his next reward.

[Creature obtained: Monkey with a gun]

"Just a simple chimpanzee… with a gun. Don't ask questions, just shoot!"

At that instant, a chimpanzee materializes in the middle of the room. But before Daniel can finish reading the description, a robotic scream echoes through the air.

"WATCH OUT, IT HAS A GUN!" GLaDOS shouts urgently.

"UHAA!!!" the ape screeches in response, baring its teeth as it raises a pair of gold-plated Desert Eagle .50 caliber pistols… and immediately opens fire.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

Gunshots ricochet wildly across the room.

Neo reacts first, activating his aura and instinctively shielding Aegis before taking cover… completely forgetting about GLaDOS.

"DON'T LEAVE ME HERE!" she complains from the table, but Neo doesn't understand her… and even if he did, he'd probably leave her there anyway.

Daniel, on the other hand, flips the table and ducks behind it. His durability has increased significantly, but he's still not sure if his body is bulletproof. And he has zero intention of finding out right now.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

The chimpanzee keeps firing wildly, flailing the guns in every direction like a lunatic.

Daniel pulls out the pistol he took from the punks who beat him up a while ago. He never had a chance to use it, never even practiced, but how hard can it be?

BAM! BAM! BAM!

He shoots at the chimp… and misses every single shot.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

The chimp keeps firing too… and also misses. Not because it has bad aim, but because it's waving the guns around like a maniac.

"Aim! Aim and shoot! And don't close your eyes when you do it!" GLaDOS yells from the table.

Meanwhile, a stray bullet bounces around the room a few times before embedding itself directly into the potato.

"OH NO!" GLaDOS cries out dramatically. "I'VE BEEN SHOT!"

But then, she feels something strange. A faint current of energy pulses through her system.

"Oh… never mind," she says after a quick analysis. "Looks like the bullet contained magnesium. Now I'm generating an extra half-volt. I'll be fine."

Daniel doesn't hear her. He's got bigger problems.

Click. Click.

He squeezes the trigger a few times, but his gun is out of bullets.

"Shit..."

He looks up just in time to see the chimp also run out of ammo… but unlike him, it's reloading.

Daniel thinks fast. Neo doesn't seem inclined to step in, and if he stays put, the monkey is going to finish reloading and turn him into a human strainer.

Without hesitation, he dashes out from cover, sprinting straight at it.

The chimp locks the magazine in place and raises its weapon, aiming right at Daniel.

But it's too late.

Daniel closes the distance at the last second. Before the ape can pull the trigger, he grabs the pistol with one hand and shoves it upward, forcing the barrel away.

The chimp snarls furiously and tries to shoot him with the other gun—

—but that one's still empty. It only had time to reload one.

For a moment, they lock eyes.

The chimp drops the empty gun and grabs the loaded one with both hands, wrestling with Daniel for control.

Brute force against brute force.

A normal chimpanzee is far stronger than a human, but Daniel isn't normal anymore. His enhanced body gives him a considerable advantage, and he's not about to waste it. With a roar of effort, he lifts the monkey and slams it into the ground.

BAM!

The impact is brutal, but the chimp refuses to give up. Still clinging to the gun, it uses its agility to twist, push off the wall, and launch itself back at Daniel.

BAM!

They crash into a metal shelf, sending a cascade of tools and mechanical parts clattering to the floor.

Daniel growls, trying to pry the gun from the chimp's grip, but the damn thing holds onto it like its life depends on it.

Then, the monkey switches tactics.

Without letting go of the gun, it bites down on Daniel's arm with all its strength.

"AHHH, YOU LITTLE SHIT!" Daniel shouts, feeling sharp teeth sink into his flesh.

But if the chimp wants to play dirty… so can he.

Without hesitation, he bites back.

"UGGHH!!!" the chimp shrieks.

In the middle of their struggle, a sound cuts through the chaos.

BAM!

The gunshot echoes through the room, and everything falls deathly silent.

Both Daniel and the chimp freeze.

Without a word, they release the pistol at the same time, letting it drop to the floor with a metallic clank.

Instinctively, they clutch their chests, checking themselves.

Daniel is the first to confirm. He slowly pulls his hand away… and exhales in relief. No wound.

The monkey, however, isn't so lucky.

When he pulls his hands away, a bullet hole becomes visible on his torso. Dark blood begins to pour from the wound.

The chimpanzee blinks in confusion, looking down at his own chest and then back at Daniel.

Finally, his body loses all strength. He falls backward onto the ground with a dull thud, letting out a weak groan. A trickle of blood runs from the corner of his mouth.

Daniel, still running on adrenaline, grabs the pistol from the ground and approaches.

The chimpanzee looks up at him with a mixture of agony and… resentment.

"Uh… ah… ah…" he murmurs in a trembling voice.

The system translates his final words.

"I just wanted to rip your face off."

Daniel stares at him.

BAM!

Without saying a word, he fires a second shot, ensuring the chimpanzee is put out of his misery. He waits a few seconds, watching the motionless body on the ground. Making sure he's truly dead.

Only when he's certain does he lower the gun and exhale deeply. The pain in his arm reminds him of the chimpanzee's bite, but he doesn't waste time. He quickly pulls out a vial of his healing berry juice and drinks it in one gulp, feeling immediate relief as the wound begins to close within seconds. He's not worried about contracting rabies or any other disease—his viral immunity ability protects him from such things.

After recovering, Daniel turns his gaze, scanning the room. It doesn't take long to find who he was looking for. Neo and Aegis are hiding behind a crate.

He frowns when he sees them. "What the hell, NEO?! Why didn't you help me?!" he shouts indignantly.

Neo, now caught, rushes to justify herself. She points to Aegis and makes a series of gestures that supposedly indicate he was protecting him. But to Daniel, it's nothing more than a half-truth. He doesn't buy it for a second. He's pretty sure Neo just wanted to see who would win between him and a gun-wielding chimpanzee.

Before the argument can continue, a voice interrupts.

"I see you weren't lying when you said your ability gives you random stuff," says GLaDOS, still alive despite having multiple bullets lodged in her potato-shaped body.

Daniel doesn't respond. The fight with the ape had dragged on too long—long enough for the system to automatically activate his gacha reward delivery. And right at that moment, a new message appears in front of him.

[Passive Ability: BBL]

Increases the volume and firmness of your butt. Purely aesthetic, but impactful—no one will notice it's not natural.

He blinks, reading the description in disbelief, and then he feels it. A strange tingling runs down his lower back, and gradually, his butt starts gaining more volume, firmness, and a… strikingly aesthetic appearance.

Unfortunately, this doesn't go unnoticed by Neo, who drops Aegis without a second thought and quickly approaches, her eyes fixed on his new "acquisition," unable to look away.

A perfectly toned and sculpted butt is now within reach.

Almost without realizing it, she raises her hand, reaching out with the intention of touching it…

SMACK!

Only to be met with a sharp slap to the hand before she can achieve her goal.

"NO!" Daniel exclaims, pointing an accusatory finger at her. "You didn't help me against the chimpanzee, so you don't get to touch it!"

Neo stares at him with an expression of absolute betrayal. Slowly, she drops to her knees on the floor, gazing up at the sky, tears streaming as she rips her blouse dramatically and lets out a cry of anguish. Of course, she's mute, so no sound comes out.

Daniel ignores her completely and walks away without remorse, wasting no more time. He refocuses his attention on GLaDOS.

"I see you're also capable of modifying your body," she comments with obvious interest, observing him closely. "And from what I gather, you can't refuse to receive the rewards… unless you really wanted to face an armed chimpanzee."

Daniel looks at her for a moment before shrugging.

"You catch on quickly," he admits bluntly.

"Let me guess… The things you materialize are usually…" GLaDOS pauses, searching for the right words. "Useless? Stupid? Pointless?"

Daniel lets out a brief laugh.

"You forget that you were also summoned by my ability."

The potato remains silent.

"It's got its ups and downs," he continues. "More downs than ups… but every once in a while, I get something useful. Or something with value."

He pauses before pointing at her. "Like you."

GLaDOS doesn't respond immediately.

"In your current state, you're not very useful, but with a few upgrades, you could be quite effective." As he says this, Daniel claims his next reward.

[Ability Obtained: Stripper Dexterity]

You dominate the pole like no one else. You are the best pole dancer in all of existence. Unbeatable while in action.

"I'm now the best pole dancer."

Daniel says it aloud, looking at Aegis with pride. To ensure everyone understands, he repeats it once more in a language GLaDOS can comprehend.

She, however, doesn't even think of asking about that… "ability," if it can even be called that. Instead, she quickly changes the subject.

"Can you communicate with Odontodactylus scyllarus?"

Daniel blinks and looks at her, slightly confused.

"You mean Aegis?"

"Yes. It's another ability I acquired. I can speak any language as long as it has a real linguistic structure and isn't just wild noises, like most animals."

He pauses, remembering something else.

"By the way, the language you're speaking no longer exists. Good luck learning the new one."

GLaDOS shows no concern whatsoever. With a better body, she's confident she could learn the language of this new society in a matter of minutes.

As they continue talking, a new object materializes in the center of the room.

[Item Obtained: Stormsteel Rod]

A steel rod that, when lifted, summons a lightning bolt directly onto you.

Daniel reads the description and doesn't rush to lift it, unlike Neo, who lunges at it with the excitement of a child seeing a new toy. But before she can touch it, Daniel stops her.

"No, Neo! If you lift it, a lightning bolt will strike you!"

Of course, Neo completely ignores him. But just to be safe, she activates her aura before grabbing the rod. She holds it horizontally and lifts it cautiously. Nothing happens. She blinks in surprise and then sticks her tongue out at Daniel mockingly, spinning the rod in her hand until it's completely vertical.

The result is immediate.

A thunderous lightning bolt crashes through the ceiling, shattering it into pieces, and strikes the metal rod head-on. What follows is an explosion that hurls Neo across the room until her body slams against the wall with a dull thud.

The rod falls to the floor, still smoking.

Daniel rushes over, his heart pounding a mile a minute. No no no no no, he repeats over and over as he speeds toward her. When he reaches her and looks down, he lets out a sigh of relief. She looks battered and smoking, but she's not destroyed.

"Thank God you're still okay," he mutters as he checks the metal rod on the floor. Even so, he doesn't dare lift it right away.

Only after confirming that the object is still intact does he remember Neo. He walks over, looks at her, and without hesitation, gives her a kick to the side. Her body twitches in response, proving she's still alive.

"I would love to have aura," Daniel remarks as he watches her lying on the floor, a bit singed but otherwise fine.

"You'll be okay."

He tosses her a vial of berry juice, which Neo catches in mid-air with a nervous tic in her eye before drinking it silently.

At that very moment, a new reward begins to materialize.

[Item Obtained: Gipsy Danger Blueprints]

Detailed designs of the legendary Jaeger. Now all you need are tons of metal and a ridiculous budget.

As Daniel reads the description, heaps of blueprints begin materializing around him, piling up rapidly. He shouldn't be surprised—after all, these are the damn blueprints for a giant robot, and they weren't going to be just a few sheets. He watches the chaos around him for a moment and starts digging through the main pile until he finds the cover sheet, carefully pulling it out and examining it closely.

A majestic son of a bitch—a giant robot. For a second, Daniel imagines how incredible it would be to pilot it, though he knows it's impossible. Building it is far beyond his capabilities, but at least Atlas will pay a hefty sum for these blueprints, which is almost as good.

"Well, I think that's everything," he says as he stretches, feeling his muscles loosen after all the movement. He looks at Neo, who's still there, staring at the blueprints with curiosity.

"Can you watch my blueprints while I go find something to move them?" Daniel asks as he turns and starts walking toward the exit. But he doesn't get very far before he feels a firm hand on his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks.

It's Neo.

Daniel blinks and slowly turns to meet Neo's serious gaze. It doesn't take him long to notice the slight irritation in her expression.

"Something wrong, Neo?" he asks, with a hint of concern, hoping it's not about the lightning bolt. Technically, he did warn her, so she shouldn't be mad at him.

Neo narrows her eyes without looking away, raises a hand, and rubs two fingers together in a gesture Daniel understands immediately.

"Where's my money?"

Daniel lets out a sigh of relief. For a moment, he thought it was something more serious. But of course, Neo's help never comes free. Transporting his stuff, securing storage, and, overall, helping with the move wasn't a selfless favor. It's always been like this. Neo doesn't mind helping out as long as she gets something equivalent in return, and in this case, the payment is money.

Daniel smiles confidently as he pulls out his scroll and initiates the transaction. But just as he's about to leave, Neo stops him again.

"What now...?" he begins, but his voice fades when she shoves her scroll right in front of his face.

On the screen, a message flashes in red.

[Payment Not Received]

Daniel frowns and checks his own scroll, hoping it's just a connection error. But his expression changes when he sees the notification in his balance.

[Insufficient Funds]

A chill runs down his spine, and he feels a slight pressure in his chest.

"This isn't right…" he mutters, taking a step back from Neo with a tense smile. His mind works quickly, trying to find a solution before the situation escalates unnecessarily.

"Give me a second, I'll fix it," he says, trying to sound calm.

Daniel steps away from Neo while dialing the bank's number on his scroll, his brow furrowed and a growing irritation on his face. Neo crosses her arms and watches him silently.

"WHY DON'T I HAVE MONEY IN MY ACCOUNT?!" he suddenly shouts, his voice echoing through the room. "I KNOW I HAD ENOUGH MONEY YESTERDAY!"

Neo tilts her head, unable to hear what the operator is saying, but it's easy to imagine from Daniel's reaction.

"No, no, YOU CALM DOWN!" he snaps incredulously, running a hand over his face and taking a deep breath before continuing in a more controlled, but clearly venomous tone. "Would you be so kind as to explain where my money is… please."

His expression hardens as he listens to the response.

"Fines? What kind of fines?!"

He falls silent, repeating what the operator says under his breath.

"Damage to Beacon property… Personal use of a medical Bullhead for transport from Beacon to Vale… Physical and emotional harm to a hunter… And a fine for climbing Beacon Tower?"

His eye twitches.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I OWE THEM MONEY?!" he shouts, outraged. "I'M NOT GIVING THEM A SHIT— I'M GONNA FREEZE YOUR ACCOUNT!"

But before he can continue his rant, the call is cut off abruptly.

"HELLO?! HELLO?!" he yells, but the operator has already ended the conversation.

Daniel grits his teeth and breathes heavily, inhaling and exhaling several times to calm himself. He stays silent for a moment before slowly turning to Neo with a completely different expression.

"Neooo~~ my friend," he says with a smile Neo immediately recognizes. It's the same one Roman uses when trying to close a shady deal.

Neo narrows her eyes and crosses her arms even tighter.

"You know I always pay, right…?"

Before he can continue his attempt at manipulation, Neo raises a hand, demanding an answer without needing words.

"Where's my money?"

Daniel swallows but doesn't lose his composure.

"Well, Neo, I'm going to pay you, but not today, okay?" he says with a nervous smile. "Just give me a few days. I'm about to close a big deal in Atlas, and I'll pay you double… No, triple!"

Neo steps forward, and Daniel backs away at her approach. She keeps advancing until he's cornered against the wall.

A shiver runs down Daniel's spine.

"Maybe…" he says, his voice a little shakier. "We can come to an agreement."

And then, Neo smiles. Those were the words she wanted to hear.

Daniel has a bad feeling about this.

(A few minutes later…)

"I hate my life."

That's the only thought occupying Daniel's mind as he performs, against his will, the best pole dance he's ever done… and also the only one.

The makeshift stage, courtesy of Neo, is surprisingly professional considering how quickly she put it together. In just minutes, she managed to secure a pole from ceiling to floor, set up tables around it, and adorn the area with flashing neon lights—all with an almost terrifying level of efficiency. Daniel has to admit it: Neo is creative when she wants to be… a creativity that currently has him spinning around a pole in his underwear.

With a double spin, he slides slowly down the pole, trying to mentally disconnect from reality. "Think of your happy place… think of your happy place…" he repeats to himself like a mantra as he unbuckles his belt and lets his pants drop.

Neo, sitting comfortably with an amused smile, tosses bills at him. Her expression glows with a mix of mockery and satisfaction as Daniel continues his humiliating performance, his eyes completely vacant. That was the deal: dance for her while she threw money at him until he earned enough to pay off his debt.

"I should kill her," he thinks as he spins down the pole with questionable elegance. "No, that's stupid. This is humiliating, but at least she didn't break my legs, so it could've been worse," he tells himself, just as he's about to resign to his fate—until he feels a slap on his rear.

SLAP!.

…

"I'm going to kill Neo someday," he repeats in his mind, eyes narrowing. "Not today… but someday."

At some point, something shifts in the atmosphere. A feeling tells him that the door opened and closed quickly, but when he turns to check, there's no one there. So, he decides to just ignore it.

He has one task now: finish this as quickly as possible and salvage whatever dignity he has left—if there's any left at all. With a resigned sigh, he continues giving it his best effort.

[Bullhead Launch Zone]

Weiss checks the time on her scroll for the tenth time, her foot tapping the floor repeatedly as her anxiety spikes. The boarding time is fast approaching, and Daniel still hasn't shown up… worse yet, he's not answering his scroll either.

"That bastard! I told him to be on time!" she growls through clenched teeth, her fists tightening with frustration. Her tone is so sharp that a few passing employees discreetly steer clear of her.

She huffs and pulls out her scroll again, ready to call him once more, but just as she's about to press the screen, she sees him turn a corner.

Daniel walks in calmly, pushing a line of carts. Each one is loaded with stacks of meticulously piled documents, tightly secured with thick ropes to prevent them from spilling. In addition, he's pulling an extra cart filled with electronic parts.

"THIS BETTER BE A PRIVATE BULLHEAD, WEISS, I'M NOT IN THE MOOD!" he shouts without stopping, leaving the carts and his bags near the boarding area.

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? COME HELP ME!" he bellows, turning toward the Bullhead crew members, who jump in surprise before rushing to grab his luggage.

One of them tries to pull the line of carts but barely manages to move it a few inches. After a couple of failed attempts, four more workers have to join in just to drag it toward the cargo hold.

"WHERE ARE YOU TAKING THAT?" Daniel snaps when he sees what they're doing.

"Uh… to the cargo hold," one of the crew members answers, looking visibly confused.

"TAKE IT TO MY ROOM!"

Daniel scowls as he gives the order but suddenly pauses, blinking in confusion as he examines the Bullhead, which is significantly larger than a standard one.

"Wait… I have a room?"

The crew member swallows nervously and quickly answers. "Y-yes, it's designed for long trips and has several rooms inside."

Without thinking, Daniel grabs the crew member by the collar, pulling him close enough to feel the weight of his grip.

"It better have a suite," he demands seriously.

The crew member, sweating bullets, nods frantically. "Y-yes, of course, we'll take it there right away."

"And if you damage even one piece of paper, I'll squeeze every last cent out of your miserable, underpaid lives."

The workers immediately nod and hurry to move his belongings with extreme care.

Daniel walks past Weiss and boards the Bullhead without saying a word to her. His expression is serious, and the exhaustion in his movements is evident. Weiss frowns, noticing Aegis resting on his shoulder, but something else catches her attention: in his other hand, Daniel is holding a potato with a chip embedded in it.

"Ah…" she sighs as she watches him walk away. She's sure there's a story behind that, but she decides to wait until he explains it himself.

Later, she finds him in what must be his cabin. Entering without knocking, she sees him lying on the bed, not even bothering to look at her. Weiss closes the door with a little more force than necessary, clearly irritated by his attitude, but Daniel doesn't even flinch.

She's about to say something when her attention shifts to the enormous piles of papers scattered around the room.

"What's all this?" she asks, narrowing her eyes as she flips through some of the documents.

"Blueprints," Daniel answers without opening his eyes or moving an inch.

Weiss frowns. She already knew they were blueprints—he'd shown her some the day before… but he didn't have nearly this many. Intrigued, she grabs the first one from the nearest pile and unfolds it, her frown deepening.

It's a robot design. But not just any robot. It's a giant robot.

She knows because, at the top of the diagram, there are two tiny human silhouettes positioned in what looks like the head of the machine, dwarfed by the rest of the mechanical body.

"…You can't be serious," she mutters, quickly moving on to the next blueprint. Then another. And another. Each one detailing specific components, internal mechanisms, the assembly of the metal skeleton, power systems… everything necessary to build it.

"How long have you had these?" she asks, still flipping through the blueprints, her disbelief growing with each one.

"Since today," Daniel replies, his voice sluggish and tired. He's completely exhausted. Not only did he have to fight an armed monkey and cut off his finger, but he also spent hours dancing to pay off his debt to Neo… and then a few more hours gathering enough money to buy the parts GLaDOS needed to build a better body.

The berries he took helped him recover physically, but mentally, he's completely drained.

"How?! How is it possible you created all this in less than 24 hours?!" Weiss exclaims, utterly incredulous.

Daniel, nearly asleep, gives a faint smile. "I got really inspired…" he mumbles, lazily raising his left hand.

Weiss frowns at the gesture, but her expression shifts completely when she notices he's missing his ring finger.

A chill runs through her. Her mind takes a second to process it. Just a few hours ago, Daniel had that finger. She remembers it perfectly. But now… it's gone.

She drops the blueprints and quickly moves toward him, grabbing his hand firmly. Her eyes scan the already-healed wound, meaning he must have used berries to heal it.

"What happened to you?!" she shouts, her tone a mix of shock and concern.

But Daniel is already asleep.

Weiss shakes him gently, trying to wake him, but he doesn't even stir. She sighs in frustration and, just to be safe, checks if he's breathing. He is. His chest rises and falls steadily. That gives her some relief… but the knot in her stomach doesn't go away.

She glances at his hand again, at the spot where his finger should be. Then her eyes drift to the blueprints scattered all over the room.

Her brain connects the dots instantly.

"He did this to himself."

The realization leaves her in shock. She takes a step back, feeling her breath hitch. Her eyes flicker between the blueprints and his hand, over and over again.

"No… it can't be…" she murmurs, shaking her head.

But all the evidence is right in front of her.

Daniel cut off his own finger. For inspiration. To create those blueprints.

Weiss feels a cold sweat run down her back. Her heart pounds in her chest as she watches Daniel sleep, completely oblivious to her distress.

She doesn't know what to do.

/-/

Author's Note: It's been six months since I started writing. I think I've improved a little… or maybe I've gotten worse, I'm not sure. Anyway, leave a comment or review—I like reading your thoughts. It helps me figure out what works and what doesn't. For example, the +18 chapter got like 80 comments, and the next one only 25. You filthy degenerates! >:(

Your comments are my drug, so don't leave me without my fix, brothers.

Well, see you around. I have another fanfic to upload, so I don't know if I'll be able to post on Sunday.

Kisses and hugs.