"Teacher! She's nowhere close to a full recovery," Sly said.

"As expected. Soldiers are not always in their peak form, student. We need to gather data on the lower ends to implement adjustments," Till replied.

"Bring it on, Doc." Grinned the wolf hag, securing the rail gun using a maglock on her back.

"No need for formalities, call me Till. We'll gather information on how comfortable you are fighting in your present condition, how well the magnetic lock holds the weapon, the kinetic absorption of our armor, and several other things. Pay it no heed and use pure melee, if you can, but feel free to use the rail gun at your discretion. I'm not expecting much, but try not to disappoint me too much."

"Are you speaking about me or about the armor?"

"You. Unlike you, the armor has already proven its worth," Till answered without a hint of shame, and Aranea snorted.

More recesses opened, unleashing active mechanical shapes. These robots resembled humans in shape, with optical lenses installed in their heads. Long protruding blades were mounted on the wrists of their five-fingered hands. Exposed cables and wires ran the length of their bulkier bodies, and the first of them took an unsteady, almost stumbling step forward.

The wolf hag dove under the swing of the closest robot, closing in the distance. Was this it? Did Till seriously count upon these hunks of junk to pose a challenge to her or any Wolfkin? Her claws flashed, and she stabbed the metallic limb, bisecting it. She buried her claws in the robot's face; the tips exiting the back of its head. A cascade of sparks poured onto her. The robot spasmed and grabbed her paw with its remaining hand. While she hacked it apart, five more surrounded her, moving with unexpected bursts of speed. She barely dodged a punch aimed at her face, backing down.

She used the damaged bot as a battering ram, slamming it into the nearest opponent, hurling them both through a stone wall. Two others positioned themselves to her right and left, keeping an even distance from her. Whenever she tried to attack one of them, the other would move, scraping its blades against her back and interrupting every onslaught. The machines moved in perfect synchronization, their increased speed keeping up with hers. While their movements were predictable, their teamwork spared them any harm Aranea could inflict upon them. The third bot tried to sneak to her rear, and she retreated toward another wall in the center of the wall, leaning on it and preparing to face them head-on.

Joy, excitement, and adrenaline sent her fangs rattling. A forgotten, predatory instinct inside her gave out a dark bark, pleased with an opportunity to hunt and prevail. These bots posed no threat to her if she kept her cool. Two of them slammed their shoulders into the stone wall to her left and right. Once the first one made a move, she would…

A shadow of the third touched her as it climbed atop the wall, gripping the edge and pointing its wrist blades at her neck. Aranea tensed. She could keep an eye on the first two, but the third would be out of reach. The unease washed off her, replaced by a trembling anticipation. Which one will be first?

The bot to her right struck, aiming its left limb at her chin. Instead of dodging, Aranea knelt, almost hugging the incoming bot and plunging her claws into its sides. Let the one from above try to attack now! Now to suplex you… Her plan was cut short by a kick from the bot behind her. The blow forced her to roll away from her intended tossing position into the open. The bot from above leaped, aiming both blades at her chest.

"Aranea!" Sly screamed. She raised a thumb, reveling in the challenge. It was fun!

Her roll stopped with a maneuver of shifting herself to the left and catching the stabbing blades between her left arm and torso. Here's a lesson for you… She slammed her right paw into its ribs, penetrating the surface and grabbing the cables within. If you have two swords, don't attack the same point! She pulled out its insides.

It thrashed violently, its lenses growing dim. Aranea brought her knees to her chin and kicked the thing off at the remaining foe, skewering it at the prepared blades and putting it out of its misery. She jumped to her feet, crashing into her opposition and tearing them apart, not shying from stomping at the bot she had stabbed earlier.

Covered in dust and shattered pieces, Aranea smiled, raising her trophies to Till Ingo, when the stone wall cracked, covering her in the rubble. The loader bot almost swatted her with its fist, drawing sparks when its fingers connected with her helmet as she raced aside, wondering how the big machine had sneaked up on her.

"You again? Cooled down?" she mocked, diving to the right to evade a punch. It was so slow and predictable…

The fist opened, grabbing her by the ankle, moving rapidly with superior nimbleness. It raised her high in the air and slammed her into the floor, using her body for a living whip. Even though a brand-new carapace encased her and fiber muscles diffused the brunt of the impact, she still felt that in her bones. Every organ in her body shook with reverberating agony that leapt from her muscles to her veins and back again. The loader bot made a deep crater in the steel floor.

With stars dancing in her eyes, Aranea pulled herself up, trying to push away a finger. No luck. The robot lifted her and punched her with its other hand, sending the wolf hag flying like a fired cannonball. She broke several rocks and dented a couple of partitions before falling near the wall with the grace of a sack of mushroom loaves. Blood appeared on her lips, and the approaching stomps sent scattered debris jumping.

"We must stop the testing!" Sly shouted.

"No need. You can see her vitals, student. Wolf hag! You had wrongly assumed full knowledge about the extent of the capabilities of your opposition and paid the price. No matter how predictable an opponent appears to be, one must never let their guard down. Technology complements the flesh, not replace the need for independent thought entirely. It surprises me that I need to explain to you the obvious," chastised Ingo.

Aranea's head spun, the surroundings became murky, and she stumbled drunkenly back, reeling and trying to regain her senses. She needed a second to recover her balance, but the loader bot had no intention of giving her one. The massive fist closed in, striking the feeble arms raised in defense, and tossed the wolf hag off her feet, sending her several dozen meters to the left.

"Seems like she's done. You intend on waiting further?" Ingo clicked his tongue as the bot charged toward its victim.

The mound of metal approached the standing-up wolf hag, preparing to pulverize her when a metal tail wrapped around its body. Two elongated hands stabbed into its raised waist and exposed shoulder cables, cutting through the weak point; the heavy boot pressed against the bot's back as the unexpected savior arched her back, flapped wings and tried to topple the bot. The machine's torso made a turn, slamming a fist into the assailant, and it was an opening enough for Aranea to shrug off the dizziness.

She joined the attack, carving up the exposed side of the bot and grasping every cable and vulnerable moving part she could reach, tearing them off. The loader bot jerked and tried to turn as the three-fingered hand pierced it and gouged the camera. Together, they slammed the machine down, and it moved no longer.

Leila rose to her feet, clad in an armored suit colored black and crimson, with a pink scale painted near her neck. The armor covered her whole body, even protecting her wings and giving them sharpened edges. On her arm a bundle of fiber muscles broke through a crack in the sleeve, and in place of the usual lenses, she had twin visors, stylized after lightnings.

"Obsessed asshole!" Leila yelled angrily at the viewing window. "She's barely set foot outside the recovery capsule! Can you even imagine how fragile she is right now? What if your stupid tin cans wounded or hurt her?"

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"We requested a wolf hag for the scheduled testing session for many months. Not my fault that all my reasonable demands were refused. My motto is never to let an opportunity go to waste. Besides, her participation convinced you to try on the prepared power armor." A flash of light highlighted the exposed scales hidden behind the hissing cables on Leila's arm. "It provides me with an ample opportunity to see and correct flaws in my designs."

"You're really not making it any easier to befriend you, pal," the half-wyrm accused.

"Fair is fair, Teacher," Sly said.

"I'm not looking for friends," Till told them. "Sly, it's time for your scheduled nap. Use my room if you wish. As for you, I only need data from you. Do your best, ladies, so I can provide you with the finest craftsmanship available to ensure your continuous survival."

"See? He cares! I knew he wasn't that bad!" Aranea chuckled.

With the flick of a switch, the upper ends of two more loader bots popped out of open recesses.

"Darn, spoke too soon."

Leila cursed as the opponents began surrounding her. Aranea joined in, standing back-to-back with the half-wyrm. The woman moved her tail and wings to give her ally a better view and more freedom.

"My bad about getting us into this," the wolf hag said by way of apology, sounding fake even to herself. She wanted to fight; it excited her. A battlefield was her element—a place where she knew the rules and what to do. Her fears, concerns, and pain took a backseat. "We can surrender if that's too much for you."

"Eh, I have nothing better to do, anyway. Besides, I owe you one for screwing with your brain," Leila sang.

"Let's win this, and then we're even. Deal?"

"Deal," the half-wyrm laughed. "Whoever wrecks the fewest enemies pays for the beer tonight!"

"Agreed, but I've already scored five."

"Hey, that's cheating!"

"Less talking, more pummeling," Till said, releasing more human-shaped bots. "Student Sly, stop taking notes and attend to recreation. We'll review the results together with the full team later. I might miss something."

As the bots swarmed them, the pair charged into the fray.

****

"Retards. All three of you," Marco grumbled, treating Aranea's wounds. After she had taken off her armor, she found bruises and scratches covering her all over. Although the blades never penetrated her protective gear, the loader bots slammed her into the walls and rolled her around on the floor like a bowling ball. It was a novel experience, and one she had no desire to replicate. "We just treated your injuries, and here you are back again with a vengeance."

Leila lost several scales, earned a black eye, and, worst of all, her suit never activated properly because of her expanding muscles, much to Till Ingo's later irritation. Even her lenses hadn't been working, and she paid for it with a broken wing that doctors carefully placed on a string.

Undeterred by the beating they had received, both women laughed when Tiny entered.

"Shut the door!" Leila looked out, even managing to open her swollen eyelid.

"Insects?" Marco asked.

"Parasites," Leila confirmed.

"We scorched the complex clean of them. Took us hours."

"Yeah, still not risking it."

"Apologies," Tiny interrupted, placing a large leather bag on the floor. "But I'm sad to say that I'm done with copies."

"Did you get sick of making them?" Aranea asked.

"Spirits, no! Drawing is amazing. Commander Wyrm Lord returned, accompanied by Captain Ivar." She pressed her index fingers together. "They freaked me out, but the commander asked me if I liked the unearthed paintings. We talked for a while as the captain glowered, and he permitted me to keep the sketches but told me he would have a talk with you, Lady Leila. About not trying to outsmart me again."

"Bummer." Leila let out an angry hiss as the doctors straightened her crumpled wing, spreading the membrane. "I'll pay you later."

"No need. Captain Ivar transferred funds to me from his account and ordered me to get out of his sight. His Excellency Wyrm Lord also said you are officially in charge of the Aranea Pack. You are to take to the field with us," Tiny added. "Does it mean you are usurping the wolf hag's rank, Lady?"

"Of course not." Leila smirked and raised her head high, baring her neck, easily imitating the customs of the Wolf Tribe. "See? I'm submitting myself to your leadership; hopefully I'm doing it right, by the way. Aranea, it's seriously uncomfortable standing up with a twisted neck; bite me or something already."

"Sit down." Aranea returned the smile. "If you're going to be a member of my pack, you should know I'm not doing bloody rituals. But is it fine with you? You are stronger than me. I'd guess you could give a shaman a run for her tokens…"

"Eh, I know two things about command: Jack and Shit. I do believe my chances of survival are better with you in charge…" A loud scream interrupted her.

Aranea jumped to her feet, recognizing this voice, despite the animal fear permeating this stretching howl, resembling the painful bleating of a cusack whose belly was opened by an insectoid and at the same time the howling of a Wolfkin. Two distinct cries overlapped each other, echoing in the corridors, and the wolf hag raced across the corridors, evading doctors and patients, often jumping over them on her way to the agonizing source. She opened the familiar door.

Two doctors and several nurses attempted to hold the scout as she thrashed in terror. Even without her limbs and despite her exhaustion and illness, Kate remained too strong for the medical personnel. An elderly doctor barked a command to bring in exosuits and tried to inject the patient with a syringe. Kate twisted in their grip, bending the needle. Aranea moved to help them but was gestured to stand aside.

"No more water! Please, I have nothing left to give!" Kate yelled, cracking the edges of her lips. Kaleb tried to get to her, but a nurse accidentally kicked his cane from under him. Aranea offered him her shoulder to hold on to.

"What's happening?" Aranea asked.

"Nightmares." Kaleb's snout darkened. "Not as intense as before; she's getting better, but they still kick in before sleep, and she just…" Aranea seated him back on his bed and handed him the cane. "…ends up like this. The docs feed her pills to keep the dreams away, decreasing the dosage, and it is not always helping."

"I can't breathe!" Kate gurgled, sucking in oxygen. Her unfocused amber eyes spun in their sockets. Drool dripped from her mouth. "I must get out of here! Let me out! Out!" She coughed, trying to vomit.

Leila's loud footsteps announced her arrival. The half-wyrm surveyed the situation, nodding once. She approached the scene, taking the scout by the head and, ignoring the medics, establishing eye contact.

"What are you planning?" Aranea asked.

Leila didn't answer. Her eyes glowed; a light emanated from them, seeping into the crazed look and softening the woman's fearful expression.

"You are safe. Among friends. There are no nightmares. You do not think about them. You do not remember them. There is nothing scary here, nothing at all. From now on, you'll have normal, pleasant dreams," Leila intoned in a low monotone. Kate relaxed in her grip, her pupils growing smaller.

"I obey," Kate answered, her voice devoid of emotion, sounding like a robot or a slave.

"Let her go. Now," Aranea demanded. She grabbed the woman's wrist, and the light touched her eyes, entering her mind. Her worries disappeared, replaced by an urgent need to please and worship the alien presence in her mind. It retreated, not touching anything, and frustration returned as the half-wyrm stepped aside, laying the scout onto the pillows.

"Leila," said the gray-haired doctor, checking Kate's pulse and breathing. "I will write an official report. Such methods are not acceptable here. They don't solve the long-term problems."

The half-wyrm kept quiet.

"You took… what?" Kate gasped, raising her head. Sweat glittered on her fur. "Something's missing. I can feel it. What did you take? Answer!"

"Nothing of value. In fact, nothing at all. I just suppressed certain parts of your memory to give you proper sleep. Don't worry, the effect will linger for a week, no more." Leila stroked Kate's head with a claw.

"You had no right. I refused your offer before," Kate whispered, bristling. "This is my head, dammit! What if you altered something important? Broke me even further? Give it back! Undo what you did!"

"Everything is going to be fine. You are you. Not broken. Whole. Nothing is missing, nothing is altered, your mind is yours. I swear to you." Leila turned around, leaving Kate in the doctors' care.

Aranea followed her. Once they were in the corridor, she closed the door and grabbed the woman by the shoulders. The half-wyrm was tougher than her, but Leila didn't resist when she pressed her into the wall and ignored the pain in her wing.

"So much for not invading other people's minds, huh? Were you lying to me then?" Aranea growled.

"No," Leila said wearily. "I had a good reason, so I fixed her."

"Fixed! You imposed your will on her! Can you even fathom…"

"Yes, I can!" The half-wyrm raised her hands. "I do. Trust me. I can very well imagine what one feels when a superior mind bends their will. The old demon used to do it to me all the time. Go whip yourself, tell me who broke the vase, go back to your room and be miserable…" Leila's left eye twitched at the recounting of the events. She tried to continue sounding cheerful. "My… the old demon uses his power very liberally, wielding it at any opportunity. I know what a foreign depression feels like. Even so, I don't regret aiding Kate. If you saw a boy about to jump off a roof because he thought he could fly, wouldn't you stop him, even if he was angry or resisted? My power can be used for good, and I do that, helping, not harming. I know the side effects of my ability. It'll be fine, I promise."

"Give Kate her will back. Then we can discuss your offer again and let her decide. But first. Return her to normal. Right now!" Aranea released her claws. Leila took her wrists into her hands, removing the paws with ease.

"Kate never lost her mind. All I did was lock some of her unpleasant sensations away. You saw the condition she's in. She must have a proper rest. And I gave her one." Leila walked away. "I'm sorry, wolf hag, but I technically rank above you. I'll not abandon anyone in need. Whether you like it or not, the cure stays." She hung her head low and disappeared behind a corner.

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