Your Girlfriend Calls Me Daddy

Chapter 104 - 105 | Adapt, Improvise, and Blame Me Later

I woke up to Mera’s tail wrapped around my thigh and Cheon pressed against my chest. Both of them breathing soft and even. The morning light filtered through the curtains painting everything gold.

This was becoming my favorite way to wake up.

Mera shifted first. Her yellow eyes opened and locked onto mine. "Morning."

"Morning."

"Big day."

"Yeah."

Cheon stirred next. Made a small noise and burrowed closer. Her light blue hair tickled my chin. I kissed the top of her head and she hummed.

"Don’t want to get up," she mumbled against my skin.

"We have to."

"Five more minutes."

"We don’t have five minutes."

Mera’s hand slid down my stomach. "We could make time."

"No."

"You sure?"

"Battle Trials start in three hours. I need to focus."

"Boring." But she pulled her hand back. Stretched like a cat. Her red skin caught the light in ways that made my brain short circuit temporarily.

Cheon sat up. The sheet fell away. She was wearing the blue lace set from yesterday. My mouth went dry.

"Stop staring," she said.

"Can’t help it."

"Try harder."

Mera laughed. "He’s a guy Panda. Staring is hardwired."

"That doesn’t make it appropriate."

"Who said anything about appropriate?"

They started bickering while I climbed out of bed. Grabbed clothes from the closet. Black compression shirt and cargo pants. Nothing fancy. Just functional.

Shower ran hot. I stood under the spray and went through the plan again. Noel scouts in astral form. Usagi traps priority targets. I guard Noel’s body and handle whoever gets through.

Simple on paper.

Probably a disaster in practice.

But we’d trained for this. Spent yesterday running drills until everyone knew their role. Noel stopped micromanaging. Usagi stopped apologizing. I learned when to throw people and when to just let them work.

We were ready.

Or as ready as a team assembled forty-eight hours ago could be.

I got out. Dried off. Dressed. Walked back into the bedroom to find both women already in their uniforms. Mera sat on the bed checking her phone. Cheon stood at the mirror fixing her ponytail.

"Marco’s downstairs," Mera said without looking up.

"What time is it?"

"Seven thirty."

"We need to leave in ten."

Cheon turned. "I made coffee. It’s on the counter."

"Thanks."

I grabbed the cup and drank. Strong and black. Exactly what I needed.

Mera walked over. Rose on her toes and kissed me. Her tail wrapped around my leg possessively. "Good luck today."

"Thanks."

Cheon approached next. Hesitated for half a second. Then kissed me softer. Slower. When she pulled back her grey eyes were serious.

"Don’t do anything stupid."

"Define stupid."

"You know what I mean."

"I’ll try my best."

"That’s not reassuring."

"It’s honest."

We left together. Elevator down. Marco waiting with the Mercedes. The drive to campus took fifteen minutes in morning traffic. Nobody talked much. Just sat with the nervous energy that comes before something important.

Campus was already packed when we arrived. Students everywhere wearing their hero uniforms. Support gear loaded into transport carts. Instructors directing people toward their assigned arenas.

I checked my phone. Arena B. Same as Noel and Usagi.

Mera squeezed my hand once. "See you after."

"Yeah."

Cheon touched my arm briefly. "Be careful."

"Always am."

They walked toward Arena A where Team One would be competing. I headed for Arena B on the opposite side of campus. The building was massive. Three stories of reinforced concrete and blast-resistant glass. Designed to handle students throwing everything they had at each other.

Inside the prep room Usagi was already there. She wore her hero uniform. White and grey with those cyber-mechanical gauntlets on her arms. Her hair was pulled into a short ponytail. She smiled when she saw me.

"Rome! Good morning!"

"Morning. You ready?"

"I think so. I’ve been practicing my gum shots all week."

"Good."

"I’m still nervous though."

"That’s normal."

"Is it?" She fidgeted with her gauntlets. "You don’t look nervous at all."

"I’m good at hiding it."

That wasn’t entirely true. Nerves were there. Just buried under years of learning to fake confidence until it became real.

Noel entered ten seconds later. Her violet hair was perfect as always. Grey eyes scanning the room. She wore her hero uniform. Black dress with trumpet sleeves and those dangerously high slits up the sides. She looked like she was dressed for a funeral.

Or an execution.

"You’re early," she said.

"So are you."

"I’m always early. Punctuality is the foundation of success."

"Sure."

She set her portfolio down on the table. Opened it. Pages of notes and contingency plans stared back at us.

"Did you review the scenarios?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"All of them?"

"Most of them."

Her eye twitched. "Most?"

"I got the important ones. Hero team. Villain team. Hostage situations. Capture objectives."

"There are seventeen documented variables."

"And we can’t plan for all of them. At some point we have to adapt."

Usagi raised her hand. "Um. Can I ask something?"

Noel’s attention snapped to her. "What?"

"What if we draw the hardest matchup? Team One?"

"Then we execute Protocol Seven."

"Which one was that again?"

"Noel scouts Aurora’s position. I neutralize her output with gum shots. Rome engages Nolan directly and keeps him occupied while I handle Cheon in astral form."

I leaned against the wall. "That plan assumes a lot goes right."

"It’s the optimal strategy."

"Optimal and realistic aren’t the same thing."

"Do you have a better suggestion?"

"Yeah. We adapt. Read what happens. Don’t lock into one approach before we even know the scenario."

Noel’s jaw set. "Adaptability without structure is just chaos."

"Structure without flexibility is just breaking."

Usagi looked between us nervously. "Maybe we’re both right?"

"We’re not," Noel and I said at the same time.

Then we both stopped. Looked at each other. Something like understanding passed between us.

Noel closed her portfolio. "Fine. We adapt. But if this goes wrong I’m blaming you."

"Deal."

Usagi’s shoulders relaxed. "So what’s the actual plan?"

"Same as training," I said. "Noel scouts. You trap whoever she marks. I protect her body and handle overflow."

"What if the scenario changes?"

"Then we trust each other and figure it out."

Noel made a sound that might have been agreement. Hard to tell with her.

A screen on the wall flickered to life. Solana’s face appeared. She wore her hero uniform. Orange hair wild and her red glasses catching the light.

"Good morning students. Battle Trials begin in thirty minutes. Current matchups are being finalized. Each team will compete once today. Winners advance to semifinals next week. Losers go home. Equipment check happens in ten minutes at your prep stations. Don’t be late."

The screen went dark.

I pushed off the wall. "Let’s check our gear."

We moved to the equipment area. Three stations set up with support items and protective equipment. Noel’s station had her visor and communication device. Usagi’s had ammunition reserves for her gum shots. Mine had nothing.

Because I didn’t use support items.

Everything I needed came from other people.

A technician walked over. Older guy with a clipboard. "Rome D’Angelo?"

"Yeah."

"You’re registered with no support equipment."

"Correct."

"That’s unusual."

"I manage."

He made a note. "Your call. Just don’t blame us when you need a medkit."

Noel finished her check first. Walked over with her visor in hand. "The matchup board updates in five minutes."

"Nervous?" I asked.

"No."

"Liar."

Her eyes narrowed. "I’m not nervous. I’m prepared."

"Those aren’t mutually exclusive."

"They are for me."

Usagi joined us. "Do you think we’ll do okay?"

"We’ll do fine," Noel said. "As long as everyone executes properly."

"No pressure then."

"There’s always pressure. It’s how you handle it that matters."

The screen flickered again. This time showing matchup brackets. Arena B. Team Two versus Team Three.

Kaito. Marcus. Hana.

All ranked in the top fifteen.

Fuck.

Usagi made a small noise. "That’s the second strongest team."

"Correct," Noel said. Her voice was completely flat.

"Can we beat them?"

"If we execute properly."

"That’s not really an answer."

"It’s the only answer I have."

I looked at the bracket again. Kaito was ranked seventh. Speed-based Essentia that let him move faster than most people could track. Marcus was eleventh. Strength enhancement that made him hit like a truck. Hana was thirteenth. Some kind of barrier projection that could block almost anything.

They were a balanced team. Offense. Defense. Mobility.

We were three people who barely knew how to work together.

This was going to suck.

"Scenario draws in two minutes," Solana’s voice came through the speakers. "All teams report to your arena entrance."

We moved as a group. Through the prep room. Down a corridor. Into a massive space that looked like a small city block. Buildings. Streets. Obstacles everywhere.

Team Three stood on the opposite side. Kaito stretched. Marcus cracked his knuckles. Hana adjusted her gloves.

They looked confident.

We probably looked like three people trying not to panic.

A horn sounded. Screens on the walls lit up.

SCENARIO: HOSTAGE RESCUE

TEAM TWO: HERO TEAM

TEAM THREE: VILLAIN TEAM

OBJECTIVE: EXTRACT THREE HOSTAGES FROM BUILDING C BEFORE TIME EXPIRES

TIME LIMIT: FIFTEEN MINUTES

Oh good. We got the harder role.

Noel turned to me. "Protocol Twelve."

"Which one was that?"

"You don’t remember?"

"There were seventeen protocols."

She made a frustrated noise. "I scout from above. Usagi neutralizes the guards. You extract the hostages."

"That’s not going to work."

"Why not?"

"Because Kaito’s faster than me. Marcus can one-shot any hostage I’m carrying. Hana’s barriers will block Usagi’s shots."

"Then what do you suggest?"

The countdown started. Ten seconds.

"We split their attention. You scout. Mark Hana. Usagi traps her first. I engage Kaito directly and keep him busy while you handle Marcus in astral form."

"That leaves the hostages unguarded."

"No. That forces them to defend the hostages instead of hunting us."

Five seconds.

"This is a terrible plan," Noel said.

"You have a better one?"

"No."

"Then we’re doing this."