//------------------------------//
// Captives (Wolfwalkers/Cyberpunk 2077) 
// Story: Sunset's Isekai 
// by Wanderer D 
//------------------------------//


Sunset's Isekai
Captives (Wolfwalkers/Cyberpunk 2077)
By Wanderer D





Bill Goodfellowe had not been a wolfwalker for long. In fact, he had become one unexpectedly and under very stressful circumstances. The thought of his daughter, Robyn, standing defiantly in front of his crossbow as she protected Moll's wolf form from him still gave him chills. He glanced at the large wolf, sleeping protectively next to her daughter with some pain over the memory as well. He hadn't known, and yet the ignorance wasn't enough to not feel guilt over almost killing someone he had grown to love.

His ears twitched as he heard the heavy, metallic thumps made by the boots of the human-like creatures that had caught them. They were approaching, perhaps with another bowl of that disgusting food. It tasted… fake, almost powdery, and neither Moll nor Mehb had liked it either. But it was better than growing weak due to lack of nourishment. 

And as much as he hated to admit it, being in the cage felt safer, considering what he had seen outside. 

The tendrils that had caught them had thrown them painfully into the middle of what he had thought at first was just a strange town square with a stone floor. But the scents, the noise and—when he had finally looked around—the gigantic city, presented a completely alien world to him. Perhaps as a human he would have been less affected, but his new animal-like nature was flooded with information that he was just not ready to process.

If it hadn't been for Moll…

"It seems they're coming."

Bill turned his head to look at her. He could smell small traces of fear, but she was so calm otherwise, so gentle and strong that he could only nod at her. To think he had almost killed such a magnificent creature…

"Oh, none of that, Bill," she said raising up gently as to not wake up the exhausted Mebh, and walked over to him, nuzzling his neck with her snout. "You've apologized plenty of times. Right now we need to be strong for Mebh and for Robyn."

Bill sighed, and looked at the closed gate. This building was all made of metal… it boggled the mind of how they had managed to do this. How many blacksmiths would it take to just make this one room? And that wasn't even considering the stonemasons and artisans needed for the monstrosity outside their cell. This place could have only been built with magic, and these creatures had to be trolls or elves or some sort of ancient legendary species.

"How are we going to get out of here?" he growled, leaning into her. "We can't even bite them, they'll turn into wolfwalkers themselves."

Moll laughed. "No they won't. We need to want in a way to turn someone into a wolf for it to work. Mehb wanted a companion… she felt all alone and was playing around with Robyn when she accidentally bit her… but that need—that want for companionship is what allowed her magic to help Robyn find her inner wolf." She grinned, showing rows of fangs that would have scared him to death not so long ago. "Remember when Robyn was fighting the soldiers? She bit some of them, but they didn't turn into wolfwalkers."

Bill tilted his head, looking at the rust colored wolf. "Then why did I transform?"

Moll chuckled. "Do you really think I would want Robyn to not have her father around?" she asked gently. "We were enemies at that moment, Bill, but in you I saw a lot of myself, and a loving father. It would have been a tragedy to tear your family apart."

Bill barked a laugh. "How very sly of you."

"I have my moments."

There was a commotion outside, and they heard growls and barks. Giving each other concerned looks, they prepared themselves as the sounds of struggles, really colorful swearing and unmistakable wolf noises came closer and closer to their room. 

"Ma?" Mehb muttered, shaking her head as she stood up on all fours. "What's going on?"

"I don't know, I think I—"

A loud bang, followed by more swearing interrupted her. The entire floor shook, and someone shouted. "Put the muzzle on it!"

"It shoots fire from its mouth!"

"I said put the muzzle on!"

"I said IT SHOOTS FIRE FROM ITS MOUTH!"

Another loud bang, followed by a whine and a thump. "There. Just throw it in the cage with the others."

"I'm not going in there! What if they fry me!"

"We shoot them with tranquilizers too. Now do it!"

The metallic door across from their cage opened and one of the creatures… a thing with half its face replaced with metal and glass and glowing things peeked into the room, studying them for a moment. When it seemed satisfied, it grunted and started dragging something into the room.

"Oh, no!" Moll gasped. 

The group was bringing in another wolf. It wasn't one of their pack, but it resembled Moll a little in size and color, except it had golden, wavy stripes on its coat. Whoever that wolf was, she was unconscious, but breathing.

"Okay guys," the creature (Bill still refused to consider it human) shouted, "give me a hand over here."

Two more of the creatures marched in, pointing their weapons at the three of them. Mebh growled, but Moll reached out with her paw, pushing her back as she and Bill backed against the end of the cell.

"Told you they were intelligent," one of the creatures—the same one that had fed them the night before, Bill noted—muttered, holding his weapon in place.

"Whatever! I don't care if they can sing the latest Eurodyne song in chorus!" the bigger, more muscular creature snapped. "If they understand what we're saying, even better." He turned to glare at them. "You are more valuable alive, but if you attack us, we'll kill at least one of you."

Bill growled, but lowered his head, glowering at the creature, who smirked and nodded at the others. One of them carefully opened the cage, then when none of them attacked, opened the door fully and allowed the others to throw in the other wolf before closing the door behind them.

A few seconds later, they were gone.

Mebh carefully approached the unconscious, muzzled wolf, sniffing her. "Who is she?"

"I don't know," Moll said, "but she's also a wolfwalker."

"You can tell?" Bill asked, eyes widening.

Moll nodded, motioning with her head at their comatose guest. "Look at her, and trust yourself. Remember when you told me you recognized Robyn when she had turned into a wolf and you didn't know you were a wolfwaker by then?"

Bill nodded, approaching carefully. He studied the new wolf, and as the scents formed an aura-like shape around her, he noticed the contours of a sleeping young woman. "What does this mean?"

"It means," Mebh said, "that Robyn's probably here too!"





Panam had followed her new spirit animal friend all over the wastelands. Even though the stink of gas and smog from the city still reached them (and she had to explain the smells to Robyn), the whole experience had been incredible.

She had never felt so free, so unshackled from the world that had tried to kill her and her family multiple times. There were completely new experiences here outside of the engines and guns and mercenary work. This was the freedom she had been seeking… the freedom that had taken her to Night City, and through so many deadly adventures.

"This is amazing!" she panted, side by side with the younger wolf. Both of them sitting at the top of a  rock in the middle of nowhere. The city cast a glow on the sky that drowned out the stars right above it, but overhead she could see the moon glowing and more than a few celestial objects including satellites, a concept that had really confused Robyn.

The dawn found them running back to the farm, laughing and nipping at each other. If there was one thing Panam could say about Robyn, it was that the girl was really easy to think of as a protege or a younger sister. Even though it had been the younger wolf teaching her how to be a wolf, it hadn't taken long to grow to like the energetic youth. 

Despite the fact that she was scared, anxious about her family, and in a strange land completely outside of her experience or anything she could have imagined, she had still found joy in running and hunting and playing. She was a trooper, this one, and one that Panam was already fond of.

They sneaked around the farm, making sure no one had seen them before pushing the window open with their nose and jumping in. Once in front of her body, Panam glanced at Robyn, who nodded at it. "Just touch it with your nose or paw and concentrate on going back in."

"That easy, huh?"

"Yep."

Panam placed a paw on her own knee, then took a deep breath and visualized herself becoming… something like smoke. She closed her eyes and the next moment, she opened them as a human.

"Wow, that a trip," she said, shaking her head and stretching.

"And isn't it the best thing?" Robyn asked, sitting on the floor with a shit-eating grin on her face. "Not only do you get to be a wolf, but your body is rested as well."

"I did notice that!" Panam said with a laugh. "I'll be honest, up until I was out there chasing that jackrabbit I really thought I was imagining all of this." She licked her lips. "Although I don't think I could eat it like that in this form."

"I would hope not!" Robyn said, sounding slightly scandalized. "Eating animals like that is fine for wolves, but we humans must cook the meat!"

"Hey, hey," Panam said, raising her hands up in a sign of peace, "I'm with you on this one!" She grinned at Robyn. "Now I should get some—" she stopped when a call came up in her HUD. "One sec. Rogue?"

The face of her fixer came up in her display, the older woman giving her a smug look. "I found something… but you're not going to like where this is going."

"That bad, huh?"

Rogue sniffed, "Yes. I got the information for you, I'll send it via link."

"Wait, what about my fee?" Panam said. "I don't trust you just giving me this for free."

"Who said anything about free?" Rogue asked. "V has a tab to cover you for emergencies. This barely puts a dent in it."

Panam sighed. "V did that?"

"Yep. So, if you want to complain to anyone, that'd be who."

"Oh, V will hear about it," Panam grumbled. She watched the file transfer and nodded. "Okay so… oh shit. Why did it have to be Maelstrom?"


To Be Continued