David stretched languidly within the confines of the lean-to, his wings unfurling to their full span before tucking neatly against his sides. The first rays of dawn were just beginning to paint the sky in hues of gold and pink, casting long shadows across the Observatory grounds. He ran through his mental checklist, ticking off each item with a sense of grim satisfaction.

Nap? Taken, and boy did I need it. Owl? Deader than disco, thank you very much. Friends? Safe and sound, if a bit worse for wear. As for Sparky the Wonder Weasel and company...

David reached out mentally to his distant Cuddlebug spy. The fuzzy little scout sent back impressions of a still-slumbering serpent and no sign of Azanah's return.

All quiet on the electric ferret front, then.

"Alright," David muttered to himself, "time to expand the family."

He cracked his neck dramatically, only to wince as a twinge of pain shot through his elongated vertebrae. David glanced around furtively, relieved to find that his moment of embarrassment had gone unnoticed by all save his on-duty Empowered Cuddlebug.

The tiny creature fixed him with a look of supreme disinterest, as if to say, ‘Really? That's what passes for cool?’ David narrowed his eyes, hissing playfully at the furball. The Cuddlebug's demeanor changed in an instant, its beady eyes lighting up with mischievous glee as it hissed back.

"Oh, it's on now," David growled, a grin spreading across his face.

He lunged forward, jabbing at the Cuddlebug with his wings. The little beast was a blur of motion, darting and weaving with preternatural agility. It bounced off the lean-to's support beams, ricocheted off Claire's massive, slumbering form, and even used David's own wings as springboards in its acrobatic evasion.

David found himself laughing despite his best efforts to maintain a stern expression. The Cuddlebug was showing off now, performing increasingly ridiculous maneuvers that would make even the most seasoned parkour enthusiast green with envy. At one point, it managed to run a complete circle around David's neck, using his elongated throat like some sort of furry luge track.

"Alright, alright," David chuckled, finally managing to snag the little daredevil mid-leap. "You win this round, you caffeinated dust bunny."

He gave the Cuddlebug an affectionate pat on the head, earning a contented chirp in response. As the creature nestled into the crook of his wing, David took a deep breath, centering himself for the task ahead.

Summoning more Cuddlebugs was one thing, but empowering the process with his Wildsoul? That was a whole different ballgame. David still wasn't entirely sure how it worked. Unlike infusing his wings for flight or charging up a Screech, which felt as natural as breathing (if breathing involved expelling raw energy), empowering his Nightshade Swarm ability was... weird.

There was no other word for it. It didn't feel like pushing or pulling or even channeling. It was more like... convincing the universe to hiccup in just the right way to produce turbocharged fuzzballs of doom. Not exactly the kind of thing they taught in System 101.

Still, David knew he had to try, he'd done it once before after all. A few more of the 'smart' Cuddlebugs could make all the difference in keeping his friends safe. And if that meant risking another impromptu nap courtesy of Wildsoul overexertion... well, there were worse ways to spend a morning.

"Okay," David muttered, psyching himself up. "Let's do this. Worst case scenario, I take another nap. Best case? I get my own personal army of elite, furry commandos. Win-win, really."

He closed his eyes, reaching deep within himself to that well of primal energy that was his Wildsoul. It surged up to meet him, eager and wild, like a puppy that had been cooped up too long. David gently coaxed it towards his Nightshade Swarm ability, trying to shape it into something that screamed less 'derpy fuzzball' and more 'adorable killing machine.'

As the energy built, David felt a familiar lightheadedness creeping in at the edges of his consciousness. He gritted his teeth, determined to push through it this time. The universe seemed to hold its breath, teetering on the edge of... something.

"Come on," David growled, his voice barely above a whisper. "Give me an army worthy of Mor- wait, no, wrong vibe. Just... work, dammit!"

The Wildsoul surged, and David braced himself as his vision suddenly tunneled. It felt as though almost the entirety of his Stamina was consumed instantly. He wobbled on the edge of consciousness, but heroically managed to avoid fainting.

David sagged against the cushions, his vision swimming as he fought to stay conscious. The world tilted and swayed like he was on the deck of a ship in a storm, but he managed to cling to awareness by his metaphorical fingernails.

A series of chirps from just outside the lean-to caught his attention, followed by two light thumps. David blinked hard, trying to focus his bleary eyes on the entrance. There, standing like tiny, furry sentinels, were two new Empowered Cuddlebugs. Their eyes were narrow and suspicious as they scanned their surroundings, taking in every detail with an intensity that bordered on comical for creatures so small and adorable.

But the show wasn't over yet. To David's utter shock, two of his regular Cuddlebugs - the lovable idiots he'd grown so fond of - suddenly began to glow with an all-too-familiar rainbow light. It was like watching Evolution in fast-forward, minus the excruciatingly uncomfortable sensation and existential crisis.

"What in the name of Omega's sweaty jockstrap?" David mumbled, his words slurring slightly.

The rainbow goo engulfed the two Cuddlebugs, who seemed less than thrilled about their impromptu makeover. The luminous whatever-it-was soaked through their fur, cocooning them completely before shattering like glass a heartbeat later. In their place stood two more Empowered Cuddlebugs, looking about as surprised as David felt.

"Well," David managed, "that's... new."

He slumped further into his nest of pilfered cushions, which he'd beaten within an inch of their lives to meet Claire's cleanliness standards. Moving felt about as appealing as tap-dancing on hot coals, and the urge to nap was becoming harder to resist by the second.

With monumental effort, David willed his eyes to focus on his Readout. The numbers swam before him, but he finally managed to make sense of them. Out of his impressive thousand-plus stamina, a measly 35 remained.

Holy shit, one empowered summon costs almost 250 stamina? That's... that's ridiculous!

A stray thought wormed its way through his exhaustion-addled brain. Dedicated summoners would probably think twice about empowering swarm-type summons like this. Unless they had some kind of unholy stamina reserves like his.

Mental note: tell Gideon to focus on empowering one summon at a time if he ever picks up another summoning ability.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

The thought of an Empowered Pinchy sent a shiver down David's spine. That was a whole bucket of nope he wasn't ready to deal with.

A notification pinged in his peripheral vision, momentarily distracting him from visions of kaiju-sized termites. Nightshade Swarm had leveled up three times. David managed a weak smile, feeling a small surge of pride despite his exhaustion.

The moment of satisfaction was short-lived, however. A commotion near the lean-to's entrance caught his attention. The 'older' Empowered Cuddlebug - the one he'd been playing with earlier - was currently engaged in what could only be described as a furry free-for-all with the four newcomers.

And it was winning. Handily.

The veteran Cuddlebug moved like a tiny, adorable whirlwind, dodging and weaving between its opponents with ease. It bounced off one newcomer's head, using the momentum to rocket into another's midsection. A third tried to flank it, only to receive whipcrack to the face from a rat-like tail as the OG Cuddlebug backflipped over it.

"Damn," David muttered, equal parts impressed and concerned. "Didn't know I was running a Cuddlebug Fight Club."

He watched as his first Empowered creation continued to assert its dominance, establishing the pecking order with a ferocity that seemed at odds with its cuddly appearance. The newcomers, despite their numerical advantage, were clearly outmatched. They might have had the raw power, but the veteran had experience on its side.

As the furry fracas continued, David couldn't help but draw parallels to his own situation. Thrown into a world where the rules had changed overnight, forced to adapt and evolve or face extinction. His little Cuddlebugs were just following the example he'd set, in their own adorably violent way.

"Alright, alright," David called out, his voice barely above a whisper. "First rule of Cuddlebug Fight Club: don't wake up the grumpy lizard."

He gestured weakly towards Claire's slumbering form, hoping to avoid a rude awakening for his reptilian friend. The last thing he needed was a cranky, newly-empowered Claire stomping through the lean-to because some overzealous furballs couldn't keep it down.

As David watched his tiny army sort out their hierarchy, he couldn't help but wonder where the hell the new ones came from. One thing was certain: with his expanded Cuddlebug corps, they were better prepared than ever for whatever came next.

Assuming, of course, he could stay awake long enough to enjoy it.

As the minutes ticked by, David felt his strength slowly returning. The world gradually stopped spinning, and the urge to pass out faded from an overwhelming tidal wave to a persistent, but manageable, undertow. He watched with bleary fascination as the Cuddlebug drama unfolded before him.

The 'older' Empowered Cuddlebug, his first fuzzy prodigy, was putting on a masterclass in tiny tyrant tactics. It won all three rounds of the impromptu tournament, leaving the four newcomers thoroughly cowed. They hunched on the ground, not quite belly-up but suspiciously close to it, as the victor snarled and paced around them like a furry Napoleonic general.

"Jeez," David muttered, "who knew Cuddlebugs had their own version of politics?"

The winner circled its defeated foes, nipping at ears and tails whenever one of them stepped out of line according to some mysterious Cuddlebug etiquette that David couldn't begin to fathom. After what felt like an eternity of posturing and growling, the veteran finally seemed satisfied with its display of dominance.

It turned to David, ears perked forward and body puffed up with pride. For a moment, David felt a swell of affection for the little overachiever. That warm, fuzzy feeling lasted approximately half a second before the Cuddlebug lunged straight for his snout, fangs bared and looking like the poster child for rabies awareness month.

Even in his exhausted state, David's reflexes didn't fail him. With a casual flick of his wing, he deflected the attack and pinned the veteran Cuddlebug to the cushions. A small puff of dust rose from the impact, making David's nose twitch.

"What the hell, furball?" David growled, more confused than angry. "I thought we were past the whole 'attack the boss' phase of our relationship."

But the Cuddlebug wasn't even looking at him. Despite being pinned under David's talons like a butterfly in a collection, its gaze was fixed firmly on the four newcomers. David followed its line of sight and was met with four pairs of wide, awestruck eyes.

The newcomers looked absolutely gobsmacked, as if they'd just witnessed David casually bench-press a mountain. Their tiny jaws hung open in a comical display of shock and awe.

That's when it hit him. The sneaky little shit had played him like a fiddle.

"You crafty son of a dust bunny," David chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. "This was your plan all along, wasn't it?"

The 'attack' hadn't been an act of rebellion at all. It was a calculated move to cement David's place at the top of the Cuddlebug hierarchy. By demonstrating that even their undefeated champion was no match for David, the veteran had essentially rolled out the red carpet for his authority.

"I'd be impressed if I wasn't so disturbed by how smart you little gremlins are getting," David muttered, releasing his hold on the veteran.

He booped the Cuddlebug's head with his snout, mimicking Claire's go-to move for when he was being particularly insufferable. The little schemer had the audacity to look smug, as if to say, "All in a day's work, boss."

Turning his attention to the newcomers, David gently pet and scratched each one in turn. They seemed to melt under his touch, any lingering tension from the earlier scuffle evaporating like morning dew.

"Welcome to the family, you little weirdos," David said softly. "Try not to overthrow me in my sleep, okay?"

As he scratched behind one Cuddlebug's ear, its wing began to thump against the ground in a rhythm that would make any contented dog proud. The sight was so absurdly adorable that David couldn't help but laugh.

"Great," he sighed, a grin spreading across his face. "Now I've got an army of deadly, hyper-intelligent, puppy-cat... things. Because apparently, that's just how my life works now."

As David continued to bond with his expanded Cuddlebug corps, he couldn't shake the feeling that he'd just stepped onto a whole new level of weirdness. But then again, in a world where owls sprouted third eyes and lizards got power-ups from severed heads, maybe a pack of suspiciously clever fuzzballs wasn't so strange after all.

Assuming, of course, his furry minions didn't stage a coup while he wasn't looking.

David settled back into his cushions, resigning himself to the tedious task of waiting for his stamina to regenerate. His mind wandered to the Cuddlebug spy still keeping tabs on Azanah's serpentine companion. A quick check-in revealed the massive creature was just beginning to stir, uncoiling its lengthy form to bask in the early morning light like a scaly solar panel.

He pondered the wisdom of informing them about the Owl's demise. On one hand, it might provide closure. On the other, it could paint a target on his back bigger than Claire's appetite.

"Yeah, hey there," David imagined the conversation. "Remember that Owl that turned your buddy into half an insect? Well, good news! I turned it into a full corpse. We're even, right?"

He snorted at the absurdity. Azanah and her crew had gone from "Overseers probably don't chat with plebs" to "the bat knows an Overseer" faster than Claire could demolish a buffet. Now, with their friend reduced to a partial bug courtesy of a being that claimed allegiance to some cosmic horror, they were probably firmly in the "screw anyone who talks to otherworldly entities" camp.

David couldn't blame them. If anything happened to Claire, he'd be ready to declare war on the entire universe, Overseers included.

As David mulled over the complexities of post-apocalyptic diplomacy, he failed to notice one of his new Cuddlebugs embarking on a daring expedition. The tiny creature, driven by an insatiable curiosity, crept towards Claire's slumbering form.

It inched closer to her massive snout, whiskers twitching with anticipation. Just as it leaned in for a closer inspection, Claire inhaled sharply in her sleep. The sudden suction caught the Cuddlebug off guard, and before it could react, it found itself unceremoniously wedged in Claire's nostril like the world's furriest cork.

The effect was instantaneous. Claire's eyes shot open, and she let out a sound that was equal parts sneeze, roar, and utter bewilderment. It was as if a freight train had decided to cosplay as a kazoo.

"SNRRRK-RRRAUCHOO!"

The Cuddlebug rocketed out of Claire's nose like a furry cannonball, trailing a string of mucus as it pinwheeled through the air.

David, caught completely off guard, could only watch in slack-jawed amazement as chaos unfolded. As the Cuddlebug bounced off the lean-to's support beam and landed with a splat in his lap, he burst into uncontrollable laughter, joined shortly by Claire's confused but amused rumbling chuckle.