Sorry for the wait, guys. School, you know? Pleas enjoy!

OoOoOo

Theodora detested math.

She could do it- pretty easily, actually- but she still didn't like it. It was just so needlessly complicated. Whoever came up with all the equations and formulas needed a swift kick to the head (she vaguely wondered if any of the Amazons knew Pythagoras personally). Math was actually one of the reasons she didn't go to a public school.


*Flashback*

A seven-year-old Theodora stared dumbly at the paper in front of her. "I got these all right," she deadpanned. She rubbed her eyes, trying to see if she had misread her score. It stayed as a fifty percent no matter how many times she looked at it. Was this some sort of joke?

The teacher nodded. "Yes, you did," he confirmed.

Her hands fidgeted at her sides as she resisted the urge to hurl him out the nearest window. That simply would not do. Secret identities and all. "Then how did I get half credit?" she demanded incredulously. She had thought about adding a swear on the end of that sentence but thought better of it. Normal seven-year-old girls didn't curse.

(They also couldn't take on three fully-grown Amazons at once, but that was beside the point.)

Her teacher pointed to the test. "You didn't use Partial Products," he explained.

Theodora blinked stupidly. "Partial, what?" She vaguely recalled the strategy that had been taught to the class a few weeks ago, but she had barely been paying attention. She already knew how to multiply, so what was the point?

Well, apparently, there was a point. Because, apparently, using 'Partial Products' wasn't optional.

"Partial Products," repeated her teacher. "Theodora, we went over this in class every day for the past few weeks. Were you not paying attention? You're such a smart girl, why would you waste your potential like that?"

Theodora's left eye twitched in irritation.


She had to smile at the memory. Theodora hadn't thrown a fit (or a desk) and she hadn't lashed out in anger or violence. She had simply taken the failure in stride, gone home, and explained what had happened to her mother. Because why make a scene when she had an intelligent, intimidating, Amazon Princess for a mother to do it for her?

She had been pulled out of that school faster than Hermes could make his deliveries.

From then on, Theodora had been home schooled. And that was fine because she worked much better with her private tutor anyway. Besides, children her age were often a liability. She was much better without them. Math was still a pain in the ass, though.

She sighed, running her fingers through her hair. A reason she struggled with stealth so much was because she had minor ADD. She had trouble paying attention and sitting still, so stealth missions were basically torture for her. She had zoned out about six times in the last hour and it was frustrating her to no end.

Frustrated, Theodora slammed her workbook shut and rubbed her aching eyes. Staring uselessly at the math problems would get her nowhere. Her best bet would be to take a small break for a few minutes before continuing. Perhaps she just needed to do her homework with a fresh pair of eyes.

She sat back in her chair and away from her desk, her eyes trained onto the ceiling. Maybe a quick power nap would do her some good. She was feeling especially tired today, though she doubted she would fall asleep (insomnia and all). Still, it couldn't hurt to rest for a bit. So, she allowed her body to relax completely as she closed her eyes.


She didn't know what was happening.

The hand was slender and experienced, moving along her body with vigor. It moved with boundless confidence as if her body was its property. She squirmed uncomfortably, unsure as to what was going on. Was this some sort of game? An initiation? A test? She didn't know. So, she did nothing to stop the hand as it prowled her young, delicate body.

She tensed, however, when that same hand slipped under her dress.

Her sapphire eyes traveled upwards and she was met with a lustful smile. "Does that feel good, sweetheart?" a sultry voice purred, another hand moving to run its fingers through her long, dark tresses.

That was a woman's voice, wasn't it? No, it sounded too gruff to belong to a woman. It must have been a man. Then again, things were quite different here. Anything was possible.

She was shaking now, her entire body trembling tremendously. She felt a horrible lump in her throat as she willed herself not to cry. "M-Mother..." she whimpered. She didn't want to be here anymore. She wanted her mother. She wanted to go home.

A long finger was pressed to her mouth. "Now, now, pet," the voice chided as if she had been caught with her hand in a cookie jar. "You know your mother isn't here. Come now, are you not having fun? You're going to break my heart, Sunshine."

"M-Mother," she tried again. But her mother wasn't coming. No one was coming.


Theodora shot up with a bloodcurdling scream.

She was gripping the arms of her chair so hard that she managed to make dents in the metal. The scream eventually died in her throat before turning to full-on sobs. She slammed her palms against her face, hiding her tears behind her hands. She hadn't understood. She still didn't understand. Was there ever a time when she would understand? She had no idea. All she knew was that she was crying and an Amazon warrior never cried.

She sank to the floor in despair.

Suddenly, her bedroom door swung open, slamming into the wall with a thud. "Theodora!" The voice was deep and frantic and for some reason, she couldn't place it.

Theodora paid it no mind, just continued to sob. Before she could comprehend what was happening, she was enveloped in large, strong arms. She inhaled sharply but ultimately relaxed as she was held close to a strong, warm chest. It was a chest she knew well. "F-Father?" she questioned shakily.

There was a kiss to the crown of her head. "I'm here, Theodora," her father assured her. He gently rocked her back and forth. "I'm right here."

She trembled, her sobs quieting a bit as she leaned into her father's embrace. That was right, she was here in Gotham. She was in Wayne Manor with her father. She was safe.

"Bad dream, Bug?" asked her father sympathetically.

Theodora sniffled and nodded into his chest. "Very bad," she muttered quietly. She hoped he wouldn't ask, she did not want to talk about it. Bug... that name sounded familiar. "Father?"

"Yes?"

"Isn't that what you used to call me?" she inquired. "When I was younger?"

Bruce chuckled. "It is," he answered. "You used to sleep over here every weekend when you were little. You were always so curious, it reminded me of a little busy big. I suppose the name just stuck."

Apparently, Theodora had spent more time with her father than she previously thought. She would have to revisit that later. "Why... why did you stop?" she asked.

"When you were six you promptly told me that you were absolutely not, in no uncertain terms, a bug," he told her, amusement lacing his voice.

She winced, suddenly feeling terrible. "I'm sorry," she apologized, guilt bubbling in her chest. How could she have said that to her own father?

"Don't be," Bruce assured her soothingly. "You were only a little girl. You couldn't have known. At six years old, you were convinced that you could take on the entire Justice League. You fought them to prove it too."

Theodora giggled. "Really?" She didn't remember that. What a brat she must have been! "What happened?"

"They agreed to fight you," he explained. "'They' being Dinah, Clark, Barry, and Oliver. Of course, they let you win, but you were so proud of yourself. You ran up to me with the biggest smile on your face."

She stayed quiet for a moment. "Were you proud of me?" she asked softly.

He kissed the top of her head again. "Always," he promised.

OoOoOo

Theodora hated training with Cass.

Don't get her wrong; Cassandra Cain was a worthy opponent. Her skill was equal to that of an Amazon and her precision was unmatched by almost anyone. It was just so frustrating that the other girl could almost always predict her next move. Then again, it actually helped her a lot. She had to be prepared for the possibility that her enemy would perceive what she would do next. Training with Cass helped her to avoid that by thinking on her feet.

That still didn't mean that she liked it.

Currently, Theodora was lying on her back. She huffed at the girl standing above her. "You always have to come up with the most embarrassing defeat, don't you?" she pouted.

Cass grinned victoriously, offering her a hand.

Theodora took it, standing to her feet. "We're never gonna break this tie, are we?" she asked. It was truly an honor, knowing that she tied with Cassandra Cain. The girl was a formidable adversary. However, where Theodora lacked in stealth, she made up for with her own skills and her strength. In fact, her strength was probably the only thing keeping her from losing to the other girl every time.

Cass raised an eyebrow at her.

She scowled. "Yeah, I know I was taking too long close to that last kick. But I really thought you were gonna block it!"

Cass gestured to the mat she had been laying on.

"...Fair point," admitted Theodora. "Okay, I'll bite." She bowed respectfully. "Always a pleasure training with you." And it really was. That was, whenever her Amazon pride wasn't wounded.

Cass bowed back.

She waved. "I'll catch up with you later, okay? I've got homework to finish."

Cass ushered her away.

Theodora pouted. "I'm going, I'm going," she mumbled. She quickly changed into her regular clothes before retreating up to the Manor. When she got to her room, she practically collapsed onto the bed.

Apparently, sleeping only brought her more problems (which was why she never did it). What she had needed all along was a nice training session. That always seemed to relax her. And no one could work out her nerves like Cass. She pulled herself up, dragging herself over to her desk. She sat down, staring at the offending piece of paper.

To her pleasant surprise, Theodora was actually flying through the problems. She managed to finish in a little under half an hour. Maybe training with Cass more often was a good idea.

She grimaced as what had happened earlier came to mind. How could she have freaked out like that? In front of her father of all people? The last time she had cried in front of him, she had been eight. And this was only because she had lost her favorite teddy bear that she slept with every night. She couldn't even remember why she was so distraught over some dumb stuffed animal in the first place.

And that dream... Theodora had worked tirelessly to suppress those memories. Sure, she may have been around ten when it happened, but she didn't even remember most of the details. But now they were coming back. Why? Why did it have to be now?

She sighed, looking out the window. No one knew about this, not Cassie or Tim, not even her mother. How could she tell them when she hardly remembered? And the parts she did remember would just bring shame and dishonor to her family. She was an Amazon Princess after all. She was supposed to be strong and impossibly tough. She was supposed to be an immovable rock, undisturbed by anything life could throw her way.

Theodora scoffed; as if.

OoOoOo

Short chapter, I know. Just bare with me, okay? And please review!