"Let the fight begin!"

The fight had only lasted a few minutes. Theodora still stood, while Beta laid face first in the ground. Theo picked up his hammer and looked at it. She had seen a few of them in her days, but his had been beautifully crafted. It was well balanced and very sturdy. It was impressive work. She gently placed it down and walked out of the arena.

Heisenberg stared at his fallen fighter, his mouth hung open and his eyes wide. Beta hadn't stood a chance against the girl's incredible speed and strength. Beta had come close to hitting his target a few times, but that was it. In the end, his sister's champion had won with a single punch.

Realization dawned on him that he had lost the little wager with his nieces. "This is fucking bullshit!"

"You're the one that agreed to it, idiot. You know better than to bet against Alcina." Salvador chuckled as he patted his back. Or, as far up his back as he could. Given his hunched form, his hand only reached his mid back.

"I didn't ask you!" He snapped shrugging off the hand.

"You didn't have to." Alcina's voice said. He could picture the smug look on her face. Rolling his eyes, he turned to look at his sister.

"That damn battle maid of your cheated." Beta was the best lycan he had managed to create. He bested anything and everything he had thrown at him. Yet, he lay on the ground defeated. By his sister's maid of all things!

"She is not a maid. I told you, she is a guard. A very skilled one at that."

The metal manipulator scoffed at his sister's words. "Maid. Guard. Same thing. Either way, she cheated. I want a rematch!"

"Do not be a sore loser, Karl. Theodora won. Your little Beta lost." Alcina teased. She had known that her brother tended to be a sore loser, which made her victory that much sweeter.

"That was awesome, Theo!" Daniela cried out as Theo walked towards the group. The two shared a high-five. The other sisters buzzed around the girl excitedly. "You have to teach me how to do that!"

A pleased smirk sat on blood red lips. "Yes. You did well, Theodora."

"Thanks!" Theo could hear a huff from behind her. Turning around she extended her hand out to Heisenberg. She didn't want to get off on the wrong foot with Alcina's siblings, and he didn't seem too happy about the outcome of their little fight. "No hard feelings?"

He looked her over for a minute, trying to see any trace of the cockiness his sister had. Her intentions seemed genuine. He placed his hand in her own, giving it a firm shake. "Yeah, alright."

"Here you go Unc." Bela said as she handed her uncle the small wrapped package.

Karl's eyes widened as he pulled out the custom-made garments. This was not what he had asked for. The obnoxious color assaulted his eyes. He turned to his smaller sister. "I said pastel!" He growled.

The dollmaker shrugged, unbothered by his anger. She had wanted to make the pastel color her brother had requested. However, the more she thought about it, the more she realized it just wouldn't work. "The hot pink goes better with your skin tone. I also made you new sunglasses to match."

A young Theodora sat alone in a concrete cell. Her dull eyes stared at the chains that bound her hands. She could hear two familiar pairs of footsteps coming closer. They belonged to the Doctor and the Colonel.

Their steps stopped just outside of her cell door. "Is the AOD ready?"

"She has a name."

"You talk about it like it's a person."

"She is!"

"How many times to we have to go over this, Doctor? It's nothing more than a weapon. A tool. Its only purpose is to weed out the weaklings."

"She's just a kid."

"I don't have time for this Elizabeth." The thick metal door screeched open. A tall, dark skinned, well-built man walked into the room. He wore a dark navy military outfit. His cold blue eyes scanned the room before landing on the redhead. "AOD stand." He ordered.

Theo rose from her slab. A soft click was heard. The chains detached from the ground, leaving the heavy metal bands around her wrist. "Follow."

Turning around, he exited the room. Theodora kept her eyes on the floor as she followed behind him. She already knew where they were heading.

The Colonel stopped at a pair of thick, red, metal doors. He entered a code on the keypad before stepping aside. He stepped to the side, a silent order for her to enter. He punched his code into the keypad again, the doors sealing behind her. He walked around into a smaller room adjacent to the other. This room had several television screens mounted onto the wall. Three others sat inside. Two of them sat at the two control panels. The other stood back behind, observing.

"Sir, if I may. Don't you think seven B.O.W.s are too much for the subject to handle at once?" He asked as the Colonel stood beside him.

"Do you know anything about this subject, Private?"

He shook his head. He had just transferred over from another branch of their company. He hadn't been given any of the information. Instead, they told him all would be revealed when he reached The Compound. "No, Sir. They told me the only files kept on her were stored here. When I arrived, they told me to report to you."

"Here." The Colonel handed the younger man a thick manilla file as he turned his attention back to the screens. Curiously, the other man took the file and flipped it open.

Subject FV-23

Theodora Abaeus

Codename: Angel of Death

Her code name raised a few questions. From what he could see, the girl was no older than sixteen. Even soaking wet, she couldn't be more than one hundred and ten pounds. How could that girl earn such a fearsome title? "Why is her name Angel of Death?"

"Because." He said, eyes glued to the screen. "She's death incarnate. Release the B.O.W.s."

Theodora woke up in a cold sweat. Her eyes scanned the room. She relaxed when she recognized her room in the castle. Theo crawled out of her bed and made her way into the personal bathroom. The early morning sun filtered through the small windows, offering plenty of light.

Theo splashed some cool water on her face. Gently, she patted away the remaining water with a towel. She stared at her reflection in the large vanity mirror.

It had been three days since her 'fight' with Beta. Three days since she'd had a peaceful sleep. It made no sense. The fight hadn't been like the others she'd done before. It was supposed to be fun. She had enjoyed it!

So why did it bring back those memories?

Theo pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. She knew that going back to sleep was certainly not an option. The memories would only come back, just like they had the days before. Since she was fully awake, she decided she might as well just start her day.

Theo stalked through the quiet halls as she made her way into Alcina's private study. Shortly after she had started learning how the wine making worked, Alcina offered to show her more of the paperwork side. Theodora had instantly agreed to the offer, excited to learn more.

The redhead ran through the mental list of which papers she still needed to gather and pile for Alcina to sign. She walked through the study's doors, completely missing the vampire who occupied the room.

"Theodora?" Alcina's voice called out to the younger woman.

The redhead glanced at the clock on the bookshelf. It was fairly early. Everyone should have been in bed still. "Sorry, I didn't think you'd still be awake."

The matriarch sat on one of the couches, her legs pulled up beside her. An open book sat in one hand, the other holding a wine glass. Theo could tell from its aroma that it was her own special blend.

Golden eyes examined the girl. She had been acting different the past few days. At first, she thought it was just the fight with her brother's second in command wore her out more than she had thought. From what she could tell, Theodora hadn't slept more than a few hours in the past few days. Not that anyone but the elder herself seemed to notice. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, thanks." Theo smiled, hoping it looked real.

It didn't. Alcina could see right through the fake smile. Which only validated her concerns that something wasn't right with the younger woman. "I could hear your heart beating faster than usual."

"You can, huh? That's a nifty trick." If she were honest, she had completely forgotten that Alcina also had super sensitive hearing. She let the smile fall as she sat back onto the couch beside the vampire. She leaned her head back, looking at the intricate ceiling. "I'm fine. Just having a tough time sleeping is all."

A fine eyebrow rose. "Is your bed not comfortable?"

"No, it's not the bed." Theo chuckled. "I just have a lot on my mind right now."

"Nightmares?"

Theo turned her head curiously towards Alcina. "What makes you say that?"

Alcina had seen all the signs before. The first few months after Mother Miranda had given her children to her, they suffered from their own nightmares. Though most of theirs had stemmed from their transformations themselves, and not their pasts. "My daughters used to have them often after their transformations. You pick up on things after becoming a parent."

"Sounds like it." A small smile tugged at her lips as she pictured Alcina comforting her girls. The thought was heartwarming.

Alcina glanced at the page number of her book, committing it to memory before she placed it down on the stand beside her. Whatever had plagued her dreams had obviously upset Theodora. The least she could do is listen to the girl and be a shoulder for her to lean on. "Would you like to talk about it?"

Theodora weighed her options. She could say no, and wait until the nightmares passed. Like she had so many times before. Or, she could tell Alcina.

The thought alone of trusting someone with the information scared her. What if she told her everything, and it changed the way she thought of her? What if she thought she was an irredeemable monster? What if she threw her out? She had come to care for all the inhabitants of the castle. The possibility of not being around them scared her.

The Lady of the castle seemed to read her mind. "If your concerns are our opinions of you, let me assure you; there is nothing that will change the way I look at you." Alcina could not imagine anything that would make her think any less of her guardian. In her time at the castle, Theodora was a bright flame in their dark world. Her positivity and spunky attitude gave an uplifting spirit to not only her, but also her children. Not to mention, the redhead was the first person that didn't judge them for who they were, or even what they did. How could she think that she would toss her aside?

"I wouldn't be so sure, Al. I've done some pretty messed up stuff."

Alcina resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Did you forget that I kill maidens and make wine of their blood? That my daughters torture humans just for entertainment? Even our scarecrows are the husks of manthings that have once occupied the dungeons."

"Well, no. But it's different. You guys have become like family to me. I don't want anything to change that."

"As are you to us. Please, believe me when I tell you that nothing will change. Especially over something as trivial as your past." Alcina assured.

The conviction in her tone gave Theodora hope. Hope that she was right. "It's something from when I was in The Compound. It's stupid. It happened so long ago, and yet... Here I am."

"The Compound?" Alcina questioned.

"I'll start from the beginning. When I was twelve, a virus outbreak started in my home town."