Sex Bomb - The Tales of Fiamma

"So you in Venice?" A rough voice questioned

"Yeah and so far I haven't been able to get in contact with that perpetually angry screaming little ice gremlin. And you might have already heard the news about Melone now."

". . . "

"Yes. Yes, you can leave everything to me."

*CLICK*

A flip phone snapped shut as a male sighed out loud. It was the kind of sigh a weary worker let out after a long day's work but they were asked to stay extra hours because their incompetent coworker couldn't do their job right.

"I have to do everything myself, don't I?"

His dreary annoyance shifted as a smirk grew on his lips. He tucked one hand into his pants pocket while using the other one to comb through his long hair. He paused, glancing to his left spotting a few women ogling him. He tilted his head just a tad and gave them a wink. They all crooned and swooned with flushed cheeks. He continued his way rolling his eyes.

"Better get to work then," Vino sighed before making his way over to the group of women.

They had one goal in mind right now. Locate a new computer as quickly as possible. Bucciarati casually walked the streets of Venice, at least that is how it appeared. The man walked with purposeful confident strides, his eyes sweeping across the area in a wide radius. Muscle taut and ready for any outcome. This was a cautious man.

By his side, an entourage of colorful characters each one just as alert as the man they followed. All men, no women in sight amongst the group of gangsters.

"There should be a store just on the next street," Giorno said.

Bucciarati nodded at the information. The sooner they procured another laptop the sooner they would be able to read the Boss's instructions and continue on to the next task.

The Capo's eyes briefly glanced down at the turtle in his hands. The red jewel of the key embedded in its shell glinted and he could spot the duo that rested safely within. One appearing rather bored curved up on the couch. The other is sitting perched on the table akin to a stone statute.

It wasn't hard for Bucciarati to pick up that Trish felt the most comfortable around Fiamma. He was sure the fact that the Fiamma was female had a large part in the ease it brought Trish, but there was something about the young woman that just brought an air of contentment. Her lack of tact was obvious but somehow her blunt attitude was refreshing, she was unfiltered but in a good way. Fiamma didn't seem to care what other people thought of her which resulted in a rather honest and open person. She was very much like an animal (not a negative connotation). Animals just lived. There no was lying or deceit, nor cheating or violence for the sake of violence.

"Everyone stay alert. We do not know when an enemy could attack," Bucciarati said.

Sticking closer to one another the group turned down the street and there was the shop. A small electronic outlet. A wide window showed off the store's wares, featuring the latest technological wonders. Bucciarati would quickly go in, grab a laptop and be out.

The pathway towards the store led them past a cute hole-in-the-wall cafe. A small little building with white brick siding. A patio area was set up with tables and umbrellas. Couples and friends sat outside enjoying the food and the wonderful weather.

"Vino…"

"Oh, Vino…"

"Vino!"

At a particular table tucked in the corner of the patio a small crowd was gathered. Only one man sat at the table, sipping away at a latte that the flushed waitress had brought to him. Surrounding his table were throngs of women, swarming around a blue-haired man. The women were draped over one another, vying for the man's attention. Each one declared their love, basking in his very presence.

Vino ignored all of them as he laughed in his seat, one leg crossed over the other. He took another sip out of his porcelain cup, rolling his eyes.

"These braying mongrels. They know nothing of love, one glance from my face and they are entrapped. There's no substance, no stimuli. It's all so shallow and lackluster. All these women bring is a headache."

Vino's bobbing foot stilled as his focus pulled toward the left. His eyes, calculating and cold, zeroed in on what he had been waiting for. Finally, his target has arrived.

"Bingo. Time to get to work."

Vino stood from his seat and the woman backed up, waiting for the man's next move.

"Ladies…"

Vino addressed the women who waited with wide eyes, begging for Vino's words that were about to spill from his lips. He looked over a few of the women's faces forcing a smile on his face. A charming grin that highlighted his polished teeth.

"Can I ask a favor of you?" Vino asked

"Anything Vino!"

"Anything you say…?" As Vino's smirk grew, a pink smoke slowly started drifting out from behind him. Creeping along the patio floor like a low fog rolling in. "Very good…."

"Hold on." Bucciarati put his hand up bringing his group to a stop.

"What is it Bucciarati?" Abbacchio asked.

"Something is off. Look around."

Everyone glanced around the street. Nothing seemed off. A woman passed by, arms full of shopping bags. Another woman stood at the edge of the sidewalk talking on her phone. Another woman leaned against a wall sipping a drink. Two more women stood under an awning chatting away.

"I don't see anything wrong," Mista said.

Nothing drew their attention. Everything seemed normal.

"Why are there no men out here?" Giorno asked.

"What?" Narancia questioned.

"Other than us, there are no men out here. Old or young. It's just women," Giorno explained.

"He's right!" Mista said

It was a bit odd. To the average person, this wouldn't seem out of the ordinary, in fact, it probably wouldn't even be noticed. But these were not your average group of men.

"Where…did they all go?" Fugo questioned.

"Everyone stay alert," Bucciarati said.

A fine mist with a pinkish tint started to roll in. It crept along the ground making its way down the empty street. As it spread across the empty plains of the little shopping district the mist grew thicker eclipsing the ground.

"Fog?" Abbacchio mumbled

The fog rolled through the streets only seen by the young gangsters. Slowly one by one, the women on the streets stopped moving. They froze in place, some even stopping midstep. Nothing but human statues.

"Cover your mouths!" Bucciarati warned

His hand flew up to his face, cupping over his nostrils and mouth. The group followed, everyone copying Bucciarati's actions except for Narancia who pinched his nose and closed his mouth, cheeks puffing with a large breath of air he took in. Mista, Fugo, and Abbacchio waved their free hands attempting to fan the fog away. Their hands just cut through the mist briefly as it remained.

"Is it poison?" Giorno mumbled.

He glanced around at the frozen women only to spot a woman staring right back at him. His gaze swept over the area, finding that all the women, who had come to a stop, were now standing at attention facing the group. More women seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, crowding the group. All exits have been cut off.

It was eerie how each woman stood. Still with their arms at their sides. Eyes set in a dead stare, they weren't even blinking. It was difficult to tell if they were even breathing.

"W-What's wrong with them?" Narancia questioned.

"Zombies! They're zombies!" Mista exclaimed.

"This must be the work of a Stand," Bucciarati said.

Outside the crowd of women, a lone figure stood with their back pressed against a wall. They smirked with a lithe chuckle. Raising their hand they snapped their fingers, the sound echoing through the area.

Like soldiers in formation, the first row of women snarled crouching as they raised their arms.

"Look out!"

Bucciarati jerked back just in time as a woman lunged at him. She swung her arm upwards, going for Bucciarati's eyes. There was a sharp sting on his face, blood dripping down two cuts on his cheek. The woman easily caught herself, turning back to the leader. She snarled, practically foaming at the mouth. She threw her head back letting out an animalistic howl and the chaos began.

The women fell upon the gangsters like a pack of wild animals swarming their prey. One woman dove at Abbacchio, snapping her jaws like some feral dog. He managed to catch the woman by her neck and wrist. He was actually straining to hold her back as she used all her body weight to get at the purple-haired man attempting to bite his face.

Narancia and Mista ran around ducking and dodging women. The helmet-wearing gunner had always wanted women to throw themselves at him but not like this.

Giorno sidestepped a woman who haphazardly threw herself at the teen. She tripped over her own feet and hit the ground, scraping her knees. She didn't care, jumping back to her feet to go after Giorno.

Fugo found himself locked in a struggle with a rather tall woman who was attempting to gouge out his eyes with her long nails. Wait, were her nails getting longer?

"What the hell is up with these chicks!?" Mista shouted

Narancia grit his teeth, "Aero–!"

"No stop!" Bucciarati said

"What–ah!" Narancia shouted as a woman headbutted him.

"No one uses your Stand to attack!"

"Why not?!"

"These are normal women," Giorno said

"How is this normal?!" Mista shouted pointing at a woman whose eyes seemed to be glowing red.

"Giorno's right. They're under the influence of a Stand," Bucciarati said

"The turtle!"

One of the women had managed to swipe Coco Jumbo out of Giorno's hands, holding the creature above her head like some kind of trophy.

"We need to do something!" Fugo shouted.

A loud snap rang out and suddenly all the women stopped moving. Their frozen positions are unsettling. It was like a video being paused.

"Well, well, well…..you lot figured that out rather quickly."

The large group of women parted ways allowing a figure to make their way into the center.

Vino swaggered his way toward the group, confidence clinging to him like cologne. "Hello there Bucciarati, Narancia, Fugo, Mista, Abbacchio, and hmmmm you're the new guy I'm not sure I got your name but that won't matter for too long. I see you are missing two people, both are women, how ironic on my end but oh well." He shrugged his shoulders. "My name is Vino. I hope you all loved the warm welcome."

"Who the h**l are you!" Abbacchio said

"Did you not hear what I just said? Are you trying to piss me off or are you just that stupid?"

"Bastard!"

"Yeah, yeah, curse all you want but in the end, it won't help you." Vino snapped his fingers and held his hand out. Coco Jumbo was presented to him, the woman bowing on one knee as she held out the turtle. He plucked Coco Jumbo out of the woman's hands not even sparing her a look.

"Bet you're wondering what's going on, huh? I have no issue sharing the power of my Stand. It's quite simple really, but I'm kind of busy and all, plus there's no way for any of you to stop its power. I mean unless you guys are willing to harm some innocent women but from what I just saw I don't think you do."

The deathly glares that were sent Vino's way only seemed to fuel his amusement. He smiled, clapping his hands. "Oooh look at those expressions on your face." He chuckled, turning on his heels. He threw one more smirk over his shoulders before walking away. "Later gentlemen! Have fun with the ladies."

He raised his left hand high above his head and snapped his fingers. It was clear that Vino was in charge of the women and at his signal the moment they heard the snapping of his fingers they attacked.

They were even more crazed than before. Their movements were erratic and wild as they moved on blind instinct.

"What's with their faces?!" Narancia exclaimed

A woman growled as she approached the men, showing off her teeth were now elongated and fanglike, her face was more angular resembling the muzzle of some kind of animal, and her eyes were bloodshot, the veins on the side of her face bulging and pulsing. She raised her hand and showed her nails were longer, sharper, like a set of fresh claws.

Vino chuckled. "Oh did I forget to mention? The longer a woman is under the power of my Stand, she get's stronger going wilder as time goes by, she even starts to take on some rather monstrous features. Have fun~!"

Vino smirked, walking down the road, his hair swaying with each step. He held Coco Jumbo under one arm, very proud, as he listened to the sounds of crazed women attacking in the distance.

"My Stand may only work on women, but a rabid group of giggling hyenas are always enough to take care of my enemies. Besides most of the time the people I'm fighting are men, hehe and most of them don't ever wanna attack a woman. And that's always their downfall."

Trish was silent but as she curled tighter on the couch Fiamma knew she was growing nervous.

The older young woman stood next to the couch, eyes pointed upwards toward the jeweled ceiling reflecting the smug face of their captor.

"Trish."

She glanced up at her name.

"I'll deal with him. Stay here."

Trish glanced up to the ceiling and then back to Fiamma. Simple yet reassuring words. Yes, Fiamma would take care of this.

Fiamma could remember the early years of her life and they were filled with nothing but pain. She had been abandoned at a young age living as a street rat. But her life had taken a drastic turn when she was six and was "saved" by a man by the name of Dolce.

An older gentleman who had taken Fiamma in. He had found her digging around a trash can outside his house, she'd been in search of lunch.

He brought her into his home, fed her, bathed her, and provided her with a real bed to sleep in.

All seemed well until one night.

"There we go. All nice and neat." Dolce sighed as he fixed Fiamma's hair.

It had taken days to get all the knots and tangles out, and a fair amount of hair had to be cut leaving Fiamma with a style that left her locks reaching just a bit past her ears. Her hair fell in an almost bowl cut with straight bangs that swept across her eyes, hiding them.

"We've got some visitors coming, and we wanna look our best now."

Dolce had been acting weird all day. And why was she in this dress? Fiamma wasn't sure what was going on, but she could sense the nervousness rolling off Dolce. His smile was strained and he had sweat dripping down his brow.

He'd been fretting over the girl nonstop. Messing with her hair to make sure not a single strand was out of place. Smoothing out the wrinkles of her dress at one point he'd taken it off her to iron it.

Dolce was currently in the process of shining the girl's shoes when a knock came to the door. He jumped and sprung to his feet scrambling to answer it.

"A-Ah welcome!"

Dolce took a step back, opening the door. In the home walked two men in suits, one in red and one in blue. A silver pin was fixed on the lapels of their coats. Dolce and the men huddled together talking in hushed voices. Every so often they'd glance over Fiamma's way. One of the suited men looked at the girl and then said something to Dolce nodding his head. Relief washed over the man, the tension in his shoulders evaporating.

Dolce let out a sigh then gestured to Fiamma. "Girl come here." He beckoned her over.

Fiamma didn't move, something felt off.

"I said come here, girl!" Dolce snapped

Fiamma didn't flinch. She was used to adults yelling at her. Living on the streets just her mere appearance was enough to earn the ire of a passerby. She narrowed her eyes, fists clenching her dress. Dolce frowned when he noticed the girl wasn't moving. He stomped over and reached for Fiamma. He was about to snatch her arm but the girl jumped back swatting at the oncoming arm hissing almost like a cat.

"Shit!"

Dolce jerked his arm back. His arm stung. Taking a look he saw four shallow yet long scratches on his arms, left behind by Fiamma's nails. From his forearm down to his wrist a bit of blood beading up to the surface.

The man in red laughed. "Well look at that! Fiesty on ain't she! Yeah, I think she'll do nicely."

Nice for what?

While Dolce hissed, pressing a paper towel to his bleeding arm the two men in suits approached Fiamma. She shuffled back, baring her teeth as she growled. Her feet kept steadily moving back until she found herself backed against the wall. Cornered, with the men still approaching, Fiamma lunged forward. She ran toward the two diving between the men's legs, trying to weave through heading for her escape. The front door.

Her speed and agility took the men off guard, stumbling to grab the willy thing. Fiamma made it past the two only to slip, her heel caught on her dress. Growling she pushed off the ground climbing to her feet ready to run towards the door only to feel a sharp pain sting her back. Pain bloomed from the point spreading all across her body. Her skin felt numb yet tingled. Fiamma dropped to the floor going face first. Her muscles twitch involuntarily jerking as she sagged on the floor.

"Ha, I knew this was a good investment." The man in red hovered over Fiamma, smirking, with a cattle prod in his hand.

Vino was smug, but who wouldn't be after such a flawless victory. He'd been the best amongst his peers on the assassination team. That's why he always got the high-ranking jobs. Where his comrades failed he succeeded. Not a single scratch on him.

Coco Jumbo had long since retreated into his shell. His Head and limbs, along with his tail, were tucked deep within the recess of his protective home. The only thing he couldn't hide was the key embedded in his back. The red gem sparkled off the midday sun.

When Vino deemed himself far enough he stopped walking. "What a bunch of chumps. Such idiots. Snatching that turtle was easier than taking candy from a sleeping baby."

He raised Coco Jumbo over his head as he examined the turtle with the intensity of a researcher who'd just discovered a new species. Vino pulled the turtle in closer, examining the jewel.

"Let's see here…"

For a moment all he could see was his own reflection off the sheen of the gem. He pulled Coco Jumbo closer, nearly pressing the gem to his eye. There. The reflection shifted and there she was.

"Found you," Vino sang out.

Trish was laying in her usual spot. Curled up on the couch with her knees tucked close to her chin.

"Now how to get you out?" Vino mumbled curiously.

He flipped Coco Jumbo over, shell pointed towards the ground. He gave Coco Jumbo a good few firm shakes hoping something would happen. Nothing did. Grumbling, he shook a bit harder tapping the turtle's underbelly like he was trying to get the last bit of ketchup out of a jar.

"Come. On." He grunted with each shake. "Seriously?!"

He hoisted Coco Jumbo over his head gazing at the key again, only to be met with a foot to the face.

Fiamma's heel smashed dead center into Vino's face. The long-haired male tumbled back as Coco Jumbo was snatched from his grasp. He hit the ground, banging the back of his head on the road. The impact sent pain shooting across his skull and his teeth rattled in his head as they clenched together.

Fiamma landed with one foot on the ground pivoting around and moving away from Vino.

"You…" Vino growled sitting up. His nose leaked, blood dripping onto his pristine white shirt. "I'd nearly forgotten they had you. I just assumed you had run off. So you were just hiding huh?" He climbed to his feet dusting off his clothes. "I guess I can't be really mad for such a strategy, you did get me good, as much as it pains me to say that. But you did kick me in the fucking face. So I'm pretty pissed right now."

He narrowed his eyes, lips pulling into a smirk. Confidence not wavering despite his bleeding nose. A figure started to develop behind him.

"I hope you'll enjoy becoming a part of my little army. I think you'll have fun."

A humanoid figure possibly eight-foot tall hover just behind Vino. Its body was smooth with a black matte finish. White hexagonal shapes were printed all across the body in a uniform fashion. Its eyes were large and compound with a glittering sheen that gave them the semblance of jewels. Instead of a mouth, it had four slotted grates. Two more sets of grates were on its chest.

"Sex Bomb! Show her what you got!"

Vino snapped his fingers and the slots of the grates opened. Clicking and whirring came from the Stand followed by a slow hiss. Quickly pink gas exploded out of the grates pouring into the vacant streets. It spread rapidly overtaking Fiamma within a matter of seconds.

She scrunched her nose as the smoke filled her nostrils. Several soft sneezes escaped Fiamma. The pink smoke started to settle and Vino chuckled.

"Too easy…" He waved a hand at Fiamma, beckoning the young woman. "Now then...bow down to me!" He commanded, pointing a finger down.

Unseen eyes just stared. Fiamma tilted her head to the left, her fringe shifting slightly.

"No."

When Fiamma regained consciousness she found herself in a cage. She sat up, lucky to be so short or her head would have knocked against the top. Lurching forward her fingers wrapped around the steel bars that enclosed her. Shifting her weight she heard a soft jingle. Her legs were bound, a set of shackles with a heavy chain connecting the two bracers that encircled her ankles. The length of the chain was just long enough that she could move her legs shoulder-width apart. So if she even made it out of the cage, running would be nearly impossible.

The odd sensation around her neck pulled her focus. Fingers came up softly running over smooth metal. A collar of sorts, thick and fully made of metal, was clamped around her neck. Running her hand over the side she could feel something etched in the side. A number perhaps? Fiamma frowned, tugging at the restraint.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Fiamma stopped. She turned to her left, careful to not bump her head on the low ceiling of the cage.

"Hello."

A weary smile was pointed her way, coming from the cage right next to hers. At first, it was hard for Fiamma to make out who had spoken. The lighting was dim. Fiamma's eyes sharpened in the darkness adjusting her sights to see what was before her.

A boy. That's who was in the cage next to her. He was older than Fiamma. It was hard to distinguish his age. He was thin and pale with scruffy brown hair that had been choppily cut. Who knew how long he'd been in there?

"So you're the new one huh?"

New one?

Fiamma shifted her gaze around the room. There was nothing but cages. Rows and rows upon cages, each one occupied by a person. Kids to be exact.

Something struck Fiamma. Fear. Something she hadn't experienced in a long time. She was caged, like an animal. They all were. She lunged forward banging her fists on the cage. When that yielded no results she rolled onto her back, thrusting her legs out to kick at the bars. Her chains banged and clanked loudly with each kick.

"Hey, hey calm down." The boy scooted closer to the bars nearest to Fiamma's. "Those things aren't going to break. Getting worked up isn't good. You need to conserve your energy."

The boy attempted to calm the panicking girl down, his voice soft and measured. Fiamma growled, giving two more kicks before stopping. He was right. There was no breaking these bars.

If only she had complete control over that power. She'd been working on shifting into bigger stronger things but had yet to accomplish that.

"My name is Quinto. What's yours?"

Fiamma responded with a grunt.

"Can...Can you not talk? Or is it that you don't have a name?" Quinto asked

Another grunt came followed up by a head tilt.

"Ah…I guess it's both then. Well, do you mind if I give you a name? You can't just go by 'girl' all the time," Quinto said

Fiamma shrugged her shoulders as if to say "Do what you like."

Quinto smiled, adjusting himself in his cage so he could rest his back against the bars. He winced, something that didn't go unnoticed by Fiamma.

"I promise to give you a good name."

"No."

Vino felt the word echo in his head. He stared confusedly as if he hadn't ever heard the word. Another moment ticked by before the weight of Fiamma's single word sunk in.

"Whaaaaat?! What do you mean no?!"

"No?" Fiamma repeated now sounding confused as well.

"You–" Vino's hands wildly swiped at the air as if he was trying to grasp something. "You don't get to say no! That's not an option! That isn't–" He whipped around looking at his Stand.

Pink smoke still actively flowing out. He could still hear the roar of the wild women attacking the others. Sex Bomb was still active and going strong. So why was Fiamma just standing there openly defying him?!

Vino stomped his foot. "You're a woman aren't you?!"

"Yes."

"Then you should be under my control of Sex Bomb. What the h**l is going on here?"

"You're talking about the pheromones right?"

Vino froze, foot hovering a few inches over the ground. "H-How did you know about that?"

No one but his fellow hitmen knew the secret behind the power of his Stand. Pheromones. That was it. An odorless chemical that nearly all living organisms emitted and used as signals for communication between members of the same species. Sex Bomb could secrete those pheromones and control others but only of the opposite gender of Vino. His Stand's power had never failed him. Its power was absolute. This wasn't possible.

Fiamma was a tad amused by the bewildered look on Vino's face. It was clear he was trying to grasp what was happening. He'd never faced a female that he could bend to his will. She stared at the spiraling man and lightly tapped her nose.

Vino gaped, "A-Are you saying…that you can smell Sex Bomb's pheromones?"

Fiamma nodded.

"T-Tha'ts…even if you could smell them it doesn't explain why you can resist them." Vino dropped his head, a hand slipping into his pocket. "It doesn't matter. You know I've never had to go this route–" He slipped out a pocket knife out "–I used to carry this thing around as a joke. I've never had to get my own hands dirty before." Vino looked up and a crazed grin was on his face. "And that really pisses me off!"

Fiamma didn't flinch as the man ran at her. He swung his arm, the blade of his pocket knife sliding out. The sharp-tipped blade glinted in the sun as it swiped at Fiamma. The young woman jumped back easily avoiding the strike. Vino didn't hesitate going in for another swing. Again and again, he kept swiping away at Fiamma. It was clear he wasn't aiming for anything in particular and just wanted to land a hit.

"He's fast." Fiamma thought.

Vino's movements were fluid and swift. Fiamma was sure if her instincts and reaction time weren't so tuned he would've easily landed a hit. The duo was locked in a macabre dance of blades aiming for flesh.

Vino continued to surge forward, switching between jabbing motions and swipes. As he went for another strike he smirked. There was a soft click and Fiamma felt the sting of metal cutting into her side.

She jumped back, placing a hand on the side of her stomach. Pulling away she found blood. The spandex of her suit was cut along with the skin beneath. Vino chuckled, flashing his blade that dripped with her blood. The blade was longer than it had been before.

"You like it? A secret extending pocket knife. Neat huh?" Vino said.

Fiamma frowned and wiped away the blood. It wasn't a shallow cut, the blade was rather sharp. But this was nothing for Fiamma. She was more upset that she had let her guard down so much.

"Not then let's–huh?" Vino narrowed his eyes. "She's got a tattoo?"

A black mark peeked out from the tear in Fiamma's clothing, an odd insignia he couldn't make out.

"Ah, he got me there. I hate seeing this."

Fiamma spent the next five days in that cage. Once a day a man would appear with a plate of food (some bread and tasteless broth) and little water. Throwing it at each cage without much care if any of it spilled. On day six someone new came to her cage. Well, four men to be exact. Fiamma growled when she noticed one of the men had been the ones who had brought her to this place first.

The man in red.

"Well, well, well, looky here. Glad to see you're still as feisty as ever. Gotta like that spirit. You'll definitely become one of his favorites. Alright get her out and watch out I think she bites."

One of the men pulled out a key, unlocking the cage. Fiamma was prepared to lunge and all the men were as well. Two men held catch poles, one of the metal loops catching around Fiamma's neck the moment she exited the cage. But that wasn't enough to stop her. The second man missed and was met with a head butt to the chest.

"Fuck!" The man cursed crumbling to the floor, his catchpole flying from his hands. Another curse was ripped out of his throat as Fiamma opened her jaws and sunk her teeth into his arm.

"You little bitch!" The second man pulled back on his catchpole trying to yank Fiamma back but she dug her teeth in more, tugging the man's arm along with the girl.

"Damn!" The man in red laughed. "Can't believe she's got so much energy!"

When she felt the slack of the catch pole around her neck Fiamma let go, specks of blood on her teeth. She turned, scrambling off the man, kicking him in the head in the process. She ran but just like she thought the chains made it nearly impossible and she immediately fell.

Fiamma wasn't going to give up. She'd crawl if she had to. Before she could attempt to scramble back up she was yanked back by her collar. A grunt left her lips as she hit the floor. Moments later a cattle prod was thrust into her stomach. Screams erupted from Fiamma and she flailed her arms.

"Why didn't you do that earlier?" One of the men cried holding his bleeding arm. "That little bitch took a chunk out of me!"

"Oh calm down you little baby. You've got a little bite mark, you probably won't even need stitches. Now let's hurry this up, we gotta get her processed."

Fiamma was hoisted up, thrown over a man's shoulders like a sack of rice. The shock left her in a daze and her body refused to listen to her. Her body rocked back and forth as she was carried down a series of halls. The further they traveled the nicer her surroundings got.

Soon they arrived at a set of double doors. As they entered a man was waiting next to a metal table. He was of average stature, with salt-pepper hair. He was dressed in a brown suit wearing the same pin on his lapels as the others.

"Testa, sir, we've brought her."

"Ahhh is this the spunky one you've been telling me about?"

"Yup this is her."

"Let's get a better look at her, shall we."

"Be careful, this one bites."

Fiamma was unceremoniously dropped on a metal table. Testa leaned over Fiamma giving her a closer look. With him so close she could take in his features as well. He was older, possibly in his late fifties to early sixties. Stray wrinkles creasing the skin around his eyes and mouth.

His hands ran through Fiamma's messy hair. He lifted her arms and legs, feeling her muscles. Finally, he examined her teeth. Groggily Fiamma nipped at the fingers but was unable to do any damage.

Testa chuckled. "She's been here for how long?"

"5 days."

"And she's been on the standard feeding schedule right?"

"That's right sir."

"And she's still so feisty. Perfect. It's not often that we get girls that can go to the ring, but what a show it'll be. Alright, let's get her set." Testa said

Fiamma did her best to put up a struggle as she was strapped to the table. The loose and worn shirt she wore was lifted up exposing her midsection. Testa was handed something. It appeared to be a metal rod with the tip glowing red.

"Gag her. We don't want her biting her tongue off."

A piece of old leather was shoved into her mouth.

"Make sure she stays still now, don't want her to ruin the mark."

Testa moved closer to Fiamma, the end of metal aimed her way. She could feel the heat rolling off the tip. She panicked, thrashing about. Solid hands pressed against her shoulders keeping her flat against the table.

Testa chuckled as he lowered the red-hot metal pressing it on Fiamma's ribs. The skin sizzled and burned as a horrible smell lingered in the air. Fiamma convulsed, her lower back jumping off the table. She didn't just bite into the leather, she bit through it and into her tongue drawing blood.

The pain lasted only a few seconds but it felt like hours. Testa was finally done pulling the branding rod away.

Raw and red, a mark that resembled the insignia the men had pinned to their jackets was burned into her skin. A curved half moon with a three-leafed clover centered and the letters CCB on each leaf. Forever setup on her skin.

"She's all done now. Take her back."