Veronica's POV (5 years later)

"15! Get up! It's time to get going." I said as I walked into 15's room and uncovered him.

"Where are we going?" He asked

"The training room. You're gonna learn how to be strong." I said as we left the room and walked towards the training room.

"Strong? Why would I want to be strong?"

"So you can protect."

"Protect what? What is there for me to protect?"

"Family. You can protect family."

"Family? What's family?"

"Family can be anybody who is really important to you."

"So you would be family?"

"Yep. I would be your mother. Speaking of that, why don't I give you a name?"

"A name? Why?"

"Its something that is unique to you. How about Ajax?"

"Why that name?"

"Because it means strong warrior."

"I like it. But whose warrior am I?"

"Your sister."

"I have a sister?"

"Yep. She's your twin. Although, the only things that look the same are your faces and eyes. There's something that I want you to remember."

"What is it?"

"Tueri familia nulla materia quid."

"What does that mean?"

"It means' protect your family no matter what'."

"Why do you want me to remember that?"

"Because your sister wasn't raised like you. She's being raised like she's a thing instead of a human. She may reject you but I want you to always stay by her side. You see, you have me but she doesn't have anybody."

"Ok. I'll be her warrior. But who will be yours?"

"I already have a warrior. You'll be able to meet him one day."

"Really?"

"Really. Now, lets go ahead and start your training." I said as I opened the door to the training room.

The room itself is really spacious. It has a shooting range, a space for hand to hand combat, a space for practice with projectile weapons and a space for basic workouts. Oh, there's also a space for weapon fighting. Like with swords, daggers, brass knuckles, fighting fan, et cetera.

I wanted to start Ajax on something that wouldn't involve directly killing a person, so I led him over to the projectile practice area. When we got over there, we saw a girl already there wearing a black T-shirt with black shorts. She was practicing her archery.

"Hey, who's that girl over there?" Ajax asked me

"That is your sister, number 14."

"That's my sister? She's pretty. Especially her ears and tail. Are they real?"

"Yes. They are real. You wanna meet her?"

He just nodded his head enthusiastically. So with that said, we walked over to where she was practicing. When we were a few feet away she lowered her arrow and turned toward us. When I saw her face, I agreed with Ajax. She was pretty. Her eyes were the prettiest silver I've ever seen. Her hair was silver at her head but as you got lower it darkened to black. Her ears and tail were silver tipped with black. She was also very slender.

'She could break a few hearts, Veronica.' My wolf, Azure, said.

'Yes she could. I wonder what her name should be.'

'Before we start thinking of names, shouldn't we find out what she's like?'

'You're right.' I said to her. Once I finished my conversation with Azure, I turned my attention to the kids in front of me.

"Who are you?" She asked us

"I'm Veronica and this is Ajax. Who are you?" I asked

"I am #14."

"That's it? You don't have a name?" Ajax asked

"I don't need one."

"Of course you need one. Everyone needs a name." I said

When I finished talking, she looked at me and when she did, I was scared. Her eyes held so much bloodlust and anger. The only people that I've seen with this much bloodlust are full grown werewolves.

"Listen, Veronica." She said with venom in her voice. "I don't need anything as trivial as a name. I only need my weapons and to kill. If you interrupt me again, the next thing my arrow hits won't be that target." She said then went back to shooting her arrows.

I looked down at Ajax and he looked amazed? Why did he look amazed when she just threatened to kill us?

"Come on Ajax. Let's go practice with guns instead." I said as I grabbed his hand and led him away from #14.

"Pretty."

"What?"

"I said pretty. When she was talking to us, she was very pretty."

"Really? She was pretty, but also scary." I whispered the last part.

"Did you say something?"

"Nope. Come on. Let me show you how to work a gun.

Luke's POV

"Who are you?" #14 asked Veronica and #15

"I'm Veronica and this is Ajax. Who are you?" Veronica asked

"I am #14."

"That's it? You don't have a name?" #15 asked

"I don't need one."

"Of course you need one. Everyone needs a name." Veronica said

"Listen, Veronica." She said with venom in her voice. "I don't need anything as trivial as a name. I only need my weapons and to kill. If you interrupt me again, the next thing my arrow hits won't be that target." She said then went back to shooting her arrows.

Once Veronica and #15 walked away, I walked towards #14. When I was a few feet away, she turned around. She saw that it was me and immediately put her bow on the ground and bowed.

"Master." She said

"14. What were you doing earlier?" I asked

She came up from her bow and answered me.

"I was practicing my archery. But then two people came over and started talking to me. I told them to go away and they did."

"Hmmm. That's all well and good but did I say you could talk?"

"No sir."

"I thought so. Now, did you miss any shots?"

"Yes sir."

"How many?"

"Five, sir."

"Unacceptable. How many should you have missed?"

"None, sir."

"That's right. Now follow me for your punishment."

I walked out of the training room with 14 following me. After about 5 minutes, we made it to her punishment room. Once she was in the room, I closed the door and locked it. I told her to go over to the wall and take her clothes off while I got my things.

Once I got everything, I walked over to 14 and punched her in the face. When she fell on the ground, I continued by kicking her repeatedly. I kept kicking her until I heard a few cracks. Then I went over to my pile of things and pulled out some chains. I chained her arms and legs to the wall with her back facing me.

"Do you know what branding is, 14?"

"No sir, I don't know."

"It's when ranchers take a piece of heated iron and press it against the hide of their cattle. That way, if they ever runaway, they will be identified. Basically, its a mark of ownership."

"And you're telling me this because you see how the other captains are looking at me? Or is it because you're starting to feel insecure? Which one is it? My bet is on the second option." She said as she looked back at me with a smirk on her face

"Shut up you imperfect tool! I created you. I trained you. You are my tool to control and no one else's. So, I hope you like your permanent mark." I said as I grabbed the red hot branding rod and pressed it into her back. As she kept screaming I pushed it on her even harder until I was sure it was permanent.

When I was sure, I pulled the iron back and grabbed an ear piercing tool and pierced two small holes into her one of her wolf ears. Her animal ears are really sensitive and since I didn't numb it, she was screaming in pain. Then I put in two golden earrings.

Once I was finished with that, I took out a black leather whip and cracked it on her back a few times. As a warmup.

"Now listen up, 14. We are gonna stay in this room until you know who's in charge and what happens when you go against me. So however long we are in this room depends on your attitude. Let's start with 20 lashes for each shot you missed. Then another 10 for talking without permission."

14's POV

After he finished talking, he started whipping me. He put all of his strength into each hit. I couldn't do anything but hang there and take his hits. It hurt a lot with each hit coming right after another, cracking on my back and leaving a slash behind as proof of its intensity. Add onto that, I just got the majority of my back branded and that means intense pain.

Once the 30 lashes were done he steeped away from me and my bloodied back. Since I can't see him, I waited to see what he would next. A little while after, he came back and pressed something wet that stung on my back. I just let him do whatever without interrupting him. When he finished, he backed away and started talking.

"Don't misunderstand. All I did was cleanup the work space. Now the training resumes." He said as he picked something up.

CRACK

"What are you?"

"I am a weapon. I am a monster."

CRACK

"Who are you?"

"I am test subject #14."

CRACK

"What is your purpose?"

"My purpose is to hunt, fight, kill and destroy everything in my path."

CRACK

"Whose orders do you follow?"

"Your orders."

CRACK

"Who do you belong to?"

"I belong to you, master Luke."

CRACK

After delivering about 24 more hits, he put the whip down and unchained me. Since I'm weak due to the beating I just got, I collapsed onto the cold stone floor. He walked away and sat down in a chair.

"Now come here."

Mustering all the strength I could, I crawled on the floor all the way to Luke. When I was close in to him, I collapsed on the floor. He then reached down and put something around my neck.

"A present from me to you. That will be your collar. If you try to take it off, you will be shocked. If you try to escape, you will be shocked. If you defy me, I will make it shock you. You'll never get away from me. Even if you do you'll never be accepted by anybody. Look at you, you're a monster. You have nothing." He said as he walked out the room, leaving me in the room alone, lying in a pool of my own blood.

Being left alone like this made me realize that Luke was right. The other test subjects look at me in fear and rejection, as well as the other captains. The only thing that makes me feel are weapons and killing. That's all I need. I don't need anything unnecessary such as emotions, acceptance, et cetera. All I need, are weapons and blood. Nothing else. Just that.

And with those thoughts, I fell asleep thinking of all the wonderful weapons that I will be able to use to kill.