Angelica knocked on the door to Thanatos's home. She waited, but there was no response whatsoever. She hesitantly turned the knob, finding it unlocked. She opened it up and stepped inside.

"Dad?" she called, looking around.

There wasn't a sound, and the living room was empty. Angelica decided to have a look around. She didn't see anything out of the ordinary in the living room. Moving on to the kitchen, her eyes landed on what looked like a basement door. She walked over and bent down, carefully opening the hatch. There was a stairwell leading down into a dark room. Quietly, she went down.

She froze at the bottom of the stairs. The basement was dark, the only light coming from a few lamps around the room. There were a variety of weapons and tools all around the room, and there was a small table in the center with a glass casing over it. Inside were dozens of tiny, round, metal objects laid out neatly. Standing in front of the table, with his back turned, was Thanatos.

"Dad?"

The man slowly turned, a devilish grin on his face. He held up one of the small devices. "What do you think, Angelica? These magitek bugs will allow us to control anyone who defies us. We'll rule Niflheim."

So Ignis was telling the truth. "Listen, Dad..." She thought over her words carefully, not wanting to upset him. "I think I'm having second thoughts."

Thanatos's grin faded away. "What's the matter? Is it the bugs you don't like? We don't have to use them, we can just kill off those that rebel, if you prefer."

"It's not that exactly," she said. "Well... it kinda is... But I just don't know if I wanna rule an entire nation."

Her father's eyes narrowed. "I thought we had this planned out. You and I would work together to take over the empire. Or do you want Valerie's death to be in vain?"

Angelica desperately wanted him to understand. "No, but this isn't the way. Yes, we can take down the empire, but there are hundreds of innocent people in Niflheim that don't deserve to die just because they were unfortunate enough to be born into the empire."

"No one is truly innocent," Thanatos hissed. "Assassins don't let feelings like that get in the way of their mission."

"Well this assassin does!" Angelica argued. "My friends were right about you, you're plan's insane. If you're serious about going through with this, then you're gonna have to do it without me. I'm leaving."

"No you're not!" her father growled angrily before she could even turn. "We're in this together! This family isn't splitting up again!"

Angelica suddenly felt someone behind her. Cultro lunged at her with a medical needle. The girl moved to the side, avoiding him and kicking the needle out of his hand. But in an instant, Thanatos darted forward, catching the airborne needle and jamming it into his daughter's arm, emptying the drug that was inside. She winced as he retracted it. In an instant, an unnatural weariness took over her body.

Thanatos caught the wobbling girl and smiled comfortingly. "Soon enough, you'll see things my way, Angelica."

The girl couldn't even form words. Her eyelids drooped and her body grew limp. Her mind blurred, and soon enough, she blacked out, falling into a deep sleep.

~~~~~

Ignis groggily opened his eyes. It took a moment for his vision to clear and for him to realize where he was. He was on the large dais in the center of Secreta. He was on his knees, his wrists and ankles bound behind him by metal shackles. Looking around, Noctis, Gladiolus, and Prompto were in the same situation as he was, lined up by his sides. There were assassins everywhere, keeping an eye on them. He had apparently been unconscious for a while, for the sun was already setting.

"Look who's finally up," Gladio said, noticing the advisor was awake.

Ignis wriggled his hands, trying to summon his daggers. Noctis looked over at him. "Don't bother, Ignis. These shackles somehow block our magic."

"Where's Angel?" Ignis asked in a slight panic.

"Dunno," Prompto answered sadly. "We haven't seen a trace of her. We lost sight of Thanatos and were captured."

As if to answer their questions on the girl's whereabouts, Thanatos, Cultro, and Angelica appeared. The girl was unconscious with her wrists and ankles bound just like the boys', and Cultro, who walked alongside Thanatos, drug her by her shackled wrists. The four guys stared as they approached, their eyes focused on the redhead.

"Angel!" they all cried with worry.

Cultro dropped her in the middle of the dais in front of the boys. Ignis was struggling against his restraints, so much so that an assassin had to hold onto him. "You'd better not have hurt her!" he shouted in evident anger.

Thanatos chuckled darkly. "I'd never harm my little girl. She's only sleeping right now." He glared at them. "As for you four, you corrupted my daughter with your lies. You tried to take her away from me. And now, once night falls, you'll pay the price."

The group fell silent and the chief left them. The assassins stayed on watch, making sure none of their captives tried to escape. Ignis kept his eyes on Angelica, concerned for her well-being. Slowly, the sun's light faded beyond the horizon. At the same time, Angelica began to stir. Her eyes fluttered open and she groaned, her head clearing as she took in her surroundings.

"Angel, you okay?" Noctis asked.

The girl looked at each of them from where she lay. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine, but... what's going on?"

"We're captives to these psychotic bastards," Gladio replied.

Angelica tried to move, but found herself unable to. Her hands and feet were bound in place. "Angel, what happened on your end?" Ignis inquired.

A couple of assassins went over, sitting the girl up on her knees like her friends. She thought a moment, her mind still a bit hazy. "My dad... He has a bunch of those bug things in his basement. I tried to reason with him, but-"

"Perfect, you're awake!" Everyone turned their heads, seeing Thanatos had returned. His gaze was on his daughter as he approached. "I was so hoping you'd be conscious for this."

"What are you going to do to us?" she angrily asked. "If I'm the one you want, then at least let my friends go."

"No can do," he replied. "They know too much to be released. Besides, they're gonna be your first victims."

"I'm not helping you in any way!" she yelled.

He bent down, taking her by the chin and forcing her to look at him. His cold, blue eyes held a crazed look in them. "I'm afraid you don't have a choice, my dear." He let go, gesturing to Cultro who held a small box in his hands. "You're going to join us whether you like it or not. Our family will never be split apart again." Cultro opened the small case, and Thanatos took what was inside. He held up a magitek bug for all to see. "With this, I'll never have to worry about my dear daughter leaving me."

Angelica gasped, her eyes growing wide with fear. She knew exactly what he was going to do. She was held still by a couple of assassins. Her friends began struggling and protesting, but they were held in place as well.

"Dad, you can't be serious," she muttered. "You would turn your own daughter into a puppet?"

"If that's what it takes to keep you by my side, yes." He grinned wickedly.

Cultro roughly took the girl's head and held it down. "Please, Dad, don't!" she begged. She felt her hair being brushed aside, causing her fear to rise. "Dad, please! I don't want to be a half-daemon slave!" She felt her top's collar being pulled down out of the way, exposing the back of her neck. She was nearly in tears now, she was so scared. "Dad... Please..."

Her pleas were ignored as Thanatos placed the flat side of the bug against her skin. It immediately latched on, tiny needles puncturing her flesh and latching onto her spinal cord. The girl screamed in pain, feeling control over her body being lost. At the same time, plasmodium was being transferred from the bug into her flesh, blackening the skin on the back of her neck. She could faintly hear her friends' cries as her mind battled for control over her body. Her painful screams slowly died down as the bug took over.

She panted lightly with her head hung down while Thanatos laughed maniacally. The boys repeatedly called out to her, but she couldn't respond. Angelica had lost the fight for control. She was now a puppet - a slave to her father. She was under his command now, and her friends were at his mercy.