Four wheels squeaked down a dark hallway. On the walls portraits hung of ill-defined figures covered in dust and cobwebs. A whistling turned to a hum. The man wheeling the operating table wore stained surgery clothing while the sheets covering the table were fresh linen.

The shotgun doors banged open revealing a lab.

“Ahh my favorite dog,” said Killin Hood.

“Bark” said the dog, licking its long tongue at the side of the moving cart.

A bloodied hand fell towards the floor as the beast cleaned it off.

“Hahaha” laughed the doctor of death.

The next doors burst open revealing a laboratory full of tools of the trade, and other instruments for operations. Two refrigerators sat behind the second royal being experimented with.

“Oh goody your back to finish the procedure. By the way, I got a surprise for you” said Isebela.

“It’s not a surprise if you alert me about it” he said.

She groaned, struggling to pull herself from a lounging chair and wearing a sleeping gown. A crystal ball sat on a long table. It was providing a live stream of a firefight while nestled between the sewing machines, and piles of cut cloth chunks piled high. She unhooked a cane off a row of hooks next to a hung modified hook system, and her witch's hat that she put on next.

Thunder rumbled the sky and shook the walls sparking through the tower protruding through the opened ceiling. The torrential rain pounded the stone floor, mixing with red, and running into a drain in the center of the room. The wheels stopped moving. A foot clad in baby seal skin locked the brakes one by one.

“Have the loose threads been pruned?” asked Killin Hood.

“Not yet” said Isebela, covering her mouth to cough. “Hmm excuse me, but they will be soon”.

She hobbled to the closest table, and threw open the covers. Edward breathed heavily struggling for air in his underwear. A large incision was cut into his chest where his heart had been pillaged with his royal blood. He slept in a never ending nightmare with both eyes closed.

“Wakey wakey hehehe” she cackled, while poking the bare feet containing ingrown chunks of crystal. “Soon he will mine for us with no mind of his own”.

“Good one but first it’s time to show off my Queen, and her newest installed hardware” laughed Killin Hood.

He walked to the second table giddy with anticipation.

“Well I hope she's as brain damaged as your preferences always are” said Isebela.

“We will find out when she wakes up, anyhow there’s always the same lobotomy procedure given to her freak son to cure any disobedience against me,” said Killin Hood, uncurling the covers.

“Hehe while you were gone I increased her lumps ten fold, and added hidden guns in them” said Isebel, patting her boney fingers over Edward’s disfigured face. “This one used to be so handsome, kinda a shame what you did to him”.

“Now, now. He did that to himself. Remember our plans relied on him not being as ruthless as he was billed” said Killin Hood, not looking away from staring at the Queen.

Her chest was frozen with her frozen heart installed back inside. Her red lipstick curled into fangs while her eyes remained hidden under the visor of a cyborg helmet. Thick cables ran from the modified body to sparking blocks of crystal. A saw had been welded to one arm, but the chain had yet to be installed.

“Time to flip the switch?” asked Isebela, rising from Edwards' body.

“Yes, turn her on for I already am” said Killin Hood, rubbing his sausage fingers together.

The witch hobbled over to a giant power switch stuck into the wall. She grabbed hold of the massive lever, gritting what remained of her rotten teeth for what was to come. The rain continued to pour like cats and dogs, while the rest of the room grew quiet except from the occasional spark from the power banks.

They remained still as time drew on. Killin Hood glanced at his stopwatch, and then the crystal ball in the corner. On the screen was a direct feed from the gyro-copter turning around in the air. A flash of blue averted his eyes to the sky that began to rumble with power.

“C’mon big money,” she said.

Another flash blinded the room as the energy surged into the point it had been drawn. Isebela flicked the switch as sparks flowed from the tower to the connecting cables. The candles were snuffed as the Queen's skeleton became visible under her arments powering up. The ancient witch’s bones became more pronounced. Smoke began filling the room as hairs were singed. The cyborg sat upright on the table while in the background Isebela fell over from over-stimulation.

“ZAAAP!”

Killin Hood had descended on his assistant with a defibrillator connected to the operation.

“That heart was 25 when we installed it in you 20 years ago, I think it might be getting close to a replacement” he said, handing her a cold cup of tea.

“Well you know that I am extremely picky” she laughed, taking a big swig of the liquid.

The thunder flashed again and then the lights went out. Killin Hood turned as a feeling of paranoia began to grow.

“I thought she had knight lights installed, where's the matches let's get the candles going again” he barked in the dark.

“Get my crystal ball” croaked Isabella, unable to get up where she had fallen.

“Oh right, why is that dark too? I can't see a thing..OWWWW!”

A loud crash and a bang with a foot stubbed, sending the man to the floor. Isabella clapped two times and the firefight resumed on the screen illuminating the lab who had fetched it in its mouth.

"I really gotta figure out to disable the screensaver" she mumbled.

“Bring it here Fido..Good boy” said Killin Hood retrieving the orb.

He flicked off the lives feed as the pilot was popping the pin on his next grenade overhead the big rig. The crystal ball switched to bright mode that lit the room like it was day. Isabella gasped before covering her mouth..

“What?” yelled Killin Hood beginning to turn.

Edward’s voice wheezed alive, breathing air forced through a tube hidden under the covers.

“Master your Queen is gone” Isebela gulped, almost taking an object to the dome.

Her hands had caught the crystal ball by instinct. Killlin Hood was already out of the room with his dog.