Ian sat alone in the cafeteria, not wanting to grab any attention. Bunch of tables lined up, row by row and his table was on the bottom right corner. The smell of spaghetti sauce filled the room, making the white plain environment little bit more lively. Ian focused on finishing his meal but suddenly stopped. He noticed Dr Buck coming his way with her lunch tray. He frowned a little and went back on finishing his meal.
"Mind if I join you?" said Dr Buck. Ian expression remained cold as he replied, "I don't own the place."
Buck joined in after hearing this, taking a seat opposite to Ian's. Ian didn't look at her way, just chewed his food in a manner which reminded Susan Buck of a squirrel.
"So, what did the director called you for?" asked Susan; trying to start a conversation.
Ian swallowed, took a sip of water and answered, "I am getting a partner."
Susan made a funny expression trying to hold her laughter down. Nothing Ian's frown she calmed herself down. "Okay... Okay, who is it?"
"Damien Hunt."
"Damien Hunt... who?"
"Damien Hunt, Mark's son," stated Ian before taking another sip.
"Mark Hunt? Your mentor?" Susan asked. She heard Ian talking about his mentor earlier. Wanting to find out more about Mark, she asked other hunters but they didn't know anything regarding Mark. He wasn't even in the DE official records. By this, she knew, whoever Mark is; his identity is very secretive.
"So, what do you know about this Damien?" asked Susan furthering the conversation.
Ian replied, "He is a skilled marksman, good striker, a newbie as Mark kept him hidden from the Otherside and Dark Eye for years." He went back on fishing the last remaining of his meal.
Susan's eyes widened as exclaimed, "A hunter with no experience with you! THAT'S CRAZY! What is your mentor thinking?!"
Finishing his meal, Ian replied, "Calm down, he has all the basic hunter training. He also claimed some remarkable hunts in this short time namely; a flesh Jacket, wendigo, two skinwalkers and a Grootslang."
"A Groortslang?!"
"A Grootslang."
Susan was shocked to hear that a newbie was able to take on a Grootslang. Their serpentine body with lizard-like claws; and elephant-like head with shark-like teeth. Their hide is so tough that most bullets cannot pierce them. A newbie taking on a Gootslang isn't something you normally hear.
Susan looked at Ian's stoic expression and continued, "You got a nice partner then."
"He would at the most persist two hunts with me," Ian stated.
"Oh, but this Damien sounds pretty though."
"Then I will break him."
Susan smiled and asked, "You don't want a partner?"
"I don't need one," Ian replied with a hint of annoyed look on his face. Ian picked his plate and left the table before saying, "I know what you are trying to do Susan, but I don't need your help."
"But Ian..." Susan interjected.
"I am okay. Again, I don't need your help." Ian interjected and left. Susan had a worried look on his face as she watched Ian leaving the cafeteria.
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Ian was where he usually is during this time. Punching bags hanging, exercise machines, striking human figures, it was the hunters training room. He started his warmups with pushups, situps and planks. He hated to sit in one place for too long, adrenalin was his drug. He performed some penetration steps, moving back and forth in a small space like a shark locked in a cage. He shadowboxed imaginarily opponents until his adrenaline started flowing in him. He threw roundhouse kick at the air and spun around. He hated doing nothing while he was awake. Adrenalin was his drug.
He got off the circle and moved toward the black punching bag. Slightly bouncing on toes and landed a blow. Then another blow... and another.... and another. The bag was pushed back, it came swinging back towards Ian. Ian was ready with a strong footing, ready to land another blow. Then...
he didn't. The bag along with faded away. The world became dark with the only source of light being the Blood Moon in the sky. The punching bag turned into a dark demonic figure with a large grin, it's eyes and gaping mouth emitted red crimson light.
Shocked by this, Ian fell on his bottom. He could feel the eyes leering at him through the darkness. Ian could feel the creature's grin mocking him. He had seen the figure years ago, now it appeared again. Ian jumped back on his two feet, fear and shock taken over by pure rage. He gritted his teeth and landed a strong strike at the creature's face. He could feel it being pushed back. He landed another blow but not it felt that it passed through it. Ian in rage didn't stop and punched again and again. The same pattern was displayed, a hit and passed through. Ian rage reached its peak. Every part of his soul released Jiva that flowed through a network with a circuit-like pattern in his body. Gathering in his abdomen and then spending through his body into every muscle.
Ian's muscles tensed and he landed one final blow. The creature broke from the middle and was thrown back. The environment faded and turned back to what it previously was. The same training room. Ian looked around, everyone staring at him. The punching bag was against the wall few meters away, tore opened; sand flowed out of it. Ian dropped on his knees panting. He clenched his fists and walked out of the training room while everybody else just stared at him.
One of the hunters tried to stop him and asked, "Hey, dude are you okay?"
"I am fine," Ian replied and walked away.
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Back in his room's bathroom. Ian stated at his reflection on the bathroom's mirror. Looking directly in its eye. Ian's reflection didn't change but his reflection did. His reflection had a huge grin on his face which keep spreading until his cheeks tore and blood flowing from them.
Ian punched the mirror, shattering the mirror. The abnormal reflection disappeared, replaced with Ian's real shattered reflection. Broken just like he was.