Keep calm...deep breaths…
The nervous blonde rubbed her arm, a habit she always had when she was anxious and she had a lot to be anxious about. She tugged at the ceremonial white robe she was wearing as she stood to the side looking out into the great hall before her. It was a grand room with a high ceiling and was only used for formal gatherings and ceremonies. It wasn't forbidden to enter the great hall at any other time but it was the only area of the compound that was mostly untouched. She took note of everyone gathered within the hall talking among themselves and paying her no mind.
The blonde took a breath and looked around at the other trainees around her who were also wearing white robes. She gave them all a sympathetic smile. They seemed just as nervous as she was based on their body language. She quickly looked away before any of them could maintain eye contact with her.
"Penny for your thoughts?" A soft voice spoke behind her, her violet eyes widened as she quickly turned to see another woman stood behind her. She was giving her an encouraging smile and her periwinkle blue eyes twinkled as she quickly brushed a strand of ginger hair out of her face.
"Oh, sorry Georgie I was just…" The blonde started to say as George laughed a little.
"Nervous?" Georgie questioned as the blonde's tanned face flushed pink, she quickly looked away trying to hide her embarrassment causing Georgie to laugh a little more. "I'm sorry Nina, I don't mean to sound horrible." She apologised sincerely as she took hold of Nina's hand and gave it a comforting squeeze.
Nina turned and looked at Georgie smiling a little, "don't worry about it, I know you weren't." She spoke up before a soft sigh escaped her. She looked Georgie right in the eye with a serious expression on her face. "Did you feel the same way when you were initiated?" She questioned.
Georgie let go of Nina's hand and nodded, "yeah, I did." She admitted the smile not leaving her face. "But it's natural, you're entering the next stage of your life and showing full commitment to our way of life. It's a time of celebration, embrace that." Nina listened intently to Georgie's words and took them on board, she gave her a nod and George placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, waiting is the hardest part, once everything gets underway, you'll be fine."
Nina opened her mouth to speak but she closed it again as silence filled the hall and everyone had sat down in their seats. After a few moments they stood and started chanting, Nina wasn't sure if she felt more nervous or less. It wasn't like she hadn't seen a ceremony like this before, even the young ones were encouraged to watch, it was supposed to motivate them in their training.
She listened to the chanting which calmed her nerves a little, Georgie gave her a nudge and a thumbs up as her way of saying good luck before she made her way to her seat and joined in the chanting. Nina took a deep breath and stepped forwards with the other recruits following behind her. They walked between the chanting people looking straight ahead of them trying to focus their nerves. They paused at the last set of seats as they saw a tall black-haired man stood at a table with a large decorative pot on top of it with a ceremonial goblet next to it. The man wasn't chanting with the others though his chocolate brown eyes were fixed on the group of anxious teens.
The chanting stopped and the man started to speak. "We're gathered here to celebrate the initiation of our newest recruits into our ranks. By completing their training they have earned the right to be full-fledged members of the Hunter's Mark."
There was a moment of silence as the man picked up the goblet and dipped it into the pot filling it with the liquid before pulling it out again and holding it gesturing for Nina to step forwards, as she did so he addressed her. "Nina, do you promise to protect humanity from any threat that is demonic and monstrous and in doing so upholding the Hunter's Mark creed?"
"I do," Nina answered sincerely as the goblet was handed to her. She grasped it in both hands keeping it as steady as she could.
"Then drink from the goblet and be blessed with the power that our founders bestowed upon us. The power to fight demons and monsters." The man told her as everyone in the room watched her stare at the goblet for a second before she drank it. Oddly enough it had tasted sweet, she figured that there may have been an ingredient added in to give it the sweet taste but only a handful were privileged with that knowledge. When the last drop was drunk she gently placed the empty goblet on the table. She felt strange, an almost warm sensation but it wasn't an unpleasant one. She clenched her fist as she felt herself becoming stronger.
"Welcome to the Hunter's Mark." The man spoke as the sound of clapping echoed throughout the hall. Nina looked out at the crowd and smiled a wave of relief washing over as she stepped away to the side and watched as one by one the other trainees stepped forwards and heard the same words spoken to her and watched as each one drank from a goblet followed by a round of applause. The ceremony ended with a final chant before Nina and the new initiates left the great hall, most of the crowd followed though a few remained to put everything away.
Later that evening Nina walked around the courtyard of the compound. It was something she always did every evening except when it was raining. The courtyard was enormous and was in full bloom with daisies, dandelions and other flowers. Nina had since removed her white robe revealing a black tank top, dark jeans and dark brown leather boots. She was never one to dress extravagantly believing that some types of clothing would slow her down. Some of the girls in the compound had tried to get her to wear outfits that stood out more but she always refused. On colder days she would wear a hoodie or a coat but this was an evening in midsummer and while there was a cool breeze it wasn't enough to warrant a jacket. Besides she enjoyed feeling the breeze against her skin.
She walked out of the courtyard away from the flowers and stopped by the railings looking out into the dimly lit street beyond. That street in particular was always quiet, while a few people would pass by it was a small street with mostly apartment buildings and only a few shops though the shops were old fashioned and generally closed early evening. The apartment buildings were gated and usually required a permit to enter. That evening there wasn't much foot traffic but Nina still liked to look out and watch the people walking by.
As a pastime it was mostly uneventful though at that moment she did a double take as a woman wearing a black cocktail dress and heels walked passed. She caught sight of the woman's green eyes flash yellow, Nina stepped back unsure of what she had seen, was she just imagining things? "Are you alright Nina?" A voice called out behind her, she quickly turned, coming face to face with Georgie and the black haired man who was at the ceremony.
"Yeah...I'm fine...just…" Nina uttered rubbing her arm again glancing back towards the street as the woman turned a corner and disappeared. She shook her head, "it's nothing..."
"Are you sure?" Georgie asked her, a concerned look on her face as she approached Nina, "you look a little flushed." She added as she reached out and placed her hand on Nina's forehead, the girl protested pushing Georgie's hand away. "Sorry...I was just checking, not everyone takes to the serum well at first. Fever is pretty common."
"Yeah...I remember being told that...but I'm OK really." She told the two as she gave Georgie an apologetic look.
"If you're sure," the ginger woman responded. "Damien and I figured that you'd be out here, you always seem to like the outdoors." She explained gesturing towards the black haired man who was with her.
Nina shook her head, "oh come on guys, am I really that predictable?" She demanded as the two of them nodded. "It was a rhetorical question…"
Damien chuckled as he stepped forwards, "being predictable isn't always a bad thing." He told her. "You still did well in your training."
Nina chuckled at that, "well I did have a good teacher." She remarked smiling at Damien. He was younger than most of the trainers there being only 31 years of age. She was surprised when she was partnered with him though he was always so kind to her and the other recruits acting like a big brother. Though he was stern when he needed to be and always kept her on her toes whilst training.
"So maybe I helped a little, but in the end it was all you." Damien remarked light heartedly before he pulled her in for a hug. "I'm proud of you, we both are."
Nina smiled and hugged him back, "don't worry master, I plan on still making you proud." She told him looking up at him to see a slightly disgruntled look on his face.
"Less of this master stuff, I'm not your trainer anymore." He stated as he released her, though the smile was soon back. "Besides, master makes me feel old."
"Before you make him even more paranoid about his age." Georgie piped up. "I've got something for you."
"What is it?" Nina asked curiously focusing her attention on Georgie now.
Georgie smiled and presented a new handgun and holster, the chrome shimmered in the light and Nina's name was etched into the side. "I hope you like it, I made it for you as a graduation present since I know you have a liking for handguns."
"I love it!" Nina exclaimed as she took hold of the gun and examined it. "It's nice to have one of my own and not having to rely on the training ones."
"I'm glad, I figured that you and the other initiates deserved something special." Georgie responded as she looked out into the street. "Quiet evening huh? Of course this part of town is always quiet so I'm not entirely surprised."
Nina put the gun in its holster and attached the holster to her belt. "Yeah...I was looking out earlier, saw a few people...not that many though." She paused for a moment before giving the two a serious look. "Hey...is it normal to see someone's eyes change colour?" She questioned.
"One of the effects of the serum is that it allows us to see through human disguises," Damien explained, so that was why she was so flushed before. "So don't be too surprised when you start seeing non-humans walking around."
Nina blinked confused, "but...isn't it our job to hunt demons and monsters?" She questioned as Damien and Georgie chuckled.
"Only the bad ones," Damien told her. "Most of them just want to live normal lives, though we're always close by to hunt down those who become a threat to humanity." He explained before he looked up at the sky. "Well we should all head inside, I'm sure you want to get some rest after today's excitement."
Nina nodded as she yawned, "yeah, some rest will be nice, I don't want to make a bad impression after being initiated."
"Glad to hear that." Georgie responded as she and Damien led the way into the building. "You'd think that things would be more exciting in a city like Arcadia." She remarked as the three went back inside exchanged goodnight messages and went their separate ways.
Nina made her way to her room and closed the door behind her. It wasn't a large room but it had a bed, a wardrobe for her clothes and a desk where she could study. It was a basic room but it was cosy and she was allowed to decorate it with personal things. She looked around at posters of her favourite heroes in films she had seen and figurines she had collected over the years. She removed the gun holster from her belt and placed it on the desk before she kicked her boots off and climbed into bed too tired to change out of her clothes. She lay down and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
The streets surrounding the Hunter's Mark compound were deathly quiet, though on the other side of town in a street known only as "Drunken Alley" was bustling with revellers visiting various nightclubs and bars on the street. Loud music echoed dimly as the door to one bar opened and a drunken woman stumbled out into the street holding her high heeled shoes. She looked around for a moment as she walked barefoot down the street. Despite being drunk she seemed nervous almost jumpy. She panicked as she saw the door to the bar she left open and a man stepped out, he looked around before locking eyes on her and started to run after her. With a scream she ran as fast as she could down the street stumbling as she ran.
She turned at a corner and ran down a dark alley with only a few sparsely placed lights. When she was far enough in she leaned against the wall breathing rapidly as she tried to get her heartbeat under control. She placed her hand over her mouth to silence herself as she saw the man stop at the mouth of the alley. He looked into the darkness before he stepped back and turned and continued his way down the main street.
With a sigh of relief she pushed herself away from the wall, but before she could even make a step she heard a low growling sound echoing in the alley. Her eyes widened as she looked around trying to find the sound but she couldn't see anything in the darkness. It was probably just a stray dog that had gotten lost. Composing herself she took a few tentative steps towards the alley entrance. Her blood ran cold as she heard the sound again closer this time. She quickly turned around hoping to catch what it was that was making the sound but again she saw nothing. Shaking her head she decided that it was just a figment of her drunken imagination and carried on walking, placing her hand on the wall for support.
As she walked her hand slipped against the wall grazing it, hissing in pain she pulled her hand from the wall and examined it for a brief moment. She would have to deal with it once she got home and sobered up. The woman jolted up right when she felt a breeze on the back of her neck. Except there was no wind blowing at that moment. The air she felt was warm, and smelled putrid making her gag. She heard the low growl again except this time she heard breathing, slow and rattly. Shaking with fear she slowly turned her head only to be greeted by blood red eyes that shimmered in the darkness staring hungrily at her. She stepped back in fright falling backwards as the figure in the shadow curled their unseen lips up revealing large sharp fangs. She shuffled away on the ground whimpering as the shadowy being crept forwards in the shadows. It stared her in the eyes before it lunged as a blood curdling scream echoed in the alley.
The sound of sirens could be heard as police cordoned off the alley, the mangled body was placed in a body bag and taken out of the alley by paramedics who placed it in an ambulance and drove towards the morgue. The remaining officers and crime scene techs examined the crime scene. It was brutal with blood splattered along the ground and the surrounding walls. It was unknown how much blood was there but it all belonged to the victim by the look of it.
A detective sighed as he examined the scene solemnly. "This has been the third attack in the space of a few days…" he uttered as he watched the techs doing their work. "Same MO as the others...we're likely looking at a serial killer here."
As the morning progressed police and crime techs went back and forth to the crime scene, gathering evidence, making sure that no civilians entered the crime scene and interviewing anyone who may have seen or heard anything but all they were told was that the only sounds that could be heard were low growls. For all they knew it could've been a dog attack, but a post mortem would give a clearer answer or so they hoped. In the meantime they just had to keep doing their job.
Damien's phone had been ringing off the hook all morning. He was pacing around his office talking on the phone, his facial expression turning to one of concern and annoyance for not being called in sooner. He was very stern and clear with the person he was speaking to.
There was a knock on the door and Damien saw Nina's face through the small window on the door. He silently beckoned for her to come in and she opened the door stepping inside. She went to sit down at the desk waiting patiently for Damien to finish his call.
"I'll make my way to the morgue, I plan on bringing an apprentice along with me." Nina heard him say. "Next time you suspect anything unnatural please call us in sooner rather than later. I'll be there soon." He then hung up and leaned on his desk rubbing his brow and letting out an exasperated sigh.
"Something wrong?" Nina asked him as she seemed uneasy by the conversation. What was that about a morgue?
Damien looked up at Nina, a solemn expression on his face. "There was an attack near "Drunken Alley" last night." He informed her. "Apparently it was the third attack in the space of a few days. The police didn't deem it fit to inform us until the police chief called. My guess is the mayor put pressure on him." He sighed and gave Nina an apologetic look. "I'm going to make my way to the morgue, examine the latest victim and the other victims to see if I can determine a cause. I'd like you to come with me."
Nina sat bolt up right in her chair, her eyes wide. "Me...I don't know...I've never been to a morgue before...is it normal for us?" She questioned her voice quivering.
Damien walked over to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "I know it's a lot to ask considering you were only just initiated." Damien whispered. "But I thought it might be good for you to get out into the field. It's not a trip to the morgue every time but sometimes in situations like this it's required. Best you get used to it now."
Nina looked down and listened to his words and nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Besides if a monster is going around killing people then it's our job to stop them."
"Of course." Damien responded as he stepped away and went to his desk. He opened the drawer and pulled his gun out and took some ammunition, normal and holy just in case. "Are you ready or do you need more time?" He asked her.
"I need to get a couple of things from my room." She told him as she stood up and headed for the door.
"Alright, meet me at the front entrance when you're ready and we can leave." He informed her as he followed her to the door and the two walked out of the office.
Nina made her way to her room and grabbed her gun holster with the gun inside and tied it to her belt. She opened the drawer in her desk and pulled out ammunition. All new initiates were given live ammunition for when they get called out into the field. She put normal and holy ammunition into a pouch on her belt and ran out of her room.
She arrived at the front entrance where Damien was already waiting for her. "Ready?" He asked her again and she nodded. He led her outside towards a white two seater car, he unlocked it and got into the driver's seat. Nina climbed into the passenger seat and once they were in Damien started the car and drove towards the morgue.
Nina sat in silence looking out the car window as she tried to settle her nerves. It wasn't something she was expecting but it would be something she'd have to get used to. She looked at Damien who was driving and she could see that he wanted to say something comforting but he wasn't really sure what to say.
"Any tips on how I can get through this?" She asked him hoping to break the tension but to also get some advice on how to handle a morgue visit.
Damien seemed thoughtful about this question, he was sympathetic having once been in the same boat as Nina. "Yeah, try to breath through your mouth, that way you won't be overwhelmed by the smell." He advised, "also if you feel the need to leave just say so. Even I can't stay in a morgue for too long." He admitted with a guilty smile.
Nina did her best to smile, there wasn't really much she could do to prepare but she found his advice helpful. "Thanks, I'll take it on board." She stated feeling her stomach drop as the car slowed to a stop. After a moment the two climbed out of the car and entered the building. They made their way to the reception desk and signed in as well as showing ID.
As they finished signing in a brown haired woman wearing scrubs and a lab coat greeted them. "Damien and Nina?" She called out to them. "My name is Dr Monroe, I'm the chief medical examiner and was charged with examining the victim." She introduced herself shaking Damien and Nina's hands. "I was informed that you would be examining the victim as well as earlier victims."
Damien smiled at Dr Monroe and nodded, "that's right, the chief believed that we might be able to provide a fresh perspective on the cause of death."
"Well I've never seen anything like it in all the years I was chief medical examiner." She admitted. "A fresh perspective would be welcomed. Are you ready?" She asked them, Nina nervously nodded. "Is this your first time?" She asked.
"Yeah…" Nina answered quietly. "I hope that's not a bad thing."
Dr Monroe shook her head and gave Nina a friendly smile. "Not at all, we all start somewhere. Even the most veteran police officers aren't completely used to the morgue. You'll do fine, shall we go?"
Damien nodded and Dr Monroe led the two down the hall, the walls were white and very clinical. Nina could smell mint and alcohol from the hand sanitisers along the wall. She found herself becoming more nervous. Several people in lab coats walked passed reading notes and paying them no mind. After what seemed like hours for Nina they came to a stop outside a set of double doors. Dr Monroe stood in front of the door. "I should warn you, what you'll see in there is brutal. Are you prepared for this?" She asked them both.
Damien nodded, "this isn't the first time I've seen bodies in horrible conditions." He stated before he gestured to Nina. "Though it's her first time."
Dr Monroe turned her attention to Nina, "if you need to come away at any time, please let me know." She told her kindly.
"Thanks, I will." Nina responded grateful that Dr Monroe was understanding, she was probably used to new people being uneasy. "I think I'm ready."
Dr Monroe opened the door and held it for Damien and Nina. Damien stepped inside followed by Nina who was fighting the fluttery feeling in her stomach as Dr Monroe released the door letting it close behind them.