Steve opened his mouth to intervene but Hunter's glare cut him off. "I'm trying to be emotional here.. So maybe. Don't fucking kill the vibe dumbass.."

Steve frowned in confusion. But stayed quiet otherwise.

Clearing his throat again, he continued "Ah, so yeah.. She was more than that.." he blinked as he tried bringing the pain filled emotion back into his voice, but gave up when he couldn't. "Screw it.. "

Steve groaned and subtly indicated that he was getting impatient.

Smirking Hunter started again.

Stop it you pussy, stop avoiding it.

A grimace crossed his face but disappeared as fast as it came.

"Okay, so if i'm being honest.. Her memory is more like a constant burden and weight on my shoulders.." he said. "Like someone stabbing at my conscience all the time.."

But his voice wavered.

"What do you mean?"

Hunter was enveloped with painful memories but he swallowed and spoke carefully "Well.. How about I tell you a little story?" he asked with a broken smile.

The man nodded slowly unsure what to expect anymore.

"Well.. I guess it all began when I was 13 years old.."

++

"Ah! You must be Stephani Sen! Ah and you must be the famous Hunter Sen..!" A huge but friendly looking man greeted the pair at the gate of the massive building.

"Yes. Nice to meet you Mr. Sergey." Hunter's mom said formally. But the man grinned charmingly, "Call me Sneddon, after all we'll be working together for some time"

Hunter stood emotionless on the side. Waiting. His face, a mask of calm dominance.

The man who called himself Sneddon glanced at Hunter and smiled. Hunter stared back, un blinking.

Sneddon looked slowly back at Hunter's mom, and clasped his hands together, "Shall we?" He gestured and the three walked in.

...

Hunter walked inside, his heart thudding in his chest. In truth, he was very nervous.. But he couldn't show that. If he did, his mother would be furious.

Hunter slipped into his head as the adults whispered among themselves.

...

"Your son is beautiful. A creature sculpted by the gods themselves" Sneddon murmured.

"He is, isn't he?" She smiled back.

"Are you sure that such a fine creature should take on this horrifying job?"

"Yes, you may not realize it, but this boy is a weapon that no one can control"

"I don't understand?"

"He will protect whoever it may be, with his life."

"A-ah.. I see.."

"Mr. Sneddon, I assure you Eilys Driscoll Sergey, is in good hands."

"But he has only been in for a year maybe two..!"

"Do you want this or not?"

"Yes.."

"Then it's settled."

...

Hunter glanced up when he felt eyes on him. 

Looking up, he caught Sneddon's gaze. This time, he smirked at the man, relishing the look of shock that registered on the mans face.

Suddenly the man gestured at his mom and then slowly fell back and into step with Hunter.

"So you are the Hunter eh?" The man asked, attempting small talk.

Hunter looked at him momentarily, sizing him up, then grumbled. "Unfortunately.. That is what they call me, yes."

The man grinned, "Well! I'm glad it's the Hunter that's on my--" Suddenly he stopped when Hunter growled.

"Don't. Call me. The Hunter..! My name is Hunter! Not THE Hunter. Just HUNTER!" he snarled at the man.

"Ah, s-sorry! I will make sure to call you Hunter now." The man stammered, surprised.

...

Hunter gasped in fear when he heard his mother's footsteps..

"Hunter. Sen. You have been a bad boy.. And what does that mean?" She seethed.

Hunter went rigid at what she was implying. But then he bowed his head and lifted his shirt. Trembling in fear at what was about to happen.

His back tensed, trying to figure out where she would hit him, but that was impossible. And that point was proven when he heard the soft whistle of her hand coming down.

...

The impact of the slap forced Hunter onto his knees. He yelped into his hand as tears welled in his eyes. Although he blinked rapidly until they disappeared.

But the stinging pain remained.

"Stand up, you know the drill." his mother said carelessly.

Hunter's senses told him that the man was just watching. And he began to loathe him, and he began to loathe his daughter too.

The apple never falls far from the tree and he knew that.

But he got up, lifting his shirt again, he could already feel the handprint forming on his shoulder blade.

This time, he arched his back, hoping it would somehow lessen the pain.

But if anything, it made it worse..

He cried out as she slapped him in the same place, again he was knocked onto his knees. But he quickly bit down on his knuckles to shut himself up.

He heard her tap her foot impatiently, and quickly got into a standing position. 

Without waiting for her to actually say it, he turned and looked at the man observing them.

"Sorry for shouting at you Mr. Sneddon Driscoll Sergey." He grimaced when he accidentally said the man's middle name.

"You may hit him for that." Hunter's mother said sweetly. "He belongs to you for as long as it is required. What you do to him from now till then is up to you."

Hunter snapped his head to his mom then back at the man.

His cold and calculating look suddenly irritated Sneddon and the man nodded briskly at his mom who seemed visibly relieved that she wouldn't have to deal with Hunter for a while.

...

"Are the arrangements made?" Sneddon asked, before grabbing Hunter's still throbbing shoulder and squeezing it. Hard.

Hunter groaned into his teeth at the pain but kept his face emotionless. This apparently displeased the man.

So instead he slapped him hard twice, and both of them were in the same place his mother had hit him.

Sneddon didn't use enough force to make him fall, but rather stumble forward. But it was enough to tear a cry out of his throat.

...

"Well, I see you have gotten the hang of it!" His mother said cheerily, "And yes. The arrangements have been made. He will join your daughter at school."

"Good. Thank you so much for this." Sneddon said as she turned and stalked out of the door.

Hunter watched her back until the door blocked her from view.

...

Sneddon cleared his throat, making Hunter whap around and stand at attention. "Good. Now let's go meet my princess! Shall we?"

Hunter made no move of replying and the man scowled "You will reply when spoken to, boy. Or else there will be dire consequences."

Hunter grinned a grin full of hate. "But of course.. Sir."

The man balked at the strange feeling of evil dominance that emanated from the boy, but then shook his head and led the way.

...

After a bit of walking, the two were met by a lady and a girl that could be none other than Eilys Driscoll Sergey--

++

Hunter was interrupted.

"Is that Her..?" Steve asked with a look of such strong sadness.

And when Hunter looked at him properly he realised that the man was feeling upset about the treatment he had gotten as a child.

"I'll tell you if you'd be kind enough not to interrupt?" He said with a pointed look.

"Sorry.."

"Shut up."

"Yep..!"

"So, anyways.."

++

The girl looked shy, nervous and excited all at the same time. She kept glancing at him, then when he'd meet her gaze she'd blush and look away.

...

Around that time Hunter had begun noticing the effect he had on girls, and it pleased him.

And he also discovered that smiling or smirking made them get all flustered. So he worked his magic on this new girl in front of him..

...

"Good morning princess!" Sneddon chirped as he hugged his wife and daughter in turn. Then he turned to face Hunter who was standing where he had been left.

Hunter was too deep in his own mind to realize that the man was looking at him expectantly, and when he finally snapped out of it, it was a little too late.

The moment Hunter locked eyes with the man, he knew that there would be repercussions... Painful ones..

Hunter gulped when the man stalked towards him. There was annoyance written all over it.. 

When the man finally stood in front of him, Hunter kept his eyes to the side.

Sneddon bent down to Hunter's level and hissed in his ear, "You know the drill." He then rose back to his complete height.

Hunter reared back in anger, "You're not my mother." He made sure that his voice was emotionless, no disrespect.

But the man just got even more angry.

Then he suddenly smiled, "Your mother sold you to us for some time okay?.. You, little brat, are making money by listening to us. So now, you know. The drill."

Hunter sniffed but his face remained blank.

"Ah, and I want you to face the beautiful ladies.!" The man said cruelty encasing his words.

Hunter obliged with no resistance. But he kept his eyes down. He then took a deep breath "How many?"

"3" The man stated.

Hunter whimpered into his mouth, but then he closed off his emotion and his breathing became more regulated. Then he lifted his shirt up to his neck, waiting for the sting that was due.

"Good boy." Sneddon said as he lifted his hand and then with a whistle, brought it down onto his shoulder blade.. Again.. The same one that had been hit 4 times already..

The force knocked him to his knees again.

Hunter howled but stopped himself halfway. Forcing his face to turn expressionless. Then he stood up again, lifting his shirt.

Through his throbbing ears, he heard Eilys cry out in shock and with that her mother's sharp intake of breath.

Then he heard the distinct whistle of Sneddon's hand.

He was on his knees again.

Hunter gasped as his entire arm and shoulder began tingling and burning, the pain making him light headed.

...

"Татко! Спри се! Защо го нараняваш!? Татко!! Спри!" The young girl cried as Hunter stood up for the final slap.

"Shush Eilys! Татко isn't hurting him" the man said off-handedly " And either way.. The boy is ours for the time being." 

Sneddon smiled warmly, "Yours actually! So if you want to discipline him, slap him! It won't hurt him. He's used to it." The man said too happily for anything he was implying.

At the end of that, Hunter heard the final whistle and felt the man's hand stamp its print onto his shoulder like a hot iron.

"AGK!!" he cried as he once again got forced onto the floor. But this time he stayed down rocking in pain as he scratched at the pulsing hand print.

"NOT HURTING HIM? LIAR!" the girls voice oared out followed by her receading footsteps. She'd left.

"Sneddon .. Какво мислиш, че правиш! ТОЙ Е ДЕТЕ! НЕ ОБЕКТ! Най-накрая ли си загубихте ума!?" A sweet voice snapped. And suddenly Hunter felt tears on his shoulder.

Looking up he noticed Sneddon's wife crying in front of him, but the pain was far too distracting.

"И тогава учиш дъщеря си да прави същото? Срам ме е от теб!" She growled as she grabbed Hunter into a protective embrace.

"Excuse me? What do you mean, have I finally lost my mind?! And I know he is a child! But his mother said that was how you disciplined him!" Sneddon snapped back at her.

"And I am only telling my daughter what is best for her!" at his wife's disgusted look he began to melt.

"All I am saying, is that if he does something she dislikes, she slaps him! What's wrong with that!" He spluttered.

The woman guided Hunter up into his feet and moved to stand in front of him. "Защо говориш на неговия език?"

"Ma'am, I understand what y..you are saying.. So either w..way.. " Hunter said carefully standing back at attention.

She looked down at him and smiled kindly. "I see." Then with a disgusted glare at her furious husband, she held his hand and led him away.

Suddenly the man called out his name. And he turned around as a force of disciplinary habit.

"Slišal sem, da govoriš tudi slovensko ... Torej, v tem primeru poslušaj tukaj, baraba ... Ti. Volja. Obžalovanje. To." Then the man turned and walked away.

Unintentionally, Hunter's hand tensed and the woman noticed. She pulled him towards her gently and knelt down onto one knee.

"What.. What did he said to you?" She asked in weak english. "Sorry for my English.. It is not much strong.." she said shyly.

...

Hunter looked around and slowly pulled away from her. He grabbed himself in a self hug and whimpered.

"You can cry.. Don't have it inside.. It's okay.." She murmured as she held Hunter's face, he looked her in the eyes, seeing true kindness for the first time.

He rubbed his cheek into her hand and sank onto his knees as tears began rolling down his face. She looked at him with saddened eyes and let him cry.

...

After a while Hunter jerked away. "Sorry, I-I am so so sorry! You can slap me. That was unethical.. I will accept any punishment..!" He cried as he scrambled to lift his shirt.

The woman gasped in hurt surprise at his behaviour. "Why would I do this?!" she cried as she pulled his shirt back down.

Hunter gave her the most puzzled look but she just shook her head. She held his hand gently and walked with him to another room.

"I swear never I hit you. I will no let Sneddon hit you either!" she said with firm enthusiasm.

Hunter looked at her then looked away. She interpreted that as bashfulness. He meant it as a show of disbelief.

...

Soon enough, they entered a room that may as well have belonged to a princess. Hunter realised straight away that he was dealing with people that made bank.

...

"Hunter, this my daughter.." She motioned to the girl who apparently hadn't noticed their presence.

Then when she did, she shrieked and ran to him clasping him in an embrace.

Hunter stiffened and his panic began to rise, his heart began throbbing out of his chest. But the girl pulled away before he could break down completely.

She was completely unaware.

"Sorry, I am so sorry! My Татко has anger issues.. I am so sorry. Thank god you are okay..!" The girl whispered as she held his arms.

"It's okay, I get it a lot at home.. So it's fine.. It's not that different.." Hunter replied lightly as he pulled away.

Eilys realized what she was doing and moved back, blushing. The mother figured now was a good time to intervene.

"Ah, so Eilys this Hunter! Hunter, this Eliys! Hunter is your bodyguard from now up till end of your year.!" Mrs. Sergey chirps happily at the kids.

Hunter nodded politely while Eliys groaned and stalked to her bed. At this the mom let loose a heartbroken facial expression, thinking she hid it well but Hunter noticed.

He didn't get to say anything because she spoke again.

"Alright! I leave you two alone to know each other better.." she paused and then with a suggestive smile said, "Ah and no funny things.!" then she left.

...

"Okay, so.. That got awkward really fast.." the girl mumbled covering her face.

When Hunter gave no reply she peeked through her fingers. 

For a moment she watched as he marveled at her room, then with a sense of shock she watched as tears welled in his eyes.

Her eyes widened and she was about to go to him when fear crossed Hunter's eyes, his tears disappeared with his grimace.. And a smile so obviously fake, drifted into its place.

...

Hunter noticed that she was watching him and swallowed. His eyes pleading and Hunter knew she got the message.

"Okay, so are you gonna make it more awkward by just standing there and being silent?" She asked with a laugh.

Hunter flinched but laughed as well.

"See? There you go! That's more like the guy I saw walk in with Татко!" Eilys grinned as he smiled at her.

"Yeah, the same guy that made you blush too many times to count?" He smirked when she blushed again--

++

Hunter was about to continue when Steve groaned. So he stopped and gave the man a skeptical look, "What?"

Steve rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed, "So you've been like that with girls since you were 13.."

Hunter's eyes widened and he laughed. "I guess, you could say that.. Well at least you know now so in case--"

Steve cut him off with an animated flail of his arms, "Do not even go there boy. She is not dating anyone until she's 69. And that's final." Steve ended with a puff of his chest.

Hunter cocked his brow at Steve.

Steve cocked his own back at him.

"You're done right?" Hunter asked.

Steve blinked "Y-yes"

"Okay, so can I continue?"

"What?"

"The story?"

"Huh?- Oh! Shit of cour--"

"Good now shut the fuck up."

"Damn oka--!"

"And stop interrupting me."

Steve just nodded.

++

"Sh-shut up! At least I didn't get slap--" She gasped the moment she realised what she had said. "W-wait I'm so sorry I didn't mean that! I'm really sorry!"

...

In an instant Hunter's gaze turned to ice and his face became a mask of hate. He closed his eyes as he felt the girl watch him shut himself off.

Hunter knew she had realised by then that she had planted a seed of pure hate into his heart. And a seed grows unless it dies or is killed.

"Where are you going?" Eilys asked weakly as he walked towards the door.

"Ah, I would just like to confirm with your mother where I will be staying for the year, master. Is that alright?" Hunter asked, his previously casual voice turned purely formal.

"Please..?" she begged. "I'm sorry.."

"Pardon? Is there an issue?" Hunter asked feigning ignorance, and when he looked at her she just shook her head, so he turned and left the room.

...

Standing in the hallway he swallowed his shame. He shouldn't have embarrassed her like that. He would have to ask to be punished.

Hunter shook his head and wandered aimlessly through the hallway, trying to listen for the sweet ladies delicate footfalls or feathery breaths.

He caught the sound and turned in that direction.

...

Making sure that he was walking carefully in order to keep track of the sound, he turned a corner..

But he was so focused on his walking that he only caught the change in the pattern of footsteps when it was too late.

...

Hunter's breath hitched in his throat when he realized he was looking up at the cruel Sneddon himself.

The man's eyes widened for a moment then turned into an evil squint, "Ah, look who I happened to bump into again eh?"

Hunter gulped and stumbled backwards, fear pulsing in his veins. 

His eyes snapped to the man's hand then back to his eyes.

But when he saw the pleased smile floating on the man's lip, he pushed his emotions aside and his face immediately became calm.

"Ah, yes I was not expecting to see you so soon Mr. Sneddon." Hunter replied politely. Again this seemed to displease the man. But it wasn't a good enough reason to hit him.

"Where are you off to then young man?" Sneddon sneered, false kindness dripping off his voice.

"To see the kind lady, sir." Hunter replied.

"Oh! So you think you're good enough to see my wife whenever you want eh?! No.. No no no! This is not the way." The man snarled.

Hunter gulped and stepped back instinctively.

"Oh no. Don't walk away now.. You know the drill." The man hissed.

"P-Please! I-I didn't mean for her to yell at you! I swear that was not my intention!" Hunter cried dread lacing his words like a web.

"Well you should have thought about that when you began rocking on the floor. Too bad you didn't, now pay the price" Sneddon growled angrily.

Hunter balked from fear but complied. It was true. He really had made a scene. So technically he deserved the punishment.

So with a stifled whimper he turned and lifted his shirt for the third time that day, and hissed when the fabric rubbed against his shoulder blade.

It was still throbbing and Hunter begged whoever was up there listening, that the man wouldn't hit him on the same spot.

But..

++

Hunter swallowed as he remembered the pain. It was so vivid in his mind that it may as well have happened just then.

"Hunter?" Steve said tentatively.

Shaking his head he laughed as he proceeded to rub his eyes. "Yeah sorry just remembering stuff."

"Are you sure you want to keep going?"

"Yeah yeah I'm fine, now shush."

++

..The creatures of the heavens-- if there were any such things-- never helped him before, so he didn't expect them to help him now.

And right he was to expect as such.

Sneddon placed a hand on Hunter's stinging shoulder and pressed it, hard. Chuckling when a groan escaped Hunter's mouth. He squeezed once more then let go.

"I need you to.." Sneddon looked around, thinking about something, then when he got it he grinned and continued, "Yes I want you to use the railing to hold yourself up."

Hunter's eyes widened in panic, but again he complied, holding the railing as he'd been instructed, except his shirt fell back down when he did.

"Take it off." Sneddon snapped impatiently.

Hunter took it off and resumed his position on the railing.

"How many?" he whispered weakly.

"Three times again." The man replied.

Hunter tapped his head on the railing in fear. But stood tall again when Sneddon cleared his throat.

Tensing his back, Hunter waited for the shock.. 

Then it came.

The slap landed right on his stinging shoulder blade throwing Hunter to the ground onto his knees, and tearing a guttural cry from his throat.

++

"C-can I continue.. S-some other day?" Hunter whispered shakily as his head filled with the pain of his memory.

"Of course you can!" Steve cried in surprise.

"Okay.."

"Yeah!"

...

"I'll walk you out"

"Thank you."

The two got up off the floor and made their way to the front door again. 

...

As they walked the air around them was thick with a sense of gloom.

Hunter glanced at Steve and sighed when the man's thoughts rushed into his head.

Steve's mind was filled with a sense of despair and as Hunter continued to watch him, the despair slowly turned into anger towards the man from Hunter's memory.

Hunter was about to smile and tell Steve to relax because that was all in the past, when suddenly the man was filled with a sense of disgust.

...

Towards me..