A few hours later in the Conference Room...
Damian awoke slowly to find that he was laying down on a mat in an unknown room. His right arm had been bandaged up and placed in a sleeve, he was still shirtless. He rose up slowly, when a voice called out to him.
"Hey hey hey, easy there. Your arm is still healing, don't use pressure on it."
Damian looked back and saw Anne, now making her way towards him. As she grabbed a chair to sit down next to him, he asked her what was going on.
"...Huh? Anne? Where am I... this doesn't look like your office..." he said, still waking up.
"It isn't. We're the conference room in the back of the gym. You can only get here through the backdoor of the building." she replied.
"...So a secret room? Why would you need that for a gym?" he asked.
"You'll know soon enough. But first, we have other problems to address. How's the arm, feeling any pain? soreness? aches?" she questioned.
"Uhh... not really. Although... I can't really feel it at all. It's so numb..."
"Numbness? Huh... interesting... I don't think that's supposed to be a side effect..." she noted.
"Side effect? Side effect of what? What'd you do to me?"
Anne sat there for a few moments, silent. She looked like she was contemplating something.
"Hey. Answer me. What'd you do to me?" Damian asked her again.
Anne took a deep breath and broke her silence.
"Damian. Before I tell you anything, I need you to promise me you won't tell anybody outside the employees and me about what I'm gonna say here. Do you understand?" she asked, seriously.
Damian sat straight up and just nodded his head.
"I'm a Vitality User. A rather capable one at that. One use of my power is being able to heal injuries or wounds, and that's what I used on you. The healing is not instant, however. It can only kickstart and speed up the process. Depending on the damage, it'll be a while before you're fully recovered. If I had to make a guess for you... that arm should be back to normal in a week. Tess on the other hand, probably a few days. You landed one hell of a punch on her." she told him.
Damian took in all the information, he wasn't surprised about the news of her Vitality thanks to Oborus's warning earlier. However, he was surprised that Tessa had actually gotten hurt because of the hit.
"Shit... I really did hurt her... sorry about that. It's just-" Damian was then suddenly cut off by Anne.
"I know. She offended you. I heard everything, about you and why her attitude was so angering to you. Listen... I'm not an expert or anything on societal issues like the ones you said, but I can understand where you were coming from. Though, I don't think Tess was trying to offend you, at least in the way you think. She's always been imperious, at least towards people she sees as weaker than her. The thing is, you're really the only person I've seen that stood up to her when she's like that. Especially in the manner you did. She didn't really know how to react and may have come across as ignorant at times. I could tell, compared to how she normally fights, she was totally uncomfortable. So, try not to hold it against her, okay? I'm fairly certain she got the message." Anne told him.
Damian sat still, staring at the wall ahead of him. He eventually let out a sigh and spoke up.
"...Yeah, I guess you're right."
"Great. Now, it's my turn for questions. Damian, you're a Vitality User as well, aren't you?"
Damian perked up, surprised. For a moment, he thought he had been figured out as the creature on the CCTV. But before he could jump to conclusions, he decided to figure out what Anne meant by her question.
"Uh, I'm pretty sure that I'm not... I've never been at all actually. Why are you asking?"
"C'mon, no need to be so secretive. I just told you that I'm a User too. I'm not gonna tell anybody, so spill." she demanded.
"I just told you... I'm not a User. I never put in the time nor effort to do something like that. I'm just a random dude, that's all there is to it." he insisted.
"A random dude, huh. Pretty sure random dudes don't have punches strong enough to rupture somebody's abdominal muscles. Muscles that belong to a strong Vitality User like Tess, in particular."
"...What? Wait a sec... repeat that?" Damian was caught off guard by the news.
"You heard me. She's a user too. As a matter of fact, all the instructors are. Tess is actually the strongest among them as well. And you managed to inflict that kind of damage on her."
Damian sat there for a moment, speechless. But then, he remembered back to before the fight started.
"Fuuck... now I remember... Oborus told me about that. Damn, I fucked myself over... but hang on-" before Damian could finish his thoughts, Anne spoke up.
"Just tell me. It's important that I know you're a User. Nobody outside me and the instructors will know about it, and we sure as hell wont tell anybody about it. It's okay."
"...Listen, honest to god, on my life. I have never had a Vitality nor have I ever trained for it. I don't got a clue how I did that punch, maybe your girl had a slip up or something. Either that or I just have a cannon of an arm. You may not believe it, but I know what I am." he answered her.
Anne sighed in disappointment and looked up at the ceiling. She looked like she was thinking to herself for a bit, clearly looking like she had more to say. As she pondered, Damian stood up from the mat and went to grab his shirt, which had been sitting neatly on a chair by the wall.
"...Where are you going?" Anne asked.
"Leaving. Based on what happened today, I'm just gonna go ahead and assume that I didn't get the job. I caused y'all enough trouble already, so I'm 'outta here before I start more." he replied.
"Wha-? No no no, you stay. I'm not finished talking to you yet." she ordered.
"But what's the point...? You don't even believe me, and I'm just gonna keep saying the same fuckin' thing because it's true. If you're worried about me telling the world that y'all are Vitality Users, trust me, I wont. 'Cause I'm not one to really care about that. As long as your not tryna fuck over innocent people, then it's whatever." Damian said, as he grabbed his shirt and headed for the door.
"Damian. Stay. We're not done here." Anne ordered, commandingly.
Her words made Damian stop in his tracks. He turned around slowly, a slightly annoyed look on his face. At this point, Anne was now standing up straight. She began walking towards Damian.
"I never said you didn't get the job. As a matter of fact, I'll give you your results right now. For the interview with me, I've seen better resumés. But you gave solid answers and displayed competence throughout my questioning. You passed on that front. As for the combat portion, your technique was lacking. You're too wild and chaotic, which may work for some, but we preach fluidity and organization in our instruction. We mold professionals here, not street fighters."
Damian spoke up, "Exactly, so why-" but before he could continue, Anne stopped him.
"I'm not finished yet. Now, as I was saying, we normally turn down those who don't fit our preferred technique. I was about to do the same for you, until you dropped our number one instructor to the ground with a single punch. That has never happened to her before, at least since I've known her. I'd be a complete dumbass to ignore that kind of power because your technique was off."
Damian's face shifted from slightly annoyed to a slight surprise, as he realized what that meant.
"So, here's the deal, you're hired. The job will start this Monday. You'll be paid the same $20 an hour as promised. However, you won't be an instructor. Instead, you'll be my assistant and a janitor when needed. You'll work from 7 to 4, with 20 available days for vacation in a year. In addition, you must attend a private one-on-one combat class with me or one of our instructors once per week."
"Wait, what? Why do I have to do that? You said I was just gonna be an assistant, not an instructor."
"Because I want to get to the bottom of whatever the hell that punch is. Like I said, I'm not just gonna ignore that power. Whether it's a Vitality or not, I want to know a lot more about it." she said, as she headed towards the door to leave.
Anne walked up to the door and opened it. But before she walked out, she turned to Damian to say one last thing.
"Also, I have a proposition for you. One that requires you to be a skilled fighter. Although, I would need to consult the others about it first. I have your number, so I'll call you when I'm ready. Goodbye for now, don't be late this Monday, got it?" she then walked out into the hall, leaving the door open for him to leave as well.
Damian stood still for a few moments, before deciding to head over to the chair by the wall and sit down.
"Fuck... that's enough for one day." he muttered to himself, running low on energy.
"Finally. Damian, we need to talk."
Oborus's voice rung through Damian's head, startling him and causing him to slip out of his seat a little.
"Jesus, dude. What the fuck? Why do you always have to speak so suddenly? Can't you just let me know beforehand?" he accidently spoke out loud, due to the surprise.
"My apologies, but we really need to talk. It's an important matter, and it has to do with you. Do you have a moment to spare? It wont be very long, I promise."
Damian sat back up in his chair, adjusting himself and then leaning back.
"Fine, go ahead. But please, for the sake of my health, stop with the sudden declarations and shit. Gonna give me a fuckin' heart attack." he said, this time through his mind.
"Thank you, I'll try to keep this brief. Damian, there is something off about your Spiritual Energy. The way it flows through your body, the way it reacts, it's an anomaly."
"Is it? But I don't feel any different. I mean... I feel a little more exhausted than usual, but that's only because I just had a fight. What's so anomalous about that?"
"There actually might be a reason for that. Let's take your fight for example, you see, a normal Energy flow would allow for the being to remain cool and have endurance. Thus, allowing them to fight longer and smarter. However in your case, your flow didn't do that. I made the observation as you were in combat. For some reason, it actually heightened your emotions, as well as sacrificing endurance for instant power."
"...Heightened emotions and power...? That sounds a lot like your transformation, don't it? What if it's just your flow that you're mistaking it for?"
"My flow doesn't function as such either. In a fight, my Energy would allow me to remain calm, and focus on precise and powerful strikes to end the fight immediately. As for the bond transformation, you're right in that it shares a similar flow to you. That is because both our Energies combine within it. However, the irregularities with your flow are covered up by mine, so it hasn't been brought to my attention until now."
"Covered up? No way, you're telling me that thing's emotion wasn't alarming to you? It acts like a damn psycho... you didn't realize that something may've went wrong there?"
"It is possible to be chaotic in nature, yet still have focus. Remember our attacks that night? The being may have seemed erratic, but every single movement was highly precise and calculated. Every fight ended as soon as it began, every jump and dash was quick and perfectly timed. As a matter of fact, I originally thought the being's rather loud temperament was a result of my own nature, not yours. So I never assumed that your flow was in any way different compared to the normal."
"...So lemme' get this straight, because of the way my energy flows, I can't fight as efficiently on my own? And the psycho's attitude is caused because of that flow as well?"
"To put it simply, yes."
"Lovely. But you're missing something pretty fuckin' important as well. You said you watched the fight, you know what I'm talking about. How the hell did I make that punch? What happened to me?"
"...That I am still unsure of, regrettably. The only theory that comes to mind so far is... that your Spiritual Energy itself manifested into strength."
"...Isn't that just, a Vitality being awakened? Did I-"
"Not quite. At least, according to how awakenings normally happen. Spiritual Energy is always the source of Vitality, what powers it. It is never the power itself. But in your case, there is a possibility that's what happened."
"And if that is the case... what would happen if I used it again?"
"Since the Energy itself is being used up, depending on how powerful the strike is, it could kill you."
"...Nice. I got real lucky there, didn't I?"
"Like I said, it's just speculation. But just in case, try not to trigger it. It seems to activate during high intensity and emotion encounters, so stay clear of those. If you are unable to do so, let me handle them. Your body alone cannot handle the repercussions."
"Yeah. Whatever you say."
Damian stood up and went to put his shirt on, which he struggled with due to his arm still being in the sleeve.
"Hold on, let me handle this." Oborus said, then using his own Energy, he healed up Damian's arm completely.
"Wait... could you have done that this whole time?"
"Yes. I used my own Energy to do it. I refrained from healing right away, as to not attract unwanted attention from the Users that were just here."
"Oh, guess that makes sense."
Since his arm was now back to normal, he took off the bandages and the sleeve, then slipped his shirt back on. His shoes were also placed by the door, he put them on and then left the room, shutting the door behind him.
Damian made his way around the building out front and then got into his car. He let out a sigh of relief, glad the whole situation was over.
"So, what is our next move? Remember, the boss here seems to be targeting you. What if she finds out the man on the screen was you?"
"You talking about that camera footage? It's fine. She didn't know it was me. I doubt she'll ever figure out either, the footage is blurry and it's basically impossible to make out my face. I just have to mind my words, as to not give her any clues that it was me."
"I suppose you're right... but she still seemed oddly interested in the encounter. Somethings definitely going on that we aren't aware of."
"For sure. She even said that all the instructors are Vitality Users, what kind of gym needs that kind of power? Not to mention, she said she had a proposition for me outside of the job. One that requires combat experience. I know they're a fighting academy and all, but they seem a little too obsessed with fighting."
"Keep your guard up, Damian. This entire situation seems like trouble."
Damian turned the car on and backed out of the parking spot, then began driving out of the plaza.
"I guess... I'll have to stay hidden in plain sight." he said, turning onto the road and took off into the distance.
...
Meanwhile, inside a car on the highway...
Anne was in the middle of a call, her phone rested on the cup holder as she drove. She was in a call with two other women, Leanna was one, and a woman named Yvonne was the other.
"So... you want us to meet the guy ourselves?" Leanna asked on call.
"Yep. Gonna need you all to get acquainted, he'll be working with us closely after all." Anne replied.
"I dunno 'bout that, girl. Hiring a dude? Your mother won't be too happy." Yvonne spoke up.
"It'll be fine, he's not going to be an instructor, just my assistant. Besides, I told you about how he had Tess feeling. I'm not just gonna let him walk and be a threat to us in the future. I'd be an idiot, my mother would agree too." Anne stated.
"Wait, your assistant? What happened to him being a substitute instructor?" asked Leanna.
"His technique was... a little too wild for my taste. He wouldn't've been a good fit for the style we teach. Although I'm still not gonna rule out the instructor plan entirely, after all we still have a need there. That's why we all need to pitch in and teach him the ropes, it'll benefit us big time in the long run."
"Well, as much as I enjoyed hearing Tess get her ass humbled, I'm not so sure I can trust the guy. I mean, he didn't even trust you with knowing his Vitality. How can we be sure he's not in with one of the gangs?" Yvonne questioned.
"It's a long story, so I'll tell you during the meeting. But basically, the guy seems to have a grudge against them. He announced it quite strongly during the combat test. Afterwards, he turned Tess into a sputtering mess on the floor. So I think it's safe to say he might have some bone to pick with them." Anne answered.
"Just because he might isn't gonna cut it for me. But, whatever. He doesn't seem all that strong outside that one punch, so I could handle him easy. Anyways, where are you planning to set up the meeting?" Yvonne asked.
"How about we all go out for seafood, hm? The foods nicer by my place, so why don't we hit up a restaurant nearby?" Anne suggested.
"Only if you're paying. Fuck no I'm not covering the bill for a place like that." Leanna spoke up.
"Uh-huh. I'm down, but I ain't droppin' half my rent on some fuckin' fish." Yvonne agreed with her.
"Relax girls, It'll be on me. I get paid soon anyway. But don't get cheeky and order whatever you want because of it. If any one of you spends more than $60 on your food, you're paying that yourself." Anne said.
"Yeah yeah, I don't eat much anyways. If anything you should watch out for Tess, that girl eats like a tiger." Yvonne stated.
"Hah, true that. So, it's settled then? You guys fine with meeting him?" Anne asked.
"Yeah, I guess so. I don't really see why I shouldn't." Leanna said.
"Same here. Besides, we could easily send his ass packin' if he tries anything funny." Yvonne also agreed.
"Great. I'll text you the location soon. If Tess is feeling any better, I'll ask her to tag along as well. We'll meet up on Sunday at six, before he gets started. Anyways, that's all I needed to tell you. I'll see you guys then." Anne concluded.
"Yeah, see ya." Leanna said, then left the call.
"Should be fun, cant wait to pester Tess all night. Haha." Yvonne joked, then also left the call.
Anne closed out of the call as well, then turned off her phone and focused on the road.
"Should be fun indeed. Lets see what he's got." she said to herself, as she sped across the highway.