DIP: The Piercer (complete - TO BE EDIT)

~9~

Meanwhile, Flare and Luna left the cafeteria and forget what just happened back there. Luna took  Flare to her new room that only had a black and white color scheme all over the room. So much for her liking. She totally loved her new room that exactly like her previous studio type of condo-apartment unit. Luna left her to rest tonight and when Flare was totally alone, she started to try the meditation. She tried to circulate her energy but she couldn't. She always ended up blowing her energy that cause of the sudden breaking of the window glasses, pillow smashed into pieces, or full of scratches all over her walls. In short her room turned into chaos. She sighed then relaxed herself as she leaned her back to the wall and closed her eyes. She didn’t even notice that the energy within her started to move freely but so coordinate. It flows like a steamy energy that shifts into different forces, from slow to fast, then mild to harsh and clam to dangerous. It was changing repeatedly but totally synchronized until she fell asleep.

Another gloomy weather to start her morning, she yawned then stretched her both arms and legs. Afterwards she looked around her room, she just sighs and shakes her head like she didn't want to deal with the chaos she just did last night before she went to sleep. Flare stood up from her bed and did some of her morning routine and that was stretching before heading to a bathroom which was located within her room as well. When she was done, she jogged on her way to the training room when Ashlyn greeted her.

“Good morning.” Ashlyn greeted her which made her stop from her tracks.

“Morning.” Flare greeted back with a gloomy expression like she doesn’t want to see Ashlyn first thing in the morning.

“Follow me.” Ashlyn firmly said yet having a slight smirk at the end of her lips.

“Huh?” Flare arched her eyebrow.

“Just come with me.” Ashlyn said while walking away.

“Fine.” Flare gave up and followed her to somewhere private again.

When they reached her office, Ashlyn lent her a brown folder with a name she didn’t recognize at all. She opened the folder with curiosity while Ashlyn went to his countertop to make some hot chocolate milk for her morning.

“What’s this?” Flare asked her flatly.

“That will be your new name and please get used to it as quickly as you can so you can move around like before.” Ashlyn started, then she took a cup of chocolate milk and gave it to her.

“Raika Knightly. Code: Robin.” Flare read the ID’s that Ashlyn gave to her.

“Yes, Raika will be your new name but Robin will be the code whenever your on the field or in any death-crime scene.” Ashlyn explained.

“Also like a rehab, you’ll be watched here 24/7 so you can learn what is DIP, training, and testing your skills for a week or a month since it will depend on how fast you can learn. If you do that, I can guarantee that you can start living outside of this office but you are still gonna work here like it or not. And oh before I forgot, you’ll receive your uniform if your trainors will finally allow you to be on the field.” Ashlyn explained some details before taking a sip from her hot chocolate milk mixed.

Flare didn’t speak as she also drank her hot chocolate milk but kept reading her ID and badge.

Name: Raika Knightly

Code: Robin

Sex: Female

Occupation: Death Inspector

ID Number: 0-03029

Rank Status: SSS-Pierce

As she kept reading it over and over again, Flare didn’t realize that she was already slouched on the couch. Ashlyn kept watching her attentively like he was waiting for something that will shift Flare’s reaction but nothing.

“Okay, starting today you’ll be called Robin but outside the DIP, you’ll be Raika Knightly. Do you understand?” Ashlyn made sure to Flare about the changes that she’ll be going through.

“Of course. I just need to get used to it.” Flare sighed as she put her IDs to the center table thinking of something.

“I don’t get why I felt like Raika was my real name not Flare…” She thought that she didn’t realize that Ashlyn likes what she was seeing in Flare’s - Raika’s reaction.

Ashlyn smirked at her view of the new Flare named Raika Knightly, she suddenly thought of something she needed to show to this girl.

“Raika.” Ashlyn called her new name that made her look back at her in a blank face.

“What?” Flare - Raika Knightly asked.

“Nothing, but shall we walk. I have something to show you.” Ashlyn told her before standing up and opened the back door which made Raika puzzled but still followed her.

Behind that black door, Raika Knightly aka Robin was totally surprised to see how wonderful the planetarium was. Ashlyn began to lay down the grassy carpet then patted it for her to sit down next to her and Raika did.

“DIP stands for Death Inspector Protocol. They deal with the crimes that were unsolved by the government police. If you noticed the bulletin, there were rewards for each rank and those rewards came from the government as well. DIP helps the police to solve the crimes for the safety of the people of this town.” Ashlyn began to introduce the DIP to the new identity of Flare, Raika Knightly.

“I have already told you the reason why you have to change your identity and it’s not only for your own good but also for those you once knew will be safe since you were going to deal with tons of supernatural crimes. And they have no power to deal with them.” She continued while looking deeply through the stars in the planetarium.

“DIP was also saving people like you to accept their power and use them for good but some were not capable of doing so. And they turned into monsters that cannot be shifted back to being a human like their humanity was already gone for good.” She continued while Raika listened attentively to what she was explaining.

“DIP was trying to lessen that, that’s why they assign trainers for them to be trained and a partner to calm them whenever they’ve gone berserk. To tell you this, the trainer and the partner were the one who would suffer if their apprentice went into a Fallen state.” Ashlyn smiled painfully when she was telling it to her.

“Why is that?” Raika asked curiously.

“They were the one who will take responsibility for their Fallen partner or apprentice; like to bring them back or worst, kill them. That’s why those positions were great but at the same time totally hard one. Plus, the trainer has a mark on the back of their neck of a whip while the partner has the mark of infinity chain on their wrist. It was only visible to those their trainees and partners.” She sighed but still continued to explain it to her.

“How’s that possible?” she asked, wanting to know more that made her smile a little.

“The DIP was founded by a witch that’s why the people of the DIP have different markings. Newbie was the N forming a circle; the one those dealing at the outside field, they have the marking of a cross forming a circle. For the one who was dealing with SSS rank, they have the S symbol with small X in the middle of it.” She answered while she raised her hands up like she was reaching the stars.

“All of them won’t be visible to the newbies unless you were certified Death Inspector.” She continued then looked at her.

“That’s a lot but I don’t mind them. I just recalled what I’ve been doing every night fall whenever I don’t have a night shift. All I wanted was to have those low rank villagers to have normal life like everybody does and now, this happened...” Raika said in her understanding voice as she folded her knee close to her chest and thought thoroughly.

“You can still do that only if you manage to control your power according to your will. Sometimes, being hungry with power can totally eat people's souls without them noticing it. So if I were you, train harder as you can. Control as you will and use them with care because if you do, you’ll be invincible.” Ashlyn positively told her with conviction that made Raika slightly smiled.

“Well, I’m already invincible.” She countered with a small chuckled in her voice.

“You’re right. Anyway, let’s go back before your trainer kills me from keeping you here.” She smiled at it before standing up.

“Funny.” She said flatly.

“Good luck, Flare - I mean Raika.” Ashlyn smiled at her with care and worries.

“Same to you, Ash.” She returned the smile as she noticed the care radiating from Ashlyn before they left the small planetarium.

When Raika went out alone from Ashlyn’s room, Luna was already waiting outside with crossed arms and a devilish grin written onto her face like she wanted to know what happened behind the closed door. But Raika didn’t answer anything instead she just walked away toward the cafeteria to eat some breakfast. After a short but heavy breakfast, Raika began to go to the training room.

Raika looked at Luna then lent her hand out like a proper introduction on meeting someone new.

“Raika Knightly,, my new name.” Raika introduced herself to Luna who just returned the favor.

“Nice meeting you, I’m Lunarian Knox but call me Luna here at DIP since nobody knew my name except Ashlyn and now you.” Luna introduced herself for real this time around as they both shook their hands.

“Oh, so it means I can’t tell anyone in DIP my new name?” Raika asked curiously to her.

“Yes, well apart from the code like mine, Luna.”  Luna chuckled then she closed her locker.

“Oh, I see…Robin is mine.” Raika nodded but in deep thought about it. She was just like taking notes inside her mind.

“Okay, Robin. Just remember Robin is your name around DIP.” Luna clarified to her that she nodded in understanding what her trainer was saying.

“But how should I know if I’m talking to a DIP?” Raika asked flatly, which made Luna laugh a bit.

“Well, you will feel it. Everyone in DIP is connected like a bond, that's why we can tell if one of our men was in a critical situation.” Luna answered with a friendly smile onto her face.

“I see.” Raika nodded.

“Let’s go to your training.” Luna patted her shoulder then both of them went to the training field and gladly they were alone.