The Beast

It was a kick in the face and a punch below the belt that brought the karate master to his feet. He tried his best to beat the very same person he trained using the same tactics but his student's determination was more than he had imagined. Another kick on the hip and he was down. ''Wow, that was terrific. None of my students has done this to me before.'' the karate master finally confessed breathing out as quickly as possible from his battle. ''You've fulfilled all the requirements, Ivan. One more to go, know your enemy.'' Victoria Ardiente proclaimed. She stood confidently in her blue designer clothing. Her face as stern as the usual. ''The earlier the better,'' Ivan stated coldly as he walked into the Ardiente mansion. He walked straight to his room and into the bathroom. He laid in the jacuzzi trying to relax from the long training. He closed his eyes and opened them sharply and tears fell from beneath them. All the memories began to come back to him one after the other. That fire he kept on seeing but didn't remember, the bullets being fired that he kept hearing, those screams. Mother's tears and Dad's pleading. Their juiceless but trivial pain and death. His face! Ivan didn’t seem like the only one going through trouble in the Ardiente mansion. The strong Victoria was going through her era of pain once again. She looked at the picture of what she once called her family. Her husband and their barely one-year-old son. That life was better than this one. ‘’What would you eat for breakfast?’’ Nanny Claire asked Ivan who was now in bed reading books that were given to him by his mother. ‘’Nothing,’’ he replied coldly. ‘’It’s your treat today, Ivan. Anything you request for.’’ she continued. ‘’I request for nothing.’’ ‘’Ivan you haven’t eaten anything good for days. All you do is to train.’’ ‘’Nanny!’’ ‘’OK. I’m not going to force you to eat at the end that’s how everyone treats me in this house.’’ she turned to leave but Ivan raced to give her a hug. ‘’I’m sorry, Nanny. I’ll eat anything you give me if you promise not to get angry with me. I can’t let the few people that love me hate me, not now.’’ Ivan said comfortingly. ‘’I’ll never get angry, Ivan. I just want both you and your mother to know that I’ll always be here for you, no matter what happens…’’ ‘’That’s the problem, Claire. We don’t want to involve you in anything that has to do with those wicked Montoyas.’’ Victoria popped up from in front of them. ‘’Why?’’ ‘’I can’t lead you to those people that shot my parents without mercy and killed Mum Victoria’s family too. The Montoya family are monsters.’’ Ivan stated out loud. ‘’That’s why we’re going to show them no pity starting now,’’ Victoria yelled.