...Haze

While Ian Archer, who recently appeared in a dorm room surrounded by his three new roommates was being escorted by a 'Monitor' to the Headmaster's office, he reflected on the last hour or so...

...(Flashback)...

"...where am I? Who are you guys?..."

*laughter*

"well, where else would we be Ian?... we're in our doom room....and you better get dressed; classes start soon..."

Not understanding anything that is happening right now, nerves and muscles taught with adrenaline pumping through him....ready for a fight, Ian was only able to pick out one thing...

"Wait, how do you know my name?..."

The three guys looked at him like he was an idiot before one of them pointed at the nearby cabinet assigned to the bed Ian got up from...." uh, duh....your name tag."

Ian approached the cabinet to find what they were talking about..... and there it was. "Ian Archer" engraved on a metal plack attached to the cabinet.

While looking at the name in deep contemplation, he heard the three men move to their area while talking...

"It's kind of nice having a new roommate, we've been a man short since Philip and the forest run..."

"Wait..." Ian stopped their discussion before they could pack up and leave...."guys, I need answers."

The pleading look in his eyes seemed to do the job as the red-headed guy walked up to him, handing him a playing card with a rough map drawn on the back of it with a black marker...."Look man..... if you need answers, head here for orientation..." the guy flashed a grin while signaling his friends to leave.

"Catch you later newbie..."

...

Ian didn't understand what was going on but, after he was left alone, he had time to think....' I've definitely been abducted, but I have no idea how... I need to get out of here.'

He ran out of the room and tried his best to find the dorm building exit. He was frantic in his search, which eventually paid off as he found the exit on the ground floor...after he left the building and glanced around, he saw that the entire grounds were surrounded by a dense forest..... perfect to mask his escape.

He knew he needed to get out of there because his instincts were blaring..... telling him that this whole situation was something he wanted no part of...

"I'm out of here..." Ian whispered as he took off running, after half an hour of tracking through the woods, he came across a metal-looking three-story high wall....smooth and artificial, in this nature-rich environment.

'Well, f\/ck....' thought the would-be escapee while panting...the wall looked as if it stretched indefinitely.

Nearby, hiding behind trees, multiple unknown individuals with full-body black stealth-like armor with helmets watched Ian closely, they were instructed to follow just this once.....after today, all new students would be caught if they entered the woods to escape.

...

In the headmaster's office, a middle-aged handsome man who looked very put-together in a three-piece grey suit watched the nearby camera monitor with the label "Sato Systems". On the screen, he watched the new (out-of-uniform) student running into the woods.....his eyes flashing with an amused light before they went back to their usual sheen. He turned to look out the window, his eyes filled with mirth and contemplation.

...

With no other option left after coming face to face with the wall, Ian pulled out the card given to him and did his best to follow the map...he eventually arrived at a large bricked building near the dorms that sported the "T" logo like the others, he entered the building and walked through a couple of corridors before he arrived in a dark room...

All of the sudden, lights turned on along with loud music, and twenty or so men clad in pads, helmets, and roller-blades jumped the blinded young Ian...

Before he could be hit with one of their lacrosse sticks, however, his mind kicked into overdrive as the next two seconds played out as a 'vision' in his head, giving him ample time to react...

He dodge the incoming overhead strike while simultaneously "clothes-lined" the attacker who was zooming by on his rollerblades...

The fight was scrappy and violent but just as Ian was going to punch the most troublesome of the group, everyone heard a stern shout...."BREAK IT UP!!"

"THAT's ALL RICE!..." the authoritative man wearing standard workout attire was quickly approaching...

"But Coach!..."

"I SAID THAT's ALL!..."

A quiet snort came from Cal Rice as he grabbed his gear and headed for the lockers, followed by the rest of his team...

Ian was panting with a gash on his forehead, evident that although he was skilled in martial arts and could react unnaturally fast, he was too far outnumbered to be unharmed...

"Got a name Tough guy?..." asked the now docile coach who had a sympathetic and apologetic look in his eyes while gazing down at the exhausted young lad...

"Ian...*deep breath*...Ian Archer..."

"AH, a new kid.....well, if you hadn't figured it out yet, you're being hazed Mr. Archer..... you need to be at orientation, it's the building by the flagpole..."

Coach moved to leave the stadium but was stopped by a sudden question, the question was filled to the brim with anxiety, tension, helplessness, and fear...

"Please, tell me where I am....help me, please..."

Coach turned around to gaze at the young man now known as Ian...

....*sigh*

Coach shook his head after thirty seconds of silence before he repeated..."Orientation, it's the building by the flag pole..."

.......

Ian finally managed to collect himself and make his way outside the building....when he exited, he pulled out the card given to him with directions in black marker...

He turned the playing card over to see that it was the Joker....'f\/ck me' he thought, while hastily running towards the orientation building near the flagpole.

When he reached there, he saw the three goons who gave him the incorrect directions...

"AHH IAN, our new friend!.....oh, why is your face all messed up?..." asked the redhead snarkily as the other two just laughed quietly.

"Hah-hah, very funny....why did you send me to that.....whatever it was?..." asked Ian angrily as he moved to shove the redhead.

"What?....you can't take a joke?..."

"Yeah, it was not fun--..."

As Ian was about to grab and shove the redhead, his other roommate who always stood next to the redhead came in between them....he looked to be a head shorter and bone-thin compared to Ian but with, what looked like little effort, put a hand on Ian's shoulder and gently pushed as if pushing away a family pet...

Surprising the newly abducted Ian, this simple movement sent him back several steps....almost causing him to fall...

Before he could continue he heard a woman shout..." hey, what are you all doing? It's class time...Get to class!...and you, you're out of uniform!..."