Nothing happens straightaway. He isn’t taken to be whipped, he isn’t slapped, he isn’t even shouted at. Instead everyone is informed the lesson was over and to head back to their cell. Blaine would have preferred shouting to the look given by his peers over that announcement, several seeming to be enjoying that particular class.

He would have also taken the shouting over the unknown, the anticipation of awaiting his punishment. He doesn’t know what is going to happen, he did disobey a direct order, so it’s only fair he has to face the consequence. But it hadn’t been completely his own fault, and Slapper must have seen the whole exchange and realised that, hadn’t she?

When his group arrive at their cell, Blaine heads straight to into his cage, not talking to anyone. He knows they will all blame the loss on him, and doesn’t feel in the mood to put up with the glares from his peers, so he opts to hide. Jacob and Nick both attempt to get him to come down from his cage, but he simply ignores them, turning his back on the remainder of the room. Eventually they both give up and leave him, joining in the conversation with Brittany and Tina.

Surprisingly he doesn’t hear his name mentioned by anyone. Or even his number – since he supposes most of the group would have heard him only addressed by that. After an unknown amount of time, the chat in the cell stops abruptly.

“5226, 8263, with me,” he hears a voice demand. He was expecting it to be Slapper, so was surprised to realise it was a male voice. He idly wonders how they seem to know his and Jacob’s numbers; there are over 100 subs on the site, each with a 4 digit ID, there is no way an ordinary human can remember that many numbers. But then maybe they don’t have to remember most of them. Blaine realises few have been directly addressed, only those misbehaving. And even then, Blaine realises they could simply look at the tattooed ID peaking out over their collar. He also bets they have a file on everyone, having physically seen his in the holding centre, which they likely looked at before coming to get him and Jacob.

Blaine jumps down from his cell, and takes his time as he walks over the guard, head down, refusing to acknowledge any of the looks that might be thrown at him by his peers. When he sees the shoed feet belonging to the guard he stops, waiting. He is surprised to find how much the lack of shoes bothers him, considering his complete nakedness anyway, but it just highlights his hopelessness even more, making him feel more exposed than seems reasonable.

The shoes move, walking away from him and breaking Blaine from his thoughts. Even without an audible instruction, he knows he is to follow the guard. He wonders if he has already met this guard before, but since he didn’t look up Blaine can’t tell.

He and Jacob are lead down several corridors that he recognises, before a few he doesn’t. They reach a door the guard stops in front of, surprising Blaine and almost causing him to walk into him. Luckily he notices in time – he would hate to discover the consequence if he hadn’t. The guard knocks three times before dropping his hand and patiently waiting. Blaine feels at a loss for what to do, confused as to why the guard doesn’t simply help himself to the room. He lifts his head slightly, making eye contact with Jacob - stood next to him - but the returning unsure expression doesn’t give him any indication Jacob knows what to do or what is happening either. He decides on his safest bet; dropping his head once again in submission.

He hears a beckoning call from behind the door, and his heart plummets at the recognition of the voice, or more importantly the owner of that voice. Of course, the only person a guard wouldn’t barge in on; Hunter.

The guard opens the door and walks in, Blaine reluctantly follows behind Jacob before coming to a stop next to him. The first thing that hits him is the change in surface under his feet. The room is carpeted. Blaine scrunches his toes, floating in the sensation of the soft blue fabric under his feet. It made a change from the concreate floors throughout the rest of the building.

Hunter looks up from the paperwork he had been tidying, obviously having paused his work in anticipation of addressing the visitors. Hunter’s eyes roam over the other two occupants of the room before landing on Blaine. Blaine hadn’t realised he had brought his head up until he locks eye contact with Hunter. He instantly notices the lust in Hunter’s eyes, obviously still wanting to own Blaine personally – the prospect makes Blaine’s skin crawl. He instantly drops his gaze, realising his mistake. He hunches his shoulders as well, trying to make himself as small as possible.

“Thank you for bringing them, Rob.” Thankfully, it appears Hunter is going to ignore his slip up. Blaine is almost surprised the guard has a name; having made them up for all the others it seems a strange concept; these people being humans, with names and families and lives outside of what he sees of them. Bitterly he wishes he still had a name, rather than those four numbers.

“No prob Hunt,” the guard – Rob – replies as though the two where best friends. “Have you been able to approve my holiday requests?” He asks, ignoring the fact he is in the room with two listening subs.

“Not yet I’m afraid. I’m still trying to pull some strings and work out some math but everyone else got there before you, and I don’t think I can do anything about it.” Blaine really wishes he knew exactly what was going on. It sounds as though Rob was after holiday leave, but the idea of booking holiday was a strange concept to Blaine, to the teenager side of him more so than the sub side. He never really put much thought into adults taking holiday from work, and it sees strange to consider the guards are here just like it’s any other job - they come across too invested in being abusive to their charges to also be worrying about their holiday pay.

“Damn. I really was hoping to be with my family over Christmas this year.” Blaine internally scoffs; he would love to see his family as well, but they’re not going to let that happen are they! Rob turns and heads out the door. Before leaving he speaks up once more. “I’ve still got my fingers crossed though Hunt!” He says with a chuckle.

“I’m still trying Rob!” Hunter replies with a smile. Finally he turns his full attention to the matter at hand, his expression darkening, glaring at Blaine and Jacob in turn. Hunter sighs exasperatedly, before composing himself and addressing the two subs.

“I’ve been told why you are here, but I both want you to tell me in your own words,” Hunter orders. Blaine thinks it’s a trick question, a test maybe – although it was anyone’s guess to what he was being tested on. “You may both look up.” So Blaine does, feeling a bit more composed, but still not making eye contact with Hunter. He had been told countless of times what would happen if he did look a superior in the eyes, and he is in enough trouble already – serious enough to be took to the boss to be dealt with. He realises he still hasn’t provided an answer.

“I orgasmed when I was denied the privilege, after already misbehaving previously?” Blaine replies in question, not sure if that is the answer Hunter was looking for. “Master,” he adds after a moment, knowing the title is expected.

“And what was that previous misbehaviour?” Hunter prompts, ignoring his delay.

“I put my own desires above Ma’am’s order, Master?” That’s not entity how Blaine pictured the event, but he thinks it’s how Hunter would want to hear the confession.

“Good boy.” Blaine hates that he has started loving the patronising praise, his insides going all floppy and squidgy in the knowledge he has done something right for once, and this time was no exception. He drops his head to try and hide his reaction from Hunter. “I have to own up, half of me is happy you keep playing up, it will lower your value to a price I can afford. However I would hate for you to be covered in disgusting permanent scars.” A shiver runs down his spine, not wanting to even imagine what his life would be like as Hunter’s personal bitch. Hunter looks at Jacob - appearing to have finished with Blaine for the time being - wordlessly prompting him to respond to the same question.

“I don’t know, no one told me I did anything wrong,” Jacob responds with a cocky grin, almost daring Hunter to do something. Blaine had become slightly more practiced than Jacob in what was expected when in trouble – not that he is happy about the fact. Blaine cringes in preparation of what Hunter’s reaction will be, dropping his head to try and make himself as small and unnoticeable as possible. However, shockingly, Hunter doesn’t seem even the slightest bit affected by the response, not taking the bait.

“Well then...” he pauses for a moment, “What’s your name?”

“Jacob.”

“I see you need a reminder - I guarantee you have been told before - but that name no longer belongs to you, does it now?” He asks in an almost condescending tone. “Shall we try again? What is your name boy?”

“Jacob,” he replies once again, in a tone with a finality Blaine can almost imagine going with a stomping foot, exactly like a toddler would when arguing with a parent. Blaine hears Hunter get up and walk over to the pair, coming to a stop behind Jacob. He looks up out of the corner of his eye, needing to see what is happening.

Hunter forcefully pushes Jacobs head down, stretching the back of his neck taught.

“8236,” Hunter says, apparently reading it from Jacob’s tattooed ID. “Dash six,” he adds. “Sometimes I wonder why we let people get retested, as all the late bloomers always seem so much more arrogant.” So Jacob and Nick both have an extra six in their ID, making Jacob older than Blaine. He had been under the impression it was rare to have people fail the test on their second attempt, yet he now knows two people just from his ‘class’ that had. Blaine wonders if it is just a coinsidence, but he has discovered countless of lies so far, so this could have easily been another.

“You asked for my name, not the numbers I have been given,” Jacob says in retaliation, with mock superiority. Blaine hears the sound of flesh hitting flesh, and watches as Jacob brings his hand up to cover his quickly reddening cheek.

Hunter doesn’t respond, which confuses Blaine the most. Instead he simply walks back behind his desk, sitting down and picking up a radio device.

“Can I have Robert back to office please,” he says into the radio.

“Is it urgent I get there now?” He hears the reply after a moment, slightly broken up with static. Blaine’s impression of Hunter was initially ‘don’t dare say no’, however it appears the rule only applies to subs.

“It’s not essential you drop what you are doing, but as soon as you can please.”

“Sure thing boss.” With that, Hunter drops the radio back onto his desk. Blaine is surprised they communicate with such a simplistic device, especially considering how much money is in the system. He then turns back to Blaine and Jacob, almost as though he had forgotten they were still there.

“Well then 8263. Lets try again, from the beginning. You have heard Blaine’s confession, I now want to hear yours. As a hint, it occurred at the same time.” Hunter stays sat down, elbows on the table, hands clasped together pointing up, and chin resting on said hands. His whole demure shouts relaxed and calm. Blaine doesn’t know how this man is able to keep his external emotions so passive, not when Blaine knows how scary he can become if he wants to.

“I’m not sure,” Jacob replies, losing some of his earlier confidence. Blaine realises Jacob is just as disturbed as himself by Hunter’s attitude.

Hunter opens a draw in his desk, pulling out a small black box a similar size to the radio, before walking over to stand behind Jacob.

“On your knees please boy.” The relaxed tone is what causes Jacob to obey, worried over what this man is truly capable off. As soon as his knees hit the floor – less than gracefully - Hunter presses the black box against Jacob’s back with a click, directly over his almost healed brand. Jacob screams, far too loud in the tiny room. It’s at that point Blaine realises he recognises the black box, Hunter having used one on him before; a taser.

The scream cuts of suddenly, Hunter slapping Jacob’s cheek again – the other one this time, giving him matching reddening marks – as he removes the taser. Jacob collapses onto the floor, his muscles relaxing after the forced contraption.

“Shall we try again? Here is another incentive for you to come up with an answer I’m looking for. Whether you think you have done something wrong or not, you will suffer punishment, but if you can’t give me an appropriate answer, it’s only going to make it worse for you by ten fold.” Blaine sees the exact moment Jacob gives in, his expression going from one of anger and annoyance to one of resignation and surrender. It’s a drastic change and almost instantaneous, Jacob having obviously been fighting himself internally for longer than it appeared.

“I didn’t stop when I was told to by Blaine, even thought I knew I should. And I knew by continuing it would cause him to disobey his own order, yet I continued anyway. I apologise Master.” Blaine is in shock of Jacob’s confession. He knew Jacob had ignored his plea to stop, but didn’t realise he was aware of the consequence it would cause Blaine. He thought Jacob had just gotten carried away with the moment, but instead Jacob was purposely being an ass.

“Well,” Hunter starts, walking back to his desk. “That’s more of a confession than I was expecting. And it brings new light to the situation.” Hunter sits in his chair, resting his chin on his hands once again, almost as though contemplating what to do with the two subs. At that moment Blaine hears a knock on the door. Hunter calls the visitor in.

“Hey Hunt,” Rob greats. “What can I do for ya?”

“Can you take 8263 to the post. How ever many lashes it takes for him to pass out, and then a few more on top of that for good measure.” Blaine may not understand everything Hunter is instructing, but he assumes the post is the same as Nick was taken to on the first day to be whipped. It appears Jacob is going to receive a similar punishment. Blaine doesn’t want to consider what his punishment may be if Jacob has something that serious, when it was Blaine who disobeyed the direct order.

“Anything else?” Rob asks.

“No I think that will do. Leave him there over night but let him back in the group come morning. I want to personally deal with 5226.” With that, Rob makes his exit with Jacob, linking Jacob’s cuffs together in front of him as they leave through the door. Blaine turns back to face Hunter once the door has shut, hating being on his own in the room with the evil Master. Somehow it feels much more intimate like this, just the two of them with the door closed – despite being unlocked, Blaine knows he is unable to leave.

He takes a deep breath in anticipation of whatever it is Hunter has to say. Surprisingly he doesn’t say anything, instead standing up – does he ever stay in one place for any length of time? – and walking to the door.

“Follow me,” he commands. Blaine goes without question, following Hunter down countless corridors to an unknown designation. Blaine wonders if he will ever cover the layout of the entire building, other than just the rooms he is used to. He doubts it; the place is large enough to take four times the amount of people it actually has.

Eventually they arrive at their destination, only for Blaine to freeze in shock.