Perhaps Things Grow Better After A Burning (Open)

[imported_Bandage]

Flames. Flickering everywhere. Smoke billowing throughout, fogging the scene, blurring the eyes, burning the eyes, choking the lungs, hiding those who are in great need, in dire peril. No one is present in the nightmarish swirl of smoke, flame, and flying debris as the building is destroyed. Save for one man.

In the building, he burns, rolling about, trying to douse the flames. But try as he could, the flames were relentless, torching his clothing, singeing off his hair, searing off the top layers of his flesh. He screams in agony, but no one hears him. It's far too late for him anyway. He crawls as he burns, trying to get out, but the distance continued to grow. He couldn't get away from the living flames as they crawled up the generator, to the volatile core. The final eruption of a man-made complex, a volcano of twisted metal and glass, ejects him. He is a comet, soaring through the air. After a few seconds, he hits the cold, blue water of a filtration facility. The burning died down, but the pain, the ache, the agony remained. It would never, ever go away. The pain.

The pain......

A figure wakes up screaming in a dark alley. The other bums and unfortunates gathered around their beds of poverty awaken with a start, moving away from the screaming, torutured being as fast as possible. It was nothing short of a small stampede as the denizens of the low-and-poverty stricken class quickly filed out of the alley.

Shortly, after a few minutes time of wailing, screaming, and the general hysterics, the figure has calmed himself, awakened himself from the recurring nightmare of his past. It was too late for him now. He was, like very few of the patients that he had seen before: beyond help. The flames and debris of the explosion had scarred him beyond repair. It was a wonder that he was even alive, let alone moving as a normal person should. He was a walking nightmare to plastic surgery doctors; nay, to whomsoever would lay eyes upon such a horrid mass of bandages and scars. Indeed, that was his name now. Few would believe who he really was. Back then, in his past, before the pain, he was a doctor working on a breakthrough with burn patients. He was once a fairly athletic, six-foot-four, fair-skinned, almost handsome man. But that was then. Now he was a mass of seared and scarred flesh, blackened limbs, adorned with as many bandages as a mummified being. Over the bandages, to perhaps hide some of his hideousness, he wore clothing, dress slacks, a belt to hold them up, a loose buttoned shirt, a long, dark coat and a dress hat, all tattered by time. Now, malformed and tattered as he was, he was a new person. He was Bandage, for that is what dominated him. Masses of bandages and gauze. Better than dead, but just as good as.

Being that such a tragedy occured to him, Bandage could not simply fade into death or existence. He had to at least see what had become of his belongings, of the places familiar to him, of his home. Standing from his resting place somewhere in the slums of Coruscant, Bandage began his walk to his old apartment, slipping into the shadows........

[Cheyanne Rakai]

The shell of Cheyanne Rakai had died along with her sister, Quay'Na. The once quiet, level-headed pilot had taken a detour into the bowels of Coruscant, the dangerous levels and become somewhat of a mercenany to the children.

Cheyanne wouldn't think of the dangers to herself, she thought of the children now, kids who were losing the battle to poverty and sickness. Children who ate garbage and slept in God-forsaken places that the rats even fled from.

It was her calling, it was something that she finally found that gave her a reason to remain, gave her mind something to think about besides the sister and child she had lost.

And by far, had become her grandest call on life.

Tonight, was no different. She was prepared to save a child from the deep depths of this hell, save a child from scavengers and maniacs.

Dressed in her usual dark-armour and laser pistols, she was on duty.

[imported_Baralai Lotus]

Baralai was walking the streets with Victor, seeking some kind of new victim. No need for new organs this night, just a want to cause some suffering. He was walking through the slums, looking at the many people there.

Most of them suffered from poverty or famine, none the less they were diseased and infected the world. Victor walked closely behind Baralai, and they trudged through the lower class citizenry that infected the slums.

Baralai walked into the slums and saw several small children playing games. Even in poverty, they found such ways to have fun. It was sickening. . .terribly sickening. Baralai motioned into the alleyway and Victor followed suit.

The children looked up from their game to see Baralai standing there, smoking a cigarette. Baralai bent down and blew smoke in one of the childrens faces. "You kids wanna play a new game?" He said as smirked at the childrens faces. Many of them backed away and started to head in the opposite direction.

"Mom says I'm not supposed to play with strangers."

Baralai smirked and in one fluid motion pulled one of the children up and pulled him to his body, flipping him to face his friends. Baralai pulled out his knife and pressed it to the boys neck. With a soft and quiet smile Baralai spoke to Victor.

"Play with them."

Victor snatched two more of the boys up with his hands, tightly grasping them, choking them, watching them squirm for dear life. They're legs flailed as they gasped for air, and all Victor could do was squeeze tighter. When they stopped kicking and their faces turned a deep blood red, Victor tossed them to the side. Their heads slapped against the concrete wall, and they fell to the ground. . .unconscience.

Baralai watched as Victor pushed the children into the corner. . .although they were weak and easy targets, there was nothing like the screams of children. They were indeed the wine of murder. So easy to acheive and kill, but the taste of their screams was wonderful. In their case, the younger the child, the better the scream.

Baralai pulled the child close and walked forward, showing him the bodies of his friends. "Do you see," Baralai whispered, "Do you see? See how they are lifeless. . .but do you see the quiet smile on their face. They're loving the pain they're in right now. Would you like to be part of that pain?"

The child shook his head quickly, indicating that he was frightened. The warm urine ran down his legs, and Baralai could smell the fear emanating off of the child. What a wonderful time he was having! He pulled the knife closer to his neck. . .

"Come on, it'll be fun!" He says as he starts to hold the knife tighter to the childs neck. Tears stream down his face, and he fears to speak. . .urine runs down his leg. He swallows a lump in his throat and the knife blade pushes closer to him. Baralai smirks and teases the child, sliding the flat sides of the blade up and down his throat, watching as Victor corners the children. . .

[imported_Bandage]

Hearing the screams of the children, Bandage stopped. He wasn't far. Slipping into the shadows, Bandage loped slowly and stealthily down the corner. The children were a perfect distraction for him to remain unseen. Seeing it stretch out before him, Bandage could see the children as they were abused, then cast aside. Anger, absolute anger welled inside. Looking around in the darkness, Bandage gazed upon a large, metal pipe. Picking it up slowly and noiselessly, he made his way closer, sticking to the shadows. As he got closer, he gripped the pipe, and took a hard, fast swing, striking the back of the blade wielder's head, knocking him from the child he would dare to threaten. Once he was down, Bandage straddled atop him, pressing the bar hard to his throat, unrelenting in his fury. Bandage was face to face with the man, so that the monstrosity of his visage was all that could be seen in his eyes. All that could be heard was his rough, weathered, raspy voice, as it hissed in his ear.

"Let them go!"

[imported_Baralai Lotus]

Baralai laughed and looked at the man, "And ruin all the fun? No chance!" He grabbed his knife and fumbled with it in his fingers. He took his blade and struggled with it for a little bit.

He brought the blade up high enough with his arm to shove it into the foot of his attacker. The blade struck hard into his foot, and when it found it's home Baralai struck the man in the face with his other hand rolling the man off of him.

Baralai stood and put his knife up in combat position as he watched the bandaged man get up. He chuckled and watched him get up. What a terrible little frail being, already been through so much trauma. "What's the matter? Have a feeling for the children? From the looks of you. . .someone should've murdered you when you were born. Too frail for battle, and too disgusting for marriage." Baralai laughed loudly, "I kill myself! But, I guess I'll have to correct the doctor's mistake."

He smirked indignantly and looked at Bandage, a wreck of gauze and bandages. So disgusting, the soft flesh underneath them was no doubt weak. Had to have been some sort of accident. This death would be for nothing, because after the man was dead the corpse would have no purpose. Too soft for battle, and the flesh was too soft for any experimentation. Waste of life. . .

[Cheyanne Rakai]

Chey had come onto the scene rather quickly as she sensed danger to the children. With a quickl flick, her pistols were on the attacker.

"Why is this not surprising? How pathetic, can you not pick on someone your own size, must you chose someone injured?" Chey's voice was tinged with sarcasm as she saw the children.

"You are nothing, but pathetic scum. I'd step away while you still can."

[imported_Bandage]

Bandage scoffed, a small, phlemy grunt.

"Hmmm, this coming from a psychopath-slash-pedophile who has a thing for hurting little children.....Oh, well at least I'm not the only one who needed a hot poker taken to his prostitute of a mother's womb during her putrid pregnancy."

Bandage suddenly let fly the metal pipe, where it twirled horizontally end by end, until it struck the knife wielder in the face, leaving a bruise and a small laceration, just above the left eyebrow, and knocking him from his feet. Bandage took this open opportunity. A blur of coat tail and bandages, Bandage brought his foot down on the arm wielding the blade. In one fluid motion, the knife was plucked from his arm as it began to go numb.

"Looks like I'm not the only frail one, either. What a hypocrite."

With his words he grabbed the man by the throat, and slowly let him up, spinning behind the knife wielder, grabbing his hair and exposing his throat. Bandage brought the knife to bear, pulling the hair back even harder as he did so. A small line of blood began to appear at the blade's edge. Positioning himself properly, so that with any false move the victim would only make the blade sink deeper into his his throat, Bandage kept his eye on the brute of a man, a being with the distinct smell of motor oil. Only in this instant did he notice the woman. If he did indeed care, it could not been seen on his wrapped visage. Craining his neck, he spoke in the knife wielder's ear.

"Move, and you'll bleed to death."

[imported_Baralai Lotus]

I felt the pipe wale across my head and I stumbled back. My eye was bleeding! He made me blade! I fell off my feet as I stumbled back. I tried to push myself back up and I felt the mans foot upon my arm. My whole body twisted as I tried to roll. I felt the knife splay from my hand.

"You foul mouthed freak! I swear I'll rip you limb from limb!" I screamed as he held the knife close to my face. I was truly in a predicament. "You made a terrible mistake. You left my friend alone," I said as I chuckled softly, despite how hard my hair was being pulled. "Get him boy," I gave a few deepthroated laughs as Victor moved toward the man.

Victor smirked and threw his hair back as he lifted his arm and shot off two darts at the bandaged maniac. The darts struck his hand that was holding the knife and he promptly dropped it. I smiled as I watched the knife drop. In almost slow motion it seemed, the knife fell to the ground. My hand reached out for the handle and I grabbed it, bringing the blade to my hand.

I stuck the blade into the mans leg and marched forward as he released me. "Those burns must be killing you." I turned to the girl with the blasters. I motioned Victor toward her, "As for you bitch," I spoke harshly, "Drop the guns or so help me I'll make love to you with this knife." I chuckled softly, "Now then, I suggest you both step down or the children will be dead. They're only unconscience now, so unless you want them dead, you'll back off and let us escape." I grabbed a child and placed my knife to his neck. The blade cut sharply into his neck just barely causing him to bleed. "I swear I'll do it!" I started to walk back to an exit in the alley. They would have to comply, surely they wouldn't endanger a child's life.

[Cheyanne Rakai]

Chey dropped her pistols, but the smug look on her face remained as she stood there. Victor as he was called, came towards her, she'd seen worse.

Chey waited until just the right time as he was about to grab her, she dropped to the ground and rolled, knocking the man off his feet.

As he began to get up hurriedly, Chey kicked him with the sole of her boot right in the face. It didn't phase him much as he grabbed her leg and twisted it, she heard a pop and cried out in pain. Her leg was broken, without a doubt.

The man laughed, but only for a second as Cheyanne brought out a hidden blade from her forearm armour and embedded it into the man's groin.

Now, who had the last laugh? It neither of them actually, for the man gripped her leg and twisted it again until is broke in another area, causing Chey to scream and plow her fist into the already embedded blade.

The man screamed as Chey rolled off him and lay in a heap, there was nothing else she could do. If she died now, at least she would die with honor.

[imported_Bandage]

The pain in Bandage's leg only spurred him on. Ever since his accident, pain had been slightly distorted, causing things to hurt maybe half as much as they should have. He backed up and took off, zipping past the behemoth. He was a blur of black and bandages as he disappeared. He knew exactly where to go next....

In the next alleyway, as the knife wielder, holding the weeping child in threat, a knife to the boy's throat. As the knife wielder got around the corner, Bandage was there, moving the child aside easily, knocking the knife hand out wide. As it swung outward, the knife went flying away, and Bandage came in, smashing an old bottle in the knife wielder's face. Both fell, Bandage straddling atop him. Bandage's hands were clasped around his throat, digging in, a mass of skin and bone as they locked closing off the air. Bandage called out to the boy.

"GO GET THE AUTHORITIES!!!! NOW!!!!"

Holding the knife wielder's throat in his hands, Bandage began punching him wildly in the face, lost in his fury, tightening his grip on the throat.

"I'LL KILL YOU!!! I'LL KILL YOU, YOU FRICKIN' MONSTER!!!"

[imported_Baralai Lotus]

Baralai felt the man choking him, slamming his fists madly into his face. He could feel his face swelling with every punch. So the frail beast was capable of doing damage. He felt it hard to breathe, and his lungs were slowly giving out on him.

The broken bottle to his head was nothing now that he had felt this man slamming his fists into him. Baralai concentrated his energy into taking his hands and slapping onto the bandaged mans ears. He brought them hard to the ears, slapping them at the same time. The man tumbled off of Baralai and he scrambled for his knife.

Baralai stood, watching as the man rolled on the ground. He turned and smiled. He brought his foot up and began slamming in the middle of the mans chest. Smashing his chest in, soon it would be hard to breath, and before he knew it, his breast bone would break, and he would be a helpless mass of nothing. Baralai continued to raise his foot, slamming it harder and harder into his chest, waiting to hear that satisfying crack of bone.

[imported_Bandage]

To the knife wielder's dismay, it wasn't the crack of bone that he would be hearing. Feeling himself being pommeled into the ground, his ears ringing, Bandage grabbed for the foot, and yanked the knife wielder onto the ground. Gripping the man's hair, Bandage mustered as much strength as he could, then began to slam the knife wielder's head into the ground. Bandage noticed the cuts on the knife wielder's face due to the glass being embedded with each slam into the ground.

[imported_Baralai Lotus]

The glass hit hard, digging deep into Baralai's face. Baralai stretched his arm out for his knife, and feeling the blade graze his fingers, he reached for it. His hand squeezing the blade, now bleeding, he picked it up.

With all of his force, he slammed the handle into the Bandaged mans head. He continued to slam it into his temple, striking as hard as he could. The man finally fell to the side and Baralai stood up.

He was barely able to stand, his whole body was aching. He smirked as blood, his blood, ran down his lips. He could feel some shards of glass embeded in his face. This man, although bandaged, was a strong fighter.

"So then," Baralai said, "we forgot our manners. Who are you? To be such a fighter you must have a strong name?" Baralai chuckled as he stood face to face with the man. He respected him as a fighter, but he had chosen the wrong man to fight.

[imported_Bandage]

Bandage kicked the man's legs out from under him. As he hit the ground, Bandage kicked him square in the face. As he was incapacitated, Bandage got up and dusted himself off.

"I need no name for you. You are merely an abomination of the sentient races of the universe. You're no better than scum to my eyes, and I'm sure that Hell has a great seat for you, right next to the jacuzzi."

Seizing the man by the throat, Bandage gripped it hard as he brought himself close to his face. He spoke slowly, so that there would be no mistakes in translation.

"And my name is Bandage. Remember it, for I will haunt you, just as the souls of those you've tortured will do in Hell."

With that, Bandage dissappeared into the darkness, so quickly that it left the wounded man alone in the dark, unsure of which way the bandaged one went. Bandage's destination was known only to himself....

[imported_Baralai Lotus]

Baralai stood up with much hesitation. He had been left by a mess of bandages and wounds. How fitting his name should be as such. . .

Baralai stood and began walking down the alleyway, he smiled to himself as he swore to kill this Bandage. The man would die, he had after all, impeded Baralai's work.

He pulled out a cigarette and lit it, taking a light puff. As the blood ran down his face he smiled, knowing this was not the end of their meetings.