In a quiet, shadowy alley deep in the dead of night, two figures stood near a wall. The guttural, pained groans of a man echoed through the narrow space, muffled by the distant hum of the city's streets beyond.
CREAK.
"Mmmph!"
"And there we have it. How do you like my service, Mr. Arbiter of Justice?" a soft, melodic voice cut through the air, sharp and mocking.
In the alley, Bane, the voice's owner, stood after completing his task, removing the bloodstains from his mask with his sleeves, a solemn reminder of the violence he had inflicted on Ogre, whose fate remained uncertain.
After Tatsumi had departed from the alley, Bane prepared to leave as well. However, he decided to wait for a bit, his experiences prompting him to ensure the target's demise personally.
"well, who could have anticipated that I would stumble upon you? The man who had ties to the doctor." Bane said to Ogre.
"And it seems the doctor's creations aren't as durable as I'd heard," Bane said, crouching beside the mangled man. "That fancy pill of yours only delayed the inevitable, didn't it?"
Ogre remained silent, his body slumped against the wall. Blood streamed from his ruined limbs, pooling beneath him. His crimson skin was marred with black, cracked veins, a telltale sign of the poison coursing through his body.
"......."
As Bane wiped blood using his sleeves, he felt his hand tremble all of a sudden and a heavy headache gripped him, causing him to nearly clutch his head in pain.
"It's happening again," he muttered, the strain evident in his voice.
Leaning against the wall beside Ogre, he sought support as he retrieved a small silver-coloured box from his coat.
He activated a small box-like device before retrieving a cigarette from a specialised pack which is designed to preserve them and with a flick of a lighter, the cigarette ignited, casting a soft glow on Bane's mask.
After Inhaling deeply, he allowed the smoke to fill his lungs, a temporary respite from the tension of the night's events.
He leaned his head against the wall, taking another drag from the cigarette, he moved his hand under his mask, his fingers brushing against something wet beneath his mask.
As he brought his hand into view, he saw the dark red stain of blood whose colour was so deep that under the night sky it looked black.
Bane's voice carried a bitter edge as he muttered. "These cigarettes are becoming less potent,"
After halting his musings, he addressed the burly man beside him."Ironic, isn't it? You fancy yourself a judge of life and death, but here you are, judged and found wanting."
Ogre didn't respond. His head lolled to the side, his lifeless eyes staring at nothing. The buzzing of flies filled the air, drawn to the sickly scent of blood.
"Tell me, Ogre," he began. "How does it feel? Standing at the edge of death? Is it comforting, like an old friend? Or does it feel like the weight of everything you've done is crushing you all at once?"
Bane laughed, his laugh was laced with a tinge of pain, a bitter release that accompanied another drag of his cigarette.
"What does it look like? The moment before it all ends. Do you see a light? Or just… nothing?" He paused, watching the flicker of life fade from Ogre's bloodshot eyes.
"Is it peaceful?" Bane's tone carried a strange sincerity, almost as if he truly wanted to know. "Or does it feel like you're sinking into something you can't escape?"
The silence between them stretched. Ogre's head lolled to the side, his body twitching weakly as the last remnants of his strength ebbed away.
Bane sighed, realising he wouldn't receive a response from Ogre. "It's a shame you don't know the doctor's location," he lamented, the weight of unresolved business evident in his words.
After a moment of silence, Bane attempted to offer a gesture of camaraderie. "But hey, thanks for listening to my rant all this time, big man. Do you want to take a drag?" he asked, extending his cigarette toward Ogre as a sign of gratitude.
"........"
However, there was no response or movement from Ogre. The alley remained silent, save for the distant sounds of the city.
As Bane stood up, he looked at Ogre's horrifying state. The man lay against the wall, his eyeballs hanging out of their sockets, blood dripping from them. His arms were twisted at unnatural angles, and his fingers were mangled. Blue and black cracked lines marred his skin, signs of poison use.
Bane noticed the blood streaming from Ogre's empty eyelids, flies hovering around, a grim indication of the torment he endured.
What was even more gruesome was Ogre's spilled innards, a horrifying sight that could make anyone faint at the scene.
There were no sounds of breathing, nor any movement coming from the guard captain, indicating his horrifying demise had been sealed.
"Hmm, it looks like the regenerative pill's effects wore off by the time I finished with you," Bane remarked casually. He bent down near Ogre, placing the half-burnt cigarette in Ogre's mouth. "Here's a tribute to you, and also a thanks for providing me with useful information," he said.
With his task done, Bane slowly walked out of the alley, leaving Ogre's lifeless form leaning against the wall.
The cigarette in Ogre's mouth continued to emit smoke, and ashes fell onto his now motionless body, a silent testament to the events that had unfolded in the dark confines of the alley.