Bandaged Hearts

1-01 ENCOUNTER

WARNING: Sensitive Content (Abuse, Isolation, Self-harm, Slightly Gorey Descriptions!)

 
Their bare feet clacked against the wet alleyway ground, the Articrete roads coarse under their feet. The wind blew past their thin body as they dashed through the maze of dark, thin, streets. Their pursuers were gaining on them, their frail body's energy running thin. They stopped, spinning around in a 180° motion, unclipping a roll of bandage from their belt. They threw it out with a trained motion, using their mind to wrap it around two water collecting pipes.
'Hopefully that'll keep them at bay for a moment or two,' they thought to themselves, continuing on their way. When they turned to one of the few Alleyway Labyrinth exits, only to be caught off guard by a young hero standing just outside, blocking their way.
Their eyes widened, immediately hopping backwards, distancing themselves.
"Evening, Ano." the hero's smug, caramellic voice rang out. "The name's Taze, an Academic Hero." they held their hand out.

They stared at the extended appendage, a confused expression decorating their face. "Ah-Sorry--..." they panicked, social interaction was not their strong suit. "Uhm-- I..!" A face filled their mind, immediately focusing them on the situation at hand. They threw out a long strand of bandage, willing it to wrap around the hero quickly.
Unfortunately, it wasn't quick enough. A lightning bolt leaped out of their extended hand, burning the bandage into smithereens. Their eyes widened, staring at the smoking remains. "I believe that is my key to leave, bye!" they waved quickly, clearly panicking as they launched themselves upwards with a bandage the hero hadn't noticed.
They heard the hero grunt in annoyance, so they started dashing, leaping from rooftop to rooftop. 'He's going to be so mad!', they chanted in their head over and over again as if it was a mantra. Unfortunately, they were once again cut off by the same hero. "Eh-- What? Huh?" their eyes widened, "You--" they skidded to a stop. The chanting got louder and louder, until they couldn't even hear what the hero was uttering. They placed their hands to their ears, "S-Sorry.." they murmured, kneeling down. "Uhm-- sorry." they whispered once again, "Sorry..sorry....sorry...."

"Dude." The hero's voice!

"Are you like, okay?" they asked, "You keep apologizing?" they raised a brow, staring at the thin villain.
"I-Uhm, sorry. I-- just remembered something-- Wait, you're not--- shoot." They fumbled over their words, eventually settling for just silence. The pair stared awkwardly at one another for a good while before the hero broke the silence.
"Dude, you sure you alright?"

"Uh. Yeah, fine." they nodded, though it wasn't very convincing.
"So... are you going to resist arrest or can I just like..." they held up a pair of handcuffs, dangling in the slight breeze.
"Uhm. That likely wouldn't end well..." they stopped themselves, thinking about it further, "But he'd... be mad if I didn't so..." they fell backwards, off of the roof, into the alleyway many stories below, vanishing into the darkness.

(This is the sensitive part, you can skip it, but it is story relevant.)

They sat in the Room of Isolation. That's what they had deemed it, anyway. It was their punishment. Though, they were used to darkness so they didn't really mind.
"You let a hero nearly capture you!?" he exclaimed, his voice ever so present in the silence of the Room of Isolation. "That's it. You're carrying around more weapons rather than just your bandages." the man rubbed the bridge of his nose, sighing. "For this... you're getting a week in this place and 12 lashings." he uttered, his voice as hoarse and deep as ever. "It's been a while since you fucked up a mission, so I'm going light on you this time. If this happens again, you're getting at least 30." he stood, exiting the room, the heavy door slamming shut with a THUD. They winced, curling into themselves.

'He's angry again... I did bad...' they closed their eyes, though it didn't make much of a difference. The Room of Isolation didn't have any lights. No windows, no actual floor, no nothing. Just Articrete and silence. They fidgeted with the bandages wrapping around their arms, undoing the tight doings with every movement. They scratched at their itchy bare arms. They were always itchy, and always wrapped up in bandages.