The Person Behind The Scars

Scarface extended his hand to Alex, pulling him up. It felt almost surreal, as if a raging storm had suddenly vanished, leaving a peaceful, sunny beach in its wake.

"You're... still Scarface, right?" Alex asked, bewildered, struggling to believe the transformation before him.

"HAHAHA! I get that a lot when I talk normally! Is it really that strange?" Scarface chuckled.

"A-Ah, I didn't mean to offend. I wasn't expecting to see this side of you," Alex apologized quickly, fearing another outburst. After all, It would be disastrous if it led to Scarface getting upset again.

"HA! None taken! Now, let's have that talk somewhere quieter." Scarface turned to the crowd and shouted, "Free time, people!"

The crowd paused for a moment before erupting into chaos, fighting and brawling among themselves.

"Come along, Alex! Get your ass over here too, Junior!" Scarface commanded, picking up Junior like a piece of luggage and dragging him along.

"Wh-What?! Why do I have to—HEY! ARGH, PUT ME DOWN!" Junior protested as he was hauled away.

Alex, confused by the sudden turn of events, followed Scarface and the struggling Junior down a small set of stairs to a bunker door. The door creaked loudly as Scarface pulled it open with considerable effort.

Inside, they walked through a long, dusty corridor lined with crumbling concrete walls. At the end, several archways led to different rooms: some dormitories filled with hammocks, others housing old, rusting torture devices that sent shivers down Alex's spine.

Scarface tossed Junior into one of the rooms with a kick, then entered himself. Alex followed quickly, finding Scarface seated on a rusted metal chair, his gaze fixed on Alex.

"So, Alex. What did you want to know?" Scarface's expression was calm, almost like a teacher ready to discuss something serious.

"Uh…" Alex hesitated, thrown off by the atmosphere but quickly got to the point. "I wanted to know about the biology textbook you gave to Elder Wendigo. Was it really yours? Why did you have it? Were you…"

"Oi! How's the boss gonna answer if you keep asking questions?" Junior interrupted.

"A-Ah, sorry. I'm just desperate for answers. It's related to my lost memories," Alex said, scratching his head.

"Hahaha! Good questions, Alex. But you, shut it and sit down, Junior." Scarface smacked Junior on the head. Junior yelped in pain, then grumbled as he sat down.

"I'll get straight to the point, Alex," Scarface began. "That book was mine. I used to teach biology in high school."

"You did?!" exclaimed Alex, surprised.

"YOU LOOKING DOWN ON THE BOSS?!" Junior yelled, jumping at Alex, only to receive another smack and be dragged back to his seat.

"HAHAHA! Indeed I did! And I was a dang good teacher, too." Scarface chuckled proudly, then fixed Alex with a knowing look. "You want to ask if I lived before the GAP?"

"That's right," Alex responded eagerly.

"Well, let me tell you this first, Alex." Scarface leaned forward, frowning, and put his hands clutched in front of him. "Forget about the past, Alex. There's no point in seeking out what happened in the past, nor is it worth anything to find out what happened to yourself."

Alex stared, stunned. Scarface leaned back to his chair, and continued, "This is your reality now. Live your life, and don't look back."

Scarface paused, letting the words sink in.

"I tell you this, Alex, because I don't want you to go through that torturous phase I went through to chase one's past. I can tell you about my experience, but I want you to stop chasing the past after you hear my story. Do you understand?"

Alex was at a loss for words. On one hand, he was desperate to learn how Scarface's story could illuminate the mysteries of the GAP. On the other hand, Scarface's condition to stop searching for his past after hearing the story left him conflicted. But Alex was too far into the game at this point. Determined to get to the end of the mystery, he decided to stand his ground.

"I…I can't promise that. It's…something I need to know." Alex stammered.

"Why, Alex? What drives you to chase your past? Is there something important you need to remember?" Scarface questioned.

Alex pondered. Why was he chasing these memories? What purpose did it serve? Unable to find an answer, he spoke honestly. "I don't know, Scarface. But without those memories, I feel like a part of me is missing. I feel... like I lack purpose. If I had them back, maybe, just maybe, I'd feel worthy of this life."

Scarface and Junior stared at him quietly.

"I see," Scarface broke the silence. "Then I'll tell you my story. Do with it what you will, but I won't do any more than that."

Alex nodded, and Scarface began, "Let me start from the beginning, then. As I said before, I was a biology teacher. One fine day, while I was teaching, the school called me to the faculty room. I had no idea why I was being called there, but I went anyway. When I entered the room, two government agents and the principal were waiting for me at my seat."

Scarface's expression turned sombre. "They said I was chosen for a grand program to ascend humans to the next level, the GAP. The principal was elated and happy for me and told me how much of an honour it was. I was surprised, too, and pleasantly so. You see, I studied genetics back at my university, and GAP was already a hot topic. It seemed very promising, with them constantly announcing fascinating results and promoting successful individuals who went through the program. Looking back now, I am sure it was all propaganda."

Scarface's hands clenched, shaking. "Unfortunately, I was blind to the truth and fell for their trick. I joined the program without question. But, by the gods, the experiments were horrid. The moment they injected the serum that first day, I experienced the worst pain of my life. I still vividly remember that the scientists did nothing to help. Instead, they just…watched."

His eyes reddened, veins visible, but no tears came. "At the end of that first day, my body was severely damaged. My organs, my skin, my brain. Everything. I thought I was finished. That this was the end of the program. I assumed I was incompatible with the serum, and they would release me back to society. But I was wrong. From that day on, they continued their experiments on me, testing different strains of the serum. They kept me…like a lab rat."

Scarface closed his eyes. "As time went by, the experiments began to destroy my body functions. I lost my tear ducts, my skin rotted, and my brain functions started to malfunction, which led to a lot of violent behaviours."

Scarface took a deep breath and continued, "Then, one day, it happened. I was about to be injected with something again, but my violent tendencies took over, and I killed everyone in the room. Standing there, covered in blood, my vision started to fade, and I eventually blacked out. That was the last thing I remembered."

He opened his eyes and looked at Alex. "The next time I woke up, I was in a malfunctioning chamber in an abandoned facility. Like you, I had lost my memories. I searched for my past. Like you are now. I stumbled into the Genesis District, and I met my fellow Flawed. And with them, I explored this new world I found myself in. I found out more about what happened to the world. I found my memories once more, my identity, the experiments and everything more."

Looking down, Scarface sighed. "But, unfortunately, the more I found out, the more I remembered, the more I longed to go back to the past. Eventually, that broke me. Emotionally, mentally, and physically. I couldn't find my old life back anymore. I couldn't cope."

"Boss…" Junior whispered, and Scarface glanced at him and smiled.

"But, thankfully, I found a new purpose in this new life. This guy and the bunch of crazies out there. You might not believe it. But they saved me." Scarface put his hand on Junior's head and shook it hard.

"When I was searching for my past, all I wanted was the memories. And after all those years of searching for my past, I found nothing but pain and misery in those memories. But once I started looking in the present, I found something much more important."

Scarface looked back at Alex, and for the first time ever since they met, he smiled like a normal person. "Do you know what that is?"

"What is it?" Alex asked, but he knew the answer in his heart.

"It's the place I feel I belong to. A new home."