He was dead. He was alive. He was neither.

He was young. He was old. He was Immortal.

He couldn't remember how he lost the dead man's need for blood. Why, he no longer had to refill his blood supply ever seven days. He couldn't remember the events that had lead up to that, since it was so long ago.

Now, he walked through this never ending dessert. No need for food. No need for water. No need for blood. However, he couldn't stop, even though none of these things were what he needed, he had to keep going.

This mans name is Brandon Heat. This man's name is Beyond The Grave.

He walks, in his black business suit, with his mechanical coffin hanging off his arms by chains, always walking, never even stopping for rest.

He walks… To find a purpose to his immortal life again.

….

He sits on a stool, in a bar, in the city of January. Sipping his drink lightly, he adjusts his glasses with one hand, even as another hand suddenly settles on his right shoulder.

"Hey their friend." A male voice said from behind him, even as a gun was pressed to the small of his back. "Your name wouldn't happen to be Vash The Stampede, would it?"

"Well, that's what they call me."

"That's good. Since now I can collect on that fifty billion double dollar bounty on your head." The gun was cocked.

In a burst of motion and speed, Vash was out of the way of the gun, landing on the floor, and rolling up to his feet, even as the bullet smashed through the glass he had just sat down.

He looked extremely serious for a moment…

"SCARY!"

But only for a moment. The man continued shooting at Vash, who would dodge with one insane pose after another, both unaware of the traveler who had stopped at the bar after the first shot was fired.

The traveler who was watching with his one, emotionless eye.

"Darn it." The man said, as he shoved another clip into his pistol. "Why won't you die?"

"Well, it's bad for the complexion." Vash said, ready to dodge another round of gunfire, and try to find an escape route.

He wasn't ready when the next bullet shot, wasn't aimed for him. The man fell down, with a hole in the side of his head, a still smoking gun in the hand of the traveler.

"What?" Vash began as he turned to look at the newcomer. A huge handgun with a red cross on it, was in his hand, and was just now being rested on the owners shoulder. "Why did you…"

The man looked at him, with his emotionless eye, no expression being shown.

"Why did you kill him?" Vash said finally. "Their was no reason to kill him."

The man didn't answer, merely leaned his gun further over his shoulder, until a device in his coffin reached up and pulled it out of his hand.

"ANSWER ME! WHY DID YOU KILL HIM?!" Vash finally yelled.

"Because…" The man finally said. "If he killed you… You wouldn't be alive to be asking me that question."

"What are you saying? Are you saying that your after my bounty too? Are you saying that you killed him so you could have it instead?"

"Look behind you." The man said.

"Huh?!" Vash muttered, slightly confused. He turned and looked, to see a women and her son, hiding underneath a table. His eyes opened wide with shock at how close some of the bullets had come.

"I did it for their sake. The only reason I have to kill, is to protect others." The man said.

"You could have at least tried to have kept him alive. Gone for a non-fatal wound." Vash said slightly subdued.

The man turned around, and left, and continued walking.

"WAIT!" Vash yelled. "What's your name, mister?"

The man, paused and looked back at Vash for a brief moment. Vash's eyes widened as he looked the stranger in the eye. "He's seen so much pain in his life." Vash thought. "So much pain that not even an emotionless eye can hide it."

"My name is… Grave. Beyond The Grave."