-Chapter 4: Melting-
I watched the exchange going on from one side to another with growing interest. Somehow, I had woken up in a burning fire with no memories of who I am or what I was doing in a fire, only to be pulled out my an I.D.P.D. member, who began questioning me about everything. I was too shocked to respond, as I was looking at my skin, of which a large quantity of it had melted off, revealing the bones underneath. The fire must've destroyed the nerve endings, because I wasn't in any pain. I eventually said
"Hi, umm, this may sound weird, but I don't remember who I am, and why was I in a burning fire?" I questioned to the woman.
"Look, kid. I don't really know. I must say, I'm surprised I'm alive myself. I was sure that big bandit killed me just a few minutes ago," She responded with.
"Whaddya mean?"
"Well, I was going through the wastelands, trying to find somewhere safe, and it was going pretty well, but then, a hinged section of the wall open, and out of a sewer pipe protruding from it, came this enormous bandit. I ran, but he shot me in the leg, and then when I was hiding he came up to me and delivered a bullet to my head. It didn't kill me immediately, so I was left to bleed out on the ground. I blacked out, only to wake up here and find you snoozing in the campfire."
"Oh. Okay. Well, if there's a campfire, then there must be people nearby," I said, still looking at my skin.
"Yes. However, I don't know if that's good or bad news for us."
As she said that, we heard the sound of voices growing nearer. She motioned for me to be quiet and pulled out her rifle, aiming it at the spot where the voices would arrive. A few seconds later, a strange sight came around the corner. A fish-man with a guitar tucked under his arm was holding a large chunk of crystal, and he seemed to be talking to it. No, the crystal was talking back. I made out legs, arms, and a face. It was alive!
"Freeze." My new friend said, pointer her weapon at the two. The duo sighed and surrendered, the fish dropping his revolver, and the crystal raising its hands as a form of surrender.
"Who are you?" The woman questioned.
"Hey, this is my camp. I should be asking you the same question," The fish responded with.
"Oh, this is your campfire, and, singular log?"
"Yeah. Now I would like it if you stopped pointing your gun at my head, thank you very much," He stated curtly. She lowered her weapon, looking at the crystal being in his arms.
"Who's that?"
"This is my new friend, Crystal. She was wounded, so I fixed her up, and I was bringing her back here. Who are you, and what is that gross ooze next to you?"
"Well, I'm Rogue. I used to be the Captain of the I.D.P.D, but they all got corrupted when The End began. I stole some experimental technology, and booked it out of there. And this is, uhh…"
"I don't really know my name, only that I woke up in your campfire a few minutes ago, and was saved just in time by Rogue," I piped up, resulting in an intake of breath from both Fish and Crystal.
"Oh, I'm sorry I called you a gross ooze," Fish stated apologetically.
"It's alright. My skin got all melted by the fire, so I'm lucky to be alive. I don't know what you should call me. I don't even know who I am," I said sadly.
"I'm sorry. We'll call you, umm, Melting," Crystal said sympathetically.
"That sounds perfect," I said. "Now that we all know each other, what now?"
"I think the first step, for me, at least, is to get revenge on the Big Bandit," Rogue stated. "Will you join me?"
"Hell, I've got nothing better to do," Fish said. "This is the first exciting thing that's happened in a while,"
"I'll come too," Melting agreed. "Once my leg heals a bit more. I'll probably feel better in the morning,"
We all settled off to bed, me, glad to be surrounded by my new friends.