Bane Taranis

Bane lived a fairly normal life, without much trouble from anyone. He had friends, family who supported him in his endeavors, and dreams. Those dreams were what fueled him through culinary school and allowed him to become the most requested chef and barista in his town.

As he was heading home from work one late evening, he noticed things were a little more quiet than usual. Bane didn’t live far from the café he now owned, and earlier felt it was such a nice day that a walk was better than taking the car. A rustling in the nearby bushed caught his attention, but by the time he reacted, It was already upon him: a large black mass in the form of a canine. The beast snarled, snapping and clawing at the young chef’s neck, tearing into the flesh just below his ears.

The creature was strong, but Bane found the strength to knock it off of himself and run to the nearest house for safety. The neighbors saw the state the young man was in, and quickly rushed him to the hospital.

Bane had lost consciousness just prior to arriving at the hospital, but when he awoke, he quickly realized he couldn’t hear. He went to hit the button on the hospital bed, and waited for a nurse to come. When she entered, she had a notepad and began writing. But Bane frowned. “Please… tell me verbally… don’t write it. I have to know…” The nurse frowned and nodded. She tried to tell him that they weren’t able to repair all the damage done, and that the worst of it had been to the inner workings of his ears.

Bane watched her lips move slowly, he had become accustomed to reading lips from the noisy setting of his establishment. He slowly nodded his understanding.