“I often like to believe that the people of Arcadia are a lot like a present.”
“You never know what you’re going to get until you’ve unwrapped it.”
“Because you see, a present can present itself in a thousand different ways simply by the wrapping that covers its exterior. Colorful ribbons and sequin paper lead you to believe something to be bright, shiny, even kind. It’s a distraction that makes you assume what lies beneath.”
“But anything could be in that box, anything could be waiting beneath the wrapper.”
“For children a beautifully wrapped gift box could be the most amazing thing in the world. A brand new toy, a shiny silver necklace?”
“However, much like people, you’ll often find yourself utterly disappointed by the contents once you see past the layers and get to the core of what awaits you inside.”
“Maybe it’s simple clothes, or a book you never care to read.”
“All you know is what once you’ve unwrapped the present, you can’t rewrap it.”
“Once the mystique is gone, you’re only left with the truth.”
“Who are you, Burned Man?”
“To the world, they see exactly what you want them to see, don’t they? You’re a brutalized and tortured citizen of Arcadia just like they are. Scarred flesh and broken dreams wrapped up in dirty bandages stained with the same dirt and blood that covers the slums.”
“But we don’t really know that for certain, do we?”
“See, you’re just like a gift wrapped box, Burned Man. Your bandages give us a way to view you, but what if we unwrapped those dirty rags and got a look at the man beneath them? What would we find?”
“Scorched skin, blackened flesh? We know exactly what you appear to be, but if we go even deeper than your skin, past the bones and to the heart, we could learn who you truly are. You’re an enigma that needs to be pulled out into the light and painfully unwrapped until we see the true you hiding beneath the wrapping and burns.”
“Were you a criminal who deserved his fate and now hide behind layers of falsities?”
“Could you truly have been a poor man in the wrong place at the wrong time?”
“Or have you done this unto yourself and now make up your story to hide your shame?”
“There’s only one way to know for sure.”
“And I’m going to happily be the one to pull away the layers.”
“For you see, unlike you, I have nothing to hide. With me, what you see is what you get. The mask that would hide my face shows my true intentions as I watch over this cruel world, Burned Man.”
“I’m not a kind hero, I’m as cruel as the world that surrounds me and will do unto others what would be done unto me.”
“There’s no skin, no bandages, to wrap up my visage.”
“I’m the true face of Vengance, I’m the Skull.”
“And soon, Arcadia shall see what lies beneath The Burned Man.”