Johnny Sands

Human / Ranger

Submitted character story

Johnny was the result of an accidental pregnancy via a pair of drug addicts. After being born in a gas station bathroom, he was taken back to their filthy apartment, where he was heavily neglected. The pair didn't even name their son, only referring to him as "Boy," feeding and changing him only when the crying became too much to handle.

As time passed, his parents’ money vanished to their addictions, which caused his parents to beg their dealer- a young man only known as D11- to give them any way of getting some money. Having heard of their new son, he offered a small fortune for him. The pair happily accepted, trading their four month old child for a lump some of cash.

The baby was taken to The Pit- a child trafficking ring meant to train their victims into all sorts of criminal roles. D11 took him to The Proprietor- the owner of The Pit- who took a cattle brand to the back of his neck, permanently marking him by his simple designation of A43. Being so young, he was handed to B17- an 8 year old girl. With no other light in her life, she took on a maternal role for the baby, raising him to the best of her abilities. She began humming a lullaby her grandmother once used on her each night to drift him off to sleep.

As the baby grew into a toddler, he and B17 spoke often, spending much of their time in a cell together. Although talking was against the rules, they still whispered to each other every night, stopping when the guards came by. During this era, B17 revealed her name to be Layla. Not having a name of his own, she decided to give him one: Johnny. 

At the age of 5, Johnny's training was set to begin. It was determined he would be a prime candidate to become an assassin. For years he was put through brutal training regiments. Sometimes he was learning how to fight, other days he was put through brutal workouts that worked him to the bone. By the time he was 5, he was already learning how to shoot a gun. By the time he was 7, he could shoot a clean headshot from across the room. By the time he was 10, he could hit a quarter from the other end of a hallway. 

Johnny's training lasted until he was 15. Despite his skill, he became one of The Pit's most volatile victims, often breaking rules and getting into trouble. He was punished frequently, often with a whip. This went on until the military performed a massive raid on The Pit in an attempt to liberate the captives there. Seeing his chance, Johnny found Layla and attempted to get both of them to freedom.

As the two sprinted down the labyrinthine hallways, the pair ran into a trio of soldiers. One of them, a very young recruit, was startled by the two, turning and shooting Layla through the neck. Johnny executed the trio before holding her dying body, humming the lullaby she once used on him. He held her corpse long after she died, only leaving when he was physically pried away and dragged outside to be processed.

During questioning, Johnny chose his own last name: Sands. When asked about his age, he refused to be treated like a child any more, lying and saying he was 18. Once he was finished, he knew he needed a place to go. But with no family or skills other than killing, he only saw one avenue: the military.

Johnny breezed through his training. Compared to The Pit, he found boot camp easy. During this era, he realized how free the soldiers were compared to his past life. Johnny began to talk often, quickly gaining a reputation as an unapologetic loudmouth with an unnatural amount of skill. Some looked up to him, others were afraid. When he graduated, he was put on the platoon Foxtrot-22, AKA The Bloody Jackals. 

Soon after, he gained another reputation. His years of training made warfare easy. Johnny Sands became a legend in his squadron, leading the charge through multiple missions most people saw as suicidal. However, Johnny’s poor upbringing left him scarred. He was known for flipping between being jovial, happy, and hurling out filthy jokes to flipping into a blind rage within seconds, only to turn back just as fast. Due to this, he was not only denied promotions, staying as a Private his entire service, but he was also suspended multiple times.

During his many suspensions, Johnny began to tinker. He made his Trick Jacket- a coat full of dozens of pockets, including a few hidden ones. He carved his sawback knife for close range combat, and started tinkering with homemade explosives. Johnny never stopped for even a moment.

After 13 years in service, Johnny's rage ended his career. When a caravan of civilians was attacked by pirates, he began chasing them down, executing the men without mercy. Even after they surrendered, he kept going. When the last surrendering pirate was dead, his Lieutenant immediately arrested him, sending him to his Commander. Johnny's fury wasn't done- he assaulted the man, which led to him being court marshalled.

Johnny was found guilty on all counts. He was immediately handed a Dishonorable Discharge, thrown out of service with nothing to show for it. But, Johnny needed a purpose. He spent the little money he had on bullets and tools for his explosives before continuing his work as a homeless vigilante, targeting the criminal underworld with the same relentless fury he's always had. Often times he leaves nothing but destroyed buildings and charred bodies. Johnny particularly hates human traffickers and will do anything he can to rescue their victims.

Johnny Sands is still out there. He is entirely homeless, yet he keeps the bloodshed going, as it's the one thing he has.  He saves who he can, but doesn't stop over losses- in war, casualties are inevitable. Johnny's primary weapons are his two service pistols, which he can shoot with nearly inhuman accuracy. If someone gets too close, he loosens his sawback knife from his right sleeve, always aiming for the kill.

Given enough setup time, Johnny is an adept trapper, using explosives, mines, tripwires, and other violent tools to turn any arena into a deathtrap. He has no qualms using dirty tactics and is often heard insulting his opponents mid battle. 

Johnny does not trust easily. The one person he's ever had died in his arms- he won't let that happen again. Should someone somehow earn his trust, he will fight and die for them regardless of cost. Until then, all Johnny has is violence. From the day he was born, it's the only language he's ever truly known.

Despite how seriously he takes his mission, Johnny is incredibly talkative. He often cracks jokes, many of them crude, dark, or plain wrong. His upbringing left him emotionally unstable- Johnny can swap between smiling to pure, unbridled rage and back in seconds. If he likes someone, he'll often speak to them like an old friend. If he doesn't, he'll insult them over and over again just to get under their skin. An angry opponent isn't a coordinated one.