The Artist
Chapter 1
The brush slowly raised itself into the air, poised to strike like a coiled rattlesnake. It lingered there for a brief moment, almost as if savoring what was to come. Droplets of a red substance dripped off the edge of the brush and fell into the moth eaten carpet below. The brush then moved forward and pressed itself against the white canvas set up before it. It moved across the canvas with ease and with each stroke, a picture began to form. A face on the canvas, drawn in bright red.
Finally, the brush ran dry. It pulled back and the arm it was held in lowered it. The man holding the brush stroked his recently shaved chin, inspecting his work so far. A face was now half formed on the canvas, the outlines of it created, but the details still missing. The man nonetheless smiled broadly, apparently pleased with himself. A black, ink-like substance dripped from his mouth, dripping down his chin. He licked the stuff off and wiped it against his multicolored teeth. His teeth were stained with different coats of paint, all of them wet and fresh.
"An interesting development so far, don't you think?" The man said. He stood under a dim light, the room around him not much larger than a water closet. A single fan hummed creakily on the wall and a single bed lay in the corner. The space, despite its occupant, did not look lived in. In fact, it might as well have been abandoned, thanks to the sheer amount of paint covering the walls and repulsive smell they generated.
The man turned away from his painting and looked to his side. At first, he might as well have been any other unremarkable looking Japanese man. He wasn't very tall, his physique was plain, and he wore a simply part of drab pants to match his drab jacket. His hair was cut short and arranged neatly but hardly made him stand out.
But on closer look, one would discovered this man was anything but plain by simply looking at his eyes. Or rather, his lack of eyes. Instead of eyeballs, the man had hollow sockets. Both of his empty eye sockets were filled with black ink, contrasting heavily with the rest of him and making him look demonic. The man also wore no shoes but seemed to leave footprints made of paint each time he stepped.
The man smiled down at his side. An unmoving body sat there, slumped in a chair. It was a young man, clearly a bellhop. His skull had been carved open and his brain lay exposed, blood spilling from his open head down his body. The man chuckled and raised his brush. He dipped it in the blood, acquiring a new coat of "paint", and continued to his work on the painting.
"I thought you'd say that, my friend." The man say. His brush moved with grace and fluidity, adding in more details to the painting with the corpse's blood. "But it's unfinished. A masterwork takes time. Energy. Time to plan, time to compose, and many other details go into the creation of a piece of art." The man dipped his brush again in the man's open head. "I cannot rush masterpieces. For then I cannot appreciate them."
The man finally stopped painting and lowered his brush. The face he had been painting was now complete. Despite the crud methods the man was using, the face looked almost life like. The details of it, the eyes, the skin, even the slightest subtle aspects such as the face's facial structure and subtle, almost tormented expression suggested life where there was none. The man smiled, pleased with his work. He licked the remaining blood off the brush and rubbed it against his teeth.
"Beautiful," He whispered, taking in the painting. "But it lacks a certain...elegance. That primal fear, the sense of true fear, is not here. So the beauty is superficial. Manufactured. Produced but ultimately not true art, despite being created through the means of fear. Unfortunate. But its how these things go. Some art fails and teaches us to improve. To seek higher standards."
The man raised his finger. He pricked the edge of his finger with the sharp point of the brush. Instead of blood, what looked like ink dripped from his finger. The man pressed his finger against the easel and it flowed onto the easel like water. It engulfed painting, covering and consuming the blood face until the entire easel was simply a black image. The man raised his bleeding finger and licked the ink off it.
He strode across the dark room, gently placing his brush inside his jacket pocket. Before he reached the door, something in his other pocket buzzed. The man took out a ringing cell phone and answered. "Is it time?" He asked.
"Yes," A raspy voice growled from the other end. "We're in position. Awaiting your orders, Akihiro."
"Stay where you are, I'll be there shortly." The man, Akihiro switched off the phone, the phone's keys now stained with ink. He put it back in his pocket and looked at the corpse. "Well my subject, this is where our paths diverge. You gave everything to create but unfortunately, it wasn't enough." Akihrio smirked and opened the door. "Perhaps further subjects can strike my muse more than you. But I'm sure you'll have your uses in death. Why, being discovered by the hotel staff should provide amusement. Pity I won't be there to capture such a glorious image but oh well. With luck, I'll be off capturing better scenes instead. Sayonara." With that, Akihiro exited his room, shut the door quietly, and seemed to melt into the dried, peeling paint on the floorboards beneath his feet.
Akihiro had been staying in a cheap hotel in Santarem, Brazil. Not far from the town was the rainforest. As the sun blared down on the jungle, Akihrio made his way through the trees. He left a trail of multicolored, painted footprints in his wake. He brushed aside vines and low hanging branches. A mosquito buzzed by his neck and bit him. However, just as quickly, the mosquito keeled over dead, its stomach blackened with paint. Akihiro smirked and flicked the thing off.
He cast his gaze around the jungle. The sunlight could be seen streaming through the clumped tree, illuminating gnats and other bugs zipping through the foliage. The sound of birds and other animals filled the air, making a little chorus of screeches, warbles, and squawks. Akihiro's smiled slowly twisted into a frown.
"Disgusting," He muttered. He slapped aside a branch contemptuously. "Absolutely vile. I often wonder how places like this can exist. Where is the life? The human soul? There is no chaos, no beauty, not even a shed of character!" Akihiro crushed a large beetle that was fleeing from him and wiped its remains on some tree roots. He then smiled and laughed. "What if this place were to be burned to the ground? The animals fleeing in panic within, stampeding each other in their mad frenzy to escape onrushing death, the unlucky ones being consumed by flame and burning alive...yes...I could paint a scene of that." He frowned. "But not of this." He spat angrily and moved on, continuing to mutter to himself.
Eventually, Akihiro emerged into a large clearing. The smell of smoke filled the air. He saw another man sitting in the clearing before a campfire. The man was roasting some sort of animal on the flames and quickly rose at Akihiro's approach. He was a grizzled looking man, with a well-built body. Most of his face was hidden by wild, untamed hair and various tools were strapped around his waist. He wore forest camouflage and was clearly Brazilian.
The man eyed Akihiro for a long moment as the Japanese man approached him. Akihiro stared back at him and smiled. The Brazilian smirked and grinned back. He shook Akihiro's hand, his grip firm. "Akihrio," He said, his accent quite thick. "Good to see, my friend. Care for some food?" He gestured at the animal he was roasting over the fire.
Akihiro gave the thing a disgusted look. He let go of the Brazilian’s hand and shook his head. "No. You know me, my friend. I find the natural world appalling. The thought of consuming from it? The thought alone nearly makes me retch."
"Suit yourself," The Brazilian crouched next to the fire and speared the roasted animal with a spit. He took a bite out of the thing and gulped down a hunk of meat. Akihiro watched him with mixed emotions. On one hand, it was positively disgusting to watch. A lurid scene. On the other, such an act had brought suffering and death even if it was to just a vile creature. Such things Akihiro found...soothing and he considered for a moment to paint the scene. But he quickly dismissed the idea. It was a small idea of chaos and suffering, more peaceful than anything else. An unworthy subject for one of his works.
"So," Akihiro said, flicking off another mosquito for his neck. "What do you call yourself these days?"
The Brazilian gulped down another hunk of meat and wiped his brow. "Arthropod."
Akihrio smirked. "A bit on the nose, don't you think?"
"It’s easy to remember, hides my identity, and gets the message across of who I am to strangers," Arthropod lowered the dead animal, having consumed most of the meat on it and tossed the rest into a bush. "You really should consider a name for yourself, Akihiro."
Akihiro shook his head. "I'm not afraid of hiding my identity. After all..." He spread his arms wide. "What they see is what I am. I have no past to uncover, no dirty secrets they can use against me. I am simply me. Let them see me. They won't be able to do anything about me."
Arthropod snorted. "Very well. You're the boss." He jerked a thumb skyward. "Our other friend is circling above, waiting for the signal, just like you said."
"Is he?" Akihiro glanced up briefly. "Good boy. I was almost expecting him to not listen this time. In fact, I was almost desiring that. Ah well..." He chuckled. "His presence would have been missed should that have happened. As is, he'll be most helpful in creating another lurid gallery."
Arthropod nodded. Akihiro smiled and asked, "Now, where is the camp? I'd like to get started."
"Just up ahead," Arthropod kicked a mound of dust over the fire, extinguishing the flames. "Follow me." Arthropod walked forward, moving back into the trees. Akihiro grimaced but followed. He calmed himself with daydreams about the jungle being wiped out in a nuclear explosion and painting that image for all the world to see.
After making their way through the jungle for a good half hour, Arthropod and Akihiro eventually arrived at a hill. Arthropod make a gesture and Akihiro crouched low. Arthropod crouched next to him and the two of them crawled to the edge of the hill. Akihiro peeked over it and took in the scene below.
There was a military camp at the bottom of the hill. A small one but it looked well-guarded nonetheless. Barbed wire surrounded the entire facility and soldiers moved about inside, either on patrol or doing their daily exercises. The flag of Brazil was mounted in the center, flapping in the light breeze.
Arthropod tapped Akihiro's shoulder and pointed. Akihiro followed his finger and saw another building at the far edge of the compound. This building was much more well-guarded, with at least twelve soldiers stationed outside. It had no windows, a single visible door, and resembled a giant slab of iron in contrast with the camp's barracks.
"That's where they're keeping it," Arthropod whispered. "Three days ago, a truck arrived carrying a big cargo. They took it inside there and it hasn't come out ever since. Lots of military types have been back and forth through there, though. It's the most well-guarded building in the place. Ain't going to be easy to crack open."
"If we were normal men," Akihiro whispered back. He looked at Arthropod and grinned. He could feel his pulse quicken, as the anticipation grew. It was almost time. "But we aren't. We're...what did the media label us? Ah yes...meta-humans. These soldiers have no idea what's about to hit them." Akihiro licked his teeth excitedly, paint oozing from his mouth. "I'll go in first."
Arthropod frowned. "You sure? Not to insult you but I think-"
"I want the first taste of blood, my friend." Akihiro interrupted. "Besides, you'll be right behind him. As soon as you hear the screams, give the signal and attack. Remember...we can't leave a single one alive." Arthropod nodded.
Akihiro reached and felt a place to go. He concentrated and seemed to vanish into thin air. Arthropod remained crouched, listening intently.
A soldier stood on a stepladder against the compound's perimeter wall. He was muttering to himself as he painted the wall. A bucket of wet paint stood by his side. The soldier dabbed his brush in it, getting a new coat, and continued to paint the wall, beginning to whistle to keep up his spirits.
Suddenly, a bubble popped in the bucket of paint. The soldier stopped. He lowered his brush and looked down at the bucket. He stared at it for a minute, wondering if something had fallen in. But when nothing further happened, the soldier shrugged and dismissed it as signs of impending heat stroke. He'd have to yell at one of the passing patrols for some water. Resuming his whistling, the soldier returned to work.
Without warning, a hand exploded out of the bucket, a knife clutched in its fingers. It stabbed the side into the soldier's ankle. He screamed, the brush falling from his hands, and slipped. The soldier fell from the ladder and hit the ground hard, the knife still impaled in his leg. He lay there, dazed, staring up at the sky.
There was a loud splash and the paint in the bucket rose until it was spilling out of the bucket. The paint oozed down the ladder, crawling onto the soldier's legs. The soldier shook his head and looked up. His eyes widened and he screamed again, trying to crawl away but the knife made that impossible. The paint crawled up his body until it stopped on his chest. It bubbled again and Akihiro appeared out of thin air on top of the soldier. His arms and legs were dripping with the wet paint.
The soldier screamed again, fumbling for his pistol. Akihiro raised his fingers and the paint on them sprayed into the soldier's eyes. The solider howled and writhed, clawing at his eyes. Akihiro grabbed the knife, ripped it out of the man's leg, and slashed open the soldier's throat.
The soldier gurgled, trying desperately to breathe, as blood gushed from his slit throat. Akihiro looked into the man's eyes, watching the life slowly drain from him. It made him tingle with pleasure.
A cry went out. Akihiro looked up and saw a group of soldiers moving toward him, all dressed in workout gear, completely unarmed. Nevertheless, they charged at him, yelling at him in Spanish. Akihiro waved to them pleasantly and stroked the dying soldier's cheek before he vanished.
The group of soldiers halted, looking around confused. One of them knelt by the dying man and yelled for medical assistance. But as he did, a flare suddenly fired from the hilltop above and exploded in the air.
The soldiers looked up. As they did, Akihiro's hands suddenly burst from the paint at their feet and grabbed one man's leg. Before anyone could react, Akihiro dragged the man forward and he disappeared into the paint. The soldiers backed up, screaming, staring, unable to fully process what was happened. The paint began to move, twisting into various shapes, before forming into a distorted grin.
The soldiers turned and ran for the barracks, yelling for help. A few patrolling soldiers took notice and moved over, raising their machine guns. As they did, Arthropod suddenly leap off the hill and fell toward the camp.
In midair a pair of massive insect wings suddenly sprouted from Arthropod’s back. They buzzed to life and he flew over the soldier's heads, landing behind them. The soldiers whirled around but as they did, Akihiro burst from the paint and stabbed one soldier in the neck before vanishing again. Distract, one soldier grabbed his buddy while the others trained their guns on Arthropod.
Arthropod sprang forward and raised one arm. It twisted and morphed, a carapace forming in place of his skin and his fingers morphing into a massive pincer. Arthropod grabbed the nearest soldier's neck and lifted him into the air before crushing his throat. He hurled the soldier's body into one of his fellows, knocking the man to the ground.
One soldier opened fire on Arthropod before a glob of paint fired from the ground and smacked him in the face, blinding him and making his shots go wild. Arthropod sprang, grabbing the soldier's machine gun with his pincer and crushed it. He slammed one half of the rifle into the soldier's face and knocked him down.
The final soldier of the group shoved his buddy's corpse off of him and tried to aim his gun at Arthropod. But as he did, paint suddenly flowed underneath him and he was dragged into it, vanishing from sight.
Arthropod moved across the courtyard, the insect wings retracting back into his skin. An alarm started to blare and more soldiers charged across the compound, fully armed and ready to take him down. Arthropod watched them coldly before a shadow suddenly fell over him. He looked and nodded in satisfaction as a figure flew overhead.
The figure was dressed from head to toe in a golden armored suit. It shined brightly in the sunlight, making him almost appear as if he was glowing. Multiple spikes adorned his helmet, which lacked any facial features saved for a visor. An emblem of a blue diamond sat in the middle of his chest and his cape, a long flowing thing, flapped in the wind as he flew forward. Akihiro's final friend, Photon, had arrived.
Photon flew toward the charging soldiers. The troops halted before taking aim and opened fire on Photon. The flying figure flew back and forth, avoiding the bullets before raising his hands. Energy blasts fired from his palms and slammed into the mass of soldiers. They exploded on impact and soldiers were thrown into the air, slamming into the compound's walls and the sides of the barracks. As the dust cleared, many of the men didn't get up and those that did were badly burned or dazed.
Akihiro and Arthropod fell upon the survivors. The paint flowed beneath the soldiers, dragging the unconscious, the dazed, and the dead into it with wild abandon. Arthropod snapped soldier's necks with his pincer in a calm, detached manner, killing any survivors he found without delay.
Photon circled over the compound before zooming back around and firing another energy blast at the barracks. The blast destroyed the barrack's roof and it collapsed in on itself. Yells and screams echoed from within the destroyed building.
Akihiro and Arthropod moved past the destroyed barracks. Their target building was only mere yards away now. The twelve soldiers guarding it had formed a massive wall between the intruders and the building. They opened fire on Arthropod and Akihiro's hand popped out, pulling Arthropod into the paint before he could be shot.
The soldiers lowered their smoking rifles, the camp's alarm still blaring, smoke rising from the destroyed barracks. The paint slithered across the ground and went behind a parked truck. Arthropod popped out of the paint and considered the truck. He then gritted his teeth and his head changed. Antennae sprouted from his head, his eyes were replaced with giant compound ones, and a pair of huge mandibles replaced his mouth. His head had morphed into that of an ant.
Arthropod grabbed the truck with his mandibles and lifted it into the air like a toy. The soldiers noticed and yelled, turning to shoot the freak. But Arthropod threw the vehicle at them and they were forced to scatter. Three soldiers weren't so lucky and the truck slammed down on them, crushing them.
Soldiers picked themselves up, staggering to their feet as they tried once again to get up and faced the intruders. But Photon flew over them and fired an energy blast at the truck. His blast struck the truck's fuel gauge and the vehicle exploded.
The explosion's shockwave knocked soldiers over, breaking some of the nearest one's bones and knocking others unconscious. The truck was consumed the explosion's fireball and chunks of shrapnel went flying across the compound. Smoke puffed from the destroyed vehicle as it began to burn, the downed soldiers lying all around it.
The blob of paint oozed into the massive of soldiers and pulled them into itself, dragging them away. Soon, there wasn't a speck of soldiers left in the camp. The paint stopped before the doors of the building and Akihiro climbed out of it. His hands were stained with fresh blood.
"Ah..." He stretched as Arthropod walked next to him, his head changing back to normal, and Photon landed at his other side. "Well, that was exhilarating. You should have seen it, the looks of pure shock and terror on their faces after I pulled them in. It was so lovely, such a rush, that I actually spared a few. I'll collect them later and use them as live subjects for some side projects. We all need our distractions, yes?"
Arthropod grunted and Photo didn't say anything. Akihiro sighed and muttered, "Culture is lost on lesser men..." He gestured to the door. "Photon."
Photon raised his hand and fired a blast, blowing the door off its hinges. Akihiro smiled at him and pointed at the ground. "Stay." He beckoned Arthropod and the two of them went inside the building.
The inside of the place was dimly lit and resembled a warehouse in its interior. Akihiro walked through the open spaced, rubbing his hands together in glee. Just across the open space was something that looked like a huge pod and inside there was something alive.
Akihiro and Arthropod approached the pod. As they did, a figure suddenly popped out from behind the device. A scientist, judging by his attire, holding a pistol. He fired a shot and it missed by a mile, the gunshot's noise echoing loudly in the confined space.
Arthropod reacted quickly and sprang forward, his arm again morphing into a pincer and he grabbed the scientist's gun wielding hand. With a snip of his pincer, he crushed the man's fingers and the scientist screamed, dropping his gun. Arthropod threw the man to the floor and raised his pincer to finish him off.
"Wait!" Akihiro barked. Arthropod halted and lowered his pincer. Akihiro moved up beside his associated and grinned. "Not just yet. This man...we might need him." He gestured at the man, droplets of paint flicking from his fingers. "You. Do you speak English?"
The man stared back at them and stammered: "P-por favor, déjame en paz..." Akihiro sighed and gestured to Arthropod. Arthropod seized the scientist by his collar and dragged him to his feet. Their faces barely inches apart, Arthropod spoke to the man.
"Cállate," Arthropod hissed. The scientist gulped and nodded. "Hacemos lo que queremos y vivirás." Again, the scientist nodded, albeit more reluctantly.
"Ask him how to open the pod." Akihiro commanded.
Arthropod pointed at the pod. "¿Cómo se abre se?" The scientist licked his teeth and shook his hand.
"Yo no puedo decir que lo siento!" The scientist said, sounding on the verge of hysterics. Sweat ran down his face in droves. Arthropod gritted his teeth and shook the man angrily.
"What's he saying?" Akihiro muttered, looking from the pod to the scientist.
"He's saying he can't open the pod," Arthropod snarled. "I'm of a mind to break his other hand." Akihiro just smiled.
"Tell him..." Akihiro walked closer to the scientist and stroked the man's sweaty face. The scientist shivered at his touch. "Tell him that if he does not open the pod, right now, you'll rip off his hand. Then his other hand. Then his leg. Then his other leg. Then if he still doesn't want to talk, you'll rip open his stomach, dump him in the jungle, and let the animals come for dinner. And I'll paint the entire thing, moment by moment, piece by piece. His pain and terror captured for the world to see!"
Arthropod repeated this the scientist. The scientist's eyes bulged and he raised his hands, babbling something. Arthropod nodded and set him down. "Seems that did the trick."
The scientist nervously approached the pod and tapped the side of it. A panel opened, revealing a keypad, and a couple of scanners. The scientist entered the code and pressed his hand on the scanner. He then showed his eye to the other scanner. The pod's lights turned green and it beeped. There was a loud hiss and the front of the pod began to open.
Cold air washed out of it, causing the three men to shiver involuntarily. As the door slowly slid open, Akihiro saw a figure revealed. The figure was a massive woman, at least seven feet tall and very muscular. She was also completely naked but nothing was revealed, for her entire body was covered in a layer of ice. She had no visible mouth, only a pair of eyes could be seen.
The scientist tried to back away from the woman but as he moved, the woman's eyes suddenly snapped open. Her eyes were a dark, icy blue and alighted upon him. Akihiro's skin tingle as he saw the familiar emotion of rage in her eyes. The woman reached down and grabbed the man's head. He didn't even get to scream before ice flowed her hand and engulfed him, freezing him solid. She pushed him back and he smashed down onto the floor, shattering into a million pieces.
The woman pulled herself from the pod, raising her hands into fists, the air chilling around them. Arthropod tensed but Akihiro put a hand on his shoulder. He stepped in between them and looked up at the woman.
"Do you speak English?" He asked. The woman blinked and halted. She looked around before turning back to him.
"...Yes," She growled. She had a Spanish accent but her voice was deep and had an echoed effect. Akihiro smiled and clapped his hands together.
"Wonderful, just wonderful," He gestured to himself. "I am Akihiro Toranosuke." He pointed at Arthropod. "And this is my associate: Arthropod."
The woman stared at them for a long moment. "You aren't them." She finally said. She sounded confused.
Akihiro nodded, chuckling. "No we aren't the military. We just slaughtered the whole group keeping you here, actually. It was quite a spectacle, I wish you could have seen it."
"You...killed them?" The woman cocked her head. The air began to grow warmer.
"Indeed we did."
"Good," She growled. She clenched a fist. "I hope you made them suffer."
"Suffering is one of my passions," Akihrio responded. "I make everyone I find suffer. It brings me much happiness. But enough about us. You're probably wondering why we're here. Why we've sprung you from the cage these men were keeping you in."
"...Yes."
"Well, to start off with, I heard a lot about you over the past several months," Akihiro said. "A top secret project, a woman who was more than human. A superhuman. They called you Absolute Zero. And I realized you were like me. I'm also a superhuman."
"You...what?" The woman blinked. "...Prove it."
Akihiro raised his hand. The strands of wet paint clinging to his clothes flowed off of him and oozed onto the door. He twisted his fingers and the paint writhed like he was controlling it with strings. "Paint is my passion." The paint morphed into a multitude of shapes in quick succession: a unicorn, a gun, a cloud, a gorilla, and a house. "And it’s also my ability. I control it as easily as breathing." He lowered his hands and the paint collapsed into a blob splatter once more. "And Arthropod here? He can change various parts of his body into those of different types of insects. We're kin, he and I."
"So...there are others like me," The woman stared at her frozen body. "And for a long time, I...I thought I was alone. Just me and the people poking me with syringes. But...if there are others..."
"Then you'll never be alone again," Akihiro smiled. "I'm here to grant you freedom, my dear, but also give you a new life. I assume you hated your time in this place?"
"Yes." She said it without hesitation, her voice twisting into cold fury.
"You should. Then would mind helping me a task? It’s something that would be easy with a person of your caliber. And it'll let you strike back against a world that's tormented you...let you work off your anger that's been building up, in a beautiful and lovely way."
"Task?" The woman hesitated. Then she nodded. "You freed me. And there's nothing more I'd like than to kill the bastards who did this to me. What do you want me to do?"
Akihiro grinned. He could sense the pieces falling into place and he practically quivered with anticipation. Steadying himself, he said:
"It’s a simple enough task, my dear. There's a group of men and women, tormentors and killers. They've stopped someone like you a little while ago, imprisoned him like he was some dog. I want them dead. Easy enough, right?"
The woman narrowed her icy blue eyes. "That's all I have to do? Kill some bastards? Seems easy enough. Who are they?"
"So you're with us?"
"I think so."
Akihiro grinned with glee. He raised a paint drenched hand. "Welcome aboard, Absolute Zero. And the people we're going to kill are called The Metahuman Agency. We'll start with the worst of them, a man who calls himself The Urban Spider. His real name is Jason MacQuil."
