Friday, September 24, 2010

A Forgotten Memory


Created: 25-09-2010 (Based on a doujin comic strip dated 2004)

Mat Gempak and Jinggo's team stared into the containment unit.

They were staring at the world's most dangerous femme fatale and lady criminal of the century.

The Black Widow.

She was known throughout the world as a lover-slasher, running around in the dead of night in pitch-black clothes and a veil across her face, finding lovers she saw as potential victims, capturing them, torturing them, making either party watch as she carved their lover alive, begging for mercy, begging for death, before offing them both.

It started off small at first. First it was the dark secluded corners where lovers enjoy their little private time, doing the deed with the thrill of being caught. Then it was the parks, the entertainment centres, private getaways, any place that a pair of lovers would deem romantic for their little escapades.

No one has ever seen her face, and those who have probably did not live to tell the tale. But people who are lucky to catch a footage of her would say that her very distinctive trademark was that she was an amputee: She did not have a left hand.

Months passed without being able to capture her, she became bolder, sometimes attacking in broad daylight. The last straw that ended into a full-blown manhunt was when Mat Gempak, one of the most influential icons in society, became her victim.

He was at the park enjoying National Day with a night picnic with his two lovers Ella and Linda when she struck. He was forced to watch as she carved his girls, enough to hurt but not enough to kill, until the girls were begging to die. But Mat Gempak managed to escape death when his bodyguards managed to track him down before she could off him. She ran, but not without leaving a souvenir: A scar that ran deep down across the left side of his face, making him blind with one eye.

Mat Gempak swore to exact revenge there and then.

After exhausting many more months of time and manpower, they have finally caught her when she fell into Jinggo 3000's trap. He and Joned offered to become bait, pretending to be lovers as The Black Widow was not discriminate with what orientation her lover victims were. Once they managed to get her into the trap, it was a matter of time before they engaged in a cat-and-mouse race and ended up her being cornered in a warehouse and ambushed at every angle by every law muscle present.

And now there she was, in the containment unit, staring back at the group, knowing that they were watching from the two-way mirror.

"What shall we do with her now?" Jinggo 3000's ex-superior asked. "We have spent almost all our time to capture her, but now that she's here, what will be our next course of action?"

"Well, she doesn't seem to be trying to escape or anything," Joned replied. "She seems to be very at ease."

"That is just a trick to put your guard down," Mat Gempak said venomously. "I say we skip the trial and give her the noose. Better yet, let's just commit our own brand of honor killing."

"No," Jinggo 3000 said. "It would not be ethical. As evil as she may be, we must go by the book. That is the code."

"Screw the code!!" Mat Gempak bellowed. "She killed my girls!! She gave me this scar and almost killed me! You're not seriously considering that she be given a fair trial?!"

"We should first interrogate her," Kido said. "There are still some missing people and rumours of her keeping them in a hidden lair are spreading among the office. We should ask to confirm the truth."

"Yes, it would be best," the ex-superior said. "The priority of possible hostages comes first. We will deal with her later. Jinggo, you're on."

Jinggo 3000 nodded and made his way in. His right mechanical foot made an echoing sound throughout the room as he entered the containment unit. It was good to be back in action again. Ever since that accident in deep space, he thought he was going to die for sure. But Joned and the team somehow managed to retrieve his body and reconstructed what was left of him into a walking, talking cyborg. They had to replace plenty, mostly his inner organs, and half of his left side of his face, three quarters of his left arm and a whole of his right leg, but it was better than to rot in space.

He knelt before the woman with no name. She maintained the veil, her face continued to be hidden from the world. Her long auburn-brown hair littered the space she sat on, and she was restrained by heavy-duty iron cords to keep her from escaping. Her reddish-black eyes bore deeply into Jinggo's own orbs and Jinggo 3000 had to force himself to keep his cool or he would've gouged her eyes out out of irritation.

"So, you're finally busted," Jinggo 3000 said as he went on bended knee in front of the Black Widow. "You're finally here, and we, along with the public, are just dying to know you. Let's just get started with formalities, eh? What is your name?"

The Black Widow gave him an incredulous look, but stayed silent. Unbeknownst to many people, and the law, since no one knew who she really was and was not registered in any database, she was born mute. She couldn't even confess her deepest, darkest secrets even if she wants to.

"The silent treatment, eh? I bet you find that very charming to the men to be holding your tongue there."

Still, silence. As The Black Widow stared at Jinggo 3000 continuing to interrogate her, she thought back to how she had ended up here. She recalled the day she was recruited into the force and met Jinggo for the first time when he was still in the force. She recalled how her heart fluttered when she was greeted by him with a friendly handshake, welcoming her to the club. She remembered being assigned as the crime scene profiler and helping the task force take pictures to be handed to the forensics and the team for further analyzing. She remembered being stuck to desk jobs because of her condition and only occasionally needed when the team were dealing with special cases, like the deaf and the mute witnesses or victims. She remembered being the person who anyone can just overlook and be forgotten unless the situation needed her existence.

But not Jinggo.

He noticed her. Maybe not as often as one should, but he was there, acknowledging her all the same. He would bring coffee for her and say some encouraging words before asking her on how the case was. He would ask to include her whenever the task force were going out to party or anything, in which they often declined, but at least he tried. Whenever he had some extra snacks he brought along, he would let her have a share. He would make her feel she was part of the task force as often as his busy schedule would allow it.

That was the Jinggo she knew.

The Jinggo before her was a cold character who walked around like a mechanical bastard. He was not the man she fell in love with. He was not the man whom she had risked her life and sacrificed her arm for when someone was aiming a plasma shotgun when his back was turned. He was not the man who was beside her bed, showing his emotions of guilt and regret and endless gratitude that he had rarely shown others. He was not the man who gripped on her empty sleeve and cried for the first time in a long while, shedding those manly tears as he apologized profusely. He was not the man she shared her first kiss within that hospital room. He was not the man who saw her off the airport when she was being relieved of duty and decided to return to her hometown.

No. This Jinggo before her was a clone, a robot, a man who was reconstructed into a machine after his supposed death. The man whom, after learning of his death and resurrection, she mourned over and swore that love no longer was for those who believed in it. That love was weak and people who displayed them were showing signs of weakness. A weakness mankind can do without. A weakness that should be eradicated.

This Jinggo before her made her into who she is now.

"I'm tired of your games, woman!" Jinggo 3000 grabbed her by the collar and tore off the veil to reveal her face. It was obvious that upon seeing her face, he did not recognize her one bit as he shook her. "Tell me if you have kept hostages and where have you been hiding them!"

He did not recognize her. He did not remember her. Even after all these years, he did not know who she really is.

But...if it was true that a reconstructed man still retained some part of their deep emotions of the past within them...then...

Without warning, the Black Widow leaned up to kiss him fully on the lips.

It took Jinggo 3000 5 seconds to register what she was doing before he quickly pushed her away, shouting obscenities at her. Her only response was a lick of the lips and devious smile before she leaned back, letting him do whatever he wanted to her.

Jinggo 3000 was confused. What was that kiss for? What was she planning to do? Was she trying to distract him? Was she trying to tell him something?

And why did the kiss...felt so familiar...?

"Jinggo, get back in here, now."

Jinggo 3000 broke from his muse at the ex-superior's voice through the intercom and quickly left the room. Returning to the group, he was met with eyes of disbelief.

"What the hell was that about?!" Joned asked.

"I have no frickin' idea!" Jinggo 3000 replied. "That just came out of the blue! I don't know what just happened there!"

"If that's her way of trying to brain-fuck with us, she's one sick twisted bitch," Mat Gempak said with a sneer.

"Did she say anything useful at all?" the ex-superior asked.

"No. I'm given the silent treatment all day," Jinggo 3000 replied as he stole a glance at the Black Widow who was looking at her shoes, faking interest.

"Well, we'll keep her overnight in her cell to let her think things through. See if a night with the worst criminals would loosen her tongue."

"I'll let the guards know," Kido replied as he left.

"Damn bitch. When we're through with you..." Mat Gempak's voice trailed off as he glared at her with a vengeance.

Jinggo 3000 quietly watched as she was taken away, not sure what to think.

--:--

Jinggo 3000 was rudely awoken by his cell phone at around 3am. His partners Joned and Kido who were sleeping peacefully in the other room that was conjoined with his also heard the ring. He had not slept very well since the question about that kiss that felt so foreign yet so familiar continued to nag his mind till no end. Like he was supposed to remember something but couldn't. Needless to say, he wasn't in the best of moods.

"Fuck," Jinggo 3000 swore as he answered the phone. "Hello? Do you know what time it is?"

"Never mind what time it is!" the ex-superior's voice rang from the other line. "The Black Widow has escaped!!"

"WHAT??!!" Jinggo's yell got the others to poke their heads into his room.

"You heard me! I don't know how she did it, since she was thoroughly checked for weapons before being locked up, but she managed to kill half of the prisoners she was stuck with and figured out the combination of the locks and she just overpowered 3 guards before she made her grand escape! Mr. Mat Gempak is breathing down my neck and going to eat my head off as we speak! So get your ass here now!"

"Right, I'm coming in 10!" Jinggo 3000 replied and hung up the phone and quickly got dressed.

"Did we hear right?" Joned asked. "Did The Black Widow escaped custody?"

"Yeah, so get your asses up and get dressed. We're heading to the station."

"You got it, boss!" Kido saluted and ushered Joned to get changed.

As Jinggo 3000 checked his armour and double-checked his ammunition, he held a solemn vow before he and the gang left for the station.

He will find her, he will catch her and he will find out, once and for all, what did that kiss mean.

The Slender Man Tribute



Being that I am totally obsessed The Slender Man (hopefully he won't come stalking me or anything :/ ), I decided to gather round a number of arts that are done by our Slender Man Cometh Group members and compiled them into this one video. Hope you like it~!

No wifin' in da club, gimme twenny dollars...

Disclaimer: I do not own whatever was used to make this video

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

An Artistic View


I was taking pictures with my camera during my visitation to the Royal Palace when my friend asked me to take this shot. And since it's artistic and whatnot, I decided to showcase it here.