Felixentric

Scene 14: I Become the Ability to Paint

"You aren't practicing your gift," a voice came from behind.

Felix flinched and spun around.

"Sorry. That was beautiful, but not quite enough." He was snickering one moment, but the sly smile turned cold soon after.

Felix clenched his human fist.

"You're an artist, kid. A real artist. More than Quixotic." It was like a gossip session, Hen rolling his eyes and tongue at the facts. "Did you know he used to quote literature while he fought? It was like his thing, up until he got bored of it. It was for the attention, really. He's a fraud." He looked genuinely disgusted. "But you... Not so much. I like you more. The way you splatter the blood through the air and make it stand still is like a sculpture of sorts. And the way you positioned that body in the phone booth...

"Thank you?" Felix didn't know what to think of it. It wasn't like he was trying to Fade like he painted. It just happened.

"But keep practicing. You should be more fluent if you want to be successful in the team. Anyway, I came to ask you a question."

Felix fumbled with his Fade hand and spit light of the souls into a tiny jar he'd extracted from his pocket. Then, he retracted his hand and put the jar back securely. "Go ahead."

"I want to explain the plan, first. I have a team of five people, supers. At least, I need five. There are three right now, if you continue helping. But without all five, there's not enough power in the system to keep us going."

Felix winced at the word "us," like Hen was taking this Fading journey into his own life. Like he was the one doing any of the dirty work. "And without that extra ounce of power, I can't get the last two. And without the whole team - you see - it doesn't work. And one of the two others I already have, well, she isn't very nice. She doesn't like waiting around, too impatient. I fear that if the action doesn't start for he soon, she'll make her own fun."

Felix's heart seized. Did he mean murder? "I don't want to be a part of your little posse if it means being evil."

"Do you think that's what's best for you?" Hen threw reality up in the air. "You think you can do all of this by yourself? You think... Not to put us on bad terms, but you already said you don't trust me and I think you know that if we aren't each other's allies, we would have to be enemies."

"If I don't-."

"This isn't just about you, Felix." He spit when he said it. "I and the team aren't just in this to put people in little, firefly jars. There are other ways to change this grimy place. We each have our own ideas. If we help you, you'll help us. It's a pact."

"And what about the third?"

"The third team member?"

Felix nodded.

"He's okay. Nothing like the girl. He's kind and funny and serious about his work. You would love to meet him."

"Do they have names? I can't join a team of people I know nothing about."

"Well, that's the question. I wanted to make sure you were interested before things got serious. They're identities are secretive and you can't meet them until we trust you. And we can't trust you until we know you trust us. Do you?"

Felix seized up. Words in his skull told him to fear this man. He could even hear Hale's ghostly whispering in the alley behind him, telling him to get away. "It's like you're self destructive or something," Hale's voice protested in his imagination. Felix's skin itched to see his face come out of the shadows. He wanted to see the ghost again.

But Hen wants to change the world. That's what the banefades wanted to do, in their spiritual nature. Doesn't everyone want to change the world somehow?

"You have the opportunity to put your name on a bomb," Hale countered. "It'll be your responsibility when everyone goes boom." That wasn't Hale's intellect talking. It was Felix's mind in the voice of his brother and the poor vocabulary was what gave it away. He felt bad, not knowing what Hale would really be saying.

I have the opportunity to do what others only dream of doing.

This was I'lloozjhen. "Do you want to know who you'll be? It may sway you. There are five representations of psychology, or the cores of our everyday decisions. Art, chemicals, society, politics, and religion. Sounds a little unstable, I know, but I need these representations to help humans along. You know who are, right?"

Quiet.

"You'll represent all of the artistic world." Hen's eyes lit up and Felix's heart went into orbit.

"It looks like you're leaning toward a yes."

Felix swallowed and stared at the moon a moment, asking it in a telepathic way what he should do. There was a triangular sliver out of one side, like a slice of pie stolen. It was quiet.

"Come on, kid."

No.

"Come on."

He whispered, "Yes."

Hale whispered, "Idiot."

"Meet us at the beach in two days. Noon." It wasn't a statement; it was a choice.