Stranger Danger II

The first one we found to ask about 'The Artificer' was someone well known as 'Hell bear'.

According to Darren, this part of the city is where the corpses that had been severely mangled are all commonly found.

We caught Hell bear in the act when I heard a loud thumping noise on a secluded part of a subway station with no soul in sight except for Hell bear himself and a poor fellow.

Hell bear, who was holding a sledge hammer and just finished landing it at a now corpse, was someone contrary to what Darren said he expected.

Instead of looking large like a bear, he was of medium build but more on the skinny side.

He agreed to give us information after I dislocated his wrists and ankles. And that's only because he found me cool for some reason.

He said he didn't know anything but he did point us out to someone who might.

So the next one we went to was someone known as 'The Artisan'.

She leaves her killed copses standing like statues.

She also did not know anything and said maybe 'Irish Aunt' knew something.

Irish Aunt is known to fit her corpses on a large pot.

But she didn't know anything too.

We got referred to a total of 21 serial killers that night. Some of them being;

Uncle Teapot, The Machinist, Family Woman, Mickey the Clown, The ConMan, Leather Feet, Ace Hockey, The Lycan, The Butcher, Diablo, and some other known individuals on their little community.

Apparently they call themselves

"Collectors".

It was already past 6am and its 2 hours away before my flight for france.

Fortunately though, we already found the address of the Artificer, and Darren agreed to confront him himself. Alone.

"I can handle him myself. You go ahead and prepare yourself for the flight."

I gladly took that suggestion and finally went home.

---------------------

Inside the room 206 of an apartment building.

"So this is where the Artificer lives?"

I questioned myself as I saw how extravagant this place was.

'Everythings all glorious and gold-like and shit. What's up with this dude?'

"Are you coming in or not?"

I almost jumped back when I heard someone talking behind me.

Literally behind me.

I felt his breath on my neck as he asked me.

"I'm guessing you're the Artificer? I almost knocked you out man."

"Almost.....Now, shall we take this talk somewhere more private?"

'Damn he's creepy.'

I thought to myself. And that's heavy, considering I talked with a shit ton of 'collectors' this same night.

The Artificer walked back inside his door and left it open even after I was already inside.

I looked around inside the apartment and was again awed by what I'm seeing.

But I wasn't only appreciating the place.

I was also scanning the environment for some contingency plan if ever things go south.

My eyes slowly scanned the ceilings.

Down the walls.

Then the windows.

Then the Artificer's eyes.

He's eyes have two colours. Red and Yellow.

It was only for a moment, but I definitely felt some sort of animosity towards me.

"You've just entered my place and already made a grave mistake. Didn't you know why I was called the Artificer?"

For a second I didn't know what to say. But.

"Why then?"

I knew back then. Before I entered, that I should have ran like hell.

But I realized it all too late now as I scratched my elbow, and saw a needle mark in it before slowly limping down and finally falling on the floor.

The Artificer took his sweet time walkig towards me.

He slowly lost all and any expression in his face and said.

"Because I'm about to make a masterpiece out of your skull.

A flower pot or a vase maybe."