Chapter 21: The Kid vs The Rot

Kid Rot gazed proudly at his creation that towered over the park. It was a strange sort of satisfaction he was feeling. Kid Rot had always hated the act of creation, it went against his nature but this would help him spread destruction so it was all to his benefit.

He turned his attention to Basso Profondo, working on a large loudspeaker. Basso had recently had a change in style, more than being extremely bloated by gas that is. Instead of his dark tuxedo, he wore a black leather jacket so long that it almost reached the ground when he stood up. More Blade, less Dracula, was what Kid Rot told him would catch the attention of the hip new generation.

"How are we coming along mate?" Kid Rot asked. Basso Profondo looked up from his work. He was about to answer Kid Rot but got way too disturbed by what the parasite was holding under his arm. "What, this?" Kid Rot jerked the arm that was holding. "It's just another piece to our magnum opus. So, back to my question."

"Um, yes, yes, everything is proceeding as planned, Kid Rot." Basso Profondo replied, trying to sound professional despite his fears. Basso had at first been rather excited about working with Kid Rot. His plan would elevate the former opera singer back to his former level of fame but he realized a long time ago that things had gone way, way too far. Too far to stop now.

'No matter what I do from here on, I am marked for hell.' He thought.

"You are a monster Kid Rot." Chester exclaimed with an accusing finger at the parasite. They were still on the tiny island in the middle of the swamp, inside Chester's own mind. "Taking control of my body is one thing but this…this is abominable."

"Can't you do anything but complain?" Kid Rot asked annoyed.

"Since I am a prisoner in my own mind, no." Chester replied.

Kid Rot smiled a little. On one hand, Chester's new attitude bugged him but on the other hand it did give him the chance to submit his host's conscience for even more unspeakable tortures. Still, he had to snare Chester first. "I still don't get why you complain so much. I am only doing what we both want Chester. To spread destruction and death." He stated while moving a bit closer to his host.

"I never wanted to harm anyone. I wanted to help the world. I wanted to cure world hunger." Chester exclaimed. He just stepped into his snare.

"Yeah, that is what you keep telling yourself and what you keep selling to others. That's an easy way for you to relinquish responsibility for my actions but I know you." The parasite pushed Chester to the ground. He then pressed a foot against Chester's face. "I know you better than anyone Chester. I know you all the way down to your rotten little core. You have never cared about anyone but yourself. All you wanted was for people to like you even if those people treated you like dirt. Tell me, how lowly does one has to be to be want to be part of something that hates you?"

"I wanted to prove I was worth something." Chester said as some tears pressed themselves out from his eyes and ran down his cheek.

"Only because you felt you had no other choice. In secret, in your darkest depth, you wanted them to suffer for what they did to you. Deep down you wanted to do what I do. No wonder I came from you. We both hate and are hated by this green world" Kid Rot explained.

"That's not true."

"O really?" Kid Rot stepped off Chester and the blond was quick to get onto his feet. Kid Rot's left hand glowed with dark energy. The earth gave way and revealed a small tunnel in the ground.

"What-what's that?" Chester asked.

"A rabbit hole. If you want to learn the truth about yourself you have to get down there. A little warning thou, if you find candy with the words 'eat me', don't eat it. The candy is a lie." Kid Rot explained.

"Why would I do anything you tell me?" Chester asked with a sneer.

Kid Rot shrugged. "The choice is yours." With a mean-spirited chuckle, the parasite evaporated in a puff of dark smoke.

Chester looked around for any sign of Kid Rot but it seemed like he was alone, well not completely since Kid Rot was always watching him in here. He huffed annoyed before glancing at the 'rabbit hole'.

'Yeah, as if I would do anything Kid Rot tells me. I am not that dumb.' He turned to the watery swamp. 'I can't just stand here. I have to find a way to help Abby & Ty defeat Kid Rot. Maybe I can find something in this swamp.' Chester waded out into the murky knee-high water. He continued walking thru the swamp, passing by tree after tree, all of them dead.

He then passed the skeleton of a dead deer…for the second time. "Oh, no I am back where I started." Chester lamented. He looked at the small island sticking up in the middle of the swamp. The tiny tunnel was still there. He sighed. "Who am I kidding? This place doesn't have an end or a beginning, it's all in my head. I can't just leave by walking away from this place."

Chester sighed again before walking up to the small hole. He got onto his hands and knees and gazed worryingly into the opening. He hesitantly stuck in a hand and felt around. Only dirt.

'He wouldn't kill me. If he wanted to, he would have done so a long time ago.'

With that thought in mind, Chester sat down in front of the hole and slowly pushed himself down the tunnel. It was very tight, just large enough for him to squeeze thru. The last of the light soon disappeared behind him. The smell inside was very bitter. Suddenly, the tunnel steeped sharply. He had no time to back away so he slide down in high speed.

After sliding for a long time, Chester finally hit something. Flat ground. He groggily stood up but couldn't see anything. "Kid? Kid, where am I?"

Kid Rot stepped out of the darkness. Grinning sadistically as usual. "You are at the deepest level of your subconsciousness. Here is where all your memories and deepest desires are stored. It's a place without secrets or lies."

Suddenly, a bright light flashed Chester blind and when he opened his eyes again he relieved a memory.

Chester was seven years old. He was tied with a rope to a tree. In front of him was four guys just as old as him. All of them had pinecones by their feet and in their hands.

"I just asked if I could play with you guys." Young Chester whimpered.

"Well this is the way we play. With fags like you." One of the boys, a tall youngster with blond hair mocked. "Ready, aim, shoot!" All four of them started throwing pinecones at Chester. He tried to avoid them by moving his head but they hit him anyway. They hit his cheeks, his ears, his lips, his thin bone and his eyes. Places where they hurt the most.

"Aouw, aouw, aouw! Stop it! It hurts." Chester shouted pleadingly.

A fifth boy ran onto the woodland scene, carrying some green plants in his gloved hands. "Hey guys, look what I found." The tall blond came over to look at what his comrade held in. "Stinging nettle."

Three of the boys took of the venomous plant and with grinning faces approached the tied-up Chester. "Please don't." He whimpered. The three boys proceeded with rubbing the nettle against Chester's legs, neck and face. Chester shrieked and jerked his body as the plant stung his skin. The other boys laughed delighted before running away, leaving Chester tied to the tree with red itching skin. Chester didn't do anything thou. He just stood there with his head hanging and tears running.

The memory pasted. Chester rubbed his shoulder nervously. "What is the meaning of this Kid Rot?"

Kid Rot's voice echoed an answer. "I am not in control here. Your mind are just giving you the answer you are looking for. You know that no one can ever truly love you. Tell me, why would you want to be a part of a world that has done nothing but rejected you and hurt you?"

Another memory flashed.

A nine year old Chester sat in his grandfather's kitchen. He was cutting pictures out of some old newspapers and glued them to a white paper. It was fun to make collage. He just sat there, humming a happy tune and smearing glue.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?" a deep manly voice shouted sternly.

Chester turned to see his grandfather, Thomas Humus standing by the kitchen entrance. His face was twisted into an angry scowl and his eyes were wide open. It was like he had seen something blasphemous.

It of course made Chester nervous. "I-I just…I wanted…" He couldn't find the words. 'What would he want to hear? What is he asking?'

"Get out of my house!" His grandfather barked sternly and pointed to the door in the lobby.

"But I…I didn't…" Chester stammered.

"OUT!" The old man shouted loudly. He marched right up to Chester, grabbed him by the back of his color and pushed him thru the room before forcing him out the door. Chester stumbled but managed to keep his balance. He looked up at his grandfather with confused eyes. He was the only family he still had. "Stay out of my house, damn kids!" He warned before slamming the door.

Chester looked down at the ground. What would he do now? He had no friends to go to and it was a long way to the nearest neighbor. He walked to the other side of the house. The lawn hadn't been mowed in months and was littered with old scrap metal. He sat down by the wall and hugged his legs. 'What did I do wrong? I was certain I only cut yesterday's paper. It was in the paper waste bag. What did I do wrong?'

"He had Alzheimer's. He didn't know what he was doing." Chester argued.

"Yet no one cared that a man that couldn't even remember how to tie his shoelaces was taking care of an orphan." Kid Rot exclaimed.

Chester felt his legs weaken. His body was in pain. He fell to his knees. He wrapped his arms around his chest in a feeble attempt at comfort. "Abby." He muttered. "Abby cares about me. I WANT ABBY!"

"Oh Chester." Kid Rot's voice was surprisingly caring. "Have you forgotten? Your relationship with her was staged from start to finish." Kid Rot sat down in front of Chester. He gently placed his hands on Chester's shoulders and rested his forehead against Chester's. "Have you forgotten how love feels Chester?"

Another flash of light began another memory.

At age 10,

Chester stood in the classroom. Class hadn't started yet. He stared at the most beautiful girl he knew. Myra. A cute girl with red bouncy hair, ample cheeks and adoring green eyes. Chester had been fantasizing about her for months. He had barely talked to her thou. Chester was a shy unpopular boy and she was one of the most popular girls in class and there was good reasons for it. She was really nice and fun to be with.

Even thou Chester's grandpa had already moved to a nursing home and Chester had been put in an orphanage, he still visited his grandpa even thou each time he did it seemed like the old man remembered him less and less. He asked his grandpa what to do about his feelings for Myra. His grandpa had told him to be upfront about it.

It was Valentine 's Day and Chester felt it was the perfect opportunity to confess his feelings for Myra. In his hands he fondled a heart shaped Valentine's card. The front had glitter on it and a text that said 'For Myra'. On the other side it had a text that described just how he felt about her. He carefully walked up to her.

"My-Myra?" He gulped nervously.

"Hey Chester. What do you want?" Myra asked nicely.

Chester had to force his hands not to shake as he reached out the card. "I just wanted to say…Happy Valentine's day."

Myra took the card and raised a puzzled eyebrow. "Um, thanks."

Thanks? Okay, so maybe she wasn't thrilled but it wasn't a complete rejection. It was even better than he had hoped. He smiled a little.

"Aww look. Myra and freaky Chester is in love." A boy said. Soon, several of their classmates gathered around them. They started to mock them.

"Are you gonna kiss him Myra?" "Myra is Fester-Chester's girlfriend!" "Myra & Chester sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G." "O my God, I can't believe that Myra likes that ugly creep."

Myra's adorable face twisted into an angry scowl. She crumbled the Valentine's card in her hand. "No I don't! I don't like him! I never have! He creeps me out too! Stop making fun of me!" She shouted at the top of her lungs.

Little Chester felt as if someone had stabbed him in the chest. He could feel tears swelling behind his eyes. He looked to the floor so no one would see him cry.

Later at recess.

Chester was hiding inside the schools climbing dome (A black dome with holes in it). Chester often hide there to get away from the others when he was sad or when bullies were hunting him.

"Thank you Ron." He heard Myra's voice. Caught by curiosity, Chester looked out thru one of the holes. He saw Myra sitting on a bench next to Ron, another one of Chester's classmates. He was tall with a cute face and nut-brown hair. In Myra's hand was a red heart-shaped card.

"You're welcome." Ron said blushing.

"It's so nice of you. Today have been such a rotten day for me." Myra lamented. "That geek Chester gave me a Valentine's card and since then everyone has been picking on me cause they think I like him."

Chester started to feel sick to his stomach. His little Myra didn't like him, she hated him and even worse, his affection had brought her misery.

"Well, do you know what I think?" Ron said. Myra looked up at him with adoring eyes. "I think you're incredible and you deserve better than some creepy nerd."

"Awe Ron, that is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me." Myra said honestly. She arched her neck and Ron leaned down towards her and their lips locked onto one another.

Startled, Chester turned away and crawled backwards until his back hit the wall. He started crying into his hands.

The class rejoiced over the newfound couple and hated Chester even more for trying to come between them.

As the years passed by and Chester graduated from middle school to high school he fell in love with plenty of other girls. Gwen, Johanna, Sandra. But he never tried to talk to them. Years of constant humiliation and abuse had left him way too insecure to think he would have any chance with any girl. He was seen as that weird kid that lived with his creepy grandpa. Of course Chester didn't live with his grandpa anymore but since he still lived in the same town and had always gone to the same school few knew he had been separated from his grandpa. Not that they really cared.

Then at the age of 15 he meet a girl named Sarah. Sarah was tall with chocolate brown skin and long hair branded into a ponytail. She was intelligent, athletic, compassionate and the most amazing thing of all, she was one of the few that actually tolerated Chester. One time when they had gym class together they got to play football on the same team. Chester got the ball but tripped and lost it to the other team. Most of the others moaned and lamented to have him on the team but Sarah pulled him to his feet and then told him in a friendly manner to try harder. She encouraged Chester.

When the teacher paired the two up for a history project Sarah seemed okay with it. Every time anyone had been paired with him they used to moan and ask if they could have someone else but not her. She even suggested they could work during recess. She had a key to one of the club-rooms so they could work in there.

Even thou Chester was in love with her he didn't let that cloud his judgement. There was no reason why a strong, beautiful girl like Sarah would like an ugly, weak guy like him and yet when he saw her smile he couldn't help but think 'Maybe.'

Then came the day that would end whatever self-esteem Chester had left.

He walked thru the school corridor, heading for the clubroom. Blood ran from his nose, his eyes were red from tears, his lip was swollen and someone had drew a large L on his forehead with an ink pen. Moments earlier, two guys had ambushed him and beat him up. It started with backhanded compliments and teasing. Chester told them to get lost which had escalated into a full-on fight.

He walked slowly with his head down. He felt so broken and useless. 'Why do people want to harm me? Why did no one try to help me? I already know that they are stronger and more likebull than me so why do they feel compelled to remind me?'

After a stiff, slow walk thru the corridor he finally reached the clubroom. He opened the door and discovered that Sarah was already there. "Chester, what happened?" She asked concerned.

Concerned!

Chester lifted his head up, looking at Sarah's worried expression with disbelief. Suddenly, Sarah became so much more than just another crush for him. She became a promise. A promise of a better future, that someone might think of him as something more than the punching bag people always treated him as.

Before Chester could think anymore, he had crossed the room and was wrapping his arms around Sarah's body. He unintentionally buried his face in her cleavage and cried. Tears and blood soiled her shirt and stained her breasts as Chester tried to explain what happened but nothing he said was comprehensible. Sarah was disgusted. "Get off me, Chester!" She demanded as she struggled to get away from his grip. After squirming and slapping him several times she finally managed to push him off her and he hit the floor.

She stared down at her ruined black tube top and then gave Chester a disgusted glare before running out of the room. Chester scampered to the corner of the room and crawled up into a ball. After ten minutes of crying in silence he whispered, "I'm sorry."

The next day the entire school was filled with whispers of what happened between the two. Every rumor, more horrible than the last but everyone seem to agree that Chester was the one to blame. Chester tried to talk to Sarah but she refused to talk to him.

"Let's finish the fucking project and then I never want to speak to you again!" She shouted at him.

After that, Chester had no more friends in Greenbotle. Even the few that had sympathized with him (although not necessarily liked him) didn't care anymore.

"Wow, though break but that's love for you." Kid Rot chuckled, now standing next to the kneeling Chester. The more negative emotions that filled Chester the stronger Kid Rot got.

"Stop showing me these. Please, get me out of here." Chester pleaded.

"I am not showing you anything and you can't escape this. We are inside you Chester and you are nothing but bitter and full of hate."

Another flash was followed by more memories.

A thirteen year old Chester crouched submissively to a taller boy in the school corridor. The other teen glared and smirked menacingly at Chester. "So, money or a beating?"

"I-I don't have an-any money on me today Hank." Chester replied fearfully.

"Then I guess it will be a beating."

Hank was about to beat him but Chester recoiled and said; "Wait! Wait!"

This caused Hank to lower his fist. He tilted his head, looking judgmental. Chester sighed before reluctantly fishing up a twenty dollar bill from his pocket. He slowly held it out for the bully. Hank took the money. "Okay, then." He turned sideways, like he was about to leave when he suddenly turned back and pretended to punch Chester but stopped an inch from the blonde boy's face. Chester still flinched which made Hank laughed. "You are so lame." He continued laughing as he started walking down the hallway.

Chester felt as if his blood was boiling. He was so angry that his fist bowled to the point that his nails dented his palm. "YOU ARE SUCH A LOSER, HANK!" He screamed in anger.

Hank stopped before turning around. "Yeah, me. I am the loser." He gestured a finger at his chest. "You were the one that gave me twenty bucks." He walked back to Chester. "Tell me Chester, how many friends do you have?"

Chester looked to the floor, feeling both ashamed and scared. He didn't have many friends, if any at all.

Hank smirked a little. "I thought so. No one likes you Chester but I, I have plenty of friends. So who really is the loser?"

Once again, Chester didn't respond. Hank's smirk widen a bit more. He then pushed Chester roughly into the nearest wall. Hank chuckled and walked off. At the end of the corridor he met up with his girlfriend. She kissed him and they left together.

Chester was left standing in the corridor. He was a whirlpool of negative emotions. He hated Hank for being so mean but he hated himself more for being so weak. He started punching the nearest locker, taking out all his insecurities and anger on the inanimate object.

A group of girls walked pass him. "Oy Chester, have the locker been that bad to you?" One of them teased and all the girls giggled.

Chester turned to them. "Shut up Tessa! I hate you! I hate all of you!" He shouted so his throat got sour.

Some of the girls gave him a spiteful glare while the others simple ignored him. They walked away without saying a word.

Chester's body felt like a loaded spring. His shoulders arched and fell with his heavy breathing. He then punched the locker again. His knuckles really hurt. He rested his forehead against the locker door and his lips tighten. He was so angry, so filled with rage but he also felt too weak to do anything, like boiling water inside a closed pot.

Chester lied in his bed, crying. How old was he here?

Didn't matter. Chester was used to crying himself to sleep at night. With everyone at sleep, he could finally get some privacy. He cried not just because everything he had to endure thru the day but also out of fear. Fear that tomorrow would be the same, that there would be no stop to it.

"I am not a bad person." Chester whispered to himself. "I am not a bad person." But those where just words and real life didn't seem to give them much credit. If he really was a good person shouldn't that be reflected in how people treated him? Yet no one wanted him. Not as a friend and not as a son.

The adults told him the same thing over and over again. "Be yourself and people will like you." "What others think about you shouldn't matter." In real life thou, those wisdoms didn't seem applicable. Chester hated himself as much as others hated him.

The only times when Chester didn't feel this way was when he worked on science. Science was his escape from the cruel life he lived cause in science it didn't matter who you were. It didn't matter if you were ugly, unpopular or poor, all that mattered was the truth. It felt good finally being able to do something right.

Chester also liked stories cause in many of those stories the heroes where just like him. They were outcasts that no one liked yet once they proved themselves to be heroes everyone liked them. It made Chester hope that maybe he could be a hero one day as well.

After being given a project on plant growth by his biology teacher Chester got the idea to try and stop decomposition. The idea was sound. Almost anything could be achieved thru biochemistry. If he succeeded he would be a hero, he would be able to save the world and in return the world would love him. Of course he didn't send in such an important project to his teacher. He worked on Project Ernutet for over a year, trying desperately to uncover the secrets of rot, all the while dealing with his normal sucky life.

One of the wardens at the orphanage, one of the nicer ones that cared for Chester, told him that he couldn't make people like him. All he could do was be himself and treat people like he wanted to be treated but Chester refused to accept it. He had to be able to make people like him, this had to work, otherwise how would he ever be happy.

One day after school, Chester opened the door to his room at the orphanage and what he saw made him gasp in horror. In the middle of the room stood a little girl with a book in her hand. Torn off pages laid scattered all over the room.

She looked at him with fearful eyes. "The others said that if I broke your stuff they let me play with them." She muttered.

Chester got so angry he was shacking. That had been a library book. The library card was one of the few privileges he had and now because of this girl he risked losing it. He marched right up to her with flaring nostrils and bowling fists. She was much smaller and much weaker than him. One of the few that was. Chester was swelling with anger. His hands gripped her temples. His intention was to either smash her head against the wall or head-butt her.

The girl just stared at him with wide open eyes. Her body was still. She was brave.

After a few nerve wracking moments, Chester sighed and let go of her head. "Get out of here." He exclaimed sternly. The girl dropped the book to the floor and quickly ran out of the room.

Wait!

Chester suddenly realized something.

"I didn't hurt her." He said in a monotone voice and slowly stood up. "I didn't hurt her." he repeated.

"Yeah, cause you're weak." Kid Rot smirked.

"No, because-because," Chester paused for a moment, it was like a giant puzzle was coming together for him, "I didn't want to hurt her because I know how pain feels. I have sympathy. I don't want people to feel the way I feel!" He shouted at the parasite.

"And what about the part of you that wish to see them hurt? What about me?" Kid Rot argued with a sinister smirk.

"What about the part of me that don't?" Chester barked back.

Kid Rot was taken aback by this. "So what? You suddenly like yourself all of a sudden?"

Chester blinked stunned and looked to the ground for a moment. "There are still things about myself I don't like but yes. I like myself and do you know what? I am not the only one."

Another flash was followed my more memories but this time they were a bit different.

Chester sat with Naomi and her two friends, Jasmine & Cait in the school's lobby room. While Chester talked to Jasmine & Cait, Naomi worked on his hair. Chester had been reluctant to let any other girl besides Abby to touch his hair but since he wanted to be more open with people he let her. Besides, he trusted Naomi and her friends.

"Wow, that's incredible Jasmine." Chester said.

"Jasmine always keeps up with the latest scientific data." Cait stated. It of course made the freckled girl smile.

"I wish I could afford subscribing to any of those science magazines but I'm saving up for my own apartment." Chester stated.

"You can borrow some of mine." Jasmine offered.

"Really? That-that's really nice of you." Chester exclaimed grateful.

"There, done." Naomi exclaimed.

"What did you do to my hair?" Chester asked.

"Look for yourself." Cait said and handed Chester a mirror. In the mirror Chester saw that Naomi had branded Chester's hair with three pink ribbons. The three girls started laughing and Chester felt a lump starting to form in his throat. He stiffly stood up and started walking away in a fast pace. He felt hurt.

"Chester, wait." He heard Jasmine shout and he turned back. Jasmine, Naomi & Cait ran up to him.

Naomi took his hands. "We're sorry. We-we thought that you would find it funny too. We should have known better."

"Yes, please forgive us." Cait exclaimed.

Chester studied their faces. Jasmine & Cait hung their heads in shame while Naomi looked at him with a mixture of shame and concern, and maybe a bit of hope that he wouldn't be too mad at them. They were genuinely sorry. They had hurt him but it was not intentional. Now it was Chester that started to feel ashamed. Why couldn't he take a simple joke? Why did he have to make them feel uncomfortable?

He scratched his neck. "No, I am sorry. I-I shouldn't overreact like that."

"Nah, I did wrong. Sorry." Naomi apologized. "Are you okay?"

Chester smiled. He patted the branded hairlocks a bit. "Yeah and you were right. It does look pretty funny."

Naomi laughed and gave him a hug. Jasmine & Cait also hugged him and Cait took a picture with her cellphone of all of them together.

"So, what university do you want to get into after high school, Chester?" Ty asked as he, Chester and Andy played a video game in Andy's room.

"Well, if my grades are good enough I hope to get into Gray Matter University." Chester said as he tried to control his car on the TV-screen.

"Oh, the same as Abby, eh." Andy teased as he worked his controller.

Chester blushed. "Yeah."

"Are you two gonna move in together?" Ty asked.

Chester shrugged. "Maybe but it is in the city so it's not like Abby needs to move out of the house unless she wants to."

"Hey, wouldn't it be cool if Ty & I started there too after we finish high school?" Andy suggested.

"Yeah, we three could meet after class and hang out along with Abby." Ty said, sounding pleased.

Chester couldn't help but smile. They actually enjoyed his company. "That sounds really awesome."

The next was a series of memories of him with Abby. His love.

He remembered the first kiss they shared on Abby's bed. Followed by the first hug Chester had received in years.

He remembered them sitting next to one another, one movie night. The film ended and as the credits rolled, Chester discovered that Abby had fallen asleep against his shoulder. It was cute but also kind of comical since Abby still had one hand in a bowl of popcorn and she was drooling onto his shirt. It was just so Abby. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. Abby smiled.

He remembered how she embarrassed him in front of their schoolmates by kissing him and rubbing his cheek, just so she could express her affection for him. She wasn't shy about her feelings and she was proud of him.

He remembered the way her beautiful eyes would glimmer as they gazed him every time he brought her flowers.

He remembered the last time he kissed her. Him not Kid Rot. He kissed her gently yet passionately, pouring his soul into the action before promising her they would meet again the next day.

All the while her voice would echo over his memories.

"I care about you and I want to be there for you."

"I promise I won't let anything bad happen to you."

"And he is funny, and strong and the smartest guy I know."

"I am in love with you."

A somewhat stronger flash of light blinded Chester for a moment, then he remembered a moment from so far back he thought he had forgotten it.

He was six years old and visited his mother at the hospital. While he would later learn that she had cancer, at the moment he just thought she was sick. Meanwhile, he had stayed with their neighbor Miss Bellgood, a giant of a woman that looked like she was made of dough and smelt like cigarettes.

"There, now you can meet your mom." The nurse stated in a motherly tone and Chester stumbled into the room.

Even as a little kid Chester was ugly to look at. His hair was a lot longer than most boys. His skin had the color of muddied sand, his eyes were like puddles of brown and below them were wrinkles. He walked around in green boots that was a size too big for him, making him waddle whenever he walked.

His mother smiled happily at him from the bed were she laid. His mom looked very different from him. She had tan skin and raven hair. "Hey honey." She said sweetly.

"Hey mom." Young Chester greeted bluntly. He sounded worried.

"How has school been?" His mom asked.

Chester was hesitant to answer. He looked shamefully to the floor, trying to avoid his mother's gaze. "The other boys are mean to me mom." He finally answered.

His mom tilted her head. "Are they?"

"Yes. They said I couldn't play with them because I am ugly and look like a girl." Chester lamented. Sniveling a bit.

"Awe honey, come here." She opened up her arms and Chester climbed up onto the hospital bed. His mom wrapped her arms around him. She stroked his back reassuringly. "You are not ugly Chester, you are beautiful."

"Why are they so mean to me?"

She pushed him away a bit so she could look him in the eyes. "They just don't know any better honey but don't worry they will come around and see just how special you are." She brushed of some tears from Chester's cheek.

Chester nodded. "Okay."

"Now, Chester…" His mom took a deep breath. "I will have to go away for a while so you will have to stay with your grandpa while I'm gone. Do you remember grandpa?"

Chester shook his head. He had been less than three years old when he saw his grandpa the last time.

"Well, he will take care of you from now on so you have to promise me to be nice."

"To grandpa?" Chester asked puzzled.

His mom chuckled a bit. "No, to everyone silly. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Can you do that for me?" She placed a finger under his chin.

"Okay mom. " Chester replied.

She then stroked one of his hairlocks to the side before cupping one of his cheeks. "You are such a sweet boy Chester. You are so smart and so nice." The compliment made Chester smile. "You're the best thing to ever happen to me." His mom said.

Chester hugged her. "I love you mom."

She returned the hug. "I love you to."

"Sweet memories," Kid Rot said coyly, "but she is dead now and what she told you was wrong."

Surprisingly, Chester smirked. "No she wasn't. I have plenty of friends and I have Abby. She loves me and I love her."

Kid Rot sneered. "Have you forgotten everything I told you? You never loved her, I made you-

"That doesn't matter!" Chester quickly interrupted.

"Doesn't matter?" Kid Rot asked confused.

"Yeah, even if you somehow managed to control my hormones I would still love her for everything she has done for me. She sacrificed her body for me, risked her life for me. She treated me as a friend even thou she didn't have to but she did it because she cared about me. She helped me feel better about myself and she helped me make a better life for myself. The only one that is hurting me right now, is you!"

Kid Rot, quit taken aback by his host's words blinked baffled. "What about all those people that have hurt you in the past?"

"What about them?" Chester shrugged nonchalantly. "That's in the past and I have a much better life now so why care? Also, I have started to figure you out too Kid."

Kid Rot flinched a bit at an accusing finger that Chester stretched out at him.

"I may not know whether you are my insecurities or my anger or anything like that or if you are just a bacteria with its own mind somehow but I know that you are insecure. That is why you have to make such grand spectacles all the time and probably also why you are so obsess with Abby, cause you know that no matter what you'll do you will never be a real person. You are just a tiny, insignificant microbe. Even lowlier than me."

Kid Rot lit up with rotting energy and gave out a raging roar. He came at Chester with incredible speed. The next second Chester felt numbness and fell backwards. He hit the floor harsh, his clothes where in in shreds and parts of his skin (most notable around his arms and chest) where darkened.

Kid Rot bent down over his mangled body. He gripped Chester's throat. "DO NOT MOCK ME!" He then lifted Chester high up into the air and started punching in his face.

"Do," punch, "not," punch, "mock," punch, "me!" Punch.

Chester's face was a complete mess. His nose was broken and pressed in. Several of his teeth were missing and two big swellings had formed, one on his cheek and one above his eyebrow. Blood was running from both his nose and his mouth.

"You have no idea of the kind of pain I can cause you. You haven't seen me do my worst yet." Kid Rot threaten.

Strangely, Chester smiled. The muscles in his face hurt when he did it but he did it anyway. "The Grossologists will destroy you."

"They can't, not without destroying you too." Kid Rot argued.

Now Chester smirked wickedly, the way that Kid Rot usually smirked. "You know what? If it comes to that, it would be worth it if just to see you die as well."

Meanwhile, in the gaglab.

The Archer siblings waited patiently for LabRat to return from his workshop. Abby leaned back against a desk with a strained sneer on her lips. Ty sat on an office chair looking a bit nervous. He didn't dare say anything in case his stressed out sister would snap at him.

Finally, LabRat came back to them and to Ty's relief, he was grinning. He also seemed to hide his hands behind his back. "Okay, I think I have the solution." LabRat proclaimed. "Tell me, how does one normally prevent rot?"

"No one can prevent rot! That was the premise of Chester's experiment in the first place!" Abby snapped at the scientist.

None of her teammates blamed her for being so irritated. Not just was her boyfriend possessed by Kid Rot again but they had done little since they came back than argue over the problem. LabRat had insisted he could create another anti-dote for Chester but Ty argued they should find a more long term solution and so on and so on. Sensing the girl's bitterness, Hermes stroked his head against her hand. Abby smiled a little and petted the rodent.

Despite Abby snapping at him, LabRat's grin hadn't faded. "Maybe I should rephrase the question. How does one normally slow down the rotting process?"

"By freezing it down." Ty answered proudly. "Cold temperatures slows down the chemical reactions of enzymes and kills off damaging lifeforms such as bacteria and fungus."

LabRat brought his arms forward, holding a blue blaster in each hand. "These are the first Grossologist Freeze Guns. You aim them at a target, pull the trigger and they will coat the target with my special cooling fluid." To make his point, LabRat fired one of the freeze guns at a chair. The chair was soon covered in white glistening frost. LabRat then tossed the guns to Ty & Abby.

Abby blinked a bit puzzled after receiving the gun. "This is not a solution LabRat. Freezing Chester won't cure him and it can seriously hurt his body."

"It won't hurt him, at least not permanently." LabRat reassured her. "It will just weaken him enough so we can take him back here. Once we have the situation under control we can work on curing him once & for all."

Abby managed to smile a little. "Thanks LabRat."

"Now we just have to find Chester." Ty stated.

The Director appeared on one of the screens. "Grossologists! Reports are coming in that Kid Rot is building something in the park. Not the one he already destroyed, the smaller one, Witchgrass Park. Sources also tells us that Basso Profondo is with him."

Ty raised an eyebrow. "Dad's former idol, the opera singer? Why would he be a part of this?"

"I don't know. You agents has to stop them as soon as possible!" The Director exclaimed shrilling before turning off the screen.

"Seems like your confrontation with Kid Rot will be sooner than expected." LabRat stated.

Ty raised his index into the air. "To the Ty-Mobile!"

The Ty-Mobile flew over the city with its insect inspired wings and its namesake in the pilot seat. Abby sat in the seat behind him.

Ty tilted his head back a bit. "Are you okay back there Abby?"

"I'm just fine, Ty." She replied.

"I was just thinking on what happened last time."

"I know, I messed up. I let Kid Rot get into my head." Abby said regretfully.

"I don't blame you. If Naomi was in the same situation as Chester I would probably be dealing with it much worse than you do but you have to stay focused on the goal Abby, both for the city's sake and for Chester." Ty instructed.

"Don't worry," Abby stroked the barrel of the freeze gun in her lap, "my focus is razor sharp."

Meanwhile, in Witchgrass Park.

Basso Profondo and Kid Rot continued working. Well, Basso was working. Kid Rot was busy being lazy and chatty. "You know what would be a cool name for our band, Basso? The Gangrene."

The bloated man took a pause from working on the machinery. He swiped off some sweat from his forehead. That was when his eyes caught the sight of the Ty-Mobile. "Kid, there is some sort of aircraft flying above us." Basso exclaimed and pointed at the sky.

Kid Rot glanced up at the sky. "Yeah, it seems like the Grossologists are here. Do not worry Basso. You just make sure you are ready when the time comes. I'll deal with the grossologists."

The Ty-Mobile landed on the ground and Ty & Abby jumped out with their Freeze Guns at hand. They were ready for a fight but their stern expressions gave way to mortified gasps once they saw what Kid Rot had built. Towering in front of them was a huge song stage made out of soil, decayed plant matter and human bodies.

Author's Note:

I know what you all are thinking. Isn't this like the third time I've changed Kid Rot's reason for being so obsessed with Abby? I honestly don't even think he knows the reasons. Logically, he should hate her since she tried to destroy him but logic and love o so rarely blend.

We got to know a lot more about Chester's background in this chapter. I hope his bullies didn't come off as too one-dimensional. I always hate it in stories where they never give reasons for people's retched behavior (unless it's played for laughs, than its okay). The problem here is of course that everything is from Chester's point of view so it's hard to flesh out characters with such a narrow perspective.

I also know that stinging nettle is not as common in America as in it is here in Europe. I could have used poison ivy instead but that actually takes minutes to itch after contact so nettle just seemed more nefarious. Speaking of plants, Witchgrass is actually a real type of grass. I just thought it was a cool name.

It might (might) be a while till I upload the next chapter. Reason being, that when first started writing this story I hadn't everything planned out and we have right now come to a crossroad in our story. There is literally hundred different ways this story can go from here and I need time to figure out which path to take. Which way is the most entertaining, feels the most natural, allows for the best character development and supports the point I try to make with this story.

I hope you guys enjoyed reading this chapter and I also hope you leave a review.