CHAPTER 39: 3 FROM HELL, PART 3
Raising a child within the Danger Zone is nothing even close to being called an easy task; with an impoverished neighborhood filled with drugs and crime at every turn of the corner, such an environment is no place for a youth to begin their life. Nonetheless, there are many that are forced into this position, whether it be by poverty or bad luck, and try to make ends meet as best as they can.
Chloe Williams is an example of such a person, raising her daughter, Hannah, on her own. Working 2 full-time jobs to give her daughter a decent education and fed 3 meals a day, there is not much room for luxuries or small hedonisms for herself, but she puts herself through what she does to give Hannah a decent chance at life.
One small luxury that Chloe can afford for her daughter is a chance to play outside, spending time on her own to gain some measure of fun in her surroundings. Having readied a dinner ready for said child, it came time to put a stop to playtime and come inside to eat.
Going on a search for her around the neighborhood, Chloe would soon discover that some form of eating had already taken place regarding her daughter.
"Hannah? It's dinnertime! Hannah?" Chloe called.
Calling out for Hannah, Chloe received no reply from her daughter, met with only mild noises of the city faint in the air.
"Hmph. Where is that girl off to now? I make her a fresh dinner, and she's off playing who-knows-what..." Chloe thought aloud.
Searching around the streets for her missing daughter, stepping farther and farther away from her home, Chloe's annoyance began growing to concern.
"Really weird... She almost never misses a meal. Wonder what's keeping her-" Chloe thought aloud.
Stopping in her tracks and speech, a strange object came into Chloe's view. In the corner of her sight was a mangled and bloody mess on the road, but not one particularly made clear from the distance it was from her. Finding some morbid curiosity in the object, she approached it casually.
"Ugh, must be another roadkill. Damn crazy drivers, and poor thing. Sure is a big thing, whatever got hit. Was it Charlie's dog? No, that's way too big to be it. What is that-" Chloe began to say.
Upon finally approaching the mangled mess of a former form of life, Chloe suddenly understood quickly what the dead object was, or, at least, used to be. Though several chunks of meat and organs were missing from its body, the terrified and shocked face is what helped her recognize her daughter: Hannah.
The realization came slowly with her mind trying to acknowledge this event as reality, but her reaction was all but slow.
"Oh... Oh, god! Oh, my god, Hannah! No!" Chloe shouted.
Chloe approached the dead body of Hannah to try to hold it in her arms, but the stench of rotting flesh began settling in the air, and she had received a strong, pungent whiff of the smell of decay. Unable to be around such a vile smell, Chloe immediately ran away to vomit, leaving her unable to mourn over her daughter or even hold her remains.
As awful as the stench was that filled her lungs, the feeling of not being able to hold her daughter was only just so much worse.
The First Baptist Church of Hillwood has an opening date set only two days away, and, despite having completed much of its construction, there is a very important component of the church missing. Though every member of the church has arrived consistently to put hours into opening the church, absent from the clergy is its soon-to-be head pastor, the one who set out to see this church come into existence:
Lila Sawyer.
Feeling a rekindling of the relationship that she had once dismissed as mere puppy love, Lila has had her eyes sent on one man: Arnold Shortman. She has been in search of a husband to please her god and follow her religion, but she had not quite sought him out upon learning of his engagement to Helga.
After a confidant named Billie had fanned the flames of that rekindled love, Lila had found this old flame turn into an obsession, placing her own beliefs of salvation on him as a means of escaping her own personal torment. All the while, she has redirected her transgressions and abuses onto Billie's son; a young boy named Joey.
Billie has only just recently become aware of this, but Lila does not know that just yet. For now, having spent many hours in midst of prayer and meditation for an answer from her god, she has decided to return to the church and prepare for the opening day, needing to address her congregation.
Stepping back inside the church, Lila was instantly spotted and greeted by one such member, getting anxious over her slow return.
"Lila! Oh, goodness gracious, you're finally back. Do you have any idea how crazed we've been since you were gone? Didn't call or anything? We thought something had happened to you! All those attacks by those armed men on the streets, the Freak on the loose, who knows what could've happened to you?" The member said.
"Oh, I'm ever-so-sorry. I've recently had a... very strong experience with god recently." Lila said.
"You have?"
"Oh, yes, indeed. I was in prayer for these past few days. I was trying to make sense of... what happened to me."
"Well, what was it?"
"I'll explain soon. I want to give a speech to everyone regarding what happened. Would you get everone in the main assembly, please?"
"Whoa, now, pump the brakes, you just got back, and-"
"I assure you, it's of the utmost importance, what I have to say. Believe me, it's very important, to the church and the faith itself."
The member of the congregation slowly nodded in agreement, putting his trust in his pastor.
"Okay, okay. I'll get everyone in. Everybody, listen up! Lila's back, and she's come with some important news for all of us! Everyone drop what you're doing and get to the assembly room! C'mon, everyone, into the..." The member called.
As the congregation made their way to the assembly room, mostly in confusion, Lila followed the rest in as well to make her announcement. Before heading inside the main assembly room, she felt a hand lay on her shoulder, prompting her to turn around, finding herself face-to-face with...
"Oh, Billie! So delighted to see you again." Lila said.
Billie greeted Lila with a seemingly friendly smile, but there was something within it that held a message that this grin was anything but genuine. Both the reasoning for this facade of a smile as well as the disingenuous nature of the smile itself were lost on Lila, but the reasoning for it were fresh in Billie's mind, with it burning away at her head as she looked Lila in the face.
"Yeah, you were gone for a long while now. Hope you don't mind, I took care of taking care of the kids for you." Billie said.
"Oh, yes, thank you so very much! I'm so sorry to have been gone so long, but what I've returned with, I believe we'll all be delighted to share knowledge of." Lila said.
"Yeah, I'm sure it is."
"Has everyone been alright so far? All the kids?"
"Yep. Matter of fact, I just had a little talk with Joey just a minute ago. He was telling me how much he missed you."
"Missed me? Well, that's certainly something. I was starting to think I was boring the kids."
"Nope. Joey tells me that you've been keeping him well-occupied when I'm not around, keeping him nice and comfortable."
"Well, I try to keep all the kids happy. Come, now, I've got something really important to share with everyone. Big announcement."
"Oh, I bet. I'm looking forward to it. Be right with you, got to grab a few things."
Nodding in acceptance, Lila made her way to the congregation to deliver her speech, leaving Billie behind to catch up. As Lila departed from the room, Billie's smile began to turn genuine; the mind behind the smile preparing a scheme to exact revenge on the woman who molested her beloved son.
There'll be a big announcement, alright. People'll get to see what kind of person you really are. Billie thought.
The isolated event that began as a woman mourning over her daughter soon became a spectacle for law enforcement and media alike. The bizarre and cruel nature of the crime drawing in those who would not dare enter the Danger Zone brought in far more attention than this stain upon the city normally receives.
As always, the first reporter on the was Channel 96's Lisa Bartholomew, standing in front of a camera to spew a recap of the prior events.
"Hannah Williams was a 6-year old girl living in what many citizens of Hillwood refer to as 'The Danger Zone'; a low-end neighborhood riddled with many social issues from poverty to drugs. Despite these challenges, she had done quite well for herself in school, attending P.S. 118 and staying in the top 10 students of her class, with a higher road in life ahead of her. Today, that life has been snuffed short with her untimely death, where the girl seems to have been literally eaten alive. With me is neighbor Michael Jefferson, here to share his accounting of the event. Mr. Jefferson, would you please tell everyone what you saw?" Lisa Bartholomew asked.
"Damn, man, I just barely caught what happened. I was just watching TV and stuff, heard the ice cream truck roll by and the kids screamed as they ran at it, and, a few minutes later, I hear Chloe from next door screaming. I look out the window, and she's holding her baby girl Hannah, and she's all... Whoo, man, I don't even wanna talk about it. It was like something out of a death metal album cover or a horror movie or something. Hard to wonder what could've done that to a little girl." He said.
"Thank you, Mr. Jefferson. As Mr. Jefferson here has just described, or, rather, dared not to describe, is just the thoughts of many people as they bare witness to this horrific and bizarre murder. Police have already begun an investigation, but many are complaining that law enforcement have not been taking this particular issue seriously or are not committing enough time and resources to the case. When asked regarding this particular murder, the police commissioner was quoted on saying that all efforts of the police force were put towards locating the escaped Thaddeus Gammelthorpe, also known as the Freak. Despite this reasoning being given, there are many calling for justice for Hannah Williams, and criticizing both the Hillwood Police and National Guard for failing to locate-"
Before Lisa Bartholomew could continue her report any further, the sound of a loudly roaring engine cut through the air; clapping through every eardrum like thunder had just struck. With everyone covering their ears, all eyes turned to see Valiance's war-vehicle race to the scene, with the Green Eye, G-Funk, and Valiance departing from it.
Instinctively, everyone rushed to the arriving heroes, seeking their opinions and help on the affair at hand, with Lisa Bartholomew at the front charge.
"Arriving at the scene now with us are the Hillwood Heroes, I'll try to get a few questions in. Green Eye, is it possible that this crime is related to the recent escape of Thaddeus Gammelthrope?" Lisa Bartholomew asked.
"That's what we're here to find out. We don't know the details yet." Green Eye said.
"Many people are saying that the police force has become unreliable with criminal cases such as this one, instead placing their own resources onto apprehending Thaddeus Gammelthorpe. Do you agree that the police force has left its priorities balanced unfairly? If so, do you urge the police return to their jobs? Are the Hillwood Heroes being forced to pick up the slack that they leave?"
"Listen: We're just here to help people, that's all. It's not our place to tell the police what and what not to do. All I'll say is that stopping the Freak is a goal that everyone should be concerned about, and I trust the police and National Guard to get it done, but, knowing him better than anyone else, we'll still help where we can. Please, for your own safety, I'm going to have to ask you to step aside. We'll handle this."
Dismissing the reporter to move towards the scene of the crime, the Green Eye led the other two members of the Hillwood Heroes to the first responders, gathering around the remains of Hannah Williams with Chloe standing over her in tears. Despite the body being covered with a blanket to hide it from the public, the group already knew that they would not like what they would soon see.
For the Green Eye, it is not the imminent sight of the dead girl that disturbs him, but instead the state of misery that the poor Chloe Williams was under.
"Show us." Valiance said.
"You sure you wanna see it so soon? Something like this, you might wanna take a minute or so before-" A paramedic tried to say.
"Just show us."
Reluctantly complying with Valiance's order, the paramedic pulled back the blanket, revealing the dead body to the group to see.
The sight that the 3 were met with was a mangled body of a young girl, with strings of muscle and tissue coming out from many large portions of her body missing. On her face, the expression of shock and fear continued to stay stuck upon it, with a pair of dark, lifeless eyes staring blankly in the air.
Such a mere visual alone would be enough to heave any stomach, as it did well with G-Funk in an instant, but the smell of decay were a true test to the strongest of wills and tolerances of offensive sights. As G-Funk ran off to vomit, the Green Eye struggled to not follow his friend in doing so as well.
Surprisingly to the others, Valiance did not seem to show any reaction whatsoever, even if most of this lack of emotion could be attributed to his helmet covering his face. Only the most subtle of movements were made across his face regarding his thoughts to the spectacle, but none save Valiance himself knew of the anger and rage that was brewing deep in his heart.
Except, of course, for the Green Eye, who could feel the rage just as he did... as well as the test of will to hold it back.
Seeing her daughter in such a horrid death once again, Chloe Williams cried at the sight of Hannah, what remained of her, left with very little to actually mourn over. Feeling this sense of loss just as she was, the Green Eye stepped over to offer his own attempts at comfort, holding her hands in his, trying to stave her tears.
"Shh. It's okay. It's okay. Just let it out. I know how you're feeling right now." Green Eye said.
"'Know how I feel? How would you know how I feel?! Do you really think you have any idea how I feel right now?!" Chloe yelled.
You lost the one thing in your life you felt like you had to live for; the one person you put anything towards so they could have a brighter future. You feel like you don't have anything else to live for anymore. Green Eye said telepathically.
Chloe looked to the Green Eye with a sense of confusion added to her misery; not understanding how this man who knew nothing of her nailed her feelings so perfectly, and how he was able to communicate this through the power of mere thought. Wiping away a tear from her eye, the Green Eye gave her his next assurances aloud to give her a sense of security again.
"I told you, I know how you feel. It's part of my power." Green Eye said.
"So, you can feel what I'm feeling? Can you tell me how to stop feeling like this? Make me not feel so... dead? I don't want this." Chloe said.
"I can't. But it's not my place to make you feel anything. We're supposed to take our emotions and make what we will of them. You haven't lost everything yet. You're still here, still alive."
As the Green Eye managed to bring some semblance of calmness to the grieving single parent, a sudden realization came to him, making him stop in his current train of thought. More specifically, a realization came to him upon seeing what laid in front of him, something that further contextualized the involvment of the Freak:
Wolfgang's house.
"Just stay here and breathe. I'll be right back." Green Eye said.
Approaching the distant G-Funk, still trying to stay far from the body of Hannah Williams to avoid the gruesome sight and smell, the Green Eye tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention.
"G-Funk." Green Eye said.
"What's up?" G-Funk asked.
"I just realized. That's Wolfgang's house. This is his neighborhood."
"So?"
"So, a crime like this, why isn't he out here taking a look?"
"Probably went out somewhere, man. What's it matter?"
"No, Wolfgang's disabled. He can't just get up and go somewhere that easy. He'd need Edmund's help just to get out of bed. I'm not sensing him or Edmund in the house."
"Like I said, they probably just went somewhere. What's the deal?"
"There's something more; I can feel it. If it was the Freak that came here, then why here? Wolfgang used to work for 'Big' Gino, and we know his history with the Freak."
"So, what? You think he came here to kill him? Then why would he go and eat the kid?"
"I'm still not convinced it was the Freak that ate her. There's something more. Let's go inside."
As the Green Eye and G-Funk made their way to the house, Valiance continued to examine the body of Hannah Williams, trying to gain clues as to how the Freak would be involved in this particular murder. Unable to find many clues from the dead girl, his distracted mind occupied with the task of trying to hold back his anger at the sight, he turned to one of the members of the law for more answers.
"Any accounts to who or what caused this? Any mention of the Freak?" Valiance asked.
"Nothing. Closest we got is that an ice cream truck ran through about a few minutes before the girl was found, but that's about it. Ice cream trucks usually run through this neighborhood all the time. I guess even in a gangland like this, nobody'll shoot someone selling food." The officer said.
"Which ice cream truck company?"
"I think Jolly Olly. They're pretty much all around the inner city."
While Valiance continued his conversation with the officers, the lone Chloe Williams continued to sit in a state of despair; grieving over the loss of her beloved daughter. In the midst of her emotional crisis, she eyeballed one of the officer's handguns, gaining an idea on how to rid herself of the pain.
Back at the First Baptist Church of Hillwood...
With all members of the congregation sitting in wait in the assembly, all ears turn to the pulpit in wait for their pastor to spread her message. Confusion and anxiety roam through the room; all feel a concern for what had become of their missing shepherd for the past few days, but they also feel a sense of anticipation for what will come next.
Billie also holds her own sense of anticipation, but not for anything that would come of the pastor's speech. Instead, she prepared herself for the revelation that she would share before the crowd; to use this opportunity to call out a woman who had abused her child and left him damaged.
Following a long period of waiting, the shepherd finally appeared before her flock. Lila Sawyer; the woman that these people of faith had entrusted to lead them down their path of the religion of Christianity, in hopes that they would find a salvation from their sins and life beyond death.
Stepping up to the pulpit, Lila greeted her congregation with a pair of hands clasped and a bow, giving a kind greeting to her followers.
"Good afternoon, my flock. For the past few months, we have all been hard at work to see that this church has come to completion, and that we would spread the word of the lord, our god, to everyone in the city of Hillwood. Some of you have traveled all the way from Pleasantville to make this church a reality, and some of you are believers from right here in Hillwood. Wherever you're from, I am oh so appreciative of all your hard work. So far, the job has been a job well done, and you have all truly been blessed with many talents that have brought us this far. For that, I give you my most sincere thanks." Lila said.
Lila's opening speech gained a loud cheer and applause from the congregation; all giving themselves and each other praise for their hard work.
"Now, I've called you here today because I have some very important and exciting news to tell you. For the past few days, I've been in prayer and talking with god about something that happened to me; the reason I've been gone all this time. A few days ago, before the attacks, I was visited by a man I've known since childhood. He was the first boy I knew when I moved into Hillwood as a child, and he was the ever so kindest and most patient boy I've ever met, even compared to the boys I knew back home. I hadn't thought much of him at first, but I eventually started to have some feelings for him. I hadn't quite pursued them then; they had only been feelings of puppy love. But, when I had returned to Hillwood, I was more than surprised to see him yet again, and he was just as kind and as patient as ever. We went on a few dates, talked a lot. I hadn't thought that much of them at first, but I was partially pressed on to continue our dates at the urging of my friend, Billie." Lila said.
Still holding onto her internal feelings for Lila, Billie gave off another farce of a smile, nodding in acknowledgement for her involvements.
"Anyways, he had come to me one night and shared a deep and personal tragedy that had happened to him, and he asked me for help. I gave him as much as help as I could, and he seemed to get better. Well, one thing led to another, and... we made love in my apartment." Lila said.
The direction of the story began to put more confusion in the crowd, each looking to one another for an answer or sharing speculation to where the conclusion would lead.
"When we... finished... he shared with me knowledge that only I knew, and hadn't shared with anyone before. Funnily enough, I didn't even tell him where my apartment was, but he knew. He just knew. I just couldn't understand it; how could he have known where I lived, and knew that thing about me? I was stuck in prayer and fasted for these past few days, trying to find an answer to that question, and, after so much prayer, god had finally spoken the answer to me, and gave me an answer I never considered before. I realized that, for so many years, we've been waiting for Christ to return to Earth at last... and, in the form of my good friend, he has." Lila said.
Finally reaching the point of the speech, the congregation was all stuck in confused reactions as to what to make of this news. The majority did not believe the story whatsoever, finding it completely absurd. Some did not believe the story, but instead believed that Lila had simply gone ill in some way. A minority believed what she had to say, even if there was some level of skepticism in her speech.
One, however, voiced his skepticism aloud.
"Oh, yeah? What's this guy's name? How do we know you aren't just another one of those con men on TV asking for donations?" One congregation member asked.
"Oh, no, I would never even joke about something like this. You know me, I take the faith very seriously." Lila said.
"Then what's the guy's name? What the name of this supposed new messiah?"
Thinking about him once again, the mere mention of his name brought forth very anxious feelings, leading Lila to pause in her speech before replying.
"His name... is Arnold Shortman." Lila said.
Back in the Danger Zone...
Stepping to the front door of the house, the Green Eye knocked on it, awaiting it to open with a reply to follow. His suspicions led him to believe that no reply would come, from failing to sense anyone within, but the moment that came for the two confirmed his suspicions at last.
"No answer. That means they ain't home." G-Funk said.
"Or something happened to them. Open the door." Green Eye said.
"In front of all these cops and press? Isn't that called 'breaking and entering'?"
"We need to make sure nobody else has died, G-Funk. 1 person is more than enough, especially a little girl. Open the door."
Taking his Sonic Fork to the doorknob, G-Funk tweaked its settings to the frequency of the door lock, emitting a small burst to send the lock and deadbolt back and unlock. No longer having a locked door in their way, the Green Eye opened the door for both to enter, only to quickly find the second dead body of the day.
This body, unlike the remains of Hannah Williams, was mostly intact, but had his head missing from his neck completely. Instead, it was spread all over the floor, with chunks of bone once forming a skull, globs of pink matter once forming a brain, and various teeth and two eyeballs with enormous amounts of blood poured all across the ground.
The sight was still appalling in its own way, but only ever so slightly less offensive than the half-eaten body of Hannah Williams.
"I think this is Edmund." Green Eye said.
"Was Edmund. But where's Wolfgang?" G-Funk said.
"No sign of him. The Freak must've taken him."
"But why?"
"I don't know. Either way, I don't see why he would've done this to Edmund, other than just a cheap thrill kill."
"Think maybe that... I dunno... Wolfgang did it?"
"With only one arm?"
"Hey, you told me that the dude did nothing but work out with that one arm, and all this equipment here tells me that he did a good job of it. This Edmund guy, what's left of him, doesn't look like he could've put up that big a fight."
"But why would Wolfgang kill him? He was his only support."
"The Freak made him do it, maybe?"
The suggestion bounced its way inside the Green Eye's mind; as absurd as the mention might have sounded at face-value, he was more than familiar with the Freak and his capabilities. Having personally had his perception of reality skewed for a sick joke, and just barely able to overcome it, picturing it done to a lesser mind made for a terrifying scenario.
As the Green Eye was caught in thought for this one moment, a police officer stepped inside the house in curiosity of the two's actions, but his attention was instantly drawn instead to the decapitated body of Edmund lying on the floor.
"Hey, what are you two doing in- Oh, Jesus, what the hell is that?!" The officer asked.
"The Freak wasn't here for that girl. He was here for the person that lived here: A man named Wolfgang. He was a soldier for 'Big' Gino. This man was his caregiver: A man named Edmund." Green Eye said.
"What-? How did you know that?"
"There's no time to explain it all, we need to-"
A sudden new warning shot through the Green Eye's mind, instantly swiping his attention away from the situation at hand.
Jumping up and grabbing at a nearby police officer's gun, Chloe snatched the weapon out of its holster, causing everyone to instantly react to the sudden threat. Before she could use this weapon on anyone in the vicinity, though she had pointed it at them for but a moment, Chloe turned the gun on herself instead.
Feeling this last move of desperation, coupled with a dark sense of relief, as Chloe did, the Green Eye instantly dashed outside to put a stop to the suicide.
"NO!" Green Eye shouted.
Pulling the trigger of the handgun, Chloe sent a bullet flying through her brain, ending her own life in an instant; the Green Eye too late to prevent another death on this day. With all the emotions and presence of life departing from her so quickly, the Green Eye felt this same sense of death run through his body as well, making his heart skip a beat and fall to the ground.
As he began to pick himself back up again, G-Funk helped him to his feet again, giving him some anchor back to reality.
"Felt... Felt her die... Shoot herself..." Green Eye stammered.
"Easy, Eyeman, just take it easy. I'm just as shook up as you are, even without your whole mind-powers. Just breathe." G-Funk said.
Following his friend's advice, the Green Eye took several deep breaths to combat the assault on his senses that Chloe William's death brought on him. Though the vicarious experience of death through this poor woman would pass in moments, it would leave behind an emotional scar that he would not overcome.
Witnessing the former mother end her own life so desperately, Valiance's rage could no longer be contained, making him wish to share it with another as an outlet for his emotions. Approaching the news reporter Lisa Bartholomew, the white knight inquired about a news broadcast of his own.
"You still recording?" Valiance asked.
"Y-Yes, we caught everything on camera-" Lisa Bartholomew began to say.
"Put the camera on me. I want to send a message to the Freak."
"Uh... Yes, of course. Ahem... Uh, the, uh, member of the Hillwood Heroes, Valiance, has just come to me to spread a message to Thaddeus Gammelthorpe, also known as the Freak. What is it you'd like to say to-"
Though Lisa Bartholomew tried to maintain some sense of professionalism to the report, Valiance threw aside all conventional manners, taking the microphone for himself and pulling up just part of his helmet to show his eyes. Staring right into the camera, Valiance's bloodshot eyes seemed to pierce right through to anyone watching; a sight of horror that would scare anyone into submission.
"Listen to me very carefully, Freak. You know best what kind of hate I have for you specifically, and the kind of damage you've done. This is the very last time you will do anything like this, I swear. I will do whatever it takes to find you. When I do find you, I'm not going to hand you over to the Green Eye, to the police, or anyone else. You'll be all mine. When I get you, I'm going to personally pull off your arms and legs one by one, like a little insect, and watch you squirm and scream as I do it. After that, I'm going to start skinning you alive, piece by piece, and force-feed you your own flesh. When I run out of skin to feed you, I'm going to drench your body in acid, and watch it eat away at what's left of you. When you finally die from all that... I'm going to rape your fucking corpse for a whole year." Valiance said.
Leaving Lisa Bartholomew and the cameraman shocked and completely speechless, Valiance dropped the microphone into her hands, stepping away to handle the last of affairs to be handled on this crime scene. Marching up to the Green Eye and G-Funk, he was met with appalled expression from both parties, neither able to believe what he had just said.
"Yo... Val... Do you realize you just said that on national TV?" G-Funk asked.
"Hell, yes, I do. That's why I wanted to send that message now." Valiance said.
"No, Valiance, don't you understand? That's not how we're supposed to do this! We don't just go making threats like that, no matter the person!" Green Eye said.
"With those powers of yours, I thought you'd understand the most why I wanted to say what I said."
"I do. It still doesn't justify it. People aren't going to trust us if you keep that up."
"They'll still trust us a hell of a lot more than they trust the Freak. Let's move; we need to find out where he's gotten to now. There's nothing left for us to explore here."
Heading straight back to his war-vehicle, Valiance prepared for a speedy takeoff, leading the Green Eye and G-Funk to immediately jump in before they were left behind. Their departure was as speedy as their arrival, and left just as much an impact upon the surrounding civilians as before.
Moreso, the Hillwood Heroes G-Funk and the Green Eye were left the most impacted; whether by the deaths today or Valiance more, they are not sure.
Back at the First Baptist Church of Hillwood...
Moments ago, Lila Sawyer had shared an allegation that Arnold Shortman is the return of Jesus Christ; a belief that she had espoused as closely as loudly as she spouted. The speech was controversial among the other members of the congregation, to say the least, but it had nearly brought the whole gathering with odds at each other.
"This is completely ridiculous." One member said.
"But the rapture hasn't even happened yet. How could the messiah be back if there's no rapture?" Another member said.
"The rapture's not in the bible. It's a lie that those damn Catholics spout." A different member said.
"Everyone, please! I promise you, I'm telling you the honest truth, and I wouldn't be saying this if I wasn't a hundred percent sure of it. What he said to me, I hadn't shared with anyone. The only way he would know that if he was the son of god himself; that's the only way." Lila said.
"Oh, yeah? And what'd he know? That you molested my son?" Billie asked.
Hearing Billie throw forth this accusation, the entire church went to a dead silence. No one was concerned with the topic of Lila's allegations of a returning messiah, but instead towards the real and serious accusation that was thrown her way. Standing her ground with her accusation, Billie stood up from her seat with her son, holding Joey by the hand.
"W-What?!" Lila asked.
"Joey told me that you taught him some 'games'. Joey, do you want to tell these people what you told me?" Billie asked.
"She... She touched my penis and made me feel strange." Joey said.
The church now all began murmuring at these accusations; their focus towards Lila now being painted in a much more darker and negative topic. Watching her congregation start to turn against her, and not able to think of any way to defend herself, Lila began to retreat from the situation completely.
"E-Excuse me." Lila said.
Stepping away from the pulpit, Lila began leaving the church in a steady walk, quickly turning her walk to a much faster walk following her exit. Though her departure from the church seemed to put her out of the situation, reality had caught up to her soon enough with one member of the church following her.
Grabbing Lila and spinning her around, Billie threw a solid punch straight to her face, throwing her straight to the ground and bleeding out the nose.
"Ugh... My nose... My nose..." Lila groaned.
As Lila tried to crawl away from her attacker, Billie grabbed her by the back of the head, preparing to continue her punishment on the woman who violated her child.
"Oh, it's gonna be a lot more than just your nose, bitch!" Billie said.
Keeping a tight hold on her head, Billie began bashing Lila's head against the ground, forcing her to collide with solid asphalt and concrete. Each blow nearly drove Lila unconscious, with her vision blacking out each time she hit the ground. The mere small spout of blood that leaked from her nose now began flowing heavily, with blood now coming from her mouth as well.
When Billie had ceased her beating for a brief moment to catch her own breath, Lila took time to gain her own, hacking up more blood on the ground to leave a large splatter on the ground. Though her rest from the punishment was sweet, it was only short-lived; her beating continuing for her actions.
Grabbing Lila and dragging her against the wall of a building, Billie threw her against it, throwing continuous punches to her face as she stood cornered and unable to escape.
"FUCKING CUNT! YOU FUCKING PEDOPHILE! YOU WERE MY FRIEND ALL THAT TIME, AND YOU MOLESTED MY SON?! MY SON?!" Billie shouted.
Spitting yet another round of blood, Lila managed to get in her own reply to the accusations.
"I... needed help... Joey helped me..." Lila choked.
Gasping and groaning in disgust, Billie threw a punch to Lila's gut, following with driving her head into her knee several times. After enough beatings to her head, Billie threw it against the wall, leaving Lila to slide down to the ground, only to receive numerous kicks to her stomach.
"EAT SHIT AND DIE, YOU WHORE! I TRUSTED YOU! I TRUSTED YOU WITH MY LITTLE BOY! I HOPE YOU BURN IN HELL, YOU MOTHERFUCKER!" Billie shouted.
After giving the predator numerous beatings, Billie finally put a temporary stop to her punishment to take a break. Laying in a pool of her own blood with bruised and pulped insides, Lila began crying over her punishment, gaining a large sense of remorse over her unforgivable actions.
"Oh, don't cry, you little skank. I don't want to see it." Billie said.
"P-Please... Try to understand... I was raped, too... My father... used me... Still feel him inside me sometimes... Needed some way... to let it out... Thought Arnold was my escape... you told me to go after him... Still needed something... Joey was there... looked so precious... reminded me of myself... Wanted to make him feel good... Too ashamed to tell anyone... what happened to me... Didn't want you all to think... less of me... lose your faith..." Lila choked.
Hearing the pleas of Lila had no effect on Billie nor her treatment of the violator of her son, but the news of Lila's past of being molested herself gave her some semblance of mercy, if it could be applied as mercy here. Instead, Billie decided to simply only slightly change her plans for her.
"I'm sorry your father raped you. That's not something any child should have to deal with. But you have no right using that as a justification for what you did to my son. You're still a piece of shit." Billie said.
Walking to the side of the wall, Billie picked up a brick from the ground, feeling the weight of it in her hand.
"I was going to have you sent to prison. You'd be convicted no problem, spend the rest of your life muff-diving with some muscular dyke and just live in misery. But, you didn't deserve your father doing that to you, so I'll give you an easy way out that works for both of us. I'm going to kill you. I don't care if I go to prison or not; Joey'll sleep better at night without you in the world, and, if I wasn't able to protect him from you, then I wasn't fit to be his mother anyways. Say your last prayers and hope that god gives you a 'Get Out of Hell' free card while you can still get it." Billie said.
Billie held the brick high in the air, preparing to drive it down and bash Lila's skull wide open with it. Unable to accept her untimely fate, Lila closed her eyes, hoping that her death would at least be quick, and she would be permitted to enter her eternal paradise after all her actions with a final prayer.
"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us-" Lila prayed.
A loud gunshot rang through the air, putting a stop to all events occurring in this moment. Billie did not drive the brick into her victim's head, but, instead, looked down at her shirt to find a pool of blood seeping from it. Dropping the brick on the ground, Billie held her stomach, wailing in pain as her mind processed it from her wound.
As she fell to the ground, Billie and Lila both looked to see the cause of this change of events. Standing before them both was the Freak, holding up a smoking revolver in his hand, with a slender ice cream man carrying a one-armed man on his back to his side.
"...from evil." The Freak finished.
Holding up his weapon and walking over to the downed Lila, the Freak looked upon her face, taking note of all the wounds and injuries left behind after her severe beating. The sight of her beaten and bloodied face brought back fond memories of when he had first taken advantage of Rhonda; a memory that makes him now smile.
"My, my, my, Lila... You look fantastic." The Freak said.
"Wha... You're the Freak... That supervillain... You kill people..." Lila said.
"Well, I'm not one to brag."
"Why... Why did you save me? I deserve to die... You should have let her kill me..."
Taking a peering into the muddled mess of emotions within Lila's mind, the Freak saw potential to work with even with the confusion within, more specifically with events of recent. Seeing her belief that Arnold was the return of Jesus Christ was a thought so amusing that he nearly strained himself to not laugh, but it gave him an idea to work with.
Oh, no... She seriously thinks that Arnold's the second coming of Christ? Oh, man, I'm trying so hard not to laugh right now... This is gonna be so easy. The Freak thought.
Laying gentle hands on Lila's face, the Freak began feeding thoughts into her mind, altering her perception of reality as he did with his past two acolytes. This time, rather than alter her perception of anyone else, he would only change her perspective of himself.
The sight of the Freak was soon melted away, giving way to a genderless being with bird-like wings; the appearance of an angel to appeal to Lila's religious beliefs.
"You... What's going on?" Lila asked.
"I am a messenger of god. You have known me in your texts as the Angel of Death." The Freak said.
Easily swayed by the imagery fed before her, Lila began to shed tears before this angelic figure, listening to every word he said.
"Oh... yes... god has heard my prayers..." Lila said.
"He has. I have come here to tell you: You were right. His son has returned, and he has taken the form of the man you call Arnold Shortman." The Freak said.
"I... I was right... Oh, thank the lord, I was right..."
"Yes. Fear not of his judgement of your actions; you are merely being tested by his hand."
"I am?"
"Yes, you are. You are the last pure servant of god, and he has sent you to this city for a reason: This city is full of devils and sinners, and your purpose is to cleanse the Earth of them to appease him. The son of god has tested your faith to prepare you for this mission."
"But... what about my sins on Joey? My actions, they-"
"Come, now. Do you remember Numbers 31:17-18? 'Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.' It was for the men that this command was given, and therefore they took for themselves women. You are a woman, and you require a male. You have committed no sin at all."
"Yes... yes, angel... I understand now..."
"Good. Now, rise to your feet. This one who would strike you down is a sinner; one who spouts bastardized versions of the word of god to lead others to sin. She must be dealt with accordingly."
The Freak handed Lila the revolver, leading her to rise to her feet again. Wiping the blood from her face, she stepped to the wounded Billie, watching her crawl onto her knees as she held onto her stomach in pain. Preparing her judgement for the 'sinner', Lila pulled the hammer of the revolver back.
Standing back from the affair, the Freak took a place to watch the show, having the Jolly Olly Man and Wolfenstein join him in the show.
"What the hell was with all that old-timey talk?" Wolfenstein asked.
"I convinced her that I'm the Angel of Death. Baptists are stupid enough to believe anything. You could tell them that a grilled cheese sandwhich was a sign from god, and they'd believe you completely." The Freak said.
"...Are you the Angel of Death?" Jolly Olly Man asked.
"Close enough, I guess."
Staring on the dying Billie, Lila readied the revolver, preparing a verse to share with her victim to send her away to the afterlife.
"'Doth not wisdom cry? And understanding put forth her voice? She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths. She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors. Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man. O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart. Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things. For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them. They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge. Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold. For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it. I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate. Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength. By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth. I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver. I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment: That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures. The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men. Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways. Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord.'" Lila quoted.
Lila held up the revolver to Billie's head at last, perparing to pull the trigger. Not wishing to die so blasphemously, she began begging for her own life to be spared.
"No, Lila, please, don't do this to me..." Billie begged.
"'But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me...'" Lila quoted.
At last, Lila pulled the trigger, firing a .44 magnum bullet straight through her head.
"'...love death.'" Lila concluded.
Watching the brains of the woman named Billie splatter against a wall and all life leave from her face, the Freak applauded the efforts of Lila, enjoying the spectacular display of religious violence laid before him. Having successfully rounded up the last of his own evil equivalent of the Hillwood Heroes, he spoke out the last words needed to bring Lila along.
"Excellent work, child, but there are many more sinners to be slain. Come with us, and we shall show you more tools in which you may use your skills to put more enemies of god to death." The Freak said.
"Yes, my angel. I shall follow you wherever you lead me, and I will kill anyone who will stand against god and all his glory. I thank you for this holy mission you have sent me on." Lila said.
"Yes. From now on, you shall no longer simply be known as Lila Sawyer. To me, and to my fellow angels, you will be known as... Saint Lila."
"Yes... Thank you, my angel. I gladly accept this sainthood. I will use it to the further glory of my god."
"Excellent. Now, let's get this show on the- Er, I mean, let us venture forward. There are more tools in which we must continue our crusade against the sinners."
"Yes, my angel."
With the last of their team rounded up, the Freak began leading the 3 to his next intended destination, needing to gain more equipment for their plans against the Green Eye and the Hillwood Heroes. Heading back into the Jolly Olly truck, the group made their way to the next stop on their list.
"Just wanna warn you, that 'angel' talk is gonna get annoying real fast." Wolfenstein said.
"Don't worry, I don't plan to keep it up, either. I think I'll be able to drop it when she's fully on-board. Besides, don't whine so much. Where we're going, you'll finally be able to get yourself a new arm and legs, so relax." The Freak said.
As the Jolly Olly truck departed from the scene, the young boy named Joey entered it, wandering off in search for his mother. Being left alone in the church without any idea as to what his mother was doing, he scowered the area in search for the woman meant to care for him; meant to protect him and raise him in the world.
"Mommy? Mommy, where are you?" Joey asked.
Soon, he would find that his question was answered, but his mother would no longer be able to answer it personally any longer. Stumbling upon her dead body in against the wall, the sight of her motionless body and face brought tears to his face in an instant; knowing well that his mother would not return.
Despite acknowledging this fact, Joey grabbed hold of her body and shook it violently in an attempt to wake her up, but nothing came of these efforts except further heartache to the poor boy. Grasping tighter onto his mother's dead body, the boy tried to take whatever comfort he could from her while he could.
"Mommy... Please don't leave me, mommy... I love you, mommy..." Joey cried.