Hey Arnold! The Maximum Curly Saga Chapter 1: The Man Without Pain, a hey arnold fanfic

CHAPTER 1: THE MAN WITHOUT PAIN

Thereʼs a one-eyed yellow idol to the north of Khatmandu,
Thereʼs a little marble cross below the town,
Thereʼs a broken-hearted woman tends the grave of Mad Carew,
And the yellow god for ever gazes down.

He was known as ʻMad Carewʼ
By the subs at Khatmandu,
He was hotter than they felt inclined to tell,
But for all his foolish pranks
He was worshipped in the ranks,
And the Colonelʼs daughter smiled on him as well.

He had loved her all along
With the passion of the strong,
The fact that she loved him was plain to all,
She was nearly twenty-one,
And arrangements had begun
To celebrate her birthday with a ball.

He wrote to ask what present she would like from Mad Carew,
They met next day as he dismissed a squad,
And jestingly she told him then that nothing else would do
But the Green Eye of the little Yellow God.

On the night before the dance
Mad Carew seemed in a trance,
And they chaffed him as they puffed at their cigars,
But for once he failed to smile,
And he sat alone awhile,
Then went out into the night beneath the stars.

He returned before the dawn
With his shirt and tunic torn.
And a gash across his temples dripping red.
He was patched up right away,
And he slept all through the day,
And the Colonelʼs daughter watched beside his bed.

He woke at last and asked if they could send his tunic through.
She brought it and he thanked her with a nod.
He bade her search the pocket saying "Thatʼs from Mad Carew,"
And she found the little Green Eye of the god.

She upbraided poor Carew
In the way that women do,
Though both her eyes were strangely hot and wet;
But she wouldnʼt take the stone,
And Carew was left alone
With the jewel that heʼd chanced his life to get.

When the ball was at its height
On that still and tropic night,
She thought of him and hastened to his room.
As she crossed the barrack square
She could hear the dreamy air
Of a waltz-tune softly stealing throʼ the gloom.

His door was open wide, with silver moonlight shining through;
The place was wet and slippy where she trod;
An ugly knife lay buried in the heart of Mad Carew.
ʼTwas the ʻVengeance of the Little Yellow God.ʼ

-"The Green Eye of the Yellow God" by J. Milton Hayes

Superheroes exist.

This is the new reality the world has to face, and it barely has found the time or ability to comprehend this fact. The reality, however, does not take its time for the world to catch up. Within the span of less than a year, it has seen superheroes like Ace Savvy made public, and underdogs like Rocket Power gain a following in Ocean Shores.

The comic book industry is no stranger to these changes, either; the popularity of superheroes in fiction becoming outdated with superheroes in reality superseding them in relevance. Although they still have big-sellers such as Danny Phantom and Ace Savvy, they are mainly forced to fall back on older genres of comic books, such as the horror title Vampire Cannibals by Rudy Tabootie and Carlos Sanchez.

The world might still have much catching up to do with the new reality, but Hillwood is one part of the world that does not take its time. Being ground zero to the vast changes brought to the order of the world itself, the city does not fumble nor fall in its attempts to catch up to current trends, but instead relishes in success.

The Hillwood Heroes, the new guardians of the city, are revered as celebrities; their images are sold on the streets of Hillwood on items like toys, T-Shirts, and other souvenirs for tourists who come and go. With the city's drop in crime and newfound peace, businesses come back to the town and the economy grows and blossoms.

For all the change for good that has come to the city, there is but one individual to thank for these changes. That one person is the very first superhero: The Green Eye. He is known very well by the people of Hillwood by his brave and heroic acts, but, right now, he is not the Green Eye.

Now, he is the young man known as Arnold Shortman.

Not currently on duty for any deeds of superheroism or having anyone else requiring his need, there is but one opportunity for him to enjoy his moment of peace and reflect on how he has helped accomplish this peace. Putting on a set of headphones and inserting a Dino Spumoni tape into his Walkman, Arnold allowed himself to relax during his time off, letting the low-fi sounds of jazz fill his ears.

Relaxing to the sounds of his music, Arnold walks the streets of Hillwood, taking in the sights of his city. With his absence from leaving for San Lorenzo nearly 6 years ago, the city had become a cesspool for evil and a dark and hopeless town; overrun by crime and violence.

A year ago, with his return and efforts, he has brought the town back to its former glory, and perhaps even better than it was before. Knowing that he is the cause of this new peace, he smiles as he looks on people live their lives without pain or suffering. He notices their children playing in the street, knowing that the most innocent and purest of life will never be needlessly tainted by a dark life, and he smiles more.

As he continued walking the streets, however, he found that not all lives were at peace, and had a little ways to go. In the corner of his eye, Arnold noticed one child crying, sitting on the sidewalk in sadness. Before any sorts of guesses as to what could be troubling this child, he noticed that the child's ice cream has fallen off the cone, giving him a fairly good guess as to why the child was crying, even if a look into the child's heart told him the same thing seconds before noticing it.

Minuscule as this disturbance may have been, its lack of severity does not stop Arnold from solving this problem. Approaching a nearby ice cream stand, Arnold purchased an ice cream cone, picking the same flavor as the lost ice cream of the child, and handed it to said child. Not many would see this as a significant life-changing event, but, for this one child, it makes all the difference in his world.

Satisfied to see the young child enjoying his ice cream again, Arnold continued on his walk, still continuing to enjoy his music. His intervention in the affairs of the young boy, while small, give him something to take some pride in during his walk, and it reminds him that any step he takes towards helping others will always matter in the long run.

Not too long into his walk, he takes notice of a young man in a heavy coat pacing outside an apartment door. The nervous outlook of the young man might give the implication to others that he might be up to no good, perhaps a gun being under the coat, but a delve into the heart of the young man would reveal that hate is not in his heart, but love. More specifically, the love of a very special someone.

Although not able to relate to his plight through his own personal experiences, Arnold does know of such struggles through his own significant other. Performing yet another random act of kindness, the football head approached the man in his coat, offering his help to the stranger.

"Planning something special for her tonight?" Arnold asked.

"Wha- Huh? How'd you know?" The stranger asked.

"The roses under your coat, and you looked pretty nervous."

Taking the bouquet of flowers from out of his coat, the stranger revealed the roses to Arnold, sharing with them his own plights.

"Oh, uh, right. I was hiding them under my coat to keep them safe. Heh, in fact, you're the first person not to think it was a gun." The stranger said.

"Yeah, well, recently, that's been less of a possibility, thanks to the Green Eye." Arnold said.

"True, true. So, uh, why so interested in my... Uh, you know?"

"I imagine you're feeling pretty nervous right now, trying to ask this girl out for the first time, not knowing if she'll accept you or reject you. You just need to take a chance; you'll never know what happens until you find out."

"How... How did you know this was my first time asking out a girl?"

"My girlfriend was exactly like you once. She's my fiancee now."

Where the stranger was once off-put by Arnold's unexpected intervention, this encounter had given him the courage he sought for asking this girl out now; his help coming in the most unexpected of places. Ready now to complete the task he had set off to do, the stranger gave a smile, feeling inspired by Arnold's shared experiences.

"You're right. I can do this. Thanks, uh...?" The stranger asked.

Rather than give the stranger his name, Arnold simply gave a wave and a smile, bidding the young man goodbye and good luck on his date. Not knowing the name of the person who helped him brought a sliver of disappointment to the stranger, but the promise of asking out the young lady in her apartment took heavier priority over that.

While Arnold does not watch the event unfold for himself, the feeling of two hearts shared together in elation told him all he needed to know of the encounter. Placing his headphones back in, Arnold continues his walk, once again taking in the sights of the peaceful Hillwood he has created with the sounds of Dino Spumoni filling his ears.

Once again, however, as he walks, he took notice of a car sitting still in the middle of the road, the car giving out many groans and creaks with each turn of the engine. Its driver and passenger, a pair confused young men, work on the engine together, but their best efforts have brought no luck starting the car again.

Their luck soon changes with the arrival of a certain football head. Offering his services to Hillwood citizens in need once again, Arnold approached the two stranded drivers, eyeballing the engine as he came close.

"Mind if I take a look?" Arnold asked.

"Sure, if you have any idea what's wrong with this thing, you'd be a step ahead of me." The driver replied.

"What kind of model is it?"

"A 1982 Toran. Damnedest thing, having it just break down on us."

"Hang on a second."

Leaning into the open hood of the car, Arnold looked into the engine, inspecting its components and parts. Educated in many fields and areas with his training from the Green Eyes, one department he was not trained in was auto repair; the necessity for auto repair skills rating very low in the South American jungles.

Nonetheless, his abilities to learn and understand were still as heightened as ever, allowing him to learn some of the most complex sciences and arts as if he were reading a children's book. Looking at the parts and pieces of the engine, Arnold could not consciously understand what was wrong with the engine, but his mind drove his hands to fix the problem in seconds.

"Okay, try to start it now." Arnold said.

At Arnold's request, the passenger seated himself in the driver's seat, turning over the engine once more. Where the pair were expecting yet another holdup by the car not starting up, their expectations were quickly subverted with the sound of the engine rumbling, showing that the car was functional once again. Neither could comprehend how this football-headed stranger had fixed their car so fast, but the two were most definitely thankful for his efforts.

"Wow, thanks, man! You really saved us there. Here, take this for your quick fix." The driver said.

Taking out his wallet, the driver offered Arnold some money, handing over a sum of somewhere near a few hundred dollars. Not interested in any monetary rewards for his efforts, Arnold turned down the money, holding up his hands in gentle rejection.

"Thank you, but that's not necessary." Arnold said.

"You sure, man? A lot of places would do whatever you just did for a lot more money than that. I feel like I should at least give you something." The driver said.

"I don't need the money. Knowing you guys are back on the road is good enough for me."

"Fair enough. Well, you ever need anything from us, don't hesitate to ask."

With his car now repaired and running once again, the driver and passenger went back in their car, driving back on the open road again. Taking but a brief peek into their hearts, Arnold soon understood why the two brothers were in such a hurry to get to their destination, and he hopes that the two have a wonderful family reunion.

Having aided yet another few citizens of Hillwood, Arnold continued on his walk once again, this time reflecting on his good deeds done on this day, and hoping that each had made some significant influence in their lives. Never wishing for another human being to suffer on this Earth, Arnold lives only to serve; the highest of honors that he could hope to achieve in his own mind.

While his servitude is but minor and pedestrian at this moment, he soon finds that it comes high time for another, grander area of servitude to be filled. As the sun came close to reaching its dusk, the twilight sky faded out to give way to the dark sky of night. The many lights and neon signs of Hillwood prevent any stars from being seen from the ground, but Arnold will soon have a spot of his own to view the night sky.

Ducking down into a corner of a nearby alleyway, Arnold selected himself a secluded place to change to his 'nightly attire', allowing him to partake in perhaps his most favorite part of the day, as well as the utmost important. Taking his street clothes off to reveal a green suit underneath, readying himself to fulfill his most sacred duties gifted to him long ago.

Just before placing his mask on, however, he soon finds out that he is not alone in this alleyway. Sitting on a milk crate across the alley, a young boy watches Arnold mid-change, knowing his secret identity. In his hands were toys of both Danny Phantom and Ace Savvy, making it obvious the boy loved superheroes. Feeling a sense of pride and excitement leave the boy's heart, Arnold knows that this one moment perhaps made not just his whole day, but perhaps his whole life.

Rather than try to make any sort of pleas to keep his identity secret from the boy, Arnold instead held up a finger to his mouth, giving a wink while doing so. With this one simple motion, the pact to secrecy is already made in the boy's heart; vowing never to tell a soul about this experience, but treasuring it for the rest of his life.

Placing his harlequin mask to complete his costume, the eyes of Arnold Shortman began to glow a bright shade of green, giving way to the masked protector of Hillwood. Beginning his ascent to the rooftops of the city, the masked hero began leaping up to buildings, climbing windowsills and fire escapes.

Soon, he makes his way to the rooftops. While there may be no human lives atop these concrete mansions below his feet, he is not alone; kept company by the starry skies of the night. He looks upon the peaceful and placant night sky, observing all its stars glowing in peace, and he hopes for his city and its people to follow its example.

Needing one last tool to begin his quest for justice, his holy mission to end suffering to his city, he makes his way across the rooftops. Not many would make a journey across the city by way of jumping from rooftop to rooftop, save the daring parkour runner, but he makes these leaps with enthusiasm and joy, feeling the rush of wind through his hair and body.

Years ago, he had survived in the harsh jungles of San Lorenzo, taught and trained by the ancient Green-Eyed People; made to see the green jungles as if they were his own home. He is far from that green home now, but he finds a new jungle to explore just as well. This is the concrete jungle, and it is just as a home to him now as it always has been and will be.

Reaching the destination he sought out, he makes a leap in the air to one last obstacle, heading atop a watertower, a watertower which held the last tool to carry out his crusade for justice. Making a graceful jump over the watertower and grabbing his sacred tool, the staff granted to him by the Spirit Master known as Luz, he now has everything he needs to give the city of Hillwood the protection it needs.

Grasping the staff in his hands, he is the altruistic, the paragon, the incorruptible...

He is... The Green Eye, the man without pain.

With his staff in hand and his eyes turned to their bright green color, it was now time for the Green Eye to begin his night of crimefighting.

Once again taking a leap across the rooftops, the Green Eye continues his run across the city of Hillwood, keeping his ever-watchful eyes on the streets and the people walking it. Granted with the powers of a spirit master, the Green Eye observes his streets not just with his eyes, but also with his heart.

Who can see what evil lurks in the hearts of men, women, and children?

The Green Eye sees.

He knows the evil within the human spirit very well; seeing every instance of fear, anger, rage, hatred, disloyalty, viciousness, lust, and other negative thought in their hearts.

But, as well as these thoughts, he also sees every positive thought in every heart. Just as he sees the evil, he sees every motion of love, bravery, loyalty, dedication, bliss, care, and other positive thoughts in the hearts of the people of Hillwood.

Many have argued over the millennia whether or not human beings are truly good. Since the beginning of the human race, and perhaps it may last until its very end, philosophers and fools have both questioned whether the true nature of man is purely good or purely evil.

Looking to many atrocities that the human race has accomplished, whether fueled by religion like the Crusades, by race like the Holocaust, or by politics like killing political dissidents in Communist Russia, the argument has never been made clearer to those who believe that the human race is evil. Just one glimpse into human history can anyone find the worst kind of atrocity, and all too easy is it to put it in the spotlight.

However, anyone who detests and denounces these horrific acts will always make the counterargument that humanity is not bad, but mostly good. After all, anyone who can recognize evil as it truly is surely would never indulge in it for themselves. Most human beings care not for ideology or politics or race; only caring to live their own lives in peace.

Then, there are those who seek a middle ground; those who believe that humanity is neither inherently good nor evil; but a mix of both. They look at good deeds with skepticism, arguing that perhaps there might be an element of greed or other ulterior motive behind the action, and nullify its status of 'good'. They also look at evil deeds such as theft or murder, arguing that perhaps there was some self-preservation involved, whether by stealing food to survive, or killing a man in defense of one's self or their family.

These three arguments are held high by all those who believe in them, and their arguments are always made the loudest one one would put another to the test. For all time, and perhaps until the end of time, the human race will never make their argument 'win' the debate.

Where does the Green Eye stand on this eternal question?

He agrees with all of them... and he agrees with none of them.

None can delve into the hearts of the human race but a Spirit Master; able to see into the hearts of every man, woman, and child and know each one personally as they know themselves. They can see all, and they can know all, and only with this knowledge and understanding can they make their judgement.

The Green Eye, viewing with the eyes of his heart, can see what kind of person one is with but a simple look. In a city densely full of people living out vastly different lives and lifestyles, there are many lives to view and see, and many hearts to judge. The collective of these hearts all beat as one in this city; living together as one creature in and of itself. The city is alive, and it speaks to the Green Eye and the Green Eye alone.

On these rooftops, the city speaks to him now with all that happens in his body. Now, on this cold night, the Green Eye can hear every call of his city come to him. He hears her call out to him; telling him all her secrets and intimacies, every cry for love and care that she needs.

One such cry is a man in his car, loading a revolver outside a store. The man's heart is full of need and desperation; needing to pay off many debts for himself and his family, hoping it would bring food to their table. The Green Eye knows he is not truly evil, and so he treats him accordingly.

Leaping down off the rooftop and landing just behind the armed robber, the Green Eye gave a lighthearted greeting to the man, not wanting to escalate the situation.

"Hello, there." The Green Eye said.

Not expecting anyone to be seeking him out on this night, the man turned his weapon to the Green Eye, nearly pulling the trigger out of fear. Upon seeing that his unexpected visitor was the Green Eye, the robber instantly cowered under the presence of the green superhero, begging for mercy.

"N-No! Please! Have mercy, sir! I didn't mean to-" The robber began to say.

Before the robber could continue his plea any further, the Green Eye's irises began to glow a brighter shade of green, making the man stop in his sentence. Rather than reply to the robber with words, the Green Eye responded with his mind.

I know you didn't mean to. I know you want to provide for your children. This is not the way. The Green Eye said telepathically.

"What the-?! How did you do that?" The robber asked.

I know you were laid off from your job, I am sorry. There are other jobs out there. Try these people, they can help you.

The Green Eye handed out a business card for Lloyd Enterprises, the business empire belonging to Buckley Lloyd, one of his colleagues. Following the mental command, the robber took the business card, reading it and its phone number. As he contemplated dialing the number, the Green Eye also reached out for something of his as well, which the robber recognized as his revolver.

Rather than use the weapon as he intended to on this night, the would-be robber handed it to the Green Eye, surrendering the weapon before he could use it. With the man deterred from his robbery, the Green Eye took back to the rooftops, leaving him to contemplate on the option of trying for a job with Lloyd Enterprises.

Leaving the man to his own devices, the Green Eye, back on the rooftops, proceeded to dismantle the revolver, taking it apart and tossing its pieces aside. With the victory of preventing someone from making a mistake which would surely have ruined both his own life and the lives of his family, the Green Eye took but a moment to pause on this success, remembering on how every victory achieved for bettering others is one to cherish.

Not too long into his pause, however, he hears yet another call from the city, pleading him to come to her aide. Coming to the beckoning that summoned him, the Green Eye ran towards the call, looking to see what sort of trouble awaited here.

Making his arrival to the scene, he finds a group of gangbangers surrounding a young couple. The hoodlums all surround the two young people, cornering them against a wall in the alleyway. They both know they will not make their way out of here, and they have naught but to hold onto each other for comfort.

"Hey, man, just give us your money and we won't stick ya." One gangbanger said.

"Yeah. We'll only stick your little ladyfriend, but we're gonna stick her with somethin' much bigger, if ya get me." Another gangbanger said.

"Not like somebody like you's packin' enough to keep her satisfied, am I right, boys?" A different gangbanger asked.

Within the hearts of these attackers, he finds cravings of violence and cheap thrills; seeking pleasure within the death of the young man and between the legs of the young woman. Unlike the robber of before, he knows these men are truly evil, leaving no need for politeness or pleasantries here.

Gathering a collection of smoke pellets in his hand, the Green Eye tossed them to the alleyway below, generating a smoke screen to make his entrance with. Where the two young victims were cowering to the ground in fear, the attackers all fell into confusion and fright; none knowing what could be happening now.

Seeing a pair of glowing green eyes appear in the haze of smoke as it filled their eyes and lungs, the gangbangers know what the cause of this event is, and they fight back with what they can. Their response is quicker than most in this situation, but it is not fast enough to counter the attack that now comes to the attackers.

Before any of the hoodlums can make any assessment to spot their enemy or plan an attack, they are put to the ground one by one; none even so much as touching the Green Eye. One gangbanger was thrown to the ground with a simple punch to the jaw, another with a sweeping kick, another with a kick to the knee, another with a flying kick to the chest, and the last downed with a strike from a wooden staff.

As the smoke clears, the young couple quickly overcome their own fear; their past moment of fright being replaced by a brief fit of confusion. Where their attackers once were ready to take their lives and belongings for mere fun, the group now all laid down in defeat, not likely to get back up again.

Seeing a pair of green eyes make their way back up the rooftops, however, the pair quickly understand what has just happened, and they silently give their thanks to their savior.

With yet another set of lives set for the better, the Green Eye feels the call of his city, and he feels how thankful she is. He feels her pain alleivate, and he hears her breathe a sigh of relief. Always has he been a man to want to relieve the suffering of others, to do his part to make the life on Earth to be lived in peace, the Green Eye is always vigilant on his mission, and never one to falter in his course.

Taking a look into another heart not too far off from his location, he finds that he has yet another step to make in said course. Where he encountered one heart with good, and another with evil, this one is a fine mix of the two. This heart feels a mix of hatred; both for himself and for everyone else, and, underneath these angers, there laid a desire to simply be loved. This heart also beats fast for what its body is about to do next.

Viewing the man with these conflicted feelings, the Green Eye spotted a man standing atop a rooftop. Unlike himself, where the Green Eye leapt across these rooftops to keep a watchful eye over the city, this man sought out to take his own life, wishing to end his own affairs once and for all.

Having considered a choice like this once upon a time in his life, the Green Eye knows what kind of feeling would drive one to make this choice, and it makes it all the more personal to him. Making his approach to the jumper, the Green Eye laid a compassionate hand on his shoulder, preventing the man from making his jump.

"Don't." The Green Eye said.

"What-?! Who are you?!" The jumper asked.

Once again, the Green Eye did not continue his speech with words, but instead chose to speak with his mind instead.

This is not the way to peace. You will not solve your problems with death. Life is a priceless commodity, and yours is no exception. There are people who will help if you let them. The Green Eye said telepathically.

Listening to the argument of the Green Eye, feeling the effects of his own mental suggestion powers reaching his own heart, the jumper began to slowly back away from the edge. Standing carefully and with more stability away from the edge, the jumper turned to the Green Eye, listening for what he might have to say next.

"There is a clinic called the Hillwood Medical Center on Baker Street. Ask for Dr. Bliss, she's a friend of mine. She can help you and find you some groups to find connections with." The Green Eye said.

"Why do you care? Somebody like you, shouldn't you worry about gang members or something? Why waste your time on me? I know nobody cares about me, you're wasting your time." The jumper said.

"I'm not wasting my time. You're not the only one who's thought about a jump like that, and you won't be the last one to get better from it."

Letting his words settle in the mind of the jumper, the Green Eye moved on yet again to the rooftops, once again continuing his mission to help those in need in his city and keep his patrol. He feels the relief that comes upon his city, and he reaps in its rewards once again. Never does he grow tired of his work, and never shall he stop for any reason.

His mission is simple: To help those in need, no matter what the cost. He had followed this credo throughout most of his youth, only to lose his way once during his early teen years. Now, he knows his own mission all too well, and he refuses to give it up once again. For an absence of 5 years in his city, his one and only goal is to continue this mission until his body no longer can.

For now, however, he will take but a slight pause, as he now has teammates to worry about. Taking a call on a communicator earbud, the Green Eye receives a call from one of said aforementioned teammates, being given news of a meeting with the others. This particular teammate was one of his very best friends, Gerald Johannsen, known by night as G-Funk.

"Hey Arnold, you gettin' your lone ranger on?" Gerald asked.

"Something like that. What's up?" The Green Eye asked.

"We're doing a meet-up; gonna talk about some group stuff. Hope you didn't forget we're still a team, right? I mean, we have been at this for a year now."

"I didn't forget, Gerald. Just always busy."

"That's your problem, man. You always think you gotta take this all on by yourself. What do you think friends are for, Eyeman?"

"It's not that, Gerald, it's just..."

"Just what?"

"Nothing. I'll see you in a minute."

Ending his call, the Green Eye continued his journey across the rooftops, changing his heading towards the official base for the Hillwood Heroes: The Lloyd Estate. Being somewhere near Chinatown, there was much ground to be covered in this trip, so it was more than necessary to push himself to make his arrival quick.

Elsewhere, somewhere at the other end of Hillwood, there laid the Hillwood Home for the Emotionally Troubled; a mental asylum for criminal patients with a long history of mental issues, and a longer history of violence and crime. While not going so far as to call itself a prison, it is not too dissimilar from one, as its patients are not treated with the upmost care nor empathy.

Atrocities towards the most vulnerable of society's members are despicable, and those who would step on people in the most need are to be detested. With some of the occupants of the building, however, it can be all too easy to look past their actions, or even justify them.

One such example is a young man named Thaddeus Gammelthorpe, known by those who could loosely be called by his friends as 'Curly', but known to all who follow the news at all as 'The Freak'. As the Green Eye is America's first superhero, the Freak is the country's first supervillain.

Sitting in his hospital bed, most of his body completely covered in a cast, the Freak is stuck in a state of paralysis, brought on by being dropped from the roof of P.S. 118. He has been subject to multiple back surgeries and other forms of therapy, but none of it is enough to reverse the damage done, leaving him unable to walk.

This does not stop him from trying. Looking at his few exposed toes from the cast on his foot, the Freak focuses all of his energy towards them, hoping to get them moving.

"Wiggle your big toe." The Freak said.

Abused and tortured since he was but a young boy, the Freak has little to no concept of empathy, or even love. Existing in his heart, if he even has one, is only violence and murder, among just the barely mentionable thoughts. The rest are but bloody, torn, naked, mutilated, violent images that no one could describe or depict if they tried.

"Wiggle your big toe." The Freak said.

Beginning his crime spree with murdering his own parents, things might not seem so bad, but only when once considers that it was them who had neglected and beaten him for years. This was pushed all too far when he had shot and raped Rhonda Lloyd, a girl that he had strong but undefined feelings for in school. His misdeeds only seemed to get worse from here, committing several more murders, including shooting a 9-year old girl point-blank in the head on national television.

"Wiggle your big toe." The Freak said.

These days, the most easiest example to put on the spotlight is the Freak, the first and most infamous supervillain of them all.

"Wiggle your big toe." The Freak said.

For as many people who are willing to put him on the spotlight of evil, however, there are still some souls who are not willing to put him down or vilify him. Rather, they try their best to reform and recover such lost souls, believing anyone could be a good member of society with just the right amount of help and the right sense of direction.

One such soul is a man named Dr. Peyton Harvey Scott, a therapist at the asylum. Where many staff workers and even a few doctors would neglect their patients or frown upon the nefarious acts they have committed, Dr. Scott is a man who tries his best to fix the system from the inside; no matter what sort of cost it may have on him.

Staying true to his goal, Dr. Scott enters the room of the Freak, ready to begin their next therapy session.

"Good evening, Thaddeus. How are we feeling today?" Dr. Scott asked.

The Freak did not answer the doctor's question, only continuing to focus on his toe.

"Thaddeus? Curly?" Dr. Scott asked.

"I told you to stop calling me those names. I'm not that person anymore." The Freak said.

"And why not? Do you feel like that person was too weak to defend himself? Is that why you became the Freak? To save you?"

"Who cares? I'm here now, and you're not getting rid of me."

"I don't want to get rid of you, Curly. I want to help you. That's all I want to do."

"You've been trying for about a year at this, when are you going to realize that you're not going to get anywhere with these sessions? Why not just leave me here already?"

"Because that's not my job. I'm here to make you get better, Curly, whatever that takes."

The Freak turned away from Dr. Scott, trying to ignore the therapist and focus back in his own world, where he would be free from any such problems or disturbances. Not accepting his denials and ignorance, Dr. Scott took a seat beside his bed as he always did, preparing a conversation for the two. The Freak took no pleasure in his peace being disturbed, but found himself getting used to the frequency of his visits.

"So, anything you want to talk about tonight?" Dr. Scott asked.

"Yeah, I think I got something." The Freak said.

"Okay, what's it tonight?"

"I remembered the times when I was an altar boy at the Catholic Church. I always did a good job, making sure I always got the bishop what he needed, that's why I was his favorite. Then, he took me to one of the confessionals and asked me to close my eyes. He put something in my mouth and told me to suck on it, saying it was a lollipop. It tasted really musky, and it put a lot of weird liquid in my mouth. Could you explain what that was about to me? It really seemed weird."

Reading through the Freak's 'joke', Dr. Scott was not impressed with his deflection to the question, recognizing it as one of his avoidance of their daily sessions. Not allowing simple deflection to deter his efforts, Dr. Scott asked once again for an answer to his question.

"What do you really want to talk about tonight, Curly?" Dr. Scott asked.

Realizing that his mere jokes and filibuster would not stop the doctor from his questions, the Freak's darkly humorous demeanor faded out to give way to his actual thoughts. The Freak might not care for one tries to share him sympathy, but he has been dealing with the good doctor's efforts for a year now; a persistence that deserves some kind of reward.

"Curly, please. It's been a year now. I'm not going to give up on you. There's no judgement here, and never will I scold you for anything. This is a place of healing. Despite how some people act here, I will never hurt you. Please, there must be something you want to tell me. Anything? Anything at all?" Dr. Scott asked.

Letting out a sigh of annoyance taking with it some of the anger built up in his mind over the endless questions, the Freak finally took to answering this one.

"Okay. I have something I want to talk about. It was a time when I tried to give a girl I liked a present." The Freak said.