CHAPTER 64: SILENT NIGHT

"Christmas is forever, not for just one day. For loving, sharing, giving, are not to put away."

-Norman Wesley Brooks

"Christmas will always be as long as we stand heart to heart and hand in hand."

-Dr. Seuss

"Peace on earth will come to stay when we live Christmas every day."

-Helen Steiner Rice

The holiday of Christmas has often had many interpretations. From its origins in paganism in Scandanavia and Europe, to its appropriation and reclamation by Christianity, transcending boundaries of religion and spirituality to secularism and inclusivity to all to celebrate, it has found many meanings to many people.

For the mass population, it seems to focus around commerce; working through busier days with the season compelling more people to consume. For some, it is giving towards one another; the latter of commerce being a means to that end. For some, it is family; visiting and greeting estranged loved ones to reunite for a day. For some, it is just another average holiday that means a day off from work, if they're lucky.

For Arnold Shortman, it holds a different meaning altogether: A day of peace.

Tired of all the senseless violence and mayhem all around him, he has tried to make peace in Hellwood for just one day. But his reasons are not completely altruistic, mostly they may be, as there is still an element of self-interest in it for him. Endowed with the powers of a Spirit Master, he is in tune with all the thoughts and feelings of others, but this comes to him the price of suffering as others now suffer on the island.

His desire for peace is not just to bring relief to others, but to his own state of mind. And that own inner need bites at him more and more as time passes by.

Only hours ago, he had made one attempt for seeking that peace with the defeat of Wolfenstein and dissolution of the Aryan Nation. With his death, the province had crumbled soon after with its leader no longer alive to lead its people down a warpath fueled by hatred and bigotry.

He has bent the rules to achieve that goal, allowing Wolfenstein's death and those of his confederates, and even lost the life of a childhood friend, but none of their deaths have bore any fruit. Despite their lives lost, despite the sliver of peace brought about for New Mecca, it has not made a dent in the hellish landscape that was his city.

[Soundtrack Cue: Eazy-E - Merry Muthaphuckkin' Xmas feat. Dolemite, Atban Klann, Buckwheat & Menajahtwa; Starting from 0:50]

Trying to take his mind off the troubles, his own thoughts are interrupted by the sound of gunshots in the vicinity, prompting his skills as the Green Eye to be brought upon once again. Within seconds, however, that sudden urgency to rely on his powers had turned to nil when the next series of sounds came to his ears.

Following the gunshots were a series of drum beats, followed up by a vulgar hip-hop perversion of 'Jingle Bells' with lyrics regarding fellatio and coitus. Confused at the sudden playing of music, Arnold let down his guard only slightly, moving his way towards the music to investigate the source.

Upon seeing the cause of the ruckus, he is neither pleased nor surprised, and lets his guard down completely with no need for it.

Entering a study room, Arnold found the remaining Hillwood Heroes Sid and Lars within, finding the music coming from a boom box blaring the bastardized Christmas music at full volume. Along with the music playing, Sid was breakdancing on the floor to the music, while Lars tore pages of out a book to roll up marijuana joints, placing one in his mouth and lighting it up.

Lars was wearing what is popularly referred to as an 'ugly Christmas sweater', and upon the sweater was a satirical take on the popular Christmas saying 'Let It Snow', re-spacing the phrase to read 'LE TITS NOW', with a stitching below showing a image of a woman's breasts.

Taking in an inhalation of cannabis smoke, Lars let it out, giving some hearty coughs to remove all the smoke from his lungs. In the haze of his incoming high, Lars took notice of Arnold standing in the doorway, giving his casual greetings at last to his appalled teammate

"Oh, 'sup, man?" Lars asked.

"What the hell are you two doing? And what in god's name are you listening to?" Arnold asked.

"It's Christmas. Just having a little celebration, that's all. This is the only Christmas song that I can stand to listen to. One thing I don't miss about the real world is all those gay-ass Christmas songs that play non-stop on the radio. I'll take Eazy-E over that any day of the week, and apparently White Boy shares the sentiment."

"Harold is dead, there's nobody left but us, and you're celebrating by smoking pot and listening to... whatever the hell that is?"

"Well, in between fighting Nazis and shit, there wasn't really time to get a tree. Hell, I don't even think there are any Christmas trees on this island. Care for a little 'Mr. Green Christmas'? I save this strain for the holidays."

Showing no more emotion towards Lars, Arnold stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him to leave him and Sid to their affairs. Disregarding his reaction, Lars continued to puff down smoke from his improvised marijuana cigarette, taking to the book to tear out another page and roll up another joint.

Reaching into the copy of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, he ripped out another page, tossing the book aside when retrieving his needed paper.

"Hey, I wonder if Prince Valiant had some Hustler mags around here." Lars thought aloud.

[Soundtrack Cue End]

As Christmas seems to go forgotten and neglected by Hellwood, the United States government does the same to the island of the damned. Having signed into law legislation that officially disowned the city of Hillwood from the country, they have left it and its people to die off and cleanse themselves of responsibility.

But while the government has disowned the city, its people have not done the same. Since the mere introduction of the bill to disown Hillwood all the way up to the present day, protests have been held and staged at every area of government, with protesters present at the Capitol, the Supreme Court, and the White House in objection to the cruel treatment of Hillwood and its people.

It is not simply the citizens of the country that lead the charge against the move, calling for the reinstatement of Hillwood into the U.S., but also a handful of Congress members that stood their ground to vote against the bill. Leading the charge at the Capitol building is Representative Olga Pataki, dedicated so much to the cause that she has taken to living on the Capitol steps until the job is done.

While most days would be spent in simple protest of standing outside the building and yelling chants, the holiday of Christmas day has made the outside of the Capitol a stage for bigger names to make their voices heard, all sharing the goal of the protesters and lending their voices to their cause.

Coming in from various parts of the country, musicians like the legendary Dino Spumoni and country singer 'Harry' Huynh accompanied by his daughter Mai (the former taking a stage name to sound more 'country'), Belgian-born actor Maurice LaMarche, best known for playing the fictional superhero known as 'The Abdicator', and entrepenuer Vlad Masters were all present, all sharing the same connection as former residents or visitors of Hillwood.

As another day of protests began occurring outside the building, Olga prepared a speech to make before the crowd. Readjusting her clothing from its disheveled look from her countless nights on the Capitol steps, she composed herself and her papers to make her address to the protesters, with the press keeping cameras set on her to record her every spoken word.

"Good morning, my fellow Americans, and Merry Christmas. It's been a month since we took to the steps of the government, all calling for our brothers and sisters in Hillwood to be brought back home. It's been so long that we're still here on Christmas day, taking our time away from the holiday season, a time when we should be all at home with our families, when the members of a larger family are dying out in Hillwood. When some of our closest family members are still out there." Olga said.

Sifting through her papers, Olga retrieved a photograph of a younger Helga Pataki, showing it for the crowd to see.

"My baby sister Helga is among those family members. Now, I could stand up here and tell you how close I was with her, or how much love we shared together, but I won't, because that's not the truth. We were never too close as siblings. My mother and father always favored me towards her, and I was never able to see it because of my own personal issues. I wouldn't be surprised if she wanted nothing to do with me, nor would I blame her. But I'm fighting here on these steps for her. Because she's still my baby sister, and she's dying. Because she's my family, and she's dying. Because I still love her, and she's dying. And there are many people like her dying over there. And I cannot stand here in good conscience and allow her to die over there, so that's why I'm still sitting here on these steps. And I won't leave until my baby sister comes home." Olga said.

Listening to her personal and heartfelt speech, the protesters cheered her on, approving of her reasoning for bringing Hillwood back to the United States.

"And I'm not the only one who has family or a history in Hillwood to speak of. That's why we have other people here to talk on Christmas day about how they feel. So, I'll give up the microphone to them." Olga said.

Stepping away from the microphone, she allowed the first speaker to come forth: 'Harry' Huynh, approaching with his arm over Mai Huynh.

"Merry Christmas, everyone. It's been a long flight to here in D.C., probably the second-longest flight in my life. The first one was my first flight to America, when I was finally allowed to immigrate here. I took all my tests, studied hard, dedicated myself to become a naturalized citizen, and I did it. Do you know why? So I could find my daughter again. I used to live in Vietnam during the war, and I saw the Fall of Saigon with my own eyes. It was absolute hell on Earth; confusion, terror, and chaos everywhere. I had to live in that country for years before I could finally come here to America, just to find my daughter again. It was the city of Hillwood that I was told to find her when I put her on the last helicopter out of Vietnam, and it was in the city of Hillwood where I finally saw her again. To have her in my life once again is nothing short of an absolute blessing. I haven't lived in Hillwood for years since I took to music and my restaurant chain, but that city holds two important personal stakes for me. One is because it is where I found my daughter again. The other is how the people there are suffering now. I've seen absolute collapse of society when my home country of Vietnam fell, and I never would wish it on my worst enemies. The people of Hillwood are living through the same hell I lived for 20 whole years before I came here, and I will not stand here idlily while people suffer. That is why I am calling on the United States government to bring them home. This is the same government that gave me a home, and I will not let you take it from people that lived here before me." 'Harry' Hyunh said.

Empowered by 'Harry' Hyunh's speech, the crowd cheered loudly for him, to which he and Mai respectfully bowed back in appreciation. Stepping away from the podium, they allowed the next speaker to speak their word. Next was the action-hero actor Maurice LaMarche, coming to make his case for Hillwood's salvation.

"Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone of you. Like Mr. Huynh, I, too, come from another country, and I studied hard to come here. But my own story is not as dramatic or personal as his. It was my fame that helped me get my foot in the door, and I had already a good life in my home country of Belgium. My frame and charisma earned me the nickname of 'The Muscles from Brussels'. I've had a good life through and through. So, I'm in no place to compare my own history to my good friend Mr. Huynh's, but I do have my own personal stake in Hillwood to see it return to this country. Throughout most of my career, I was simply an actor playing a role. I never thought much about other people or my portraying a hero, I just saw it as a job. But something happened to me while I was in Hillwood. I noticed two little boys, one around 9, the other a little younger. The younger boy had been hanging off a fire escape, and the older one trying to save him, but they both ended up in trouble. I knew the older boy previously; he was one of my fans. When he learned that I didn't put my heart into the role, he lost all hope in himself and started going bad. But when I stepped in to save him, he started believing in heroes again. And he made me believe in myself. Ever since then, I've put more of my heart and soul into my role of the Abdicator, and I did so all the way up until my retirement. I still get letters to this day on how I provided a good role model to fans when they were kids, and thanked me for playing the role, even in this day of real-life heroes. And those same real-life heroes are more deserving of any praise than me. The Green Eye and the Hillwood Heroes are the true role-models for children; they've saved more lives and helped more people than I ever could putting on a costume in front of a TV screen. They dedicated our lives to helping ours, and this nation turned its back on them. That is an absolute disgrace to this country and its politicians. So I call on the United States government; the president, congress, and the supreme court to undo this perversion of law and order and bring our heroes home. Because this country, because its people needs heroes it can believe in and count on." Maurice said.

With the protesters cheering on his speech, Maurice smiled and waved his hand to the crowd, giving a friendly acknowledgement to their support. Coming next to the podium was Vlad Masters, head of VladCo. The approach of the businessman did not garner many cheers from the crowd, most of them left-leaning and against many of his business practices, but Vlad sought to change that tune.

"Merry Christmas. I can tell what a lot of you are probably thinking: Wealthy businessman in the 1%, primary supplier to the United States Military; he doesn't belong among the rest of hard-working Americans, he doesn't really care about us. All he cares about is his own interests being put in Washington. Well, in this particular instance, you are correct. I am here for my own interests in Washington. That particular interest is seeing Hillwood back in the country. I could give you a speech like the others, tell you some little personal story about how I fought my way to the top, but that's not how I came to this side of the issue. Truth be told, I've only set foot in Hillwood only once or twice in my life. But I am still a man with a heart. I despise seeing others in poverty or suffer for no good reason. I've made plenty of efforts to fight back against that with my own money. While I might have a lot of money, and more sway on politics than the average Joe would, I'm still a taxpayer who want the best for my country and my countrymen. So I'm here to put it in a language that politicians can understand. Since Hillwood has been disowned from the United States, the approval rates of every congressman and the president have dwindled to the 20s and even the 10s. Because of the huge loss in business from an entire city with a large population gone, the economy has started to slow down and tank massively, even during this holiday season. The rest of the developed world has started to call this the worst act of the United States government since the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan and the passing of the Patriot Act. This has become the greatest embarrassment on yourselves and your careers. If you don't do the correct thing, you will see yourselves removed from office soon. The nice, cushy jobs you enjoy in Washington are over. Not only will the voters punish you for your actions, I will personally put all my own funding and donations to your opponents during your next election cycles. There's not only so many reasons for you to do it, there's no reasons for you not to do it. Enough citing talking points of rich snobs in the 1% to excuse yourselves. I am the 1%. I want my fellow Americans back home and safe. Thank you." Vlad said.

Impressed and swayed by Vlad's honest and pragmatic argument, the crowd found themselves unexpectedly cheering for his support for their cause. Bowing his head, he stepped away to allow the last of the speakers to make their cases. Next was the biggest name of the bunch, and the one who garnered the most applause from his approach: Dino Spumoni.

"Heya, folks. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good... eh, afternoon, I guess. What's the difference when you're my age?" Dino joked.

The mild joke gained some laughs from the crowd; Dino's infinite charm playing to the crowd to lighten tensions.

"Heh-heh, yeah, good to have some laughs, get a little Christmas cheer, but this ain't about me tryin' to get a few laughs. Fact is, I ain't got no Christmas cheer in me right now. Not when I see this kinda crap goin' on in D.C., not on my watch. I've lived through more presidents than a lot of youse can count, and I've never seen one of 'em OK something like this. What this is is a disgrace to this country, a disgrace to the government, and a disgrace to the people. I'm mad as hell, and I'm not gonna take it more. That's why I wanna share my own little story here with you guys. In my early years, I was livin' in a little boarding house there called the Sunset Arms. It was this old fort for something called the Tomato Incident during the Revolution, for those of you who were old enough to see it for yourselves like me." Dino said.

The crowd once again laughed at Dino's joke; his humorous approach to the subject keeping their attention and focus.

"But that was a good little place to stay before I made it big. Nice people came and went, nicer people ran it; couldn't recommend it enough. It was a good start. That's reason enough for me to call to bring Hillwood home, but I got more in my past with that city. If you know me, then you know I've been kicking around since the 70s, trying all kinds a' new-age and hip-hop stuff, doing beer commercials. That wasn't me. I've been back to Hillwood plenty of times for some soul-searching, and a lot of those times I had to head back to the Sunset Arms. But it wasn't just the place that helped me. It was this real nice kid named Arnold. He was this young kid, no more than 10 or so. Huge fan of my stuff. I didn't even think somebody his age knew who I was, but here was this kid, had all my records, even sang one of my songs at his school talent show. Real sharp kid. Let me tell you something: If there was no Arnold then, there would be no Dino Spumoni now. I had a huge break-up with my partner and best friend, Don Reynolds, but he gave a good performance of our song, 'I'm Nuttin' Without You', and it just made us both realize how much we needed each other. He got me to play at his school dance, and reminded me of how much I love my music and how I love to sing. There was that whole stupid stunt where I tried to play dead to get people to remember me, but he talked me out of it and reminded me that I ain't done yet. Now look where I am. I'm here now because of him. I owe that little guy my whole career. I don't know where he is now, probably a grown man with a wife and kids by now, but I owe him. And I owe Hillwood. That's why I'm here to fight for the city of Hillwood. That's my hometown. It deserves to come back." Dino said.

The crowd of protesters cheered on Dino's appeal to reinstate Hillwood, excited once again from his personal tale about a personal friend. Taking the microphone off the podium, Dino carried it over to a stand atop a piano, attaching it on and adjusting it over to himself as he sat down.

"Now, thanks to the lovely Miss Pataki organizing this whole shebang and getting little old me and Mr. Huynh out here, we're going play a little song for all you folks out there, and call on the politicians of this country to undo their one biggest muck-up in our great nation's history. This is a little something by a guy who'd be right here fighting with us, somebody who fought against government injustices like this one. Arnold, wherever you are, this one's for you." Dino said.

Alone on the rooftop of Lloyd Manor, the man on Dino Spunomi's mind takes a place to contemplate alone, still unsettled by the events of mere hours ago done in the name of peace. With many deaths on his watch, debateably on his hands, Arnold Shortman cannot rest easy with the suffering in Hillwood still continuing on.

Despite all his efforts, there is still death.

Despite all his efforts, there is still suffering.

Despite all his efforts, there is still pain.

There are feelings all inside his mind that tell him as though his fighting has no effect on the world that he is trying to save; a nihilistic hopelessness that begins to eat at his own drive to keep fighting. The entire cause for saving the city of Hillwood and its people seems to grow pointless, driving him to apathy.

Feeling a tear start go down from his eye, he opens his mind up to the astral plane, calling on another to give him hope and guidance in his hour of apparent defeat.

"Luz. I need you." Arnold said.

At his beckoning, the astral projection of Luz appeared before Arnold Shortman, seating himself on the ground across from him. Keeping his friendly and comforting personality towards his student, he offered his kindness and warmth to Arnold, giving him aide in his hour of need.

"Arnold. You have defeated another enemy and brought home a scared and worried child to his mother and father. Why do you cry so?" Luz asked.

"I let a man die, Luz. And it accomplished nothing." Arnold said.

"The baby boy named Charles would be dead if not for your efforts. That sounds much like an accomplishment to me."

"That's not good enough. Not for me and not for this place. There's been so much suffering and trouble here, and it won't stop. I can feel it start to eat away at my head. I can't even think straight anymore since this started. I just want one day, one day, when there's not any pain and suffering here. I just want peace of mind. How selfish is that?"

"It is a human right to be selfish at some point in one's life, especially after he does much for others. You are no exception. You have fought hard for the city of Hillwood and its people, and even you require rest and time to recover. You are many things, Arnold, but you are not invincible."

"I wish I was. It probably takes someone invincible just to make a dent in this city. I've stopped whole war from happening, but there's at least 5 more fights like it across the city. Not only do I know for a fact that it's going on, but I can feel everything going on. Casualties, injuries, and loss on both sides. It's too much. I wish I could just turn it off."

"It is a heavy burden to bear to take in the pain and sufferings of others. But I know that only someone like you was capable of bearing such a burden. You recognize the issue at hand, and you seek to amend it. That is where you differ from The Freak. He can feel human suffering just like you, but he revels in it. To bask in the suffering of others gives him his strength and power. The fight you carry on to end that suffering takes his power away piece by piece, whether or not he or you realize it. Your efforts do make a difference."

The acknowledgement of Arnold's efforts brought a sense of pride to stave away his own inner turmoil, signaled by a small smile coming to his face, but the speech given by Luz had granted him more than simple emotional support. Feeling his mind work through a possible scenario to play out, he stood up from the ground, preparing to make his new plan work.

"Wait. If I can beat Curly by taking away all the suffering of everyone else... then why don't we just do it now?" Arnold asked.

"What?" Luz asked.

"We can use our powers together. We can take away all their suffering at once. We can beat Curly now and win."

Understanding Arnold's plan and taking a strong disliking to it, Luz's friendly demeanor changed to that of a cautious one.

"No, child. What you ask for cannot be done." Luz said.

"Why not?" Arnold asked.

"Emotion is not a commodity that can or should be placed upon another, against their will or with their consent. Especially not the emotion of peace. It is an ideal that must be attained and earned. Not given away."

"But why not?"

"Peace is achieved by choice, and an understanding of that choice. It must be desired to be obtained. To gain it so freely without acceptance will lead to rejection. Perversion of your powers aside, the effort you give will only lead to more grief. What peace you give will not last forever."

"Then what about just one day? Just for today?"

"And why?"

"I just want one day of peace of mind. I just want one day where no one else is suffering. Today is a day when everyone is supposed to have one day of peace. I want today to actually feel like Christmas."

Giving in to his student's arguments, Luz gave an understanding nod, no longer providing any more challenge.

"Very well. Perhaps it is best if you see for yourself. Try it if you desire it so badly. But take heed: That once taste of peace you get will be empty. It will not subsitute nor satisfy the need each human being has for peace. It will be a farce." Luz said.

"Or maybe that one taste of peace will make people realize just how important it is. Maybe they'll want to come back to it on their own." Arnold said.

"We shall see. I will not help you, but I will not stop you. Try your hand at peace for a day... if you dare."

Seating himself back on the ground, Arnold took to consummating his plan, focusing his mental energies and all the power that remained in his body to spread them out to the rest of Hellwood. Pulling deep into the more sincere parts of his being, he pushed his own limits, stretched as they were, just to obtain his one day of peace; to take all positive emotion he still had and spread it to others.

As his eyes turned a bright green, he projected that energy to the city.

You will be at peace. Arnold thought.

[Soundtrack Cue: John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band - Happy Xmas (War is Over)]

Author's Note: The next portion of this chapter uses lyrics from the aforementioned song: 'Happy Xmas (War is Over)' by John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band, released as a single in 1971. The songwriting credits belong to John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and the distribution rights belong to Apple Corps Limited through their ownership of Apple Records. No copyright infringement is intended.

Taking to his piano, Dino Spumoni began playing out the first notes to his choice of song, with 'Harry' Huynh playing an accompanying guitar. Recognizing the song in an instant, the crowd gave out a cheer, starting the show to a strong and exciting beginning from both performers and audience.

Moving his mouth to the microphone, Dino began singing out the lyrics, giving his protest to the government and tribute to Arnold with his voice.

"So this is Christmas,

And what have you done?

Another year over,

A new one just begun.

And so this is Christmas,

I hope you have fun,

The near and the dear ones,

The old and the young..." Dino sang.

Spreading his influence throughout the city of Hellwood, the entirety of the island was covered in a blanket of mental energy, bringing with it a sense of peace and bliss unheard of before here or anywhere else on planet Earth. For the first time in the world, it seems that all violence and pain has come to an end.

The first ones who felt such effects of Arnold's energy were the sick and downtrodden; their illnesses seeming to dissipate and nullify under the touch of the joy spread to them. Those who felt pained no longer felt sick at heart, those who had no more strength to stand on their own two feet did so again, and the hands that stayed idle and clasped in prayer found themselves working to others.

Approaching their brothers and sisters, their friends and neighbors, their fellow human beings, people began picking up those who could not pick themselves up, taking their hands into their own. The people of Hellwood began coming together in groups, clasping one another hand in hand as a brotherhood.

Dino was not alone in singing out the song, but with him were the added voices of Mai Huynh and Olga Pataki, both lending their own personal music experiences to the performance. Taking microphones for themselves, they sang out the next lyrics of the song, taking to the high notes of the duet.

"A very merry Christmas,

And a happy new year,

Let's hope it's a good one,

Without any fear..." Olga and Mai sang.

The pain and anguish one another felt as a brotherhood was long gone and forgotten, but the effects of the positivity spread could only do so much. With many people hungry and in need of sustenance, there was no amount of love that could be shared to give others the material needs that a human body requires.

But that love and kindness that others felt is what drove the next solution to the problem. Those who had their own supplies of food, whether obtained by scavenging or growing food on their own, took to sharing it with others. The youngest and oldest were first to be the recipients of food, with many of the latter passing on their helpings to the former before taking their own meals.

People with no clothes or tattered and worn ones were given new ones, and those cold under winter's snowy weather were given blankets and other coverings, sharing warmth needed to others. In addition to warmth shared by way of cloth and fabric, people began to share warmth by skin and body as well.

Returning to the chorus, Dino's voice was joined in with the voices of the women, along with those of the audience all singing along.

"So this is Christmas..." Dino sang.

"War is over..." The audience sang.

"For weak and for strong..."

"If you want it..."

"For the rich and the poor ones..."

"War is over..."

"The road is so long..."

"Now..."

The warmth shared with one another with body and flesh stirred feelings of arousal and sensuality, leading many to consummate their desires with one another. Taking a lover for themselves, whether it be a man and woman, man and man, woman and woman, or any mix of 3 or more, the people shared pleasures with one another and cast aside worry or fear, only enjoying the company of one another.

Children and those with no interest or capability in any such pleasure took to themselves, sharing company as friends rather than the taxing experience of lovers. They are not concerned with their own worlds of trouble, because they have none to speak of; only compassion for one another.

"And so happy Christmas..." Dino sang.

"War is over..." The audience sang.

"For black and for white..."

"If you want it..."

"For the yellow and red ones..."

"War is over..."

"Let's stop all the fight..."

"Now..."

Every corner of Hellwood was affected by this overcoming of love, and the epicenter of Lloyd Manor was no exception. Lars and Sid, alone in their solitary and sacrilegious celebration of Christmas, felt the peace that Arnold spread throughout the island, taking in all its indulgences.

"Hey, Sid, do you feel that?" Lars asked.

"I... I don't know, Lars. I just feel so horny right now." Sid said.

Acting under the influence of the spread of peace, Sid approached Lars and ran his hands over his face, feeling the skin under his fingers. Putting his own hands around Sid, Lars embraced him back; the two now sharing their own moment along with the rest of Hellwood.

"Oh, thank god. I thought it was just me." Lars said.

Taking one another in hand, the two friends of questionable status began to consummate their newfound shared peace.

"A very merry Christmas,

And a happy new year,

Let's hope it's a good one,

Without any fear..." Olga and Mai sang.

"And so this is Christmas..." Dino sang.

"War is over..." The audience sang.

"And what have we done?"

"If you want it..."

"Another year over..."

"War is over..."

"A new one just begun..."

"Now..."

Just as Sid and Lars were affected by the spreading of peace throughout Hellwood, there was one final soul that felt the touch of the emotion, and perhaps the one most in need of it: Buckley Lloyd. Still remaining in a hospital bed within the Hillwood Heroes' base, the emotion had spread to him just as well as everyone else.

However, while everyone in Hellwood so willingly gave themselves to the emotion, Buckley rejects the peace and chooses to remain in his idle state. The people of Hellwood's decision was one based on desperation and need for the peace given, but Buckley Lloyd has no such desire for peace. He is guilty in his own mind, and he is not deserving of any peace save for death.

Save for a small grunt, he disregards the emotion of peace, continuing to remain in his comatose state.

"And so happy Christmas..." Dino sang.

"War is over..." The audience sang.

"We hope you have fun..."

"If you want it..."

"The near and the dear ones..."

"War is over..."

"The old and the young..."

"Now..."

"A very merry Christmas,

"And a Happy New Year,

"Let's hope it's a good one,

"Without any fear,

"War is over,

"If you want it,

"War is over,

"Now..." Olga and Mai sang.

[Soundtrack Cue End]

As the song came to its conclusion, the audience all raised their hands up and cheered; the music feeding their minds entertainment and their cause support and a voice. Stepping to the center of the stage, the musicians all joined their hands together, giving the audience a bow.

"Merry Christmas, and keep on the fight!" The group shouted.

Looking on the peace that was given throughout the island, Arnold gave a smile at his work, taking pride in the world he had created. The pain and suffering that plagued the city had finally died off, bringing a relief to his mind clearer than any medication or meditation could bring.

As well as taking his own relief where he needed it, Arnold smiled on the end of pain and suffering that others were experiencing; free from the hell on Earth that they were living through. Though it was just for one day as promised, the wish that it would stay remained in its place of eternity.

Arnold saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was good.

"You see, Luz? People do want peace." Arnold said.

"At one's core, every human being wants peace. But, once again, your peace is but hollow. Look once again at what unfolds in your 'peace'." Luz said.

Bringing his attention to the peaceful world he had created once again, Arnold watched on as asked, waiting for what event Luz had warned of.

Slowly but surely, he finds it.

The sharing of food eliminates the hunger of many, giving warmth and fullness to the once-empty bellies of the people who needed it. Those who had more than they needed shared it with those who needed more but had little to none, and the act of sharing helped satiate the problem of hunger among one another.

But in a world like Hellwood, there is only so much food, and only so much that can be shared, but plenty of people that will always need it. One such example is two sets of parents; one obtaining the last item of food available, a can of peas, while the other had nothing for their own child.

"Hey, that's the last can of food! My son needs that!" One parent said.

"My daughter needs it, too! I can't let her go hungry! Isn't there any more?" The other parent said.

"No! That was the last of it! You took it!"

"What did you want us to do? If our daughter didn't eat anything, she'd starve!"

"Our son'll starve if we don't give him anything! Maybe you shouldn't have eaten so much food for yourselves, you fat pigs!"

"Look who's talking! We haven't had a good meal in a month, you look like you've eaten plenty since the Fall!"

The opposing parent reached out to snatch the can of peas, taking it out of the small hands of the child it was meant to feed. Retaliating against the theft, the defending parent struck back, reaching for the can and grabbing it back, leading both to tug against it for themselves.

"Let go, you pig!" One parent said.

"Never! I won't let my child go hungry!" The other parent said.

Soon, the fight came to naught; the strain on the can put by both forces caused it to be broken open, spilling its contents on the ground and neither side getting the desired food. In the waste of the food, the two sets of parents each saw their own children go hungry, believing themselves to have failed as parents.

"You're dead!" One parent shouted.

"You first!" The other parent said.

The two sets of parents began fighting against one another; brawling one another to the ground in retaliation for the wasted food. The fight between the two parties soon spread to the rest of the group, causing the one collection of brotherhood and friendship to soon devolve back into chaos.

Seeking to profit for themselves out of this brawl, many began hoarding what resources they had rather than continue to share. Those with more clothes and blankets snatched up all they had and retreated, going so far as to take those off the backs of others, and ran away without a second thought.

The confrontation between one parent and another led one to grab a rock and began smashing it against the other's head, caving in their skull and killing the opponent. The child of the dead parent, watching their own parental figure die before them, fell to their knees and began crying.

The growing remorse that the murderous parent would have felt was met with a rock to his own head by the widower of the dead parent, and so the violence continued.

Such is the case in this pocket of Hellwood, and it continues throughout the island, all for Arnold to see. His few sweet moments of peace, attempting to create just one single day of a peaceful one on this blight of the Earth, had all come crumbling down on him for him not just to see, but to feel.

The feelings of despair and hopelessness that bottled in him from the beginning had returned back to him all at once, burdening him with sorrow and pain that he was free from not seconds ago. Overwhelmed at the mind, Arnold fell to his knees, groaning as the pain overcame him.

Acting as a parent in discipline of their child, Luz still offered his comfort to Arnold, all while showing the error of his ways.

"So, you see, there can be no true peace here until there is material well-being for everyone. As long as there is no food, there is hunger. As long as there are no resources, there is war. As long as there is no loyalty, there is hate. This is something you cannot change by force of your powers. You must lead them out from this island to salvation. That will be their redemption... as well as your own." Luz said.

Sobbing lightly at his own failure, Arnold hid away his face in shame with his hands. Keeping hold on his student, Luz did not lose his embrace until he stopped crying.

"Have faith, child. Have faith as I have faith in you." Luz said.

TALES FROM THE HARD SIDE:

"EAT THE RICH"

In the war between the Green Eye and the Freak, the Hillwood Heroes and the confederates of evil that the Freak has aligned himself with, there are many caught in the crossfire of the battle of Hellwood, and others on the sidelines with their own troubles. Though it is between the fight of the heroes and villains that decide fate of the island, there is and always will be many others that suffer in the streets of Hellwood.

In the United States, the top 1% has stolen billions of dollars from the bottom 99%, grinding the economy to a halt to fatten their wallets and leaving American citizens behind. To preserve their own monied interests and remain wealthy, they have bought off politicians and lawmakers, preventing important legislature from passing like Medicare for All or ending wars, keeping themselves richer and getting ever more richer.

As harsh as the reality of this situation is, a new fact of life has come about: It can always be worse in Hellwood.

On the edge of Lang Island, the San Juan island that houses the city of Hillwood, there is a beachside location where the richest members of the city have chosen to make their collective home to rise above the chaos on the streets of Hellwood outside, keeping themselves separate from the sufferings of others.

Their abandonment of the greater society did not rest soley with their departure, but also came with the taking of many of their resources, and enough of them in spades to keep 10 families fed for 4 months. But instead of being put to use for feeding the masses, it instead feeds only a few:

Rex Smythe-Higgins III, the leader of the bunch...

Alan Redman, the sociopathic photographer and son of hockey player Sammy Redman...

Peapod Kid, the eloquent and shallow obsessor over style...

...and Lorenzo, the quiet but most kind-hearted of the bunch.

While their resources make them more capable and financially well-off in this island of the damned, they are still reliant on servants to meet their basic needs. Bribed with the promise of a roof over their heads and the promise of a meal tomorrow, their servants subject themselves to the will of their masters, but that submission leads them into dehumanizing tasks for dehumanized people.

One such example is a young Korean man named Park, being used as the personal sex object of Peapod Kid by wearing makeup and a bra to serve himself as a woman. After long hours of selling his body to the whim of an aristocrat, his mind prostitutionalized to the humiliation and objectification he is put under, he finds an end to this session as his victor reaches his climax.

Pulling himself out, Peapod Kid threw on a luxurious bathrobe, placing a cigar in his mouth and lighting it. Taking in an inhale, he looked to the idle and quiet Park, smiling on the unmoving body of his servant. Letting out his breath of smoke, he blew it on Park's face, leading him to finally move and cough.

"Oh, come on, it's not so bad. Here, I'm a generous man. Take a little puff and see how good it is for yourself." Peapod Kid said.

Placing the cigar in Park's mouth, Peapod Kid watched him take in an inhalation of smoke, coughing more as it left his mouth.

"There you go. Amazing how you can do without the necessities of life when you've got the luxuries, isn't it?" Peapod Kid asked.

Unable to take the assault of smoke on his throat, Park reached for a glass of water, but his attempt for a drink had caused him to make a fatal mistake against his master. Knocking it over from the table, he mistakenly spilled its contents on Peapod Kid's bathrobe.

Enraged at the treatment of his fancy bathrobe, he stepped over the bed and above Park, slapping him in the face for his unintentional transgression.

"Ruin my bathrobe, huh? After all I do for you? You unappreciative little shit! I oughtta just fucking kill you now, you dumb little gook!" Peapod Kid shouted.

His persistent slapping of Park eventually came to a stop; his hand instead laying itself calmly on his face rather than continue to hit it. Pulling it closer to his mouth, Peapod Kid began kissing his slave, bringing himself more excitement for his own sexual desires and deviancies.

"Heh-heh. You're lucky to be such a good fuck. If it wasn't for Redman and his hogging all the women, I'd have just killed you by now." Peapod Kid said.

In another room of the resort of Hellwood's richest, the aforementioned Alan Redman makes good on his use for his slaves, choosing himself only the finest and most beautiful women to use for his own needs. Keeping not one of them clothed, but himself all dressed in black, he turned his camera onto one slave in his view.

One such slave is a blonde woman named Connie, performing masturbation before the camera of Alan Redman. Taking a photograph of the moment, Alan gave his next order to the slave, watching his own exploitation of his servant impartially and seemingly uninterested.

"Now do it on your knees. I want you to show a sense of female desperation for the male phallus; a weakness that exists within the feminine mind." Alan said.

Following her orders, Connie moved to her knees, continuing to finger herself for her master. Watching on, Alan snapped another photograph.

"Now, Maria, go and lie underneath her. Put this collar on. It shows the subjugation of Hispanic and Latin cultures by white society." Alan said.

Handing a dog collar to another of his slaves, a woman of Connie's age named Maria, she complied with her orders, lying underneath the kneeling Connie with her own head between her legs. To see her friend masturbate up close brought her no pleasure, only making her watch on in hopes that her torment would end soon.

"Maria, don't just stare at it. Eat it. Connie, lower yourself over her face." Alan said.

Complying with her order, Connie ceased her masturbation to lower crotch over Maria's face, placing her vulva against her mouth. Licking and sucking at the labia, Maria carried out the act of cunnilingus as demanded, to the displeasure but involuntary sexual stimulation of Connie.

Taking more photographs of the pornographic act, Alan's body began reacting to the continuous showing of sexual nature before him; his own member hardening in its pants. Unzipping the fly of his pants, he took out his penis and began to masturbate, all while keeping his impartial stare on the cunnilingus.

One slave, a girl named Mary, reached out for his member, hoping providing him some service would bring her an extra reward. Not wishing to be touched, even for his own pleasure, Alan slapped Mary away, angrily retaliating for the misguided attempt to give pleasure to her master.

"I didn't tell you to touch me! I don't like being touched while I'm working! You're ruining the scene!" Alan shouted.

Looking on the stricken face of Mary, Alan noticed a red mark across it where he hit, bringing even more frustration to the master.

"Now you've gone and made me ruin you! I had a whole scene planned for you! Get out of my sight and make sure that heals quickly!" Alan shouted.

Crying as she was forcefully dismissed, Mary ran out of the room, fearing that her own attempt for dinner would lead her to get none. Feeling himself grow flaccid quickly under the interruption, Alan quickly returned his focus to the eating of Connie, only to find it had stopped.

"Why have we stopped?" Alan asked.

"Uh... You were busy... and I came already." Connie said.

"Damn. Alright, fine. We'll start over. Maria, continue. I want more effort this time. Don't stop until she gushes all over your face."

The wealthiest of the rich elite that occupied this resort was a man named Rex Smythe-Higgins III, the current heir to the Smythe-Higgins fortune and de facto leader of the group. While the two previously-mentioned members of the group had their own tastes and vices, all with their own deviancies, Rex is an individual who takes most of his pleasure purely in making others suffer: A sadist of the highest degree.

The current example is his state of defecation, accompanied with fellatio from a young man named Billy, using his lips to pleasure his master while suffering the atrocious smell of his bowel movements. Running his mouth up and down the shaft of his master, he desperately hoped that climax would come soon not for the simple break away from the smell, but also a form of sustenance.

As Rex had finally achieved orgasm, noticeable only by the soft grunt during the ejaculation, Billy sucked and moved even harder on the shaft, trying desperately to receive whatever form of caloric substance he could out of his semen. Alas, his efforts only achieved in obtaining but drops of the seed, still leaving him hungry for more food to satisfy his shrinking stomach.

Disappointed with the small load he had ingested, Billy looked to his master for further instruction.

"Not bad. I didn't think I had anything else in me after I had jerked off before. I bet that eats you up inside, one of the few things I feed you, and you didn't get any? All my delicious sperm that could've been swimming in your belly to keep you full, I shot out and wasted in a napkin instead? Just threw it right in the trash? Well, not to worry. I've saved the main course for you." Rex said.

Standing up from the toilet, Rex turned and spread his buttocks, presenting his excrement-covered anus to his slave. Understanding what kind of act that his master would order him to do next, Billy began to cry, knowing that his only form of a meal would be one previously digested.

"We just ran out of toilet paper. I'll need you to clean me." Rex said.

Opening his mouth and pressing his tongue against the spread, Billy began licking at the taint, scooping up fecal matter into his mouth. Taking the brown refuse into his mouth, the putrid taste caused him to gag instantly, but his own primal need for food forced him to continue eating the 'food' given to him

Fighting back gags and groans, Billy swallowed the defecation, consuming his first serving. With plenty more excrement spread across the anus, he took back to eating it off, willing himself through the disgust and nausea from the act with each lick and swallow that followed.

Now, he was more thankful for not having much sperm to drink, for he would've vomited it all up by now.

Enjoying not only the physical aspect of having his anus and scrotum licked up by the tongue of his slave, Rex felt the excitement of humiliating his slave pleasureable and exciting, forcing him to hold back laughs as he continued to exploit his slave and enjoy his suffering.

At the end of the eating, Billy swallowed down the last of the excrement, continuing to cry as he suffered the disgusting act that he was forced to do. Still excited and aroused from the act of anilingus, Rex's member had swollen to full erection once again, giving him a need to fulfill once again.

Hoping that the taste of semen would drown out the taste in his mouth, Billy leaned in to suck it, only to be pushed back.

"Oh, no, no, no, no. I don't want your shitty mouth to suck on my nice dick after you cleaned it up. I'll get a nicer slave to take care of it. In the meantime, you finish your meal." Rex said.

"But... but I cleaned you." Billy whimpered.

"I know you did. But I said you need to finish your meal."

Stepping away from the toilet, Rex presented it to Billy, clarifying what sort of 'meal' he was referring to. Looking in the toilet to find a large amount of excrement still remaining in it, Billy cried even more upon understanding what fate awaited him from the bowl laying before him.

Turning around and closing the door behind him, Rex locked his slave inside, forcing him to complete the act.

"I won't let you out of there until that toilet is squeaky clean. Bon appetit." Rex said.

Desperately beating at the door in front of him, jiggling on the handle, Billy found no means of escape to the bathroom, leaving him unable to escape until he had completed the order given to him by his master. The awful taste of what he had already eaten and the foul smell from the toilet made him contemplate disobeying, perhaps even contemplating suicide...

...but his weak inner, self could not risk it.

Crawling up to the toilet, he bobbed his head inside, sinking his teeth into another piece of human waste to begin eating it.

The final of the group of elite was a young man named Lorenzo. Unlike his colleagues that took pleasure and enjoyment in the suffering of their slaves and servants, Lorenzo was far more compassionate towards his own subservient, treating her more as a friend rather than a lesser being.

This 'servant' is named Katrinka, a girl far too ugly for the likings of any of the others to take. Keeping to his kinder nature, Lorenzo did not make any demands of his servant, but instead kept her across from him to play a card game. Having several completed pairs in a game of 'Go Fish' between them and one card in each of their hands, their game drew closer to an end, with victory being on Katrinka's side.

"Got any 2 of Hearts?" Katrinka asked.

"Well, I don't know, let me take a look." Lorenzo joked.

Laughing at Lorenzo's jest, Katrinka nudged him against the shoulder, playfully making him admit the truth.

"Okay, okay. I got it here. Here you go." Lorenzo said.

Handing Katrinka the remaining card in his hand, Lorenzo watched her complete the last pair of cards, giving herself the most matched pairs and leading to her victory in the game. Happy to win the game, she clapped her hands in excitement, while Lorenzo smiled as he watched her act so happy.

After obtaining her final victory, she looked to Lorenzo, noticing how genuine his smile was in seeing her happy. Having formed a strong friendship with her own master for quite some time, she realized that what would come later tonight was not something that she could afford to happen to him, and gave him warning to save his life.

"Lorenzo... you've been a very good friend to me. You've been so nice to me. Even when everyone else is so horrible. Why are you with them?" Katrinka asked.

"I don't like what the others do. But I stay with them because I don't have a choice. Rex has the most amount of food, and he got us this place where we can all be safe. It... really disgusts me to see what happens to everyone else, but there's nothing I can do about it. I tried to make sure you were safe." Lorenzo said.

Katrinka gave a nod to Lorenzo, giving her thanks for his efforts.

"Thank you. Just... please, do me a favor. Don't eat dinner tonight." Katrinka said.

"What? Why not?" Lorenzo asked.

"Just promise me, okay? Please. It's important."

Putting his trust in his friend, Lorenzo gave a nod, accepting her request to eschew his dinner.

"Okay. I promise." Lorenzo said.

As the dinner bell came throughout the resort, master and servant all came to dinner, with the former getting their servings before the latter. Served from their slaves was a large smorgasbord of various gourmet foods, ranging from a large roast chicken to potatoes au gratin, to chocolate truffles, all with the accompanying beverage of aged champagne.

Taking his glass in hand, Rex Smythe-Higgins III raised it in the air, clinging a fork against it to gain the attention of all.

"A toast, to the good, long month we've shared together here, and the survival we've managed." Rex said.

Taking their glasses to the air, the rest of the elite raised to the toast, all taking a sip as Rex did. Upon finishing their drinks, the elite began chowing down on their food, save for the cautious Lorenzo. Heeding Katrinka's warning, he refrained from eating any food, fearing what sort of tampering could exist in it.

Noticing Lorenzo's aversion to the food, Peapod Kid commented on his restraint, finding his actions suspicious.

"Say, Lorenzo, what's wrong? You haven't touched any food." Peapod Kid asked.

"Uh, I'm not that hungry right now, I guess. Is it good tonight?" Lorenzo asked.

"It is indeed, perhaps some of the best we've had yet. Oh, my, it is very, very delicio-"

Feeling uneasy from the food he was once enjoying, Peapod Kid's words were quickly cut short, with the next thing out of his mouth coming blood in large quantities from the meal. Just as Lorenzo stepped back to avoid the spray, the two remaining elite jumped out of their seats in shock, only to find themselves joining their friend.

Alan soon began spewing blood from his mouth, and Rex with him. Though Alan was quicker in his passing, Rex's spirit was not as easy to snuff out, nor his life. Taking a revolver out of his suit, he aimed it at his servants, attempting to will himself to pull the trigger and end a life on the way out of his own.

"You... dirty... fucking... rats... all of you... fucking... shitheads... fuck..." Rex groaned.

Giving into his poisoning, Rex finally fell dead, unable to fire on any of his servants before his final passing.

Peapod Kid, Alan, and Rex are dead.

Still standing from the surprise poisoning of his comrades, Lorenzo's state of living was noticed by the revolting servants, not taking kindly to his survival.

"Why the fuck aren't you dead?!" Connie asked.

"Someone tipped him off. He knew about the poison. Who told him?!" Mary asked.

"Don't look at me, I wanted these guys dead more than all of you!" Billy said.

Stepping to his defense, Katrinka put her arms up, standing in front of Lorenzo to prevent him any harm.

"I did! He wasn't like anyone else! He was good to me!" Katrinka said.

"Oh, what? So he made some ugly skank like you cum a few times, so that makes it okay to let him live? He's just as guilty!" Maria said.

"That's right. We kill him, too! They all have to die!" Park said.

Unable to allow any harm to come to Lorenzo, Katrinka evaluated her options, which eventually led her sight to the revolver in Rex's hand. The rest of the servants took notice of the revolver as well as Katrinka's glance towards it, leading to a tension around who would get to the weapon first.

Being closest to the revolver, Katrinka managed to grab it first, pointing it at the oncoming servants. Park came the closest to the front, and was the first to go down with a quick headshot. Next was a shot towards Mary, then Connie, Billy, and finally Maria as Katrinka shot them down one by one without thought.

Park, Mary, Connie, Billy, and Maria are dead.

As she began to realize what she had done, Katrinka had felt an overwhelming sense of guilt come over her, with the revolver shaking in her hands as her head caught up to reality. Turning to face Lorenzo, the same face that once smiled on her turned to fear, and the mind of Katrinka read this as being viewed as a killer in his eyes.

"I... I killed them all..." Katrinka said.

"N-No, it's okay... You... you were trying to save me." Lorenzo said.

"But I killed them! They're all dead!"

"But I'm still alive, thanks to you. You saved my life."

Realizing the truth that Lorenzo spoke, she acknowledged that she had indeed succeeded in saving his life, and this brought her hand to finally lower her revolver.

"Then... Then what now?" Katrinka asked.

"Well... We've still got plenty of food for you and me. We can just clean up here, then we'll be oka-" Lorenzo began to say.

Coughing and gagging heavily, Lorenzo, too, began spitting out blood just as his comrades did. Gripping at his stomach and falling to the floor, he felt his own death soon come to follow his group to the afterlife. Terrified to see him dying, Katrinka grabbed him tight, not understanding how he was dying.

"What-?! No! You didn't eat! You didn't-" Katrinka began to say.

A flash of memory went through her head, recalling on how he consumed the champagne.

"You... You drank the champagne. I... I thought you wouldn't drink it. I warned you." Katrinka said.

"Oh. Whoops. Oh, well. I guess I deserve this, being around a lot of bad guys like them. Sorry I messed up your instructions." Lorenzo said.

Spitting out the last bits of blood from his mouth, Lorenzo went limp in Katrinka's hold, succumbing to the poison.

Lorenzo is dead.

Now, with everyone dead except herself, Katrinka was left with multiple dead bodies, but also all the food and supplies that were left behind. Having more food and resources than she knew what to do with, the task of surviving in Hellwood became all the more simple now, and she could easily outlive everyone else.

Or, perhaps, she could take to donating the food to those less fortunate in Hellwood, giving it to those more deserving and needing of food than herself. The better nature in her heart led her to contemplate the latter, but, unfortunately, there was one more factor that prevented her from doing either:

Guilt over murder.

Pressing the gun to her head, she instead hoped that someone else would find the food and take to the morally higher road.

Then, she pulled the trigger.

Katrinka is dead.

[Soundtrack Cue: Rage Against the Machine - Down Rodeo; Plays Out]