CHAPTER 43: APOCALYPSE NOW, PART 1
The Freak has brought upon a blight of evil upon the world with his presence. Beginning with simple origins of bringing mayhem to the city of Hillwood with his debut, he has inspired a wave of evil across the planet with many imitators and new supervillains just as the Green Eye has brought about his own influence of superheroes. His legacy is here to stay, and it only grows as he continues to live.
This time, however, he is not alone in his pursuit of terror and destruction. This time, he has found 3 disciples, guided to them by a bizarre and demented dream brought upon by his second genesis. Seeking out souls as depraved and as twisted as he was, he has found 3 followers that now accompany him in his greater plans:
Willie, taking the moniker of the Jolly Olly Man. Being severely malnourished as a child and forced into a job of driving an ice cream truck, an occupation that he severely hated, he has discovered a taste for human flesh, and has devoured the bodies of many so far. The crimes he has committed are already immoral on their own grounds, but he has found a newer low in his act of cannibalism: Craving only the flesh of children.
Wolfgang, taking the moniker of Wolfenstein. Living a life of frequently bullying others in school, the loss of his father to drug dealers on the streets of Hillwood has only fueled his anger to the levels of hate, bringing him to the ideology of Nazism. Joining forces with the Freak, he has made a new pact to commit war against all Jews and non-whites in Hillwood, performing an ethnic cleansing of the whole city.
Lila, taking the moniker of Saint Lila. Molested by her father at a vulnerable young age, she sought to inflict her own inner pain upon another, more vulnerable being: A young boy in her church's youth program named Joey. Having rekindled an unresolved romance between herself and Arnold, she developed a strange complex that put her under the belief that he was the second coming of Jesus Christ himself, making her journey a crusade in the name of her religion.
Despite these 3 sharing vastly different ideologies and goals, they have found themselves an alliance under the Freak; their collective madnesses seeming to collide together for the shared purposes of causing more damage to the city. However, without the head of the snake to lead the group on, the serpent has begun to eat itself; a inner struggle brought upon simply by each person simply being too hateful to get along.
The beginning of these recent irritations were brought upon by Saint Lila, putting herself deep in prayer and meditation.
"Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own-" Saint Lila began to pray.
"Oh, give that a rest, will you? All that prayer you've been doing, you're probably starting to drive god as crazy as I am now." Jolly Olly Man said.
"Hey, let the girl pray. It's the fear of god that's missing from this country, and leading the good white people to start getting into drugs or perversions like everything in the LGBTQ-STD 'community' does. This nation lost its fear of god, and it could use a good, real Christian woman like her to put it back. Or are you an atheist commie?" Wolfenstein asked.
"Raised Catholic."
"Figures. Close enough, I guess."
"All of the religions of man are of little comfort now." Saint Lila said.
Wolfenstein and the Jolly Olly Man ended their conversation with confusion, with both looking to Saint Lila for clarification.
"Say what now?" Wolfgang asked.
"I've been the most faithful servant of god that I can be for the majority of my life. I've always wished that I might be at the right side of Jesus Christ himself; to be his tool and vessel. Now, I've found that my prayers have been answered in the best way possible, and in a way I've never known I would. Arnold Shortman is the second coming of Christ himself. With his return upon Earth, that means that the end of days is soon upon us, and the lord's work shall surely be done through him and I." Saint Lila said.
Deeply disturbed by Saint Lila's nonsensical tirade, Wolfenstein and the Jolly Olly Man looked at each other with shared concern and fear for their teammate. Not wishing to delve deeper into the thoughts of the religious fanatic, they both decided to end the conversation completely, tending back to their own business.
"Uh... I take it back. Maybe you should lay off the prayers for now." Wolfgang said.
"Oh, I wouldn't dare dream of it now. I've come this close to finding my savior, and I wish to connect with him once again." Saint Lila said.
"Fine, uh... Just keep doing it over there. You know, away from us and all." Jolly Olly Man said.
While the brief moment with Saint Lila had brought them a moment of entertainment to stave off their boredom, it had soon returned within the hour, leaving 3 people alone with nothing to do. Once again, the 3 began to turn to each other's habits and quirks to focus their attention on, mostly bringing up complaints on the subject.
In this instance, the irritation came from the Jolly Olly Man's stomach, which was growling loudly. Annoyed with the deafeningly loud growling, Wolfenstein raised his complaints with the noise.
"Jesus, what's with your stomach, man? You ate, like, a whole school bus full of kids, and you're still hungry?" Wolfenstein asked.
"I never got to eat much as a kid; made me malnourished. Just catching up on lost time. There a problem?" Jolly Olly Man asked.
"Yeah, think you could do something to make all that growling stop? I can barely hear myself think."
"Well, what would you like me to do? Ask my stomach to stop?"
"How about you just eat something to make it stop? Eat more kids from P.S. 118 if you want, I don't care, they're all race traitors anyway, but do something, damn it, please."
"How about I just eat you? You probably wouldn't taste the best with all that muscle, and, missing 3 limbs, you'd be a light meal, but I'd get to shut you up."
"Not if I smash your goddamn head in like I did that mischling Edmund!"
"Not if I eat your last arm and watch you bleed out and die!"
"Oh, you so think you can take me on, you stupid guido?!"
"Yeah, I think I can!"
"WELL, THEN SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT!"
"DON'T THINK THAT I WON'T TAKE IT EASY ON YOU!"
"I WOULDN'T SETTLE FOR ANYTHING LESS!"
As a fight began to brew between the two beings of hatred, the back door to the ice cream truck suddenly swung open, directing the attention of all inside straight to the open doors. Standing at the open door was the Freak, returning from his mission with a giant duffel bag full of items.
"Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas, assholes." The Freak said.
"Well, about time you showed up. Where the hell've you been?" Wolfenstein asked.
"Been picking up a few party favors. Come on outside and I'll show you."
With the Jolly Olly Man picking Wolfenstein up and carrying him outside, the 3 allies stepped outside the ice cream truck to view what sort of things that the Freak had brought them. Beginning with a pair of robotic legs, the Freak pulled the aforementioned items from the bag, handing them off to Wolfenstein.
"First things first. Let's get you back on your feet again. Or, some new ones, in this case." The Freak said.
Gently set back on the ground by the Jolly Olly Man, Wolfenstein laid down to allow his new legs to be set in place, pulling up the leggings of his shorts to connect his remainders of his original legs to attach his new ones. Placing his stumps into the robotic legs, the devices instantly attached themselves to him, clamping down and drilling into his nervous system.
Though the process would be viewed as agonizing to some individuals, Wolfenstein showed an impressive amount of restraint to voice his pain. Whether it be by simple will of power or his own eagerness to walk again overriding his pain, it was clear that the process was having no effect on him.
Soon, the connection process completed, leaving Wolfenstein with a new pair of legs. Picking himself up off the ground, feeling a balance from walking once again, he felt a sense of fulfillment that he never would have thought he would appreciated; gaining something that was lost for so long back again.
"Feeling good, big boy?" The Freak asked.
"I feel great, Führer. Thank you." Wolfenstein asked.
"You can thank me by killing as many people as possible with your new toys. I couldn't get the Bushwacker model, so you'll have to do with just a normal arm."
The Freak handed Wolfenstein a robotic arm, one more focused on being a prosthetic and not a weapon like El Cucuy proudly wielded. Nonetheless, Wolfenstein gladly took the robotic arm, attached it to his body, and let it connect just like the legs. Upon finishing the connection, Wolfenstein gave his new fist a clench, feeling the power of his new limb.
"I think I can make do with this." Wolfenstein said.
"Perfect. Now, for the rest of you..." The Freak began to say.
The Freak opened up the duffel bag and revealed a large selection of weapons to the 3, leaving them to choose their weapons.
"...choose your weapons." The Freak finished.
Eagerly digging into the duffel bag, the 3 searched for a weapon suitable to their own tastes and personalities, and each finding one more than suitable for such criteria.
Wolfenstein, having been cooped up all alone with little mobility for a year, chose an M240 machine gun, wishing to cause much carnage with it.
The Jolly Olly Man, enjoying seeing bodies with chunks of flesh missing from them, chose a Cobray Street Sweeper shotgun, finding a weapon more than capable of that capacity.
Saint Lila, a spirit of vengeance against anyone deemed to be a sinner, selected an Uzi submachine gun, selecting it for its origin in Israel, the perceived holy land in her holy book.
"Nice toys, boss, but where's yours?" The Jolly Olly Man asked.
"Well, I saved the best for myself, of course. Check this out." The Freak said.
Digging to the very bottom of the bag, the Freak fished out a massive rifle, displaying it for the group to see. Instantly, the 3 all looked at the weapon with a state of enamoration, all in wonder of the weapon, but none having any true idea of its full capacity, leaving the latter to their imagination.
"Cool, but what's it do?" Wolfenstein asked.
"I'll show ya." The Freak said.
Aiming the rifle down the alleyway, the Freak selected a parked car on the sidewalk to be his choice of target. Pulling the trigger, he fired straight at the car, causing it to explode upon impact with the fired projectile. Leaving nothing in the place of the car but scraps of burning metal, the group were even further infatuated with the weapon.
"Now that's a wunderwaffe if I've ever seen one." Wolfenstein said.
"Lady and gentlemen, meet the Cobra Assault Cannon. Turns out Membrane Labs bought this company out of Detroit named OCP, and were just sitting on this for years. Wanna try it?" The Freak asked.
"Yes, please."
Taking the Cobra Assault Cannon in hand, Wolfenstein aimed the rifle at another car, pulling the trigger and blowing it up in an instant. Watching the vehicle explode into fiery pieces, the cybernetic neo-Nazi gave a laugh to the destructive scene, glad to cause some destruction at last.
Wanting a turn of his own, the Jolly Olly Man grabbed at the Cobra Assault Cannon, holding it in a tug-of-war against Wolfenstein.
"Alright, alright, let me have a turn!" Jolly Olly Man said.
"No way, you fuckin' wop, get your own!" Wolfenstein said.
The Freak quickly broke up the fight before it could continue, letting the Jolly Olly Man take the weapon and have his opportunity to try it.
"Hey, hey, kids! Play nice or nobody gets the toy. Olly, you're up." The Freak said.
Now having control of the Cobra Assault Cannon for himself, the Jolly Olly Man aimed it at a small shop on the street, firing a round at it. Instantly, the shop blew to pieces, sending flames and debris all throughout the streets. Satisfied with the destruction he had caused, the Jolly Olly Man handed the weapon back to the Freak, who then proceeded to hand it to Saint Lila, but she rejected the offer.
"I am content with the weapon I have chosen, and I will not dishonor you by wasting yours." Saint Lila said.
"Fair enough; more for me. Well, everybody load up, then. We've got more ground to cover ahead of us." The Freak said.
Following their leader's orders, the 3 proceeded their way back inside the ice cream truck, preparing to move to their next destination. As she made her way onboard the ice cream truck, however, Saint Lila let out one more verse from her holy book, speaking out a few lines which spoke to the Freak.
"'And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh shall be spared: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.'" Saint Lila said.
Taking particular interest in once specific line, the Freak turned his way to the side of the ice cream truck, looking at his reflection. Currently, the scars across his chest continued to read 'I AM THE GOD OF FUCK', but he began to ponder upon the new verse that Saint Lila had spoken.
Changing the lettering around once again, his scarring now read one of the lines of the verse: 'NO FLESH SHALL BE SPARED'; giving him a smile across his face.
Stepping back into the ice cream truck, the Jolly Olly Man drove off the street and continued moving, staying one step ahead of any law enforcement that would come their way. As the Freak stepped his way to the front, he noticed the new wording that appeared on his chest, surprised at the change.
"Hey, didn't your chest say something different before?" Jolly Olly Man asked.
"Yeah. I changed it up a little." The Freak said.
"How? I thought those were scars."
"They are. I could heal these things if I wanted to, but I decided to keep 'em around, just change 'em up a little from time to time."
"That part of your powers, too?"
"Yeah, and it turns out I can fly, too. Just found out tonight."
"No shit? That was part of the Green Eye's powers?"
"I don't think so. I don't know how, but it looks like I can do some stuff he can't do now."
"Like what? What other cool stuff can you do?"
Contemplating the question for a moment, the Freak began to ponder upon the possibilities to answer it, gaining new ideas to test his newfound powers.
"That's a very good question... and it deserves a very good answer. How about we start running a few 'tests' to find out?" The Freak asked.
Concurrently to the departure of the Freak, the Green Eye makes his own way home, discreetly arriving back home away from the prying eyes of the National Guard by using the rooftops as his cover. Jumping from rooftop to rooftop, the Green Eye made his way to the address of 4040 Vine Street, housing the boarding home of Sunset Arms.
Climbing his way down from the windowed rooftop, the Green Eye removed his mask, changing back to his ego of Arnold Shortman, but not before throwing the mask against the wall. Unable to overcome his anger and frustration, he threw an angry swing to multiple items across his desk, knocking them to the floor and stomping on them.
Still not content with letting out his anger, he turned his attention to his Mickey Kaline baseball bat, taking it and swinging it to pieces of furniture, starting with a few swings to his desk, some beatings against the wall, and soon onto the bed, beating it continuously while letting out furious screams.
Running out of energy, Arnold dropped the bat and let his face fall to the bed, crying out his own frustrations and soon turning to sit on the floor, leaning against the bed. As he stopped here to catch his breath, Helga stepped into the bedroom, watching Arnold start to rock back and forth with his hands on his head.
"Hey Arnold? You okay?" Helga asked.
"D-Don't worry about me, Helga. Just go back downstairs and do whatever you were doing, it's fine." Arnold said.
"Arnold, you're not fine. You were just screaming and-"
Helga took a gander to the destruction left behind by Arnold's rampage, leaving a look of concern and shock overcoming her face.
"Jesus! What, did you smash everything?" Helga asked.
"Why the hell not? I already smashed up so much in my own life as well. Might as well let it match." Arnold said.
"What? Arnold, what are you talking about? What happened?"
"It's... It's..."
Unable to speak out the wrong that had happened on this night, Arnold could not bring himself to say what troubled him. Stepping over to him and seating herself on his lap, she held his head to hers, letting a moment of intimacy clear his mind from his frustrations at last.
"You can tell me. I'm right here." Helga said.
"I... Gerald, he... he quit." Arnold said.
The statement brought a look of confusion to Helga's face, leading her to ask deeper into the reason.
"He quit the Hillwood Heroes? Why?" Helga asked.
"He said that I've ruined his life and Phoebe's. That if he wasn't here, they'd be doing just fine... and that we're not friends anymore."
Helga gasped at the news, unable to believe that lifelong friends such as them could be broken apart so quickly.
"What?! But... You've been best friends so long, and... Well, nothing could separate you so easily. I've always seen you guys bounce right back from things like this." Helga said.
"Not this time, we're not. I know for a fact it's over. That's not the worst of it." Arnold said.
"Oh, no. What is the worst?"
"Curly can fly now. I don't know how, but he can."
"Fly? Like, actually, really fly?"
"Yes. I just don't get it; I've taken years to master my powers, but he's managed to pick it up in just a few days' time, and do things that even I can't do. I just don't understand how he does it."
"Have you talked to Luz about it?"
"I'm going to talk to him first thing in the morning. For now, I just..."
Trying to overcome a sudden headache that came over him, Arnold rubbed his temples, pushing back against the pain to relieve himself of it.
"I just need a minute. I need a minute to myself." Arnold said.
"I don't want to leave you right now. You're clearly not doing alright on your own, and I can't sit by and watch you break apart." Helga said.
"Helga, please, I-"
Helga interrupted Arnold's protest with a kiss, letting his lower lip just slightly linger between her teeth as she broke the kiss off.
"You need me. Let me be with you." Helga said.
Unwilling to fight and unwilling to say otherwise, Arnold let Helga continue to remain on him, holding her tightly in his arms and letting her touch relieve his mind of his troubles. For once, he is able to forget about his problems in the real world again, and only focus on the comfort and sanctuary in the woman that he loves.
"Thank you, Helga. I just... I just don't know what I'm going to do without Gerald or Phoebe. With them gone, and Curly more powerful than before, I don't know how we're going to beat him." Arnold said.
"Well... I could always join in." Helga said.
With Helga's suggestion taking his mind away from their moment of intimacy, Arnold pushed her off and stood up, becoming extremely angry from her suggesting such a thing again. Giving her a physical scolding with a stare of intense anger, he soon delivered a verbal scolding to accompany it.
"Helga, are you crazy?! How many times to I have to tell you that's not an option?!" Arnold shouted.
"But I told you I can do it!" Helga said.
"No, you can't! Do you still not remember how you almost died?! Have you forgotten about that scar on your chest?!"
"I haven't forgotten a thing! But you sure seem to have forgotten that I'm a human being, too, not some possession you can just lock away!"
"I almost lost you once, I can't afford to lose you again!"
"Don't treat me like I'm some fragile little thing, Arnold, I'm not! You know I was always the toughest girl at school, you know that I can take care of myself!"
"You can't take care of yourself! You couldn't even find the will to live without me here, wanting to blow your brains out because I left!"
Devastated by the sentence that left his own mouth, Arnold watched Helga's facial expression share a similar reaction to his own. Watching tears begin to fall from her eyes, Arnold reached out to try to offer a comforting hand to her, only to have her shove his hand away and turn to the wall.
Angered once again by his own failures, Arnold threw off his clothes, leaving the room and headed straight to the shower while slamming the door to his room behind him. Stepping inside the shower, he turned the water to a warm setting, letting it rinse his body and give him some form of security that he would not find in Helga tonight.
The rage and frustration continued to eat away at Arnold, leaving him barely able to let himself calm under the flow of the shower. For such a nasty feeling still consuming him, there would be only another way that such a feeling could be released, but, without Helga, he would have to come to this feeling on his own.
Feeling damned and guilty for driving Arnold away, Helga cried as she sat on the floor, regretting ever suggesting such a motion and setting off all his anger. Wishing she was back in his arms and him in hers, she picked up a piece of his clothing from the floor, carrying it with her and holding it as she slipped into bed, hoping to sleep off her frustrations.
The rage and frustration continued to eat away at Helga, leaving her barely able to let herself calm under the covers of the bed. For such a nasty feeling still consuming her, there would be only another way that such a feeling could be released, but, without Arnold, she would have to come to this feeling on her own.
Taking himself into his own hands, Arnold felt himself in a sexual way, trying to bring himself pleasure to remove himself from his problems. Continuing to touch himself, activating his body for an intimate act, he built himself up for a release in hopes that it would give him the chemical dose needed to calm himself.
Though the act is pleasurable, he wishes dearly that it was Helga that brought him this feeling. Alone, this emotion is merely empty.
Taking herself into her own hands, Helga felt herself in a sexual way, trying to bring herself pleasure to remove herself from her problems. Continuing to touch herself, activating her body for an intimate act, she built herself up for a release in hopes that it would give her the chemical dose needed to calm herself.
Though the act is pleasurable, she wishes dearly that it was Arnold that brought her this feeling. Alone, this emotion is merely empty.
Though such an act is meant to last longer, with two beings following it through to fulfill each other's needs and desires, Arnold does not savor the act for himself. Instead, he simply works through all the motions as quickly as he can to gain the feeling as soon as possible, caring not for intimacy in a time like this.
After struggling against himself for so long, the release he searches for arrives, and he finds the emotion he needs. Letting it flow over him, Arnold gave out a sigh.
Though such an act is meant to last longer, with two beings following it through to fulfill each other's needs and desires, Helga does not savor the act for herself. Instead, she simply works through all the motions as quickly as she can to gain the feeling as soon as possible, caring not for intimacy in a time like this.
After struggling against herself for so long, the release she searches for arrives, and she finds the emotion he needs. Letting it flow over her, Helga gave out a sigh.
Without a lover's arms to bury himself in, Arnold sat on the floor of the shower, curling himself into a fetal position and letting the flow of the water continue to pour upon him. Alone in his suffering, he has no one to comfort him in his time of need but himself, leaving him to wrap his arms around himself and try to keep whatever feeling of comfort he has inside.
It only works for a moment, leaving him to cry as he continued to face his sorrow alone.
Without a lover's arms to bury herself in, Helga sunk deeper into the sheets of the bed, curling herself into a fetal position and holding the discarded uniform of the Green Eye close to keep its scent with her. Alone in her suffering, she has no one to comfort her in her time of need but herself, leaving her to wrap her arms around herself and try to keep whatever feeling of comfort she has inside.
It only works for a moment, leaving her to cry as she continued to face her sorrow alone.
As the morning sun arrives in Hillwood, the day comes to an official beginning for its occupants. Waking from a long night of sleep, much of it needed from their busy days preceding before, and some of it merely wanted for leisure or relaxation, the citizens of Hillwood all come to their feet to start a new day in one way or another; some early birds to the worm, others night owls to pick their prey later.
The city is a melting pot, and it boils intensely under the stress it has been put under. A military occupation has been put in place to keep peace, but it has not made the citizens feel safe from what is in their city. Both the dangerous crime boss 'Little' Nicky Russotti and the infamous supervillain the Freak are loose on the streets, at odds with each other, and the citizens of Hillwood are in the crossfire.
Watching so many of these innocent men and women he was sworn to protect get caught in the crossfire, Arnold Shortman has faced a consistent feeling of failure throughout the past few days, blaming himself for the wrongs done and the lives lost. Feeling as if he has not done enough to prevent the damage that has affected everyone in his city, there is a heavy cloud of guilt on his head that will not go away.
Now, with his opponent, the Freak, becoming even more powerful than ever, and no idea how he has done so, he requires guidance on how to defeat him with his new powers. Putting himself deep in meditation, Arnold calls out to the city of the Green-Eyed People, searching for the one man who could give him a guiding hand at this desperate moment in time:
Luz.
Sending out a message across the astral plane, he summons the presence of the elder Spirit Master, and finds him arrive in mere moments, as if expecting this call.
"Greetings, child. I had a feeling that you would require my help sooner than later. I do wish to grant you autonomy on your journey, but I do remind you that I am always here to help you. You should not be so hesitant to call." Luz said.
"Luz... I need your help. I don't know what to do." Arnold said.
"Your friend, Curly."
"Yes... He's a Spirit Master. Rhonda gave him my blood, and it gave him all my powers, but he's somehow gotten even more powerful than me now. He can... I don't know what exactly he did to me, but, he changed my perception of reality, made me think that Helga died, and... he can even fly on his own."
Luz melancholily nodded along to Arnold's revelation, taking the information carefully.
"So it seems. I have had a feeling that he would have achieved a great amount of power, but I did not fathom that he would have such ability in such a short time." Luz said.
"But how? How does he have all that power? I didn't have anything close to that when I got my powers, and it took me years to master it." Arnold said.
"You may have taken years to master the powers you have, but you did not acquire anything new during that period of training. All of the powers you have now, you have always had since you had begun the path of the Spirit Master. There are many more in which you must take your time to discover, but the power does exist within you."
"But how did Curly manage to use his power so quickly? And why can he do things I can't?"
"Do you remember what I told you he was when you prepared to face him the first time?"
Arnold shook his head.
"I had told you that you had a Heart of Gold. You were born with others in your heart, and you live a servant's life; selfless and endlessly caring for others. Though you might have your moments in which you lose your way, you never forget that you are someone who desires to help others. But your friend is nothing of the sort. I had told you he was born blind to love and good, which you have no doubt seen for yourself with his deeds. You were born with a Heart of Gold, but he was born with a Heart of Darkness. As you live to serve and protect, he serves to destroy and kill." Luz said.
"But how does that make him more powerful than me?" Arnold asked.
"Love is a strong force, but it requires work and patience to build and keep. It is a greater goal that must be worked towards, and it is very fragile to maintain. Hatred is a much more powerful force; something much more persistent and resilient, and always lingers in each person's heart. Whether it be by way of misunderstanding or by fully understanding, hatred is a nearly unconquerable enemy. Your friend, Curly, is a man who feels nothing but hatred in his heart. It is in the very core of his being, and drives him to his actions, just as love drives you to your actions. Hatred burns much stronger and brighter than love in a human's heart, and can tear everything around them apart."
"So... he's more powerful than me because he's bad?"
"In a way, yes, I'm afraid so."
"Then how am I supposed to beat him?"
"There is no true 'easy' way to defeat him, Arnold. You must simply carry on your way and keep fighting back against him."
"What? That's the best you can tell me?"
"The best way to conquer hatred is to counter it with love, child. As you remember many years ago when you came to us, you were full of anger and hatred inside, but it was our love and support which had lifted you out from your woes. It was not an easy process, but it is what had saved you."
Realizing the truth in Luz's statement, Arnold nodded along, understanding his point.
"I guess you're right. But I don't know how to reach him." Arnold said.
"You shall find a way, in time. Your efforts now still save lives, and will eventually bring down this enemy." Luz said.
"I know, I just... There's been so many casualties already. I just wish there was an easier way to beat him."
"Well... There is one way... but you have rejected such an answer long ago when I first suggested it."
"You mean killing him? No way. That's not who I am."
"As I said, you rejected that answer once. I cannot and will not force you to go against your principles, and I will stand by your decision. Just remember, had you ended his life that year ago, none of us would be in this situation."
Again realizing that his mentor was correct, but unable to fully agree with him, Arnold gave a sigh of pain.
"I think about that every day, Luz, and it doesn't get any easier. Especially not when trying to balance my own life with all this. I've already lost Gerald and Phoebe, and... with me and Helga... I don't know what's gonna happen to us." Arnold said.
"Yes, I understand. I do not wish to continue pressing this particular issue upon you, but, have you decided on how to handle Lila Sawyer?"
Hearing her name aloud, Arnold suddenly realized that he had completely forgotten about her, remembering her misdeeds and failing to bring her to justice.
"Shit! I forgot about her! I was so caught up with everything that I... Damn... I can't believe that I..." Arnold trailed.
"Fear not, child. You still have time to make things right once again. The time is always right to do what is right." Luz said.
Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Arnold let it out to bring his attention back to the topic at hand.
"...You're right. I can still fix this. Thank you, Luz. I needed this." Arnold said.
"Yes, child. Good luck to you once again, and I am always here if you need a shoulder to lie on." Luz said.
Fading back out of existence, Luz returned his spirit to his body in San Lorenzo, while Arnold was left behind in Hillwood. With nothing being left between him and his goals anymore, the time came now to return to the Hillwood Heroes and plot out his next plan to stop the Freak.
Taking to the edge of the rooftop, Arnold took a dive off, landing on the ground to make his way to the Hillwood Heroes' base.
Somewhere within the city of Hillwood, the Freak continued to guide his group through the streets, keeping them one step ahead of the law and National Guard. With his team now armed and ready to properly fight back against any threat that would come their way, the next item on the agenda of the Freak was to test out some of his new powers, leading them to find somewhere to try them.
"How about we try P.S. 118?" Jolly Olly Man asked.
"Nah, we were just there. Chances are more cops are gonna be around after your little feast fest." The Freak said.
"How about the Danger Zone? Most of the niggers there already try to kill each other, might as well make them kill each other off, make those savages fight each other to the death." Wolfenstein said.
"No, no. I want something more fun to try than that. The Danger Zone's already full of crime and murder, I want somewhere to go where I can make a real impact on people. Somewhere that'll make it clear that nobody's safe in this city."
As the other two members of his group continued to ponder over some new environment that the Freak could test his powers, Saint Lila continued to stay within meditation and prayer. Taking a look upon the praying servant of god, the Freak decided to once again prey upon her beliefs and twist them to his own purposes.
"Scratch that, you two. I got an idea." The Freak said.
Stepping over to Saint Lila, the Freak spoke to her, breaking her out of her prayer and gaining her attention.
"Saint Lila." The Freak said.
"Yes, my angel?" Saint Lila asked.
"There is a place full of sinners that we must purge clean with the fires of hell."
"Where is this place, my lord? I will slay each of the sinners myself."
"No, there is no need for you to do such a thing. I shall slay them myself. I mention this to you only because of your connection to the location. It is the First Baptist Church of Hillwood."
"My church is full of sinners? Forgive me, lord, I was not aware my own clergy was full of the lot."
"Worry not, my servant. You could not have known that such hellspawn existed in a house of god. Nonetheless, their presence there is a blasphemy to god, and it is my duty to slay them all."
"Yes, my lord. Do you wish for me to guide you to the sinner's den myself?"
Finally getting the question he was looking for, the Freak gave a smile, ending his own roleplay as an angel for this conversation.
"I thought you'd never ask." The Freak said.