The only memories the puppet boy Mitchell ever had were the ones that were programmed into him bu Jordan Weir, the Puppet Master. He had no memories of anything beyond what Weir wanted him to know. That is until the moment on the morning that Kyle Rayner hugged him, triggering an emotion within the puppet boy, something he wasn’t supposed to have. He was starting to feel love. He was starting to truly experience free will.

Unfortunately Weir chose that moment to override Mitchell’s programming and take control for himself to entrance Kyle Rayner into letting Mitchell stay with him in a plan to capture the Green Lantern and use him for Weir’s own personal gain.

“I want to live with you forever,” Weir said through Mitchell’s voice as the hypnotic suggestion took hold.

“Of course you can live with me forever,” Kyle said, feeling strange as he stood up. Why was he suddenly agreeing to take in this child that was only supposed to be there for night? “We’ll be a family. I just have to tell Green Lantern that he can go about his business.”

“No, wait, let him come in-” Mitchell started to say, but the door was already closed to Kyle could cover his secret identity.

“Damn!” Weir said as he looked down at the control panel. “At least I’ve bought some time. Soon Green Lantern will be under my control, and then,” Weir said as he looked over a picture sitting on his desk of a teenage boy. He was scrawny, with short trimmed black hair and glasses. “You will have your vengeance on those who wronged you.”

UNSTRUNG

By Tobias Christopher

It was later that day, after Kyle had remembered that he had a job interview, that he realized he needed a babysitter. And since his mother was working and Terry was nowhere to be found, he had to leave Mitchell with the only other person available.

“Wow, this place is huge,” Mitchell said as he looked around Alexandra’s home, a large mansion in the nice part of town. Weir had let Mitchell have control again while he tended to other matters for the time being, unaware that doing so would allow the puppet boy’s free will to expand every time the boy’s eye twitched.”You have a lot of rooms here. What do you do with them all?”

“Most of them are just for show,” Alexandra told him. “You know, rooms for trophies, rooms for shoes, rooms for the stuffed animals father brings back from his hunting trips.”

“How come Kyle doesn’t live here with you?” Mitchell asked as he looked at the animal trophy room. “I thought you two loved each other?”

“We do,” Alexandra told him. “But just because two people love each other doesn’t mean they have to move in together right away. Besides, Kyle loves his little apartment, even though it could use a good redecorator.”

It was then that Alexandra’s parents walked into the hallway. Her mother, as always, walked in first, followed by her father. Glendora was dressed in tailor-made black silk dress, with not a single brunette hair out of place. Throckmore had a tailor-made black suit on, with slicked back black hair.

“Alexandra, what is that… thing?” Glendora asked as she turned up her nose at the boy with the off-the-rack Wal-Mart clothes and scruffy hair. “And why is it not on a leash?”

“This is Mitchell, and he’s a boy Kyle is giving a home too,” Alexandra replied. “I told you Kyle has a good heart, and he’s helping this orphaned child by giving him a loving home.”

Throckmore was about to open his mouth when Glendora looked at him, immediately shutting him up. “He looks like he belongs in a pound. Don’t let him touch anything, I’ll call the steam cleaners.”

“Why, do you need that rug on your head cleaned?” Mitchell asked, pointing out her wig. Having just gained free will when Weir wasn’t speaking through him, his ability to filter what he said hadn’t exactly developed yet.

“Why, you insufferable little–” Glendora started to say, trying to find the words.

“Seems like your husband’s the expert on suffering, considering who he’s married to,” Mitchell replied. When Glendora wasn’t looking, her husband chuckled a bit. Throckmore was shocked he still had the ability to smile after all these years.

“Get that brat out of my house!” Glendora said, raising her voice, storming off. “Now! Come, Throckmore!”

“Did I do something wrong?” Mitchell honestly asked Alexandra.

Once her parents were gone, Alexandra smiled at him. “No, you did everything right, kid. Come on, let’s get you an ice cream.”

Alexander Benton looked over Kyle’s resume, every few seconds looking up at Kyle, who was sitting across from him.

“This is quite a resume,” Benton told him. “This is a lot of jobs for someone your age.”

“I’ve been working since I was 14, sir,” Kyle told him. “A lot of it is temp work, but I’ve been doing everything I can to make money since I was old enough to go out and get a job. You see my mother was-”

“Yes, yes,” Benton interrupted as he put the resume down. “Unfortunately there’s nothing in here that has anything to do with working for a major magazine, and I’m sure you’re not looking for menial intern work.”

“No, sir, but I am a quick learner,” Kyle honestly replied. “And I’m a hard worker, you won’t find anyone who works as hard as I do. Just give me anything and I’ll learn it.”

“Well, I do see under your hobbies that you listed being an artist,” Benton replied. “And it just so happens that our current artist for the weekly comic strip is retiring soon. If you can prove that you can take over for him by the time he leaves, the job is yours.”

“Seriously?” Kyle asked, smiling as he shook the man’s hand. “Thank you! You won’t regret it!”

“I hope I don’t,” Benton told him as he handed Kyle the packet of information. He considered himself a good judge of character, even if he was hard on some of his employees “You’ll be contacted soon to start working on the strip. Good luck, Mr. Rayner.”

“Woo-hoo!” Green Lantern shouted as he flew through the air over the city, spinning and weaving in celebration. It’s a good thing he remembered to recharge it just before he left the apartment, the power was almost drained. “I have a job! Well, a second job if you count the non-paying superhero gig, but still!”

As the hero flew overhead, a green wall popped up in front of a jaywalker who was about to step into traffic, before scooping up an elderly woman in a catcher’s mitt to carry her safely across the lane further up the street.

“I can’t wait to get home and tell Mitchell, and Terry and-” the Green Lantern ring on Kyle’s finger started flashing as he started shaking his head. “And why did I agree to let that kid come live with me?”

Billy Anderson, star reporter for Feast Magazine was sitting at a table inside of a cafe as he worked on the finishing touches for his latest story about the positive aspects of fanfiction and its effect on the entertainment industry. Just as he was getting close to the end of his writing, his cell phone started going off. He looked down and saw it was the only person he was willing to drop everything for.

“Tell me you’re not cutting class again,” Billy said into the phone. “You did what? Well, exactly how did you get that much superglue, not to mention access to your teacher’s most private of crevices? Fine, I’ll be there soon. Just… try not cause anymore damage.”

Billy hung up and sighed. The story would have to wait to be finished.

“The nerve of that kid, knocking me out and tying me up,” Terry thought to himself as he tried to push his way out of the closet in Kyle’s bedroom. “And I really have to pee. Probably shouldn’t have had that extra cup of coffee before I left home.”

Terry rammed himself against the door, hoping to force it open since he couldn’t use his hands.

“I am so kicking that kid’s ass when I get out of here.”

“Are you sure he was no trouble?” Kyle asked as he carried a sleeping Mitchell back towards his apartment. Weir had put him into shut down mode temporarily to upgrade some software in his system.

“He was perfect,” Alexandra told him. “It really is sweet of you to watch out for him.”

“Alex, I don’t know if I can keep him,” Kyle said as he reached the front door. “I mean, I’m about to start a new job and I don’t even really have the room for him. He can’t just live on the couch.”

“You know, I could help out with him. Maybe this is the excuse for you to get a bigger place,” Alexandra said as she looked at him.

“Maybe,” Kyle told her as he opened the door and walked in. He put Mitchell on the couch and pulled off his shoes before putting the blanket over him. “He’s going to be out for a while. Do you want to go grab a bite to eat from that place around the corner?”

“I’d love to,” Alexandra said as she took his hand.

“There,” Weir said as he finished upgrading Mitchell’s programs. “There shouldn’t be anymore problems from him.”

Weir turned his puppet back on as Mitchell opened his eyes and sat up. He stood up and walked toward Kyle’s closet, opening it as Terry fell out.

“About time,” Terry told him. “Now, untie me and I might not toss you beat you senseless for this.”

Mitchell grabbed Terry by the shirt and pulled him up, trying to use his hypnotic stare on him again.

“Ew,” Terry said as he the kid looked him in the eyes. The room was still dark enough to that the hypnotic effect couldn’t take hold. “The last person who did was the paperboy. That experience ended quite well, but you’re not my type.”

Terry kicked Mitchell in the shin before making a run for it.

“Kill him,” Weir ordered as Mitchell tossed Kyle’s alarm clock at Terry, knocking him out. “Finish him!”

Kyle and Alexandra were walking back towards the apartment, holding ice cream cones and laughing.

“He said what to your parents?” Kyle laughed. “Wow, I wish I’d have been there. Sounds like Mitchell put her in her place.”

“I’d never seen mother so angry,” Alexandra said with a smile. “I actually kind of enjoyed it.”

The two reached Alexandra’s car as Kyle leaned in to kiss her softly. The two embraced before pulling away as Kyle touched her cheek. “I love you, Alexandra.”

“I love you, too,” she whispered as she used her thumb to remove some ice cream from his nose. “I’ll call you later.”

As she got into her car and drove off, Kyle just stood there for a moment, really appreciating his life now. He headed inside and saw Mitchell wasn’t there. “Mitchell?”

To be continued…