FREAK THE MIGHTY TWO ACT VERSION By Rodman Philbrick CHARACTERS: MAX, Santiago Manotas KEVIN, Sebastian Obando

GRAM, Natalia Romero GRIM, David Camacho GWEN, Estefania Velarde BLADE, Kid Gang leader Joaquin Crdoba MRS. DONELLI, a teacher. Valentina Sarmiento MS. ADDISON, vice principal: Laura Sofa Moreno IGGY, a bad news biker. Andres Preciado Preciado LORETTA, Iggys girlfriend. Camila Reyes KILLER KANE: Jose Beltn DR.SPIVAK, a specialist in Kevins disorder. Andrs Delgado THE GANG OF NINE will play various characters. The taunting children in the opening scene, the gang in the fireworks scene, the kids in the school scene, background in the hospital scenes. In addition, the Gang Kids will help effect scene changes, SETTINGS: The Down Under, The Back Yard, The Street, The Fireworks, TheClass Room, Iggys Pad, The Hospital. ACT ONE SCENE ONE ANGRY MALE VOICE : Come back here, woman! [ SLAP!] There! Think you can walk out on me? Is that what you think? Try that again and Ill kill you. Swear on a Bible. I...will...kill...you. After a beat, a Kid Voice calls out from the back of the theatre, chanting and names as if taunting someone on a darkened playground. VOICES: Killer Kane, Killer Kane, had a kid who got no brain! GRAM : Maxwell! Maxwell! Are you down there? (GRAM knocks, ENTERS. Sits down on edge of bed and sighs. Its obvious she knows Max is under the bed.) GRAM: Maxwell? I do wish youd go outside. Its not healthy, spending all your time down here If you dont get some fresh air you'll turn into a giant

mushroom. Max? It's hard enough to look after a giant boy. How would I cope with a giant mushroom? Stick your head out the door, and see what's going on in the world. Help your grandfather in the garden .Just for me. Please?? (Gram sighs, leaves, Max slides out from under the bed, wearing a Walkman. He stands up, puts a cap on his head, turns to go then turns back and deliberately confronts the audience.) MAX: What? You got something to say to me? Listen, you dont know nothing about me. Not yet you dont. So pay attention. Maybe youll learn something. Maybe you wont. Your choice. (max leaves) SCENE TWO GRIM : Hey Max! Come to give your grandpa a hand? Did your grandmother talk to you? Max? (No reaction from Max. Grim lifts Maxs headphones). GRIM : You in there, boy? MAX Leave me alone. GRIM : Okay, okay. Have it your way. But if you dont want to help me, maybe you can check out the house next door. Somebody just moved in. MAX: Why? GRIM: Somebody just moved in. MAX: So? GRIM: So this conversation is ended. Do what you like. Enter BLADE, showing off on a skate board . BLADE: Hey Maxi-Pad! Nice shoes - not! Man, you are a piece of work, you know that? Nyuk, nyuk! MAX: Go away. BLADE: Your old man still in jail? Hey, thats cool. I wish my old man would kill my old lady. Then Id be free as a bird. Are you free as a bird, Maxi-Pad? (Max raises his fist. Blade laughs outloud and zooms off on the board. Shouting over his shoulder). BLADE: Later, Maxi-Pad! SCENE THREE SETTING: Back yard (Kevin stands under the branch, trying to get something down - a plastic ornithopter stuck on a branch. He pokes at it with his crutch, cant quite get it.Max watches from the side, unseen by Kevin. He pounds the crutch on the ground).

KEVIN: Rats! (Kevin gets an idea. He exits and returns pulling an red American Flyer wagon. He positions it under the tree,climbs into the wagon, and resumes poking his crutch at the tree. He still cant quite reach.) KEVIN: Double rats!(Kevin spots Max, points crutch at him). KEVIN: Who goes there? Identify yourself, earthling! Hey! What's the matter, can't you talk? (Max advances toward the tree, and Kevin). KEVIN : What are you looking at, huh? Hey, get back! This crutch is loaded! Die, earthling die! [Makes firing noises] (Max reaches the ornithoper And gives it to Kevin) MAX: Here. KEVIN: Oh, it talks. Hey, thanks. It must be cool being as tall as a tree. MAX: What is it? KEVIN: This? This is an ornithopter, first invented by this old dude called Leonardo Da Vinci, and recently perfected by me. MAX: Yeah, but what is it? KEVIN: You want a more specific definition, is that it? Fine, I can do that. Ornithopter, an experimental device propelled by flapping wings. Or you could say an ornithopter is just a big word for mechanical bird. Observe and be amazed, earthling. Kevin: So. You live around here? MAX: Over there. In the down under. KEVIN: Whats that? MAX: Ill show you. KEVIN: Excellent. You get to stay down here all by yourself? Its like Merlin's Cave! MAX: Who? (Kevin often seems to have trouble breathing) KEVIN: Merlin. The great magician. He worked for King Arthur. (sees that Max doesn't get it) The Knights of the Round Table? (Max stares blankly - he hasn't got a Clue). KEVIN :It's from a book.

MAX :Books suck. KEVIN :Really? You never heard of King Arthur? MAX: No KEVIN: You're missing out, man. This is a really cool story. Its about the first king of England, when there were still dragons and monsters in the world, okay? Arthur was an orphan, and there was this magic sword stuck in a big stone, okay? The old king had died and whoever could pull the sword out of the stone proved he was the next king. All the big strong dudes tried to pull out the sword and they couldn't So this little dude does it, he pulls out the sword! And that's how they knew he was special! That's how they knew he was king! MAX: What happened next? KEVIN:King Arthur, all his friends were knights, see, and he'd send them out on secret missions MAX:Right. KEVIN :Arthur gave all his knights cool names like Lancelot and Homer the Brave, and they all ate dinner around this huge round table. MAX: What did they eat? KEVIN: Hot dogs. Ground hogs. Deep fried squirrels. Whatever. MAX: This really happened? KEVIN: More or less. This was way back, when there were still monsters and stuff. And they had adventures GWEN: (calling out )Kev-in! Kev-in! KEVIN: Uh oh. The Fair Guinevere. (GWEN ENTERS, looks around.) GWEN: Kevin? What are you doing down here? (Max stands up, startling her. Its obvious that shes scared of Max, and wants to hustle her son out of the Down Under. Great tension). GWEN :Oh! KEVIN: Hi Mom. This is Max. Weve been discussing the Arthurian legends. GWEN: Thats nice. Come along Kevin. Quickly. Quickly! (she takes his hand) KEVIN Later, dude! SCENE FOUR (Kevins back yard. Gwen cooks hotdogs.)

KEVIN: Smells good. Considering what they put in those things. GWEN: Please dont list the ingredients. KEVIN: Eyeballs and noses and tails and GWEN: Kevin! KEVIN: Okay, okay. (Max enters, very tentatively. Tension all around.) GWEN: Hello, Max. Your grandmother told you I called, huh? (Max nods.) GWEN :Im sorry we got off on the wrong foot. I just never, you know... KEVIN: What she's trying to say is, you're a spitting image of your bad old Dad. That's why the Fair Gwen almost wet her pants! GWEN: Kevin, please.!!! Max, I think you should know something. I knew you mother. We were both pregnant at the same time, and going to the same clinic, and we got to be friends. You know how it is.. But I just wanted to tell you what a wonderful person she was. Really smart and funny, and very beautiful, too. She was so looking forward to having you.. Then Kevin came along and we had to move away for a while and Annie - your mom and I - we lost touch. So, there it is. Your father is he still...confined? MAX: Yeah. Hes in prison. KEVIN:(after an awkward pause) Okay, thats over. Lets eat! (and he starts acting like a robot) GWEN: Pay no attention, Max. My son is brilliant but insane. KEVIN: Mom! (They all start laughing) SCENE SIX A voice in a microphone: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to our celebration of the nations birthday! Happy Fourth of July! KEVIN: What, did everybody take a growth hormone? All I can see are feet and knees! Feet and knees and smelly butts! Whatsit like up there? Max picks up Kevin, puts him on his shoulders so he can see over the crowd. KEVIN Hey, cool! I can see! Oh look! See that sparkle? Thats magnesium! And theres potassium chlorate! Yay! KEVIN : That was the best ever. MAX: You really know all the stuff they put in fireworks?

KEVIN:I know all the stuff they put in everything. (shading his eyes to look into the distance) KEVIN: Uh oh. They spotted us. MAX: Who? KEVIN:I think were about to have a close encounter of the turd kind. MAX: Huh? (Blade enters, leading his Kid Gang.) BLADE: Hey you, Frankenstein and Igor! KEVIN: What'd you say? BLADE: You heard me, midget man. What is this, a geek show? Little freak on the big retard? (The Gang Kids laugh.) KEVIN: Come on, Max. He's a cretin. BLADE: Say what, you little mutant? KEVIN: Cretin. C-R-E-T-I-N. Defined as one who suffers from mental deficiency. BLADE: Thats it. Now youre dead meat. MAX: Um, Kevin? KEVIN: Im thinking. (Kevin swings his crutch. A Gang kid ducks.) (Suddenly BLUE LIGHTS FLASH.) BLADE: Cops! Beat it! (Max puts Kevin down.) KEVIN: Wow! That was great, huh? Wasnt that cool? Us against wicked Blade and his gang. And we won! MAX: Yeah, great. Can we go home now? MAX (to the audience) Thats how it started, when I first put him up on my shoulders. Kevin as the brains and me as the brawn. Frankenstein and Igor. The little freak and the big retard. We had another name, a better name, but we didnt know it yet. SCENE SIX Gram enters sorting through her mail. One envelope disturbs her. GRAM: Oh! Gram puts aside the other envelopes

GRIM: Him again? I dont know why they let him write from prison. Hasnt he done enough harm? GRAM: You know what Arthur? Maxwell has a friend. Hes never had a friend before, and I wont let his summer be ruined. I GRIM:I know, dear. I know. SCENE SEVEN (Max enters walking along with Kevin on his shoulders - theyre quite comfortable with each other now.) KEVIN:I propose a quest on this fine summer day! We shall journey to the East, rescuing maidens and slaying dragons. On, my noble steed! MAX: Whats a steed? KEVIN: Like a horse. MAX : Im not a horse. KEVIN: Are you sure? Because things arent always what they seem. Like this sidewalk for instance. If you use your imagination, its not just a sidewalk, its a swaying bridge made of vines. We have to cross it to get to the other side. No, dont look down! (He covers Maxs eyes) Things are always more interesting if you use your imagination. Now we are going to the fortress MAX: Thats a hospital. KEVIN: More precisely it is a medical research facility. The source of secret medical experiments. You want to know what kind of secret medical experiments? KEVIN: Okay. Inside that building is a secret laboratory called the Experimental Bionics Unit. Their mission is to develop a new form of bionic robot for human modification. MAX: Whats that? KEVIN: Sssh. Speak of this to no one, but at some future time as yet undetermined, I will enter the lab and become the first bionicly improved human. Theyre building me a whole new body, MAX: Wont it hurt? KEVIN: Probably. But pain is just a state of mind. You can think your way out of anything, even pain. MAX: (to the audience)Yeah, I know. Only a major doofus would believe that stuff about getting a bionic body. But it should be pretty clear by now that if you looked up doofus in the dictionary, youd find my picture. And Kevin, well, they say its good to have a healthy imagination. Only Kevins imagination was mostly about being healthy, or being a hero, or both. Remember that, it gets important later. Are we clear? Good.

SCENE EIGHT Lights up on Max lying on the floor, listening to a Walkman. Kevin enters, sneaks up, pokes him with his crutch. KEVIN: Wake up! MAX: Quit poking me, I wasnt asleep. KEVIN: Never mind, weve got another quest. Actually, more a treasure hunt than a quest. MAX: Real treasure? KEVIN: Treasure that has been hidden in a storm drain. MAX: Yeah, sure. KEVIN: I saw it with my own eyes. MAX: Huh? What? KEVIN: Villains stole a purse from a fair maiden, and when the cops chased them, they tossed it in the drain.we are gonna get it and give I back to her SCENE NINE (Iggy sits on a ratty old sofa, sucking on a beer.)( the bell rings) IGGY: Door! (Loretta enters, hair a mess.) LORETTA: Door, huh? Really? I mean are you sure its not the window? Would you answer the window, if the window bell rang? Hmm? [BONG-BONG] IGGY: Hey, Im watching here. Answer the door or make it stop ringing, your choice. (Loretta opens the door.) LORETTA: Hey Iggy! Get a look at this. Is the circus in town or what? LORETTA:I seen the big one around. Dont he look familiar, Iggy? KEVIN: Excuse us please, we must have the wrong address. We were looking for a fair maiden. IGGY: You hear that Loretta? KEVIN: We found your purse. Here. Gotta go. LORETTA: Why thank you. See that, Iggy, theyre gentlemen. (Kevin and Max try to leave). IGGY: Hang on, shorty.(He blocks their retreat) You better come inside. You and King Kong. Now sit down.

(The boys sit down). LORETTA: Dont be making Iggy nervous. Last dude made him nervous IGGY: Youre right; the big one does look familiar. Whats your name, kid? KEVIN: Were sorry to disturb you, but weve got to go home now. IGGY:I ask a question you better answer. What are your names? KEVIN :Im Kevin Avery. Hes Maxwell Kane. LORETTA: Thats it! Thats why he looks familiar, Iggy! Hes Kenny Kanes kid! KEVIN: We really have to go. IGGY: Hang on now. Let me look at you. My my, Killer Kanes little boy, all growed up. You ever visit your old man in prison, kid? Huh? If you do, tell him Iggy says hello. LORETTA: He dont know nothing. Looks like hes some kind of retard. bet he dont even know why his dads locked up. IGGY: Shut up, Loretta. LORETTA (to Max)You remember what happened? What he did to your poor mommy? Why he got sent away to prison? Max wont respond. IGGY: you two, out. Get out! Now! Max and Kevin hastily get up. KEVIN: Great visit! Thanks! KEVIN: You want to tell me about your father? Or what he really did to your mother? MAX: No. KEVIN: Did I ever tell you about my father? MAX: No. KEVIN: My father was a magician. Yeah. As soon as he heard I was born with a birth defect, he made himself disappear. SCENE TEN Class room. MRS. DONELLI: Class! Come to order please! Thats better. I see we have some new students in our class. Lets all get to know them, shall we? (consults her clipboard)

Maxwell Kane? Yes, there you are. Maxwell, would you please stand up and tell us something about your summer? (Max wont move) KID GANG LINES : Forget it, Mrs. Donelli, his brain is in his tail! Yeah! Ask him about his dad!Killer Kane! Killer Kane! Had a kid who got no brain! MRS. DONELLI: Class! Come to order! (Kevin stands up on top of his desk). KEVIN: Come to order! Order in the court! Let justice be heard! MRS. DONELLI: You must be Kevin Avery, is that right? KEVIN: Sometimes I am. MRS. DONELLI: Sometimes? What does that mean? KEVIN: It means sometimes Im more than Kevin. MRS. DONELLI: Im not sure I understand. Can you give us an example? KEVIN: Sometimes Im more than Kevin, and Max is more than Max. Kevin climbs on Maxs shoulders. (Max stands up). KEVIN : Sometimes were nine feet tall! KEVIN : Sometimes we slay dragons and walk high above the world! We arent the little freak and the big dummy. Because with my big smart brain and his big, brave heart we make one mighty knight! The bravest, mightiest knight of all! Were Freak...the Mighty! Freak the Mighty! Freak the Mighty! KID GANG: Freak The Mighty! Freak the Mighty! Freak The Mighty! (Mrs. Donelli suddenly starts clapping), SCENE ELEVEN (Maxs in his back yard, wearing his Walkman headphone. Hes changing a spark plug on the lawn mower. Grim enters.) GRIM: Take off those headphones, boy. Its time we had a talk. GRIM : Its about your report card. You know what Im talking about, boy? Huh? Do you? GRIM: Im talking about a report card like Ive never seen before. Never! Listen to this. Maxwell shows real improvement in reading and comprehension. He has begun to participate in normal classroom activity. What do you say to that, boy? GRIM : You say, I did good. Go on, say it. MAX : I did good. GRIM :Music to my ears, boy. Music to my ears.

(Grim exits .Max addresses audience.) Dont look so smug. You thought I was stupid, too. Everybody did. If he looks dumb, he must be dumb, right? Admit it. Hey, I thought I was stupid, too, until Kevin came along and let me borrow his brain for a while. Anyhow, things were going pretty good until the crap hit the fan. hats the other thing I learned that year. Sooner or later, the crap always hits the fan. SCENE TWELVE School cafeteria MAX:(pointing at a suspect dessert) What's this supposed to be? KEVIN: Apple surprise. Surprise! There's no apple! MAX:(takes a bite) Its okay. KEVIN : I bet you could eat a tree. A whole tree. (They both laugh) (Kevin starts to eat his burger. He stops in mid-bite, his eyes get round) MAX :Kevin? (Kevin chokes, slips out of his seat ,quivers on the floor, unable to breath). MAX: Nurse! Get the nurse! Call 911! Somebody do something! (Gwen enters with Dr. Spivak). GWEN: Max? Youre still here. Good. Maxwell, Id like you to meet Dr. Spivak. Shes Kevins doctor. DR. SPIVAK: Hello, Maxwell. Ive heard a lot about you. Thanks, Gwen, Ill take it from here. Gwen exits. MAX: Is he going to be okay? DR. SPIVAK: Hell be fine. Kevins a fighter. Hes been fighting to survive since the day he was born. The short-term prognosis is actually quite good - no further damage to his lungs - and hell be back to school in a week or so. MAX: But hes okay. DR. SPIVAK: For now, sure. MAX : For now? DR. SPIVAK: You understand that Kevin has a serious illness? For now, I said. None of us knows what the future may hold. Okay then. Excuse me, please, I have to get back. Nice to have met you, Max. MAX: From now on you eat real slow, okay? KEVIN: Yes, Mom.

They both laugh as they walk out SCENE THIRTEEN At school MS. ADDISON: (claps her hands)Quiet now! If you cant behave like ladies and gentlemen, try pretending youre ladies and gentlemen. Max? Can I see you for a minute, please? Have a seat, Max. MAX: You're putting me back in L.D., right? MS ADDISON: No, no. Nothing like that. MAX: Because if I have to go back in the L.D. class, I won't. I just won't. MS ADDISON (sighs - this is tough) Maxwell, this isn't about school, or the learning disabled class. This is about your father. (Max freezes. The word 'father' is a knife in his heart.) MS. ADDISON: Im afraid your father wants to know if . MAX (interrupting No. No. goes nuts!) MRS. ADDISON : It's okay, Max. Can you hear me? MAX: (very quiet, very young) Dont hurt her, Daddy. Please dont hurt her. Please. Please. MRS. ADDISON: Easy. Easy now. It's okay. (Max calms down) Mrs. Addison hugs Max. MS. ADDISON Forget about it, okay? Forget I said it. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do. I'll make sure. I swear on my honor, he can't make you do anything you don't want to do. SCENE FOURTEEN ( Grim and gram arguing GRAM: I wont have guns in this house! I wont bring violence into this house! Not ever again! GRIM : You think Kenny Kane cares about what the parole board says? Hes out now, free in the world to kill again. You know him! You know what he did to our Annie! You know what he did to that boy! He comes around here Im going to shoot him myself! GRAM: Arthur, no. give it to me!(He lets her take the shotgun. She hides)

GRAM: Well call the police. If he shows his face around here well call the police and theyll put him back in jail. Thats what civilized people do, Arthur. We cant be like him, even if we wanted. GANG KIDS : Killer Kane, Killer Kane, had a kid who got no brain. The taunting voices laugh, then fade away. SCENE FIFTEEN Christmas Eve at Maxs house. GRAM: Were not going to let him spoil our Christmas, are we? GRIM: No way.(he holds up package)I got Max some books, do you think hell mind? GRAM: No, he wont mind. GRIM: I was thinking about that first Christmas, when our Annie brought him home. He was such a happy baby. GRAM: Yes, he was. Doorbell chimes. GRAM: Max, can you get that, please? Max, opens the door. Gwen and Kevin enter, bearing presents. GRIM: Come on in, folks! Good to see ya! Merry Christmas (Max gives kevin a special knife and kevin gives him a book ) KEVIN : What I did was take all my favorite words and put them in alphabetical order. GRAM: Arthur! GRIM: A toast! to Max and Kevin, and all the good children of the world! And to Freak the Mighty, whatever that is! SCENE SIXTEEN chorus of Killer Kane Killer Kane, had a kid who got no brain. (KILLER KANE stands there in silhouette. He moves to the bed where Max is sleeping, and puts his hand over the boys mouth. Max sits up, flailing, but Killer Kane overpowers him without apparent effort. KANE: I come back for you, son, like I promised. ACT TWO SCENE ONE (Max on his knees, shivering). KANE Well, well, aint you got big? At least them old geezers fed you, huh?

(Kane pulls Max to his feet, keeps a secure hold of him) Come along, boy, it's time I got to know my own son, who had his mind poisoned against me. KANE : First thing we got to get straight, all that stuff the geezers told you about me, it's all a big lie. I never killed anybody and that's the truth, so help me God. Say yes sir. MAX: Yes sir. KANE: Were gonna have us a fine adventure, boy. Kane grabs Max and they both leave LORETTA: Come look what the cat dragged in. IGGY: Mission accomplished, huh Kenny? I knew you could do it, if anybody could. KANE: Say hello to my boy. He's a real chip off the old block. LORETTA: Oh, he's a big strong boy, he is, just like his big strong Daddy. KANE:I thought I made myself clear. No alcohol. IGGY: What the hey, it's Christmas Eve. LORETTA: Oh right. I forgot. Preacher Kane turned over a new leaf. He makes the rules now. (Kane moves menacingly at Loretta. Iggy hurriedly gets between them.) IGGY: You and the boy can have this place to yourselves for as long as you need it. Okay? Everything cool? KANE: Over here, son. Come on, sit down, take a load off. KANE: We got to get a few things straight between us, that s all. People say you're nothing but a dysfunctional retard, but no kin of mine is a retard and that's a fact. First thing, you've got to start acting smart. Use your head. We've got a situation here, boy, so the way to handle it, you do exactly what I say, no matter what. Understood? MAX: Yes, sir. Kane tousles Max's hair. KANE That's good. That's real good. Now you sit here, real quiet. Kane leaves the room. Max looks around, KANE (CONT'D) A boy who doesn't know his own father might be dumb enough to run away. We can't have that, can we? (so he ties him around) MAX: Ill do whatever you want but dont tough gram or grim GRAM: Oh Arthur! Hes gone! Our Max is gone!

KANE: Wake up, sleepyhead. I better tell my own son a thing or two he needs to know about his own father. First thing, like I already said, I never killed anybody. I'm big like you're big, so folks assume things they shouldn't. You understand what I'm saying? MAX: Yes, sir, I do. Kane: you were about 4 years old when everything happened . Maybe you do remember a thing or two. Hey, boy? MAX: No. don't remember. Whatever happened, I don't remember. KANE: I'm putting my one hand down on this Bible, see? And my other hand is on my heart, can you see that? MAX: Yes, sir, I can. KANE: I swear by all that's holy that I did not murder this boy's mother. Satisfied? (Loretta enters, holding a BOX OF PIZZA.) LORETTA (CONT'D):Merry Christmas. KANE: That's the best you can do, cold pizza? LORETTA: Nothing wrong with pizza. It's got vitamins and stuff. Ask anybody. IGGY: There's cops around. It was that little cripple kid, he must have told 'em. Ask your boy, they was friends. So I told 'em I ain't seen Kenny Kane in years. KANE: They believe you? IGGY: Who knows with cops? KANE: You turn on me, did you? IGGY: No, no! I wouldn't do that. It was the cripple kid sent 'em, you gotta believe me! KANE : Never trust a cripple. You know that, don't you? MAX: Yes, sir (Kane leaves) LORETTA: Oh my! It aint right, a man tying up his own son. (She pulls the gag loose. Max wheezes.) The plan is, Iggy keeps him busy while I get you loose, now isn't that a good plan? Do you think you can walk? I cant carry you MAX: (finds his voice)Yes, ma'am. (LORETTA(helps him)One step at a time, that's what they say. Killer Kane lunges from the darkness, knocks over Max, and grabs Loretta by the throat. Max tries to stop him from strangling)

MAX :I saw you do it, Daddy! I saw you kill Mom! I saw you and I'll never forget! Never, never! MAX: You were wearing your brown corduroy trousers and the black T-shirt with no sleeves. You carried me back to my room and put me to bed and told me I was just dreaming. But I told them, Daddy, I told the policeman! I told them! Kane drops the semi-conscious Loretta and places his hands around Maxs neck. KANE: I really wish you hadn't, boy. It cost me years. KANE : Who's there! That you, Iggy? KANE : Iggy? Kevin steps into the spotlight, brandishing a Super soaker squirt gun. KEVIN: Stay where you are! KANE(to Max)Son? Is this your freaky little friend? Why he aint nothing but a midget and a cripple! KANE (to Kevin)Playtime is over, kid. KEVIN: It'll melt your ugly face. KANE: You're lying, kid. I know a liar. All you got in there is tap water. KEVIN: Try me .and throws it to Kane Police comes in and take kane KANE : Help me! That miserable little freak, he squirted me with acid! Im blind! Im blind! POLICEWOMAN: Smells like vinegar and soap to me. Youll live. KEVIN:( to max)You okay? MAX: Yeah. Was it you called the cops? KEVIN; It was Freak the Mighty. SCENE TWO Max at front of stage, addressing audience. MAX: So, sometimes things work out, sort of. We got to be famous for about fifteen seconds. Loretta is ok, My father went back to jail Anyhow, I figured the worst was finally over, and the crap had stopped hitting the fan. Wrong. Kevin tried to tell me, but it was a long time before I figured it out for myself. SCENE THREE (Is Kevins birthday kevin opens his presents.) Happy birthday to youuuuu MAX:Cool! A lap top!

Kevin opens his mouth as if to speak, but nothing comes out. He gasps a few times and then faints dead away. Grim is instantly dialing 911 in the background. GWEN: Kevin! Oh my God! Not on his birthday! Please, somebody do something! GRIM: This is an emergency. We need an ambulance for a small boy. Dr. Spivak enters. DR. SPIVAK: (to max) Kevin has been in a crisis situation, we had to stabilize him. But he wants to see you now. I said he could, but just for a few minutes, okay? MAX: Okay. KEVIN: Max. MAX: When do you come home? KEVIN: Im not coming home. Not in my present manifestation. MAX: What?

KEVIN:(confiding)The Bionic Unit is on red alert. Later tonight theyll take me down there for my special operation, the one that gives me a new body. The next time you see me Ill be new and improved. MAX: Im scared. KEVIN: Ill be fine, dont worry. (Kevin starts to die) DR. SPIVAK: Youll have to wait outside! Kevin! Kevin, look at me! MAX :They wouldnt let me stay in his room, so I hung out in the lobby all night. (Max sits alone in one of three chairs, staring at the floor). MAX: No. No. He cant be dead. He cant! He cant! (Dr. Spivak enters, but stays back until the family get Max to calm down.) GWEN: Max! Please! Listen to me Max! Theres nothing you can do! Theres nothing anybody can do! SPIVAK: (to the adults) You can let him up now. Hes just a little confused. MAX: YOU TOLD HIM YOULL GET HIM HIS ROBOT BODY AND YOU LIED!! HE BELIEVED YOU!! DR. SPIVAK: Robot body? What are you talking about? MAX: The Bionics Unit. Kevin thought he was getting a new body.

DR. SPIVAK: Im sorry, Max. Theres no such thing s the Bionics Unit. No such thing as getting a new body. MAX: So Kevin was lying? DR. SPIVAK: I dont think it was a lie, Maxwell, do you? I think Kevin needed something to hope for, and so he invented this fantasy you describe. Max, who was this Freak the Mighty he kept referring to? Was that another fantasy? MAX: It was nothing. It was stupid. It was just a big, stupid lie! Stupid, stupid stupid! (Max is hitting himself in the head with his fists.) SCENE SIX LORETTA: Maxwell! Remember me? (she sits beside him) Listen I heard what happened. Thats tough. Im sorry. MAX: Yeah. They sit in awkward silence for a few beats. LORETTA: Yeah, really tough. So what are you doing these days? MAX: Nothing.

LORETTA: Nothing is a drag, kid. Think about it. MAX: I thought about what Loretta said and how nobody really knew about Freak The Mighty but me and Kevin, and Kevin was gone, so there was only me. And I decided to write it down, so I wouldnt forget. (He puts on glasses and starts to write.) And once I wrote down the name I had to explain what happened. How I never had a brain until Kevin came along.(Keeps writing. ) So I wrote that down. And I kept on writing until I wrote down all the adventures we had, (Max stands up, holding the Ornipthopter) MAX: Remember this? This was how it started. Pay attention now. This is an ornithopter. O-R-N-I-T-H-O-P-T-E-R. An ornithopter is a defined as an experimental device propelled by flapping wings. Or you could say an ornithopter is just a big word for mechanical bird. Observe and be amazed, earthlings! (Max flies it over the audience ) Cool, huh? THE END