“Of course!” Cat lights up. “You know how much I look up to you and XI Muse. I wanted my students to learn the importance of staying true to God and how our own compromises and selfish decisions can destroy the lives of others. You were the victim of other people abandoning God, yet once you were given the opportunity to break free, you chose to follow what’s right and not grow bitter for the things done to you. You could’ve used your sad story as an excuse to gain an unbalanced amount of pity and manipulate others, going from one extreme to the other. Instead, you took the focus back to the Bible, forgiving your enemies and allowing God to set everything right. I highly respect you for that.”
“Why, thank you!” MV cheers.
XI adds her admiration. “I compare you with myself, and it humbles me. I was so prideful over bad things I had endured before becoming a System Guard, and I am glad I was given the grace I was in overcoming my past. Seeing how you handled everything you went through has really helped me mature even more than ever.”
“Oh, you silly Muse,” MV says to her counterpart, “you may not have suffered as long as I did, but up until Arion Jekel attacked, I had endured just as much as you, and handled it the same way. You know that I, of all people, understand that you went through some horrible things as a teen, so don’t discount your trauma just because I happened to suffer a bit more. I’m very proud of you for how you have grown as well.” The doubles hug and soon find themselves surrounded by the teen girls. The boys would join in out of sympathy, but they just voice their companionship from afar, earning a few giggles from the women.
After a little while of spending more time with MV and XI, the class soon moves along and makes their way to the next location. As they do, Duplica informs them of another storyboard with a similar tragedy occurring.
“There is another storyboard where Missy received the same awful treatment as Muse did here, only there were other victims involved, including Jaqui Scar and Charity. I decided to just stick with only interviewing Muse MV so as to not overload you with so much negativity, especially of this mature nature, but I thought I’d at least inform you casually for the sake of being aware.”
“Aw, Mom,” Gigi says in slight complaint, “I’m glad you didn’t overload us, but I kind of wish you would have at least brought Missy to MV so I could’ve hugged her. I’m sure all of her trouble is behind her as well, but I think she needs to know that future generations are aware of her and love her as a hero all the same, even if she was forced to do bad things.”
Touched by her daughter’s compassion, Duplica decides to make a quick summoning request.
“Gigi,” Duplica says, “we don’t call her Missy anymore. We only call her Millennia, as that’s what AB called her after he was brought back for her, okay?”
Inner Man Theatre 