“Stop it and listen!” Marc insists. “I don’t want to kill anyone. All I’m saying is that between restricting you to be stuck under a law that will kill you anyway and escorting my lovely bride into a new universe where there is no danger or constriction, I think I’m leaning toward that freedom.”
“Marc, stop it.” Mercy looks at Paul in the distance. “He’ll never join you. We’ve taught him too well for that. What happens then?”
Ignoring the logic, Marc embraces his wife and tries to be awkwardly romantic with her, causing her to pull away.
“We don’t have time for this, Marc,” says the tot. “Make her choose now, or I will.”
“Don’t worry,” he says, “I’ll win her softly.” This begins a fight between Mercy and her own husband.
Ever vigilant as usual, Kammy soon spots this mayhem and notifies Paul. “Baby, your parents are fighting now! I think one of them may have been infected somehow!”
As he tries to help his parents, the tot he is facing gets in his way. “You know,” says the puppet as she takes advantage of being a Tiffany model, “I think it’s sad that she only likes you because you’re stronger. I might have only traveled with your class for one year, but even I have enough brains to see she’ll only stay if you can be as strong as Elfie, especially now that her competition is gone.” What this thing is referring to is the trip that Tiffany Stulmuch went on before revealing herself to be one of these marionettes. She is also pointing out the history of Kammy’s old crush on Elfie only dying because of Faye’s intervention. “They were meant to be together, but we arranged a distraction. Thank you, Paul, for helping us keep the System Successors from getting married!”
So now, Paul has to fight this thing while also battling the doubt she successfully put in his mind. “So, they used me to keep Kammy away from her calling? No, there’s no reason to believe that. Besides, even if it were true, Kam’s not like these liars. She’s a woman of integrity that would be honest enough to tell me of these new or renewed feelings. I’d rather her follow God’s leading, even if that were to go away from me, but I’m not going to push her away and rob her of the chance of being genuine for herself. This thing is not going to destroy all three relationships today!” Good job, wise Paul! He has a great perspective on the reality of potential change while also trusting that God will do what’s best in either scenario.
Having dealt with his inner struggle, Paul figures it’s time to take out this enemy here, thus whipping out his special stabbing attack, the Stab Storm. However, because of the tot’s ridiculous phobia of System energy, her movements are so amateur that Paul’s attack is able to take her out more quickly than if he had performed the normal routine. Irony is hilarious. Unfortunately for Paul, more J Tots just take her place to get in the way.
Seeing Mercy still locked in a struggle against Marc, Kammy decides to take her turn at attempting a rescue. However, it is not a J Tot that gets in her way, but John Scott…her father.
“Kammy, we don’t have time to be dealing with their marital problems,” he insists. “You and I need to focus on the tots we’re fighting.”
“Dad,” she argues, “these things could be infecting one of them. We should check on them to make sure it isn’t something deadly over there.”
John puts his hands on his daughter’s shoulders and says, “Baby, I know they’ll be fine. Mercy is a strong woman and Marc is her kind leader. There’s no reason to be so paranoid until we know what these things can do. You don’t know that whatever Owan was doing is a contagious condition, so stop accusing everyone of being possessed or something. You’re cute when your paranoid, but stop.”
Inner Man Theatre 