Sep. 9, Public Transit, Vancouver; Shortly After School
Thorne had successfully caught the after-school bus today, and was looking through the feed on his phone. There were a lot of posts to see. There was a string of comments underneath one of Heather's posts. He decided to read it.
The first comment: "Wow, she's so stunning. She took a huge 180."
The second comment, from another person: "If she had a Shadow, I bet it would be a princess."
A third comment, from another new commenter: "She's so popular. I'm totally jealous."
Thorne's expression was a mash-up of emotions as he read the comments. On one hand, it must have been really flattering for Heather to receive such comments. On the other hand, this wasn't really who she was, and he was the only one who seemed to know that.
He continued to scroll down through his feed. He noticed a picture from one of his classmates who he hadn't ever really bothered to talk to. He remembered that she sat at the same table as Heather and the other girls. It was a red-haired girl named Celeste. His eyes narrowed in shock at what he saw on his phone screen. He looked around frantically to make sure nobody else saw his phone screen.
The picture that Celeste had posted was incredibly suggestive. It was an image of her teasing to remove her own underwear in front of a camera. He shook his head and frantically scrolled past the image. He looked down at the comments of the image.
"Wow," said one commenter.
Another commenter shamelessly wrote, "I wish she'd just take it off."
Thorne scowled. How inappropriate… Was that how Celeste had managed her way into the girls' posse? "I suppose sex is popular," he muttered to himself.
He continued scrolling down. He came across a post that mentioned Luke. "Luke totally glared at me today. You know, those glares of his that say he's plotting your murder. Should I call the police? I feel unsafe."
Someone commented, "You probably should T.B.H."
The original poster had replied, "I want to, but what if he finds out I did? I'd be dead!"
Thorne sighed. What a toxic environment… perhaps it would be better to avoid it entirely…
Just then, he got a text from Heather. He opened it and read it to himself. "Hey," she greeted.
"Hey," he responded. In a second message, he sent, "What's up?"
"I just got home," Heather answered. "You?"
He thought about how to respond… He could confront her about how her actions were affecting him… "You look really uncomfortable when you're with those girls," he noted.
She replied, "You have no clue. They're amoral. But people who like them (everyone) also like me, so it's not like I have a choice."
"Heather, this isn't a T.V. drama," Thorne typed, and sighed in reality. "You do have a choice. Maybe you just don't see that you do."
Meanwhile, behind Heather's phone, she squared her shoulders. "To be honest, you're right," she sent. "I'm exhausted trying to keep up this act… But I feel trapped by the expectations of everyone…"
Thorne had a suggestion. "What if we confront your Shadow?"
"What would that even accomplish? That just puts me in danger."
Thorne replied, "It's worth a shot, no?"
"Yeah…" Heather replied. "You're right, it is."
Sep. 9, Heather Holland's Masquerade, PsykoNet; After School
Thorne and Heather both arrived at the entrance of Heather's Headquarters at around the same time. "I'm hungry…" Heather groaned.
"Have you been eating regularly?" Thorne asked, concerned.
"Um… yes…?" Heather answered, obviously lying.
Thorne sighed.
Seven walked up. "Good to see you both here again."
"Hi, Seven!" Heather waved. "How's it been?"
"Thorne's phone is a comfortable vessel for me," the Android said.
"Seven," Thorne began, "I have something to ask."
"I am obliged to answer your question," Seven responded.
"How do we get rid of a Headquarters?"
"Well, that's both a simple task, and a complicated one," explained Android 07. "The short answer is that you'd have to kill the Shadow Boss who's running the H.Q."
"Kill my Shadow?" Heather gasped.
"There are essentially no real-world consequences to killing a person's Shadow in PsykoNet. After all, you in reality and the persona you portray online are not one in the same," Seven continued to explain. "Killing a Shadow is like destroying someone's digital mask. However, it will have a slight effect on the real person behind the Shadow. It will essentially disable them from continuing to use their online identity."
"Sounds kind of… manipulative…" Heather noted with a sigh. "However, I'm desperate. Thorne, I give you permission to kill my Shadow."
"Sounds good!" Thorne said, giving a thumbs-up. "Let's go then!"
"It should be fairly easy to attract the attention of Shadow Heather," Seven nodded. "After all, we are already her targets."
The trio went out into the main ballroom. However, there was an impassable line of people in the way. "They're so tightly packed…" Thorne groaned. "We won't be able to slip through them."
"That sucks…" Heather sighed.
"Thorne, perhaps you have a gadget that would be of use," Seven suggested.
"A gadget?" Thorne asked, confused.
"I noticed that there is a grappling hook attached to your belt," Seven pointed out.
"Oh, is that what that is? I had no clue," Thorne awkwardly chuckled. "Okay, wow, I literally am I spy."
Heather laughed.
Thorne grabbed the grappling hook off of his belt and looked around… Where could he fire it? His visor helped him out by highlighting the chandelier. "Ah-ha!" he exclaimed. He fired the grappling hook gadget at the chandelier, and the chain shot out, gripping tight to the metallic fixture! "Heather, hold on," Thorne instructed.
He grabbed onto Heather's waist and the strong, sturdy grappling hook pulled the two of them up on top of the glamorous chandelier. The sea of people below looked even denser from up above. Seven turned into his code form and teleported on top of the chandelier as well. "Where will we go from here?" the Android asked.
"There's a balcony over there. I don't see any other way to get to it," Thorne acknowledged. "Maybe I can grapple over to it." He shoot his grappling hook at the railing of the balcony, and grabbed onto Heather, and the two of them were pulled over to the balcony.
"Whoa… that was close…" Heather panted.
"Sorry," Thorne awkwardly chuckled. "I'm still new at this."
They proceeded through the balcony door. What they didn't expect to see on the other side of the door was another guard! "Hello," the guard said smugly. "You're the unmasked intruders."
"Wow, you recognized me?" Thorne asked, putting a hand up to his mouth in faked surprise. "Wow, guys, I'm popular!"
Heather chuckled.
"Don't get cocky, intruder! I have orders to eliminate you by any means necessary!" the guard shouted, beginning to gruesomely transform into a Shadow!
Thorne was slightly surprised to see that the guard transformed into not one, but two Shadows at once! Both of the Shadows were identical. They were both golden statues. The Ideal. Or rather, two Ideals.
Seven stepped forward, and Heather took a stand behind Thorne's back!
"They who do not conform to the ideals of society shall be condemned," the first Ideal proclaimed.
The second Ideal chimed in, "Quality is inseparable from beauty. Those who refuse to strive for beauty are worthless!"
Clearly, the Shadow's words cut deep into Heather's mind. She peered down at the ground.
Thorne prepared for combat. He managed the first attack! He fired his pistol right through one of the Shadows' foreheads! The Shadow retaliated by firing an orb of dark energy at Thorne! However, Seven fired a Nuclear blast at the dark orb, knocking it off course! Then, the Android fired another Nuclear blast at the Shadow! The Shadow was knocked down!
Thorne saw an opportunity! He fired his grappling hook at the unharmed Ideal, and used the chain's strength to launch the Shadow at its twin! The two of them collided, taking great damage!
"Seven! Take care of them!" Thorne instructed.
"Yes, sir!" Seven agreed, saluting Agent Rose. He summoned Golem, and had the Persona blast a powerful, long-lasting beam of Nuclear energy at both of The Ideals! The Shadows faded before the beam was even finished firing.
Thorne smirked. "Mission accomplished!" he proclaimed with confidence, spinning his pistol around his finger.
Suddenly, a familiar distorted voice echoed through the entire masquerade hall.
"How's everyone doing?" the voice asked. "I hope everyone's enjoying the party!"
The dense population in the ballroom let out a roar of cheering.
"Good to hear!" the distorted voice continued.
Heather, Thorne, and Seven both returned to the balcony, where they could watch what was about to unfold.
The speaker was, of course, Shadow Heather. "It's time for a new festivity, which I like to call…" She paused for dramatic effect. "The Gauntlet! Where we pit two people against each other to make me look better!"
Heather looked away, unable to continue watching. Thorne noticed, and sighed.
"I need everyone to line up along the walls of the ball room," the Shadow Boss instructed. "Our combatants will need plenty of room to be able to duke it out!" She winked, as if she wasn't about to send two innocent people into battle together, and was instead introducing a celebrity guest.
The guests obediently lined the ballroom walls.
"So," said Shadow Heather excitedly, "who will be our first participant?"
The ball's guests chattered amongst themselves. However, one voice was louder than them all.
"I will!"
It was Heather herself.
