Visit:
(Okay, I figured I'd try and make something a little bit more emotionally impactful. So, I hope you guys like it. I also wanted to kinda boost up the bond between Diane & Zeke, as well. Enjoy!)
Zeke, Diane & Chief Luggins went to S.U.C.M. Prison. "Now, Madam Governor. You know the safety precautions, you'll need to remove all items to proceed." Chief reminded him, "I know, Chief. Zeke, you heard her, right?" Diane asked, Zeke looked slightly angry. "Y-Yeah…I know." He said, slightly dejected. They were going to see Marmalade. And he didn't really know what to feel. Marmalade tried to kill his family, control a bunch of guinea pigs, tried to steal money from charities. But…despite that, this guinea pig is one of the reasons that his family went straight and went good. Shermy came with him as a bit of comfort. "So, what does the child want to do, Madam Governor? He does realize he's talking to The Crimson Paw?!" Chief suspects that Zeke is acting suspicious. "What reason would Zeke would be trying to collaborate with Marmalade, Chief?" Diane asked, catching on to Chief's suspicion, and knowing that collaboration with Marmalade would be unlike her son.
Zeke took a deep breath, slightly annoyed, going through and giving all his things to the fellow guards. Diane knew the reason he was here, but was unsure how he was handling it.
(Later)
Once they made it through all of the security measures, Zeke went to the booth, Diane standing right next to him. A guard escorted Marmalade to the booth and place him in the chair. He looked annoyed, before realizing that Zeke and Diane in front of them. "Oh, Governor! What a pleasant surprise!" Marmalade said, in a faux-chipper manner. "And you've brought Ezekiel, my favorite strange-child!" He rolled his eyes, showing no interest in this visit.
"So, what'd you want? You come here to mock me for being caught?" He asked, unamused. Diane spoke first, "Zeke wanted to come see you to tell you something. I'm here to make sure you aren't causing trouble." Diane said, Zeke looked deadpanned. "Oh, what's the matter, Ezekiel? Not so happy to see me? That makes two of us." Marmalade looked on, more annoyed.
"Mom, hand me the phone-thing?" Zeke asked, sounding a little more dejected. "Sure, honey." Diane said. Marmalade rolled his eyes, "Well, what is it?" He asked, "I'm looking forward to your snarkiest comeback this time."
"Marmalade…" Zeke said, slightly annoyed and irritated. "I…"
Diane looked at her son, struggling to come up with the words. "Madam Governor?" Chief Luggins asked, "I f-for…" Zeke stuttered, part of him didn't want to say this.
"…I forgive you." He finally said. Marmalade looked shocked, he expected something else entirely.
He expected Zeke to be smug, that he was in prison. "Y-You forgive me?" He asked, Zeke still looked slightly dejected as he took a deep breath. "Wait, that's it?" Chief Luggins asked, surprised. "I…I didn't come to argue or fight. I came to try and make peace." Zeke said.
"H-Hahahahhahahhahahaha! Oh, that's rich!" Marmalade started laughing, "L-Let me guess, you think that because you've 'forgiven' me, that means I'll change or something?" He asked, condescending.
"Well, I could actually hope, I guess, g." Zeke said, trying not to sound angry. Zeke felt so conflicted on these things, "That's a good one, Ezekiel. Honestly, I keep forgetting I'm talking to a child." Marmalade said, Zeke looked down. "You don't look like you even want to forgive me." He said, Zeke looked angry. "Even if I don't want to, I forgive you." Zeke then said, looking at Marmalade, with that anger from before. "I…I hope you change at least…Marmalade." Zeke then said, hanging up the phone as he got out of the chair.
Marmalade looked at him, shocked. "Are you serious?! What, that's all you wanted to say?!" He asked, irritated from behind the booths.
Zeke looked down, sad slightly. "Come on, sweetie. Let's go." Chief walked up with Diane, "He seriously came all this way just to tell Marmalade he forgives him?!" She whispered, "Are you sure that boy is not up to something? What if that was code for something?" Diane looked at Chief, "You know I'm right next to you, right? No amount of whispering's gonna go unheard." Zeke said, "Well, why, then?" She asked.
Zeke put his hands in his pockets, "I wanted to do the right thing. I...I just needed some closure." He explained. "Still..." Zeke didn't like that he froze when he tried to forgive Marmalade.
(Later)
Zeke sat on the couch, listening to music. But he sat, wrapping his arms around his knees. "Honey, is everything okay?" Diane asked, trying to cheer his son up. "'M fine, Mom." He asked,
"What are you listening to?" She asked, picking up his his ear bud. "Oh, BLACKPINK!" Zeke simply nodded, "They cuss in this one, be careful." Diane said, "I won't be cussing, no worries." Zeke said, trying to smile. "Zekey, what's wrong? Is it because of Marmalade?" She asked, "Sorta…It's mostly me." Zeke then said, "What do you mean?" Diane put her hand out, and Zeke held it. "It's just…I felt like I DIDN'T want to forgive him." Zeke said, ashamed of himself. "It's like…I know he's somehow helped us go good, but he still tried to kill you, Dad and the others, so…How do I respond?" Zeke started tearing up. "Honey, forgiveness isn't a feeling, it's a choice. You need to let your anger go." Diane said, patting his head. "For your sake and his, you gotta let it go and move on. Otherwise, if you're trapped by the past, you won't be able to see your present or future." Zeke wiped his eyes, "Y-Yes ma'am." He said, "Besides, forgiveness could do both you AND him well." Diane said. Zeke nodded his head, he understood that maybe showing Marmalade a bit of actual kindness could help him go good as well. He smiled, "Thanks, Mom." He then said, Diane kissed his forehead. "Now, try to cheer up, okay? Anything you wanna do?" She asked, Zeke then went and grabbed one of his games. "Wanna explore New York looking for Spider-Bots and Prowler tech?" He asked, she giggled at that response. "Sure."
(Later)
Shermy meowed, sitting right next to Zeke on the couch. "Ok, Shermy. Let's go and try to find those Spider-Bots!" Zeke then said, deciding to cheer up. "Okay, so we head after the zones marked in purple for that tech Miles' uncle and the rainbow-ish zones for the Spider-Bots." Diane said, taking the first few rounds. "Yeah, then we go and finish the side-quests." Zeke said, but he was thinking about something he heard in the earlier cutscenes. He heard something pretty similar to what his mom told him about forgiveness. "I can't hold on to my anger toward Marmalade..." Zeke said to himself. He wonders how Marmalade actually took his choice to forgive him. "Hey, Mom?" He asked, "Do you think...Marmalade could change, too?" Zeke then asked.
Diane then thought about it, "Well...I don't know about right now. But...who knows?" Zeke then thought of God, "He'd know, no doubts about that." Zeke wondered if Marmalade had any chance. He then realized if his family could go good and he and they could live a law-abiding lifestyle, he began to think Marmalade had a chance, too.
(Okay! So, I hope this worked! I'll be honest, I'm trying to work on myself, still. And the things I've learned about forgiveness, I'm trying to utilize here. I wanted to write how an interpretation of how forgiveness is a choice, not a feeling, and Zeke having a bit more anger towards Marmalade was how I wanted to interpret that. I hope I did a good job. Anyways, stay strong and awesome! Remember that God forgives you of your sins, if you ask for forgiveness, repent and try to change)