Mutual Enemies/Dialogues

After the Council vote...
You're at home, texting Nishan while you try to think of something... anything to save your school.
MC: 'Nish, how's the cyber recon going? Any results?'
Nishan: 'Slow. Ace has covered his tracks well, and after last time, it's impossible to know what's for real and what Ace planted. But I'll dig up something!'
MC: 'Thanks, I'm counting on you. We only have six days until the school board votes to shut down our school.'
Nishan: 'Actually... may have stumbled onto something. Will get back to you soon.'
Half an hour later, you hear your doorbell ring. You unlock the door...
MC: Hey Nishan, what'd you--
You open the door to find Ace waiting on your doorstep!
Ace: MC. Let's talk.
Ace slips past you into your house, settling into a seat at the dinner table.
MC: What do you want, Ace?
Ace gestures calmly to the seat across from him.
Ace: Please. Take a seat.
You don't move, your cold stare unblinking.
Ace: Or keep standing. Sure.
MC: What are you doing here?
Ace: Someone's been sniffing around Kepler's files. My files. Call off your hound, MC.
MC: I don't know what you're talking about.
Ace: MC. Come on. I'm a lot of things, but stupid isn't one.
Ace: I've got a few contacts who are geniuses with computers. They traced a few security alerts back to your school network... and Nishan.
Ace: Order him to stop. Or else.
MC: Or else what? You already sunk my school.
Ace: Trust me, I'm still playing nice. But here's a question.
Ace: Which do you want me to do? Should I get Nishan blacklisted from Battlebots? Ship him back to Hearst? Or maybe send a certain letter to his dream college?
Ace: I'll let him know it was your decision.
Ace: Now... you gonna tell him to stand down or not?
Choice
What do you say?
   I'll call him off.
   You're bluffing.
   (Bluff.) Go ahead! Ruin his life.
if "I'll call him off." then
   MC: Fine. I'll tell Nishan to stop. Happy?
   Ace: Over the moon. Now let's see you do it. Go on. I'm waiting.
if "You're bluffing." then
   MC: You wouldn't do that. You're just trying to scare me into backing down with empty threats.
   Ace: Don't you know by now, MC? I never bluff.
   Ace coolly pulls out his phone and starts dialing...
   Ace: Hey. Remember what we discussed? Make it happen. His name is Nish--
   MC: Wait! Stop! I'll call Nishan off!
if "(Bluff.) Go ahead! Ruin his life." then
   Ace: You're joking.
   MC: I mean it. Go ahead, do it. Ruin Nishan's life. See if I care.
   MC: You don't get to blackmail me.
   Ace takes out his phone and taps a button. Your voice plays back over staticky speakers... 'Go ahead, do it. Ruin Nishan's life. See if I care.'
   Ace: Ouch. That's gonna hurt when he hears it. Let me just text it to him real quick--
   MC: Wait! Stop! I'll call him off, okay?
You text Nishan under Ace's watchful eye.
MC: 'Changed my mind, Nish. Stop looking into Ace. We won't block the vote that way. Don't waste your time.'
Ace: See, wasn't that easy?
MC: You're not going to win, Ace. I'm going to stop you... that's a promise.
Ace: You really don't get it, do you? You can't stop me. You just don't have what it takes...
Ace: Just now, you called off your friend to protect him. You're full of heart, MC. Full of weakness. You care too much.
MC: I do care. That's why I'm gonna make you sorry you ever messed with my school.
Ace chuckles. He pats you on the shoulder before getting up to leave.
Ace: You're no bully, MC. Don't talk like one.
You pace around the room after Ace leaves. His mocking laughter echoes in your mind as you think over what he said...
MC: So he thinks I don't have what it takes...
MC: But I know who does.
Within the hour, you're on Mia's doorstep, waiting for someone to answer the door. You hear a rush of footsteps, and the door swings open.
Mia: Oh hey, MC. Talk about good timing!
Mia: I just saw Ace on the news, being all fake-sad about our school maybe getting shut down.
MC: He has everyone fooled.
Mia: We've got to stop him. You're here to strategize, right? Didn't know you were stopping by, but I must have missed your text--
MC: Actually, I'm not here for you...
MC: I've got business with your brother.
As Mia leads you through her house, she throws a skeptical glance back at you.
Mia: What do you want with Max? I don't know why anyone would voluntarily talk to him.
MC: I need to ask him about when Ace sabotaged his campaign for the Council and replaced him with Kara.
Mia: Ooh, gotcha. Good luck. He's over there...
Mia leaves you just outside a home gym. Loud rap music plays, the thudding bass ratcheting up your heart rate.
In the corner, Max throws rapid-fire punches at a heavy bag, sweat beading on his forehead. He breaks into a smirk when he sees you.
Max: Enjoying the show?
Max: Heard about your school. If you want a shoulder to cry on, you're looking in the wrong place.
MC: Look, I know we haven't always been BFFs exactly, but we have a mutual enemy now... Ace. And I think we can help each other out.
Max: Wait... you and me? Teaming up? Oh man, you must really be desperate to come to me to save your dumb school.
MC: I am.
Max: Hm. What's in it for me?
if The Bad Boy is completed -- you dated Max and like him
   MC: Revenge. Ace cost you your win in the election.
   Max: And?
   MC: And... I'd be grateful.
   Max: Then it's Max Warren here to save the day.
   Max: Uh... any bright ideas on how I can do that?
if Kara broke up with Max in The Victory Banquet
   MC: Revenge. Remember when Ace gave your spot on the Council to Kara? And he's been using the Council to take resources from Hearst. You really okay with that?
   Max: Sounds like it's payback time. Besides... if anyone's taking down your little hippie commune, it's gonna be me.
   Max: Any bright ideas on how to score some revenge?
else
   MC: Revenge. Ace stole your spot on the Council and gave it to Kara... and now he's blackmailing her. You really okay with Ace blackmailing your girlfriend?
   Max: Sounds like it's payback time. Besides... if anyone's taking down your little hippie commune, it's gonna be me.
   Max: Any bright ideas on how to score some revenge?
MC: Uh, I was hoping you had one. Why do you think I'm here?
MC: The problem is, he says he's got nothing to lose. He isn't afraid of anything.
Max: Ha! Take it from me. Everyone's afraid of something. But if we're going to beat Ace, we'll have to play dirty...
Max: But you? You're always such a goody-two-shoes. I don't think you're tough enough to actually go through with this.
MC: Trust me. I'll do anything to...
Choice
What do you say?
   Save my school.
   Get revenge.
if "Save my school." then
   MC: I'm not letting Ace shut down my school. It's where my classmates belong. It's where I belong.
   MC: And I'll do whatever it takes to protect it.
if "Get revenge." then
   MC: He used me, he turned my classmates against me, and now he's about to get my school shut down.
   MC: It's time he got a taste of his own medicine.
Max: Ooh, man. You know, in another life, I think you and I would've been pretty tight. Let's get started.
Max: Shutting down a guy like Ace won't be easy. We can't do this alone. You'd better call up your friends and--
MC: No. We leave them out of this.
MC: I don't want to risk getting them targeted for retaliation and... you're right. We're gonna have to play dirty. I don't want them to have to be part of that.
Max: Fair enough. I know some people who live to play dirty.
MC: Who?
Max: Let's just say Ace has made a lot of enemies.
MC: Good. Let's go meet up with them.
Max: Cool, but uh... just promise me you won't flip out, okay?
You're riding in Max's red Porsche on your way to meet his friends when you get a text from Payton!
Payton: 'omg i can't even with the district board stuff :( wanna come over and drown our sorrows in some rocky road ice cream?'
MC: 'Sorry, kinda busy right now. Rain check?'
Max parks outside Wings Atomica. You follow him into a shadowy alleyway behind the restaurant, where two figures are waiting by a dumpster.
Max: Yo. You guys remember MC, right?
MC: Really, Max? Them?
Jack: 'Sup?
Asher: Don't be so surprised, MC. The Maxster and I party together on the reg.
Max: Our, uh... our dads are friends.
Asher: Stoked for our next playdate, dude.
MC: What are you even doing here? Asher, I thought you and Ace were working together on the Council.
Asher: Psh, not anymore. As soon as he got me to help pass his stupid proposal, he had me booted out.
MC: What happened? Did you get in his way on a vote? Or find dirt on him?
Asher: No. He just swaggered up to me and went, 'I don't like you. Get out.'
MC: What about you, Jack? How do you even know Ace?
Jack: I was at this sweet party downtown, all the girls were into me...
Jack: And then your guy Ace comes over and goes, 'Is this guy bothering you?' Walked off with all my ladies!
Asher: But we've got the dream team together now! Ace is toast!
Trying to ignore the stench of the nearby dumpster, you look from Jack... to Asher... to Max.
MC: What am I getting myself into?
Max: I warned you. If you want to get to Ace, we're the only ones who can do it. You and your friends are too nice to play Ace's game and win.
Max: If you can't take the heat, just walk away now.
Your phone buzzes with another text from Payton. You glance at it and think of all your friends and classmates...
MC: I'm not giving up that easy. Let's do this.
Max: All right, dream team, brainstorm time. How do we get Ace out of the picture?
Jack: Fill his gas tank with mayo. Slash his tires. T.P. his house. T.P. his toilet. Steal his textbooks.
Asher: Steal his girlfriend. I volunteer.
Max: Dudes, come on. You think any of that would be enough? This is business. MC came to us as professionals.
Max: We just have to find out the one thing Ace is still afraid of and use it to get some sweet, sweet revenge.
MC: Ahem.
Max: And save MC's school. Whatever.
Asher: I like the sound of revenge... and I know how we can get the info we need.
Jack: Yeah, digging up dirt on a guy like Ace? Easy, if you know where to look.
MC: We don't have any time to waste. Let's go!
The next day, you dress up nice and head to a museum downtown. Asher is waiting for you on the front steps.
Asher: Whoa, MC! You look so rich I didn't even recognize you.
MC: Out with it, Asher. Why am I dressed like this? What are we doing here?
Asher: Almost any guy who goes to Kepler ends up in high society. I've heard his family's name floated around my circles...
Asher: First rule of rich people? Our most powerful weapon is information.
MC: So you gossip a lot.
Asher: You don't have to be so critical. Anyway, we're bound to dig up something on Ace at this charity ball.
MC: Lead the way.
You and Asher head into the museum, where members of high society waltz to a string quartet. Others mingle in groups, exchanging pleasantries over flutes of champagne.
Asher: Just try to blend in.
MC: Easy enough. I'll just...
Choice
What do you do?
   Talk about golf.
   Criticize the hors d'oeuvres.
   Laugh snobbily.
if "Talk about golf." then
   MC: So how about hitting the green later, Asher? I just hired a new caddy. He used to work for Warren Buffet, but I gave him a better offer.
   Asher: Sounds like a plan. I've been working on my swing...
   An elegantly dressed couple near you asks where you golf.
   MC: Ha! Where don't we golf? We have so much to talk about.
if "Criticize the hors d'oeuvres." then
   You grab an hors d'oeuvre from a nearby platter and eat it, enjoying the decadent flavors.
   MC: Mm... crab... a hint of papaya... this is hardly adequate. My personal chef would do so much better.
   Asher: Good cooks are so hard to find. Where'd you get yours?
   MC: Stole him away from a hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Paris, of course. The food there is simply divine.
   An elegantly dressed couple stops you to ask about the cuisine in Paris...
   MC: Oh, I have a list of favorites a mile long. We have so much to talk about.
if "Laugh snobbily." then
   You throw your head back and laugh loudly! Heads turn in your direction.
   MC: Aha! Ha! Ha! My dear Asher, you slay me!
   Asher: Yeah, that's me. Class clown.
   An elegantly dressed couple pauses to ask what's so funny.
   MC: Oh, Asher and I were simply laughing at the misfortune of others. Always such a delight.
After an hour of mingling and gossiping, Asher sidles up to you, looking pleased.
Asher: Sounds like Ace isn't old money. His parents only showed up on the scene a few years ago. They're social climbers.
MC: You sure?
Asher: I know the signs. I'm new money myself, and if one thing's true, it's that new money always acts like it's old money.
MC: So what? How do we use that?
Asher: Patience, young one. Patience.
Back at the Warren house...
You and Max sneak into his father's home office. Max quickly takes a seat at the grand mahogany table, where he powers on his father's computer.
MC: What does this have to do with finding Ace's weakness?
Max: My dad's co-hosting the Pioneers of the Future banquet in a few days... it's to honor future captains of industry and stuff.
MC: Let me guess. You're a pioneer of the future.
Max: Got that right. Asher's invited, but what matters is... so is Ace. Basically, anybody who's anybody is gonna be there, including their families.
Max clicks through his father's files until...
Max: Here we go. Ace's application for the banquet. There's his essays, achievements portfolio, recommendations...
You and Max skim through Ace's application.
Max: Hm... nothing juicy... yet.
Max opens a file full of photos of Ace.
MC: What's this for?
Max: There's gonna be a slideshow during the banquet. The honorees were supposed to send in pictures of their journey growing up.
MC: Ace at a debate tournament... Ace walking around Kepler... Ace shaking hands with the governor...
MC: These are all pictures of Ace in high school. Doesn't he have any from before that?
Max: Well, there's this one...
Max clicks through to a cropped picture of eight year-old Ace grinning toothily at the camera.
He's holding a traffic-light green backpack that's mostly out of the frame.
Max: No childhood pictures except this one. Weird, the way it's cropped.
MC: What is he hiding?
As evening falls, you drive through a maze of streets at Jack's direction.
Jack: Okay, turn left... and we're here!
MC: Uh, and where is this?
Jack: One of the most expensive neighborhoods in town! This is where Ace lives. If you wanna beat him, you gotta get your hands dirty... in the garbage!
MC: Oh, no. Please, no.
You and Jack sneak over to the side of Ace's house, where several garbage cans are lined up. Jack quickly lifts up a lid, and you follow suit.
MC: Gross gross gross...
After several minutes of digging, Jack waves a smelly, crumpled up brochure at you.
Jack: Jackpot! Or, as I like to say, jack-carver-pot!
MC: It's a brochure for...'St. Ambrose International School of Manila'?
Jack: Sounds like a posh boarding school. And the phone number on the bottom is circled. It's not just any old trash...
Jack: It's clue trash.
When one of Max's friends spots Ace in town, you and Max start tailing him from a distance.
You follow Ace to City Hall, where he grabs coffee with a few board members.
Ace: Thanks for meeting me. Here's the research you wanted on academic engagement...
At Kepler, Ace makes quick work of several club disputes.
Ace: Work it out with the marching band. They can share the field. Don't take no for an answer. Promise them new uniforms next year.
Finally, Ace retreats to a local cafe with a stack of paperwork. From a booth across the room, you watch him write up reports and make phone calls, never stopping for a break.
Max: This isn't going anywhere. He's just doing work! Doesn't he have a life?
MC: I'm pretty sure this is his life. Let's wait a few more minutes...
Just then, Ace leaves his table, talking on his phone. He paces down the road, his face almost pale in the street light. You follow, just out of sight.
Even from a distance, you hear someone shouting on the other end. Ace's eyes go blank as he listens, one hand clenching into a fist.
Ace: ...yes, I triple-checked. I only sent the pictures you approved...
Ace: ...I know how important it is... no, I promise I won't embarrass you again...
Ace: ...you won't have to call Headmaster Rosario...
Ace: ...bye, Dad.
After Ace hangs up, he quickly rubs his eyes. His shoulders droop for the briefest moment, before he snaps back to his usual self.
You and Max duck behind a parked car, making sure Ace doesn't see you as he walks back to the cafe.
MC: That's Ace's weakness. He's afraid of his parents.
The next day...
You sit cross-legged on your bedroom floor. All of Ace's photos for the banquet slideshow are laid out before you.
Your gaze keeps returning to the lone picture of his childhood... a young, smiling Ace holding a bright green backpack. You pick up the picture to examine more closely.
MC: Ace is afraid of embarrassing his parents... but how would he embarrass them? He's never made a mistake in his life...
You startle out of your reverie when the doorbell rings. You open the door to find...
MC: Wes? What's up?
Wes: Come on, MC. You haven't been replying to any of our texts.
MC: I've been a little... busy.
Wes: The board is voting to shut down our school in a few days, and you're missing in action. What happened?
You back away from the doorway as Wes repeats his question.
Wes: What happened, MC? The vote is around the corner, and you disappear on us. We're all worried about you--
Wes: Wait, what's that in your hand?
Before you can react, Wes plucks the cropped photo of Ace out of your hand.
Wes: That's Ace, isn't it? What are you doing with a picture of him?
MC: Uh, well... I just... found it?
Wes examines the photo closely, frowning.
Wes: I know that backpack... it's one of those backpacks given out to kids at Curie Elementary.
MC: Haven't heard of that school.
Wes: You wouldn't have. People consider it the worst part of town. I lived there for a bit with my brother... good times...
Wes: Didn't know Ace used to go to Curie. Huh, always struck me as the silver spoon, born wealthy type.
As Wes's words set the gears in your mind spinning, your phone lights up with a call from Asher.
Wes: What... Asher? Why is he calling you? MC, what's going on?
You meet Wes's concerned gaze... and think of what he'd say if he knew who you were working with...
MC: I don't know, okay? Look, I'll talk to you later.
Wes: Talk to me now, MC. Why are you pushing me away?
Choice
What do you say?
   I'm tired.
   I've given up.
if "I'm tired." then
   MC: After everything that's happened, I just needed a break. I'll be back and ready to go... tomorrow.
   Wes: That's really all there is to it?
   MC: Yeah, I'm just really, really tired.
   Wes: Well... I don't blame you.
if "I've given up." then
   MC: Ace won. There's nothing more we can do to stop him. I'm sick of fighting this losing battle.
   Wes: So that's it? You're really just giving up?
   MC: Yeah... sorry.
   Wes narrows his eyes at you, suspicious. Finally, he shakes his head.
   Wes: Fine. I'll go, because you clearly don't want to talk. But for what it's worth, I don't believe you for a second. You never give up.
Once you close the door, you pick up Asher's call.
MC: Asher, round everyone up. I think I know what Ace is hiding.
You meet the others at Max's house. You hand the cropped photo of Ace back to Max.
MC: Remember this? The picture of Ace with the backpack? Apparently, it's the backpack given out at Curie Elementary. I reverse-image searched it, and look...
You show them the full-sized photo... a class picture of Curie Elementary's third grade students, Ace front and center, grinning with his backpack.
Jack: Oh yeah! I remember those. I went there too!
Max: And you didn't recognize the backpack?
Jack: What do I need a backpack for? Books? Pffft.
Asher: Wait, Ace went to Curie Elementary? That rundown school on the other side of town?
MC: It seems like it. You know, I was surprised when Ace talked about coming from nothing even though his family's pretty wealthy...
MC: But, Asher, you were right. This suggests they weren't always so well off.
Max: That's what his parents are embarrassed of.
MC: But why? Ace is proud of it.
Asher: Oh, simple MC. You don't understand my people. People like Ace's family and mine... we're climbers. You can't let anyone know you're the newbie on the way to the summit.
Asher: I bet, if this somehow got out... like at the banquet, in front of all of high society... Ace's parents would be so embarrassed.
Max: Embarrassed enough to send him away to that boarding school like they threatened!
MC: Then all we have to do is take this to Ace and pressure him into backing down!
Max: And give him a chance to fight back? No way. You try to trap him like this, he'll find a way to wriggle out of it. We need to go straight to the nuclear option.
MC: What do you mean?
Asher: We switch out the cropped picture in his banquet slideshow for the full one, with the Curie Elementary sign front and center for all to see.
Jack: Everyone learns that they used to live there, Ace's parents get embarrassed, Ace's fault, they send him away, game over. School's saved. Revenge complete.
You look down at the picture of Ace's toothy, eight-year-old smile.
MC: I don't know...
Max: I told you. If you wanna stop Ace, you have to get your hands dirty.
Jack: Come on. You think Ace would hesitate for a second to do the same to you? Don't pull your punches, MC.
Asher: Do you want to save your school or not? You said you'd do whatever it takes. Did you mean it?
MC: ...I meant it.
On the night of the Pioneers of the Future banquet...
You meet Jack outside the hotel where the banquet is being held, both of you disguised as waiters.
MC: You got the photo?
Jack: Right here on this USB drive. Here you go. All you gotta do is plug it into the computer and swap out the cropped photo for the full one.
MC: Okay... let's do what we have to do.
You and Jack sneak into the banquet hall from a side entrance. You catch a glimpse of Asher and Max mingling with other students, all in formal dress.
You scan the crowd of students and their families, including some from your school, but you're looking for one person in particular.
MC: There he is... there's Ace.
You and Jack hang back on the fringes of the banquet party, disguised as waiters.
MC: Better keep track of Ace. If he sees me, he'll know something's up...
Jack: Distraction duty. Got it.
You keep an eye out for Ace, who deftly navigates the crowd, shaking hands with parents and politicians alike. He greets a few of the other honorees...
Ace: Good to see you. Not surprised, of course. This is a banquet for future student leaders... you three fit the bill.
Classmate 3: Thanks. Too bad I don't like being mentioned in the same breath as you.
Classmate 2: Ace, when you complimented me on my filibuster technique, I thought I'd found a like-minded ally...
Classmate 2: But then you switched parties. Et tu, Brute?
Classmate 1: Nice work voting to shut down our school.
Ace: Couldn't be helped. Broke my heart, but it was for the good of the district... and students like you.
Ace: But believe me, you three belong at a school like Kepler. And let me tell you, we'll be thrilled to have you once this messy business is over.
Classmate 3: We'll see about that.
You tear your gaze away from Ace and signal Jack. Balancing a tray of custard tarts, he walks over to a speaker system...
Jack: Aaaah!
...and trips dramatically over the cables! His tray goes flying, hitting the floor with a crash! The music suddenly shorts out.
You catch Max's eye as the technician manning the projector leaves his station. The two of you duck into the projector booth...
Max: Got the USB?
MC: Right here. Jack said he'd give us two minutes.
Max switches out the photos on the computer. You pocket the USB, and the two of you blend into the crowd.
You walk out the side entrance, heart still pounding. An evening breeze whooshes past you as someone steps out of the shadows.
Wes: MC. I know what you're doing.
You freeze at the side entrance of the banquet, looking back at Wes.
Wes: MC, I figured it out.
MC: You... did? But how--
Wes: Look, I know Ace. As much as it's possible to know a guy. He's proud of coming from nothing... but he'll hide it, for his parents' sake.
Wes: I know you have that picture of Ace in front of Curie Elementary...
Wes: You're going to expose Ace's past to everyone at this banquet. Just so you can embarrass his wannabe-rich parents into getting rid of him.
MC: It's what I have to do.
Wes: No, this isn't you. Working with people like Max, Jack, and Asher? This is the kind of low blow that Ace would go for.
MC: Wes...
Choice
What do you say?
   I'm not as perfect as you think.
   Don't compare me to Ace!
if "I'm not as perfect as you think." then
   MC: I'm no saint. I'm going to do what's necessary to save our school.
   Wes: MC...
   MC: I'm sorry. But I'm not changing my mind.
if "Don't compare me to Ace!" then
   MC: The difference between me and Ace is that I'm doing this to protect the people I care about. This is the only way to save our school.
   Wes: MC, don't do this.
   MC: I'm not changing my mind, Wes. That's final.
Wes: You're no bully, MC. Don't do this.
As you storm away from Wes, his words echo in your mind... until they sound like Ace.
Ace: You're no bully, MC...
Back inside the hotel, you and Jack watch as the Pioneers of the Future slide show begins.
Asher: Yeah, I make a handsome toddler. It's true.
You scan the families seated at candlelit tables, dining on five-course meals. You spot Ace sitting with his family in the middle of the hall.
MC: Tonight, this ends.
You and Jack look out at the banquet hall from the back...
A diamond chandelier casts glittering light on the students and families watching the Pioneers of the Future slide show.
Jack: Come on, come on! Hurry up.
Jack: Man, I can't wait to see Ace get owned. You know what I mean?
MC: Yeah, sure... can't wait...
You glance at Ace and his family. As the slide show continues, the banquet-goers raise their drinks in a toast.
Ace's father places a hand on his son's shoulder briefly and squeezes.
Ace: ...
Ace beams up at his father with the most genuine smile you've ever seen from him. You're suddenly keenly aware of the USB burning in your hand.
MC: I... I can't do this!
The banquet slide show continues, garnering oohs from the crowd. You turn over the USB drive in your hand.
MC: I... I can't go through with this. I can't do this to Ace.
Jack: Dude, what are you talking about?
MC: Exposing his past, just to provoke his parents into sending him away... it's different from proving that he sabotaged my school. It's going too far.
MC: Ace cares what his parents think of him. I can't destroy that, just to get what I want.
Jack: You can't chicken out now! If you don't let this roll, your weird school is gonna get closed down, remember?
MC: Yeah, but...
Jack: What, are you gonna back out so he owes you? He's never gonna know you helped him.
MC: No, I'm doing this because... it's what I should do. The right thing.
Before Jack can object, you plunge back into the banquet hall, weaving your way past candlelit tables...
You barge into the projector booth!
MC: Excuse me, but I need that laptop! Principal Warren sent me.
You elbow the techie out of the way and swap out the photos on the laptop... just as Ace's name is announced!
'Bartholomew de la Cruz...'
You hang back in the banquet just long enough to see Ace's original photos go up on the screen...
Asher: ...huh?
Polite applause fills the hall while a speaker reels off Ace's academic achievements. Max twists in his seat to glare at the projector booth.
Max: ...
You see Ace's mother give Ace a quick hug, while Ace's father smiles down at him. Seeing the happy family, you feel a rush of relief.
MC: Well, it's over.
You leave the banquet hall and see Wes waiting for you on the sidewalk, leaning against a street light.
Wes: Hey. I saw what happened back there.
You walk toward Wes, who offers you a sympathetic grin. He lightly punches your shoulder.
Wes: I saw what happened. I'm proud of you, MC.
MC: Don't be. I really, really wanted to take down Ace. But then... I just couldn't do it. I couldn't make him a failure in the eyes of his parents.
MC: I sentenced our school to closure, just to save a guy who hates me.
Wes: That's what makes you better than Ace. You did the right thing.
MC: I just wish doing the right thing didn't suck so much--
Max: Hey! MC!
Suddenly, Max appears on the hotel steps!
Max: What happened back there? I thought we had a deal!
Outside the Pioneers of the Future banquet, Max strides up to you and Wes.
Max: What did you do, MC?! Did you switch the photos back?
MC: Yeah, I did. I realized I couldn't sink to Ace's level...
Max: He deserves it! He messed up your life... my life...
MC: Look, it's one thing to show Ace for who he is... a manipulative, backstabbing political nightmare... it's another thing to humiliate him at a fancy banquet in front of his parents, for something that isn't even bad.
MC: I'm not going to use Ace's past against him. It's too low, even for someone as desperate as me.
Max turns to Wes.
Max: Dude, please. Talk some sense into MC.
Wes: I did.
Max: So this was you? You realize your school is as good as finished now, right?
MC: If I, or any of my classmates, were the kind of people to destroy someone the way I was planning to do to Ace, then my school wouldn't deserve to exist.
Max looks at you, dumbfounded.
Max: Maybe it doesn't.
Disgusted, Max stalks off. He throws open the hotel's double doors and disappears into the jovial noise of the banquet.
For a moment, you and Wes stand in silence. Your breath appears as clouds in the chilled night air.
Wes: He's right, you know. The district board's vote is in two days. Our school is finished.
MC: No. There's still one person who can save us...
MC: Ace.
Your school's on the brink of closure! Can you convince Ace to save your school before it's too late?
Keep playing to find out!