Joker flashes back to his talk with Remi. Reflecting on the mistakes he made in his universe.
Remi: I'd like to avoid the fight at all costs, so I'm here to find a middle ground. What will make you stop all of this?
Joker: Is this how all high tiers work? You only want to negotiate when you know you can't win. Well guess what, I'm not going to stop, I won't settle for any bullshit.
NOW GET LOST!
Remi: I know what you're trying to do, you want the school in a state of panic. By hiding your face while brutalizing the students, you want us to be embarrassed. Make people lose faith in the high rankers.
Joker doesn't respond.
Remi: Why? You must have a reason.
Joker: Are you seriously asking why? I'll show you why! You're all entitled brats who think they can do whatever they want! Abuse the living crap out of your powers, and-
Remi interrupts.
Remi: But can't you see that you're doing the same thing, you're doing what you want! You're a hypocrite!
Joker takes a moment to compose himself.
Joker: Let me finish, I just don't care about anyone here. You all suck. As I was saying, all you people do is start the fights.
Remi: Oh really, we've always tried to maintain a safe space for everyone in this school!
Joker: Haha, what a joke, if that were the case, then why did Zeke greet me with a beating when I moved into the dorms, why did dumb and dumber out there break my wrist and shoot a laser at me, why did Arlo drag me out to a field?
Joker shows his battle mark from that day.
Joker: And try to beat me up?!
Remi stares at John's wound in horror.
Joker: You consider this place safe? What a joke.
Remi: I wasn't aware of any of this. I'm sorry you had to go through that.
Joker: Sorry my ass, you're only sorry because now it's affecting you. Useless. You respected high rankers are the reason why everyone wants to torture each other, well when I'm done with all of you I'm gonna show everyone that high rankers can die too!
Remi: Are you threatening us?
Joker gives Remi a sinister smile.
Joker: It's not a threat, it's a promise.
Remi in her head: So, this is what John has been reduced to. He's vengeful because of everything he had to go through. I failed, I only looked at immediate problems. I'm a failure.
I'm sorry Rei.
Remi: Listen, I've lost focus lately because of personal issues lately, but please believe me when I say I really do care. Now that this has been brought to my attention, I know what I need to do. I'm only one person you know.
John: Yeah right, like you know how to fix it.
Remi: You don't get to tell me what I know and don't know. You've been acting like a cripple for two years, so tell me, what are you going to do?
Joker: I'm, I'M.....
Joker loses his cool and shoots right out of bed.
Joker: I'm going to kill every last mortal here. So brace yourself.
Remi: So then, you're just gonna push this onto me, you could have easily fixed this, you're the strongest out of all of us.
Joker: Wrong, I was a cripple, and I put my trust in all of you. AND YOU FAILED ME!
Remi: Yeah, I could understand saying this to literally anyone else, but who was it that you slapped when they went to help pick up your papers while everyone else treated you like trash?!
Joker freezes.
Remi: WHO WAS THAT JOHN?!
Joker couldn't respond.
Remi: That's what I thought, evaluate yourself before others.
Joker: Yeah well, at least Rei was a good king who made this school safe, oh wait, he's the reason why we're here right now!
Remi pauses, anger brews within her as she gives John a cold icy glare from her hot fiery eyes.
Remi: What did you say?
Joker: I said. YOUR BROTHER IS THE REASON FOR ALL OF THIS SUFFERING!
Remi felt her body spark with energy.
Remi: EXCUSE ME?!
Joker: UGH, WILL YOU SHUT UP ALREADY, YOU'RE SO ANNOYING. You don't know jack shit! You haven't said a useful thing since you came in here! Get OUT!
Remi: John, you haven't been listening. I proposed a solution, you-
Joker: Did your brother change anything? No, the abuse is still here. Therefore your solution isn't a solution, because it didn't work. He was useless.
Remi's eyes start to glow.
Remi: John, don't you dare talk to him like that! You don't know my brother! So don't you dare talk about him like that!
Joker smiles.
John: Hehe, or what? You'll fight me? You and your brother can go to hell for all I care!
Remi clenches her fists, trying to hold in the tears.
Remi: I give up, you're so unreasonable. I really hoped we could come to a compromise, but you refuse to listen to anything I say.
Joker: I already know what I need to do.
Remi walks out, bumping into Blyke and Isen as she makes her way to the exit.
Blyke: What happened?
Remi doesn't respond.
Remi: Come on, let's just go.
Joker: UUUUUUUGGGHHHHH I DON'T GET IT, WHY AM I SEEING ALL OF THIS?!
He now sees himself walking with Seraphina.
Joker: I dunno, he's been crashing with Isen I think, doesn't want to be near me, ugh.
Seraphina in her head: So, is John Joker, the evidence kinda matches, I need an answer. This can't keep going on for any longer. Either Arlo is lying or John is. It's a shame, I used to really look up to him, but now, I think I lost my John. He doesn't act like he used to. He's-
Joker noticed Sera was spacing out. So he calls her name and waves his arm in her face.
Joker: Seraaaa, Seraa?
Sera is now back in reality.
Sera: John, listen, is something going on?
Joker: No? What do you mean?
Sera tries to find a corner to talk to John in, but she doesn't find one so she goes back to John's dorm.
Joker: So, what did you want to ask me?
Sera: John, Are you Joker?
Joker gets spooked. He never thought he could hear a worse question than "what's your ability?" A long pause sets in before Sera hugs John as she starts to cry.
Sera: John, I know your Joker, stop lying, please, I, I don't wanna lose you anymore! John please, I know what you did to those mid tiers who took me, to Arlo Meili and Ventus, to Blyke and Isen, we can figure things out, but please just tell me. Quit lying to me because it hurts me when you do. It feels like you're betraying me.
I don't wanna lose you.
Sera bawls into tears.
"I love you." She whispers in his ear as her embrace traps him between her arms and chest.
Joker: What the, Sera, look at me, do I look like Joker? That's absurd.
Sera moves her teary eyes off of John's shoulder, she looks for a second in John's room to see a mask hanging from his drawer. Without him even aware of her eye's gaze. She leaves John's room, heartbroken and scarred forever.
Joker: So, we'll talk tomorrow?
John asked from the hallway of his dorm.
Sera: I guess.
She closes the door.
Present day John, the real John, is sleeping in his bed.
John: Hey, where am I, this isn't my head, this feels so peaceful, so nice.
John walks around a place full of clouds, people, the wonderful sunshine heats him just enough so he's at the right temperature.
John: Is this…...
"Heaven, welcome to my crib." A booming voice commands as John feels peace, the peace his counterpart could only dream of.
John: Wow, this is nice. It feels so heavenly.
John took a look around and witnessed beasts gazing from grass that he's never heard of, new colors he's never even seen, and through a perspective no one could ever dream of.
John: It's time, isn't it?
God nods as John powers up. What Joker wasn't aware of was how real his flashbacks were to John. Every moment of pain was felt by both him and his counterpart. And now John was there to stop them from going into fruition. John gets booted far off a cloud into a dark void, he hears screaming and gnashing of teeth, horrible screeches, clicking noises, and disturbing things he can't even comprehend. He then wakes up in his house, he walks outside to see rubble and destruction, an apocalypse. He looks around to see a sea of vast empty gray fog.
John: Oh God, I'm alone. Aren't I?
John walks along to see Wellston, he looks into it and sees Joker fighting Remi, Arlo, Isen, and Blyke. Isen and Blyke are down, Remi is getting close, and Arlo is throwing himself onto Joker.
Arlo: What the hell did she do to you?!
John runs into the school to where the crowd is watching, he see's Sera on her knees, horrified at what's happening. All while Evie and Holden are trying to help her.
Seraphina: Oh God, not you John, not.....you.
Sera says this while tears leak from her eyes. She hopes when she opens them up all that's going on will go away, but her ears let her know otherwise.
John: What the hell?
John runs to Sera on her knees and comforts her.
John: Sera, SERA?!
Sera: John?
Sera and John make eye contact. She then looks to find Joker fighting Arlo, Remi, Blyke and Isen, but somehow John is with her. She grabs John's hand and pulls him to the end of the hall and shoves him in a janitor's closet. She slaps John across the face.
Sera: Are you real?!
John: Ouch, what the hell?
Sera: John, who's that out there then?!
John looks at Sera with a saddened expression.
John: That's, that's me.
Sera: Huh?
John: Not Joker, not The Golden God, just
Me.
Sera: Well, what's gonna happen now, what's going on?
John explains everything, how he has powers, the correction classes, how he became a hero, how he's fighting her John, God, the devil, everything under the sun that got him to this exact moment. Every shameful detail of his journey. He looks into Seraphina's eyes, unable to decipher whether this was real or not. Was anything real? Will undoing the pain in this version of his world by default be "killing" everyone in it. As John's thoughts run wild Sera starts to tear up.
Sera: Wait, you said that you were from another dimension, and you're here to kill this John? Cause he's evil?
John nods shamefully as Sera starts to hug John tightly.
Sera: That means, you're gonna leave me after, right? I'm gonna be without my friend, my dearest friend.
John now is starting to get emotional, tears stream from his face as he comes to the realization that he's gonna have to leave her behind if he wants to go home. Even though this is healing everyone, that all his friends will be better off and free from the pain of Joker's evil sins and deeds, he still has to crack the egg to make them an omelet.
John: Sera, I'm so sorry.
Sera: John, I…
John: Sera please don't....
Sera: What?
John: Please don't tell me what I think you're gonna tell me.
More destruction can be heard from the school courtyard. Kids are heard saying that Joker won, and that the royals are badly hurt.
Sera: John, I don't want you to leave. I never got to tell you how I've been feeling for the past month.
John: Oh please God make it stop.
Sera: I lo-
John: NO STOP!
John shoves Sera a little.
John: Please, don't do this to me, I don't want to leave you!
Sera: I don't want you to leave me either.
John: But, but I can't stay after this.
Sera: So then what? I'm gonna be Johnless? I need you now.
John hears a scared Elaine talking to Joker.
Elaine: Um, please, let him go!
They ditch the closet and head into the press room , John and Sera get out of the closet and go to the press room. They see Arlo, Joker, Cecile and Elaine in the room.
Elaine: Please, don't do this!
Joker: Come on Arlo, you want me to spare you, TAKE THE PUNCH, PUNCH HIM ELAINE, BEAT THE LIVING CRAP OUT OF HIM, OR I'LL DO IT, AND I MIGHT JUST KILL-
Elaine (powering up) Okay please just don't.
Elaine looks at the bloodied up Arlo.
Elaine: I'm so sorry, I'm only doing this for you.
She strokes his bruised face.
Arlo: Noo, you don't have to do it. I'll take it.
Elaine gets slapped by Joker as he puts his foot on Arlo's chest.
Joker: JUST DO OOOOOF.
Joker gets rammed into the window by an enraged John.
John: GET OFF OF HIM YOU SICK FREAK!
John starts wailing his fists on Joker. Arlo, Elaine, and Cecile all look in confusion at the doppelganger defending them. Cecile wraps her energy ropes around Sera.
Cecile: Enough, or she's gonna get it!
Cecile gets a stab to her head, a gold energy rope is sticking out of her skull, the blow instantly kills her, for the first time in John's life did he ever go for the kill before he tried to subdue someone by breaking their limb.
John: Oh God, what have I done?
Cecile falls to the ground, her lifeless corpse makes a loud thud, blood starts to pour from her head once John's rope disappears, her ropes start to fade as well. Joker shoots Elaine and Arlo both with a laser beam, the bolt towards Arlo kills him, ripping off his head and destroying his throat, the second one goes to Elaine's heart, instantly killing her as well. John watched in horror as it all unraveled before his eyes.
John throws Joker out of the window, Joker lands breaking his legs, but he heals them and gets back up.
John: No, wait!
John's arm feels numb, he somehow broke it in the brawl with Joker. The bone sticks out of his skin. However he can't feel the pain. Sera falls, fainting at the fact that she just lost her friend. John rushes over to help Sera.
John: Hey, please, wake up, Sera PLEASE!
Sera started to open her eyes when she and John heard students running down the halls.
OH GOD, He killed Remi!
I think Blyke is dead too!
Oh no, Isen as well! QUICKLY HE'S GONNA GET US ALL!
A loud explosion is heard, John looks out of the press room, he watches Isen's head being thrown at Zeke. Zeke screams in horror as Joker charges at him.
Zeke: JOHN PLEASE DON'T I'M SO-
Zeke was torn apart as Joker took his mask off. He rips Zeke apart and uses every inch of the bull to create "ropes" and throws them around the school, pulling an innocent student towards him before he stomps her head in.
John: This isn't normal, this isn't real. Oh no, this is....
Joker: AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, EVERYONE JUST DIE! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Sera wakes up to look at the bloody horror show that Joker was performing.
Sera full tears: I don't know what to do, is he gonna kill me? Is it even worth living without my friends around?
John's eyes narrow, realizing if he doesn't make this omelet, then it's more than breakfast that's at stake. His whole world at home will truly be ruined.
John: Sera, I'll make this right, I promise.
Sera: No John, I, never got to tell this freak how I used to feel. But maybe you're what I saw in him. The very thing I wanted with me. I wish you were my John, the sweet boy that just wanted the world to be a better place. I knew he existed because he's holding me right now.
John: Sera, how are you so calm?
John starts to break down in John's arms.
John: All of our friends were just murdered, so many people are dead now.
Sera: Our friends?
Sera asked as she felt her eyes water. She wraps her arms around his neck and accepts the pain that overwhelms her. John's holding Sera at this point tighter than he's ever held anyone. Ignoring the pain from his broken arm. He presses his forehead against her.
John: I'm going to get you out of here, I promise.
Sera shakes her head.
Sera: No, I don't wanna leave.
John: Sera?
Sera starts to weigh a lot, John's arm that's broken finally gives in, and his second arm is trapped under her.
John: Sera, what are you?
Sera takes the bone from John's arm and starts to press the pointy end in her neck.
John: NO SERA, STOP IT PLEASE!
Sera: I'm just glad I got to tell you how I felt, before I die. Because there's no point in living if everything is being ripped out of my life.
John in his head: If this is all just a dream, a test, some kinda simulation, then why does it hurt so badly?!
John: Sera no, you're not going to die, SERA STOP IT NOW!
The bone starts to dig deeper into her skin.
John: SERRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAA NOOOOOOO PLEASE I'M SO SORRY!
At that moment John could hear what Sera intended to be her last words. "I love you." The bone is close to reaching the point of no return, John is frantically trying to pull his arm out, horrified and unable to see clearly from the tears in his eyes. Sera smiles at John as her eyes start to roll back into her sockets.
John: OH GOD NO, PLEASE SERA COME BACK, I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! I-
SNAP!
A snap is heard as the bone penetrates the side of her throat and comes out the other side of her neck. John looks into Sera's lifeless eyes, at this point his tears are soaking his face, snot is coming out of his nose.
John: WHYYYYYYYY?! WHY THE DID YOU DO THAT?!!! SERA! SERA!!!!
Johns lost his sanity, his crying turns into screaming, his sadness soon turns to anger when he looks out the window and looks at who drove her to such a deep despair. John is looking straight at Joker.
Joker: Sera?
Joker looks to see John pulling his arm out of Sera's neck, blood squirts from it making it look like John stabbed her.
Joker: SERA!!!!
Joker starts to scream.
Joker: YOU, YOU KILLED HER!
John looks at Joker in disbelief.
John: Wait, me, you think I killed her?! YOU THINK I'D KILL SERAPHINA?!
John hears a voice in his head as he slowly feels his sanity drain.
Sera: It's his fault, kill him, he killed me.
Arlo: ME TWO!
Remi: ME THREE!
ELAINE: ME FOUR!
ISEN AND BLYKE: GIVE HIM HELL JOHN!
Cecile: HE USED ME TO DO ALL OF THIS!
Zeke: ARE YOU COWARDLY CRIPPLE OR A GOD-TIER?! KILL HIM ALREADY YOU PIECE OF TRASH!
John looks behind him, he see's gold and black silhouettes of his friends. Even Cecile and Zeke, though they are a little distant.
John: Where is?
John feels a huge weight on his back, a gold and black Seraphina is hugging him from behind, she leans on him playing with his hair while kissing his cheeks and head.
Sera: Hehe, hey there.
She smiles so innocently as she looks at John's broken soul. John cried full rivers as he looked at Sera.
John: Sera?
He feels the warmth of Sera hugging him as she snuggles her nose into his neck. He feels her breathing, a sudden calm feeling washes over him. It all ends with the sound of two words. Seraphina smiles in a sinister way.
Sera: Kill him.
At that moment John jumps from the press room, his eyes glowing as bright as day, two black angel wings pop out of him.
Joker: What the, that's not my ability?!
John Doe: Yeah, cause I'm not like you.
John sends a punch that cracks all of Joker's ribs, Joker slams his back against the wall snapping his spine. Joker then takes a breath, barely alive after taking such a devastating hit from John.
Joker: Noo, stop, this hurts so much!
John's school uniform is off at this point, just his pants and belt, his shoe less and sock less feet wet from the rain, his muscles bulging, his eyes no longer tearing. This was John Doe.
John Doe: You killed them all!
John picks up Joker by the collar and flies up hundreds of meters, as he feels the rain he hears his friends voices, screaming and chanting for him to murder Joker. John then accelerates back down. His fist holding Joker, putting him in front of himself so that he takes all of the impact.