Deacon
James Spectre…
You are undeserving to wield such an ability.
the only thing you deserve is a death more painful than you could have thought possible
James
(Fuck, this is bad!)
(I thought this guy would be the easier of the two to deal with, cause Lacerta could actually hit him!)
(But it seems I underestimated him!)
(This guy's loonier than that Tom guy…)
(…he seemed powerful, but in the end his own incompetence got in the way of his goal…)
(I don't think i'll get so lucky today.)
James looks down at his arm
James
(My arm's still bleeding out, nails are still jutting out of it…)
(It would be a fair guess to say it's broken)
(I don't know how many times i can dodge with all the blood i'm losing)
(I have nothing to lose by taking a shot when Apus flies back up)
Deacon
James Spectre, I know what you're planning to do.
I can see that you haven't given up yet.
It's as though you are incapable of understanding that you've lost.
Let me attempt to hammer in the severity of your situation.
You are completely at my mercy.
Your pitiful appearance only proves it.
I know you're waiting to maintain a clear shot
Just know, I will never give you that chance.
James
(His bird is still hidden by the sun)
(I gotta keep him talking…)
(Otherwise I'll never be able to find it!)
(I gotta let it perch so I'll have the shot!)
Deacon
What are you doing?
Life flashing before your eyes?
Are you reflecting on your sins?
It will do you no good now. You have strayed too far from his path.
James
Him, you keep bringing him up.
Who is he exactly?
Consider it a dying man's last wish.
Deacon
I already told you, repenting will do nothing anymore.
James
(You'll take the bait, I know you will)
(You all phrase him as this godlike being)
(I just know a loon like you won't be able to resist spreading your "gospel")
Deacon
Well, I suppose there's no harm in granting you your last wish…
Very well detective, listen well for there should be no greater honour than to hear his truth.
I was a wretched creature, with no hope of salvation. I was abandoned by all those around me, looked down upon. Then the Great War broke out, and I was one of the poor unfortunates drafted.
We were all being sent to the slaughter, and we knew it. The propaganda attempted to paint us as heroes who would liberate Europe and put an end to the war. They couldn't have been more wrong…
A younger Deacon runs through the trenches, bodies surrounding him
Flashback Deacon
Captain! Private Deacon, I have a message from the general, he wants us to hold the line and to not give up the territory!
Flashback Captain
Eh? He wants us to do what now?
That's borderline suicide, and you'd be an idiot to follow those orders.
Flashback Deacon
B-but sir, these are orders from the general. We can't just disobey them.
Flashback Captain
What's this?
Are you giving me orders?
Listen to me boy…
There's a hierarchy to everything, where it's the responsibility of those at the bottom, like yourself, to support those at the top. For there can be no upper class without a lower class to do the manual labour.
That's the law of this world, understand?
The captain picks up something on his desk
Flashback Captain
Do you know what this is?
This is a new chemical weapon that was developed…
Our plan if it works is to spread it over the enemy trenches when the wind changes directions.
But for us to do that, we need to make sure it works
The captain pours the mixture onto Deacon
Flashback Deacon
AAAAGGGGHHHH!!!!
IT'S BURNING ME!!!
HELP ME!!!
DON'T JUST STAND THERE!!!
Flashback Captain
Hm? Are you giving orders to a superior officer?
The captain kicks Deacon while he's on the floor
Don't worry private, you've just done your country a great service…
Now we can claim the Germans created this chemical weapon and used it against our troops, but we managed to recreate the formula.
Hehe, thanks kid. Now get out.
Deacon
That captain deformed and abused me…
Leaving me with this hideous burn!
Even with our victory in the war, nothing improved…instead, my soul was only further plunged into despair…
I was left jobless, and no one would hire me due to my loathsome appearance.
Then, at my lowest moment, he arrived before me…
Just as I felt the weight of the world pushing against me, bringing me to the brink of sanity…
He appeared before me, serving as the beacon to enlighten the road to my destiny.
Shadowy Figure
Why do you cry?
Don't weep, for today is the beginning of your new and perfect life.
Think of your struggles as what our new world will be built on.
The greater strife we as a species face, the stronger we become.
It is my firm belief that there is no greater cause in life than helping those in need…
And with my gift, you shall be able to help me in achieving this new utopia: a heaven on earth. Where one's greatest desires await them at their fingertips.
A man's destiny not being decided by some rich, old men, but one where a man can grab his destiny with his own two hands.
Flashback Deacon
W-what do you mean?
What are you going to do to me?!
Shadowy Figure
I shall grant you a fantastical ability, beyond anything you could have imagined.
All you have to do in exchange, is live your life to its fullest potential. Help those in need like what I've done for you…
You must never forget today: the day of your rebirth.
Flashback Deacon
Why…
Shadowy Figure
Hm? Did you say something?
Flashback Deacon
Why are you doing this for someone like me?!
Forced to wear this wretched mask to hide my hideous figure!
Don't you wonder what detestable face lies behind it!?
This new "utopia" you're planning to create, has no place for monsters such as myself…
Shadowy Figure
Smiles
Now why would your appearance matter in the slightest?
I have selected my candidates based on nothing but their potential.
And in you, I believe I have found the perfect user for this power…
I call it Apus. Do you know what that signifies?
It means "Birds of Paradise" a fitting name, wouldn't you agree?
I believe your marksmanship would be essential to make proper use of this ability.
Flashback Deacon
Th-thank you sir!
W-what should I call you?!
Shadowy Figure
Don't think of it…
It doesn't matter what I am called, for I am doing nothing more than attempting to put humanity on the right path for prosperity.
We are plagued by war, starvation, pestilence…
Everyone in my position would do the same…
I merely wish to help those in need.
What do you say?
Will you accept my offer?
Will you join me in paradise?
Deacon
I accepted his offer.
And I have never looked back!
This man didn't give me his name, only his mission.
A manifesto for what he wished to create…
And so, I called this new entity a Manifesto!
When I finally met the boss, I presented him with this name for these entities.
James
(What's with this guy?)
(He seems so deluded by himself that he'd be willing to kill anyone who gets in his way!)
(I guess he already proved that when he killed his partner…)
(That's not something I've ever seen a member of the Casa Dei Re do.)
(I guess this really is just a job for him, I'd be willing to wager he'd betray his boss if he asked him to.)
Something begins to fall out of the sky
James jumps out of the way
James
!
(huh?)
(wait a minute, I was too caught up thinking to realise how often I've been dodging these attacks!)
(I thought it would be impossible with these wounds…)
(...but that's not the case at all!)
(There's no way my wounds should be able to heal so quickly!)
(Well I'm not complaining!)
(Now I can at least try fighting back!)
Lacerta!
Fire!
Deacon
(Damn! Apus is too high up for me to call back!)
(Is this the end?!)
A bullet shoots out, as Deacon braces himself for impact
James feels something hitting his arm, almost like a bullet
James
W-what…the fuck…?
Deacon
Huh?
How did that bullet bounce back, unless…
Taylor?!
Taylor's lying down, with Aries standing over him
Taylor
E-even if you don't believe in the b-boss…
It's still one of my duties to protect my partner…
No matter what happens to me!
James
(I…didn't expect that…)
(I would've thought for sure after being betrayed like that, he would attack Deacon!)
(But, what's with this unwavering sense of loyalty he has for the Casa Dei Re?)
(I never thought a scumbag mobster would have such deep loyalties for someone…)
Deacon
Thank you Taylor…you have shown your true colours…
It appears as though I misjudged you…
You aren't solely after the pursuit of money and personal gain: it appears as though you also have loyalties that go deeper than what I had first thought…
You have earned my respect.
Now, Apus will end this battle, once and for all.
Something falls out of the sky
James
Fuck!
(I lost sight of his bird!)
(The only thing I can do now is try to defend myself!)
Lacerta!
An explosion goes off…Lacerta's tail falls off…