Chereads / Spectres of the Past: Requiem of the Spectre / Chapter 27 - Canis Major: part 3

Chapter 27 - Canis Major: part 3

Sinatra

(H-how is it possible that someone could injure me!?)

(T-this has never happened before!)

(M-my defences are impenetrable!)

(Canes Venatici promised me that no harm would befall me so long as we were together!)

(So how could some random punk from the street march his way past my most powerful men, and go on to injure me!?)

(I-it's probably best to recall Epsilon and Zeta back right now!)

Epsilon and Zeta turn back into a pair of curtains

James

What happened?

Did you get scared?

Is that what happened?

What happened to my futile attack?

What?

Are you running?

James begins standing up, never breaking eye contact with Sinatra

Sinatra

(H-has he not noticed that his bullets worked?)

(I-it looks like he still hasn't realised…)

(Is there anything I can do with that?)

(No, I can't send out all of my Canes Venatici or else he'd just start blindly shooting again, then he's bound to notice the blood…)

(What should I do!?)

???

(What's that thing doing?!)

Lacerta

James…Spectre…Mutantur…Nere…

Mutantur…Nere…

James

(What's it trying to say?)

(It sounds Italian if I had to take a guess…)

(Could it be Latin?)

(Damn, I only know a few phrases in Latin…)

(What could it be trying to say to me?!)

Lacerta

Mutantur…Nere…Indicibus…

Amplectere…Gravitas…

James

(More? What could it be trying to say!?)

(Come to think of it, it spoke in Latin when I first met it…)

(I wonder what it's trying to say…)

(I get the feeling it's trying to explain why Sinatra's so scared of me all of a sudden…)

(Could it have something to do with my bullets?)

Sinatra

(What's he doing!?)

(I can't let him understand what his bullets are really doing!)

(Even if it's a long shot, I have to use Canis Major to at least distract him!)

Canis Major!

Kill him now!

Objects begin coming together to form a giant dog jumping downstairs towards James

James

Lacerta!

Protect me!

Lacerta begins firing off bullets at the dog, leaving dents on the armour

James begins moving out of the way

Sinatra

(Good, it seems like my plan worked, even if only temporarily…)

(But I can't let him realise his bullets are having an effect on me!)

Lacerta

Nere…Indicibus…

James

(What is it trying to tell me?!)

(I need to know now!)

(There has to be some kind of significance to it speaking…)

(...the last time it spoke was when I first met it, when it killed my parents…)

(This is the only other time I've ever seen it speak…)

(What does it mean?!)

Canis Major attempts to take another bite out of James

James

Fuck!

Lacerta!

Knock it back!

Lacerta throws a punch, pushing the dog back

The dog begins moving towards James again

James

Lacerta!

Fire!

Lacerta fires off more bullets, connecting with the dog, the camera closes in on the bullets spinning as they dig into the armour

Sinatra

(T-these bullets…!)

(W-what's with them!?)

(This is a different kind of pain than what I felt when he was shooting my legs!)

(These ones are twisting and digging into the muscle!)

(This won't be a quick fix, this could take years to heal, if they do heal that is!)

AAAGGGHHH!!!

Sinatra collapses to the floor

James

???

(W-was that because of me!?)

(A-are my bullets actually doing something to it!?)

Lacerta…was that…was that you?

Lacerta sticks up it's index finger

Lacerta

Nere Indicibus.

James

You keep saying that…

Are you…are you describing the bullets?

Is that what you're trying to say?

Lacerta points it's arm towards the wall and fires off a bullet

James

Why did you do that?

Lacerta points to the wall

James goes closer to examine it

James

!!!

(This pattern!?)

(This isn't a clean shot like they normally are!)

(These bullets, they're spinning and twisting around!)

(It's like the barrels of the guns have changed from a pistol to a rifle!)

(The bullets are spinning in the chamber, causing them to dig into the target!)

(Does this mean, I might actually have a way of hurting his Canis Major?!)

Sinatra begins prying himself back up before falling back down

Sinatra

(I-I don't know if I can keep fighting him like this!)

(I can barely stand!)

(How can I concentrate on the fight if I can't even stand up properly?!)

Canis Major!

Don't give up!

Get back up and keep fighting!

Canis Major forces itself back up, getting ready for another attack

Sinatra

(No matter what happens to me…)

(I have to make sure the detective dies, here and now…)

(I cannot allow him to live any longer, even at the cost of my own life!)

Canis Major!

Attack! Now!

The dog throws itself at James

James

Lacerta!

Fire!

Sinatra

Canes Venatici!

Canis Major splits into 4 dogs

James

Lacerta, find the one with an "alpha" symbol on its head!

That's the leader of the pack!

James dodges attacks from the dogs

James

Found it!

Fire!

James fires off a bullet

Sinatra

Canis Major!

The dogs form together, the bullets still connecting with their target

Sinatra begins coughing up blood

James

This is your loss Sinatra.

You've lost.

You're Casa Dei Re ends here.

There is nowhere else for you to go from here.

Just accept your defeat, I'll destroy your Manifesto, and turn you into the cops.

What do you say?

Are you willing to accept my offer?

Sinatra breathes heavily

Sinatra

I…I admit it detective…

This is my loss…

You may destroy it…

Canes Venatici…

The large dog forms into a bunch of objects and a single dog

James

I'm glad to see you accept your defeat.

That's the honourable thing to do.

Lacerta, fire.

Lacerta fires a bullet and Sinatra coughs up even more blood.

The dog turns to dust

James

James turns his back to Sinatra to look out the window

(And with that bullet, the Casa Dei Re is finished…)

(I finally did it.)

(I closed them down at last.)

(Now I can finally rest–)

A dog attacks James from behind, biting a chunk out of his right arm

James

Fuck!

That Bastard!

He took advantage of me!

I'll find you!

Where did he go!?

James sees a trail of blood

James

(He called out Canes Venatici so he could have me kill Beta, not Alpha!)

(But with him losing that much blood, there's no way for him to escape me!)

Somewhere down an alley

Sinatra

(I did it!)

(I really did it!)

(I finally escaped him!)

(I won after all!)

(I really am chosen by a higher power!)

(How else would you explain this!?)

(Only a bit further until I can get some medical attention!)

Sinatra bumps into someone

Sinatra

Out of my way asshole!

Can't you see I'm walking here!?

I have places to be!

The man puts his hand on Sinatra's shoulder

Mysterious Figure

You…got blood on my new suit…

Sinatra

Huh? You think I care?

I was chosen by god!

Do you think I care about a bit of blood on your suit!?

No!

Of course not!

Now let me go!

I have places to be!

Don't make me use Canes Venatici!

I'll destroy any and all obstacles in my path!

Mysterious figure

Canes Venatici?

Does that mean you also have one of these angels?

Sinatra

That's right!

My Manifesto is called!

Now, out of my way, or you'll suffer the consequences!

Mysterious figure

You said you were chosen by god…

That's funny, because I don't remember choosing you…

A second hand appears on Sinatra's shoulder

Sinatra

W-what are you doing?!

Mysterious figure

I said you'd pay for ruining my new suit…

And for proclaiming to be one of my chosen few…

What a preposterous idea, that someone like you would be bold enough for my new world…

I simply cannot allow creatures like you to wield such a mighty power.

Allow me to take that off your hands.

Sinatra's skin begins wrinkling

Sinatra

N-no! What are you doing!?

Stay back!

Get away!

NOOO!!!!

Sinatra collapses to the ground, his skin wrinkled, his hair gone.

Mysterious figure

Manifesto…Is that what this power is called?

Fascinating…

The man removes his jacket

Mysterious Figure

I wonder how I'll explain this to the dry cleaner…

The mysterious figure walks away from Sinatra and blends into the crowd before James leaves the alley

James

Sinatra!

Where are you!?

I've got you now!

Sinatra!?

James looks around before looking down to see Sinatra's shrivelled up corpse lying on the ground

James

(It looks like I was too late…)

(I guess someone else got to him first…)

(I should be happy that a crime boss is dead, yet I can't help but feel sorry for him…)

(I can't help but wonder what would've happened if he was given the chance to repent and change his life…)

James returns to the house and collects all the pieces of the notebook

James

There we go Mercury, I'll repair this at my office and I can finally honour my word.

I'm glad this is all over, and that I can put this behind me…

(Though, some small part of me wonders…)

(...if the boss wasn't the one giving people Manifestos, then who is?)

(And who was it that killed Sinatra?)

(There's no way a normal human could do that, it had to be a Manifesto…)

(Was it him? Or was it some Manifesto user I haven't met yet?)

(Maybe, for now at least, it's better if I just give myself a break.)